Going to college means it’s time to make your own birthday cake

My birthday was Nov. 5, and being away at home means there wasn’t a special meal waiting for me at dinnertime. Being at college is all about becoming independent, and I guess that includes being able to make your own birthday cake.

I’m not one to rely on boxed cake mixes when homemade tastes so much better. These are my three all time favorite cake recipes, and they all come from my Grandma Lois. Nobody can make a cake like she can, but since she’s now in Florida for the winter I’ll have to practice baking these on my own.
Hide these cakes from your roommates or they’ll disappear before your eyes.

Peanut Butter Cake

2 cup flour
2 cup sugar
1 stick margarine
1 cup water
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs

Icing:
1 stick margarine
5 tablespoons milk
½ cup peanut butter
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix flour and sugar. Bring margarine, water and peanut butter to a boil, add to flour and sugar mixture. Add vanilla and eggs to the mixture, and add soda and buttermilk. Bake on greased jellyroll pan for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.
Make the icing while the cake bakes by mixing margarine, milk and peanut butter. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add powdered sugar and vanilla. Spread on warm cake.

Chocolate Sheet Cake

Heather Holland / Western Herald

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 stick margarine
½ cup oil
1 cup water
4 tablespoons cocoa
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup buttermilk

Icing:

5 tablespoons milk
1 stick margarine
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 cup nuts (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix flour and sugar and set aside. Mix margarine, oil, water and cocoa and bring to a boil. Pour over flour and sugar mixture, blending well. Add eggs, vanilla and cinnamon and mix. Add soda and buttermilk that has been pre-mixed. Blend well. Bake on a greased cookie sheet or jellyroll pan at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
While the cake bakes, boil milk, margarine and cocoa. Remove from heat and add powdered sugar, nuts and vanilla. Pour and spread on hot cake.

Lemon Sheet Cake

1 package lemon cake mix
4 eggs
15 ¾ oz. (1 can) lemon pie filling

In large bowl mix cake mix and eggs until blended. Fold in pie filling, making sure it is well blended. Spread onto greased jellyroll pan and bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting:

8oz. cream cheese
½ cup margarine
2 cups powdered sugar
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients and spread on cool cake. Store in fridge.

Heather Holland, a Weekend Scene Opinion columnist, is a junior major in public relations and fashion merchandising and can be reached via e-mail at heather.l.holland@wmich.edu.

Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=1987

Posted by HeraldAdmin on Nov 6 2008. Filed under Recipe, Weekend Scene. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Cody Kimball
Web Manager: I'm a Communication Student at WMU, a SCUBA Diver, Boater, Ordained Minister, Notary Public, Web Designer, Film Maker, DJ, and of course a Journalist. Born and raised in Port Huron, MI and a graduate of SC4. http://www.codykimball.com