Easy Pineapple Cake

 Wholesome Patisserie had a gem here! This is one of our new favorites!! 

Ingredients

Pineapple Cake

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, scoop & leveled

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

16 oz canned crushed pineapple with juice, do not drain, reserve 2 Tbsp for frosting

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Pineapple Buttercream Frosting

113g g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 3/4 cups powdered sugar

2 Tbsp crushed pineapple with juice, reserved from the can used in the cake

1/8 tsp salt

Instructions

Pineapple Cake

Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 356ºF (180ºC). Line a square 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, set aside.
Note: Alternatively, if you have a non-stick pan, liberally grease it with softened/spreadable butter and dust it with a light layer of flour. This will leave your finished cake with smooth sides.

Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until well combined. Set aside.

Mix Sugar and Eggs: In a large mixing bowl, use electric hand beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment to beat the sugar and eggs on medium speed for 1 minute until well combined, scraping down the sides as necessary.

Reserve Pineapple for Frosting: Before adding the pineapple to the batter, measure out and set aside 2 tablespoons of the crushed pineapple with juice for the frosting.

Incorporate Remaining Pineapple and Oil: Pour the remaining crushed pineapple (with juice) and the olive oil into the bowl. Beat on medium speed for 15 seconds until well combined.

Add Dry Ingredients: Add the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated, about 15 seconds, ensuring not to over-mix to avoid a dense cake.

Transfer Batter to Pan: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake: Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Cool: Remove from oven and let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pineapple Buttercream Frosting

Beat Butter: In a large mixing bowl using electric hand beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle or whisk attached, beat the softened butter for 1 minute until smooth, pale, and creamy.

Add Sugar Gradually: Add half of the powdered sugar and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the remaining half and continue to beat until well combined.

Add Reserved Pineapple and Salt: Add the reserved 2 tablespoons of crushed pineapple with juice and the salt. Beat for 1 minute until the frosting is light and fluffy.

Frost Cake: Once the cake is completely cooled, spread the pineapple frosting evenly over the cake.

Serve: Cut into squares and serve. Enjoy!

Notes

Store: In an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days

Freeze: Wrap individual slices tightly in plastic and foil, freeze up to 3 months

Thaw: Let slices come to room temp or thaw overnight in the fridge

Lemon Sheet Cake

 

This one comes from The Recipe Rebel and was a summer favorite! A lighter version of our regular chocolate sheet cake!

Ingredients

• 1 cup salted butter (melted) let cool to room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar (400 grams)
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• zest of 2 lemons
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2¼ cups all purpose flour (293 grams)
• 1 cup hot water

Frosting

• 3 cups powdered icing sugar
• ½ cup butter melted
• 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and grease a 11×17″ sheet pan with non stick spray.
• In a large bowl, stir together butter and sugar with a whisk. Add eggs one at a time and whisk until smooth.
• Add milk, baking soda and vanilla and whisk until combined.
• Zest and juice 2 lemons.
• Stir in flour and lemon zest. Add hot water and only ¼ cup of the lemon juice and stir slowly until combined.
• Spread into prepared baking sheet and and bake for 15-18 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.

Dr. Pepper Texas Sheet Cake

 

Together as a Family knocked it out of the park with this one! It was so rich and decadent, the perfect addition to our 4th of July meal!

Ingredients

Dr. Pepper Texas Sheet Cake

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
• 3/4 cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup Dr. Pepper room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Chocolate Pecan Fudge Glaze

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter melted
• 1/4 cup Dr. Pepper
• 3 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside. 
• First, make the cake. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt. 
• In a saucepan, over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Once melted, add the cocoa powder and Dr. Pepper, and whisk until combined. Heat until the mixture just starts to boil, then remove from heat. 
• Pour the Dr. Pepper mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients, along with the eggs and buttermilk. Use a whisk or a wooden spoon to mix together just until combined. 
• Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Boston Cream Pie Poke Cake

This gem comes from Butter with a Side of Bread and it's a keeper! For my husband's birthday, he requested this with "twice the cream"--make sure you have an extra deep pan if you do that! It's got three distinct layers, which I liked. And of course the ganache-to die for!

INGREDIENTS:

1 box yellow cake mix made according to package directions

1 5.1 oz box vanilla instant pudding made according to package directions

2 2/3 cup chocolate chips

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup butter

INSTRUCTIONS:

Make the boxed yellow cake mix in a 9x13 pan according to the boxed directions. Allow the cake to cool completely.

