Zucchini Cake

When Kevin and I were in Logan our neighbor across the street became my best friend. LuElla gave me this great recipe. I added the Chia seeds and Wheat Germ. You don't have to have those. Chia seeds are really good for you. They are packed with Omega-3 oils and anti-oxidants!

Mix:

2 C zucchini, grated
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil

add:

2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla

add and mix well:

2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Pour the batter into greased 9x13 pan. Then mix and sprinkle the topping.

For the topping mix:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup nuts (I used almonds)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 tsp chia seads
1 tsp Wheat Germ

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake -Dutch Oven

In the bottom of your dutch oven layer:

4 T melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
Pineapple rings from can (save juice)

Then make your cake batter and layer on top

mix:

yellow cake mix
1 cup pineapple juice (from can)
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup oil
3 eggs

Place 14 hot coals on bottom and 16 hot coals on top. Cook for 45 minutes.

Key Lime Cake Bites

Since I have been getting Bountiful Baskets I have been cooking like a mad woman. I don't think I can keep up. I decided to try these Key Lime Bites that have been making their rounds on Pinterest. The first batch I dipped in white chocolate. The second batch I frosted in left over Lime Frosting. Bother were good.

Step one: Bake the cake

Mix the following:


1 yellow cake mix
1/2 T lime zest
1/3 cup lime juice
3/4 cup half and half
2 eggs

grease 9x13 and bake at 350 for 28-32 minutes. Cut cake and dump in big mixing bowl. Let cool

Step two: Make lime frosting

Mix:


1 stick butter, room temp
3, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
4 T milk
2 tsp lime juice
2 T lime zest

Step three:

Mix cake, 1/4 cup frosting, 2 T lime zest, and 1/2 cup sweet and condensed milk

Form cake balls and refridgerate for a couple hours in air-tight container.

Dip in melted chocolate or melted frosting. Let cool.

Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Cream:


1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
zest of 1 lemon (I used 3 drops essential oil)

Add:


1 egg
1 tsp almond extract

In a separate bowl, mix:


2 cup flour (I used 1, 1/2 flour and 1/2 c wheat)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Add the flour to the butter mixture alternately with :

1/2 cup buttermilk

Fold into mixture:


2 cups blueberries mixed with 1/8 cup flour
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Top with:

 1/2 T sugar

place in greased 9 inch baking dish. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes

Fudgy Brownie Cake

I don't know what to call this delicious dessert. This is what I call it. It is a marriage between brownies and cake. Yumm!

I have always cooked it in my 9 inch cast iron. I bet you could bake it in a 9x9 glass dish or pie plate or springform.

mix with a fork:


1 package chocolate cake mix
1/2 cup oil

Reserve 1 cup of this crumbly mixture.

Add to the rest of the crumbly mixture:

2 eggs
1 cup applesauce

Pour the batter into your baking dish.

On the stove top or in the microwave mix together and slowly melt:


1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 cup chocolate chips

The chocolate chips don't have to be completely melted. Spoon this melted mixture over the cake.

Take the 1 cup of reserved crumbs and add 1/2 cup walnuts. Sprinkle over the cake.

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

Pound Cake

I will always choose pound cake over angel food cake. It is a personal preference. I have been on a berry high lately. I promise I'll come up with something that involves something other than berries.


In your mixer mix on high for 2 minutes:

1 cup butter
2, 1/2 cups sugar

Now add one at a time:

6 eggs

In a medium bowl whisk by hand:

3 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

In a small bowl mix:

1 cup sour cream or vanilla yogurt
2 tsp vanilla or lemon extract

Now add half the flour mixture to the mixer. Then add half the sour cream mixture to the mixer. Then the last half of the flour mixture and then the last of the sour cream mixture. Mix well after addition.

Pour the batter into a well greased and floured bundt pan.

Bake at 325 for 60 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes on the counter. Then remove from pan. Serve with strawberries and hand-whipped whipping cream.

Classic Chocolate Cake

This is a yummy from scratch recipe. Don't laugh, but I love to put a big piece of cake in a bowl and pour milk all over it and eat it up with a spoon. Mmmm. I like to make this in two 9 in round pans. I have also made this in a 9x13 pan. I like the round pans better because there is less crusty over-cooked edges that you get with the big pan.

In your mixer mix for 2 minutes:

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar

Add one at a time:

4 eggs

Add and blend until creamy:

1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk (I used 1/2 cup water and 3 T powder milk)
2 tsp vanilla

In a medium bowl sift:

2, 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Dump the flour mixture into your wet mixture. Blend until creamy. Grease and flour your round 9 inch pans. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes

Let the cakes sit in the pans for about 20 minutes, then remove and let cool on the counter. Frost when cooled.

Frosting:

Beat:
1 stick butter
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
about 3 cups powdered sugar
about 4 T milk (more or less)

Carrot Cupcakes

This cupcake recipe was adapted from the carrot cake recipe I posted earlier. I added some oat flour to add some more nutrition. They turned out really yummy!

mix the following:

3 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup oil
1, 1/2 cup sugar
2 t vanilla

then add the following:

2 t cinnamon
1/8 t nutmeg
1/4 t salt
2 cups flour (1/4 cup of this is oat flour)
2 t baking soda

then add the following:

2 1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
8 oz crush pineapple with juice

bake at 350 in a greased and floured pan for 45 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

cream:
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup butter

add:

1 tsp orange extract
2 cups powder sugar

Fill muffin sleeves two thirds full. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. Test by pressing your finger on the muffin top. You want it to bounch back.

