Denny Lyon Gifts: New Design: Too Happy Octopus

Too Happy Octopus Shower Curtain

Check out this happy octopus, a sci-fy thinker!

Denny Lyon Gifts: New Design: Too Happy Octopus:  From Denny:  It's summer and time to hit the beach!  Maybe if you are lucky enough to live in a place like Florida where the beach is year round, maybe not.  You can always bring the beach and the denizens of the ocean indoors with this fun design. 

This octopus is a real scify thinker and a happy guy sure to make you smile.  The design is on all manner of products at Cafe Press/DennyLyonGifts, from handbags and totes to t-shirts and bedding, posters too.  Take a look and enjoy browsing my Denny Lyon Gifts site.  All my profits go to two charities I really love:  St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital and the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank here in Louisiana (where they feed almost half of the state!)

Thanks for stopping by for a look and please be sure to pass the word on to your friends and relatives to help fund these charities!  Thank you!

Denny Lyon Gifts: New Design: Too Happy Octopus:  for more fun posts giving a shout out to newest designs!

Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  

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Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  

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Recipe: Orange Chocolate Bundt Cake

From Denny: The wonderful site of BellaOnline.com of which their food and wine section is one of many areas they cover for womens' issues! This is an easy recipe to make for weekend company or if you and yours are going to a relative's house to celebrate this Mother's Day.

"Orange Chocolate Bundt Cake combines the flavors of fresh oranges and dark chocolate to make a decadent cake that stays moist; it’s also pretty enough to serve company.

Since this delicious cake starts with a mix, it goes together quickly; once a few other simple ingredients are added, the cake takes on the texture and flavor of a made-from-scratch cake. Don't be surprized when this cake becomes an oft requested favorite."

By Karen Hancock, Desserts Editor

Orange Chocolate Bundt Cake

Yield: 16 Servings

Cake

1 18.25 ounce yellow cake Mix

1 3 oz. package orange gelatin

2 oranges

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 teaspoon orange extract

1 cup mini chocolate chips, or semi-sweet chocolate chips coarsely chopped in the food processor

Frosting

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons whipping cream

1 teaspoon orange extract

Orange zest, for garnish

Spray a 10" bundt pan with Baker's Joy (alternatively, spray the pan liberally with non-stick spray and sprinkle a tablespoon or two of flour into the pan. Rotate the pan so that flour covers the inside of the pan and dump the excess flour out; set the pan aside).

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Mix the cake mix and gelatin in a large mixing bowl.

Using a Microplane or fine grater, remove the zest from the oranges; add all but 1 teaspoon of the zest to the cake mixture (save the other half for the frosting).

Juice the oranges; you should have about 1 cup juice; if you don't have a full cup, add water to make 1 cup.

Add the juice, vegetable oil, eggs, and orange extract to the cake and gelatin mixture.

Mix on low speed until combined, scraping the bowl a couple of times.

Turn the mixer to medium and beat until the batter is smooth, 2-3 minutes.

Pour the batter evenly into the prepared bundt pan.

Bake 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.

Remove from the oven and cool 10 minutes; invert cake onto a cooling rack and cool thoroughly.

Frosting: Pour the chocolate chips into a microwaveable container; add the butter and whipping cream.

Microwave 1 1/2 minutes or until the butter is melted and the cream is warm; let sit 5 minutes.

Add the orange extract and the reserved orange zest; whisk until thick and smooth.

Pour the mixture over the top of the bundt cake, allowing it to drip down the sides.

Garnish with additional orange peel if desired.

Amount Per Serving

Calories 391 Calories from Fat 198
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 50%
Protein 5%
Carb. 45%

Nutrient Amount per
Serving:

Total Fat 22 g
Saturated Fat 8 g
Cholesterol 63 mg
Sodium 251 mg
Total Carbohydrate 44 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 14 g
Protein 5 g

Vitamin A 5%
Vitamin C 46%
Calcium 0%
Iron 4%

Recipe: Nigella Lawson Flourless Chocolate Orange Cake

Nigella Lawson Flourless Chocolate Orange Cake Recipe #303266
From the chocolate cake chapter in her book 'Feast'. This is one of the best chocolate cakes I have ever made. I sometimes add the juice and zest of half a lemon to the batter.
by Flowerfairy
3¼ hours | 2½ hours prep

SERVES 12 , 1 cake

2 small thin-skinned oranges, approx. 375g total weight (or 1 large)

6 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

200 g ground almonds

250 g caster sugar

50 g cocoa

orange peel, for decoration

Put the whole orange or oranges in a pan with some cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 2 hours or until soft.

Drain, and when cool, cut the oranges in half and remove any big pips.

Then pulp everything - pith, peel and all - in a food processor.

Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C Butter and line a 20cm springform tin.

Add the eggs, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, almonds, sugar and cocoa to the orange in the food processor. Run the motor until you have a cohesive cake mixture, but slightly knobbly with the flecks of puréed orange.

Pour and scrape into the cake tin and bake for an hour, by which time a cake tester should come out pretty well clean. Check after 45minutes because you may have to cover with foil to prevent the cake burning before it is cooked through, or indeed it may need a little less than an hour; it all depends on your oven.

Leave the cake to get cool in the tin, on a cooling rack. When the cake is cold you can take it out of the tin. Decorate with strips of orange peel or coarsely grated zest if you so wish, but it is darkly beautiful in its plain, unadorned state.

© 2009 Recipezaar. All Rights Reserved. http://www.recipezaar.com

Recipe: Orange Apricot Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Orange Apricot Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting


Here’s a great flourless cake for Passover, any other occasion or gluten free diet.

Yield: 12 servings.



Ingredients for Apricot Puree:

1 (6 oz.) package dried apricots

1 ½ cups orange juice

6 Tablespoons sugar


Ingredients for Cake:

1 cup sugar

6 large egg yolks

1/3 cup canola oil

1 Tablespoon grated orange peel

½ cup matzo cake meal

½ cup potato starch

6 large egg whites

½ teaspoon salt


Ingredients for Frosting:

1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted pareve margarine


Dried apricots, cut into triangles (optional)

Grated orange peel (optional)


Directions for apricot puree: Combine dried apricots and orange juice in small saucepan over low heat until apricots are very tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer mixture to processor. Add sugar and puree until smooth. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Transfer to bowl; cover and chill.)

Directions for Cake: Position rack in bottom third of oven. Preheat oven to 325° F. Using electric mixer, beat ½ cup sugar, egg yolks, oil, orange peel and 1/3 cup apricot puree in large bowl until mixture is very thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in matzo cake meal and potato starch. Using clean dry beaters, beat whites and salt in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add ½ cup sugar, beating until whites are stiff but not dry. Fold large spoonful of whites into yolk mixture. Gently fold in remaining whites in 3 additions.

Transfer batter to ungreased 10-inch-diameter springform pan. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 42 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack (cake will sink slightly).

Directions for Frosting: Meanwhile, stir chocolate and margarine in saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Whisk in 3 tablespoons apricot puree. Remove from heat. Let stand until thickened but still spreadable, about 2 hours.

Cut around cake sides; remove pan rim. Cut cake horizontally in half to form 2 layers, leaving bottom layer on pan bottom. Place top layer, cut side up, on plate.

Spread bottom layer with 2/3 cup apricot puree. Spread ½ cup chocolate frosting on cut side of top layer. Place top layer, chocolate side down, on apricot filling.

Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Chill until frosting sets, at least 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature before serving. Garnish with apricots and orange peel, if desired.

Note: For other recipes visit my other fun blog:
Comfort Food From Louisiana