We do! And so did our dinner guests the other night!

A luscious combination of chocolate and raspberry – and the perfect proportion of cake to frosting made this cake my diet buster of the week!

Good thing I served it to friends so there wasn’t much left -over the next day. I seriously would have eaten it for breakfast.

Raspberry Fudge Cake

1 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate (cut in pieces)
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
1 tablespoon Kirsch or maraschino cherry juice
3 eggs

Frosting:

1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
1 ounce semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon light corn syrup

Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch springform pan and dust it with cocoa.

Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the chocolate chips, unsweetened baking chocolate, and 3/4 cup butter. Stir till smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, beat the sugar, 3/4 cup jam, the kirsch, and the eggs until well blended. Stir in the melted chocolate and the flour mixture.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.

Remove from the oven and carefully remove the sides of the pan leaving the cake on the pan bottom.  Let the cake cool completely.

Spread the remaining raspberry jam over the top of the cooled cake. Let sit while you make the topping. In a saucepan over low heat melt the butter, corn syrup, and chocolate chips, stirring until smooth. Pour over the top of the cake.

This makes about 16 servings.

Enjoy!

I’ve linked this post up with Lisa over at Stop and Smell the Chocolates and at Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.

Back in junior high I began clipping recipes from magazines and experimenting with them. Some were keepers, some were not.

This was a keeper.

I don’t remember what magazine I copied it from, but it is hand written in pencil in my junior high handwriting. (That brings back memories!)

It was just as good today as it was back then!

The Velvet Almond Fudge Cake

1 – 1/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped
1 package chocolate chips (12 ounces)
1 package (2 layer) chocolate cake mix
1 package (4 serving) instant chocolate pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond

Grease a 10 inch tube or Bundt cake pan.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup of almonds on the bottom. Set aside the cake pan and the remaining almonds.

In a large mixing bowl combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, water, oil, vanilla and almond extracts.

Beat at medium speed for 4 minutes. Stir in the chocolate chips and the set aside almonds.

Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 70 minutes or until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool in the pan 15 minutes. Remove and continue to cool on a rack.

To serve, garnish with whipped cream or (my favorite) serve with a large scoop of ice cream and drizzled with chocolate syrup.

Enjoy!

Papa and I have been sorting the “collected” recipes in my recipe file (which has grown over the years until it is now a small plastic tub!) What a nostalgic journey!

As we sorted and discarded we discovered:

• Our tastes changed over the years.

• We cook with different ingredients.

• Some of the newly-clipped recipes were identical to old ones in our file, just a different name.

• We have developed some “cooking habits” over the years that we are not ready to give up!

The picture on a recipe clipped from a 1996 newspaper looked delicious and since it would use up the rest of a can of sweetened condensed milk that was sitting in our refrigerator, we made it.

It does require several steps, but it is as good as the picture!

Pecan Fudge Torte

Filling:
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cake:
1 pkg Devils Food Cake Mix
1/3 cup oil
1 (15 oz) can sliced pears, drained
2 eggs
1/3 cup chopped pecans
2 tsp water

Sauce:
1 (17 oz) jar caramel ice cream topping
1/3 cup milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9″ or 10″ round layer pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine filling ingredients and microwave for 1 minute or until melted. Stir to combine. Set aside.  In large bowl, combine cake mix and oil; blend at low speed for 20 or 30 seconds or until crumbly. (Mixture will be dry).  Place pears in blender or food processor, cover & blend until smooth.  In another bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups of the cake mix mixture, pureed pears and eggs. Beat for 2 minutes. Spread batter evenly in pan.  Drop filling by spoonfuls over batter.  Stir nuts and water into remaining cake mix mixture. Sprinkle over the filling.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly in the center.  Cool for 1 1/2 hours before cutting.  Combine sauce ingredients and microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.
To serve: Spoon 2 tablespoons warm sauce on to each serving plate; top with wedge of torte.  Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Wasn’t sure at first glance if this was a “keeper”  – but after tasting it – it will definitely go back in file!

Until next time,

Nana Shirley

There’s something about chocolate and mint that just goes together – like Abbott and Costello or burgers and fries.

And there’s something about mint that definitely tastes Christmas to me.

Dagmar and I jazzed up a plain box cake mix to make this yummy Christmas treat. It was easy to make and looked very festive on the buffet table.

