National Cake Day

We have yet another off-beat food holiday to celebrate today. It's National Cake Day! Yea!! These "holidays" are great because they give me an automatic subject to blog about.

I love cake. I love pie, too. I love pretty much any and all desserts. Here are a couple of my favorite cake recipes. As usual, they are fairly quick and easy. I love good food, but I don't love spending all day cooking it.

Enjoy!

7-Up Cake
1 box lemon cake mix
1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix
¾ cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups 7-Up
4 eggs

Icing
2 cups sugar
1 20 oz can crushed pineapple
½ cup butter
5 tablespoons flour
2 egg yolks
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9x13 baking pan (you may also use 3, 9 inch round pans).

In a large mixer bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil, 7-Up and eggs. Blend until moistened. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan(s). Bake at 350 for 40 – 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack. Spread top of cake with cooled icing. *

To make icing, combine sugar, pineapple, butter, flour and egg yolks in a saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Cook and stir until thick. Stir in coconut and nuts. Cool completely before icing cake.

*If making a layer cake, cool cake 15 – 20 minutes in pan, then remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks. Spread icing between layers and on top and sides of cake.

Pecan Fudge Sheetcake

1 box chocolate fudge cake mix, plus ingredients to make cake
½ cup butter
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 pound powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 15 ½ x 10 ½ x 1 jelly roll pan. Prepare cake as directed. Pour into prepared jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 for 20 – 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Frost while still warm.

For frosting, place butter, milk and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan. Stir on low heat until butter is melted. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract stirring until smooth. Stir in pecans. Pour over warm cake. Cool completely.