Milky Way Cake

11 whole Milky Way Bars (regular Size), Divided Use
3 sticks Margarine, Divided Use
2-½ cups All-purpose Flour
½ teaspoons Salt
½ teaspoons Baking Soda
½ cups Buttermilk
3 teaspoons Vanilla Extract, Divided
2 cups Sugar
4 whole Eggs
2 cups Powdered Sugar
1 dash Salt
½ cups Milk (more If Needed)
1 cup Finely Chopped Pecans

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

In a double boiler or in a saucepan over very low heat, melt 8 Milky Way bars together with 1 stick margarine, stirring to combine. Once melted, remove from heat and set aside.

Sift flour and salt together and set aside.

Mix baking soda with buttermilk, then add 2 teaspoons vanilla and set aside.

Cream 1 stick of margarine with the 2 cups of granulated sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to the creamed mixture, mixing after each addition. Add melted candy bar mixture and mix to combine.

Pour into a greased jelly roll pan or 9 x 13 baking pan and bake for 1 hour or until cake is done in the center. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

To make the icing, melt the remaining 3 Milky Way bars with remaining 1 stick margarine (in a double boiler or in a saucepan over very low heat). Add powdered sugar, dash of salt, milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and chopped pecans and stir over low heat. Add more milk if needed.

Pour over the cooled cake and allow to set. Cake will be very sticky! Don’t expect neat, perfect slices.

From whence it came:  We all owe The Pioneer Woman a HUGE thank you for posting this recipe on her fabulous website.  She has blessed us with a true crowd pleaser and she deserves a round of applause for this one!

Why it's blogable:  Any recipe that has 11 Milky Way bars in it is blogable.  Period.  The texture of this cake is different than any cake I've made, in a good way!  A really really good way.  It's a little bit sticky because of the caramel in the candy but not too sticky.  Just the right amount of sticky.  The flavor is also fabulous!  I took this cake to a get together last weekend and it was a hit.  This cake will make you popular!  I promise!

Cooks tips:  I used butter instead of margarine and it gave it a great buttery flavor.  I also used walnuts instead of pecans because that's what I had on hand.  I baked the cake in a 10x15" sheet cake pan and I think it was just the right size.  I think it worked out better than a 9x13" would have.

Click here to get the printable:
Milky Way Cake

Hope you enjoy stirring it up!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

• 24 paper liners for cupcake pans (2 1/2 –inch size)
• 1 package (18.25 ounces) plain German chocolate cake mix
• 1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1 cup sour cream (see Note)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 bottle (1 ounce) red food coloring
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350° F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.
   
   
2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, water, oil, food coloring, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look thick and well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.) Place the pans in the oven.
   
   
3. Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before frosting.

From whence it came:  My sister-in-law, Geralene, told me about a woman named The Cake Doctor.  Have you ever heard of her?  I hadn't either, but she has the coolest name ever.  I want her name.  I want to be called the cake doctor.  It's so much cooler than just being called Pam.  Anywho, The Cake Doctor takes regular old cake mixes and doctors them up.  She turns regular into really really yum-e!  Geralene made this recipe into a cake, and it was fabulous.  I've made it into a cake and into cupcakes, and both were divine!  When I made the cake I baked it in a 9"x13" pan at 325 degrees for about 50 minutes. 

Why it's blogable:  I served this cake to company and the little six year old girl who was visiting ate three pieces!  Three!  She is a little tiny girl and she ate three pieces!  And took another one home!  That just shows you how good this recipe is, and how much you need to try it!  Also, when The Spy Who Love Me saw that I was making Red Velvet Cake he kind of made a scrunched up face.  That's one way The Spy lets me know he's not thrilled.  He has other ways, but that's just one way.  Well, The Spy had to swallow his pride and beg for my forgiveness once he tasted this cake.  He was instantly sold, and you will be, too!

I frosted the cake and cupcakes with this heavenly frosting:
That's the Best Frosting I've Ever Had
I can't say enough about this frosting on top of this cake and cupcakes.  I can't say enough about this frosting.  Period!

I like to serve this cake and frosting refrigerated, but it's really good at room temp, too.

Click here to get the printables:
Red Velvet Cupcakes
That's the Best Frosting I've Ever Had

Hope you enjoy stirring it up!

