7-Up Cake

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan.

Ingredients
Cake:
4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 cups cake flour (unbleached flour will do)
5 eggs, room tempature
2 Tbsp lemon essential oil or extract
3/4 cup 7-Up
Pinch of salt
Lemon Glaze Icing:
1 cup powdered or confectioner sugar
1 to 1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Preparation

Cake

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add one egg at a time until smooth then add in salt and lemon essential oil or extract. Next, add in flour alternating with 7-Up. Let batter mix completely before pouring into floured pan.  Bake for an 1 hour and 10 minutes. Check cake with a cake tester or bamboo skewer. If tester/skewer comes out clean then the cake is done. Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes before plating and icing.

Lemon Glaze Icing

In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice. Whisk together until you get a nice smooth consistency. Drizzle icing over cake and serve.

*NOTE: The lemon glaze icing can be prepared ahead of time and stored in a covered container. Gently the stir the glaze to get it back to a workable state.

Red Velvet Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients
Cake:
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups cake flour (regular unbleached flour will do as well)
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons red food colouring


Frosting:
2 18oz packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered or confectioners sugar
A pinch salt (optional)

Preparation
Cake:
Cream together sugar, butter and eggs until smooth. In a separate bowl mix together red food colouring, cocoa and vinegar until smooth then add to sugar mixture. In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Alternately add in flour and buttermilk to sugar mixture. Be sure to scrap down sides of bowl with a spatula as it's mixing. Finally add in vanilla until well blended. Pour cake batter into a greased and floured bundt pan or three round 9 inch pans. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes; stick bamboo skewer or butter knife in the middle to see if cake is done. DO NOT OVERBAKE.

Frosting:Cream together cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth. Frost cake once it's completely cooled.