Almond Joy Cake

Barbara McKean, mother to one of my very closest and best friends, was one of 4 people who influenced me as a young woman learning to cook. This recipe is one of hers and although I don't think I ever made one that she had made, because it was hers, I knew it had to be good and I wasn't wrong. I've made this cake many times and shared the recipe almost as many. However, there is one time that I remember more vividly than the rest.

I made this cake for a Christmas gathering and as always, it turned out beautifully. I couldn't find sliced almonds at the grocery so I just bought whole almonds and sliced them myself. Then I placed each almond slice ever so carefully across the cake and stood back to admire it. Gorgeous! I covered the cake and proceeded to clean up the big mess I had made. As I began to wash dishes, I realized I had a nail missing. A nice, long, red nail (polished with OPI I'm Really Not A Waitress red). I remember details like that. Anyway...the nails was gone or at least the end of it was gone. How in the world......? Then it hit me...the realization of where that nail was! Somewhere in that beautiful white bed of sliced almonds was my nail....I just knew it!!  And I was right! I looked for a suspicious almond that might have a shadow of red under it and yep, it was there! In the process of slicing those almonds, I had just sliced so neatly through that acrylic nail. That was some kind of sharp knife!!

I called my nail tech who got such a kick out of the whole story, she didn't even charge me to repair it. Oh horror of horrors if someone had bitten into that nail!!

Almond Joy Cake

1 chocolate cake mix baked according to directions. I use Duncan Hines Devils Food and it's my preferred cake mix for this recipe.

Mix: 1 cup evaporated milk (Pet or Carnation); 1 cup of sugar

Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat. Add 7 oz jar of marshmallow creme. Blend well and then add 11 oz. bag of coconut.  Stir well. Pour over the warm cake-spreading evenly.

Heat: 1 1/2 cup sugar; 1/2 cup Pet or Carnation milk

Bring to rolling boil. Remove from heat and add 1 stick of butter. Stir until melted. Add 1 1/2 cup good quality chocolate chips (Ghirardelli is my favorite)

Stir until melted. Pour over the cake. Place slivered almonds on top.

Pumpkin Roll

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I thought it was appropriate that "my" recipe for Pumpkin Roll be the first recipe posted. Pumpkin roll has become a tradition in our family and with friends. I've discovered that among some of the younger girls in the family that  don't necessarily tap into their domestic side on a regular basis, even they love to make this pumpkin roll.

So let's get started!

TIP: make sure you do beat the eggs for the full 3 minutes to incorporate enough air into the eggs so that you get a nice spongecake type texture. This will make rolling up the cake into a roll so much easier...it rarely cracks and well, it tastes so good! It's not your typical 'cake' texture.

Sift together the flour, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt and baking powder. 

 

I like to use cotton tea towels....dust with confectioners sugar so that there's a light coating on the towel. 

Line the jelly roll pan (this one is 10 x 18 I believe) with wax paper or parchment paper like I did in this picture.

NOW....get those eggs to beatin' (3 eggs and 1 tsp lemon juice)...3 full minutes folks....no cheating on this part!

After the 3 minutes, add sugar slowly while mixer is still beating...and fold in pumpkin.

 Add the flour mixture and spread out evenly onto the parchment lined pan. 

 Bake in the 350 preheated oven for about 16 minutes....know your oven. If it cooks fast, make that 15 minutes, if it cooks slower then make that 18 minutes. If edges begin to break away from the paper, it's ready to take out of the oven!

Now, I wait about 5 minutes, then pic up the paper with and flip it right over onto the confectioner dusted towel. The paper should just peel right off. Don't be too rough with....gently peel it beginning on the long side of the pumpkin roll.

Beginning on one of the short ends, roll it with the towel....firmly...not a loose roll.

Then let it cool....COMPLETELY!
 

While it's cooling, you can clean up the mess you just made :) But trust me, it will be worth it...oh so worth it!! We've got more mess to make, too :) We're not done, yet!

While the pumpkin roll is cooling, soften 8 oz cream cheese and 4 Tbsp butter....cream the cheese and butter well, add 1/2 tsp vanilla and then gradually, add in 1 1/2 cup confectioner sugar. I usually sift mine first because it eliminates those pesky lumps. Once the roll has cooled, unroll it (see below) and spread the filling over it. Now, roll up again but carefully so as not to squish the filling out each end. After it's rolled up, I lay it on a sheet of Press 'n Seal, wrap it completely and then freeze until ready to use. 

PUMPKIN ROLL

3 eggs

1 cup white sugar

2/3 cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp lemon juice

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

Filling:

1 1/2 cup sifted confectioner sugar

8 ozs softened cream cheese

1/2 tsp vanilla

4 Tbsp softened butter