German Chocolate Cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting

 GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

1 package German’s Sweet Chocolate from Baker’s Chocolate

1/2 cup boiling water

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

2-1/2 cups Swans Down Cake Flour

1 cup buttermilk

4 egg yolks

4 egg whites, swiftly beaten

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Melt chocolate in boiling water, then cool. Cream butter & sugar together in a bowl till fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, & beat well after each. Add melted chocolate & vanilla & mix well. In a separate bowl, stir together salt, baking soda, & flour. Add alternately with buttermilk to chocolate & butter mixture, beating well till smooth. Beat egg whites till soft peaks form & fold into batter. Divide mixture between cake pans & bake each at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or till a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

COCONUT PECAN FROSTING

1 cup evaporated milk

1 cup sugar

3 egg yolks

1/4 pound margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 cups coconut

1 cup pecans

DIRECTIONS:

Combine evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, oleo & vanilla in a saucepan & cook over medium heat till thickened. Stir frequently. Remove from heat, add coconut & pecans & beat till thick enough to spread. Frosting should make approximately 2 cups. Spread between cooled cake layers & on top of the assembled cake.

Brown Sugar Caramel Pound Cake

 Cake Ingredients

1 1/2 C butter softened

2 C light brown sugar, packed

1 C granulated sugar

5 large eggs

3 C all-pupose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 C whole milk

1 8oz bag toffee chips (I use Heath)

1 C pecans, chopped (I omitted this because of my kids)

Caramel Drizzle Ingredients

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 C brown sugar

2 T butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 325, spray a 12 cup Bundt pan with cookin spray or grease and dust with flour.  Beat butter until creamy. Add sugars beating until fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Add flour mix to batter alternatedly with milk, beat until just combined.  Stir in toffee chips and pecans.  Spoon batter into pan and bake 85 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  To prevent excess browning, cover cake with foil while baking.  Let cake cook in pan for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.  Spoon caramel drizzle over cooled cake.

Caramel drizzle: 

In a medium sauce pan combine condensed milk and brown sugar; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently.  Reduce heat, and SIMMER for 8 minutes, whisking frequently.  Revmove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla.  Let cool for 5 minutes before using.  NOTE: Make sure to drizzle the caramel while it's still hot.

Banana Bars with Browned Butter Frosting

 Banana Bar Ingredients:

• 4 Tbls butter, softened (or even melted and cooled)
• 1/4 C lightly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 C sugar
• 1/2 C sour cream
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2/3 to 1 Cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)
• 1 C flour
• 1/2 tsp soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

Browned Butter Frosting Ingredients:

• 4 Tbls butter 
• 2 C powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1-2 Tbls cream (milk will work)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray Pam on a 9x13 pan
2. For the bars, cream together the butter, brown and white sugar, sour cream, egg, and vanilla until well mixed. (1-2 minutes)
3. Blend in the bananas and mix
4. Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt and mix for just a minute or two
5. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the top springs back.
6. While the bars are baking, make the frosting by melting the butter in a saucepan or skillet (NOT NONSTICK) over medium heat.  Bring the butter to a gentle simmer, turning the heat down if needed, until the solids lightly brown and the butter smells caramelly and fragrant, immediately remove from the heat and add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream, whisking until smooth and creamy.  
7. Let the bars cool for 5-10 minutes and then dollop the frosting over the warm bars and spread evenly.

Pumpkin Sheet Cake

Ingredients

Pumpkin Cake

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
• 2 cups flour
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 cup butter softened
• 1 8 ounce package cream cheese
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, and pumpkin puree until fully incorporated.
• Slowly add the flour but continue stirring to avoid lumps. Mix until well combined.
• Add the cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix until well combined.
• Pour the batter into prepared baking sheet and spread in an even layer.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until set and let cool completely.
• For the frosting, cream together butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl until fluffy.
• Add vanilla and powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
• Spread frosting over the cake and sprinkle cinnamon on top, if desired.

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

 

*This recipe only makes 12 cupcakes, I doubled it.

