Libby's Zucchini Cake

I got this recipe from Libby years ago and have enjoyed it a lot.   Craig came to visit us for a few days this week and brought zucchini so I made the cake.  Clair, Jen, and Grayson came yesterday so we all had a chance to enjoy the cake.  One of the best things about this recipe is that it needs no frosting although it is delicious with a cream cheese frosting or any other kind, and you can make some variations using things that you like, such as chocolate chips, raisens, nuts, and this time I used cinnamon chips.  I also modified it by using half the oil called for and replacing it with applesauce.  Turned out very moist and delicious.

               

                                                                Zucchini Cake

2 Cups grated zucchini                                                 
3 eggs
1 Cup oil (or 1/2 Cup and 1/2 Cup applesauce            
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla                                                                 
1 - 8 oz. can crushed pineapple
3 Cups flour                                                                  
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda                                                                     
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 tsp. cinnamon                                                             
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 Cup raisens or chocolate chips

Mix first six ingredients together in a bowl.  Mix dry ingredients together and add to wet ingredients, mixing thoroughly.  Pour into greased and floured 9 x 13 cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.  Ice if you choose to do so after it has cooled.

Lemon-Lime Cake with Pineapple Icing

When a friend of mine found out I was expecting she sent me a package in the mail with all kinds of wonderful things in it. One of those things were all the ingredients and the recipe to make this cake so we could celebrate!  This recipe did not disappoint, my boys don't love pineapple but they loved this cake!


Lemon-Lime Cake with Pineapple Icing

For the cake:
1 Lemon cake mix
Half of a 3.4 oz. package vanilla instant pudding mix (4 TBS)
1 can (12 oz.) Sprite
2/3 c vegetable oil
4 large eggs

For the pineapple icing and garnish:
4 TBS butter
1/2 c granulated sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 c sweetened flaked coconut (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly spray 9 x 13 pan with Pam.
2.  In a mixing bowl place the cake mix, pudding mix, Sprite, oil, and 4 eggs.  With an electric hand mixer on medium speed beat until mixture lightens and is smooth.  Scrapping sides as needed.   Pour the batter into the cake pan and place in the oven.  Bake until golden brown and the top springs back when lightly pressed, 38 to 42 minutes. Transfer the cake pan to a wire rack and let the cake sit until nearly cool, about 20 min.
3.  Make the pineapple icing:  Melt the butter in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sugar until incorporated.  Stir in the flour until incorporated.  Stir in the pineapple until well mixed.
4.  Crack the egg into a small bowl and whisk it with a fork until lemon colored.  Spoon several tablespoons of the warm pineapple mixture into the egg and beat to combine and warm the egg.  Transfer the egg mixture to the pan with the pineapple mixture.  Place the pan over medium heat and cook stirring constantly, until the icing thickens, 4 to 5 min.   Spoon the warm icing over the cake and garnish it by sprinkling the coconut on top.  Let the cake sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

** I put a spoon of whipped cream on top of the pineapple icing and I toasted the coconut.

Banana Sour Cream Cake

This recipe comes from a Kraft foods magazine that I got while in Atlanta.  It is moist and delicious.  I took a picture (it was quite impressive since I seldom make desserts) on Clark's camera and he has since misplaced it so I am posting without a picture.  Use your imagination.  Very Easy.

Banana Sour Cream Cake

1 pkg yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup oil
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3)
Icing:
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
1 pkg (16 oz.) powdered sugar (about 4 Cups)
1 cup finely chopped walnuts or nuts of your choice

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat together cake mix, eggs, bananas, sour cream and oil with mixer on low until moistened, scraping bottom of bowl often.   Beat on medium for 2 minutes and pour into greased and floured 13 x 9inch cake pan and bake for 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.   Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
Beat cream cheese and butter until blended and gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition.  Remove cake from pan and carefully cut cake crosswise in half, using a serrated knife.  Place one half, top-side down on a plate and spread top with frosting.   Top with remaining cake half, top-side up and frost top and sides.  Press nuts onto sides.  Can sprinkle nuts on top if desired.  Left-overs need to be refrigerated.
For me there was too much icing so I wrote myself a note to leave the cake in the pan, make less icing and just sprinkle nuts on the top.   Not near as fancy looking but tastes the same.

Chocolate Bundt Cake

I have been going to post this for sometime but each time I made it I would forget to take a picture.  So when my husband made this cake for my birthday this year I finally remembered to take a photo. I thought he did a fabulous job.  It looked and tasted great!

Chocolate Bundt Cake
1 Devils food cake mix
1 - 4 serving instant Chocolate Pudding Mix
4 eggs
1 C Sour Cream
1/2 C warm water
1/2 C Vegetable oil
1 1/2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips (I like to use the mini chips and just a few less)

Place all the ingredients except chocolate chips, in a large mixing bowl.  Blend with electric mixer one minute.  Scrap down sides and continue to mix on medium speed for 2- 3 minutes.  Stir in chocolate chips.
Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. 
Bake 45-50 minutes at 350.  Cool 20 minutes.  Invert onto serving platter.

Frosting:
8 TBS butter
4 TBS cocoa powder
1/3 c evaporated milk
4 c powdered sugar
Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat.  Whisk in cocoa and milk.  Bring Mixture just to boil, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Beat in powdered sugar with electric mixer until thickened and smooth.  Pour warm frosting over warm cake.  This recipe makes a lot of frosting.

Adapted from The Sisters Cafe

Coconut Bundt Cake

This is a recipe that I picked up in Atlanta when we were there several years ago. I made it yesterday for Clinton's birthday and everyone enjoyed it, including Clinton. He generally isn't very fond of cakes but liked this one. The grandsons that are here enjoyed more than one piece. It is easy and good.

