Any suggestions for a good and unusual cake or pie?

[MaggieTheCat]

Occasionally at my boyfriend's work, his department will have a cooking contest. It's not really that serious, they mostly do it for fun and to try each others' dishes. Next week Thursday is the next one, and the featured items are cakes and pies.

So, I'm looking for a good cake/pie recipe! So far the only rule we know of is that it should be fairly light (that is, not real dense or heavy.) Also, something unusual that most people haven't tried would be cool. I love love love to bake, although I haven't baked very many pies before, but I do have a great pie crust recipe. Although I also think it would be cool to make cupcakes and decorate them with fondant.

Any suggestions?

[AnaKhouri]

Green tea cake?

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Green-T...ke/Detail.aspx

It can be a little dense in the middle, and you have to double the frosting to cover the entire thing, but when I make it many people seem to like it.

[BarbieGirl]

My husbands two favorite pies Caramel apple pecan pie

Pecan Chip Pie

1/8 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

combine eggs, corn syrup, sugar, salt and vanilla blend well.

stir in pecans and chocolate chips pour into unbaked pastry shell.

Bake at 375 for 40-45 min til knife comes out clean.


I always add more pecans and chocolate chips than it calls for.

Good luck with your contest!

[taxguykarl]

Green Tomato Pie

Most of us have heard of fried green tomatoes, but green tomato pie? Try this recipe on anyone who loves fruit pies, and don't tell them what's in it until they've tasted it. They'll love the pie...and be surprised to learn what the primary ingredient is!


Green Tomato Pie

Unbaked pastry for 9-inch 2-crust pie (see recipe)
1 1/4 pounds green tomatoes (about 5)
3/4 cup raisins
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon fine bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
Preheat oven to 425*F (220*C).
Wash tomatoes; cut in quarters and slice very thin. Put into a 3-quart bowl; stir in raisins, lemon rind, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt.
Blend sugar with flour and spices.
Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over an unbaked pastry-lined pie pan. Then sprinkle the bread crumbs with 2 tablespoon of the sugar mixture.
Stir the remaining sugar mixture into the tomato mixture.
Turn tomato mixture onto the bread crumbs in pie pan, spreading evenly.
Dot evenly with the butter.
Moisten rim of pastry and lay on the top crust. Press gently all around to
seal. Trim and crimp the edges. Make a few slits in the top crust to release the steam as it bakes.
Bake for 15 minutes, the reduce heat to 325*F (160*C) and bake 50 minutes longer. Cool on wire rack 2 to 3 hours before serving.
Serves 6 to 8.

[crazylegs]

Unusual pie? Squid.

[ralerin]

You could always serve pizza, too.

[Nurian]

Steak and Kidney?

[BookstoreEscapee]

You could always serve pizza, too.

Could do a chocolate pizza

[dalesys]

----BUTTERMILK PIE----
Between a cheesecake and a lemon custard in flavor, but not as clogging as a cheesecake:

4 EGG YOLKS
1 WHOLE EGG
3 tablespoons BUTTER
1 1/2 cup SUGAR
7 tablespoons FLOUR
1 tablespoon LEMON EXTRACT
1/8 teaspoon SALT
3 cups BUTTERMILK

Pre-heat oven to 425°.
Put all ingredients, except buttermilk, in 2 quart mixing bowl. Mix well on low speed. Add buttermilk slowly so filling remains smooth.
Pour filling into ready made (frozen or refrigerated) 9" pastry shell. Place in pre-heated oven. Turn temperature down to 325°, let bake for 45 to 60 minutes. Center will set up almost firm like a pumpkin or custard pie when it is done. Serve cool, plain or with whipping cream or meringue.
Options: Graham cracker or Vanilla wafer crust. Substitute Orange extract. 1/2 cup dried apricots cut into 1/4 cherry size chunks.
Fills 1 1/2 to 2 pastry shells

[Ree]

What about a meringue pie crust?

You can fill it with whatever you want.

INGREDIENTS

* 2 egg whites
* 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup white sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until soft peaks form. Add vanilla, and slowly beat in sugar until very stiff and glossy. Spread mixture into a 9 inch pie plate to form a shell.
2. Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 50 minutes. Turn oven off, and leave meringue in oven for 1 hour. Cool.

You can make a nice cream cheese filling.

INGREDIENTS

* 1 - 8 oz pkg cream cheese
* 1 cup icing sugar
* 1 pkg whipped topping mix (Dream Whip)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.
2. Add icing sugar and continue beating until smooth.
3. Prepare whipped topping according to directions on package.
4. When whipped topping is firm, fold in cream cheese mixture and beat together until smooth.
5. Spread over prepared crust.
6. Top with fruit or glaze of your choice.

A lemon glaze is nice.

INGREDIENTS

* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup water
* 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
* 1 egg yolk
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

DIRECTIONS

1. In heavy 1 quart saucepan mix sugar, cornstarch and salt.
2. Combine water, lemon juice and egg yolk and add to sugar mixture.
3. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a slow boil and thickens.
4. Add butter and lemon rind.
5. Allow to cool slightly, but spread on cheesecake before glaze sets.

[unholypet]

Sweet potato chicken pie?

Pepper cake?

Pineapple cheesecake?

Pumpkin cake with whipped cheese frosting?

I has family recipes if you want one of these, and promise not to share =p

[ArcticChicken]

Unusual pie? Squid.

Pie doesn't have tentacles!!!



Anyway, White Chocolate Orange Cake or Chai Cake with Honey-Ginger Cream.


If you go with pie, a good tip for pie crust is to use half vodka and half water, it makes for a delightfully crumbly crust.

[Reyneth]

A different cake that is insanely simple and always gets rave reviews -

1 box coconut cake mix, 9x13 pan according to directions. Cool 15 min

1 cup frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
1 cup powdered sugar
mix together

Poke holes in warm cake, drizzle juice mixture all over (you may use not quite all of it).
Cover and refrigerate.

Frost with coconut flavored icing (store or your own) and top with shredded coconut.

Pina colada cake. Yum. Because of the juice, it is incredibly moist.

[dendawg]

Cat litter cake

[MaggieTheCat]

Well, we decided to go with ArcticChicken's Chai cake with Honey-Ginger Cream Cheese frosting. Boyfriend picked it out ultimately (as it's his party, I told him to pick whatever he thought sounded best for it) and since he drinks a lot of chai at work, he thought it would be fitting. The cake is in the oven right now, and the batter looked (and tasted) very good, so it seems promising!

Thanks for all the great ideas, I will definitely be trying a lot of the other recipes posted here! We'll let you know how the cake turns out tomorrow!