Good Bread Good Meat Good God Let's Eat : Elvis Cakes

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Elvis Cakes

Elvis Cake--An Easy Favorite Southern Recipe

Mention Elvis cakes to a southern cook and most will nod and smile. It's an easy and familiar recipe. Check southern cookbooks and you will usually find a recipe titled "Elvis Cake

". However, I have found on closer examination that there is not universal agreement on exactly what constitutes an Elvis cake. Many recipes feature a batter that starts with yellow cake mix and a topping that features pecans or maybe chocolate chips. There's also the school of thought that calls Elvis' favorite, pound cake, an Elvis cake. For those of you who've never encountered an Elvis cake, I hope to broaden your cultural (and culinary) horizons with some homestyle recipes for this southern favorite. For those of you who have strong opinions on what constitutes an Elvis cake, we'll open the debate. But, don't get "all shook up"; read on for great recipes for this southern favorite.

Photo by Jamie B (my daughter-in-law); this guitar, painted by her students, is now on display in downtown Tupelo, MS.

My Favorite Elvis Cake Recipe

Ingredients

1 pkg. yellow cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines Butter Recipe)
1/2 cup cooking oil
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons cinnamon

Instructions

Spray tube pan or large Bundt pan with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients except cinammon together in large mixing bowl and beat 10 minutes. Pour 1/2 the mixture into pan and sprinkle with the 2 T. cinnamon. Add rest of batter. Bake one hour. Cool on rack.

Topping:
6 oz. pkg. chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter
Melt chocolate in double boiler; stir in sugar and butter until well combined. Drizzle over cake. (If topping is too thick, thin with a little water).

Classic (and Simple) Elvis Presley Cake

Ingredients:
Cake: 1 box Duncan Hines yellow cake mix (plus ingredients required on box)
Filling: 1 small can crushed pineapple and 2 cups sugar
Frosting: 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, 2 cups chopped nuts, 1 stick margarine, 1 box powdered sugar
Directions: Bake cake by box directions. For filling, combine pineapple (with juice) and sugar; cook until thick. For frosting, soften cream cheese and margarine. Combine with powdered sugar. Stir in 1 cup of nuts and reserve 1 cup to sprinkle on top. Assembly: After cake is cool, spread half of filling and then layer of frosting on each layer. Cover sides with frosting and top with nuts.

More Elvis Cake Recipes

Elvis Gooey Butter Cakes Recipe : Paula Deen : Food Network: Food Network invites you to try this Elvis Gooey Butter Cakes recipe from Paula Deen.
Elvis Presley Cake at allrecipes.com: This Elvis cake recipe starts with a white cake mix instead of the more common yellow mix. It also features peceans in the the topping.
Foodaphilia: Elvis Cake: An awesome recipe that features bananas and peanut butter, and is topped with chocolate chips. Yum! (This site also has some great pictures).
Cooks.com - Recipe - Elvis Presley's Favorite Cake - Whipping Cream Pound Cake: A recipe that is touted as Elvis's favorite--a "cold oven" pound cake featuring whipping cream.
Elvis Cake at VarmintBites: A banana cake with peanut butter icing
Whole-Lotta-Elvis-Cake: This recipe features peanut butter cake with banana cream filling and a French silk chocolate frosting.
Elvis Presley's Pound Cake Recipe - Saveur.com: One of Elvis' favorite sweets was the pound cake made by his childhood friend Janelle McComb. Every year at Christmas, she'd bake two loaves and bring them to Graceland. This pound cake recipe is her recipe (a classic cold oven pound cake).