Swirl Cake (Breakfast Pie Bars)

You can bake these and then freeze the whole batch.  Then for breakfast you just pull out the pan, reheat them in the oven or microwave and serve.  We made these ones with apple pie filling.  They were oh, so yummy!

1 cup butter
1 3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs (one at a time)
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3 cups flour
1 large can of pie filling (any flavor)

Mix above ingredients.  Spread 2/3s of the batter on a greased and floured cookie sheet.  Spread with pie filling and dot with remaining batter.  Bake at 350 degrees, for 45 minutes.  (If you want, you can drizzle with a powdered sugar glaze; however, they are definitely sweet enough without; especially for breakfast.)

Chocolate-Zucchini Snack Cake

When she saw me grate up the zucchini to put into this cake, my daughter immediately condemned the dessert as, "Bleh!."  She changed her tune after trying a piece.  This cake was moist, chocolaty, and absolutely delicious!!!  It makes you feel good that it's fairly healthy too.

1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat an 8x11 baking pan with cooking spray.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

Whisk the eggs, sugar, yogurt, oil, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl.  Whisk in the zucchini and 1 1/2 cups of the chips.  Stir into the flour mixture just until blended.  Spread into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned and a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups chips over the cake.  Spread with a small spatula as they melt to form an icing, placing back into the warm oven, if needed, for about 1 minute. 

Note:  When the cake completely cools, the "frosting" will harden, so you might want to precut all the pieces while the icing is still soft.

Spumoni Cake

This may look a little sloppy, but it was GREAT!  With the 4 different frosting flavors mingling with the moist chocolate cake (although it was less fluffy than a box cake); I think this is now Alex's favorite cake.

Spumoni Cake
Rainbow Frosting, below
3 3/4 cups All-Purpose Cake Mix (recipe posted under Mixes)
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cups buttermilk (3/4 cup buttermilk if egg powder in mix)
1 cup water
3 eggs (only 1 egg if egg powder in mix)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Prepare frosting, set aside. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour 2 8-9-inch round pans.

Combine Mix, brown sugar, cocoa powder, and soda. Mix well. Add buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and butter. Beat on high 3-4 mins. Pour into pans. Bake 25-35 mins, until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool 10 mins. When cool, cut each layer horizontally in half. Frost each layer with a different color. Stack layers. Do not frost sides.

Rainbow Frosting
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp flour
Pinch salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2-3 drops each green, yellow, and red food coloring
1/4 tsp each almond, lemon, and peppermint extracts
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

In saucepan, combine milk, flour, and salt. Stirring constantly, cook 5-7 mins, until thickened. Cool. Combine butter, shortening, and sugar in a bowl. Beat well. Add to cooled milk mix, beating constantly. Beat 7 mins. until smooth.

Divide among 4 bowls. In first, add green and almond. In second, add yellow and lemon. In third, add red and peppermint. In fourth, add cocoa powder and vanilla.

All-Purpose Cake Mix (From Make-A-Mix-Cookery)

10 cups all-purpose flour
6 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup cornstarch
5 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp salt
(1 1/4 cups whole egg powder, opt.)
5/8 cups dry milk
2 1/2 cups shortening

In a large sifter, combine flour, sugar, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt (and egg powder).  Sift into a large bowl.  Use a pastry blender to cut in shortening until mixture resembles cornmeal in texture.  Store in an airtight container.  Label and use within 10-12 weeks.

Strawberry Cake

Here is the Strawberry Cake that we had for Jared's birthday at the reunion.

1 White cake mix
8 oz pkg cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
8 oz carton coolwhip
1 pkg strawberry danish dessert
1 3/4 cup cold water
1 lb pkg strawberries, sliced

Make cake according to directions and bake in jellyroll pan (aka sheet cake pan or cookie sheet) for 15-20 minutes. Cool

Beat cream cheese till fluffy, add powdered sugar, then blend in coolwhip. Spread over cool cake. Put in fridge.

Cook strawberry danish desert according to directions. Then cool. Add strawberries. Let mix cool until thick then pour over cake.

Refrigerate 4 hours before serving.

Brownie Swirl Cheesecake

(Didn't Rachael do a great job with the photo?!)

1 (19 oz) package brownie mix
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp granulated sugar, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup milk chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet and it was still fantastic)
1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen raspberries or sliced strawberries (or any other fruit for that matter.)
Whipped cream, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan.

Prepare brownie mix using package directions. Spread in prepared springform pan. Bake until edge pulls from sides of pan, about 28 minutes. Leave oven at 350 degrees.

Combine cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer set at medium speed until blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Spoon over baked layer.

Heat chocolate chips in top of double broiler set over simmering water until melted. Drizzle over prepared layers and swirl with a knife to marbleize. Bake until set, about 35 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Chill for 2 hours or longer.

Combine the raspberries and remaining sugar in a small bowl and toss to mix. Remove sides of pan and slice the cheesecake. Top slices with whipped cream and sprinkle with fruit, if desired.

Cold Oven Pound Cake

Submitted by Janet Schlosser

1 cup butter
3 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
6 eggs

For Chocolate pound cake, add 1/3 cup cocoa

Combine all ingredients except eggs and beat. Add one egg at a time blending in between. Pour batter into a greased and floured bundt pan. Place in COLD oven, set at 350 degrees and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Perfect for sweetened strawberries and whipped cream or your favorite glaze.

Cream-Filled Cupcakes

1 pkg (18 1/4 oz) devil's food cake mix
2 tsp hot water
1/4 tsp salt
1 jar (7 oz) marshmallow creme
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cups heavy whipping cream

Prepare & bake cupcakes according to the package directions. Cool 5 minutes before moving to ire racks to cool completely.

Combine water and salt until dissolved. Cool. Beat marshamallow creme, shortening, powdered sugar, and vanilla on high until light and fluffy; add salt water. Put filling in a pastry bag. Insert tip 1/2 way into center of each cupcake and fill w/small amount of creme.

Frosting:
In a heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips with the whipping cream. Cool. Dip cupcakes into frosting and cool for 20 minutes. Store in the fridge.

Yeild: 24 cupcakes