Hawaiian Wedding Cake

Time to take a break from the serious blog subjects.  


Time for sharing one of our favorite family recipes, Hawaiian wedding cake.


I discovered this recipe about twenty years ago, from where I don't remember.  This is the favorite cake recipe of this house.  I've made a few tweaks to this recipe over the years to suite our particular tastes.  


And now I am happy to share our favorite cake recipe with everyone.

Hawaiian Wedding Cake

INGREDIENTS:

1 package yellow cake mix    

2 (20 ounce) cans crush pineapple, drained

1 (3.4 ounce) package instant French Vanilla pudding mix

1 (8 ounce) low fat Neuchatel cream cheese   

1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup chopped walnuts 

1/2 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions. Bake in a 10X15 inch pan, remove from oven and allow to cool. Spread drained pineapple on top of cooled cake.
2. Prepare pudding as instructed on package and set aside.  In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Mix in the prepared pudding.  Fold in the whipped topping.  Spread evenly over the pineapple.
3. Sprinkle top with coconut, walnuts and top with maraschino cherries.
4. Store in refrigerator.

                

Lemon Bundt Cake

Something nice today on this posting. My last couple of postings have been on the heavy and serious side. When I renewed my blog postings about a year ago I made a conscious effort not to be too political or to complaining in my posts. I'll be honest and say it has been a struggle but I think there are more than enough political and complaint blogs. While I cannot totally avoid politics or complaining, I think I have maintained a mostly positive blog that is enjoyable to me to write and for others, who are interested in my little corner of the world, to read. Thus, it is with great joy that I share one of my favorite recipes with you.

This is my recipe for Lemon Bundt Cake. It is not my original recipe but of all the recipes that I have tried for lemon cake, I have found it to be the best. It stays moist, freezes well, and gets the most compliments when I share it with friends and neighbors. I got the recipe from the Internet via Woman's Day magazine. It is as follows:

Lemon Bundt Cake
By Woman’s Day Kitchen from Woman’s Day/ September 16, 2008

Ingredients

Cake

1 cup plain low fat yogurt
1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
4 large eggs
2 ¾ cups cake flour (not self-rising)

Lemon Syrup

½ cup each lemon juice
2 Tbsp grated lemon zest
¼ cup water

Glaze

1 cup confectioners’ sugar
4 to 5 tsp milk

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. You’ll need a 10-in bundt pan coated with nonstick spray and flour.

Cake:

1) Whisk yogurt, lemon zest, juice and vanilla in a small bowl.

2) Beat butter, sugar, baking powder and soda in a large bowl with mixer on medium speed 3 minutes or until creamy.

3) Add in eggs, one at a time, until blended. On low speed, beat in yogurt, then flour just until blended. Spread into prepared pan.

4) Bake 50 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 12 minutes before inverting on rack.

Syrup: While cake is cooling, bring syrup ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to medium, simmer, uncovered, 12 minutes or until syrupy. Brush over warm cake; let cool.

Glaze: Mix confectioners’ sugar and just enough milk until smooth’ spoon over cooled cake. Let stand until glaze sets.