[Italiancook]

Mike and everyone else, below is my grandmother's recipe for white icing that uses cooked flour. It's a tried and true recipe. Easy to make. I use this frequently on chocolate cakes. I can't recall exactly, but I think it makes enough to ice a 2-layer 8" round cake. Can't be overly generous with the filling between layers, though. I usually make sheet cakes in my old timey, smaller pan. But I feel confident this would ice a modern 9" x 13" pan.

FLUFFY WHITE FROSTING

Mix together 2 tablespoon flour & 3/4 cup milk. Cook until thick. Cool. (I cook it until it just reaches the boiling stage, and declare it thick. I do not let it boil. I just want to see the first couple bubbles of boil then remove from heat. I use 1% milk. With whole milk, it may thicken before the boiling stage.)

Cream together 3/8 cup (6 tablespoons) butter (NOT margarine) & 3/8 cup Crisco and 3/4 cup granulated sugar.

Add cooled white sauce & 1 teaspoon vanilla to shortening & sugar. Beat until fluffy.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by Italiancook.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by Italiancook.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by Italiancook.

[Italiancook]

Nina, thanks for the link. It's good to know I don't have to replace baking soda every six months.

[Italiancook]

You're welcome, Joan. I'm glad it was a success for you, too. I never thought of using red velvet icing with it. Will keep that in mind.

[Italiancook]

I've never seen Australian wine, but I only look for wine when I need it for a recipe. I've always used Burgundy in beef bourguignon.

[Italiancook]

I have a trip to the restaurant supply store on my to-do list. I'll look to see if they have Carbon-Off. Sounds faster than scrubbing each rack tine with an abrasive pad. Thanks for the information, Mike.

[Italiancook]

Mike, forgetting to turn on the oven must be contagious even via the Internet. Your cut cake looks exactly like it should. I'm glad you enjoy the flavor.

[Italiancook]

I had to pay the piper by cleaning both ovens. That's a four day project, although I'm not working on them for long . . . well, cleaning the racks by hand is a time-consuming task. The racks took two days. Consequently, the only item I baked was a yellow cake, which I've talked about in the semi-flop thread.

[Italiancook]

I made Coq au Vin from "Cook-Ahead Cookery" by Theodora Zavin & Fredda Stuart. I never drink alcohol, but I enjoy cooking with it occasionally. This recipe calls for red wine. For the first time, I used Merlot. I am quite pleased with the taste it gave the final product.

[Italiancook]

If you have time, Mike, please let me know how the half recipe works in the square pan. I've never tried that.

BakerAunt, a while back, ATK had a segment on baking powder. Their testing indicated baking powder needs to be replaced every 6 months regardless of the expiration date on the can. Ever since then, I replace my baking powder and baking soda every 6 months.

The powder will work after 6 months, but the test kitchen showed that biscuits won't rise as much after 6 months.

Does anyone know if baking soda needs to be replaced sooner than 6 months?

[Italiancook]

Mike, the recipe calls for 2 - 9 inch cake pans. I have edited original post to include that.

I don't bake this in round pans. I use and old-timey sheet pan that is 13-1/2" x 8" x 1-1/4".

I think that if you make this when your outside temperatures go down that you'll like it. What I enjoy is that it has enough flavor that I'm happy to eat it without any icing.

I used this recipe to make a German "Chocolate" Cake for someone who prefers that cake be yellow, not chocolate. Worked out great.

[Italiancook]

Mike, the cake was fully baked. Tasted delicious even in the fallen area. I'm convinced KIDPIZZA diagnosed the problem correctly. I don't know how long the cake sat before it went into the oven, but it was longer than normal. Usually, I start preheating the oven half-way through a recipe, but this batter was almost finished before I thought of the oven. Nevertheless, I'm posting the recipe here:

Yellow Cake
1 cup softened butter
2 cups sugar (I used half white Splenda & half sugar)
4 eggs
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Prepare 2 - 9" cake pans. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream butter & sugar. Add eggs & blend. Add and mix other ingredients. Bake 25 minutes.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by Italiancook.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by Italiancook.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by Italiancook.

[Italiancook]

KIDPIZZA, yes! you helped me with my baking mystery. The recipe has both baking soda and baking powder. I didn't realize the baking soda would do its thing while waiting for the oven. Thanks for educating me.

Italiancook (Gail)

[Italiancook]

My husband uses an electric sharpener on our knives. Don't know the brand, but it was recommended by ATK, as I recall.

I have my dad's manual knife sharpening stone. Sometimes I want a knife a little sharper than the electric sharpener makes it. Then I use my dad's stone. Many times he gave me oral instructions on how to sharpen knives while he was working with the stone.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by Italiancook.

[Italiancook]

I didn't bake this week. Instead, I exercised twice a day in an attempt to lose more weight. At week's end, I had gained one-and-a-half pounds! So much for exercising instead of baking.

[Italiancook]

I made my dad's Chop Suey. It's not the least bit authentic, but it tastes good. I served it with Chow Mein Noodles instead of rice. Dad always used those dried noodles, so I do, too. I make this rarely; when I do, I want to replicate Dad's. The recipe makes a lot, so ate this for the better part of the week.

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