Chocolate Velvet Pound Cake

Wanting to bring a special dessert to this year's Thanksgiving with the in-laws, I broke out my Southern Living Cookbook and finally narrowed it down to either the Orange-Pecan-Spice Pound Cake or the Chocolate Velvet Pound Cake. The Chocolate Velvet won, since neither Hubby nor I felt like running to the store to pick up oranges! It was absolutely delicious - light and moist - not at all like your typical heavy pound cake.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (16-oz) package light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 (8-oz) container sour cream
1 cup hot water
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Chocolate Ganache

DIRECTIONS:
Melt semisweet chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH for 30-second intervals until melted (about 1 1/2 minutes total time). Stir until smooth.

Beat butter and brown sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer 5 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Gradually add 1 cup hot water in a slow, steady stream, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in vanilla.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 10" tube pan. Bake at 350º for 60-65 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on wire rack.

GARNISH:

• Sift powdered sugar over top of cake. Serve with Chocolate Ganache and ice cream. I also topped the cake with fresh raspberries (strawberries would be good, too.)

CREDIT: The All-New Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook, p. 152, c. 2006

Chocolate Ganache

This recipe goes with Chocolate Velvet Pound Cake.

INGREDIENTS:
1 (12-oz) package semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup whipping cream
3 Tbs butter

DIRECTIONS:
Microwave chocolate morsels and whipping cream in a 2-quart glass bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 2 1/3 - 3 minutes or until morsels begin to melt. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in butter, and let stand 30 minutes. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 3 to 4 minutes.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

CREDIT: The All-New Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook, p. 152, c. 2006

Pumpkin Cake

When Hubby's office had their annual Thanksgiving party, he signed me up to make a dessert. In keeping with the season, I chose to do a pumpkin cake, although I did cheat and use canned frosting since I was so short on time!

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups white sugar
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups canned pumpkin
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350º. Grease and flour a two 9" round pans. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine sugar and oil. Blend in vanilla and pumpkin, then beat in eggs one at a time. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in nuts. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool. Top with your favorite cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with cinnamon (I cheated and used canned frosting).

CREDIT: Submitted by "Sue Case" on Allrecipes.com