Raspberry Cake

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup buttermilk
1-2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)

Frosting:
2 8oz packages of cream cheese/softened
1/2 cup butter/softened
2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup raspberries

Preheat 350.  Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a small bowl and set aside.  Cream together the sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk.  Gradually add in flour mixture.  Mix in the raspberries.  Pour into 9x13 pan and bake for 30-35 min. 
Frosting: cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy.  Mix in the vanilla and gradually stir in the confectioner's sugar.  Add in the raspberries.  May need more powdered sugar to thicken frosting depending how much liquid is in the raspberries.

Coconut Cake

2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup powdered milk
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 pkg instant coconut pudding mix (if you can't find this, then use a vanilla pudding mix and instead of a tsp of vanilla, use a tsp of coconut extract)
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups flaked coconut

Grease a 9x13 pan.  Blend everything together and then add the coconut and pour into the pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 min

Frosting:
1 cup butter
5 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup cream of coconut
1/2 tsp coconut extract
toasted coconut (as desired, can use it as a garnish or mix in)

Beat butter, then add powdered sugar and cream of coconut--sometimes the cream of coconut will separate so be sure to blend it before adding it to the frosting.  Then add the coconut flakes.

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Ingredients:
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup oil
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 pinch salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake pan with paper liners. In large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, applesauce, oil, and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter alternately with the milk. Spoon into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top of the cupcake springs back when lightly pressed. Cook in the pan for at least 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Rich chocolate frosting:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
18 oz semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2 oz pieces (I like ghiradelli 60% chocolate chips)
2-3 cups powdered sugar

Heat the heavy cream and butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Place the chocolate pieces in a bow. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Stir it in and then use a mixer to blend it together well until you have the consistency and sweetness you like. Frost the cupcakes.

Strawberry-Lime Cupcakes

My niece suggested we try this recipe. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to try it out and I am so glad I did. These were soo delicious. The lime cupcake was good by itself but when the strawberry was added, oh my--I was in heaven. I adapted the recipe a little bit because I didn't like some of the reviews for the original recipe so this is a combination of the food network recipe with a recipe off of Allrecipes. Also feel free to make lemon cupcakes by replacing all things lime with all things lemon.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp lime zest
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sour cream
Strawberries

Frosting:
3 Tbsp butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp lime zest
1 Tbsp milk

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add lime peel and vanilla; mix well. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream (batter will be thick). Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups with 1/4 of batter. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. For frosting, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add lime juice, vanilla, lime peel and milk; beat until smooth.

To assemble: Cut and remove a strawberry (coned) shape portion of cupcake from the top of each cupcake, leaving abotu 1/2 to 1 inch of cake in the bottom. Stuff each cake with a strawberry and cover with a little piece of cake. Frost.

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cake

Ingredients:For the cake:
1½ cups (4½ oz.) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp. espresso powder
1½ cups boiling water
¾ cup sour cream
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
3 sticks (12 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2½ cups plus 2 tbsp. (18¼ oz.) sugar
3 large eggs
1¾ cups plus 2 tbsp. (9¼ oz.) all-purpose flour
1¼ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt

For the raspberry filling:
16 oz. frozen raspberries, thawed
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. lemon juice

For the ganache filling:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the raspberry frosting:
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
21 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup strained raspberry puree*
½ tsp. vanilla extract
Pink gel icing color (optional)

For the chocolate glaze:
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup heavy whipping cream
¼ cup light corn syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract

For garnish:
Additional fresh raspberries

*For best flavor, use fresh organic raspberries.

Directions:To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Grease and flour the edges of three 9-inch round cake pans, and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Combine the cocoa and espresso powder in a small bowl. Add in the boiling water and whisk together until smooth. Let cool slightly. Whisk in the sour cream.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Blend in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl; stir together to combine. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl in three additions, alternating with the cocoa-sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat each addition just until incorporated.

Divide the batter between the prepared baking pans. Bake 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans about 15 minutes, then transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the raspberry filling, drain the thawed berries, reserving the juice in a liquid measuring cup. Add enough water so that the total liquid equals 1¼ cups. Add the liquid to a medium saucepan with the sugar and cornstarch. Heat over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken. Continue whisking so no lumps form. Once thickened, remove from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice. Fold in the drained berries with a spatula. Cover and chill until ready to use. (The filling will continue to thicken as it chills.)

