This Takes the Cake
Spectacular Cake Recipes Submitted by Observer Readers

By Nancy Loughin
Observer Food Editor

Have you ever been invited over to someone's house for dinner and volunteered to take a dessert? Or do you need a very special birthday or anniversary cake? Do we have a cake for you! Some of the more spectacular cakes have been submitted by our readers for this column. Without a doubt, chocolate is the most popular cake, according to our response. Some recipes may require a bit more work, such as The Perfect Chocolate Torte, but it is worth it!
Here's what's cooking this month:

Carlson's Cake
1 box any chocolate cake mix
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 8-oz. pkg. chocolate chips
Prepare the cake mix batter as directed on the package, and pour into two 9-inch cake pans greased and floured. Cream the cream cheese, sugar and egg together until smooth, and drop by teaspoonfuls into the batter in the pans. Then sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the two pans of batter. Do not stir batter. Bake as directed on cake mix box. Cool and frost with your favorite chocolate frosting. (The chocolate chips make a layer of fudge across the cake that your guests will ask about!) ---Mary Jo Quintana

Perfect Chocolate Torte
(This cake is made in four stages, it takes a while, but it is well worth the effort. It makes a very tall, elegant cake.)
Stage 1:
1 cup cocoa
2 cups boiling water
Mix and cool completely. Then grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans.

Stage 2:
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup melted margarine
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients together. In another bowl, beat the last four ingredients together on low speed, adding flour mixture gradually, 1/4 at a time, alternately with the cocoa mixture from Stage 1. Do not overbeat or whip. Pour into pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes then remove from pans and continue to cool on a cake rack.

Stage 3: Frosting
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate pieces
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Melt the chocolate and soften butter over a double boiler or in microwave. Add the rest of the ingredients, then beat until well mixed. Then put this pan down in a huge bowl of ice, and beat until the frosting begins to hold its shape (several minutes). As it starts to stiffen, put in refrigerator.

Stage 4: Filling
1 cup heavy cream, chilled
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Whip together until it holds its shape. Put filling between the layers of the cake, and spread the frosting on the outside of the cake. If you use a frosting bag, load it and put it back in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour to stiffen again. Keep cake refrigerated until served.
----Mary Jo Quintana

Chocolate Pound Cake
(This is a perfect pack-able cake for picnics)
1/2 lb. margarine
1/2 cup Crisco shortening (solid)
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup cocoa
Cream margarine, shortening and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Add dry ingredients alternately with the milk and vanilla. Pour into a greased and lightly floured large tube or large bundt pan, and bake 1 1/2 hours at 325 degrees. Bake on the next to the bottom rack because this cake will rise very high in baking. When cooled, make a glaze of powdered sugar, milk, and cocoa and drizzle over the top. ---Mary Jo Quintana

Coconut Pound Cake
(My family's favorite)
3 sticks of butter
3 cups of sugar
3 cups of flour
5 eggs
1 small can of evaporated milk (dilute to make 1 cup by adding water)
4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups coconut
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
Heat 2 Tbsp. of milk mixture in the microwave until warm. Cream butter and sugar together and add the heated milk. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each one. Add rest of milk and flour and salt alternately. Fold in the coconut. Add flavorings, mix well, and pour into a well greased and floured large bundt pan, large tube pan, or angel food cake pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours (continue to test for doneness after 1 1/4 hours). Cool, slice and serve.

Easy Triple Chocolate Cake
1 pkg. chocolate devil's food cake mix
1 pkg. instant chocolate pudding
1 6-oz. pkg. chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup oil
2 eggs
Mix everything in an ungreased 13 x 9 cake pan. Bake 40-45 minutes.
Frosting
1 1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
2 envelopes liquid chocolate
1/4 cup butter
2 Tbsp. cream
Dash of vanilla
Mix all ingredients and let stand a few minutes to set up. May need a bit more of powdered sugar to stiffen. Frost when cake cools. ----Carolyn Hensley

Fudge Cake
1 cup water
1 stick margarine
3 Tbsp. cocoa
1/2 cup Crisco
2 cups Wondra flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. vanilla
Bring water, margarine, cocoa and crisco to a boil in a saucepan. Pour over the flour and sugar, and mix well. Beat in eggs, and add buttermilk, soda, and vanilla. Pour into a greased and floured cake pan and bake at 350-400 degrees for 20 minutes. Prepare the icing while the cake is baking, because you put it on while the cake is hot.
Frosting
1 stick margarine
6 Tbsp. milk
3 Tbsp. cocoa
1 box confectioners sugar
1 cup chopped nuts
1 tsp. vanilla
Bring the margarine, milk and cocoa to a boil for a short time. Remove from heat and mix with 1 box confectioners sugar. Add nuts and vanilla, and pour over cake as it comes from the oven. Cool and serve. ----Jo Ann Leifeste


Cocoa Applesauce Cake
2 cups sifted flour
2 tsp. soda
3 Tbsp. cocoa
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 can (1 3/4 cups) applesauce
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
Sift flour once. Measure and resift twice with soda, cocoa, cinnamon and salt. Heat applesauce in pan on stove top. Add butter. Stir until blended. Add sugar gradually. Add sifted dry ingredients about 1/2 cup at a time. Turn into a well-greased 8 inch tube pan or bread pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Cool and top with sprinkles of powdered sugar. -----Mary A. Blackman

Pistachio Cake
1 18-oz. box of white cake mix
1 3-oz. box of Pistachio instant pudding
3/4 cup salad oil
3 eggs
1 cup club soda
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Mix together at medium speed for two minutes. Then fold in the nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes. Bake in a greased and floured bundt cake pan.
Frosting
1 3-oz. box pistachio instant pudding
1 3-oz. box dream whip (use both pkgs.)
1 1/4 cup cold milk
Mix all ingredients and beat until fluffy. Frost cooled cake and serve. ---Betty McLean