WHAT DO YOU COOK?: Cool weather inspires more pound cakes

After enjoying the excellent worship services – the music and the inspirational messages – at the Indian Field Camp Meeting last week, as well as the wonderful fellowship with family and friends, my heart and soul are truly revived. Plus, we enjoyed a wide range of great baked goods brought over each day by various family members, so my taste buds are still “exhilarated” and craving more.

A perfect pound cake made and brought by Jeanette Mizzell for Sunday dinner reminded me of my Banana Pound Cake, the recipe for which I have made a few times over the years. You see, I first shared this in 2003 and received several wonderful responses, including a great email from Nancy Bolin of Orangeburg. She wrote: “Just wanted to let you know that my husband, SA Bolin, has worked for Sunbeam Bread for 44 1/2 years. He saw the banana cake in your column and decided to try it. He added some walnuts to the recipe, entered it at the Orangeburg County Fair and won first place. I told him those ladies who work hard to earn their ribbons will throw him out on his head. Nancy concluded, “I just wanted to let you know that this cake is an award winner.”

In my opinion, pound cakes are perfect all year round, but are especially great with a cup of hot beverage in the fall and winter. So, with the cool temperatures providing inspiration, I’m sharing three-pound cakes below. Remember to use fresh ingredients and follow the instructions carefully. I hope you like them as much as I do. As a later note, Orangeburg County started this week, so take some time to enjoy it.

1 cup shortening (Crisco)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (not vanilla flavoring)

3 large ripe bananas (mashed)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the shortening, butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In another bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamy mixture. Add the milk and vanilla extract and mix well. Fold in the bananas and pour the batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake at 180 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until cooked through (use the toothpick test). Place the pan on a rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a cake plate. (Optional: You may want to add about a cup of chopped walnuts or pecans.)

(Recipe shared by my late beloved neighbor Rhoda Wagers.)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the butter, shortening and sugar. In a separate bowl, use a sieve to combine the baking powder, salt, flour, and cocoa powder together. Stir it into the butter mixture until the ingredients are well combined. Add the milk and vanilla and mix until you obtain a thick, smooth and creamy mixture. Pour this mixture into a greased and floured tube cake pan. Set the oven to 325 degrees and immediately slide the pan into the oven. Cook for 90 minutes or until cooked through (do a toothpick test).

(Recipe shared by Pat Cook of Bamberg)

18.25 oz package of reduced fat cake mix

8-ounce container of fat-free sour cream

1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract

Raspberry sauce (recipe below)

Garnishes: icing sugar, fresh mint sprigs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray and sprinkle with flour, shaking from side to side to coat the pan. Beat cake batter and next five ingredients on medium speed with an electric mixer for 4 minutes. Pour the mixture into the pan.

Bake the cake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack and let it cool completely. Serve this cake with raspberry sauce; garnish, if desired. This recipe makes about 16 servings.

4 packages (10 ounces) frozen raspberries, thawed

Process both ingredients in a blender until a smooth mixture is obtained. Pour through a wire mesh strainer, discarding the raspberry seeds. Chill for 1 hour. This recipe makes 3 cups of very nutritious and delicious salsa.