Cake Recipe

There's leafy-green mint in pesto and potato salads. Mint in fruit salsas, dressings and sauces. Mint in chocolate confections and atop sliced fruit. Yes, the perky taste is clean and cool -- a perfect flavor profile to add to warm-weather treats. This chocolate cake with mint whipped-cream frosting is simple to make and delicious. Prepare a cake-mix chocolate layer cake (doctored up by adding sour cream to make it rich) and top with a minty whipped cream. Garnish with fresh berries tossed with slivers of fresh mint and a little orange liqueur or raspberry liqueur.

A rum cake recipe using either walnuts or pecans was the request of Laverne Blake of Lutherville. Her response came from Beth Hunter of Timonium, who notes, "This may just be the rum pecan cake recipe Laverne Blake is seeking. It comes from 'Southern Heritage Company's Coming Cookbook.' "Rum Pecan CakeServes 241 (15-ounce) package raisins, chopped1 cup candied pineapple, finely chopped1 (8-ounce) package candied cherries, finely chopped8 cups chopped pecans4 cups all-purpose flour1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened2 cups sugar6 eggs2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder2 teaspoons ground nutmeg1 cup rum1 cup orange marmalade1/2 cup molassesCombine first 4 ingredients; dredge with 1 cup of flour, stirring to coat well.

It's hard to describe red velvet cake to the uninitiated."Oh, I wouldn't know how to start," said Gloria Hayter, prep cook at the Red Byrd Restaurant, a Western Maryland landmark known for its version of the red-tinted dessert."

You won't be crabbing about this recipe, because the season has arrived and the crab cake recipe is here.Al Thomas of Hagerstown requested a recipe for "the fabulous crab cakes that are offered at Angelina's on Harford Road."Chef Gilles Syglowski chose two different recipes. One came from Jo Ann M. Nuetzel of Baltimore, who noted that her recipe was once published in The Sun. "It came from the late Robert Reilly, who operated Angelina's," she wrote.Nuetzel's crab cakes1 pound lump crab meat (picked)

Pan fry some salmon cakes, bake a Coca-Cola cake and pad some oysters. Take your pick of this triple treat.Vera Greenberg, no address given, requested a recipe that "calls for Coca-Cola in the chocolate cake and the icing."Seems a great number of recipe lovers have the recipe. Chef Gilles Syglowski chose one from Pam Norris of Columbia who noted that her recipe came from the book "Classic Cooking with Coca-Cola," by Elizabeth Candler Graham and Ralph Roberts. "It was given to me almost as a joke but I've found interesting recipes within," she wrote.

Funnel cakes were the request of Richard W. Schaefer of Darlington, who wrote that with his wife, "We've gone through some 100 of our cookbooks without success. I want a recipe like the funnel cakes they sell on the boardwalk in Ocean City."Nancy Kos of Baltimore sent in chef Gilles Syglowski's choice. There were many responses, and most were identical.Kos' funnel cakesMakes 12 to 15 cakes2 eggs, beaten1 1/2 cups milk1 teaspoon baking powder2 cups sifted all-purpose flour1 teaspoon salt2 cups cooking oilIn a mixing bowl, combine eggs and milk.

Make codfish cakes and a Grape-Nut custard, requests from readers in Highlandtown and Timonium, and enjoy a touch of Boston and an Orioles memory.Gerrie Blasetti of Highlandtown requested a codfish cake recipe made with "fresh, not salted, cod."Chef Gilles Syglowski chose a recipe from Janet Machulcz of Westminster who wrote, "when I was a kid, no corner store in Highlandtown or Canton was without a tray of codfish cakes, crackers and mustard for sale."While Ms. Machulcz's recipe called for salt cod as did most of the responses received, the chef advises that fresh or salt cod could be used.

Get out those recipe files! We have requests for a wide variety of recipes.But first a reminder, Recipe Finder is a reader exchange recipe column. We do not mail recipes, even if you send a stamped, self-addressed envelope.Recipes in Recipe Finder are generally not tested before they run. That means it's very important to include complete ingredients and directions in any recipe you may send us.And please print neatly! Recipe Finder has spent many an "entertaining" hour trying to decide if a little squiggle stands for teaspoon or tablespoon or trying to decipher someone's last name.

Here's the king's favorite pound cake recipe. The recipe, for Joyce Graham of Baltimore, is from Mary E. McCartney, also of Baltimore. Several readers sent us identical copies. Joyce Eiken of Towson said the cake is very rich and delicious. She says it's important to follow the recipe exactly.Elvis Presley Whipping Cream Pound Cake3 cups sugar1/2 pound softened butter7 eggs, room temperature3 cups cake flour, sifted twice1 cup whipping cream2 teaspoons vanilla extractButter and flour a 10-inch tube pan. Thoroughly cream together sugar and butter.

Eating pleasures this week include a top-of-the-stove rice pudding and a kiss-me-cake. Simple and not so simple, they are worth trying.Mary Connelly of Catonsville sent a note seeking "an Orange Kiss-Me Cake recipe which was a Pillsbury Bake-off winner many years ago."M. K. Grail, no address given, wanted a rice pudding cooked on top of the stove. "I know what all goes in it but not the quantity," she wrote.Both requests were winners with our readers who generously responded with recipes, many of which were similar with only slightly varied personal choice additions.

