Bartholomew Buffet

This is my husband, Paul’s, favorite cake. In my cooking, I’m forever “competing” with memories of his grandmother’s baking, and the first time I made this he said it was one of the best cakes he’d ever had. I knew it had been compared to high standards, so I was impressed with myself.

4 oz. sweet cooking chocolate
1/2 C. water
2 C. sugar
1 C. stick margarine or butter, softened
4 large eggs
2 1/4 C. all-purpose flour, or 2 1/2 C. cake flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 C. buttermilk

COCONUT-PECAN FROSTING:
1 C. sugar
1/2 C. stick margarine or butter
1 C. evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
3 large egg yolks
1 1/3 C. flaked coconut
1 C. pecans, chopped

Heat oven to 350º. Grease bottom and sides of three round 8 x 1 1/2″ or 9 x 1 1/2″ pans. Line bottoms of pans with waxed paper or cooking parchment paper. Heat chocolate and water in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring until chocolate is melted; cool. Beat sugar and margarine in medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in chocolate and vanilla on low speed. Add remaining ingredients, except frosting. Beat on low speed just until blended. Pour into pans. Bake 8″ round pans 35 to 40 minutes, 9″ round pans 30 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire rack. Remove waxed paper. Cool completely. Fill layers and frost top of cake with the Coconut-Pecan Frosting, leaving side of cake unfrosted,

COCONUT-PECAN FROSTING: Mix sugar, margarine, milk, vanilla and egg yolks in 2-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick. Stir in coconut and pecans. Cool about 30 minutes, beating occasionally, until spreadable.

Avery and I have always enjoyed looking through cookbooks and magazines for new recipes to try. He chose this picture because of the strawberries and pineapple. It was an excellent choice. The cake is really delicious!

1 – 18 1/4 oz. pkg. reduced-fat yellow cake mix
3/4 C. water
1/2 C. orange juice
1/2 C. egg substitute
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 T. canola oil
1/2 tsp. orange peel
1 – 6 oz. carton reduced-fat orange-cream yogurt
2 C. reduced-fat whipped topping
1 C. strawberries, diced and patted dry
1 C. canned unsweetened pineapple tidbits, drained and patted dry

Coat two 9″ round baking pans with non-stick cooking spray; line with waxed paper. Coat waxed paper with non-stick cooking spray; set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, scraping bowl constantly. Fold in orange peel. Pour into prepared pans. Bake at 350º for 18 to 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire rack. In a bowl, combine the yogurt and whipped topping. In another bowl, combine the strawberries and pineapple. Place 1 cooled cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with half of the yogurt mixture; top with half of the fruit mixture. Top with a second cake layer. Spread remaining yogurt mixture over top of cake; sprinkle with remaining fruit. Store in the refrigerator.

3 eggs
1 1/8 C.oil
2 1/4 C. sugar
3 C. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 C. milk
1 1/2 tsp. butter flavoring
1 1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla flavoring
1 1/2 T. poppy seeds

GLAZE:
1/4 C. orange juice
3/4 C. sugar
1/2 tsp. butter flavoring
1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
1/2 tsp. vanilla flavoring

Beat the eggs, oil and sugar together. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture alternately with the milk to the egg mixture. Add the flavorings and poppy seeds and mix well. Bake in 5 small or 2 large loaf pans at 350º for 1 hour. Pour glaze over warm bread.

GLAZE: Use half the glaze recipe for 1batch of bread – it’s enough glaze for a double batch.

1 – 1 lb. box graham crackers
2 small pkgs. instant vanilla pudding
3 1/2 C. milk
1 – 8 oz. container Cool Whip

FROSTING:
2 packets Choco-Bake, unsweetened
2 T. white Karo syrup
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 C. powdered sugar
3 T. milk
3 T. margarine

Spray a 9×13″ pan with Pam. Line entire bottom of pan with crackers. Mix pudding and milk and stir in Cool Whip. Pour half of the pudding mixture over the crackers. Add another layer of crackers and pudding mixture. Top pudding with third layer of crackers. Refrigerate 2 hours. Mix the frosting ingredients. Frost the third layer of crackers. Refrigerate.

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 can cherry pie filling
1 tsp. almond extract
2 eggs

FROSTING:
1 C. sugar
1/3 C. milk
4 T. butter
1 C. chocolate chips
1 tsp. almond extract

Make cake as directed using 2 eggs. Add almond extract. Mix cherry pie filling in at the end. Bake at 350º for 40 to 45 minutes.

FROSTING: Heat sugar, milk and butter, stirring constantly, and boil 1 minute. Add the chocolate chips and almond extract. Beat until smooth. Pour over cake.

NOTE: This frosting is like fudge; you need to have everything ready to add to it and pour quickly over the cake.

1/2 C. butter
1 1/8 C. sugar (1/8 C. = 2 T)
2 eggs
1 7/8 C. cake flour (2 C. minus 2 T.) or 1 3/4 C. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 C. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs. Sift dry ingredients and stir in alternately with liquid. Stir just enough to make batter smooth. Bake 30 to 35 minutes (layers) or 35 to 40 minutes (9×13″ pan).

This recipe came from the Dunkerton, Iowa, First Baptist Church Cookbook – 1932.

1 1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. butter
2 egg yolks
1 C. lukewarm water
2 C. flour
2 T. burnt sugar*
2 egg whites, beaten
1 1/2 C. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix the first 4 ingredients. Beat into this gradually the flour and burnt sugar. Beat until smooth, then add the beaten egg whites, flour, baking powder and vanilla. Bake.

*To make burnt sugar: Put 1 cup sugar in skillet, keep stirring until brown, then add 1/2 cup of warm water gradually, stir; pour the water in slowly as this spatters.