If You Can't Stand The Heat, Get In The Kitchen

 

This weekend was so hot and humid I can't find words to describe it. If you don't live somewhere in this area, you just wouldn't understand. If you do live in our general area, I hope you found a way to be comfortable. "Staying cool" just didn't happen.

A neighbor has an annual cookout the last weekend in July for everyone he knows--neighbors, church folks, farm friends, etc. Usually hundreds of folks. When he sent out the invitations he had no clue it would be 100 degrees this year. The food was wonderful (Hamburgers! He raises beef cattle.) The folks who came were good company, but it was just too hot to stay long. Still we were glad we went.

Jessica came home for the weekend and helped me in the kitchen as we baked for a couple of events. I made a Honey Bun Cake to add to the table (actually it was a flatbed truck) at the cookout. And we made three kinds of mini muffins for a pre-Sunday School breakfast at church. This weekend, it was like, "If you can't stand the heat...get in the kitchen and bake!" Even with two ovens going, it was way cooler than outside.

The Honey Bun Cake is an old recipe, but one I can count on to be good. (See the cake resting on Jessica's cheeseburger?) Plus it's quick to make when you need a dessert in a hurry. Sometimes starting with a cake mix is the way to go.

Honey Bun Cake

1 box yellow cake mix
2/3 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan. (I just used regular PAM.)

In a large bowl, beat cake mix, oil, eggs and sour cream with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds and then on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Spread half of batter in pan.

In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon. Sprinkle over batter in pan. Carefully spread remaining batter over pecan mixture. Bake 44-48 minutes or until deep golden brown.

In another small bowl, mix powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until thin enough to spread. Prick surface of warm cake several times with fork. Spread powdered sugar mixture over warm cake. Cool completely, about 1 hour.