Gingerbread Cupcakes

2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 egg whites
1 egg
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup molasses
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground all spice
1/2 tsp salt

1. Combine sugar, oil, egg whites, and egg until well blended.
2. Add applesauce and molasses. Mix well.
3. Add flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, all spice and salt.
4. Fill paper lined cups 2/3 full.
5. Bake at 350 degrees. (18-22 minutes for large cupcakes, 10-11 minutes for mini cupcakes, which are my preferance)
6. Cool completely, then add frosting.

Cinnamon Whipping Cream Frosting

2 cups Whipping Cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Beat cream, sugar and vanilla until almost set. Then add cinnamon. Put in a pastry bag and add a little dollop on each cooled cupcake!

Jaralynn's Cupcakes

CUPCAKES

1 box white cake mix
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg cheesecake flavored jello pudding
4 eggs
1/4 c oil
3/4 c applesauce

Bake cupcakes according to directions on the box. Frost when cool.

Frosting:
1 pkg cream cheese
3 c powdered sugar, more if needed to desired consistency
1 cube of butter
about 1-2 tablespoons of Mrs. Richardson's Butterscotch Caramel, plus more to be drizzled on top of the cupcakes once frosted.

Grandma Raty’s Chocolate Cake

Grandma Raty’s Chocolate Cake - Audrey Parker

Devil’s Food cake mix – bake in two rounds, then cut each in half once cool

Whipped Cream – Whip 1 pint heavy cream, then add 1 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/3 cup sugar toward end of whipping time

Chocolate frosting:
1 block butter (1/2 cup), softened
2 1/2 squares of baking (unsweetened) chocolate
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Layer chocolate cake with whipped cream, then frost.

Carmel Cake

Carmel Cake – Cristine Rolfson

1 Devils Food Cake Mix
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 container hot carmel topping
2 Heath or Skor candy bars (crushed)
2 quarts heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp powdered sugar

Make cake according to package directions. While cake is baking combine sweetened condensed milk and carmel in a small saucepan and warm over low heat. When cake is removed from the oven and while still hot, take a wooden spoon end and poke holes all over the entire cake. Pour sweetened condensed/carmel mix over the entire cake. Place cake in the refrigerator to cool. While cake is cooling beat both containers of cream until whipped to stiff peaks. When cake is completely cooked spread whipping cream over the entire cake. Top cake with crushed candy bars over the entire cake. Store in refrigerator until time to serve.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

I had forgotten about this recipe until someone asked me for it...they had been thinking about this cake for years (I had brought it to a get-together). This cake is so yummy with a caramel sauce - dripping over the cake.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake 2 tablespoons butter 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1 8-ounce can pineapple slices, drained and halved 4 maraschino cherries, halved 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 2/3 cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 2/3 cup milk 1/4 cup butter, softened 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 1. Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a 9x1 1/2 inch round cake pan. Stir in brown sugar and 1 tablespoon water. Arrange pineapple and cherries in pan. Set pan aside. (We left pineapple in rings and put cherries in the middle) 2. In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, sugar, and baking powder. Add milk, the 1/4 cup butter, egg, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Spoon batter over fruit in prepared pan. 3. Bake in a 350 oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Loosen from pan; invert onto a plate. Serve warm.

Pumpkin Cobbler

4 eggs
1 cup sugar
12 oz evaporated milk
30 oz canned pumpkin
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 lb yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.

In a medium bowl, mix together sugar, eggs, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, vanilla, salt and milk. Grease a 9 x 13 pan (or similar size) and pour the entire mixture into pan. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly across the top of the mixture. Pour the melted butter slowly and evenly across the entire mixture, ensuring that it doesn't start pooling in just one area. Sprinkle brown sugar over butter. Bake at 350 for approximately 60 minutes. Enjoy!

This is REALLY GOOD hot out of the oven with vanilla ice cream on top (or whipped cream).

Pumpkin Crumble

This isn't my recipe. I got it off of Our Best Bites. I made it for Thanksgiving dinner and it was so good that I just had to share it. It is like a pumpkin pie with a different variation. More like a "dump cake" than a pie.

Pumpkin Crumble
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1 boxed yellow or white cake mix
1-2 sticks butter (see notes in instructions)
1 16 oz can pumpkin*
2 eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
1/4 t ginger
1/8 t cloves
1/8 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1/3 C chopped pecans
1/2 t additional cinnamon for topping

*This makes a dessert about an inch thick or less. That's because I like a high topping-to-pumpkin ratio. If you'd like it thicker, use a large can of pumpkin and double the rest of the filling ingredients (Eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and spices). Leave the rest of the recipe the same.