To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Immediately remove from the heat and pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Let stand 1-2 minutes, then whisk together until a smooth, thick ganache is formed. Whisk in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time until completely incorporated. Let the ganache sit to thicken a bit so that it is suitable for spreading and piping. (To speed thickening, place the bowl in the fridge or freezer and whisk every 10 minutes to ensure even cooling until the desired consistency is reached.) Transfer about ½ cup of the thickened ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip about ½-inch in diameter. Reserve another ½ cup of ganache in a small bowl or container. (This can be used later for decorative detailing, if desired.)

To assemble the cake, place one of the cooled cake layers on a cake board or serving platter. Spread ½ cup of the ganache in an even layer over the cake. Using the reserved ganache in the pastry bag, pipe a border around the perimeter of the cake layer. This will act as a well to help hold in the raspberry filling. Spoon some of the raspberry filling inside the ganache border in an even layer. Top with another layer of cake and repeat this process, layering with another ½ cup of ganache and additional raspberry filling. Top with the remaining cake layer.

To make the raspberry frosting, combine the sugar and egg whites in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. (I use my mixer bowl here to dirty one less dish.) Heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 160° F and the sugar has dissolved. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes. (The bowl should be cool to the touch.) Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition has been incorporated. If the frosting looks soupy or curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again, about 3-5 minutes more (or longer – don’t worry, it will come together!) Blend in the raspberry puree and vanilla until smooth and completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. If desired, tint with pink icing gel to achieve your desired shade.

Frost the top and sides of the assembled cake with the raspberry buttercream, smoothing the surface as much as possible. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

To make the chocolate glaze, place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit 1-2 minutes. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and homogenous. Blend in the corn syrup and vanilla. Pour the glaze into a pitcher or measuring cup and let cool for 10 minutes. (Do not let the glaze cool longer or it may become difficult to pour over the cake.) Slowly pour the glaze over the cake, ensuring that the top is covered and the glaze drips over the sides. Let the glaze set about 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring the remaining reserved ganache to a consistency for piping. (You can microwave in 5 second intervals on low power – it won’t take long to rewarm. If you overshoot and the ganache becomes too thin, simply chill again in the fridge or freezer until it is thick enough to pipe.) Transfer the ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip. Pipe swirls of ganache around the edge of the top of the cake and top each swirl with a fresh raspberry. Chill the cake until ready to serve

Strawberry Cake

I've been wanting to find a good strawberry cake recipe. This was the top rated recipe on allrecipes. It was very good but like many of the reviews said, it was a little dense. The denseness didn't bother me but it did bother my kids. The cool whip frosting was very good.

Ingredients:
2 cups white sugar
1 (3oz) pkg strawberry flavored gelatin
1 cup butter, softened
4 eggs (room temp) separated
2 3/4 sifted cake flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup whole milk, room temp
1 Tbsp vanilla
1/2 cup strawberry puree made from frozen sweetened strawberries
1 cup strawberry puree to put between layers of cake

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and dry strawberry gelatin until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well after each. Take the egg whites and whip them unitl soft peaks form. Fold them in the batter at the end. Conbine the flour and baking powder, stir into the batter alternately with the milk. Blend in vanilla and strawberry puree. Fold in the egg whites. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Alow cakes to cool in their pans for at least 10 minutes before tapping out to cool completely.

Cool Whip Frosting
Ingredients:
8 oz cool whip, thawed
1 3.5 oz vanilla pudding mix
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

In medium bowl combine pudding mix with milk and vanilla. Mix until smooth, gently fold in whipped topping. Spread evenly over cake.

Texas Sheet Cake

Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE:
2 cups Flour
2 cups Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
2 sticks Butter
1 cup Boiling Water
½ cups Buttermilk
2 whole Beaten Eggs
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla
_____
FOR FROSTING:
½ cups Finely Chopped Pecans
1-¾ stick Butter
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
6 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make the icing. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Pour over warm cake.

Sour Cream-Cinnamon Coffee Cake

This recipe is from my brother-in-law. It is so delicious. I added a few things to his recipe just to make it more fattening and sugar-y.

