Earthly Eating

• Mincemeat Bundt Cake
Serves: 12

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups mincemeat
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk

Toppings:
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp. grated orange rind
2 tbs. orange juice

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 10-inch Bundt pan, set aside. In a bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time; add vanilla. Stir in mincemeat. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture alternately with milk, making 3 additions of flour mixture and 2 of the milk. Scrape into prepared pan, smoothing top.

Bake in center of oven until toothpick inserted in the center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack. Turn out onto cake plate. For toppings: stir together sugar, orange rind and orange juice until smooth; drizzle over cake.

• Applesauce Cake
Serves: 12

1 box (18.25 ounces) yellow or chocolate cake mix
1 bottle (8 ounces) applesauce
1/2 cup sherry, run or whiskey
1 small box (1 ounce, four 1/2 cup servings) instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
2 handfuls chocolate chips

Icing:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 stick margarine
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sherry, rum or whiskey

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour tube or Bundt pan, set aside. In a large bowl, blend together cake mix, applesauce, sherry, dry pudding, eggs, oil and chocolate chips. Fold into prepared pan; bake for 45 minutes, then test. Bake until done.

For icing: Heat sugar, margarine and water, then add sherry. Mix well. Pour over hot cake in pan. Let stand 10 minutes, then remove cake from pan; otherwise it will stick.

• Fruit Cake
Serves: 12

2 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 tbs. baking soda
2 eggs, beaten
1 jar (28 ounces) mincemeat
1 can (1 1/3 cups) sweetened condensed milk
1 jar (1 pound) mixed candied fruit (about 2 cups)
1 cup chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 300°F. Butter 9-inch tube pan or spring form pan. Line with wax paper, butter again. Set aside. Sift flour and baking soda together. Combine eggs, mincemeat, milk, fruit and nuts. Fold in dry ingredients. Pour into pan. Bake 2 hours. Cool, turn out on a plate.

• Rum Chocolate Cake
Serves: 12

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup dark rum

Frosting:
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup dark rum
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened

Heat oven to 350°F. Line two 9-inch round cake pans with greased waxed paper; set aside.

Melt chocolate in water over very low heat, stirring constantly. Cool. Cream butter until fluffy, gradually beat in sugar. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift flour with baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add flour and chocolate alternately to egg mixture, beating until smooth. Stir in rum.

Distribute batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in pans; turn out onto racks and peel off waxed paper. When cool, fill and frost.

For Frosting: Melt chocolate with run over low heat. Stir in vanilla. Add confectioner’s sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each cup. Beat in butter. Add a little more rum if necessary to make frosting of spreading consistency.
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Earthly Eating Recipe

Hot Toddy

Or, warm honey and lemon juice for 30 seconds in microwave. Add hot water and whiskey.

Happy Eating!