Use the back of a wooden spoon and poke holes in the cake, spaced about an inch apart.

Mix up the vanilla instant pudding according to package directions. Allow it to sit or about 5 minutes until it is thick.

Pour the pudding over the cake, spreading to cover the entire cake. Spread to the edges of the cake, insuring that the pudding is creating a nice seal around the edges of the pan. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Make the chocolate ganache by first measuring out the chocolate chips into a large heat safe bowl.

Heat the heavy cream and butter in a sauce pan over medium heat until it is almost boiling. Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate chips and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Stir to combine the chocolate chips and cream mixture. The mixture will be thick and creamy. Let the mixture sit for 20-30 minutes until it has thickened and is cool.

Pour the ganache over the pudding layer of the cake and tip the pan (or spread with a rubber scraper) to cover the entire cake. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Can be made up to 3 days in advance.

Glazed Chocolate Cake Donuts

I bought myself a donut pan and couldn't be more excited! I have loved trying out new donut recipes and this is our favorite so far! You will definitely want to double this recipe! (Photo and recipe from Sprinkle Some Sugar.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Yield: 20 donuts

Ingredients:

Chocolate Donuts:
2-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch salt
8 tbs unsalted butter, melted
3 eggs
1-1/2 cup buttermilk

Glaze:
1-1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 tbs milk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a donut pan very well and set aside.

Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, both sugars, nutmeg and salt very well. Add melted butter, eggs and milk and beat until mixture is smooth. Add batter to a ziploc bag and cut a corner off to pipe into donut pan wells. Fill them no higher than 2/3 of the way up so they don't bake over. Bake donuts for 12-13 minutes or until they are firm and spring back when you touch them. Pop them out of the donut pan and onto a cooling rack to cool until warm to the touch.

Whisk glaze ingredients in a small bowl and dip one side of warm donuts. Place on a cooling rack to allow glaze to dry. Glazed Chocolate Cake Donuts are best served immediately because they cannot be covered or the glaze will dissolve into the donuts.

Sopapilla Cheesecake

This one is from Hip2Save and it's TO DIE FOR! My family was full of "mmm's" and groans during dessert tonight! Definitely give this a try! It tastes like a cinnamon roll with lots of cream cheese icing!


2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 squeeze of lemon juice (optional)
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch pan.

2. Press one can of the crescent rolls into the bottom of the prepared pan.

3. In a medium bowl, use a handheld mixer or stand mixer to mix the cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth and creamy. Spread evenly over the crescent layer.

4. Unroll the second can of crescent rolls and lay them on top of the cream cheese layer. Do not press down.

5. Pour the melted butter over the entire pan. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the top.

6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is crisp and golden. Let completely cool and then cut into squares to serve.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bundt Cake/Bread

This one comes from The View from Great Island. Best pumpkin bread I've had! Perfect balance of pumpkin and chocolate and so moist!

What You Will Need

wet ingredients
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 tsp each of nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice
dry ingredients
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Set oven to 350F
2. Spray a non-stick bundt pan with cooking spray.
3. Whisk the wet ingredients together with the spices and set aside.
4. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
5. Mix the dry into the wet until JUST combined. Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips.
6. Spoon into the bundt pan and even out slightly, if necessary.
7. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
8. Cool briefly and turn out onto a plate or rack. It’s delicious hot, warm, or cold!

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

Another great fall recipe to use up that pumpkin! This one is from Parent Pretty and is amazing! And that's saying a lot from a family who doesn't love pumpkin! Loved this combination of smooth and crunch, sweet and savory. Definitely worth your time!

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix
1 can (16 oz.) pumpkin
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup melted butter
whipped topping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease bottom of 9X13 pan.
Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt in bowl then pour it into your pan.
Sprinkle your dry yellow cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture.
Sprinkle chopped pecans and walnuts over the cake mix.
Drizzle melted butter evenly over everything.
Bake your pumpkin crunch cake for 55 minutes or until top is turning golden brown. Cool completely, cut and serve with whipped topping. Refrigerate leftovers.

Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce

My aunt made this cake for us a couple weeks ago and it is SOOOO good! I made it myself last night and it definitely curbed our sweet tooth without making us feel too guilty (it's only 165 calories per serving!!). Anyway, here's her recipe, give it a try!

