German Chocolate Cheesecake Cake

My next door neighbor made a request. She loves German Chocolate Cake and wanted it for her birthday cake. HELLO, so does most of my family. My baby sister has it every year for her birthday cake. My Mom has always made this cake forever. The melding of the brown sugar, pecans and coconut with the chocolate cake. Heavenly. So, I stumbled upon this delightful recipe. Combine German Chocolate cake with Cheesecake... WOW .. is it. This cake was just amazing. TOTALLY kicking it up a notch. My neighbor and her family thought it was delicious. My Husband stated that it was perfectly delicious and not to change a thing. Please make again.

  

Layers of amazing flavors that melt in your mouth

(improved photo skills)

NOTE: if you put this into 2 8" cake pans, shorten your cook time. You should have enough frosting to cover both layers, but not the sides.

This recipe does have a few steps. Please do not let that stop you. It is really very easy and does not take a long time. It is well worth the effort. This recipe call for a box cake. I amp up my box cakes, so you can either follow my recipe for the cake or make your own chocolate cake. When I made this cake, I was cutting my time short, (excuse) but homemade cake has less preservatives. DO what you want.

German Chocolate Cheesecake Cake

adapted from mommyskitchen.net

Ingredients

Cake

1 dark chocolate cake mix

1 small package chocolate pudding (cook & serve)

3 eggs 

1/2 cup oil

1 1/2 cups milk

3/4 cup yogurt, plain or vanilla

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Filling

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened

4 eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Coconut Pecan Frosting

1 12 oz can evaporated milk

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cubed

3 egg yolks, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups flaked coconut

1 1/ cups chopped pecans

Directions

Set oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with tin foil. Spray pan with cooking spray. Set aside

Into a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, place all cake ingredients into bowl. Beat for 2-3 minutes. Pour half of the cake batter into prepared pan. Place remaining cake batter into another bowl and set aside.

Into the mixing bowl, add the sugar and softened cream cheese. Beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time and mix until incorporated. Gently pour the cream cheese mixture of the cake batter. Try to cover the whole surface of the cake mixture. 

Spoon remaining cake batter over the cream cheese mixture. Spread to the edge of the baking pan. Bake for 65 - 70 minutes. OR until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (NOTE: REALLY cook this long)

Cool cake for at least a half hour - 1 hour before removing from pan.

While your cake is baking, in a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, evaporated milk, butter and egg yolks. Continue to stir and cook. This probably took at least 15-20 minutes to cook and thicken up. Your thermometer should read 180 degrees. Needs to be thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon.

Remove from the heat. Stir in vanilla extract, fold in coconut and pecans. Cool until frosting reaches spreading consistency. 

Frost your cake. Refrigerate any leftovers. This cake can be made a day in advance.

All the ingredients needed for this dessert

(THE OIL was not pictured) sorry

The ingredients for the cake

 A very FULL bowl. remaining half of the cake

eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and cream cheese for the cream cheese mixture

Gently poured over the cake batter

Drizzling the remaining cake batter

Ingredients for the frosting

I first measured out the evaporated milk, but used the entire can

Stirring away... I had forgotten that homemade does take some time

My old wooden smasher. I have had this tool for a long time

Folding in the pecans and coconut

Gently removed the cake from the pan. 

Starting to frost

I used an offset spatula for a smooth surface

Heavenly layers of deliciousness

YES, I ate both of these pieces. OMG, 

Just so good. 

Pumpkin Swirl Bread

I was looking for recipes yesterday instead of working on my Christmas Cards. Bored. I found several recipes for better dinners. Wow, I have been making the same crap (food) over and over. I had a last ditch for Fall for some orders for Thanksgiving. Then pumpkin is gone and bring on Christmas.

I forgot how beautiful and delicious this bread is and I do not like pumpkin. I am sending to my Florida sister. I miss her and she is very busy these days. Sending love from home. Not a mediocre, this is a show piece. I used my large loaf pan, and it was full. You could possibly make two small pans (8x4) and not fill all the way and still have something to give.

Pumpkin Swirl Bread
adapted from Blogs.babble.com
Ingredients

5 tablespoons softened butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 15 oz can of pumpkin
1/4 cup of milk
2 3/4 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
2 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice
8 oz of cream cheese
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar

Topping- 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. MIXED (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray with baking spray or butter 1 large 9 x 5 loaf pan. Set aside

In a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, beat together butter, brown sugar and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar until fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time, add in pumpkin and milk and mix. Add dry ingredients at once and mix through.

In a second mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, egg and 1/3 cup of sugar. Set aside.

In your large loaf pan, Pour in a thin layer of the pumpkin batter into the bottom of the pan. Spoon half of the cream cheese filling over the pumpkin. Spoon almost all the the pumpkin batter of the cream cheese filling. Spoon the rest of the cream cheese over the pumpkin. Cover with the remaining pumpkin batter and ever so slightly swirl the top only. DO not dive into the batter. Sprinkle with the Cinnamon-Sugar topping.
Bake for 60-70 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool for at least a 1/2 hour. Invert and place on plate.

Just some basic ingredients

Ugly good kind of batter

That is one large loaf of Pumpkin Bread

LOOK at all of that moistness.  Yummy delicious

ALSO -- my Christmas cards are getting SO close to being done..

Oreo Cheesecake Bites

OMG ~~ these are fabulous. HOLY Cow. I could eat the whole pan. How can a dessert be bad with four packages of cream cheese and a whole package of Oreo's. ... Well, missing two or three.

