Apple Pecan Cake with butter cream icing

Here is the recipe for the apple cake I made for Girls night.
If you bake it in two 9 inch spring pans filled halfway, then layer with cream cheese frosting, it is divine!

Apple Pecan Cake
3 cups of flour
3 large eggs
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
3 cups cubed & pared apples
1/2 cups butter - melted
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
1 cup golden raisins
2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 10" spring form pans. Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt together. Beat oil, butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large bowl.
Stir in dry ingredients. Batter should be very thick.
Fold in apples, pecans and raisins.
Pour into the pans
Bake 1 1/4 hours. Cool in pan.

cream cheese frosting

makes enough to ice two 10 inch rounds layered, and decorated. you can cut the recipe in half if you aren't layering.

8oz cream cheese softened
1/2 stick butter(or 1/4 cup) marg
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1/8 cup milk
4 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar
whip together until smooth and creamy.

ice cake when cooled, and enjoy!

Red Velvet Cake Balls

Red Velvet Cake Balls
1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate) or melted choc chips. 30 seconds and stir until melted.
wax paper

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50. You can get even more if you use a mini ice cream scooper, but I like to hand roll them.)
4. Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)
5. Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.
6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)

I also only melt a few pieces of chocolate bark at a time because it starts to cool and thicken. It's easier to work with when it's hot.
Easy cream cheese frosting
8oz cream cheese
½ stick butter softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Mix the butter and cream cheese until creamy mix in vanilla and gradually the sugar. Store in fridge after use.


Melting chocolate
2 cups choc chips
Good sized glass bowl for melting chips.
1tsp butter.
Melt butter and chocolate in microwave in 30 second intervals stirring between cooking. Until melted. Work fast and cover balls with sauce.



recipioe found at cakerella.com

Zucchini Brownies

I found this on Allrecipes.com from Marian. These brownies are fabulous! There isn't a typo in the recipe, it doesn't call for any eggs. That's what makes these brownies fudgy. I haven't tried it but I'm sure you can add an egg and it will be more cakey if you prefer. Because they're fudgy I don't put any frosting on them and they are still fabulous but to each his own.

1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 1/2 c. white sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. flour
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 c. shredded zucchini
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and vanilla until well blended. Combine flour, 1/2 c. cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into sugar mixture (it will be a course texture). Fold in zucchini and walnuts. Spread evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven, until brownies spring back when lightly touched.

Chocolate Frosting:
6 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 c. margarine
2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Melt together cocoa and margarine; set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, blend together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Stir in cocoa mixture. Spread over cooled brownies.

Sweet Sushi

I saw this idea in Family Fun magazine and we had fun with it (although my didn't turn out half as cute as theirs)!Cake (i used a box cake but I think pound cake would work better at least for decorating and then you could cut the slices thinner since the cake mix was a little tall for the fruit leather)
white frosting
sweetened coconut
fruit leather
fruit snacks or other "fishy" things to put as the inside of the sushi

Cut circles from cake about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Frost the top with frosting and then wrap a fruit leather around (i cut my fruit leather in half lengthwise and then those two pieces covered the whole circle). I used fishing line to help hold it in place and then before we ate them if you snip it off they stay put. Sprinkle coconut on the top and garnish to make fish insides. They even went a step further in the magazine to use a green and red starbursts to make wasabi and ginger. You just heat them up and shape the green one into a ball for wasabi and flatten the red one out and then shape into pickled ginger that they usually serve with sushi.

Lemon cheese bars

Lemon Cheese Bars (from the cake mix bible)

1 pkg white or yellow pudding in the mix cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup veg oil
8 oz cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350
Combine cake mix, 1 egg, and oil in a large bowl. Stir until crumbly. Reserve 1 cup crumb mix. Pres remaining mixture into bottom of an ungreased 13X9 inch cake pan. (I always do a light butter and flour greasing anyways)
Bake at 350 for 15 min until light golden brown.
Combine the remaining egg, cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Beat until smooth and well blended.
Spread over baked layer. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
Bake 15 min at 350. Cool pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.
Makes 18 bars.

