chocolate chip bundt cake...

1 yellow cake mix (Duncan Hines preferred)

1 3.4oz instant vanilla pudding mix

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips; chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease & flour a 10in bundt pan. In a large bowl stir together cake mix and pudding mix. Make a well in the center and pour in oil, eggs and milk. Beat in low speed until blended. Scrape sides of bowl and beat 4 min on medium speed. Stir in chocolate. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 45-60 min. or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool. Turn out cake and dust with powdered sugar.

We have a first day of school tradition. This tradition is all about cake. I don't know who gets more excited about the first day of school cake...me or the kids! Each year I choose a different recipe. This was a hit. So moist and yummy and soooo easy to throw together. Anything that involves a cake mix can't be that hard, right? I do recommend Duncan Hines...it really does make a difference.

mini marbled pound cake(s)...

1 3/4 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

8 Tbsp butter; room temp

1 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs; room temp

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)

2/3 cup buttermilk

5 Tbsp cocoa powder

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder & salt. Set aside. Grease and flour four 5 1/2 x 3 x 1 1/2 (approx) mini loaf pans OR one 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan.

In large bowl cream butter and sugar until fluffy (3-4 min). Add the eggs in one at a time, mixing to incorporate after each one. Stir in extract(s).

Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour. Set aside 1/3 of batter.

In a small bowl combine cocoa powder and 6 Tbsp HOT water. Mix until smooth. Add to reserved 1/3 batter. Stir until well combined. Fill prepared pan(s) by alternating spoonfuls of each batter. Swirl with a skewer or cake tester.

Bake 40-45 min (for one cake) or 20-25 for small cakes (check after 15 min) or until cake tester comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool. Invert after 5-10 min. Let cool completely and top with icing glaze.

glaze:

1 1/2 Tbsp butter; room temp

1/2 cup powdered sugar

4 tsp milk

Combine all ingredients and stir until smooth and pourable (add more milk if necessary.)

I have been making this cake for years and was surprised that I have not shared it! This is a moist, delicious cake. Best part is, it comes together pretty quickly. I like making it into small loaves so I can get rid of 3/4 of it thus not downing it myself...just kidding...sort of...

Make it. You will love it.

banana sour cream cake with cinnamon icing...

1/3 cup shortening
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3-4 med)
2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)


In a mixing bowl, cream the shortening and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in vanilla. Add bananas and mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, stirring just until combined. Stir in walnuts. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool 10 minutes in pan before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with cinnamon icing.

Icing:
2 cups powdered sugar

2 Tbsp milk (plus a little to thin out)

2 Tbsp melted butter

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients and mix until smooth. Thin with additional milk to get to drizzling consistency.

We have a tradition at our house of enjoying a "first day of school" cake every year. Just when I think my kids have forgotten about it (or don't care) I start getting asked what kind of cake it will be this year. I love it!

The sour cream in this recipe makes the cake so moist, and the icing just takes it over the top. This was like banana bread supreme!

The bonus for me was that I actually made a cake from scratch that didn't bubble over in my oven. Really, this is an accomplishment for me.

lemon bundt cake...

1 (18.25 ounce) package lemon cake mix
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant lemon pudding mix
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 cup lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage (7 UP or Sprite)

glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 Tbsp milk (more if needed to get to drizzle consistency)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix and pudding mix, then stir in the oil. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the soda.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool. For glaze combine powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle over cake.

I love lemon anything. Pasta, cake, bars, etc. LOVE lemons. This cake was divine. It is very moist, very lemony and very delicious. This would be a perfect addition to any bbq this Summer!
More lemon recipes to come...!!

Recipe from Allrecipes.com

lemon cakes...

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temp

1 1/4 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup buttermilk or plain low-fat yogurt

1 tsp vanilla

finely grated lemon zest and juice of 1 lemon, plus 2 Tbsp juice for the glaze

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 6-cup jumbo muffin tin. (I used six regular and the rest in a mini muffin tin) In a med bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, vanilla, and lemon zest and juice. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and granulated sugar until light. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of the buttermilk mixture.

Divide evenly among the muffin cups. Bake 20-25 min (less for mini muffins) until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before topping with glaze.

In a small bowl, stir powdered sugar with the remaining 2 Tbsp of lemon juice until smooth. Pour over the cakes, spreading to the edges with a small knife. Let glaze set before serving.

I actually made these a while ago and forgot to post them...I certainly have not forgotten how amazing they tasted, though. I love lemon desserts, but do think there is such a thing as too much lemon. The glaze was a little too tart for me with the lemon juice. Next time I will just make the glaze with milk...but that's just me. If you LOVE the extra tartness of lemon juice, leave it as is. I also wanted to get more than 6 cakes, that's why I made them in 6 regular size muffin cups and the rest in a mini muffin tin. Just watch the cooking time. It will definitely cut down on the cooking time so watch them closely if you make them into mini cakes.
Recipe from Everyday Food's Great Food Fast cookbook (my new favorite cookbook!)

almond poppy seed bread/cake...

1/4 cup butter, melted

3 1/3 Tbsp canola oil

2 eggs; room temp

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp almond extract

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp poppy seeds

Grease and flour an 8X4-inch loaf pan and set aside. In a large mixing bowl cream together butter, oil, eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. In a separate bowl mix together flour, salt, baking powder, and poppy seeds. Add this mixture to the first and mix until well blended, be careful not to over mix. Pour into loaf pan and bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool completely and top with icing.

powdered sugar icing:

1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon milk

Combine sugar and extract and add milk a little at a time until pouring consistency. Pour or drizzle over cake.

DELISH!!

cream cheese sheet cake...

1 cup butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 1/4 cups sugar

6 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/4 cups cake flour

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, cheese, and sugar for 3 minutes on high speed. Add vanilla then one egg at a time mixing well after each egg. Add flour and mix well. Pour batter into a greased 13 x 18 inch pan. Bake at 325° for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Frost immediately with glaze.

Chocolate Glaze:

1 cup white sugar

1/3 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a medium sauce pan combine sugar and milk and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 3 minutes. Do not stir! After three minutes add chocolate and butter and stir until blended. Pour and spread over cake. Place in freezer for 45 minutes.

We went to a neighborhood dinner last weekend and this was my dessert offering. I had a little taste before we left and seriously considered hiding, and keeping these for myself & taking a box of Twinkies instead...but that wouldn't be very nice of me (my hips wouldn't have appreciated that, either)

This is my new, favorite cake. Really and truly. It tastes like pound cake (which has never offended me), with a touch of chocolate on the top (chocolate doesn't offend me, either.) I actually preferred them cold, straight out of the fridge, but it really didn't matter because they were fabulous no matter what.

The recipe comes from Taste of Home magazine & Big Red Kitchen.