Hungarian Hazelnut Cake
Okay, this is the most delicious cake I have tasted, better than the Tres Leches that I made, better than carrot cake, it is divine. And it's gluten-free. So, thanks to Karen and Em for introducing it to the family, it's going to be a regular at our table. Especially with whipped cream on top. Yum. Yum.














Serves 12
Preheat oven to 325 F
Grease and flour 9 inch springform

12 oz ground to fine hazelnuts
2 tsp baking powder
6 egg yolks, whipped
5/8 cup sugar
6 egg whites
1 pint heavy whipping cream to ice

Mix nuts and BP. In a separate bowl, mix egg yolks and sugar. Beat 1 and 2 together. In a clean bowl, whip egg whites until stiff and quickly fold 1/3 of whites into yolk mixture, then add remaining whites and fold in until no streaks remain. Pour into baking pan and bake 60-75 minutes. Cool, slice into 3 layers and cover with whipped cream.

Stirring the Friendship Cake
Clara helps me stir this beast every year at this time. Then, close to Christmas, we'll make two delicious fruitcakes. I'll post the recipe too, but you need the starter to, well, start it. I have leftover starter and will end up with more starter, so if you live nearby and want some, let me know. It will be too late for Christmas this year, but not too late for New Years.

Friendship Cake
This is a delicious, moist golden cake with nuts, fruit, and coconut. It makes a delightful gift at anytime of the year, but is especially nice during the holiday season. This starter will keep in your freezer indefinitely, but only in your fridge for a couple of weeks. Don’t forget to start the process around the 21st of November, to have your cakes made in time for Christmas.

Day 1
Pour 2 cups of starter into a glass gallon jar or large bowl (don’t use plastic). Add one 16 oz. can of sliced peaches. Stir in 2 cups of white sugar and cover with a plate or tray. Leave at room temperature and stir every day for 10 days. Don’t cover air tight or refrigerate.

Day 10
Add one 16 oz can of chunk pineapple (cut into little pieces) and juice. Stir in 2.5 cups of white sugar. Leave at room temperature and stir every day for 10 days. The colour of the liquid will change and foam when you stir it.

Day 20
Add two small jars of marachino cherries, cut in half (6 oz jars). Don’t add the juice. Add 2.5 cups of white sugar. Leave at room temperature and stir every day for 10 days. The cherries will return the liquid to its pink colour.

Day 31
You are now ready to bake your cakes. There is enough fruit for two cakes and enough liquid for 3-4 ‘starters’ to give away or keep. It is better to make each cake individually, rather than one batch. Use all the fruit for both cakes.

1. Preheat oven to 300F. Grease and flour a bundt or tube pan.
2. Drain fruit into a bowl. Pour the liquid into glass containers for future starters.
3. To make one cake you will need:
Duncan Hines Butter Recipe Golden Cake Mix
Instant vanilla pudding mix (small)
4 eggs
2/3 cup oil
1.5 cup of drained fruit
1 cup each walnuts, pecans, raisins
1 cup coconut
4. In a large bowl, mix the above ingredients well. DO NOT USE AN ELECTRIC MIXER. Bake for 55-75 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
5. Cool completely, and turn out onto a cake tray or dish. Sift icing sugar over cake and put a votive candle in the middle.

Baking chez moi
Here is the craziness that my kitchen turns into when I decide to do some mass baking.
This weekend I made Chunky Monkey Muffins, Nana Elsie's apple crumble and sour cream chocolate cake. And this is all before I accept delivery of a white (no choice in colour) KitchenAid Professional Bowl Lift Stand Mixer that was on sale through Airmiles (2400 points instead of 3200, still leaving us enough to fly to Ontario in August). About 18 months ago, a similar mixer went 'on sale' through Airmiles and we didn't get it, figuring it would be there for a while and then it was, poof, just gone from the Rewards list. So this time, when I saw it 'on sale', Ben and I briefly hesitated and then I ordered it. Seeing as all the taxes and shipping are paid too, it's a pretty good deal.
My mum asked for this recipe, which is funny because she has the original book but can't find it. It's a really really yummy moist cake and I would highly recommend you make some now.

Mme. Jehane Benoit's Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
6 tbsp butter = 90 mls (just under 1/2 cup)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/3 cup flour
1.5 tsp BP
1 tsp BS
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sour cream (you can sub. plain yogo)
1 pack chocolate chips
1 tbsp sugar

1. In an electric mixer, combine butter, sugar and eggs and beat for 10 minutes (um, as if I have 10 minutes to stand there holding the electric mixer. Maybe when I get my new Professional White Kitchenaid stand mixer that we ordered through airmiles on Saturday, yes)
2. Mix dry and add to wet. Fold in sour cream.
3. Pour in a 9x13" greased and floured (or lined with parchment paper) baking pan.
4. Scatter chips evenly across top and sprinkle with sugar.
5. Bake 35 minutes at 350 or until cake pulls away from sides and smells done.

And the next shot is of the Valley of Chocolate Chips...