Lemon Meringue Cake

Lemon Meringue Cake

1 White or Lemon cake mix
1 pkg lemon kool aid mix
¾ cup veg oil
1 ¼ cup water

3 eggs
Bake at 350 for 35 minutes in a glass greased 13x9 inch pan. Let cool completely before serving.

Frosting
1 cup powdered sugar
¾ cup milk
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup (one stick) of butter softened
Mix the milk and flour in a small saucepan cook over low heat until thickened.
Remove from heat and chill.
Beat butter until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla.
Mix in chilled flour and milk mixture and cool frosting.
Frost when cake is cool. Will resemble almost a slightly thicker glaze.

When cool, cut into square portions and garnish with a strawberry fan. (to make cut strawberry in four sections with point towards you. Leave room at the top by not cutting through completely. Fan out and garnish on each portion. )

Grandma's Brownies

Very simple to make and delicious! They are a little more cakey than fudgey and they're moist. These are my favorite brownies by far!


Grandma's Brownies

1 c. margarine (2 cubes)
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating after each addition. Add flour a little at a time. Add cocoa. Mix well. Add vanilla. Bake at 350 degrees in a greased 9x13 pan for 25 minutes (or toothpick comes out clean). Top with chocolate frosting (below).

Chocolate Frosting

2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. cocoa
1/4 c. margarine
1/2 tsp. vanilla
slowly add milk to reach desired consistency.

These brownies are really good with vanilla ice cream!

Tres Leches Cake

This is a really yummy cake. It's easy since it starts with a cake mix - my favorite Mexican dessert.


Ingredients for Cake:
1 package (18.25 oz.) plain yellow cake mix
1 package (3.4 oz.) vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup milk
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
Vegetable oil cooking spray for baking pan
Ingredients for Milk Syrup:
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting:
One 8 oz. container of Whipped Cream Topping
.

Directions

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly spray a 13-by-9 inch baking pan with vegetable spray. Set the pan aside.
Place the cake mix, pudding mix, milk, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until well mixed for about 1 minute. Scrape the batter off the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Beat an additional 2 minutes on medium speed. The batter should be well blended. Pour the batter into the sprayed baking pan.
Bake the cake until it is golden brown, 30 to 34 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely for about an hour.
While the cake is cooling, make the milk syrup. Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, cream and vanilla in a medium-size bowl.
Poke the cooled cake all over the top with a fork. Use a large spoon or ladle and spoon some of the milk syrup over the cake. Let the syrup soak into the cake. Continue spooning the syrup on top until all of it has been used up. When you have finished, not all of the syrup will be completely absorbed.
Cover the cake loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until all of the syrup is absorbed for about 2 hours.
Before serving you may spread on the whipped cream topping. Store this cake, loosely covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Note: I used fresh whipped cream and strawberries on top.

I made this for the first time tonight and it tastes JUST like the Fair. We really LOVED it!

Kettle Corn

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup unpopped popcorn kernels
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Put Oil in Pot with 3 kernels of popcorn. When all 3 have popped the oil is ready

2. Place the popcorn and sugar in a large pot with vegetable oil...Cover with lid. Over a medium heat, begin to pop the popcorn. Constantly shake the pot to ensure that the popcorn kernels and oil do not burn. Once the popping has slowed, remove the pot from heat.

3. Sprinkle with salt

Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Photo from www.pickypalate.blogspot.com

Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies (Adapted from Martha Stewart Recipe)

½ Cup chocolate chips
1 stick unsalted real butter
1 ½ Cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ¼ Cups flour
½ Cup cocoa powder)
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon coarse salt
1 bag chocolate chips (chunk chips would be great, but I used chips today)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place ½ Cup chocolate chips and stick of butter in a heat proof bowl over a small pot of simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

2. Place cooled melted chocolate, sugar, eggs and vanilla into the bowl of a stand or electric mixer. Mix on medium speed until well combined. On low speed, slowly mix in flour mixture and chips until just combined.

3. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until cookies begin to crack on top and edges look slightly crisped. Let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to finish cooling.

Better than 'you know what' cake...

