Carl's White Cake

I made this cake for book club but have fallen in love with this recipe and made it several more times for various occasions including my own birthday. It is so buttery and yummy. It is a little bit technical because nothing about it comes from a box, but well worth the effort.

Carl’s White Cake Recipe

2 2/3 cups sifted cake flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter (room temp)
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
3 tsp vanilla extract

4 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 3 8″ cake pans.
Separate eggs, set aside.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Beat butter until soft. Add sugar; beat several minutes (until fluffy!). Add vanilla.  Add one egg yolk at a time, beating after.
Add flour mixture alternately with milk. Flour-milk-flour-milk-flour.
Beat egg whites. When peaks are soft, add sugar. Beat until peaks are stiff, but don’t over beat!
Fold egg whites into flour mixture.  Pour batter into cake pans.

Cook 20-25 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter
4 cups confectioner’s sugar (plus more if necessary)
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla

Beat butter until soft. Add sugar gradually, along with vanilla and milk/whipping cream.

Tom's Pasta Sauce

"The School of Essential Ingredients" by Erica Bauermeister has not only become one of my favorite books but also contains a couple of my favorite recipes. The recipes are not included in the book, but the author has included a few of the recipes on her website, Here. I will include a couple of the recipes that I use the most on this blog but the others are worth checking out and the book is also worth a read.

 Tom’s Pasta Sauce Recipe

Note: For best results, use Knorr’s extra-large soft chicken bouillon cubes.

Crush the whole tomatoes in a food processor, or chop them finely by hand.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 extra-large soft chicken bouillon cube (see note)
1 cup onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground Italian sausage
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup red wine
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and crushed (see note)
1 cup tomato sauce (more if you want)
Salt and pepper

1 pound penne pasta
Grated parmesan cheese (optional)
1. In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil on medium-low heat until bubbles form. Crush the half bouillon cube into the oil and mix thoroughly.  Add onion and sauté for 2 minutes.  Add garlic and sauté until translucent.

2. Add ground sausage, increase heat to medium, and cook until meat is no longer pink.  Add milk and simmer until absorbed.  (Don’t worry if it looks strange at first; the milk will mellow the wine and make for a wonderful, lush sauce.)  Add wine, reduce heat to low, and simmer until wine is absorbed.   Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over high heat.

3. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1-3 hours, covered if you want a rich, but slightly thinner sauce, uncovered if you want a thicker sauce and the smell to roam through your house.

4. Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Cook penne pasta according to package directions, until al dente.  Drain pasta and place in a large serving bowl.  Ladle sauce over pasta; top with grated parmesan cheese if desired, and serve immediately.
Yield: 6-8 servings

The BEST Slow Cooker Refried Beans

I found this recipe a long time ago on Pinterest. I kept it in my "Recipes I've Tried" folder and referred to it time and time again.  Earlier this year I again went to retrieve this recipe only to find it no longer available. Luckily, I know all the ingredients by heart but I don't have the exact measurements. The last few times I have made it, I have just guessed and they still taste fabulous! So this is my recipe for refried beans that is sure to please any crowd.

The BEST Slow Cooker Refried Beans

1 onion chopped into large chunks
1-2 Tablespoons of minced garlic
1-2 Jalapenos (depending on how spicy you want it. At least add 1 for flavor)
1-2 lbs of dry pinto beans (soaked over night)
1 Tbsp Salt
1 stick of butter
1-2 Tbsp vinegar
1-2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 cube of chicken boullion
1-2 tsp cumin
1-2 tsp montreal steak seasoning
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
salt to taste

Instructions

1. Rinse and soak beans overnight
2. In a large slow cooker, layer this way, Onions, garlic, jalapeno and top with dry beans and salt. Fill with water an inch above the bean mixture. Cook on low for 8 hours.
3. Once beans are soft, transfer to a blender and blend with about one to two cups of the liquid that they were cooked in along with cooked onions and jalapenos. Throw out the rest of the water.
4. Transfer blended beans back to the slow cooker. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir and let sit until flavors are all mixed in.

These beans are great to freeze and use for quesadillas or chimichangas. Just put in a a freezer bag and lay flat in the freezer.