Peanut Butter Cake

Peanut Butter Cake
By: Mary Chesney

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups of milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 9" cake pans by placing either parchment paper or wax paper in the bottom of each one and spraying them liberally with nonstick baking spray. (Don't omit the step of lining the pans with the paper because this cake will stick if you don't do that.) Cream the butter and sugar together. Add in the peanut butter and beat until smooth. Blend in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Start adding the flour and milk alternately to the mixture. Blend just until it is all well incorporated. Don't over mix this, because it will make your cake dry. When it is all mixed well, pour into the cake pans. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about an hour before removing from the pans.

Peanut Butter Frosting

10 Tablespoons butter, softened
2 cups creamy peanut butter
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup heavy cream (or half & half)
dash of salt

Cream the butter and peanut butter together with an electric mixer. Add in the sugar, cream, vanilla and dash of salt. Beat until it is light and fluffy. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to get it all blended. Also, the dash of salt might sound odd, but don't leave it out, it really adds something to this. Just a dash though, not much!

Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Cake
by: Mary Chesney

1 ¾ cup unsifted all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
¾ cup cocoa
1 cup milk
1½ teaspoons baking soda
½ cup vegetable oil
1½ teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup boiling water

Begin by putting water on to boil. I usually put more than 1 cup in a pot because some will evaporate as it heats up.

Combine dry ingredients in large mixer bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).

Pour into 2 greased 9 inch cake pans* or a 9 x 13 pan*. Bake at 350 degrees.

For 2 greased 9 inch cake pans-bake for 25 - 30 minutes. (I bake mine for 29 minutes)
For 9 x 13 pan-bake for 30 - 35 minutes (I cook mine for 30 minutes)

*Turn pans over and lay a piece of wax paper over them and cut out the shape of the bottom of the pan. Place the cut out wax paper in to pan and spray with cooking spray.

Chocolate Icing
6 tablespoons butter or margarine (softened)
½ cup cocoa (can use more or less if desired)
2 2/3 cups confectioners sugar
1/3 cup milk (can use more or less)

In mixer bowl, cream butter. Add cocoa and confectioners sugar alternately with milk beginning and ending with confectioners sugar. Beat to spreading consistency but keep it a little stiff. Keep in mind that you will be adding vanilla and it will make it too runny if you add too much milk. Blend in vanilla.

I double this recipe for a layer cake.

Strawberry Trifle

Strawberry Trifle
by: Mary Chesney

Ingredients
1 Angel food cake (I make mine from a Duncan Hines cake mix but store-bought is ok)

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
8 oz cool whip

Strawberry pie filling

Directions
In a large bowl (I use a punch bowl. If using a punch bowl, all ingredients should be doubled except for the Angel Food Cake.) Mix cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Add cool whip.

Tear apart angel food cake into small pieces.

Layer as follows: pieces of cake
cream cheese mixture
strawberry pie filling

Continue layers ending with the strawberry pie filling.

Another variation is to slice the angel food cake into 3 layers with the cream cheese mixture and strawberry pie filling between each layer. If using a Duncan Hines cake mix, you must double the other ingredients as the cake mix is much bigger than the store-bought version.

Banana Split Cake

BANANA SPLIT CAKE
From: Nancy Carlisle

2-cups graham cracker crumbs
3-sticks butter
2-eggs
2-cups powdered sugar
1-tsp. vanilla
3 or 4-bananas, sliced
2-lb. can crushed pineapple, drained
9-oz. Cool Whip
3/4-cup chopped pecans
1-small jar cherries

Mix 2 cups graham cracker crumbs and 1 stick melted butter. Press into bottom of 13x9-inch pan. In mixing bowl, cream 2 eggs, 2 sticks of melted butter, 2 cups powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat with mixer for 15 minutes, no less. Spread over crumbs. Slice 3 to 4 bananas thin and layer with 2 lb. can crushed pineapple, well drained. Top with Cool Whip, then pecans and cherries.

Quick Italian Cream Cake

Quick Italian Cream Cake
From: Barbara DeMarcus

1 (18.5 oz) pkg white cake mix with pudding
2 large eggs
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 (3 ½ oz) can flaked coconut
2/3 cup chopped pecans
3 tablespoons rum or vanilla flavoring
Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir in coconut and pecans. Pour into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 17 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.
Spread cream cheese frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Chill 2 hours before slicing.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 box confectioners’ sugar
8 oz cream cheese
1 stick margarine1 teaspoon vanilla

Fresh Apple Cake

Fresh Apple Cake
From: Barbara DeMarcus

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups Wesson oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups chopped apples
1 cup pecans, or raisins (chopped)

Sift dry ingredients together. In a large bowl, combine oil, sugar and eggs. Add dry ingredients. Fold in apples and pecans. Bake in a 9 x 13 pan or Bundt pan at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Cool and top with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 box confectioners’ sugar
8 oz cream cheese
1 stick margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
You may use caramel icing instead of cream cheese icing if desired.

Honeybun Cake

Honeybun Cake
From: Mary Chesney

1 box yellow cake mix
¾ cup vegetable oil
½ cup sugar
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon

Topping:
2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. Mix the cake mix, oil, sugar, eggs and sour cream. Pour ½ of the batter into a 9” x 13” pan sprayed with Pam. Sprinkle ½ of the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture on top of the batter in the pan and swirl with a knife. Add remaining batter. Top with remaining dry mixture. Swirl so cake will look like cinnamon buns. Bake for 1 hour. Mix topping ingredients together and spread on cake when slightly cooled.

Spicy Apple Bundt Cake

Spicy Apple Bundt Cake
From: Mary Chesney

Serve this cake plain or, for a special flourish, with a scoop of low-fat ice cream or frozen yogurt and a drizzle of fat-free caramel sauce from a jar.

1 spice cake mix (I use Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe)
1 (21 oz) can apple pie filling
1 large egg + 2 egg whites (I use 2 eggs instead of 1 large egg and 2 egg whites)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10-inch Bundt pan with Pam.

2. With electric mixer on low speed, beat the cake mix, apple pie filling, egg, and egg whites in a large bowl until moistened, about 30 seconds. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until well blended, about 2 minutes. Pour the batter into the pan.

3. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack 20 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on the rack. Sift the confectioners sugar over the top just before serving.

Makes 18 servings
per serving (1/18 of cake): 156 Cal, 2 g Fat, 1g Sat Fat, 12 mg chol, 192 mg Sod, 33 g Carb, 1 g Fib, 2 g Prot, 57 mg Calc. Points:3

Pina Colada Cake

Pina Colada Cake (non alcoholic)
From: Barbara DeMarcus

Duncan Hines white cake mix
Coco Lopez (cream of coconut), shake well, (comes in a can the size of a canned coke where drink mix is)
1 small box instant coconut cream pudding
1 small container of cool whip
Shredded coconut

Mix cake as directed. Bake in 9” by 13” pan. Use toothpick to punch holes in top of cake. Pour Coco Lopez into holes in cake while still hot. Mix pudding as directed and spread over cake (let cake cool first). When cold, top with cool whip and coconut. Refrigerate. It is so moist and delicious in your mouth!