Low Fat Carrot Cake

Cake:
9 Tbsp butter, softened
2/3 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 C. sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
2 tsp vanilla
2 C. flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 C. low-fat buttermilk
2 C. finely shredded carrots   

Frosting:
4 ounces block-style fat free cream cheese*
1/4 C. butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
2 3/4 C powdered sugar, divided
Orange sugar sprinkles (or whatever you have around)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.**

To prepare cake, coat a 13x9 inch baking pan with cooking spray; line bottom of pan with wax paper.  Coat wax paper with cooking spray; set aside.

Place 9 Tbsp butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl; beat with mixer at medium speed 5 minutes or until well blended.  Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time; beating well after each addition until pale and fluffy.  Beat in 2 tsp of vanilla.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with knife.  Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp salt, stirring with a whisk.  Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition.  Stir in carrot.  Spoon batter into prepared pan.  Sharply tap pan once on counter to remove air bubbles.  Bake at 350 degrees** for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan.  Carefully peel off wax paper; cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare frosting, place the cream cheese, 1/4 C butter, 2 tsp of vanilla and 1/8 tsp salt in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.  Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar, beating at low speed until smooth (do not overbeat).  Stir in the remaining 3/4 c. powdered sugar.  Cover and chill 30 minutes.  Spread frosting over top of cake.  Garnish with  sprinkles.  Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator. 
Yield:  16 servings

Calories:  309; Fat 10.3 g; Protein 4.5g; Carb 50.2 g; Fiber 0.9g

*I have never been able to find Fat free cream cheese so I always use the 1/3 less fat ones.

**The recipe calls for the oven to be at 350 degrees, but I bake it at 300 degrees for one hour or until done.

From whence it came:  Starts with "K", ends with "erinda".  That's right, my great friend, Kerinda gets another gold star for sharing another golden recipe.  (Knowing her like I do, she's not gonna want a gold star.  She's gonna want chocolate.  She and I share a love of all things chocolate.  But all she's getting is a gold star.  And a great big thank you!)

Why it's blogable:  To be totally honest, which I always am, except when it comes to listing my weight on my driver's license, I think this carrot cake recipe is better, but it's also a lot more fattening.  So, this one is blogable because it's a lot less fattening, and still really yum-e.  No one will know it's low fat unless you tell them.  And you really shouldn't tell them, at least not until they tell you they love it, and they will.

Give it a try. 
Take it for a test drive. 
Give it a whirl. 
Take it out for a spin. 

Click here to get the printable:
Low Fat Carrot Cake

Hope you enjoy stirring it up!

Alan Jackson's Chocolate Cake and Frosting

Cake:
2 cups flour
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 cup butter ( divided)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup cocoa ( divided)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla ( divided)
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
6 tablespoons milk
1 (16 ounce) box powdered sugar

Sift flour, sugar and salt together in mixing bowl. Heat water, 1 stick butter, oil, 1/4 cup of the cocoa. Boil, stirring constantly. Pour into flour mixture and stir until smooth. Blend in buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, 1 teaspoon of the vanilla and vinegar until smooth. Pour into a greased and floured 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Frosting:
In a sauce pan, over medium-high heat, melt remaining 1 stick of butter, add the milk and the remaining 1/4 cup cocoa and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir until smooth. Pour over the cake. Enjoy!

From whence it came:  I searched the Internet this past weekend for a new chocolate cake recipe and this one popped out at me, so I just had to try it.  I am a lover of country music!  Those country music folks really do know how to cook.  Tim McGraw (who I love more than chocolate chip cookies) is famous for his Chicken and Dumplings.  Trisha Yearwood has her own cookbook!  And Alan Jackson has this yum-e chocolate cake!

Why it's blogable:  This cake is a lighter chocolate cake than this cake, but it is still really good.  The frosting is almost exactly like this frosting.  It hardens up like fudge and has a great flavor.  It was really easy to make and everybody licked their lips...and their plates...when they were done!

Breaking news:  I'm so happy!  A few days after I made this cake my teen daughter told me that she really likes it and that it has replaced that ridiculous Funfetti Cake as her favorite cake.  I'm giddy!   Positively giddy!

Click here to get the printable:
Alan Jackson's Chocolate Cake and Frosting

Hope you enjoy stirring it up!

Cookies and Cream Chocolate Cake

nocoupons

• Butter, for greasing the pans
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups good cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Filling and Frosting:
1 carton Frostin' Pride (quart size carton)
1 package Oreo cookies, crushed, but not too tiny

Mix the Frostin' Pride in your mixer with the wisk attachment as directed on carton.  Mix half of whipped Frostin' Pride with crushed Oreo cookies and reserve other half for frosting.  Spread Oreo filling on top of one layer then top with the other layer.  Frost entire cake with remaining Frostin' Pride.  Store in refrigerator until serving.

