Kahlua Cake Bites

Ingredient

• 1 (18.25 ounce) packagedevil's food cake mix
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup ready-made dark chocolate frosting
• 1 cup Kahlua
• 6 ounces chocolate disks for melting
• 2 ounces white chocolate disks for melting

  Directions

  1. Prepare the cake mix according to package directions. Allow cake to cool for one hour.
  2. Crumble cake into a large bowl. Mix in Kahlua. Add frosting and stir until combined. Mixture will be sticky. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
  3. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Use a melon baller to form 2 inch bites; place on waxed paper. Freeze bites for one hour or until firm enough to coat.
  4. Using a skewer, pick up bites one at a time and dip into melted chocolate. Use another skewer to slide bite onto the lined cookie sheet. Allow bites to set in refrigerator.
  5. Optional: After bites have set, use a pastry bag fitted with a #3 tip to drizzle melted white chocolate.
     

Chantal's New York Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 15 graham crackers, crushed
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

  Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch springform pan.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press onto bottom of springform pan.
  3. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.
  4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours; this prevents cracking. Chill in refrigerator until serving.
     

Sweet Potato and Coconut Bread

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup softened butter
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 2/3 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 10-inch tube pan.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl.
3. Beat butter in a large bowl using an electric mixer until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat sugar into creamed butter until fully incorporated, about 3 more minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating each egg completely before add the next. Beat in sweet potato and vanilla extract until well mixed. Stir flour mixture, coconut, and walnuts into butter mixture until just combined. Pour batter into the prepared tube pan.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the bread comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes.
   

Holiday Left-Over Sweet Potato Cake

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup beer

  Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking dish.
  2. Stir together the sugar and vegetable oil in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and sweet potatoes. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a separate bowl; stir into the batter 1 cup at a time, alternating with the beer just until everything comes together. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
  3. Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting or serving.
     

Sweet Potato Cake

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 3/4 cup mashed sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup finely chopped golden raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans.
2. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and ginger.
3. Mix together buttermilk, sweet potatoes, and raisins in a medium bowl and set aside.
4. Beat butter, brown sugar, and white sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Pour in the flour mixture alternately with the milk and sweet potato mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Divide batter between prepared pans and spread evenly.
5. Bake in preheated oven until a tester inserted in the center of each layer comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cake layers on wire rack. Remove from pans and frost as desired.
   

Pumpkin Cake 3

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups solid pack pumpkin puree
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

  Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan. Sift together flour, soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine oil and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Add the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Add nuts and pumpkin and blend until smooth. Pour batter into greased 10 inch tube pan.
  3. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and finish cooling. Dust with confectioners sugar before serving.
     

Sweet Potato Pound Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 5 teaspoons orange juice
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan. Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
  2. In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add mashed sweet potatoes and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time (the batter will look curdled). Add flour mixture to potato mixture. Beat on low until combined.
  3. Pour batter into 10 inch tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Cool cake for 20 minutes in the pan, then invert onto serving plate.
  4. To make the glaze: in a small bowl, combine confectioners sugar with 3 to 5 teaspoons orange juice to achieve drizzling consistency. Spoon over warm cake and sprinkle with orange zest if desired.
     

Pumpkin Cake 2

Ingredients

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 10 inch bundt or tube pan.
2. Cream oil, beaten eggs, pumpkin and vanilla together.
3. Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, ground cinnamon, ground cloves and salt together. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and mix until just combined. If desired, stir in some chopped nuts. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan for 5 minutes then turn out onto a plate and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.
   

Pumpkin CupCake 1

Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups canned pumpkin
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 12x18 inch pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl combine sugar and oil. Blend in vanilla and pumpkin, then beat in eggs one at a time. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in nuts. Spread batter into prepared 12x18 inch pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
   

Frozen Rainbow Chiffon Cake

INGREDIENTS

• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cups blackberries (6 ounces)
• 1 1/4 cups blueberries (6 ounces)
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 4 to 5 lemons)
• 10 large egg whites, room temperature
• Salt
• 2 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons water
• 2 ripe papayas, peeled and seeded
• 3 kiwifruits, peeled
• 1 cup strawberries (6 ounces), hulled
• 1 1/4 cups raspberries (6 ounces)
• 1 can (15 ounces) apricots in juice, drained
• Seven-Minute Frosting (recipe follows) Seven-Minute Frosting

COOK'S NOTE

Fruit purees can be refrigerated for up to 2 days; frosted cake can be frozen overnight. Food-safety note: The egg whites in this cake are not fully cooked.

DIRECTIONS

1. STEP 1

   Coat two 8-inch springform pans with cooking spray. Line sides with parchment, leaving a 2-inch collar extending over top.

2. STEP 2

   Puree blackberries, blueberries, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a blender until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve; discard solids.

3. STEP 3

   Whisk 2 egg whites and a pinch of salt with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Meanwhile, combine 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar with 3 tablespoons water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook until syrup reaches 250 degrees on a candy thermometer. Immediately add sugar syrup in a slow, steady stream down the side of the bowl. Raise speed to high, and whisk until thick, shiny, and cooled, about 7 minutes. Whisk in berry puree. Pour mixture into 1 pan, and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

4. STEP 4

   Meanwhile, puree papayas and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a blender until smooth. Strain.

5. STEP 5

   Repeat step 3 with 2 egg whites, a pinch of salt, 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, and 3 tablespoons water, whisking in papayapuree. Pour mixture into remaining pan, and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

6. STEP 6

   Puree kiwifruits and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a blender until smooth. Strain.

7. STEP 7

   Repeat step 3 with 2 egg whites, a pinch of salt, 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, and 3 tablespoons water, whisking in kiwifruit puree. Pour mixture onto froze
   n berry layer, and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

8. STEP 8

   Meanwhile, puree strawberries, raspberries, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a blender until smooth. Strain.

9. STEP 9

   Repeat step 3 with 2 egg whites, a pinch of salt, 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, and 3 tablespoons water, whisking in strawberry-raspberry puree. Pour mixture onto frozen papayalayer, and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

10. STEP 10

    Puree apricots and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a blender until smooth. Strain.

11. STEP 11

    Repeat step 3 with 2 egg whites, a pinch of salt, 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, and 3 tablespoons water, whisking in apricotpuree. Pour mixture onto frozen kiwi layer, and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

12. STEP 12

    Release sides of pans; carefully transfer papaya and strawberry-raspberry layer cake onto apricot layer. Freeze cake while you make the frosting.

13. STEP 13

    Remove parchment paper. Frost top and sides of cake. Freeze until ready to serve.