Margarita cake

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil spray, for misting the pan

Flour, for dusting the pan

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow or lemon cake mix

Half a package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix (4 tablespoons)

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup water

½ cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup fresh lime or Key lime juice

¼ cup tequila

2 tablespoons triple sec

1 teaspoon grated lime zest

4 large eggs

For the glaze and garnish:

1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon tequila

1 tablespoon triple sec

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice or Key lime juice

1 lime, cut into thin slices

1 to 2 teaspoons coarse sugar

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly mist a 12­cup Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust it with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set the pan aside.

Place the cake mix, pudding mix, sugar, water, oil, 1/3 cup lime juice, ¼ cup tequila, 2 tablespoons triple sec, and the lime zest and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 1½ minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed. The batter should look smooth and thick. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan, smoothing the top with the rubber spatula, and place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until the top springs back when lightly pressed with a finger, 42 to 47 minutes. Transfer the Bundt pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Run a long, sharp knife around the edges of the cake, shake the pan gently, and invert the cake onto a wire rack. Let the cake cool completely, about 25 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, make the glaze: Place the confectioners’ sugar, 1 tablespoon tequila, 1 tablespoon triple sec, and 1 tablespoon lime juice in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Slide the cake onto a serving plate. Using a long wooden skewer poke 12 to 16 holes in the top of the cake. Spoon the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Garnish the cake with the lime slices and a sprinkling of coarse sugar. Let the glaze set for 10 minutes, then slice and serve the cake.

Peanut butter pound cake

Review by Lyndee:

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

½ cup peanut butter

5 eggs, room temperature

1 tbsp vanilla

3 cups flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp baking soda

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Prepare a bundt or tube pan (dust lightly with flour). 

In a large bowl, mix flour, baking soda, powder and salt.  On medium speed, cream together butter and sugar until they are fluffy.  Add the brown sugar and peanut butter.  Continue mixing.  Add the eggs one at a time.  Add vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients and the milk to the creamed mixture.  Alternate between adding the flour and milk.  Mix completely. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 60-70 minutes.  Only fill your cake pan ¾ of the way so it doesn’t run over.  If you have extra batter make muffins or a small loaf.   It is done when toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven let sit for 15 minutes.  Then remove from pan.  Dust with powdered sugar or frosting.

Frosting

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup peanut butter, creamy

2 cups powdered sugar

Milk (amount varies depending on consistency desired)

Cream butter and peanut butter.  Add powdered sugar and milk with mixer set on low.  Pour over the top of the cake.  I also melted four ounces of semi sweet chocolate and drizzled it over the top of the frosting. 

This cake didn’t go so well. First of all, I accidentally set my oven to 375 instead of 325 and didn’t realize until it had been baking for 30 minutes and starting to burn.  Not awesome.  The batter was delicious though before I stuck it in.  This cake took a long time to prepare and to bake.  I think mine was dry because of messing up the temperature.  It looked great and the flavor was pretty good.  But like I said, pretty dry so not sure if that’s recipe, my mess up or a combo of the two.  If you microwave it for 15 seconds and add a scoop of ice cream it’s pretty good though.