Apple Bundt Cake

• Note: Make a note that this recipe actually tastes best the second day so you can make it ahead and store it in the refrigerator for up to three days. Also, if you are looking for other make-ahead components, the caramel sauce can be made and refrigerated for up to a week ahead of time.
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• Cake:
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 medium apples, for about 3 cups chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla, divided
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable or canola oil
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
Cream Cheese Layer:
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large egg
Glaze:
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/2 to 1 tsp vanilla
Caramel Sauce:
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup half-and-half or whipping cream
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS

1. Generously grease and flour a 9 or 10-inch bundt pan. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside. Peel, core and dice 3 cups of apples. Toss the apples with the tablespoon of lemon juice to keep from browning. Add the dark brown sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla and toss to combine. Set aside.
3. Using a handheld electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, blend the oil, sugar, and vanilla until well mixed. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the dry ingredients until just incorporated. The batter will be quite thick. Drain any excess liquid from the apples (if any) and stir the apple mixture into the batter. Don't overmix! Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
4. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese just until smooth. Add the 1/3 cup sugar, vanilla and egg and beat on medium speed until creamy and smooth.
5. Using a spoon or butter knife, make a trench in the center of the cake batter (going around in the circular shape of the bundt pan) about 1-inch deep (just scoop the excess batter to either side. Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the trench. Try and keep the cream cheese mixture in a ring in the center of the cake so it has cake batter on either side around the circle. Once the cream cheese mixture is in place, use a butter knife to swirl the cream cheese mixture into the surrounding cake batter.
6. Bake the cake for 1 hour and 15 minutes (checking often as you may need to decrease or increase time based on your pan and exact oven temperature). Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
7. While the cake is cooling, mix the ingredients for the glaze in a small pan over medium high heat. Allow the ingredients to come to a boil and boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Pour the glaze over the cake while the cake is still in the pan. Let the cake cool in the pan before removing. Turn the cake out onto a serving plate and store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Serve chilled or at room temperature, drizzling caramel sauce over each piece.
8. For the caramel sauce, mix the butter, brown sugar, half-and-half or cream, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until thickened slightly. Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. Turn off the heat and pour the sauce into a jar. Refrigerate until cold (or use slightly warm but not hot). If the caramel sauce has cooled in the fridge long enough to harden, warm slightly before drizzling on cake.

Unbelievable Carrot Cake

 
Cake:
• 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 1/2 ounces)
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1 lb. medium carrots (6 to 7 large carrots), peeled
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (10 1/2 ounces)
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable or canola oil
Frosting (I double the recipe below to frost a 9-inch layered cake):
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 5 tablespoons butter softened to room temperature
• 1 tablespoon sour cream, light or regular
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar (4 1/2 ounces)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Grease and flour a 9X13-inch baking pan or 2 9-inch round pans.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in large bowl; set aside. In a food processor fitted with large or fine shredding disk, shred carrots (you should have about 3 cups); transfer carrots to bowl and set aside. You can also shred by hand on a box grater if you don't have a food processor.
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or in large bowl and using hand-held mixer), beat granulated and brown sugars and eggs on medium-high until thoroughly combined, about 45 seconds. Reduce speed to medium; with mixer running, add oil in slow, steady stream, being careful to pour oil against inside of bowl (if oil begins to splatter, reduce speed to low until oil is incorporated, then resume adding oil). Increase speed to high and mix until mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 45 seconds to 1 minute longer. Turn off mixer and stir in carrots and dry ingredients by hand until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.
4. Pour into prepared pan(s) and bake until toothpick or skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 32 minutes for 9-inch round pans and 40 minutes for a 9X13-inch pan. Let cakes cool for about 10 minutes in the pan and then invert them onto a cooling rack to cool completely (the 9X13-inch cake can be cooled completely in the pan if you don't plan to invert and ice all the sides). At this point, once the cakes are cooled, they can be wrapped in plastic wrap and put in a ziploc bag and placed in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature prior to frosting.
5. When cake is cool, mix cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla at medium high speed in clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment (or in large bowl using handheld mixer) until well combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add confectioners’ sugar and mix until very fluffy, about 1 minute. Frost and eat!
6. (I think it would be even better if you put it in the fridge for a little while until you're ready.)

I made this for Easter....Amazing.  I'm making every year!

Heather's Brownie Cake

Ingredients

Brownie Cake

• Box of Brownies
• Box of chocolate pudding (powdered)
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 20ish Hershey's Kisses or chocolate chips (milk choclolate if you want it like kisses)
• 1/2 brick of Nestle's Abuelita's Authentic Mexican Hot Chocolate Drink Tablet

Frosting

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/8th to 1/4th cup of butter
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons cocao
• 1/3 cup milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the brownies, pudding, eggs, oil, oil, water, and sour cream together.  Cut up kisses (or dump in as many chocolate chips as you want) and 1/2 tablet of Mexican chocolate, and add to the mixture.  Put mixture in greased 9x13 pan, and cook for 45 to 50 minutes.  (Until toothpick comes out clean).  While backing, mix all the frosting ingredients.  Pour frosting on top of the cake.  Will take about an hour or two for the frosting to harden.  

Banana Picnic Cake

1 1/2 C sugar
1/2 C shortening
2 large mashed bananas
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
2 t baking powder
2 C flour
1/4 t salt
1 t soda
2/3 C sour milk (sour by adding lemon juice and let sit)

Topping:
1/4 C brown sugar
1/4 C white sugar
1 C nuts (slivered almonds and pecans our favorite, walnuts good too)
8 oz. Chocolate chips or more :)

Mix ingredients and pour into 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle with topping.  Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes.  Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.  Great the day after too.

Note: This is a Cook Family favorite and was what Clayton always asked for on his birthday.