Wonderful cake! P.S. I'm not a prude about the title, I just didn't want someone searching that omitted word and finding our blog. And you if you don't know what that omitted word is, perhaps you should get out more.

1 pkg German Chocolate cake mix (prepared with the oil and eggs as specified on the box)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar of carmel ice cream topping
1 tub of cool whip
1 bag of toffee and chocolate pieces (or crushed up Skor bars)

-Make the cake as usual in 13 by 9 pan. Let cool about 15 minutes.

-Using the skinny end of a wooden spoon, poke holes about every inch all the way through the cake.

-Pour the jar of sweetened condensed milk over the entire cake. Let sit 5 minutes.

-Pour the jar of carmel topping over the cake. Let sit 5 minutes.

-Spread the cool whip over the cake. Sprinkle with the toffee bits.

Now, the recipe says to let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour. But I find that it is most fabulous the next day, so I always make it in the morning of the day I want to eat it.

Carolines Famous Chocolate Chip cookies

1 c white sugar
1 c brown sugar
2/3 c melted butter (not margarine!)
2/3 c butter Crisco

Cream in mixer then add:

2 eggs
2 tsp real vanilla extract
1-2 c semi sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 1/2-4 c flour

Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto a foiled or greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until the tops are turning golden brown.

Chocolate Caramel Bars for the Bishop

Not sure why they are called this but they are good enough for your bishop! Preston loves them!

Chocolate Caramel Bars for the Bishop

1 ½ c. Flour

1 ½ c. Old Fashioned Oates

1 ½ c Brown Sugar

¼ tsp. Salt

½ tsp Baking Soda

1c + 2TB butter or margarine

1(14oz ) Bag Caramels

½ c Whipping Cream

1 (12oz) Bag Milk Chocolate Chips

1. Combine first 6 ingredients until crumb mixture forms
2. Press half of crumb mixture in greased 9”x13” pan. Bake for 10-15 min at 350.
3. Melt caramels with whipping cream over low heat until all melted and creamy
4. Sprinkle chocolate chips over baked crumb mixture
5. Pour caramel over.
6. Top with remaining crumb mixture
7. Bake at 350 for 15 more minutes.
8. Make a day ahead or several hours early to allow caramel to set.

Chocolate Covered Cheesecake Bites

Chocolate Covered Cheesecake Bites

Crust

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

¼ finely chopped pecans

¼ cup butter or margarine, melted

Filling

2 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened

½ cup sugar

¼ cup sour cream

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Coating

24 oz semisweet chocolate (2 bags chocolate chips)

3 Tablespoons shortening

1. Line a 9in square baking pan with foil and grease the foil. In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, pecans, and butter. Press into the prepared pan; set aside.

2. In a large bowl beat the cream cheese, sugar and sour cream until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low until combined and add vanilla.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes until center is almost set. Cool and then freeze overnight.

4. Melt chocolate and shortening until smooth.

5. Using foil lift cheesecake out of pan. Peel off foil. Cut into 49 squares. Remove a few pieces at a time and refrigerate the rest until ready to dip.

6. Using a toothpick, completely dip squares into the chocolate. Place on a wax-paper lined baking sheet; spoon about 1teaspoon chocolate over each.(Reheat chocolate if needed to finish dipping)

7. Store in Refrigerator or Freezer until ready to eat!

These really are DIVINE! One of my favorites!

no sugar carrot cake with cream cheese icing

no sugar carrot cake with cream cheese icing
(from I can't believe there's no sugar cookbook)
ingredients:
6 egg whites or 1 cup egg substitute
1 cup apple juice concentrate
2/3 cup canola or safflower oil
1/4 cup water
3 cups unbleached white flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon lite (or regular) salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups raisins
2 cups carrots (4-6 medium)
instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Stir together egg, apple juice concentrate, oil, and water. Set aside. Sift together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, lite salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.Put raisins in warm water to plump. Meanwhile, grate carrots, and spray 2 round 9" cake pans with non-stick pan spray.Gently stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until moistened. Drain raisins, and fold in carrots and raisins.Pour into cake pans, and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Then reduce heat to 325 degrees for 8 to 12 more minutes.Serve cooled (even refrigerated) with frosting.