This dessert went together easy, few ingredients and cut nicely. I made these for a charity event. I also dipped strawberries and made mini Boston Cream cakes. (another day for recipe). My friend Stephanie supplied the Gluten Free Brownies and Gluten Free Carrot Cake Bites. Everything was delicious and people ate all of them.

This dessert made a very full pan. I followed the instructions and used the 9 x 13 pan. I think next time, I will use a 10 x 14 pan. Not so thick, and many more pieces of heaven.

Oreo Cheesecake Bites

adapted by melskitchencafe.com

Ingredients

38 Oreo cookies, divided

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter

4 package (8 ounces each cream cheese, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 large eggs

4 ounces semisweet chocolate

4 ounces white chocolate

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil, with ends extending over sides. Finely crush 26 Oreo cookies. Melt butter, and then mix with crumbs. Press crumb mixture into the bottom of prepared pan.

In a large mixing bowl, with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until just blended. Chop up remaining Oreo cookies. Add to batter, and gently fold in.

Oreo and Butter Crust

Oreo's and Cream Cheese

Lumps of loving goodness

This is a FULL pan

Bake the cheesecake for 38-42 minutes, or until sides are set and the center is almost set. Cool completely on a wire rack in the pan.

Just a bit toooo brown. Should have come out two minutes sooner

When the cheesecake is cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When chilled, remove the cheesecake from the pan using the foil overhangs. Melt the chocolates, in separate bowls at 50% power in the microwave. Stirring frequently. Pour each chocolate into a ziploc bag and drizzle over the top of cheesecake. Cut into small pieces. AND serve.

I did dipped strawberries, mini Boston cream cakes and the Oreo bits. 

The dessert table was just packed with all kinds of delicious morsels

Digging the new dress and shoes. It was a fun night with my wonderful husband.

Carrot Cake

Have you ever made a Carrot Cake that turned out DRY. NO way, it cannot happen. The beauty of carrot cake is that is it loaded with moist loving goodness. It is a bit of a dump cake, NO Mixer needed. You need to follow a recipe, but if you want to add raisins, or coconut or nuts, you can. It always turns out delicious. Carrot Cake has two seasons. Spring and Fall. It always reminds me of Easter in the Spring. In the Fall, it is the harvesting of carrots from the earth

Carrot Cake is a full bodied cake. It should not be a heavy lump of stuff, but it is loaded with carrots and other treasures. Furthermore, who does not love Cream Cheese frosting. I have also had Carrot Cake for breakfast. And I wonder why I run every morning.

Carrot Cake

adapted from loveveggiesandyoga.com  

Ingredients

Cake

1/2 cup butter, melted (1 stick)

1/2 cup oil

2 large eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 full cups coarsely grated carrots

1 cup raisins (optional)

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Frosting

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter 

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

For the CAKE ~ Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray one 9 x 13 pan, or one 10 x 10 pan or two loaf pans. The size of the pan will affect the thickness of the Cake, and your cooking time.

In a large microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Add the oil, eggs, buttermilk, both sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and whisk vigorously until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and stir to incorporated. Stir in carrots. Add optional raisins and nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place in the oven. If using 9 x 13 or 10 x 10 pans, start checking at 30 minutes. If using two loaf pans, bake for 40-50 minutes. You will need to check if it is done with a toothpick. Cool on a wire rack

For the FROSTING ~ In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add cream cheese and butter. Beat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add vanilla and mix. Add powder sugar slowly until combined. Mix on medium speed to 2 more minutes. Spread frosting over cooled cake. Store in refrigerator.

My Husband loved this cake. 

Red Velvet Cake

Happy Valentine's Day ~~ One day late.

I will forever be running late. I really wanted to post this yesterday, but I had such a wonderful evening with my Sweetheart. We had Fillets, Lobster tails and steamed Vegetables for dinner at home. I decided we could splurge on a holiday. This is hardly pig out food   My Husband and I have started level two on Beachbody's Insanity. It is a kick butt cardio workout. We have worked out everyday. My Husband is of course seeing results, me... small changes.

As I was surfing around the internet, I came across this lovely recipe for Red Velvet Cake. I do not believe I have ever tasted a good Red Velvet cake. It is usually dry and flavorless, ahhh but not this cake.

This cake was baked in a 11 x 13 pan. The recipe call for two 9 inch round pans. I am sure you could also use a 9 x 13 pan for a taller cake. So many options for deliciousness. Did I also mention this fantastic cream cheese frosting. O my goodness.

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
followed exactly by CooksCountry.com
December/January 2007

Ingredients
CAKE 
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
pinch salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar

FROSTING
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter softened
4 cups sifted confectioners sugar
16 ounces cream cheese cut into 8 pieces softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
For the CAKE: Adjust oven racks to the middle of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease your cake pan. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla, and eggs in large measuring bowl. Mix cocoa with food coloring in a small bowl until a smooth paste forms.

With a electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy for 2 minutes. Scrape down bowl as necessary. Add one third of the flour mixture and beat on medium speed until just incorporated. Add half of the buttermilk mixture and beat on low speed until combine. Scrape down bowl. Repeat with half of remaining flour mixture, remaining buttermilk mixture and finally flour mixture. Add the cocoa mixture on medium speed until completely incorporated. Using rubber spatula, give batter a final stir.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes depending on the size of your pan. Bake until toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes and turn out and cool on racks for at least 30 minutes.

 For the FROSTING: With electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy about 5 minutes. Add cream cheese, one piece at a time. Beat until incorporated. Beat in vanilla. Refrigerate until ready to use.

When cakes are cooled, spread frosting on the individual cake or cake layers. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

I placed cake in Valentine's liners to give out to my friends and neighbors

Soft and Moist and a Perfectly Cut Cake--Delicious