Cake
2 1/4 c. cake flour
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
6 egg yolks
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/3 c. fresh lime juice
1/3 c. triple sec
2 Tbsp tequila
2 tsp grated lime peel
8 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
Glaze:
2 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp tequila
4 tsp triple sec
1 1/2 tsp grated lime peel
Strawberry Compote with Tequila and Lime

Cake:  Preheat oven to 325°F.  Whisk flour, 3/4 c. sugar, baking powder and salt in large mixer bowl to blend.  Using electric mixer, beat yolks and next 5 ingredients in medium bowl to blend.  Add to dry ingredients; beat just until smooth.
Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in another large bowl until soft peaks form.  Gradually add 1/2 c. sugar, beating until stiff but not dry.  Fold 1/3 of whites into batter, then fold in remaining whites.  Transfer batter to ungreased 10”-diameter angel food cake pan; smooth top.
Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour.  Immediately invert center tube of pan onto narrow-necked bottle; cool cake completely in pan.  Run long knife around center tube and sides of pan to loosen cake.  Using center tube as aid, lift cake out of pan; run knife between cake and pan bottom to loosen.  Invert cake onto platter.
Glaze:  Stir first 5 ingredients in medium bowl until smooth.  Spread over top of cake, allowing glaze to drip down sides.  Let stand until glaze sets, about 2 hours.  (Can be made 1 day ahead.  Cover with cake dome; let stand at room temperature.) Serve cake with compote

STRAWBERRY COMPOTE WITH TEQUILA AND LIME
6 Tbsp triple sec
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. fresh lime juice
3 1/2 Tbsp tequila
2 Tbsp lime peel
5 c. hulled strawberries, quartered
Whisk first 5 ingredients in medium bowl to blend.  Add strawberries; toss. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour or chill up to 4 hours.

Yum Yum Yum...especially for fall!

Crust:
3/4 c. graham cracker crumbs (from five 4 3/4" by 2 1/4” crackers)
1/2 c. pecans, finely chopped
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 stick butter, melted and cooled
Filling:
3 (8oz) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 c. brown sugar
3 eggs
1 can pumpkin
1 c. marshmallow fluff
2 T. cream
1-2 T. praline liqueur
1 T. cornstarch
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. salt

Crust:
Stir together crumbs, pecans, sugars, and butter in a bowl until combined well. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and 1/2” up side of buttered 10” springform pan, Chill crust, 1 hour.
Cheesecake:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
Beat cream cheese and sugar.  Add eggs.  Combine cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt and add with remaining ingredients.  Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes.
Pour filling into crust and bake until center is just set, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool completely in pan on rack, about 3 hours.
Chill, covered, until cold, at least 4 hours. Remove side of pan and bring to room temperature before serving.

For crust
3/4 stick (6 T.)  butter, melted, plus additional for greasing pan
Flour for dusting pan
1 3/4 c. graham cracker crumbs (from 12 crackers, each about 4 3/4" by 2 1/4“)
2 1/2 T. granulated sugar
For filling
1/4 c. sour cream
2 1/2 T. packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 t. minced canned chipotle chilé in adobo
3/4 t. finely grated fresh lime zest
6 oz cream cheese, softened
1 pineapple (labeled "extra sweet"), trimmed, peeled, and quartered lengthwise, leaving core intact
4 1/2 oz raspberries (1 c.)
For glaze
1/4 c. apple jelly
1 T. water

 Make crust:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 9” tart or springform pan, knocking out excess flour.
Stir together all crust ingredients in a bowl with a fork until combined well, then press mixture with your fingers and the back of a spoon evenly and firmly onto bottom and up side of tart pan.
Bake crust until a shade darker, 8 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Make filling and grill pineapple:
While crust cools, whisk together sour cream, brown sugar, chiles, and zest in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Beat cream cheese in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth, then add sour cream mixture and beat until combined well. Keep covered with plastic wrap until ready to use.
Prepare grill for cooking. If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom of grill, then light charcoal. Charcoal fire is medium-hot when you can hold your hand 5“ above rack for 3 to 4 seconds. If using a gas grill, preheat burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then reduce heat to moderately high.
While coals are lighting, put pineapple quarters on a cutting board, long cut sides down, and cut lengthwise into slices slightly less than 1/4“ thick with an adjustable-blade slicer or a knife (use caution; peeled pineapple is extremely slippery). Grill pineapple in 2 batches, covered only if using a gas grill, on lightly oiled grill rack, turning over once with tongs, until tender, about 5 minutes total. (If pineapple sticks to rack, use a metal spatula to loosen before turning.) Transfer to a platter and cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Trim pineapple and discard core from slices.
Assemble tart:
Spread filling in tart shell, then press raspberries into cream. Gently push up bottom of pan to loosen pan bottom (with crust) from side of pan, then carefully lift out tart and transfer to a work surface. Gently insert a thin wide metal spatula between crust and pan bottom, then run spatula under crust to loosen from pan. Using spatula, slide tart shell carefully onto a serving platter. Arrange pineapple decoratively over cream.
Make glaze:
Melt jelly with water in a small saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until smooth, then brush glaze onto pineapple with pastry brush.

Cooks' notes:
• Crust can be made 1 day ahead and kept, loosely covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature.
• Chipotle cream filling can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before spreading in tart shell.

3 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. cocoa
1 t. salt
2 t. baking soda

2/3 c. oil
2 c. water
2 T. vinegar
2 t. vanilla

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/3 c. sugar
6 oz. chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Mix the first set of ingredients together in large bowl.  Mix second set of ingredients together and add to first set.  Spoon into cupcake papers to 2/3 full.  Mix third set of ingredients with mixer until fluffy.  Drop heaping teaspoonful into each cupcake (use up all the filling).  Bake for 20-25 min.

THE Perfect Chocolate Cake!

1 3/4 c. flour, plus more for pans
2 c. sugar
3/4 c. good cocoa powder
2 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 c. buttermilk, shaken
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. freshly brewed hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray 2 (9”) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.  With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry.  With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.  Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.  Frost with buttercream.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
6 oz. good semisweet chocolate
1/2 lb. (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
1 t. vanilla extract
1 1/4 c. powdered sugar
1 T. instant coffee powder

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.  Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.  
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes.  Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the powdered sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy.  Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 t. of the hottest tap water.  On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended.  Don't whip!  Spread immediately on the cooled cake.