Birthday cake Recipes

Southern Pound Cake (Makes 1 Cake)
Ingredients: 
1 lb. Butter, at room temperature 
1 lb. Powdered Sugar (Confectioner's Sugar) 
1/2 tsp. Salt 
3 cups Cake Flour, sifted 3 times and re-measured 
6 large Eggs, at room temperature 
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Add the salt, flour, eggs, and vanilla. Make sure the cake batter is blended together until fluffy.

Pour in a well-oiled and floured tube pan or a non-stick tube pan. Bake in a pre-heated 325-F degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a tooth pick that is inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in pan for about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and place on a rack to finish cooling.

Ingredients: 
1 cup boiling Water 
2/3 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (American-style) 
1 3/4 cups Cake Flour 
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda 
1 tsp. Baking Powder 
1/4 tsp. Salt 
1 3/4 cups Granulated Sugar 
3 Tbs. Canola Oil 
2 Tbs. Buttered, softened 
2 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract 
3 large Egg Whites 
1/2 cup Non-fat Plain Yogurt
Preheat the oven to 350-F degrees and lightly oil two 9-inch round cake pans, or give them a light coating of non-stick cooking spray. Dust the pans with flour and tap out any excess.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the boiling water and the cocoa powder until smooth. Set aside to let cool.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, blend together the granulated sugar, canola oil, butter, and vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixture at medium speed until blended. Beat in the egg whites one at a time, then add the yogurt and increase the speed to high. Blend until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 or 3 minutes.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add in half the dry ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and continue to blend. Reduce the speed again, and add half of the reserved cocoa liquid. Repeat the process with the remaining dry ingredients and cocoa liquid, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally.

Divide the batter evenly among the two prepared cake pans. Lightly tap the filled cake pans lightly on the counter to remove any large air bubbles. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester is cleanly removed from the center of each cake.

Let the cakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Loosen the edges slightly with a sharp knife, then invert the cakes onto an oiled wire rack to cool completely. The cakes will keep for up to 2 days in an airtight container, or up to 2 months when frozen.

Eight Egg Sponge Cake (Makes 1 Cake)
Ingredients: 
8 Large Eggs; Separated 
1 1/4 cups Granulated Sugar 
2 Tbs. Orange Juice 
2 Tbs. Lemon Juice 
1 tsp. Grated Lemon Zest (Rind) 
1 tsp. Grated Orange Zest (Rind) 
1 cup Potato Starch 
(or 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon matza cake meal, sifted)
Pre-heat oven to 325-F degrees. If desired, lightly grease bottom (not sides) of a 10-inch tube pan.

In a large mixing bowl beat egg yolks, 2 egg whites, and sugar until pale and creamy, about 10 to 15-minutes. Gently stir in juice and rind. Gently stir in potato starch or matza meal. (Stir in any additional ingredients before folding in the egg whites.)

In a separate mixing bowl beat remaining egg whites until stiff peaks, but not dry. Gently fold into yolk mixture. Pour cake batter into tube pan. Tap softly to remove large pockets of air. Place on lowest shelf of oven and bake until the cake springs back when lightly touched, about 1-hour. Invert pan onto a bottle and cool completely.