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Happily Sad Cake

This recipe is courtesy of our sweet friend Julie, whose cousin gave it this name because the cake does not actually rise. The final product comes out flat and dense, so it is kind of a sad-looking cake, but once you taste how chewy and delicious it is, brownies will take a back-row seat to this low riser.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

Vegetable shortening, such as Crisco
All-purpose flour
2 cups Bisquick biscuit mix
1 pound packed dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Pecan praline ice cream, for serving

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Set aside.

    Step 2

    In a large bowl, combine the Bisquick, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt. Add the pecans and stir well. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve it with pecan praline ice cream!

    Step 3

    Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

From The Casserole Queens Cookbook by Crystal Cook & Sandy Pollock. Copyright © 2011 by Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock; Food photographs copyright © 2011 by Ben Fink. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers. Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock, the Casserole Queens, have been delivering casseroles in Austin, Texas, since 2006; they also teach cooking classes at Whole Foods stores in the area. They have been featured on Food Network's Throwdown! with Bobby Flay and Bobby Flay Radio on Sirius XM, as well as on television news and radio talk shows.
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