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A Note from the Doctor
Grand-Prize Winner: Apple Spice Cake
Frozen Strawberry Angel Food Cake
Biscochito Cake
Bayou City Cake
Marsha's Lively Lemon Bundt Cake
Next Issue: August

God Bless America, Mom, and Apple Cake

Standing at a baseball game last summer I noticed that most of the people who placed their hands over their hearts during the national anthem were children. Hopefully, the tragic events of September 11 have made all of us more keenly aware of our freedoms and our duty to be better and more respectful Americans. This summer the red, white, and blue of July 4 never tasted so sweet.

Several months ago as I sat planning ahead, I wondered what sort of recipes would evoke the national pride needed at this time. And so the All-America Cake Mix Doctor Bake-for-Charity Contest was born. We sought cake recipes from regional pockets of America, with stories to tell, and with ingredients and instructions so basic most all of us could prepare them. We were overwhelmed by the outpouring of worthy recipes from all corners of this great land, and in the end only baking and testing (someone had to do it . . .) could help us arrive at a winner and four outstanding finalists.

What cake will you bake for your July 4th celebration, potluck supper, or picnic? I'd like to tempt you with
the grand-prize winning recipe, Apple Spice Cake, created by Diana Crawford of Martinsburg, WV, or one of four stellar finalists:

• Frozen Strawberry Angel Food Cake, from Judi Bowen of Virginia Beach, VA


• Biscochito Cake, from Anna Monte Calvo, of Bellevue, WA


• Bayou City Cake, from Jill Conyer of Houston, TX


• Marsha's Lively Lemon Bundt Cake, from Marsha Gillett, of Yukon, OK

All five recipes not only are scrumptious American cakes, but they tell the tale of how we bake, what ingredients we have at our fingertips, and how we share food with others. The grand prize winning recipe says much about the cake recipes America cherishes most. It is a basic, simple, almost humble cake, baked in a Bundt pan, containing locally grown Yellow Delicious apples and a spiced batter with a hint of maple. I guarantee it will be a crowd-pleaser in the East and across the country, whether served with a dollop of whipped cream, a spoonful of vanilla ice cream, or a drizzle of caramel icing.

Diana Crawford, a medical transcriptionist, lives in Martinsburg, a small town in eastern West Virginia. "I have always loved to bake and to create something new. It gives me a feeling of accomplishment as well as knowing that other people will enjoy it also." For this recipe (and because she loves animals), $1,000 will be donated in Diana's honor to the Berkeley County Humane Shelter in Martinsburg.

In this special newsletter, here is that winning recipe, and the four finalists.

Happy Baking!
Anne

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Serves: 16
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 43 to 47 minutes

Cake:
Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain spice cake mix
1 cup whole milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons maple flavoring

Filling:
1 large apple, peeled and sliced (1 heaping cup)
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons melted butter

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mist a 12-cup Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray and dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set the pan aside.

2. Place the cake mix, milk, butter, oil, eggs, and maple flavoring in a large mixing bowl and with an electric mixer set on low, beat until ingredients are just combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until the mixture is smooth. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan, and set the pan aside.

3. Place the apple slices, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in a small mixing bowl and stir to combine. Spoon the apple mixture on top of the batter in the pan. Turn the remaining batter on top of the apples and with a rubber spatula, spread the batter and smooth the top. Place the pan in the oven.

4. Bake the cake until the top springs back when lightly pressed with your fingertips, 43 to 47 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool 20 minutes. As the cake cools in the pan it will fall 1 inch. Run a knife around the edges of the cake and invert it onto a serving plate. Dust the top with confectioners' sugar or drizzle with your favorite caramel syrup or icing. Slice and serve still a little warm.

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Judi Bowen of Virginia Beach, VA, says this recipe was handed down to her from her mother many years ago. "It makes for a great summertime dessert or is good anytime when you need an easy recipe to serve a lot of people." We started with a plain angel food cake mix and baked by the package directions.

