Earthquake Cake

Earthquake Cake

recipe from Beth Burke, originally from Lori Birchall

 

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease a 9x13 inch pan.

 

Sprinkle in the bottom:

2/3 cup sweetened coconut

2/3 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

 

Mix 1 box German Chocolate Cake Mix with:

1/3 cup oil

3 eggs

1 1/3 cup water

 

Pour cake batter on top of the coconut/chocolate chip layer in the pan.

In a saucepan, melt:

1/2 cup butter

8 oz cream cheese

 

Beat in 1 lb powdered sugar (3 3/4 cups) until smooth. Then spread on unbaked cake or drop by spoonfuls and swirl into batter with a knife. 

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. 

**It is done when it doesn't wobble in the pan if you shake it. The toothpick test doesn't work because it's a gooey yummy mess of a cake:) I think it's best served warm!

Banana Bars with Browned Butter Icing

Recipe from lifessimplemeasures.blogspot.com

Ingredients:

Banana Bread Bars:

1-1/2 c. sugar

1 c. sour cream

1/2 c. butter, softened

2 eggs

1-3/4 (3 or 4) ripe bananas, mashed

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Brown Butter Frosting:

1/2 c. butter

4 c. powdered sugar

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 tbsp. milk

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 375F.  Grease and flour 15x10-inch jelly roll pan.  For the bars, in a large bowl, beat together sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs until creamy.  Blend inbananas and vanilla extract.  Add flour, baking soda, salt, and blend for 1 minute.  Stir in walnuts.

2.  Spread batter evenly into pan.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

3.  Meanwhile, for frosting, heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until boiling.  Let the butter turn a delicate brown and remove from heat immediately.

4. Whisk in milk, vanilla and powdered sugar. Stir until smooth, pour icing over warm banana bars.

NY Style Cheesecake with Berries

Cheesecakes scare me a little bit but this recipe turned out great even if it was overdone or underdone.
Plain Cheesecake with Fresh Berries.
Crust:
2 Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
1 Stick Melted Butter
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

Mix ingredients and press into a 9 inch spring form pan. Bake on 350 for 8 minutes

Filling:
4 Blocks Cream Cheese
1 3/4 Cups Sugar
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
2 tsp. Vanilla
3 Tbsp Flour
5 Large Eggs

Cream together cream cheese, sugar, lemon and vanilla until mixture is smooth. Add flour and eggs and beat until blended, be sure to scrape down the sides and along the bottom. Pour filling into crust and put in oven on the middle rack. On the bottom rack place a sheet pan and a dish of water. Close oven and drop temperature to 325. Bake for 60-70 minutes. It is done when edges are puffed up, cracking and slightly brown. The middle will be jiggly, but not dangerously jiggly. (The recipe said the middle will be just set, but it should still jiggle a little more than jello). Remove from oven and cool for one hour, transfer to refrigerator and chill for 8 hours. Top with fresh berries and enjoy!!

Dee-Licious Dense Coconut Cupcakes

A friend gave me this recipe, I believe it is from Barefoot Contessa.

Cupcake
Ingredients:

3 Sticks of Butter (unfotunately that is not a typo, 3 sticks of butter go into this)
2 Cups of Sugar
5 Eggs
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. Almond Extract
3 Cups of Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 Cup Butter Milk
7 oz Coconut Flakes (1/2 of the bag)

Cream together the butter, sugar and eggs. Mix your dry ingredients together and add to creamed mixture. Mix in butermilk on low speed and add your coconut last. Fill cups3/4 full and  bake at 325 for 25-35 minutes... I really need to make these again so I can remember the yeild and a more accurate bake time!

Coconut Frosting- My recipe, not Contessas, I don't want her to be mad at me :)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 Sticks of *Butter (has to be butter, not margerine)
1/3 Cup of Crisco
3 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 Tbsp Coconut Extract
1-2 Tbsp Milk

Cream together Butter and Crisco, Slowly mix in powdered sugar then beat on high. Add coconut extract. Add milk little by little if frosting is too thick. Beat or whip on high to make fluffy. Frost cupcake and roll frosted top in coconut flakes. Enjoy!

Pink Sugar Cookies (Like Granny B's)

Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup melted butter
Cream together, add
2 eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 cup milk
Mix well
In seperate bowl mix:
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups flour
Add dry ingredients to mixture and mix completely
Mixture will be very sticky, it's okay it's just because the butter was melted
Refrigerate for 4 hours
Roll out on floured surface, you may need to add extra flour if dough is too sticky
Cut in shapes
Bake 350 10-12 minutes, until edges are light brown

Pink Frosting
Ingredients:
1 Package Cream Cheese
1 Stick Butter
4 Cups Powdered Sugar
2 Tablespoons Milk
***just add powdered sugar and milk until desired consistency and taste***
food coloring of choice, I prefer pink
Yummy Yummy, Enjoy!

Chocolate Mud Trifle

Ingredients:
1 Brownie Mix made as box directs
1 Small Box Instant Chocolate Pudding
1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 Cup Water
1 8oz Tub of Cool Whip
1 12oz Tub of Cool Whip
Candy Garnish
Bake Brownies and cool completely, cut into 1 inch squares. Whisk together pudding, water, and sweetened condensed milk. Whisk for 2 minutes and then fold in 8oz of Cool Whip. In a bowl or parfait dish layer the brownie, pudding mix and Cool Whip. Repeat layers. Chill at least 8 hours. Garnish with candy bar pieces, chocolate shavings or cookie crumbs and worms!

Snickers Cake

Ingredients:
1 Box German Chocolate Cake + ingredients to make cake
1 Stick Butter
7oz Sweetened Condensed Milk
14oz Caramels
6oz Chocolate Chips
Pecan Pieces

In double boiler melt butter, caramels and sweetend condensed milk. While mixture melts make cake according to box. Pour half of cake mix in a well greased 9x13 pan and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and pour caramel mix over cake as evenly as you can. Pour rest of cake mix over the caramel layer. Sprinkle chocolate chips and pecans over top and bake for another 25-30 minutes, or until knife blade comes out clean.

This cake is good any time but it's my favorite the next morning as breakfast cake when the cake has cooled completely and the caramel sets up.... mmmmm pass the milk!!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
2 Sticks Butter
2 Sticks Margarine
2 Cups Sugar
2 Cups Brown Sugar

3 Eggs
1/2 Cup Corn Syrup
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
4-5 Cups Flour

Cream butter, margarine, and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs,corn syrup, vanilla, salt and baking soda and mix well. Add flour gradually. Dough should be a little sticky, but not so sticky that it can't be formed into a ball.
Bake at 325 for 11-13 minutes. Cookies will look cooked on the edges but not in the middle, that is when they turn out the very best.

Simply Delicious Fudge

Ingredient:

4 Symphony Bars (with toffee and almonds or without)
2 Sticks Butter
1 Can Evaporated Milk
4 Cups Sugar
Marshmallow (optional)

Line a sheet pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
Cut butter into chunks and break chocolate into pieces. Place in your Kitchen Aid bowl.
In a medium sauce pan bring sugar and evaporated milk to a boil. Boil for ten minutes stirring constantly. Mixture will turn into a light caramel color.
Pour boiling mixture into Kitchen Aid and mix with chocolate and butter on low until everything is melted and smooth. Add marshmallows and mix a little more if you want.
Pour mixture onto pan and refrigerate for at least two hours before cutting.

*For the holidays I like to line out candy cups and pipe fudge into cups for individual servings.