From whence it came:  There are a few people who get credit for this amazing cake.  And when I say amazing, I'm not kidding!  First, one of my very favorite Food Network Stars, The Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten), gets credit for the cake recipe.  It is quite honestly the best chocolate cake I have ever made.  It is very dense and seriously moist, which, like I've said before, is good if you're a cake, not so great if you're a person.  I adore The Barefoot Contessa.  She's my second favorite, after my BFF, Paula Deen.  These two ladies are very different, but I love them both.

Next is the filling.  Two people get credit for this heavenly concoction.  When I was trying to figure out a twist on a chocolate cake for my daughter's wedding last summer I put a post on my Facebook asking for suggestions.  A wonderful girl who I love more than peanut butter, Lauren Stange, suggested a Cookies and Cream Cake, and I knew immediately that it was a genius idea.  Next comes into play another cake wizard, my fabulous Aunt Joyce, who is also responsible for Joyce's Buns.  Joyce's talents go far beyond her buns, they go all the way to filling and frosting wonderful cakes.  Aunt Joyce told me about Frostin' Pride and suggested we use it for the filling and the frosting.  It was a very good suggestion!  If you've never used Frostin' Pride, you must.  And don't wait long before you do.  It's the easiest thing you'll ever do, and people will love you for it.  All you do is buy a carton of the stuff and whip it up.  Here in sunny San Diego I buy it at Smart and Final, but if you aren't fortunate to have a Smart and Final near you, you can probably get it from a cake decorating store.  You find it in the refrigerator section and it can be frozen and then thawed before you whip it.  If you can't find Frostin' Pride you can use Pastry Pride and I'm sure it will work just fine.  They are both delish!  And if you don't want to use either, I think this frosting would be amazing on this cake.  I'm going to make cupcakes with this cake recipe soon and frost them with this frosting and I'll let you know what I think.  I have a feeling the reviews will be REALLY good.  Also, you don't have to make it a cookies and cream cake.  You can just make it a chocolate cake and frost it with whatever icing you like.  This cake recipe will be fabulous no matter what you do with it!

Why it's blogable:  I think this may have been the favorite cake flavor of the four cakes I made for my daughter's wedding.  I took the leftover cake to church the following Sunday and people sang the Hallelujah Chorus after taking just one bite.  I'm not bragging folks, I'm giving all the credit to the genius women who thought this up, and they deserve a lot of credit.  My sonny-in-law's dad, who is now my daughter's father-in-law, was especially fond of this cake.  I just made another one and took it on dry ice to Utah to celebrate my sonny-in-law's graduation. Also, this past April, one of my favorite people and a great friend of my married daughter got hitched himself, and when I offered to make the wedding cakes, this is one of the flavors he chose.  And it only took him a half a second to make up his mind.  He remembered eating it at my daughter's reception and he was sold.  I'm not kidding when I tell you that this cake is a winner!

A few other thoughts:  Coffee!  Are you a moron like me?  Did I say moron?  I meant to say Mormon!  Silly slip of the computer keys.  I guess I've just been called a moron so many times that it comes out very naturally.  Anywho, I am a Mormon, and Mormons do not drink coffee.  Please don't write me letters about all the Mormons you know who drink coffee.  I know, some do, but most don't.  And I don't.  But I do always have a container of instant decaffeinated coffee granules in my freezer for occasions such as this.  Here's a REALLY BIG TIP that I learned from The Barefoot Contessa.  She is such a smarty!  She says, and it's true, that if you add coffee to chocolate, it enhances the flavor.  And boy oh boy is she right!  If you add a little bit of coffee, about a rounded teaspoon or so, to the water before adding the water to your brownies, you will have yourself some of the best brownies you've ever tasted.  You won't taste the coffee, just like you won't taste it in this cake, but the flavor will be fabulous! For this cake I just mix the dry coffee crystals with hot water and that's that.  I doubt it matters that the coffee isn't brewed.  But if you're not a moron, oops, I mean Mormon, and you have freshly brewed coffee, then by all means, go for it!