All the recession talk on TV got you down? Need a break from all the gloom-and-doom on the cable channels and their shouting, arm-waving, spittle-flicking financial gurus? Sure you do. So tune in at 9 tonight to MPT's Eatin' Crabcakes: The Best I Ever Had, which chronicles a rollicking road trip in search of "Crabcake Heaven." It's part of the station's Chesapeake Bay Week programming. OK, maybe you can't even afford a crab cake these days. But you can live vicariously through host and "crab cake connoisseur" Doug Roberts, who sampled crab cakes from downtown Baltimore to the back roads of the Eastern Shore, not to mention a church in Annapolis and a restaurant in Washington.

Pam Kelleman of Phoenix was looking for a recipe for a layer cake that was served at the now-closed Pimlico Hotel restaurant in Baltimore. She was hoping a reader would have the "original" recipe for the cake. Unfortunately, I did not receive any responses, but I happened to notice that Atwater's bakery at Belvedere Square makes a version of this hometown favorite. Ned Atwater was kind enough to modify his Pimlico cake recipe for the home baker. I tested his cake, and it was just as Kelleman described the original: a yellow chiffon layer cake filled with Bavarian custard and iced with a rich chocolate frosting.

Anne Cohen of Missoula, Mont., was looking for a recipe for Elvis Presley's favorite meatloaf. She said she used to have a recipe, published in her local newspaper some years ago, that supposedly came from Presley's longtime cook. After an extensive Internet search, I managed to find a recipe for Elvis' meatloaf on trackworksinc.com, a site for food from "moving pictures." It is a copy of an actual postcard someone sent into the site from Graceland, in Memphis, Tenn. The front of the card has the meatloaf recipe printed on it with the caption "from Elvis' kitchen."

John Klingkamer of Fife Lake, Mich., was looking for a recipe for a five-star white chili. Robert Massarelli of Forest Hill sent in one of his favorite recipes for white chili. He says it is extremely spicy but can be easily adjusted. I thought it actually had kind of an Indian flavor thanks to the healthy dose of cumin, and I didn't find it overly spicy. I liked the addition of the corn, and when it's in season, I might be tempted to use fresh instead of canned. This chili does have a good kick, but when topped with cheese and/or sour cream it was by no means too hot to handle.

EAT Kitchen treasures WITH GOURMET FOOD AVAILABLE TO BUY AROUND EVERY corner and on thousands of Web sites these days, you have to admire the folks who still go to the trouble to make gifts from their own kitchens. When we asked readers for their best recipes for gifts, we learned that despite the popularity of celebrity chefs and specialty ingredients, when it comes to the holidays, tradition still has a powerful hold. We picked seven reader recipes to share with you. Barbara Weitzel of Ocean Pines has been making the Black Walnut Cake recipe she sent us for more than a quarter-century.

There's leafy-green mint in pesto and potato salads. Mint in fruit salsas, dressings and sauces. Mint in chocolate confections and atop sliced fruit. Yes, the perky taste is clean and cool -- a perfect flavor profile to add to warm-weather treats. This chocolate cake with mint whipped-cream frosting is simple to make and delicious. Prepare a cake-mix chocolate layer cake (doctored up by adding sour cream to make it rich) and top with a minty whipped cream. Garnish with fresh berries tossed with slivers of fresh mint and a little orange liqueur or raspberry liqueur.

Douglas Sloan of Sevierville, Tenn., was looking for a recipe for a molasses cake similar to the one his mother used to make. Kathleen Kosinski of North East sent in a recipe she found in her copy of Great Recipes From the Women's North East Civic League. The cake has a nice, moist texture and a rich molasses taste. It is particularly delicious served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Molasses Cake Serves 12 1 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup shortening 1 egg 3/4 cup molasses 1 cup sour milk or buttermilk 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 3/4 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon TOPPING: 3/4 cup brown sugar 3/4 cup raisins, soaked until soft Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bob Channing of Petaluma, Calif., begins his request for a chocolate sauerkraut cake by saying: "First off, I am not crazy but you may think I am when I ask about this recipe. Before my mother passed away, she lent her only copy of this cake recipe to a friend and forgot about it. The cake, I believe, was created during World War II. I would love to introduce it to friends and to reacquaint my taste buds with wonderful times and memories." Carol Baxter of Windsor, Calif., responded with a recipe for a chocolate sauerkraut cake recipe.

Mrs. G. Carl of Laurel requested a recipe for a coconut cake "like the one I had at the fall festival of the St. Nicholas Greek Church on South Ponca Street." Added Carl: "Much food was brought in by many, and I would be so pleased if this lady who made the coconut cake would send in the recipe. It was an unusually light cake and was moist." Jan Saari of Fort Bragg, Calif., responded, "This is the best coconut cake recipe ever. Rumors have it that Barbara Larsen originally made this recipe.

Who could imagine that a cookbook published by a group of nutritionists would have such fat- and calorie-laden recipes as Smith Island Cake (with a whole box of powdered sugar) or Eastern Shore Oyster Fritters fried in oil? But the members of the Maryland Dietetic Association, who produced Explore the Tastes of Maryland From the Mountains to the Sea (Favorite Recipes Press, 2002, $19.95) explain in the book's introduction their philosophy: "All foods can fit." So this book of nearly 200 recipes focuses on the many flavors of Maryland cuisine without too much concern for fat and calories.