INGREDIENTS
Cupcakes
1 C flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1/2 C granulated sugar
1/4 C vegetable oil
2 egg whites
 1/3 C thawed frozen Pink Lemonade Concentrate
1/4 C. buttermilk
2 or more drops of red food coloring

Lemonade Buttercream
3 C +3 T confectioner's sugar
1 stick of butter at room temp (calls for unsalted, I used salted)
1/8 tsp salt
2 T pink lemonade concentrate
Red food coloring

Directions
1.  Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line muffin pan with liners.
2.  In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.
3.  In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, egg whites, and lemonade concentrate.
4.  Alternately whisk in flour mixture and buttermilk, making three additions of flour mixture and two of buttermilk, beating until smooth.
5.  Add just enough food coloring to turn the batter a light shade of pink.
 6.  Scoop batter into liners (fill about 3/4 full)
7.Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched.
8.  While the cupcakes are baking make the iccign.
 9.  Add the butter, confectioner's sugar, salt lemonade concentrate, and a few drops of food coloring to the stand mixer and mix on low until combined.
10. Turn the speed to med-high until the buttercream is fluffy and uniformly pink.
11.  Let cool in pan on rack for 10 min.  Removed from pan and let cool completely on rack.  Top cooled cupcakes with frosting.

*I put my cupcakes in the freezer and pulled them out when I was ready to frost them the next day.  They are yummy chilled.  I kept the leftovers in the fridge because of the lemon slice and because I liked them cold.

Carrot Cake

Cake:
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots (one 12 oz bag of baby carrots in the food processor is perfect) 
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2-In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
3-Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
4-To make frosting: in a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. frost the cooled cake.

Lemon Cream Cake

1 box white cake mix

1 ¼ cups water

1/3 cup oil

3 egg whites

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 T lemon zest

12 ounces cream cheese (softened)

3 cups powdered sugar

1 ½ T fresh lemon juice

1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

½ cup flour

½ cup powdered sugar
1T. Lemon zest

¼ cup butter (cold)

½ tsp vanilla

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Combine cake mix, water, oil, egg whites, lemon juice and lemon zest.  Follow directions on box.  Pour into greased and floured spring-form pan.  Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes.  Cool   (I put it in the freezer for awhile.)

For filling, mix softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth.  Whip cream until stiff peaks form.  Combine by hand with cream cheese mixture.

For crumb topping, combine flour, lemon zest, and powdered sugar, cut in butter, vanilla, and lemon juice.  (use a pastry blender or a food processor)

Slice cooled cake in half.  Drizzle lemon juice on each cut side.  Spread half of the cream mixture on bottom half of cake, put cake top on and spread the remaining cream on top and sides.  Sprinkle crumb topping on top and pat on the sides.

NOTE:  I have made this is a sheet cake pan.  Use two cake mixes and double everything except the frosting and topping.  Make 6-8 cupcakes and pour the rest into the sheet pan.

THIS IS SO YUMMY!!!!

Cinnamon Swirl Cake

1 - MIX 3 C Flour 1 C Sugar 4 tsp Baking Powder 1/4 tsp Salt
2 - ADD 2 Eggs 2 tsp Vanilla 1 1/2 C Milk 1 Cube Melted Margarine
3 - POUR into 9.11 greased pan
4 - MELT 1 Cube Margarine/Butter 2/3 C Brown Sugar 1 Tblsp Flour 1 Tblsp Cinnamon
5 - POUR on top and swirl in
6 - BAKE at 375 for 25 minutes
7 - GLAZE with a thin powdered sugar and milk frosting while hot

Cream Cheese Cake

1 Graham Cracker Crust
1 8 oz package Cream Cheese softened
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/3 cup Lemon Juice
 Blend softened cream cheese, milk, and lemon juice really well. Pour into graham cracker pie crust. Let set in refrigerator at least an hour. Serve topped with cherries, blueberries, or whatever fruit you want.
 *This is a Hedin yummy easy dessert.

Peppermint Cheesecake

12 ounces Oreos, broken into pieces

3 T melted butter

3 8 oz pkgs cream cheese

3/4 C Sugar

1/3 Cup Sour Cream

4 eggs

2 T flour

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 C Coarsely crushed peppermint candy

1. Place cookies in a heavy zip-lock plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Combine with melted butter and press into a buttered 9-inch round springform pan going up about 1/2 inch on the sides. Bake in a 300 degree oven until crust is slightly darker and looks a bit dry, about 10 minutes (leave oven on).

2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Beat in sour cream. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Beat in flour, vanilla, peppermint extract, and salt until smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture into pan over baked crust.

3. Bake until edges are just golden and center jiggles slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour. Place pan on a wire rack and cool cheese cake completely in pan. Cover and chill until cold, at least 4 hour or up to 2 days.