Also, when I have made this cake for weddings and graduations I have made it in a half sheet pan.  This is what I do:  I double the recipe twice.  So, I mix up a double batch and bake it in a half sheet pan.  Then I remove the cooled cake and do it again.  Kind of like lather, rinse and repeat.  Only don't use any soap.  The Spy Who Loves Me swears that soap gives you the runs.  Sorry to be so gross and graphic, but The Spy swears it's true.  If he is in the kitchen while I'm doing dishes, or helping with dishes, and if he sees so much as a teeny tiny bubble on any pan or dish that has already been rinsed, he will freak out and scream like a little girl.  The Spy is a little over the top about some things, and bubbles are on that list!  How did we get from blogging about delicious chocolate cake to bathroom issues?  I'm so very sorry.

Why didn't I share this recipe sooner?  I was waiting for a special occasion.  And because I feel so guilty for taking a vacation and not blogging for a couple of weeks, now is the time for me to share this recipe, and it's my way of thanking you for your blog stalking loyalty.  The advice about the soap was just an added bonus.  You're welcome!

Click here to get the printable:
Cookies and Cream Chocolate Cake

Hope you enjoy stirring it up!

Baby Food Prune Cake

Mix together in bowl:
1 3/4 c. flour
1/4 t. ground cloves
1 c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
Add:
2 eggs
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1 c. vegetable oil
2 small jars strained prunes (plums may be substituted)

Mix thoroughly and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes in greased 9x9" pan.  For topping, use whipping cream, powdered sugar or cream cheese frosting.

From whence it came:  Here's another great recipe that came from a church bulletin.  I still have the original bulletin, but there's no name on it so I can't give anyone credit. 

Dear person who posted this crazy slash fabulous recipe in the church bulletin all those years ago...Thank you!

Why it's blogable:  Although it's quite possibly one of the weirdest titled recipes of all time, it's delicious!  It is very much like a spice cake, but the baby food prunes make it super moist.  And, it's so fun to make it and then have people go crazy for it and then tell them what's in it.  Everyone is always shocked to find out the "secret weapon" in this cake. 

Why I'm posting it now:  I've been saving this wonderful recipe for just the right time, and now, today, this very minute is just the right time.  I've been thinking about my Funfetti post.  I've been thinking about my daughter's Funfetti issues.  Basically, I've just been thinking about cake.  I like thinking about cake.  And cookies.  Thinking of cake and cookies is a favorite activity of mine.

I was thinking about all my favorite cake recipes and I just knew it was time to post this one.  This week my baby girl became an adult.  Yesterday I took her to the doctor and when they needed to have a form signed, she signed it herself!  Herself!  She didn't need her mommy to sign it for her.  I was devestated.  From here on out life will be full of things that she no longer needs her mommy for.  Being needed is a very important part of my psyche.  Quite possibly the biggest part.  I'm going to need some therapy.  And cookies.  Lots of cookies!  Forget the therapy, the cookies should do the trick.

As if that milestone wasn't enough, just a week or so before that, I turned half a century old.  That's old.  I've come to the time in my life when I have to decide if the risk of buying green bananas is too great.  I've come to a time in my life when I no longer spend time on the baby diaper aisle at Super Walmart, but soon I may find my self spending time on the adult diaper aisle.  Soon!  I've come to the time in my life when I may need to add the word "prunes" to my grocery list.  Remember when I told you about the grandparents of The Spy Who Loves Me?  They were all about prunes!

Are you beginning to see how my twisted mind works?  First I think about my baby girl becoming an adult, then I think about my oldness, which makes me think about prunes, which makes me remember this great recipe!  Wha-la! 

Make this recipe, guys!  Don't be afraid!  It's yum-e!

Click here to get the printable:
Baby Food Prune Cake

Hope you enjoy stirring it up!

Pathetic! Truly pathetic!

My two girls are pathetic!  You might think it unkind for me to say so, but when it comes to picking a birthday cake flavor, they stink.  Both of them.  Stinky stink stink!

My teen daughter (the middle child) officially became an adult yesterday.  She broke my heart by doing it.  She was supposed to remain my baby girl forever and always but she insisted on growing up.  The nerve!

I always ask my kids, "What kind of cake do you want for your birthday?"  Yes, it's true, I'm a giver!  I'm willing to make whatever kind of birthday cake they want.  Now keep in mind that these children of mine have a mother who has a cooking and baking blog.  (Mostly baking.  I'm not really all that interested in recipes that have protein.  I only post those to humor those people who insist on eating meals with dessert and not just dessert.)  So, keeping that in mind, that their mother has a baking blog, you would think these so called children of mine would ask for something wonderful.  Something totally from scratch.  Something that DOES NOT COME OUT OF A BOX!  Can you tell that my blood pressure is more than slightly elevated over this situation?

