Chef Hunter Lee/Contributing Writer
Not all is lost!!!!
Let’s get baking!!
I’ve never hid the fact I’m not much of a baker BUT apparently I also wasn’t great at picking spouses years ago either (shocker I know).
Anyway let’s dive into the not so good ole days. Yes I was married, and like my baking skills it lacked the depth, understanding, and any couth whatsoever. But all was not lost, other than a headache, a small fortune, and having to spend holidays with my ex mother in law, ( I’m sure some of you can relate to that last one)
In life you take the good with the bad and we become the people we are not by just our successes, but our failures as well. Although my marriage was very much like my baking many great things were born out of the ashes of that dumpster fire. One of them being this next recipe. I first learned of, and found my love of this next recipe from said ex and I have enjoyed it, shared it, and made it ever since. Now this probably isn’t the exact recipe she used (a secret I’m sure they’d rather chew rocks than let me have) but it’s close and has been a hit throughout my career.
I’ve lived and had companies throughout Louisiana and East Texas and that along with book tours, promotional and signing or special appearance tours, and restaurant consulting you never really know where I’m going to end up. Sometimes I don’t even know too far in advance. It’s been said, “He just blows into town and does his thing or causes a stir and then he blows right back out”. Guess along with this next amazing recipe ole Nancy got a few things right.
This recipe was used at my catering companies in Lake Charles, New Orleans, Lafayette, Shreveport, and has wowed party guest throughout Louisiana, and even East Texas. This Neiman Marcus Cake is one of my favorites despite how it came into my life and will be one of the featured stories and recipes in my 3rd cookbook in the series in early 2025
Neiman Marcus Cake
Ingredients
Cake Bottom Layer
- 1 15.25 oz box yellow or white cake mix
- ½ cup butter melted
- 2 large eggs
Cream Cheese Top Layer
- 3-½ cup powdered sugar plus more for serving
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 cake pan with non-stick spray or line it with foil.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix cake mix, melted butter, and eggs with a sturdy spoon until well blended. (It will be thick like a cookie dough.)
- Use your fingers or a bench scraper to press dough into the prepared pan.
- Make cream cheese topping: In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and two cups of powdered sugar on low speed until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and beat on low speed until blended. Add remaining 1 ½ cups powdered sugar and beat until blended. Pour over cake bottom and spread to the edges of the pan.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until topping is set and golden brown and it’s pulling away from the sides of the pan. Cool completely in the pan.
- To serve, cut into squares and sprinkle top with additional powdered sugar if desired.
Until next week, I’m Chef Hunter Lee
Remember, “treat your kitchen, treat yourself”