Buttermilk Pound Cake

Moist and buttery, this cake is perfect either alone or topped with fruit (strawberries!) and whipped cream.

yield: 24 servings

3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 1/3 cups buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine flour through salt, stirring with a whisk. Place sugar, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beating well. Add flour mixture and buttermilk to sugar mixture, alternating, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
3. Spoon batter into two 8 x 4-inch loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
4. (optional) Wrap cakes in foil and freeze for up to a month. The cakes will be extra moist after they're thawed.

Chocolate Cake

Fluffy, rich, and oh-so-chocolatey, this is the best chocolate cake I've had that's made from scratch. Thanks, Cooking Light, for the inspiration.

yield: 12 servings

Cake:
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup boiling water
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 egg whites
1 cup buttermilk

Icing:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp cocoa
2 Tbsp 1% milk
1 tsp butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350° .
2. To prepare cake, combine 1/2 cup cocoa and water in a small bowl; cool. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place sugar, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add egg and egg whites, beating well after each addition. Beat in cocoa/water mixture. Add four mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating well after each addition.
3. Pour batter into a 9x13 baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pan 10 minutes on wire rack.
4. To prepare icing, combine the powdered sugar and 3 Tbsp cocoa in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add milk, butter, and vanilla; stir with a whisk until smooth. Spread over cake.

Carrot Cake

yield: 16 servings

Cake:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup coconut
1/3 cup chopped pecans
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp canola oil
2 eggs
2 cups grated carrot
1 1/2 cups canned crushed pineapple, drained

Frosting:
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1 (8 oz) block 1/3-the-fat cream cheese
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350° .
2. Combine flour through cinnamon in a large bowl; stir well. In a small bowl combine oil and eggs. Stir egg mixture, carrot, and pineapple into flour mixture. Pour batter into a 9x13 pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Cool completely.
3. To prepare frosting, beat butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla just until smooth. Spread over the top of the cake.

German Chocolate Bundt Cake

yield: 16 servings

Streusel:
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup flaked coconut
1/3 cup chopped pecans

Cake:
Cooking Spray
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 oz baking chocolate
1/2 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup softened butter
2 tsp vanilla
2 egg whites
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp melted butter
4 tsp milk

1. Preheat oven to 325° .
2. Prepare streusel: Combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter until coarse and crumbly. Stir in nuts and pecans. Set aside.
3. Prepare pan: Coat a bundt pan with cooking spray and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp sugar. Set aside.
4. Prepare cake: In small bowl combine cocoa, baking chocolate, and boiling water; stir until chocolate melts. Set aside. Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/3 cup butter with mixer set on medium-high. Add vanilla and eggs, beating until thoroughly mixed. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk until combined. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to sugar/butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in cocoa mixture.
5. Pour half of cake batter into prepared pan; top with streusel. Pour remaining batter over streusel. Bake at 325° for 1 hour or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely before adding glaze.
6. Prepare glaze: Combine powdered sugar and butter in a small bowl. Add milk; stir with a whisk to combine. Drizzle over cake.