So, this girlie of mine picked the same annoying cake her sister always picks.  The same cake they have picked over and over for way too many years.  Are you ready for this.  I can barely stand to type the words...

"Mom, I want a Funfetti Cake!"

 
And, to add insult to injury, they both love the frosting in a can!  IN A CAN!  Canned frosting is even worse than a boxed cake mix.  I am not completely opposed to boxed cake mixes.  But I am absolutely and totally opposed (violently so) to canned frosting!  

I said to that girl of mine, "WHAT?  Are you nuts?  You are nuts!  Please don't tell me you want a cake that comes from a box at Super Walmart."  Nothing against Super Walmart.  You know I love that place more than my luggage!  That being said, I do not want to bake a "Funfetti" cake in celebration of the anniversary of one of the happiest days of my entire life.  That being the day that teeny tiny baby girl was put in my arms (after days and days of labor, but who remembers any of that?  Obviously I do!)

Her older, married sister, has set a very poor example in this regard.  She is the one who started this ridiculous "Funfetti" problem and now it's running rampant through the family.  I'm overjoyed to report that my baby boy (who will be 16 years old next month) has not yet let his sister's terrible habits rub off on him.  He was present when I was dealing with the "Funfetti" extravaganza and heard all my whining and moaning.  Do you want to know why I love that boy so very much?  I said to him in my moment of dispair, "What kind of cake do you want for your birthday next month?  Please oh please don't let the word Funfetti be in your answer by darling boy."

Wanna know what he said?  Wanna know why he's my favorite?  (Don't tell the sisters I said that.  They already know but it would be painful for them to read it on my blog.)  He said, "I want coconut cupcakes!"  That, my friends, is why that child is on my oh-so-very-good list!  Coconut cupcakes.  Not only from scratch, but a recipe that requires buying ingredients that I don't normally have on hand, and separating eggs and beating the egg whites.  Just typing that made me feel so much better.

I'd love to share the recipe with y'all, but it belongs to my friend Kerinda, and she actually sells this cake.  I don't agree with the concept of not sharing recipes, unless the recipe in question is helping you make some cold hard cash.  In that case, I say keep it to yourself and cash in!

So, the moral of the story is...I have no idea!  Well, maybe the moral is that no matter how hard you try to be the best cooking slash baking mommy in the world, there's a chance one or more of your kids is gonna make a really horrible choice at one time or another.  Like picking Funfetti!

P.S.  I hope her birthday wish included wishing for a new cake flavor next year!

The Best Carrot Cake Recipe of All Time

2 1/2 c. flour
1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
2 c. grated carrots
1 c. chopped walnuts
1 c. vegetable oil
1 t. vanilla
1 small can crushed pineapple, juice and all
3 eggs

Place dry ingredients in large bowl, mix with wire wisk.  Add other ingredients and mix well.

Bake in greased and floured 9x13 pan at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 cube softened butter
1 8 oz. block cream cheese, softened
2 t. vanilla
1 box powdered sugar
Cream butter, cream cheese and vanilla.  Add powdered sugar and mix until combined and smooth.  Spread over cooled cake.

From whence it came:  This recipe was published in a church bulletin by a great gal named Debbie Askar.  I haven't seen Debbie for many years, but I feel so blessed to know her and her fabulous family.  She is a great person, and so sweet to share this amazing recipe with all of us!

Why it's blogable:  Because it's the best carrot cake I have ever eaten! I am a fan of carrot cake, and by far, this one takes the number one slot.  It has a dense consistency and it's so moist.  And as if that wasn't enough, you top it with this cream cheese frosting recipe and your taste buds will scream with delight.  When my daughter was married almost a year ago I made four different flavors of cake, and this was one of them.  And it was a hit!  Try it if you're in the mood to hit a dessert home run!

Click here to get the printable:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/34185374/Carrot-Cake

Hope you enjoy stirring it up!

Chocolate or Lemon Bundt Cake...you decide!

1 package deep chocolate cake mix
1 4 oz. package instant chocolate pudding
½ pint sour cream
½ c. oil
½ c. warm water
4 eggs
1 12 oz. package chocolate chips
Powdered sugar to sprinkle

Mix all ingredients, except powdered sugar, until well blended. Pour into well greased Bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out on serving plate. When thoroughly cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Lemon Bundt Cake

One day I was thinking about this recipe and I wondered how it would be if it were lemon. It was one of my better ideas! Just use the same recipe above except use a lemon cake mix and lemon pudding. Omit the chocolate chips.

