Cake Recipes

This is a personal family collection of cake recipes, some of which have been passed down through several generations, others that originated with my mother and her friends, and a few of my own creation. I enjoy a good piece of cake now and then, especially when it is homemade. On this page, I list recipes for the obvious, such as frosted layer cakes and cupcakes, pound cakes, and angel food cakes. But there are numerous breakfast cakes, cakes with fruits and assembled desserts in which cake is the main ingredient. In addition, you will find my favorite Fastnacht (doughnut) recipes, whoopie pies which, despite the name, are really miniature cakes, and cheesecakes, which are actually a cross between a cake and a pie.

Before you do any baking, you should be familiar with a few basic guidelines. First, unless otherwise specified, all ingredients should be room temperature and, when alternating wet and dry ingredients, start and end with dry. If the size of the egg is not specified, use large. Unsalted butter is superior in taste and allows you to control the salt so, if you do not use it for other cooking, do so when baking. Finally, keep in mind that oven temperatures vary. Check for doneness before the total baking time indicated in the recipe to ensure that the cake does not dry out and, if needed, allow for more time. Start baking and enjoy!