Pumpkin Cake Roll

Beat with a whisk:

4 egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla

Slowly add and beat:

1/3 cup sugar

In a mixer beat until stiff peaks form:

4 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar

Fold into the egg white mixture:

1/2 cup pumpkin
egg yolk mixture
flour mixture (below)

Flour mixture:

1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Pour into a greased jelly roll pan (slightly smaller than a cookie sheet). Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes. Remove immediately with a pancake spatula. Place cake on a towel covered in powdered sugar. Roll.

Allow the cake to cool like this. Once it is cool unroll the cake and spread on the cream cheese filling. Roll back up without the towel and place in fridge for 2 hours.

Cream cheese filling:

mix:

8 ox cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Olive Garden's Black Tie Mousse Cake

I found this recipe from Cooks.com several years ago. I don't know if it it the exact recipe from the Olive Garden. But it tastes just like it! This cake is very involved. I would suggest you make it the day before you want it. Or start very early in the morning. Warning: Do not leave the house the day you make it. It requires a lot of babysitting. Now that I have thoroughly scared anyone from ever trying this recipe, here is how you make it! There are four layers.

Layer one -

1 package devils food cake - make up batter according to instructions. Pour the batter into a greased 9x13 pan and a 9 inch round pan. You want this layer to be thin. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until toothpick clean. Cool completely

Layer two -


melt the following on stove top over very low heat:
1/2 cup chocolate chips, semi-sweet
8 oz cream cheese


In a small dish combine:
1 tsp gelatin powder
1 T cold water
let this gelatin water sit for 1 minute. Then add:
2 T boiling water. Stir till clear. Cool

Whip until thick peaks stand on their own:
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 tsp sugar

Now add to the whipped cream the cool gelatin water. Mix together. Now fold in the chocolate cream cheese mixture.

Spread this on top of the cooled cake. (There are two cakes. Eye ball how much should go on each cake.)

Layer 3 -

beat until pale:
3 egg yokes

Now beat into the yokes:
1/4 cup sugar
3 T flour
1 tsp gelatin powder

On the stove bring to a slow boil over very low heat(mix constantly):

1, 3/4 cup whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
egg yoke mixture from above

When this mixture becomes thick turn stove off and allow this pudding-like mixture to cool completely on counter. Pour this third layer on cake. Put cake in fridge for two hours.

Layer 4 -


Take cake out of fridge. I like to take the cake out of the cake pan and place on a serving platter. But you don't have to.

Bring to a slow boil:

2 T butter
1, 1/2 cup whipping cream

Pour this hot cream over:

1, 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips. Mix until smooth. Poor over cake. Allow to drizzle down the sides of cake (if you took it out of the pan).

Press chocolate chips into the sides of cake. You need the chocolate chips for texture! If you didn't take the cake out of cake pans, then just put the chips on top of the cake. In my pictures I put chocolate chips in a food processor and made dusting chocolate. (I've already dirtied the kitchen. What's another mess, right?)

Place entire finished cake in fridge for 4 hours.

Lazy Sunday Truffle Pie

Dump the following into a pot on the stove:

2, 1/2 cups chocolate chips, semi-sweet
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

heat this on the lowest possible setting. Stir constantly even while the chips haven't started melting.

Remove from the stove. The pot shouldn't be too hot. The chocolate should just be a bit warm. Now add the following into the pot:

4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour

whisk this until smooth. Poor into greased pie plate. Bake at 325 for 40 minutes. Cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with lots and lots of milk!

Fudge Bundt Cake

Dump the following into a mixer and mix for 2 minutes:



1 devil's food cake mix

1 small package chocolate pudding

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup oil

1, 1/2 cup chocolate chips



Grease and flour your bundt cake pan. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. Allow the cake to cool for 20 minutes before removing.


Garnish with strawberries and whipped cream

Loaded Carrot Cake

I have been looking for years for just the right carrot cake recipe. I have probably tried at least 12. My sister in law, Emily, gave me this great recipe. I love it! I call it Loaded Carrot Cake because it is just loaded with good stuff. By the way if you don't like all the additional items then just don't add them.

mix the following:

3 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup oil
1, 1/2 cup sugar
2 t vanilla

then add the following:

2 t cinnamon
1/8 t nutmeg
1/4 t salt
2 cups flour (I would not recommend using wheat in this. Too heavy)
2 t baking soda

then add the following:

2 1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
8 oz crush pineapple with juice
1 cup raisins ( I used craisins! Yum)

bake at 350 in a greased and floured pan for 45 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

cream:
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup butter

add:

1 tsp orange extract
2 cups powder sugar

Cupcakes

I talked to my sister-in-law, Emily, about cupcakes today. I got off the phone and NEEDED a white cupcake with pink frosting. I have never made cupcakes before so I set out to find a great cupcake recipe from scratch. They turned out great!

beat for 30 seconds:

2/3 cup butter (I don't believe in margarine)
then add the following and mix for 2 minutes:
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1,3/4 c sugar

Then add the eggs one at a time. Beat one minute after each

2 eggs

then add alternately the milk with the flour mixture

1, 1/4 c milk ( I used 1, 1/4 c water and 4 T powder milk)

flour mixture:

2 1/2 c flour

1/2 tsp salt

2, 1/2 tsp baking powder

bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Frost with butter frosting

1/3 c buttersplash of milk (I used orange juice)

1 tsp vanilla (I used orange concentrate)

4 cups powder sugar