Junior Chef
Kids Cooking Lessons
12-15 years old
Lesson 11

Today for kids cooking lessons we are going to practice baking cakes. I'm sure at some point in your cooking and baking career you have made a cake mix out of a box but today you are going to be a real kid baker and make a cake from scratch. 

Kids Baking Cakes

So get on your apron and your baker's hat and start baking.

Here is an easy one to try first.

Apple Cake
1 Cup sugar
¼ Cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 Cup flour
½ Cup walnuts, optional
4 small grated apples
Add sugar, butter, and egg in a mixing bowl. Blend together. Then add baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and flour. When it is well mixed,  stir in apples and walnuts with a mixing spoon. Pour in greased cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

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This is a fun recipe for kids cooking lessons once you’ve gained some cake baking experience. The recipe is a little harder than the recipe above but worth the extra effort.

Marble Cake
1 ½ Cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ Cup (1 stick) butter, softened
¼ Cup vegetable shortening
1 Cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ teaspoon lemon extract
1 ½ teaspoon lemon juice, fresh
3 eggs
½ Cup milk
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
Chocolate cake frosting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a Bundt pan. Beat butter and shortening together with mixer. Then add in sugar, vanilla, lemon extract and lemon juice. Mix together. Add in the eggs and beat together. Beat in flour, baking powder and milk. Transfer 1/3 of the batter which is about 1/2 Cup of batter to a small bowl. Whisk in cocoa powder into this 1/2 Cup portion until blended.
Pour half of vanilla batter into prepared pan. Using half of the chocolate batter, spoon five portions onto the vanilla batter.

Pour the remaining vanilla batter over chocolate batter. Spoon remaining chocolate batter into five portions over vanilla. Swirl through the batters to create a marbled effect with a butter knife.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before taking cake out of pan to cool completely. To frost spoon 1/4-1/2 Cup of chocolate frosting in microwave safe dish. Heat for 20 seconds until bubbly and chocolate is thin. Pour over cake.

Enjoy!