1/2 c. reduced calorie butter
3/4 c. zero calorie sugar substitute
1 egg
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 c. peeled chopped apples (or applesauce)
1/2 c. chopped nuts (I like pecans)

*Preheat oven to 350. Grease 8” square pan. Cream butter and sugar; beat in egg. Blend flour, baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon; combine with butter mixture. Stir in apples and nuts; transfer to a pan and bake about 30 minutes or until cake tests done.

Caramel Sauce
160 calories per serving
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 c. light corn syrup (or I use honey)
1/4 c. canned milk (I use skim milk)
1/4 c. reduced calorie butter

*Stir brown sugar and cornstarch together in a saucepan. Mix in remaining ingredients and cook, stirring constantly until thickened, about 5 minutes. Serve warm over cake.

King Cake

 Being new to the South, we knew we had to try King Cake this year. We had a few kinds from local bakeries and I wanted to try to make one of my own to have for dessert after our jambalaya. I found THIS recipe from Baking Bites and we all loved it way more than any of the others we had tried! It's super easy and delicious! (I made one change and left out the white chocolate; we still loved it without, but you could try it that way, too!)

2-1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2-1/2 tsp active dry yeast (.25-oz)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk (any kind), warm (100-110F)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup white chocolate, melted
8-oz cream cheese, room temperature
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

*Grease a 10-inch bundt pan well with butter or vegetable oil/cooking spray.
In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine 3/4 cup flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Stir to combine.
*Add in warm milk and oil, then beat mixture for 2 minutes at medium speed. The paddle attachment works the best for this recipe. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, waiting until each has been fully incorporated to add the next. Add in the vanilla extract and an additional 1/2 cup of flour and beat for 2 more minutes at medium-high speed.
*Stir in all remaining flour (creating a thick batter, rather than a standard dough), then cover the bowl and let rest for 10 minutes while you make the filling.
*For the filling, beat together melted white chocolate, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl at high speed until smooth and fluffy.
*Pour about half of the dough into the prepared bundt pan. Using a spoon, add dollops of cream cheese filling to the pan to create a ring in the middle of the bread dough. Pour remaining batter into pan, trying to cover most or all of the cream cheese filling. The batter will not be very high in the pan at this point. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
*Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F.
*Bake king cake for 30 minutes. Bread will be golden and should spring back when lightly touched.
*Turn cake out of pan onto a wire cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.

King Cake Icing

1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3-4 tbsp water
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
food coloring

*Place 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar into each of three small bowls. Add a tablespoon of water and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract to each, along with food coloring to dye each bowl one color: purple, yellow and green. Stir well, until icing is smooth and thick, but not stiff.
*Pour icing over cooled King Cake.

Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate Icing

This comes from the fabulous The Pioneer Woman and it is a keeper! It's a subtle hint of peanut butter and tastes like a Reese's!

CAKE 
2 cups All-purpose Flour 
2 cups Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Buttermilk 
2 whole Eggs 
1 teaspoon Baking Soda 
1 teaspoon Vanilla 
1-3/4 stick Butter 
1/2 cup Peanut Butter 
1 cup Boiling Water 

ICING 
1-3/4 stick Butter 
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa Powder 
6 Tablespoons Milk 
1 pound Powdered Sugar, Sifted (4 cups) 
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and salt. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt 1 3/4 sticks butter. Stir in peanut butter until smooth. Add boiling water, let the mixture bubble up for about 10 seconds, then remove from heat.
Pour the peanut butter mixture over the flour/sugar mixture and stir until halfway combined. Pour in the buttermilk mixture and stir gently until the batter is smooth. Pour the batter into a sheet pan or jelly roll pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove it from the oven.
While the cake is baking, make the icing: Melt 1 3/4 sticks butter. Stir in the cocoa powder, then the milk. Remove from heat and add vanilla and powdered sugar and stir until smooth. Add more powdered sugar if you want it a little thicker.
Pour the icing over the warm cake right out of the oven and smooth the surface. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before cutting into squares and serving warm.

Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes

 These beauties are from Six Sisters' Stuff and are delicious!!

1 cup butter

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups white sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup buttermilk*

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

*If you don't have buttermilk, no worries! Mix 1/2 cup milk with 2 tsp vinegar or lemon juice. Let sit for a minute before adding to other ingredients.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place 24 cupcake liners into muffin pans. In a small saucepan, bring the butter, water, and cocoa powder to a boil. Turn off and set aside. Combine flour, sugar, and baking soda. Add eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and cocoa mixture. Stir until well blended. Pour batter into cupcake liners (about 2/3 full). Bake for 18-20 minutes or until done. They will be moist- make sure that you don't overcook them! Cool completely.