Chocolate Mint Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix (we used a butter recipe)

1 small box of white chocolate pudding mix

1 stick of butter

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1 bag of York Peppermint Patties baking pieces

1/2 cup chocolate chips

3 Tablespoons milk

1/4 cup crushed peppermint candies (ie: candy canes)

Place the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs and soft butter in a large mixing bowl. Mix until well blended. Add the peppermint extract. Stir in the Peppermint Patty baking bits.

Pour into a well greased Bundt pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes on a cooling rack. Remove from Bundt pan and cool completely.

Melt the chocolate chips with the milk in a microwave safe bowl. Slowly drizzle over the cake as a glace. Sprinkle with the crushed peppermints.

Enjoy!

The first snow is always an exciting time – but even more so when there is chocolate involved!

It’s a tradition in our house to celebrate the first measurable stick-to-the-ground snow with a snow cake – usually a brownie with powdered sugar sprinkled on the top.

But this year we got a little fancy! Angel girl helped me bake the yummy Chocolate Mousse Cake with a few variations.

We used a small pudding mix and only  put  the filling between the two layers. Then Angel girl cut a cute little snowflake out of paper. She laid it on top and sprinkled it with powdered sugar.

Voila! Snow cake that was enjoyed and devoured by several siblings.

But more importantly, a memory was made and a tradition continued.

Happy first snow!

***

I have linked this post to Chocolate Friday hosted by Lisa at Stop and Smell the Chocolates.  Join us over there for more chocolate recipes!

I can’t believe it is Buddy’s 9th birthday already! When did my baby turn nine? It seems like yesterday I was watching him take his first steps and now he’s reading Redwall books, writing in cursive and begging to drive the 4 wheeler by himself.

At least he is still young enough to enjoy a traditional birthday cake – chocolate cake with Cool Whip frosting and decorated with M & M’s and his own Lego creations.

This year I tried a new chocolate cake recipe – Feathery Chocolate Fudge Cake – from the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook.

Although it had great flavor, it didn’t quite live up to it’s “feathery” name. It seemed a little dense and heavy to me – but Buddy didn’t seem to mind – he loved it as did the rest of the birthday party guests!

Feathery Fudge Cake

2/3 cup soft butter of margarine
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate (melted and cooled)
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/4 teaspoons soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup cold water

Cream together butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla till fluffy (beat 5 minutes at high speed on mixer, scraping bowl occasionally to guide batter into beaters, or beat 5 minutes by hand).

Blend in chocolate.

Sift flour with soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with cold water; beat after each addition.

Bake in 2 paper-lined  9 X1-1/2 inch round pans in moderate oven (350 degrees) 30 to 35 minutes or till done. (We used a 9 x 13 pan, would have made a difference in the texture of the cake.)

Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely. Frost with your favorite frosting. (I use extra creamy Cool Whip – it’s fast, easy, and no-fail!)

Enjoy!

Dagmar had checked out a Pillsbury Bake-Off Desserts Cookbook from the library, and after drooling through all the amazing pictures, decided to try the Caramel In- Between Cake.

I really don’t want to confess how many pieces I ate! The chocolate- caramel combination is one of my favorites.

Caramel In-Between Fudge Cake

Best of the Pillsbury Bake-Off  Desserts

Filling:

28 caramels (half of 14-oz. bag) up wrapped
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 can (14-oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

Cake:

1 box (19.5 oz.) dark chocolate cake mix with pudding
1 cup water
1 tablespoon shortening, if desired
3 eggs

Frosting and Garnish:

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 envelopes (1 oz. each) premelted unsweetened baking chocolate or 2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate melted
3 tablespoons half-and-half or milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease bottom only of 13X9-inch pan with shortening; lightly flour. In 2-quart saucepan, place all filling ingredients. Cook over medium-low heat about 8 minutes, stirring constantly, until caramels are melted.

2. In large bowl, beat all cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Spread half of batter (about 2 cups) evenly in pan. Bake 20 minutes.

3. Spread filling evenly over partially baked cake; cover with remaining batter. Bake 20-25 minutes longer or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

4. In small bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter, the chocolate, half-and-half and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gradually add powdered sugar, beat 2 or 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Frost cooked cake. Sprinkle almonds over top.

Enjoy!

Two lonely over ripe bananas sitting on my counter were the inspiration for this yummy cake.

The original recipe came from my sister. She had brought one of these freshly baked cakes over after the birth of one of my children, and my husband loved it!

Over the years I have served it with either a burnt sugar frosting or a cream cheese frosting – both were very good. But since I had some left-over chocolate frosting, I decided this recipe needed a little Chocolate Lady make-over!

Some mini chocolate chips and a layer of rich chocolate frosting made this yummy cake a hit for both my banana loving husband and his chocolate loving wife!

Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

2/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2-1/3 c. flour
1-2/3 c. sugar
1-1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup shortening (I used margarine)
2/3 cup mashed bananas
2 eggs
2/3 cup chopped nuts (optional – I used walnuts)
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Put 2 tsp. lemon juice in measuring cup. Add milk to make 2/3 c. Set aside.

In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt.

Add the shortening,  mashed banana and sour milk. Beat 2 minutes.

Add 2 eggs. Beat another 2 minutes. Add the chopped nuts and chocolate chips. Bake in 2 greased and floured 9 inch round pans or a 9 X 13 pan at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

If baking in two round pans, cool 10 minutes and remove.  Cool completely before frost with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1 stick butter (softened)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat the butter and cocoa until smooth, then add the sugar 1 cup at a time beating with each addition. Add milk and vanilla and beat for 3 minutes. Spread on cooled cake.

Enjoy!

All year I’m on the look-out for amazing – but easy – ice cream cake recipes. My criteria is simply – something I don’t have to bake but the kids will love.

Pedro has been quite happy with his ice cream sandwich cake for several years now – but Dagmar has yet to find the perfect cake.

This year I discovered a recipe I had torn out of an old issue of Family Circle magazine. I don’t even know the year or the month of the issue!

Using ice cream sandwiches cut and stacked around the edge and filled with ice cream, the recipe was fancy enough to be pretty, but super easy!  Dagmar loved it!

Layered Ice Cream Cake

15 oreo cookies
1 tablespoon milk
8-9 ice cream sandwiches
3 pints ice cream (we used all chocolate mint – but you could do layers of whatever flavors you wish – such as vanilla and strawberry)
1 – 8 ounce container of Cool Whip

Spray the bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan with cooking spray and line the edges with waxed paper.

Finely crush 12 of the Oreo cookies ina food processor. Add the milk and pulse again. Set aside.

Unwrap the ice cream sandwiches and cut into quarters. Stack strips of sandwiches on end around the edge of the springform pan.  (It is helpful to have someone helping you on this step – the ice cream gets soft fast. I unwrapped and Dagmar cut and placed.) This creates the cool strips around the edge of the cake!

Spoon the cookie crumbs into the bottom of the pan and press firmly over the bottom. Freeze on hour.

Remove the ice cream from the freezer and let it soften for 15 minutes. Carefully spread the ice cream in the crust – using layers if you choose. We just filled the crust with chocolate mint ice cream.

Frost the entire cake with thawed Cool Whip

The recipe called for crushing the remaining 3 Oreos and sprinkling them on top of the Cool Whip – but we wanted more of topping, so we crushed the remaining 3 Oreos with a large Butterfinger bar and sprinkled it over the top.

Return to the freezer – overnight if possible.

Before serving, carefully remove the side of the pan and pull off the waxed paper. Cut into wedges to serve.

Then just sit back and bask in the compliments!

Enjoy!

Our youngest daughter and her 6 children were spending a couple of days with us to make the time go faster while hubby/daddy was in Australia on a business trip.

It was unseasonably cool, in fact almost cold! It just felt like baking weather.

She looked in the pantry and found this recipe taped to the back of a box of chocolate cake mix. (Papa Jim wanted to be sure & make it the next time he got urge to bake!)

It was indeed luscious and a hit with all of us.  It was especially good with the Wiggy’s ice cream that they had brought along!

Luscious Chocolate Cake
(Recipe Papa found on back of cake mix!)

• 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

• 1 cup applesauce

• l cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

• 2 eggs

• 1 package super-moist chocolate cake mix

• ½ cup chopped pecans

• ½ cup vegetable oil

Heat oven to 350°. Grease bottom of 13”x9” pan; lightly flour. Microwave milk and ½ cup of the chocolate chips in small microwavable bowl uncovered on medium about l minute or until chocolate is softened; stir until smooth and set aside.

Beat cake mix & oil on low speed 30 seconds (mixture will be crumbly); reserve 1 cup. Beat applesauce and eggs into remaining cake mixture on low speed 30 seconds (batter will be thick & grainy); beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Spread in pan. Drop melted chocolate mixture by teaspoonfuls over batter, dropping more around edge than in center. Stir remaining ½ cup chocolate chips and the pecans into reserved cake mixture; sprinkle over batter.

Bake 35-45 minutes or until center is set. Run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Cool completely, about 2 hours. Store covered at room temperature. (It does freeze well if you have enough left over!)

Until next time!

Nana Shirley