Cream Puff Cake

Servings: 15
Prep time: 25 min
Bake: 25 min. + chilling

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs

Filling:

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 2-1/2 cups 2% milk
• 3 packages (3.3 ounces each) instant white chocolate or vanilla pudding mix
• 1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:
In a large saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until smooth and shiny. Transfer to a greased 9 x 13 baking dish.

Bake at 400° for 22-26 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.

For filling: in a large bowl beat the cream cheese, milk and pudding mixes until smooth. Spread over the crust; refrigerate for 20 minutes. Spread with whipped topping. Chill until serving.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Preheat oven to: 350 degrees
Bake time: 1 hour

Melt: 1 stick of butter in a 9 x 9 cake pan
Smooth in: 1 cup brown sugar into melted butter in bottom of pan.
Cover with: 1 large can of drained crushed pineapple

Mix until creamy:

• 1/4 cup Crisco
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk with 1/2 tesp of the pineapple juice (or vinegar)

Add to above mixture:

• 1.2 tesp. salt
• 1.5 cup flour
• 2 tesp. baking powder

Spread batter over pineapple.
Bake 1 hour. Remove from pan while still warm. Invert onto platter.

Double the recipe for a 9x13 pan.

Banana Dream Cake

• 1 yellow cake, made according to package directions in 2 round cake pans. **
• 1 container of Cool Whip, thawed enough to spread easily
• 2-3 bananas, sliced into rounds

**Hint: grease and flour pans well, and use wax paper on the bottoms to help cake release easier.

After cakes have cooled and been removed from round cake pans, carefully slice them in half horizontally, making 4 layers.

Build the cake on the plate you want to serve it on. Start with a layer of cake, spread Cool Whip, then layer slices of banana, then more cake, Cool Whip, bananas... repeat. Once all the layers are assembled, spread Cool Whip on the top and sides, top with banana. Keep refrigerated until serving.

This was my Mom's favorite cake growing up, and on September 23, 1978 my Grandma made it for her . But before she could enjoy a piece, she went into labor with me. She had me early the next morning. It's really easy, and really good!

Dump Cake

Prep time: < 10 minutes
Bake time: 30 minutes
Servings: 9 - 12

• 1 can of crushed pineapple
• 1 can of cherry pie filling
• 1 cake mix (yellow, white, or carrot are best)
• 1 stick of butter, fully melted
  
• 1/2 C. chopped pecans or walnuts

Dump the ingredients into an ungreased 9 x 13 pan in the order listed, making sure you spread each item out well before adding the next. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until the top is browned and it looks "set".

This is, by far, one of the most simple cake recipes to make. It turns out sort of like a cobbler, so don't expect it to be firm in the middle like a regular cake. It's also really good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. :)

Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Bake Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 18 oz. pkg. chocolate cake mix
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 T. water
• 1/2 C. chocolate chips or chopped nuts (optional)
  

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients at low speed until dry ingredients are moistened and dough is thoroughly mixed. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2" apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 9-12 minutes. Cool two minutes on cookie sheets, then remove to wire racks to cool.

These are so easy and fast you can whip them up on a whim when you need a good chocolate fix. They are my new favorite easy dessert for any night of the week. Plus, if you are a good coupon-clipper, you can get cake mixes usually under $1. That makes this a cheap treat too!

Cherry Delight!

Prep time: 10 minutes
Servings: 12

• 2 cans cherry pie filling
• 1 8 oz pkg Cool Whip
• 1 C. sugar
• 1 8 oz pkg cream cheese - softened to room temperature
• 1 angel food cake (store bought is fine)

Tear angel food cake into bite size pieces, place in bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Combine sugar and cream cheese with electric mixer, when smooth add Cool Whip. Spread mixture evenly on top of cake pieces. Top with cherry pie filling. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

This dessert has never disappointed us. It's quick and easy and works wonderfully for pitch-in dinners. It's so yummy and light you feel like you can eat and eat and eat. If you use low-fat cream cheese it's even pretty reasonable (as desserts go). I absolutely love it in the summer!

Caramel Apple Upsidedown Cake

Warning: This autumnal dessert is not "light" whatsoever. But fat and sugar are what makes life so sweet. Right? :)

Cake:

• 1/2 C butter
• 1/4 C whipping cream
• 1 C packed brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 C chopped pecans
• 2 large apples (I like Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (about 2 1/3 C.)
• 1 yellow cake mix
• 1 1/4 C water
• 1/3 C veg. oil
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 tsp apple pie spice or cinnamon

Topping (optional):

• 2/3 C whipped fluffing white frosting
• 1/2 C cool whip
• caramel ice cream topping

Heat oven to 350. In sauce pan combine butter, whipping cream, brown sugar and salt over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until butter is melted. Pour into 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle with pecan pieces; top with sliced apples.

In large bowl beat cake mix, water, oil, eggs and apple pie spice with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. Then beat on medium speed for approximately 2 minutes. Carefully spoon batter over apple mixture.

Bake 40 - 45 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.
Cool in pan 10 minutes. Loosen sides of cake from pan. Place heatproof serving platter upsidedown on pan; carefully turn platter and pan over. Let pan remain over cake for a minute so caramel can drizzle over cake. Remove pan.

In small bowl mix frosting and cool whip. Serve warm cake topped with frosting mixture and drizzled with caramel sauce. Or serve with vanilla ice cream.

I "borrowed" this one from BettyCrocker.com, thank you very much. :)