Best Yellow Layer Cake

Yield: Two 9-inch round, 2-inch tall cake layers, and, in theory, 22 to 24 cupcakes, two 8-inch squares or a 9×13 single-layer cake

4 cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups buttermilk, well-shaken

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line with circles of parchment paper, then butter parchment. (Alternately, you can use a cooking spray, either with just butter or butter and flour to speed this process up.)

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition. At low speed, beat in buttermilk until just combined (mixture will look curdled). Add flour mixture in three batches, mixing until each addition is just Incorporated.

Spread batter evenly in cake pan, then rap pan on counter several times to eliminate air bubbles. (I like to drop mine a few times from two inches up, making a great big noisy fuss.) Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a knife around edge of pan. Invert onto rack and discard parchment, then cool completely, about 1 hour.

from Smitten Kitchen

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

from Joyofbaking.com

2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk or light cream

food colors, if desired

In an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter until smooth and well blended. Add the vanilla extract.  With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the sugar.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the milk and beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Add a little more milk or sugar, if needed.  Tint the frosting with desired food color.

Flower Cupcakes

from Ina Garten

18 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 cups sugar

6 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup sour cream, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour (we used cake flour)

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pans with paper liners.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed, until light and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and stir until smooth.

Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. Fill the cupcake liners to the top with batter. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.

Poppy Seed Bread

3 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/8 cups oil

1 1/2 T poppy seed

3 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/4 tsp. almond extract

Combine all ingredients in listed order.  Blend thoroughly after each addition.  Bake in greased and floured loaf pans at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Makes 2 regular loaves.

Spiced Honey and Lemon Baked Ham

1 bone-in hickory smoked spiral sliced ham (8 to 10 pounds), cooked

3/4 cup honey

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a shallow baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and set a wire baking rack on top.

Using kitchen twine, tie the ham at 2 to 3-inch intervals both horizontally and vertically. This will hold the slices together as well as help the ham remain moist while baking. Position the ham (bottom side up) on the rack.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Pour 1/4 cup glaze evenly over the ham, then turn the ham so that the uncoated side is up. Pour 1/2 cup glaze evenly over the top.

Bake the ham for 30 minutes. Remove ham from the oven and brush with remaining glaze. Bake 30 minutes longer. Baste the ham a final time with the juices that have accumulated on the bottom of the pan and cook 10 minutes longer, or until the ham is heated through and the edges are nicely browned.

Remove the ham from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Remove and discard the kitchen twine and transfer the ham to a serving platter. Carefully pour any accumulated glaze/cooking juices from the baking sheet into a small gravy boat or container. Brush the ham a final time with the glaze. Serve ham hot or at room temperature. Leftover ham is delicious in sandwiches.

Note: If ham begins to brown excessively before it is heated through, tent loosely with aluminum foil and continue cooking.

Recipe from Emeril Lagasse

Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Pie

Lemon Curd

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

6 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. finely grated lemon peel

pinch of salt

Crust

1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

3 cups vanilla ice cream, slightly softened, divided

Meringue

4 large egg whites, room temperature

pinch of cream of tartar

6 Tablespoons sugar

For Lemon curd:  Whisk eggs and egg yolks in medium bowl.  Melt butter in medium metal bowl set over large saucepan of simmering water.  Whisk in sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel, and salt; gradually whisk in egg mixture.  Whisk until thick and thermometer inserted into curd registers 178-180 degrees; about 8 minutes.  Transfer to small bowl.  Press plastic wrap on top of curd, chill 4 hours (Do Ahead:  Can be made 2 days ahead.  Keep chilled)

For Crust:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix pecans, sugar, and butter in medium bowl until moistened.  Press pecan mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9 inch diameter glass pie dish (mixture will be crumbly).  Bake until crust is lightly toasted, about 12 minutes  (crust will slip down sides of dish as it cooks).  Use back of spoon to press crust back into place.  Cool on crust on rack.  Freeze crust 30 minutes.

Dollop 1 1/2 cups ice cream over crust; spread into even layer.  Spread lemon curd over ice cream; freeze until firm, about 2 hours.  Dollop 1 1/2 cups softened ice cream over lemon curd, spread into even layer.  Cover and freeze until firm, about 2 hours

For Meringue:  Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in medium bowl until frothy.  Beat in cream of tartar.  With mixture running gradually add sugar.  Beat until stiff peaks form.  Spoon meringue over pie, spreading to seal at edges and swirling decoratively.

You can freeze it again at this point if you want or you can cook the meringue and serve.  To toast the meringue you can either use a kitchen butane torch, toasting meringue until golden in spots or place pie in a preheated 500 degree oven until meringue is golden in spots, watching to prevent burning, about 5 minutes.  Cut pie into wedges, serve immediately.

Recipe from Tracy Best.  It was her mother, Marilyn's.

No Knead Bread

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting

1/4 tsp instant yeast

1 1/4 tsp salt

cornmeal or wheat bran as needed

1.  In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt.  Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap.  Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.