Serves: 18 to 20
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Freezing time: at least 6 hours, or overnight

1 package (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin
1 cup hot water
2 packages (16 ounces each) frozen unsweetened strawberries
1 angel food cake (19 ounces), torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened on the counter for 10 minutes

1. In a very large mixing bowl dissolve the strawberry gelatin in the hot water. Meanwhile, place the frozen strawberries in the food processor fitted with a steel blade and process in on and off pulses until they are coarsely chopped. Turn the strawberries into the dissolved gelatin mixture. Fold in the angel food cake pieces.

2. Unpeel the cardboard box from the ice cream and cut the ice cream into chunks. Fold into the strawberry mixture until well blended. Pour mixture into an angel food cake pan. Cover the bottom and top with plastic wrap.

3. Place the pan in the freezer and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours. When ready to serve, let the cake sit at room temperature for 5 minutes, then unmold onto a serving plate, slice and serve.

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Biscochito Cake
Anna Monte Calvo says that after she moved to Washington State 10 years ago, she missed the traditional Christmas cookies of New Mexico called biscochitos. They are made with anise and dipped in a cinnamon and sugar mixture. "Starting with a white cake mix, I have created the biscochito cookie in cake form." Using both anise seed and extract, the cake tastes like that cookie and "brings back New Mexico Christmas memories."

Serves: 16
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 25 to 30 minutes

Solid vegetable shortening for greasing the pans
Flour for dusting the pans
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain white cake mix
1 cup whole milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon anise seed

Frosting:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 to 5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon anise extract
Extra ground cinnamon for dusting the top

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch cake pans with vegetable shortening and dust with flour. Set the pans aside.

2. Place the cake mix, milk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and anise seed in a large bowl. Beat with the electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for 2 minutes more on medium speed. Divide the batter between the pans and place in the center of the oven side by side. Bake until lightly browned, and the center springs back when lightly pressed with your fingertip, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place on a rack to cool 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, run a knife around the pan edges, loosen the cakes and invert once, then again on a rack to cool completely top-side up.

3. For the frosting, place the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with the electric mixer on low speed until fluffy. Add sugar, cinnamon, milk, and anise extract and blend 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy.

4. To assemble the cake, place one layer on a cake plate and spread with frosting. Place the second layer on top of the first and frost the top and sides of the cake with smooth strokes. Lightly sprinkle cinnamon on top of the cake to resemble the biscochito cookie.

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Bayou City Cake
Jill Conyer says Houston, TX, is known as the "Bayou City" because bayous snake their way around. Those bayous are "dark and sticky - just like this cake." We left this cake in the pan, spread the glaze on it, and sliced it while still warm. The fruit cocktail makes the cake moist and fun!

Serves: 20
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 40 to 45 minutes

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain devil's food cake mix
1 package (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix
1 can (15 1/4 ounces) fruit cocktail, undrained
4 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Glaze:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly mist a 13-by 9-inch pan with vegetable oil spray and dust with flour. Set the pan aside.

2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, fruit cocktail and its juice, eggs, oil and finely chopped pecans in a large mixing bowl. Beat on low speed with an electric mixer for 1 minute, then increase the speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more. Turn the batter into the prepared pan. Combine the light brown sugar and coarsely chopped pecans in a small bowl. Sprinkle this mixture on top of the cake. Place the pan in the oven.

3. Bake until the top of the cake springs back with lightly pressed with your finger, from 40 to 45 minutes. While the cake is baking, place the butter, sugar, cocoa, and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the coarsely chopped pecans. Keep warm.

4. Remove the cake from the oven, and let it cool 10 minutes. Spoon the glaze over the warm cake, spreading evenly. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.

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Serves: 16
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Baking time: 43 to 47 minutes

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain lemon cake mix
1 package (3.5 ounces) instant lemon pudding mix
3/4 cup orange juice (or an orange and tropical juice combination)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 container (8 ounces) lemon yogurt
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mist a 12-cup Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray, and dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour.

2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, orange juice, oil, yogurt, eggs, and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Beat with the electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute, then scrape down the sides of the bowl, and increase the mixer speed to medium. Beat 2 minutes more. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place it in the oven.

3. Bake until the cake is golden brown and tests done, 43 to 47 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool 20 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and invert the cake onto a rack to completely cool. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and slice and serve.

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More of your questions and answers, cool summer baking advice, and that much-requested Dream Whip cake recipe.