Preheat oven to 350.

Place 2 C of the cake mix in a bowl. Cut in 3 T chilled butter. Just use your fingers to crumble the butter until it's in small crumbly pieces. Place mixture in a 9x13 baking dish and press flat with your fingers.

Mix pumpkin, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and spices until smooth. Pour on top of the cake mixture in the pan.

Now take the rest of the dry cake mix and mix in 1/2 t cinnamon. Sprinkle it all over the top of the pumpkin mixture. Use a measuring cup so you have a rough measurement of how much you're putting on. Here's why:

Here's a little something I learned after making the dump cake a gazillion times. Cake mixes all have different amounts in them! Different brands, different flavors, etc. Each one is slightly different in volume. I found one mix to have almost double the normal amount. Measuring the amount of cake mix you're sprinkling on top will help you get the perfect topping ratio in the last step.

Next sprinkle on the chopped pecans. You'll have 3 distinct layers now:

Here's the trick: For every 1 C of cake mix you sprinkled on top, you'll need 3 T of melted butter. Drizzle it right on top.

That butter is going to combine with the cake mix and make magic in the oven. Pop it in your 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or so. A knife should come out without globs of pumpkin on it and the topping should be nice and golden

You can eat it warm, at room temp, or chilled! My favorite is actually at room temp. Put a dollop of sweetened whipped cream on top. It is also good with vanilla ice cream.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

These cookies are delicious!!!

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup quick cooking oats
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
2 1/2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1. In a large bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter or margarine, 1/2 cup peanut butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add egg and beat well.
2. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir. Add oatmeal and stir.
3. Drop by teaspoons onto greased baking sheet, and press each mound down with a fork to form 1/4 inch thick cookies. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes, or until cookies are a light brown.
4. To Make Filling: Cream 3 tablespoons butter or margarine with the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, and the cream. Spread filling onto half of the cooled cookies, then top with the other half to form sandwiches.

Berry Trifle

BERRY TRIFLE

1 prepared recipe sour cream pound cake, sliced or cubed (recipe follows)
1 prepared recipe lemon curd, chilled (recipe follows)
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature; 1/2 cup powdered sugar; 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, cold
16 oz. fresh strawberries, sliced 2 pints fresh blueberries (I used fresh raspberries in place of the strawberries)

To make the cream:

Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar. Add the heavy cream and continue beating until thick. Chill until ready to assemble trifle.

Assembly:

Layer in a trifle dish or large bowl–

Half the sliced pound cake–use smaller pieces to fill in the gaps Half the lemon curd One third of the blueberries and strawberries Half the whipped cream mixture

Repeat with the remaining cake, lemon curd, another 1/3 of the berries, and whipped cream. Top with the remaining 1/3 strawberries and blueberries.

Let chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

Serves a bunch.

Sour Cream Pound Cake adapted from The Joy of Cooking

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature (I used regular salted butter and cut the salt to 1/4 tsp.)
3 1/2 cups granulated sugar
6 eggs, separated and at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 8″ square baking pans or a 9″ Bundt pan.

Whisk the dry ingredients together and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Add 3 c of sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Don’t skimp on this step.)

Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating for at least 1 minute between additions. Add the vanilla extract.

Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients, beat just until it disappears into the creamed mixture. Add 1/2 of the sour cream. Beat to combine. Repeat with remaining flour and sour cream, making sure to end with the last 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Set aside.

In a separate bowl beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar a little at a time. Continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form.

Carefully fold in 1/3 of the egg whites to the batter using a large rubber or silicone spatula. (It’s okay if there are some streaks of egg white. This is to lighten the batter before the remaining egg whites are added.)

Add the remaining egg whites by gently folding, being careful not to deflate the whites.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan. If using 8″ square pans, bake for about 35-40 minutes. (Don’t open the oven at all during the first 30 minutes or the cake will fall in the center.) If using the bundt pan, bake for 60-75 minutes. Tent the pans with foil if the top browns too quickly. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.

Let cool for a few minutes in pan before removing the cake to a wire rack to finish cooling. Cake gets better the longer it sits. Be sure to wrap it well in foil or plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.

Lemon Curd

Juice of 3 lemons
Zest of 3 lemons
1 cup granulated sugar
3 whole eggs
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

In a bowl, rub the lemon zest with the sugar until wet and sandy. Whisk in the eggs. Add the juice. Add the melted butter.

Transfer the mixture to a stainless steel (or other non-reactive) pan. Cook over medium heat while whisking constantly until the curd thickens. (It will be about the consistency of thin yogurt.) Quickly remove from heat. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Press plastic wrap on the surface and chill until ready to use.