Orange Marmalade Cake

Gorgeous summery cake. Mmmm
3 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
9 TBSP butter, softened
2 cups sugar, divided
1 TBSP grated orange rind
1 TBSP vanilla extract
4 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 cup low fat milk
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1-12 ounce jar marmalade melted and cooled
1/4 cup low fat sour cream
1 1/2 cups lower fat cool whip

Pre Heat oven to 350.
Coat 2-9 inch round cake pans with cooking spray, and line the bottoms of the pans with waxed paper. Lightly spoon sifted cake flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda and salt stirring with a whisk. Place butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy ( about 2 minutes) Gradually add 1 3/4 cups of the sugar, 1 TBSP at a time beating until well blended. Beat in orange rind and vanilla. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Combine buttermilk and milk. Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately to butter mixture beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Pour batter into pans; Sharply tap the pans once on the counter to remove the air bubbles. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans 20 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.
Combine juice and 1/4 cup sugar; stir until sugar dissolves. Pierce cake liberally with a wooden pick. Slowly drizzle juice mixture over cake layers.
Carefully place one layer on a plate. Spread with 1/3 cup marmalade. Top with remaining layer; spread remaining marmalade on top of cake. Fold sour cream into Cool Whip. Spread over sides of cake. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.

YUM!!

Earthquake Cake

Like an upside down German chocolate cake!

1 package German chocolate cake mix without pudding
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
4 cups icing sugar
2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
5 TBSP coke or pepsi
1 cup butter
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese

Prepare cake mix as directed on Package. Lightly grease bottom and sides of 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle coconut and nuts over bottom of pan. Pour cake mix over top. Combine 1/2 cup melted butter, cream cheese and 2 cups icing sugar. Beat until smooth. Spoon over cake batter.
Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. let cake cool before frosting.
To make frosting: Combine cocoa, cola and 1/2 cup butter in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Pour mixture over remaining icing sugar. Beat until smooth. Spread icing over cake.
* If you like a thicker icing, add more icing sugar.

Sand Art Brownies

These are great as gifts, but also this is one yummy brownie recipe!!

5/8 cup all purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup vanilla baking chips
1/2 cup walnuts

Mix the 5/8 cup of flour with salt. In a wide mouthed quart or liter sized jar layer the in ingredients in the order given starting with the four and salt and ending with the walnuts.

Attach a tag to the jar with the following directions.

Pre-heat oven to 350. Grease a 9x9 inch pan. Pour contents of jar into a large bowl and mix well. Stir in one tsp vanilla, 2/3 cup vegetable oil and 3 eggs. Beat until just combined. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

YUM! Needs no icing.

Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake

Fast, easy and made with ingredients usually on hand. Perfect for a summer gathering.

1 can cherry pie filling
1 large can crushed pineapple (undrained)
1 yellow cake mix
1 cup butter
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

In a 9x13 inch pan pour cherry pie filling. Top with pineapple and level with a spoon. Sprinkle cake mix evenly on fruit. Top with pats of butter. Sprinkle coconut and walnuts over the top. 
Bake at 325 for 40-50 minutes. Serve warm or cooled.

WHITE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE AND CHOCOLATE FUDGE LAYER CAKE

One of the most divine cakes ever. I usually make this only for special occasions simply because its takes a while to make. But it is soooo worth it. Gorgeous presentation, and tastes amazing.

Chocolate stars-
6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon solid vegetable shortening
Nonstick vegetable oil spray 



Cake-
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk 

Filling and frosting-
3 cups chilled whipping cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 pound good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker's), finely chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
1/2 teaspoon almond extract 
4 tablespoons amaretto or other almond liqueur



For chocolate stars: 
Line baking sheet with foil. Stir chocolate and shortening in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Pour onto prepared baking sheet, tilting pan to spread chocolate mixture to irregular 14x9-inch rectangle. Refrigerate until just firm, about 12 minutes. Spray assorted star-shaped cookie cutters with nonstick spray. Cut out stars. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Using small offset spatula, carefully transfer stars 1 at a time to another foil-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until ready to use. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.) 


For cake: 
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms with parchment paper; butter parchment. Stir unsweetened chocolate in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Cool slightly. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in lukewarm melted unsweetened chocolate and vanilla. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, blending well after each addition. Mix in cocoa powder mixture in 3 additions, alternating with milk in 2 additions. 
Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Run knife around edge of each pan to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely. Peel off parchment. 

For filling and frosting: 
Bring 1 cup cream and butter to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until butter melts. Remove from heat. Add white chocolate and stir until smooth. Whisk in vanilla. Pour 1 1/2 cups white chocolate filling into small bowl; cover and freeze until cold, about 2 hours. 
Let remaining white chocolate mixture in saucepan stand at room temperature until lukewarm, about 20 minutes. 
Using electric mixer, beat remaining 2 cups cream and almond extract in large bowl until peaks form. Working in 3 batches, fold in lukewarm white chocolate mixture. Refrigerate whipped cream frosting just until medium peaks hold, folding occasionally, about 3 hours. 
Brush 2 tablespoons amaretto over top of each cake layer. Place 1 layer on platter. Spread chilled 1 1/2 cups white chocolate filling over. Top with second cake layer. Spread whipped cream frosting over top and sides of cake. Chill until cold and set, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.) 
Arrange chocolate stars decoratively atop cake and serve. 

Pig Cake

I gotta tell ya, this is one super yummilicious doctored up cake mix. If you don't tell anyone, they would never know. Shhhhh

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE:
• 1 box (18.25 Oz. Box) Yellow Cake Mix
• 1 stick Margarine (softened)
• 1 can (14 Oz. Can) Mandarin Oranges, Drained, 1/2 Cup Juice Reserved
• 4 whole Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

• FOR THE TOPPING:
• 1 package (4 Oz. Box) Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix
• 1 can (20 Oz. Can) Crushed Pineapple, Juice Reserved
• ½ cups Powdered Sugar
• 4 ounces, fluid Frozen Whipped Topping (such As Cool Whip)
• Extra Mandarin Orange Slices, For Garnish

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For the cake, combine cake mix, margarine, 1/2 cup juice from the mandarin oranges, eggs, and vanilla. Beat for four minutes on medium-high. Add drained oranges and beat again until pieces are broken up and small. Pour batter into greased and floured 9 x 13 inch baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown and set. Remove from oven and cool completely. If desired, turn out cake onto a large platter.

Once cake is cool, blend juice from drained pineapples with the vanilla pudding mix. Add powdered sugar and mix, then mix in whipped topping. Stir in drained pineapple. Spread on cooled cake and refrigerate several hours.

To serve, cut cake into squares and top each square with a mandarin orange slice.

This is stolen from a great foodie site I love called The Pioneer Woman

Princess Brownies

1 package brownie mix, your choice
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 13 x 9 glass baking dish with cooking spray for baking.

Prepare brownie mix in large bowl as directed on box. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar; mix well with hand mixer. Beat in egg and vanilla.

Spread 1/2 of the brownie batter over the bottom of prepared baking dish. Cover with cream cheese mixture. Spoon on remaining brownie batter. Cut through with butter knife to marbleize.

Bake 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely and cut into 24 bars.

Angel Food Refrigerator Torte

This is my youngest daughters favourite cake, and she always requests it for her birthday.

Cut angel food cake into 4 layers. (I usually make it as they tend to be higher but have used bought ones in a pinch )

Filling: Beat – ½ pound butter with 2 cups icing sugar & 1/8 tsp. salt till really creamy – about 3-4 min.

Add and beat in:  2 full squares semi-sweet chocolate melted

2 egg yolks  *( beat egg whites till stiff and set aside )

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp. instant coffee in 3 Tbsp of boiling water (cool a little)

Beat well until creamy and light.

Gently fold in the 2 beaten egg whites you set aside.

Spread filling between cake layers (it doesn’t taste great until it’s cold)

Cover and chill overnight (or at least 4 hours before serving ).

To Serve: Top with whip cream and shave chocolate over top.