Ingredients:
1 pkg yellow cake mix
1 pkg instant vanilla pudding
1 stick butter
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
Filling/topping:
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
Glaze:
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1-2 Tbsp milk

Directions:
Thow in a mixing bowl: cake mix, pudding, butter, sour cream, eggs. Beat 7 minutes. Meanwhile mix filling--mix the cinnamon, brown sugar, and flour. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Grease 10 inch tube pan. Place 1/3 of the cinnamon filing along the bottom of the pan, then put half the cake batter into the pan on top. Take 1/4 of the cinnamon filling and sprinkle it on the batter. Put the rest of the batter into the pan. Put around in spoonfuls and leave bumpy. Sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon filling. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes. If you'd like a little more sugar you can make the glaze by mixing the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk and drizzling it on top of the cake when it is cooled.

Chocolate Overdose Cake

This is a very rich, very chocolatey cake. It is also a bit time consuming to make with all of the different parts. In fact I would only spend this much time making this cake for a very special occasion. That occasion this time was for a very dear friend's birthday. I love this cake and almost can't wait for the next special occasion. My favorite website for baked goods is Annie's Eats which is where I found this recipe.


Ingredients:

For the brownie base:
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. cake flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
1 1/8 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
For the chocolate mousse filling:
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-oz. pieces
1 7/8 cups heavy cream
1 tbsp. sugar
For the chocolate cake:
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/8 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
1/4 cup hot water
7/8 cup sugar, divided
7/8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, soft
For the ganache:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
18 oz. semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-oz. pieces

Directions:
To make the brownie base, line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with a round of parchment paper and spray the sides with nonstick cooking spray. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine the cake flour, salt and baking powder. Stir with a fork to mix. Melt the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of almost-simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth.

When the chocolate mixture is completely smooth, remove the bowl from the saucepan and gradually whisk in the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition until thoroughly combined. Whisk in vanilla. Add in the flour mixture in two additions, folding with a rubber spatula until completely homogenous.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula. Set aside, prepare the cake batter, and bake the two layers at the same time.

To make the cake, line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with a round of parchment paper. Grease and flour the sides of the pan. Combine the chocolate, cocoa and hot water in a medium heatproof bowl; set the bowl over a saucepan containing 1-inch of simmering water and stir with a rubber spatula until chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. (Note: at this point, my mixture was pretty thick and I thought I had ruined it, but mixing in the sugar was like magic and it made it smooth and liquidy again.) Add 1/4 cup of sugar to the chocolate mixture and stir until thick and glossy, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and set aside to cool.

Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Combine buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the eggs and yolks on medium-low speed until combined, about 10 seconds. Add remaining sugar, increase speed to high, and whisk until fluffy and lightened in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Replace whisk with paddle attachment.

Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the egg/sugar mixture and mix on medium speed until thoroughly incorporated, 30-45 seconds, pausing to scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add softened butter one tablespoon at a time, mixing about 10 seconds after each addition. Add about one third of the flour mixture followed by half of the buttermilk mixture, mixing until incorporated after each addition (about 15 seconds). Repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining buttermilk mixture (batter may appear separated). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add remaining flour mixture; mix at medium-low speed until batter is thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds. Remove bowl from mixer and fold batter once or twice with rubber spatula to incorporate any remaining flour. Pour into prepared pan; smooth batter to edges of pan with an offset spatula.

Bake the brownie and cake layers at the same time: the brownie for 25-30 minutes and the cake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire cooling rack. Allow the brownie to cool completely in the pan. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto the wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Once the brownie layer has cooled, run a knife around the edges to separate it from the pan. Remove the sides of the springform but leave the brownie layer on the springform base. Form a ring of parchment paper around the brownie layer and extending up the sides of the springform pan – reclose the springform so that the parchment is fitted tightly to the sides.

To make the chocolate mousse filling, place a stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer or fridge. Heat 1-inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Place the semisweet chocolate in the top half of the double boiler. Tightly cover the top with plastic wrap and allow to heat for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Transfer the melted chocolate to a stainless steel bowl and set aside until needed.

