Do You Dutch Oven?? Strawberry Cake!

I made this super easy dish a couple of weeks ago when I brought a dessert to our Fall Round-up.  I usually bring desserts or side dish of one kind or another to our events because we have a large family.  My dad is one of 6 kids so you can just imagine how many mouths there are to feed.  Just like many families around the world, when everyone chips in...things just take care of themselves.

I got the notice to bring something quite a bit ahead of time but my mind pulled a dirty trick on me and I didn't remember 'til the night before.  As luck would have it, Round-up was a two day event so Saturday was all covered.  We got done and back to the house that night and I made the cake for Sunday's festivities.

Of course I looked high and low and couldn't find a cake mix (that would be cheating anyway right?) and so made this one from scratch.  Let's get to the recipe!

Ingredients:

Dutch oven 10"

24 charcoal briquettes

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup real butter

1 cup milk

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I like a dash of almond extract thrown in)

3 eggs

1 - 15 oz. can of strawberry pie filling


 Directions:

Arrange charcoal in a pile and light allowing approx 10-12 minutes to get hot.   Grease one 10" dutch oven.   Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, beating just to combine, then stir in vanilla. Pour batter into the dutch oven.  Place strawberry filling on top of the cake batter all around the top.

This was before I arranged the coals.  I have a circular wire stand that I bought with my oven.

Place 12 coals around the outer top edge of the dutch oven lid and 8 on the bottom in a circle.  Take care and make certain to use a dutch oven with legs or use a raised grate to keep approx 1-1.5" of separation between the bottom coals and your oven.  The top coals will be placed right on the lid.  Bake at approx 350 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

The filling went straight to the bottom of the cake for the first time ever.  I've made this or a similar dish many times and it always goes through the cake.  Perhaps I over-mixed the batter and made it too fluffy?

Normally a cake takes no more than 30 minutes at 350 in a dutch oven.  The adddition of a pie filling added quite a bit of moisture to the cake and increased the cooking time.  Enjoy!!

This post is part of the following blog carnivals....Go check out these great sites!!

Pennywise Platter Thursday

Tasty Tuesdays! Crushed Pineapple Cake

It's been another busy weekend as my boys and I are getting ready to go on a 4 day trail ride this week.  This particular trail ride has been in existence longer than I have and is known as the "Cloverleaf".  You have a central campsite at the same location and every morning, you get up, saddle up, and ride in the cloverleaf pattern making a big loop and finishing up at the campsite.    Each morning is a new direction and you'll cover about 15 miles per day horseback, or in our case, "muleback".  I've never heard anyone call it that before, but I always liked to be the pioneer so I'll be the one to say it here.

I have been on this very ride, at the tender age of 5 years, many moons ago.  My dad took my sister and I, along with a neighbor kid and nearly worked himself to death taking care of three kids and at least 4 horses.  This will be my boys first official trail ride and they are very excited.  They have been riding since they were about 1 month old, first with me, and as they got older, on their own and I'm looking forward to this sooooo much!!  It will be a lot of work but we are going with some good friends so it will be a lot of fun.

As for this weeks Tasty Tuesday recipe......

First let me say that I considered myself a cake connisseur.  I have certainly eaten my share, and probably yours as well.  I've eaten home-made cakes, store-bought cakes, cakes from down the street and around the world and until yesterday, I have NEVER in my life tasted a cake as delicious as this one!!! 

This cake is not low fat, low sugar, or low anything else for that matter and why should it be???  It is as the name implies, a cake that makes you say...."Ohhhhh Myyyyy!?!?"  What you don't see in the title are the secret ingredients that take it to a whole 'nother level.

......Let's get to the recipe!!

Cake:

2 cups all purpose flour (those with gluten issues can use GF flour)

2 cups crushed pineapple

2 eggs

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

Mix all ingredients well and pour into greased / floured 8 x 10 cake pan.  Sprinkle top with small amount of brown sugar.  Bake at 350 degrees approx 30 minutes or until cake tests done with a toothpick.

Icing:

1 1/2 stick butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup chopped pecans

3/4 can condensed milk

Approx 6-8 oz fresh, shredded coconut (I never eat things with coconut but I can't stay away from this cake...)

Bring icing ingredients to a boil and let simmer for 5 minutes, pour mixture over cake while cake is still hot.  Cool and serve!
(As soon as the cake comes out of the oven you can start your icing prep. When it is finished, pour over cake and you're done.....)

This cake is sooo easy to make and hard to put down!!

I intended to take a picture of the whole cake but got busy and before I could turn around.....this lonely piece was all that was left!!

I have never met the woman that made this recipe famous but I have heard soooo much about her.  Ms. Opal is a dear friend of the family and my dad's arch-rival in the garden.  Every summer for the past couple of years they have sent each other pictures and also the actual fruits / vegetables in a friendly competition of who grew the best tomatoes, squash, strawberries, peppers, corn and anything else you can imagine.  While I haven't met Opal, I intend to remedy that very soon and meet this great lady that I have heard so much about........ Enjoy!!!

This post is part of the following blog carnivals.....Go check out these great sites!!

Mouthwatering Mondays

Monday Mania
Hearth 'n Soul
Slightly Indulgent Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday