Aunt Marys Italian Cream Cake Food

AUNT TOM'S ITALIAN CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• Make cake layers:
• Preheat oven to 375°F. and lightly butter and flour three 9- by 2-inch round cake pans, knocking out any excess flour.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together sugar, shortening, and margarine until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Into another bowl sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat flour mixture into egg mixture in 2 batches alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, until combined. Beat in vanilla, coconut, and chopped pecans. Beat egg whites in another bowl until they just hold stiff peaks and fold into batter gently but thoroughly.
• Divide batter among pans, smoothing tops, and bake in upper two thirds of oven, switching position of pans in oven halfway through baking, until a tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cake layers in pans on racks 10 minutes and invert onto racks to cool completely.
• Make frosting:
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together cream cheese, margarine, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar, beating until creamy.
• Stack cake layers on a cake plate, spreading about 1/2 cup frosting between each layer. Spread remaining frosting on top and side of cake.

AUNT MARY'S ITALIAN BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar.
• add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
• Add vanilla.
• Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and ad slowly to creamed mixture.
• Stir in lemon and orange peels, anise seeds and nuts and blend well.
• divide dough into 3 parts and shape each into long roll about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
• Place rolls on cookie sheet several inches apart and flatten rolls somewhat.
• Bake at 350F for 15 minutes.
• Remove and slice rolls crosswise 3/4 inches.
• Lay cut side down and bake additional 7 minutes.
• Flip to other side of cookie and bake another 7 minutes.
• Makes approx 4 dozen biscotti. ENJOY!
• Freezes well.
• Note: If you want sweeter, increase sugar to 1 full cup.

AUNT MARY'S DELICIOUS BUNNY CAKE

Steps:

• Place a rack into the lower third of oven.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Grease and flour a cake mold pan (such as a bunny cake or train cake mold) using vegetable shortening.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
• Mix 1 1/3 cup milk, lemon extract, 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract, and orange extract in a separate bowl.
• Beat unsalted butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until butter is creamy and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in white sugar and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 more minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating each egg in thoroughly before adding the next.
• Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in flour mixture in several additions, alternating with milk mixture; begin and end with flour mixture. Do not overbeat. Scrape bowl occasionally.
• Pour batter evenly into prepared cake pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Place cake in pan on a wire rack and allow to cool for 15 minutes before inverting pan to remove cake. Allow cake to completely cool on wire rack, 3 to 4 hours.
• Beat vegetable shortening, 1/2 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, and 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract in a bowl until frosting is smooth and creamy.
• Pack the frosting into a heavy resealable plastic bag; force the frosting into one corner of the bag. Clip a small corner off the plastic bag, seal the bag, and pipe the frosting onto the cooled cake in desired pattern.

AUNT MARY'S CARROT-PINEAPPLE BUNDT CAKE

Steps:

• Grease and lightly flour baking pan. Preheat oven to 325°F
• Mix together dry Ingredients: sugar, soda, cake flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder
• Drain can of pineapple juice from pineapple, saving the juice.
• Add the following to the dry mixture and beat for 3 minutes: Pineapple juice, eggs, oil, vanilla
• Stir in pineapple, carrots and (optional) pecans
• Bake in Bundt pan at 325 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours. (Can also be baked in 9 x 13 for about 45 minutes.).
• Cool for 10 minutes in pan before unmolding
• Frost with Currant-Nut Icing.
• Currant-Nut Icing
• 4 1/2 cups icing sugar (1 box) 2 Tablespoon vanilla
• 1 pkg (8 oz.) soft cream cheese 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup currants
• 2 Tablespoon milk
• Plump currants by soaking in 1/3 cup of hot water for 5 minutes.
• Drain well.
• Beat sugar, cream cheese (I use laughing cow cheese), butter, milk and vanilla
• until smooth. Fold in walnuts and currants.
• Spread over cooled cake.

AUNT MARY'S CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Cream together butter, cream cheese, and sugar.
• Mix in vanilla.

AUNT MARY'S COOKIES

Steps:

• Place sheets of waxed paper onto a work surface.
• Stir sugar, cocoa, and evaporated milk together in a large nonstick saucepan over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil; boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir butter and marshmallow creme into cocoa mixture. Quickly stir graham cracker crumbs into mixture.
• Drop cookies by the spoonful onto waxed paper; let stand until firm. Store in airtight containers.

AUNT MARY'S ITALIAN CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• Combined baking soda and buttermilk and let stand for a few minutes.
• Cream sugar, butter, and shortening.
• Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add buttermilk mixture and flour alternately until combined.
• Stir in vanilla.
• Beat egg whites until stiff.
• Fold stiff egg whites into batter along with coconut and pecans.
• Evenly divide mixture between 3 well greased and floured, 9 inch pans.
• Bake at 325 for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out cleanly.
• Top each layer with 'Aunt Mary's Cream Cheese Frosting' and sprinkle on pecans.