Sugar free Frosting
ingredients:
1 1/2 cups light cream cheese
1 1/2 Tablespoons margarine, softened
16 packets Equal® (16 grams NutraSweet®; each packet equaling sweetness of 2 teaspoons sugar)
2 teaspoons vanilla
0-2 Tablespoons 1% milk to thin frosting
instructions:
Beat together cream cheese and margarine. Then stir in Equal®, and milk until powder is moistened. Beat until smooth and spread on cake Frosts 2 9" round layers of cake or two dozen cupcakes.

Streusel Coffee Cake

Streusel Coffee Cake
(found on about.com)This is an easy streusel coffee cake, baked in a square or round layer-cake pan.
INGREDIENTS:
Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour (sift before measuring)
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon cinnamon
.
Cake:
1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour (sift before measuring)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
PREPARATION:
Topping. In small mixing bowl, combine topping ingredients. Blend with fork until crumbly. Set aside.
Sift 1 1/2 cups sifted flour with baking powder and salt into a bowl. In a medium bowl, beat together beaten egg and 3/4 cup sugar and 1/3 cup melted butter.
Add milk and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture and mix well.
Pour batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square or 9-inch layer-cake pan. Sprinkle topping crumb mixture evenly over batter. Bake at 375° for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cake tests done. Partially cool in pan on wire rack. Cut coffee cake into squares while still warm.

Kettle Corn

Every Friday night is movie night in our house and my son always wants me to make "sticky popcorn." For the sake of my hips I decided to try to make kettle corn in a pan and it came out surprisingly well.

2- 2 1/2 Tbsp oil (I used olive and couldn't detect the olive taste)
1/4 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c popcorn seeds

Heat oil in 3 qt sauce pan on med-hi and add sugar and salt, and mix well. Add popcorn seeds and cover. Shake frequently and wait for the popping to start. Once the lid starts to be pushed up by the popcorn dump into a bowl or the sugar will start to burn.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Mud Cake

3 Tbsp cocoa
1 c water
1 c butter
2 c flour
2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
½ c buttermilk (or 1/2 c milk with 1/2 tsp lemon juice)
1 tsp soda

Mix flour and sugar in mixer. Place butter, water, and cocoa in saucepan and bring to a boil. Start mixer and add to flour and sugar. Add the rest of the ingredients with the mixer on low. Bake at 350 for 30 mins. You can do this as a 9 x 13 cake or as 2 round cakes.

Chocolate Frosting

1 c semi sweet chocolate chips
¼ c butter
1 c sour cream
2 1/2 c powdered sugar

Melt chocolate chips and butter in a saucepan until melted. Place in mixer and let cool for 5 minutes,. Start mixer and add sour cream. Mix in powdered sugar until combined. Will frost 2 round cakes. This frosting seems kind of soft but will harden up a little as time goes on and it cools.

Chocolate Layered Cheesecake

I stole this from you Andrea, but it was so yummy I had to!

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted

FILLING:
1 tablespoon boiling water
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled

GLAZE:
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons butter

Directions:
Combine cookie crumbs and butter; press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan. In a small bowl, combine water and cinnamon; set aside.In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and flour until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in vanilla. Divide batter in half. Stir melted chocolate into one portion; pour over crust. Stir water/cinnamon mixture into the remaining batter; spoon over chocolate layer.Place pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 16 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan. Place in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan.Bake at 325° for 45-50 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and butter; stir until smooth. Spread over cheesecake. Remove sides of pan. Garnish with coffee beans if desired. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 16 servings

Pumpkin Cake with Carmel Frosting

Sounds kind of sketchy, but it is so so fabulous! Especially the frosting....

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 c. oil
1-16 oz can pumpkin
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. cloves
1/2 t. ginger
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 t. salt
1 t. baking powder

mix it all together and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 min. Frost with carmel frosting (see below)

Carmel Icing
1/2 c. Butter
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. milk
2 c. powdered sugar

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add brown sugar and cook over low. Heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add milk and continue to cook until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and cool. Add 1 3/4 -2 cups of powdered sugar.