Place heavy cream and sugar in the well-chilled bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the chilled whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer. By hand, whisk to combine 1/4 of the whipped cream into the melted chocolate until smooth and completely incorporated. Add the combined whipped cream and chocolate to the remaining whipped cream and use a rubber spatula to fold together.

Spread the mousse over the top of the brownie base evenly. Use an offset spatula to smooth the top. Place the cooled cake round over the mousse, pressing down lightly. Chill for at least 1 hour.

To make the ganache, heat the heavy cream and the butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Place the semisweet chocolate in a 3-quart stainless steel bowl. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Chill 1 cup of ganache for 1 hour. Allow the remaining ganache to come to room temperature (about 40 minutes).

Remove the springform ring and parchment collar from the assembled cake. Carefully transfer the cake to a serving platter, removing the springform base and parchment round. Use a spatula to smooth the room temperature ganache over the cake top and sides, covering evenly.

Place the chilled ganache in a pastry bag fitted with a shell tip and pipe a shell border around the base of the cake. Pipe 12-16 rosettes around the top of the cake to indicate servings. Serve chilled and store leftovers in the fridge. Cut the cake with a hot, dry knife.

Source: adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Hot Fudge Sundae Cake

I have a cookbook that my sister-in-law put together last year with contributions of favorite recipes from the family. It's definitely my favorite cookbook so I am going to attempt to post each recipe on this blog. This is one of those recipes. I can actually remember making this cake with my husband when we were dating. This is a fun recipe to make with kids. Mine were amazed how the hot fudge sauce ended up on the bottom of the pan beneath the cake.
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 T cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
2 T vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup nuts (optional)
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 3/4 cup hot water

Directions:
Turn oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, sugar, 2 T cocoa, baking powder. Then mix in milk, oil, and vanilla into dry ingredients until smooth. It will be like brownie batter. Pour into an 8x8 square pan. Then sprinkle brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa on top then pour hot water on it and put in oven. Bake for 40 minutes.

Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup canola oil
3 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 can pumpkin (2 cups)
2/3 cup water

Frosting:
4 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup butter
1/2 lb powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp Nestle's quik (not vital for the recipe)

Directions:
Sift flour, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and baking soda in a bowl. In another bowl, beat the oil, sugar, vanilla, eggs-one at a time, pumpkin, and water. Add the first mixture to the second. Pour into a Bundt pan you've coated with baking spray (I love Baker's Joy). Cook at 350 for 60-70 minutes
Frosting:
Allow cake to cool. Soften 1/2 pkg (4oz) cream cheese and 1/4 cup butter to room temperature. Cream together with 1/2 lb of powdered sugar and 1 1/2 tsp nestle's quik. Add more powdered sugar if the frosting seems too thin. Frost cake.

Pumpkin Snack Cake

Ever since my oldest started kindergarten I've had this cake ready for my kids to eat when they came home from their first day of school.

Ingredients:
1 2/3 cup flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp allspice
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vinegar
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I use more)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350. Mix flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and allspice with fork in ungreased square pan, 8x8x2. Stir in remaining ingredients except chocolate chips. Sprinkle chocolate chips over batter. Bake 35-40 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Oatmeal Cake

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1 cup oats
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

Directions:
Pour the water over the oats and let sit for 20 minutes. Meanwhile combine brown sugar, butter, vanilla, sugar, and eggs. Mix until creamy. Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to the sugar mixture. Mix in the oatmeal. Place in a 9x13 pan and bake at 325 for 35 minutes.

Icing:
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup canned milk
1/2 cup nuts
Spread on cake and broil until bubbly

or

Browned butter Frosting:
1/3 cup butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2+ TB milk

Heat butter over medium heat until delicate brown. Mix in powdered sugar. Beat in vanilla and enough milk until smooth and spreadable. (I think I used at least 4 Tbsp of milk, maybe more)

Cookies N Cream Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 3.9 oz pkg instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup canola oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup hot water
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 box Oreo cookies, divided
1 container of cream cheese frosting

Directions:
Place cupcake liners into cupcake pan. Take 24 Oreos and separate one Oreo cookie side from the rest of the cookie. Take the cookie with the white frosting on it and place it frosting side up in each cupcake liner. Save the other half of the cookies to crush and sprinkle on top.
To make cake batter: Combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil, eggs, water, sour cream, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Take 12 more Oreo cookies and crush them. Stir them into the cake batter. Put the cake batter into each cupcake liner. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Once cupcakes are cooled frost with a cream cheese frosting and sprinkle Oreo crumbs on top of each cupcake. Enjoy!