Lemon Glaze

Mix 1 cube softened butter with 3 c. powdered sugar and 1 t. vanilla. Add enough fresh lemon juice to make it the desired consistency. I like my glaze kinda thick.

From whence it came: I got this winner of a recipe out of a cookbook put together by teachers. It is a compilation of their favorite recipes. And do you want to hear something strange? It's the only recipe I've ever made out of the cookbook. I don't know why. Nothing against teachers, I'm sure they are great cooks. I've just never tried any other recipe. This one recipe makes the entire book worth having! It's good!

Why it's blogable: This recipe is very easy to make, and it turns out great every single time. The cake is dense and moist, which is a great combination if you're a cake, not so great if you're a person. Also, it makes 24 slices, which is quite a few, so it's great to take to a potluck or party. People will ask you for the recipe, and you should share. Sharing is good!

Chocolate or Lemon?: Get ready to hear a clap of thunder from the heavens above because I'm about to say something that goes against every fiber of my being. I like the lemon better. There, I said it. I am the world's biggest lover of all things chocolate. I have yet to meet a chocolate anything that I didn't like...love! But for some reason, I like the lemon cake better. Don't misunderstand, the chocolate is really good. Really! But there's just something about the lemon that calls out my name. And I answer! I think it's the icing that makes it so good. It's a bit tart, which is such a great combo on top of the sweet cake. I just really love this lemon cake. And it's pretty! Did I tell you it's pretty?
It is!

Hope you enjoy stirring it up!

Eclair Cake

Cake:
1 (1-pound) box graham crackers
2 (3 1/4-ounce) boxes instant French vanilla pudding
3 1/2 cups milk
1 (8-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Frosting
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Butter the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan. Line with whole graham crackers. In bowl of an electric mixer, mix pudding with milk; beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Fold in whipped topping. Pour half the pudding mixture over graham crackers. Place another layer of whole graham crackers on top of pudding layer. Pour over remaining half of pudding mixture and cover with another layer of graham crackers.

For frosting, blend together sugar and cocoa. Add butter and milk, mixing well. Add corn syrup and vanilla. Stir until creamy. Cover cake with frosting and refrigerate for 24 hours.

From whence it came: This is one of Paula Deen's recipes, so you know it's good! The Spy Who Loves Me had this dessert somewhere and came home and raved about it so I Googled it and found a recipe for it on my friend Paula's web site. I love you, Paula Deen. Please invite me on your show. We'd have so much fun stirring it up together! And if you want to surprise me and have Tim McGraw come out while we're cooking, you'll make me the happiest girl in the whole wide world. Just give me a tiny bit of notice so I can lose about 40 pounds and get a face lift!

Why it's blogable: It's kind of different and out of the ordinary. I'd never heard of it before, and it's really good. It's easy to make and the teen son is a lover of it! One year he asked to have it as his birthday cake...at the beach...in the sand. We managed to keep the sand out of it and it was super good!

Hope you enjoy stirring it up!

That's the Best Frosting I've Ever Had

Ingredients

* 1 cup Milk
* 5 Tablespoons Flour
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla
* 1 cup Butter
* 1 cup Granulated Sugar (not Powdered Sugar!)

Preparation Instructions

Bake your favorite chocolate cake and let it cool.

In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. (If I’m in a hurry, I place the saucepan over ice in the sink for about 10 minutes or so until the mixture cools.) Stir in vanilla.

While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Then add the cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat until it all combines and resembles whipped cream.

From whence it came: I found this recipe on the Tasty Kitchen web site. It sounded so weird...flour in frosting...that I almost didn't try it, but the name of the recipe grabbed me and wouldn't let me go. I just had to take it for a test drive!

Why it's blogable: Because it took every ounce of strength I had not to sit down with the bowl and a spoon and eat the entire batch! It is really good! Very light, like whipping cream, and yet very buttery. It really is so so good! I put it on red velvet cupcakes. The hubby and teenage son both gave it two thumbs up! Once the cupcakes were frosted I put them in the fridge. I think this frosting requires refrigeration. You've just gotta try it!

As a side note: I'm making a cookies and cream wedding sheet cake in April and I think I'll use this for the filling, mixed with Oreos. I'll let you know how it turns out. I'll have to make a practice one before the wedding. You NEVER experiment with a wedding cake. That's just way to risky.  

P.S.  I chickened out and just didn't use this recipe for the Cookies and Cream Cake, but I still have big plans of giving it a try.  It's on my bucket list! 

Click here to get the printable:
That's the Best Frosting I've Ever Had

Hope you enjoy stirring it up!