4. Decorate top of cake with crushed peppermint candy, pressing it in gently with your hands.

Stars and Stripes Cake

1 White Cake Mix

3 oz. pkg. of Strawberry Jello

1 Cup Boiling water

8 oz. Cool Whip

1 Pint Blueberries

2 Pints Strawberries

Make the cake according to the directions on box. Cool in the pan. When cool, poke several holes in the cake with a fork. Pour the boiling water into the jello, then pour the jello over the cake. Cool in fridge. Just before serving, frost cake with Cool Whip. Slice strawberries in quarters. Put blueberries in a square on the corner (like the stars) and put the strawberries across the cake horizontally (like the stripes). This is cute and pretty dang yummy!

Zucchini Brownies

• 1 cup Oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. water
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 T. vanilla
• 2 cups peeled and grated Zucchini
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. Soda
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1/4 tsp. Baking powder

In a large mixing bowl add oil, sugar, eggs, water, milk, cocoa, vanilla, and zucchini. Mix thoroughly. Add dry ingredients and mix again. Pour into a large greased sheet cake pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Turtle Cake

• 1 pkg. German Chocolate cake mix
• 14 oz. Kraft caramels
• 1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
• 1 C margarine
• 12 oz. pkg. chocolate chips
• 1 ½ C chopped walnuts
• 2-3 T. powdered sugar

Mix cake according to box instruction. Pour ½ mix into a 9x13 pan & bake 15 min at 350. Melt caramels, canned milk, & margarine (stirring constantly) until caramels are completely melted. Pour over baked portion of cake. Add chocolate chips & nuts. Top with rest of cake batter & bake all together 30 min longer. Cool & dust with powdered sugar

Pumpkin Pie Cake

• 1 pkg yellow cake mix {reserve 1 cup for topping}
• 1 cube margarine
• 1 egg

Mix these together & press into greased 9x13 pan. 1 regular can pumpkin & mix as directed on the can for pie. Pour over unbaked crust. Top with topping:

• 1 cup cake mix
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 3 T margarine

Sprinkle over cake mixture & bake at 350 for 60 to 70 min.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups pumpkin
• 3-1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp. Allspice
• 2/3 cup cold water
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Mix altogether adding chocolate chips last. Bake at 350 for 1 hour (grease 3 loaf pans and put wax paper on bottom.) Cup cakes take about 20 to 25 min.

Pumpkin Brownies

Cream:

• 1-1/3 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 2 cups pumpkin

Sift Together:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp soda

Mix, pour into ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 min. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Oatmeal Cake

• 1-1/4 cup boiling water
• 1 cup oats
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 Cup flour
• 2 eggs

Mix oats & water in bowl & let stand until cool. Cream shortening, sugar & eggs until fluffy. Add oats mixture. Sift flour & other dry ingredients & blend into creamed mixture. Pour into greased & floured pan. Bake at 350 for 35 to 45 min. Spread with Topping.

Topping:

• 1/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup coconut
• 1 cup nuts, chopped
• 1/2 Cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter and add sugar. Blend. Add remaining ingredients and spread on baked hot cake.

New York Style Cheesecake

Crust:

• 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Cheesecake:

• 3 pkgs. (8 oz ea) cream cheese, at room temp.
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Topping:

• 1 container (16 oz.) sour cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare crust & press evenly on bottom of springform pan & up the sides about ½ inch. Beat cream cheese & sugar until blended. Beat in eggs, vanilla & lemon juice until blended. Pour onto crust. Bake for 50 minutes or until puffed & golden. Transfer to a wire rack & let stand for 15 min. Increase oven temperature to 450. Stir together sour cream sugar & vanilla & spoon over top of cheesecake. Bake 10 min, move to cooling rack. Refrigerate overnight.

Mounds Cupcakes

• 1 C sugar
• 1 C water
• 1 egg
• 2 T cocoa
• 1 T vinegar (apple)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ C vegetable oil
• 1 ½ C flour
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp salt

Fill lined muffin pan each ½ full with mix. Drop a tsp of filling into the middle of each cupcake. Bake at 375 for about 20 min (watch close to not overbake).

Filling

1 pkg cream cheese

1 C sugar

Pinch of salt

1 C coconut

Cinnamon Cake

• 3/4 C. oil
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2-1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp soda
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup sour milk
• 2 eggs

Mix oil, brown sugar, nutmeg and salt. Set aside 3/4 cup for topping*. Take the rest and add the flour, soda, sugar, and sour milk. to it. Mix until smooth then add the eggs. Beat for 2 more minutes. Pour into greased cake pan. Top with topping made from:

• 3/4 cup of set aside*
• 1/2 C nuts
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.