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 cup wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup flax meal
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups blueberries

1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 Tbsp butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Grease and flour (or use baker's joy) 9 inch springform pan. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Bet in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Stir in the blueberries. Pour batter into prepared pan. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, 3 Tbsp of flour, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. Bake in preheated over for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Chocolate Crunch Cake

This cake was so yummy! Chocolate cake is my favorite food ever and this was so super rich and chocolaty and good. I mainly used a recipe from Annies Eats (best website for baked goods in my opinion) and then put crushed up heath bars in the middle and top. A little more work than a cake from a box (which I totally love too) but worth it!

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
¾ cup hot water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1¼ tsp. coarse salt
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
2¼ cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature

For the ganache top:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature

For the frosting: (used in the middle)
14 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
9 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
9 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
6 tbsp. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. sour cream

crushed heath bars for top and middle

Directions:
To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water until smooth. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter and the sugar over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally to combine, until the butter is melted. Remove the mixture from the heat and transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-low speed, 4-5 minutes, until the mixture is cooled. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed and beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and then the cocoa mixture and beat until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, beating just until combined.

Divide the batter between 2 round pans. Bake about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Set aside to cool until just barely warm. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Gradually mix in the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Beat in the melted and cooled chocolate and then the sour cream. Continue beating until the mixture is smooth and well blended.

To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from the heat and pour over the chopped chocolate. Let stand about 1 minute. With a whisk, gently stir the chocolate and cream together in small circles. When the ganache has become smooth, whisk in the butter 1 piece at a time until incorporated. Transfer the bowl to the freezer or refrigerator to chill and thicken the ganache a bit. Whisk every 5-10 minutes to help it cool evenly. Once the mixture is slightly thickened and no longer runny, you are ready to smooth it on top of the cake.

Crush 2-3 Heath candy bars and sprinkle them on the frosting layer in the middle and then once the top layer of the cake is placed and the ganache is smoothed out of the top of the top layer sprinkle heath candy bars on top.

Strawberry Jello Cake

Ingredients:
1 box white cake mix (yellow works too)
1 container Cool Whip
1 large package strawberry jello
1 box frozen sweetened strawberries, thawed and drained
sliced fresh strawberries

Directions:
Prepare cake mix as directed. Bake in 9x13 cake pan as directed. Remove from oven and poke holes in the cake with fork. Every two to three times you poke the cake; turn the fork so as to make bigger holes (If the holes are not big enough, the Jello will not seep down into the cake.) Make sure you poke all the way to the bottom if possible. Prepare jello using one-half the amount of water. Pour jello over the top of the cake covering it completely. Place in refrigerator to cool. Add thawed sweetened, drained strawberries to the cool whip. Place in refrigerator. Once the cake has completely cooled frost with the cool whip mixture and top with fresh sliced strawberries.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter, room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, room temp
3 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk, room temp
6 whole eggs room temp

Directions:
Preheat over to 325. Sift flour and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside. Using a mixer, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar for about 6 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and milk until combined. Add flour mixture until completely combined. Pour into two greased and floured 9x5 loaf pans. Bake for about 60 minutes or until done.

Blueberry Cake

I love this cake, It is sooo yummy. I found the recipe on Simply Recipes.

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour plus 1 tsp of flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups blueberries, rinsed and drained (if using frozen blueberries, thaw and drain first)
1 tsp lemon juice
powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan and dust with flour. Or use a 9 inch round cake pan, butter and dust with flour and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Combine 1 cup of flour with baking powder and salt and set aside.
Using a mixer, beat the butter on med-high speed for 2 minutes. Then add the sugar and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, a couple minutes more. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until well blended. Reduce speed of the mixer to low and slowly add the flour mixture, beating until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
Combine the berried with the remaining tsp of flour and lemon juice in a bowl. Spoon the berry mixture over the batter. bake on middle rack in oven for 1 hour at 350 or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. transfer the cake to a platter, berry side up. Dust the cake with powdered sugar before serving.