Desserts for a Crowd Include Yellow Cake Recipe or Puffs with Custard Filling Recipe

Desserts for a crowd are great at any large gathering or even any get together. Desserts are a hit with almost everyone and the biggest disappointment happens when there is not enough to go around for seconds. Cake recipes and cupcake recipes are probably the most common and easiest to decorate for special parties and events. These can be made in different flavors for different seasons and events. For instance, pumpkin and spices goes well with events of fall like Halloween or Thanksgiving. Also for Thanksgiving and for Christmas, cakes with fruits and nuts fits into the traditional foods. Of course, the frosting recipes and decorations add the final touches of celebration.

Years ago I was looking for desserts for a crowd and a friend from Florida passed the following two large cake recipes on to me. I have used the first one many times because it goes well for various occasions; it is always delicious!

YELLOW CAKE RECIPE

• 2 Cups softened butter


• 2 Cups white sugar


• 9 Large eggs


• 1 Teaspoon vanilla


• ½ Teaspoon mace


• 4 Cups sifted flour


• ½ Teaspoon salt


• ½ Teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 325F degrees.

Grease, line with wax paper and grease again and flour two 10 inch round cake pans.

Cream butter and sugar together; add eggs beating well after each addition.

Blend in vanilla and mace.

Combine sifted flour, cream of tartar and salt; sift flour mixture two more times.

Mix the flour mixture in with the creamed mixture until well blended.

Pour batter evenly into 2 prepared pans; bake 45 minutes or until pick comes out clean.

Cool ten minutes and remove from pans; cool completely before frosting with your favorite frosting.

Takes about 12 cups of frosting to frost cake.

BLACKBERRY JAM CAKE RECIPE

This is one of the recipes for desserts for a crowd which I have made in a smaller version many times over the years. It is always very good.

• 1 ½ Cups butter


• 1 Cup sugar


• 6 Eggs


• 4 Cups flour


• 1 Tablespoon allspice


• 2 Tablespoons cinnamon


• 1 Teaspoon nutmeg


• 1 Teaspoon baking soda


• ½ Cup buttermilk


• 2 Cups seedless blackberry jam


• ½ Cup whiskey

Preheat oven to 300F degrees.

Grease heavily and flour a tube baking pan.

Cream butter and sugar; add eggs beating after each addition.

Sift flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice together.

Mix baking soda with buttermilk and add alternately with flour mixture to creamed mixture.

Mix in jam and whiskey blending well.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 2 hours; cool 10 minutes and remove from pan.

Let set until cold and ice with brown sugar frosting. Serves 16 to 20.

BROWN SUGAR FROSTING

• 2 Cups brown sugar


• 1 Cup milk


• ½ Cup butter


• 1 Teaspoon baking soda


• 1 Teaspoon vanilla

Combine milk and sugar and bring to a boil; add baking soda and butter.

Cook to a soft ball stage (235F degrees); add vanilla and beat until cool.

Pour over cake.

Talking about desserts for a crowd, when the French restaurant made desserts they had to be for a crowd. I don’t think I know of anyone who came in to eat and left without eating a dessert. One dessert that I was introduced to there was the cream puff recipe. These little gems came in from the commissary filled with cream and drizzles with a delicious blueberry sauce. One day a few were smashed when they came in so I had the chance to sample them. Oh, how delicious!

Years later when I worked at the country club, the cream puffs became the favorite of desserts for a crowd for most parties. I have made hundreds of these; after baking, when they were cold I would put them in large plastic bags and place them in the freezer. When the party date arrived, they were so easy to fill them with cream or custard. Right before serving I would drizzle some type of berry sauce (blueberry or raspberry) over them and garnish with a little whipped cream and a couple of fresh berries. They were a hit every time!

CREAM PUFFS RECIPE

I found it best to make one recipe at a time. Each makes about 14 puffs

• 1 Cup water


• ½ Cup butter


• 1 cup flour


• 4 Eggs

Preheat oven to 400F degrees.

Heat butter and water to a rolling boil; stir in the flour.

Stir vigorously over low heat for about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball.

Remove from heat; beat in eggs one at a time and continue beating until smooth.

Using a pastry bag with a wide tip, drop dough (about ¼ cup each) 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.

Cool away from drafts.

Fill with cream or custard; dust with powdered sugar or top with fruit sauce.

CUSTARD FILLING RECIPE

This is the custard filling recipe I use for cream puffs recipe. Even though I make one recipe of the cream puffs at a time, I have made two recipes of the filling at a time with no problems.

• 1 ½ Cups of scalded milk


• ¼ Cups flour


• ½ Cups sugar


• ¼ Teaspoon salt


• 3 Eggs separated


• 2 Tablespoons butter


• ½ Teaspoon vanilla


• 6 Tablespoons sugar

Mix together flour, ½ cup sugar and salt; scald milk and add to the flour mixture while stirring.

Cook mixture until thick and smooth.

Beat egg yolks; stir a little of the hot mixture into the yolks and then pour it back into the pan with remaining hot milk mixture.

Cook 2 minutes stirring constantly; remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla and let cool.

Beat egg whites until stiff gradually beating in the 6 tablespoons sugar.

Fold egg whites into cooled pudding; refrigerate until cold and fill puffs.

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