Frosting to Compliment the Cake

Cream Cheese Frosting

(source: Cooking Light)

1/2 c butter (one stick)

1 block reduced fat cream cheese

4 c sifted powdered sugar

2 t vanilla

Beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add sugar and beat until well-blended. Add vanilla and beat well.

Recipe can be halved if you need less frosting, but extra can be frozen until next time you make cake!

Where to start? Cake, of course!

In an attempt to make the family recipes accessible and available to present and future Heard cooks and others, here is the first (any maybe the best), the quintessential Heard recipe served at many birthdays and family parties.

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

(source: Christine Heard)

2 1/2 c sugar

1 c oil

2 eggs

2 1/2 c flour

1/2 c cocoa powder (unsweetened)

1 t salt

1 c buttermilk (or 1 c milk with 1 T white vinegar stirred in)

1 t vanilla

1 c boiling water

2 t baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream sugar, oil and eggs together with a hand mixer in a large bowl. Mix flour, cocoa, and salt and add one-third alternately with one-half buttermilk (or soured milk) and vanilla, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat each addition until well incorporated into batter. Add boiling water and baking soda and beat until smooth.

Pour batter into well-greased pans -- 3 - 8 inch rounds, 1 - 9x13 rectangular, 2-3 cupcakes or any combination. Bake for 30-40 minutes depending on size of pan. Done baking when cake tester comes out clean from center.

Cool in pans 5-10 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Frost (Cream Cheese Frosting) or dust with confectioner's sugar.

Try not to eat too much!!

(recipe can be halved; works well for cupcakes)