Christmas Poke Cake

 White cake mix, prepared as directed on package for 2 layer cake

2 cups boiling water

1 small pkg any Red Jello

1 small pkg any Green Jello

1 tub Cool Whip

Place cake layers, top side up in 2 clean 9' cake pans.  Pierce cake with large fork at 1/2' intervals.  

 Stir 1 cup boiling water into red Jello and 1 cup into green Jello until each are completely dissolved (at least 2 minutes).  Carefully pour the red Jello mixture over one cake layer and the green jello over the other.  Refrigerate 3 hours.

 Dip 1 cake layer into warm water for about 10 seconds and unmold onto serving plate.  (Don't get the cake wet!)  Spread with about 1 cup of Cool Whip.  Unmold the second layer and place carefully on top of the first layer.  Frost top and sides with the rest of the Cool Whip.

 Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until ready to serve.  Decorate with cranberries and mint sprigs.  Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

 This cake is just plain luscious!  And easy!  Cathy

Kentucky Butter Cake

Kentucky Butter Cake

CAKE:      
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk

SAUCE:
¾ cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
3 Tbsp water
1 to 2 tsp vanilla

GARNISH:
2 to 3 tsp powdered sugar

Heat oven to 325^ F.  Generously grease and lightly flour 12-cup Bundt pan or 10-inch tube pan.  In large bowl, combine 2 cups sugar and 1 cup butter; beat well.  Add vanilla and eggs; blend well.  Lightly spoon flour into measuring cups; level off.  Add flour and all remaining cake ingredients; blend at low speed until moistened.  Beat 3 minutes at medium speed.  Pour batter into greased and floured pan. 

Bake at 325^ for 55 to 70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

In small saucepan, combine all sauce ingredients; cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until butter melts.  DO NOT BOIL.  With long-time fork or skewer, pierce cake 10 to 12 times.  Slowly pour hot sauce over warm cake.  Let stand 5 to 10 minutes or until sauce is absorbed. 

Invert cake onto serving plate.  Cool 1-1/2 hours or until completely cooled.  Just before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar.  If desired, serve with whipped cream.  12 servings.

This is one of my favorite cakes!              

Honey Bun Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix

3/4 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

1 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 cups confectioners' sugar

4 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).  In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, oil, eggs and sour cream. Stir by hand approximately 50 strokes, or until most large lumps are gone.

Pour half of the batter into an ungreased 9x13 inch glass baking dish. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the batter in the cake pan. Spoon the other half of the batter into the cake pan, covering the brown sugar and cinnamon. Twirl the cake with a butter knife or icing knife until it looks like a honey bun (or whatever design you want to make).

Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.   Frost cake while it is still fairly hot. Serve warm.

To Make the frosting: In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioner's sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth.

This is fabulous the next day reheated in the microwave!

Golden Carrot Cake

Golden Carrot Cake 

1 (9-oz) pkg None Such condensed Mincemeat, crumbled
2 cups finely shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 tsp grated orange rind
2 cups unsifted flour
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Glaze:
2 Tbsp butter
4 tsp orange juice
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tsp grated orange rind

Preheat oven to 325^.  In a large bowl, combine mincemeat, carrots, nuts, and rind; toss with 1/2 cup flour and set aside.  In a large mixer bowl, combine sugar and oil; mix well.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Stir together remaining 2-1/2 cups flour, baking powder, soda and salt; gradually add to batter, beating until smooth.  Stir in carrot mixture.  Turn into well greased and floured 10' bundt pan or tube pan.  Bake 50-60 minutes
or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan.  Cool completely.  Drizzle with Orange Glaze.

Orange Glaze:  In small saucepan, melt butter with orange juice.  Stir in confectioner's sugar and orange rind; mix well.  (Makes about 1/2 cup).

From Borden Home for the Holidays Recipe booklet.

Fresh Strawberry Upside Down Cake

Fresh Strawberry Upside Down Cake

2 cups fresh strawberries, crushed
6-oz pkg strawberry Jello
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 pkg yellow cake mix, prepared as directed on package
Whipped Cream

Preheat the oven to 350^F. Spray a 9x13" pan with cooking spray and spread the crushed strawberrie over the bottom. Evenly sprinkle the berries with the Jello and top it off with the mini marshmallows. Pour the prepared cake mix over the marshmallows and bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the pan to loosen the sides and turn the cake out onto a serving tray. Serve with whipped cream. Store cake in the refrigerator. From allrecipes.com

This smells incredible! And tastes WONDERRRRFULL! Way better than any "Strawberry Shortcake" I've ever made....this is definitely a keeper!!

Chocolate Praline Layer Cake

Chocolate Praline Layer Cake

CAKE:
½ cup butter
¼ cup whipping cream
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
¾ cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 Devil’s Food Cake mix
1 ¼ cups water
1/3 cup oil
3 eggs


TOPPING:
 1 ¾ cups whipping cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
¼ tsp vanilla
16 whole pecans, if desired
16 chocolate curls, if desired


Heat oven to 325^ F.  In small heavy saucepan, combine butter, ¼ cup whipping cream and brown sugar.  Cook over low heat just until butter is melted, stirring occasionally.  Pour into two 8 or 9-inch round cake pans; sprinkle evenly with chopped pecans.
In large bowl, combine cake mix, water, oil and eggs; beat at low speed until moistened.  Beat 2 minutes at medium speed.  Carefully spoon batter over pecan mixture.

Bake at 325^ for 35 to 45 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center.  Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans.   Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled.
In small bowl, beat 1 ¾ cups whipping cream until soft peaks form.  Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until stiff peaks form.

To assemble cake, place 1 layer on serving plate, praline side up.  Spread with half of whipped cream.  Top with second layer, praline side up; spread top with remaining whipped cream.  Garnish with whole pecans and chocolate curls.  Store in refrigerator.  16 servings.

This cake is AWESOME!  It was the 1988 Pillsbury Bake-Off Winner.

Cheese Swirled Devils Food Cake

Daddy loved this cake and has asked me to bake it again several times! -

Cathy

1 pkg (8 oz) Neufchatel cheese at room temperature (or cream cheese)

4 eggs

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 box devil's food cake mix

1 1/4 cups water

1/2 cup oil

Raspberry Sauce:        

1 pkg (10 oz) frozen raspberries, thawed

Heat oven to 350~.  Coat a 9x13' pan with nonstick spray.  Combine cheese, 1 egg and sugar.  Beat until smooth.  Gradually beat in milk and vanilla.  Set aside.

Combine cake mix, 3 eggs, oil and water and beat 2 minutes at high speed.  Pour half the cake batter into the prepared pan.  Drizzle with half the cheese mixture.  Repeat layers.  Run a knife through batter to make swirls.  Bake at 350~ for 35-40 minutes or until cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.  Cover cake for the last 10 minutes if browning too fast.  Cool in pan on wire rack.

To serve, cut into squares and top with Raspberry Sauce.

Raspberry Sauce: Puree thawed raspberries in blender until smooth.  Press through sieve to remove seeds.