Banana Poke Cake

Ever heard of poke cake? According to my research, the idea for poke cake originated with the Kraft company back in 1969. Apparently, the recipe was an effort to boost Jell-O sales. The idea being that you “poke” holes in a baked cake and then fill the holes with jello. I adore poke cakes – not only because they are a “vintage”, down home dessert but because they are a simple way to add a little pizzazz to dessert without a lot of work.

Poke cakes can be made with literally any combination of cake and filling of your choosing: yellow cake and chocolate pudding; white cake with blueberry jello; chocolate cake with pistachio pudding, red velvet cake with cheesecake pudding . . . the list is practically endless.

Banana Poke Cake

• 1 (10 ounce) box Yellow Cake Mix
• 2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant Banana Pudding
• 4 cups Milk
• Nilla Wafers

Prepare cake according to package directions.

After removing cake from oven, immediately poke holes all over the cake using a wooden spoon handle.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pudding mix and milk until smooth. Let stand for 2 minutes.

Pour pudding mixture over cake, filling all holes. Spread pudding over top of cake using a spatula.

Place 30 Nilla wafers in bowl of food processor fitted with blade.  Pulse until wafers are nicely crumbed.

Sprinkle Nilla wafer crumbs over top of cake and refrigerate until completely cool.

Banana Split Icebox Cake

An icebox cake (American), zebra cake (British), or chocolate ripple cake/log (Australian) is a dessert generally consisting of whipped cream and chocolate wafers. The back-of-the-box recipe on Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers indicates that the wafers are stacked to form a log with whipped cream cementing them together and then the log is laid on its side. A second log is formed and the two are set side-by-side and more whipped cream covers the exterior. The cake is then left overnight in the refrigerator (or “icebox”). The wafers absorb moisture from the whipped cream and the whole can be served in slices. The dessert is usually served by cutting it into slices at a 45-degree angle, so bands of chocolate and cream are visible across each slice. The traditional wafers are the thin and dark Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers, but they may be hard to find in some areas so other cookies are sometimes substituted.

The icebox cake is derived from similar desserts such as the charlotte and the trifle. It was first introduced to the US during World War I. Its popularity took off in the 1920s and 30s as it used many commercial shortcuts and premade ingredients. In response to the dish’s popularity, companies that manufactured ingredients for the cake, such as condensed milk and wafer cookies, began printing “back of the box” recipes.

A variation of icebox cake is made using pudding and graham crackers or vanilla wafers layered in a square or rectangular baking dish. Additional variations include alternating layers of chocolate and vanilla pudding, or the addition of sliced bananas or pineapples between the layers. While this can be done with cold (“instant”) pudding, if given ample time in the “icebox,” the best results come from assembling the dessert with still-hot stove-cooked pudding, and then refrigerating overnight. Our version uses instant pudding for those of us who prefer instant gratification 🙂

Banana Split Icebox Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 carton (16 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
• 24 whole graham crackers
• 2 medium bananas, sliced
• Toppings: chocolate syrup, halved fresh strawberries and additional banana slices

In a large bowl, mix the whipped topping, sour cream and pudding mix until blended; fold in pineapple. Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; fill with pudding mixture.

On a flat serving plate, arrange four crackers in a rectangle. Pipe about 1 cup pudding mixture over crackers; top with about 1/4 cup banana slices. Repeat layers five times. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Before serving, top with chocolate syrup, strawberries and banana slices.

German Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Cakes have a long and ancient history. The very first cakes were quite different than what we would eat today – more bread like and sweetened with honey. Nuts  and dried fruits were often added. The ancient Egyptians were the first culture to show evidence of advanced baking skills. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the English word “cake” dates back to the 13th century and is a derivation of ‘kaka”, an old Norse word.

According to the food historians, the precursors of modern round cakes (complete with icing) were first baked in Europe in the mid-17th century and was made possible by advances in technology which included more reliable ovens and ingredient availability. It was during this time that cake hoops (round molds for shaping cakes) became popular.

The first icings were usually a boiled composition of the finest available sugar, egg whites and flavorings. This was poured on the cake and the cake returned to the oven. When removed from the oven, the icing quickly cooled and formed a hard, glossy (ice-like) coating. It was not until the middle of the 19th century that cake, as we know it today, became popular.

Being of German descent, we eat quite a bit of authentic German food around here. I’m not quite certain this is an “authentic” German recipe but it is certainly delicious. And easy. The most difficult part is peeling the apples!

German Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

• 3 Eggs
• 2 cups Sugar
• 1 cup Vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 2 cups All Purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground Cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 4 cups tart Apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 3/4 cup chopped Pecans

Icing:

• 1 – 8 ounce package Cream Cheese, softened
• 2 teaspoons Butter, softened
• 2 cups Confectioners sugar

In a large mixing bowl, beat  the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla.  Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt and add to egg mixture.  Mix well.  Fold in apples and nuts and pour into a greased 13×9 baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Cool completely.

In small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter together.  Add confectioners sugar, beating until smooth.  Spread over cake.

Refrigerate any leftovers.

Blueberry Buckle

A buckle is a dessert which combines fresh seasonal fruit, a rich cake batter, and a streusel topping. The result is a rich, dense cake with a moist crumb which is sometimes compared to coffee cake. Buckles make an excellent summer dessert and can be served hot or cold, plain or dressed with drizzles of sauce. Making a buckle at home is relatively easy and a great way to use fresh, seasonal fruit.

The origins of buckle are a bit mysterious. The dish has been in the United States for centuries, suggesting that it may have been developed by colonists. Buckles are extremely popular in New England, where it is often made with blueberries. While blueberry buckle is a classic version, the dessert can also be made with peaches, nectarines, raspberries or any other fresh fruit that you prefer and many cooks mix several types of fruit in their buckle.

The base of a buckle is a rich cake batter, which is sprinkled with fresh fruit. The fruit is topped with a streusel mixture. During the baking process, the cake batter rises up around the fruit, encasing it in batter and causing the streusel to “buckle”.

Blueberry Buckle

Ingredients:

For the cake

• ½ cup Butter, softened
• ¾ cup granulated Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 2 cups sifted Flour
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• ½ cup Milk
• 2 cups fresh or partially thawed Blueberries

For the streusel:

• ¼ cup Butter, softened
• ½ cup granulated Sugar
• ⅓ cup all-purpose Flour
• ½ teaspoon Cinnamon

In mixing bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Gradually mix in sugar until thoroughly combined. Beat in egg until thoroughly combined.

In separate bowl, mix together the sifted flour, baking powder and salt.  Add to the butter mixture alternately with the milk, mixing to thoroughly incorporate between additions. Fold in blueberries.

Pour into a greased 9×9 inch pan. Set aside.

In small bowl, mix together the streusel ingredients until thoroughly combined. Sprinkle over top of the cake batter.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with sweetened whipped cream if desired.