1 yellow cake mix (without pudding)
2 boxes instant coconut pudding (I didn't have coconut pudding so used vanilla and some coconut flavoring)
4 eggs
1 C sour cream
1/2 C salad oil
1/2 C milk
1 tsp coconut flavoring (optional)

Topping
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 C chopped pecans
1/2 C brown sugar

Blend all the cake ingredients and beat on high for 2 minutes. Combine the topping in a separate bowl. Grease and flour (I sprayed mine) a bundt pan. Pour in half the batter and sprinkle with half the topping mixture. Repeat the layers. Swirl a knife through the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. Can sprinkle with powdered sugar when it is cool if you desire.

Strawberry Cake

Here is a great recipe for the Easter weekend. This is my favorite version of strawberry short cake. This recipe comes from my sister-in-law Jennifer. It is so simple but delish, enjoy!

Strawberry Cake
1 White cake mix
1/2 c powdered sugar
1 pkg Junket Strawberry Danish Dessert
8 oz Cream cheese, softened
1 tub cool whip, smaller size
16 oz strawberries, sliced

Make the cake. Bake it in a greased jelly roll pan (I call mine a cookie sheet). Let it cool. Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar together. Add the cool whip and mix well. Spread mixture on top of the cooled cake.
In a medium sauce pan mix the Danish Dessert with 1 3/4 c cold water. Bring it to a full boil. Boil for 1 min. stirring constantly. Let it cool. Spread it on top of the cream cheese layer.
Lay the sliced strawberries on top on the Danish Dessert layer. Refrigerate to let every thing set then serve cold.

Farmers Birthday Cake

I have two boys with birthdays in November. This is the cake I made for my 2 year old this year. He loved it! Birthdays around here aren't a real big production so this is just one way we celebrate is with a fun cake. I found this idea at family fun. It was fun to make and fairly simple. Of course mine isn't as cute as the one at family fun but my kids thought it was great! Click here for the instructions :Familyfun.

Pumpkin cake Roll

Don't know for sure where I got this recipe, have had it for years. I believe that Clair brought it home to me from school when he was going to Ricks so you can see it has been a while. At any rate we like it and hope others may enjoy it as well. It is easy and doesn't take a lot of time.

Pumpkin Cake Roll

3 eggs
1 C sugar
2/3 C pumpkin
1 tsp. lemon juice
3/4 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 C walnuts, chopped, (optional, I never use them)

Beat eggs for 5 minutes, then add the sugar gradually. Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice. Fold in dry ingredients. Grease well a jelly-roll pan and sprinkle with flour. Spread batter into pan and top with walnuts if using them. Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees
Turn cake onto a terry towel that has been sprinkled with powdered sugar. Roll towel and cake together beginning at short side, and cool on a rack. When cooled, unroll and spread cake with filling. Roll cake up again, wrap in plastic wrap and chill.

Filling:
Mix together and spread on cake;
1 C powdered sugar
1/4 C butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
6 oz. cream cheese, softened

Ice Cream Cake

My son isn't a big fan of cake, but loves ice cream. So this year for his birthday I thought I would try my hand at an ice cream cake. He thought it was a great idea. He was born on Groundhogs Day so when I saw groundhog cupcakes at Family Fun.com I had to try it!

Ice cream Cake
1 batch Kat's Brownies
2- 1 qt. ice creams (I used Tin Roof Sunday & Death By Chocolate)
Crushed Oreos
Hot Fudge Sauce

Cool whip Frosting
1 (8 oz.) Cream Cheese
1 c Powder Sugar
1 tsp vanilla
24 oz cool whip
(I had alot of frosting left over if you want to 1/2 the recipe)

First I mixed up a batch of Kat's Brownies. I baked them in two 9 in. spring form pans.
Let them cool then I placed them in the freezer for a couple hours. Remove brownies from the freezer and the ice cream (15 min or until very soft). On one of the pans of Brownies spread enough of the cooled fudge sauce to cover the top. Sprinkle a a good layer of crushed Oreos on top of the fudge sauce. (If you are not pressed for time freeze again) Spread a different flavor of ice cream over each pan of brownies. (To the top of the pan, it won't use all of the ice cream). Place back in the freezer till frozen again.

Make the Cool whip frosting by mixing in all the ingredients with a hand mixer.
Remove pans from freezer. Let ice cream soften just a bit and run a knife around the edge of the pan and then remove the side of the pan. Invert one of the cakes to set on top of the other, so ice cream is on ice cream. Give them a little press so they will stick together. I placed my cake on a lazy susan to make the frosting process a little bit easier. Once frosted place back in the freezer. Remove from freezer about 10 min prior to serving. Warm up the additional hot fudge sauce if desired.

Not to pretty of a picture since I forgot to take the picture till it was quite soft.


I made these cupcakes for my son to share with his class at school. They were a hit! For instructions to make the groundhogs click here Family Fun.

Zucchini Cupcakes

I found this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine. It is a tasty way to use all that zucchini you may be wondering what to do with. The creamy caramel frosting together with the hint of almond flavoring in these cupcakes make them unique and delicious.

3 eggs
1 1/3 C sugar
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/2 C orange juice
1 t almond extract
2 1/2 C flour
2 t ground cinnamon
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1/2 t ground cloves
1 1/2 C shredded zucchini

Caramel Frosting:
1 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C butter or margarine
1/4 C milk
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 to 2 C powdered sugar

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, oil, orange juice and extract. Combine dry ingredients; add to the egg mixture and mix well. Add zucchini and mix well. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until cupcakes test done. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. For frosting, combine brown sugar, salt, butter and milk in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Cool to lukewarm. Gradually beat in confecitoners' sugar until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Frost cupcakes. Yield: 1 1/2 to 2 dozen.