Fudge frosting:

6 tablespoons milk

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup butter

4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, combine milk, cocoa powder, and butter. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Stir until it starts to thicken slightly (about 3-4 minutes). Drop a tablespoon full onto center of each cupcake. The frosting will thicken quickly, so do not make the frosting until ready to put on cupcakes.

Texas Sheet Cake with Rocky Road Fudge Frosting

Oh my goodness these are to die for!! I mean, hello, with a name like that you've gotta try them! This recipe comes from Yammie's Noshery and is definitely a keeper!

For the cake:

2 cups white sugar

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 sticks (1 cup) butter

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 cup water

1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 cup milk mixed with 1/2 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice, mixed together and left to set for 5 minutes)

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Mix together the sugar, flour, soda, and cinnamon. Meanwhile, melt the butter, cocoa, and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour over the flour mixture and mix well. Beat together the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla and add to the rest, mixing well. Pour into a well buttered 18"x24" pan. Bake for about 12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (it might take a little longer). Cool completely before frosting.

For the fudge frosting:

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

5 cups powdered sugar

3 cups mini marshmallows

1 cup lightly toasted walnuts (optional)

Combine the butter, cocoa, milk, and instant coffee in a small saucepan. bring to a boil. Add vanilla. Beat in powdered sugar. It should be thin and smooth. Working quickly, mix in the marshmallows and nuts and pour over cake. It it's too thick it will be hard to spread. Add more milk if you need to.

Perfect Chocolate Cake & Chocolate Frosting

This is THE best combination I've ever had for chocolate cake and chocolate frosting. It's the HERSHEY recipe for cake and a random chocolate buttercream frosting recipe I found...Soooo moist and delicious! I made this as a 9x13 cake, but you could also do it as cupcakes or a layered cake.

HERSHEY'S "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2  eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.
   

Easy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
6 tablespoons butter, softened

2 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

*Place butter in a bowl and beat until creamy. Add sugar and cocoa, mixing well. Stir in milk in portions, stirring each time. Add vanilla.
*Spread on cooled cake or other items needing frosting.

Better Than Easter...Carrot Poke Cake

 Saw this recipe on Something Swanky and HAD to give it a try. It was definitely worth it--tasted AMAZING! We had this as our dessert on Easter and it was such a hit!

Ingredients

• The 9x13 Carrot Cake recipe of your choice, baked and cooled (I used a box mix)
• 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
• 8 oz Cool Whip
• 10.6 oz Cool Whip Cream Cheese Frosting (In the freezer section by the Cool Whip)
• 6 oz (half a tub) of whipped cream cheese (must be whipped)
• Approx. 1/2 cup caramel sundae sauce (just pour on as much or as little as you'd like)
• Approx. 1 cup chopped pecans (sprinkle on as much or as little as you'd like)

Instructions

1. Leave the cake in the dish it was baked in-- this is not a free standing cake.
2. Poke approximately 20-25 holes, spread evenly, over the top of the cake with the bottom of a wooden spoon. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over top, trying to fill the holes as much as possible.
3. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together the cool whip, the cool whip frosting, and the whipped cream cheese until smooth. Spread over top of the cake.
4. Pour the caramel sauce over top of the cake, and sprinkle with chopped pecans.
5. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, really overnight is best.
6. Cut into 12 squares to serve.

Tres Leches Cake

This cake is just to-die-for! I have had it once before and was saving it for a special day. Well, today's that day! My husband and I are celebrating our 7-year anniversary, which definitely deserved an amazing treat! This recipe comes from the always amazing Pioneer Woman.

FOR THE CAKE:
1 cup All-purpose Flour
1-1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
5 whole Eggs
1 cup Sugar, Divided
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/3 cup Milk

FOR THE FILLING:
1 can Evaporated Milk
1 can Sweetened, Condensed Milk
1/4 cup Heavy Cream 

FOR THE ICING:
1 pint Heavy Cream, For Whipping
3 Tablespoons Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan liberally until coated. 
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Separate eggs.

Beat egg YOLKS with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla. Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.
Beat egg WHITES on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry.

Fold egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn cake out onto a rimmed platter and allow to cool.

Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream in a small pitcher. When cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork several times. Slowly drizzle all but about 1 cup of the milk mixture—try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can.

Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes. To ice the cake, whip 1 pint heavy cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar until thick and spreadable.

Spread over the surface of the cake. Decorate cake with whole or chopped maraschino cherries. Cut into squares and serve.

Oreo & Peanut Butter Brownie Cakes

Today is my birthday and to celebrate I made these bad boys. One of my favorite treats are oreos dipped in peanut butter, so this was the ultimate treat for me. They are rich and unique and just perfect. Plus, they are so easy I will probably never have to look up this recipe again...

1 box brownie mix, 8×8 inch size

24 Oreo Cookies

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12 muffin cup baker with paper liners.

2. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. For each cupcake cup spread 1 teaspoon of peanut butter over 2 Oreo cookies and stack them on top of each other. Spread another layer of peanut butter on the top Oreo in the sandwich. Spoon 2 Tablespoons of brownie batter over each stacked Oreos and let it run down the sides of the cookies. Bake cookies and brownies for 18 to 20 minutes, until brownies are cooked through. Let cool completely then serve.

Crockpot Cheesecake

My cousin put this up on her blog, so naturally, I had to steal it for my recipes! It looks so good and I love utilizing my crock pot however I can. Enjoy!!

Crust
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 T brown sugar
- 3 T melted butter

Filling
- 16 oz cream cheese, room temperature (You can nuke it for 30 seconds to get it soft)
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature (Put the eggs in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 t good vanilla
- 1 T flour

Find a heat-resistant dish that will fit into your crockpot for the cheesecake. You are going to create a bain marie, or water bath. I used a 1.5 qt Corning Ware dish and it fit nicely into 6qt oval.

In a plastic zipper bag, beat the graham crackers into crumbs with a rolling pin. Put a cup of the crumbs into a medium bowl, and add melted butter and brown sugar. Stir until it's wet and crumby. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the dish you are going to use.

In a separate bowl, cream the cheese, sugar, eggs, flour, cream, and vanilla with a hand-mixer or Kitchen Aid.

Add 1/2 to 1 cup of water to the bottom of your crockpot. Lower the dish inside, being careful not to slosh water into your cheesecake.

Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours. Check after 1 hour, just in case. The cheesecake is done when the edges are no longer shiny and have set. Touch lightly to see that you don't get a bunch of stuff on your finger---then you know it's done. My cheesecake wasn't perfectly set in the middle, but I unplugged the crock anyhow.

I cooked it for exactly 2 hours. Let the cheesecake sit in the cooling crockpot for an hour, before removing and transferring to the refrigerator. Chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours before cutting and serving.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

We had company over for dinner the other night and I wanted to make sort of a fancy dessert and boy did these do the trick--I couldn't stay out of them! They will be worth your trip to the store! Thanks Girl Who Ate Everything for the recipe!!

Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

Cheesecake Filling:

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided

3 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Apples:

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Streusel topping, recipe follows

1/2 cup caramel topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender (or 2 forks) until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 9x13 baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 3/4 cup sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Then add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust.

In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Streusel topping. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping and let cool. Serve cold and enjoy!

Streusel Topping:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. I like to really combine it by using my clean hands to thoroughly combine the butter into the mixture.

Flemings Chocolate Lava Cake

My friend swears that these are to die for and I have always wanted to make them because they look so fancy! Perfect Valentine's Day dessert!

1 lb. butter
1 lb. semi-sweet chocolate
8 whole eggs
8 egg yolks
1 C. sugar
2 Tbs. flour
Optional: 2 tsp. vanilla

*Cut butter and chocolate into small pieces. Heat on low heat in the microwave or over a double boiler until melted, stirring occasionally. While chocolate is melting combine whole eggs and egg yolks in mixing bowl and whip until slightly thick, about 5-6 minutes. Mix flour into sugar then pour into eggs and whip for 1 minute to blend. Lightly whip the chocolate and butter until smooth. Add to egg mixture. Add vanilla if desired.

*Pour into ramekins (sprayed with non-stick spray or shortening and flour) to about half an inch from the top. Chill for 2-3 hours. Place in a 400 degree oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. (Center will be a bit jiggly.) Remove cake from oven and cool for 1 minute or more. Place cup on serving plate, cake side down and remove ramekin. Serve with ice cream. Garnish with fresh fruit, chopped nuts or whipped cream.

P.S. Keep your eyes open at thrift stores for ramekins, I see them all the time!