Fall Pumpkin Squares

TIME TO BREAK OUT THE FALL PUMPKIN SQUARES. YUM!!
This is the ultimate in fall treats. It is simple and oh so delicious. Always a hit!! It was given to me from a good friend at BYU years ago.

Ingredients:
1 cup oil
2 cups canned pumpkin
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:
Mix all together and pour into a cookie sheet/jelly roll pan.
Bake at 350* for 20-30 minutes (Depending on your oven. Check with toothpick.)

When cool, frost with icing. This icing is amazing.

Icing Ingredients:
Mix together:
8 oz. cream cheese
3/4 stick butter
1 T. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
2 - 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar

Coconut Cake

This cake was good. I don't like coconut but I liked this cake (without the coconut sprinkled on top). I love white and yellow cake so this was a great twist. Super easy and worth a try.

Ingredients:

1 white cake mix

Ingredients for the cake mix

1 small package coconut cream instant pudding

1 can Lopez Coconut Cream (found with the drink mixers)

1 8 oz. cool whip

1 cup coconut

Directions:

Sprinkle the pudding into the cake mix and make the cake according to the package directions. When the cake comes out of the oven, poke holes all over it with the end of a wooden spoon or I used the end of a knife. Pour the coconut cream into the holes. When cooled, frost with cool whip and sprinkle with coconut. Refrigerate.

*I made two round cakes then stacked them. I poked holes in the first layer, poured in some cream and spread cream across that layer then put the top layer on. Poked holes in that layer and put the rest of the cream in. You can make it in any pan. It would even be fun to make cupcakes!

Triple Rich Chocolate Crock Pot Cake

Sounds silly to bake a cake in the crockpot but this cake turned out so moist and delicious. We will do it again!

Ingredients:

1 box Devil's Food Cake mix1 small box (3 oz) Instant Chocolate pudding4 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup water

1 cup sour cream1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Combine all ingredients by hand in a bowl. Pour batter into a greased crock pot. Cover and cook on low heat 5-6 hours or until done in the center. Do not cook on high heat.

**My cake was done in 3-4 hours!

Citrus Frangipan Torte & Citrus Ganache

THIS. IS. SO. GOOD. There's not much else to say about it. Enjoy!

1 7 oz. box Odense Almond Paste
½ cup sugar
1 cube room temperature butter
3 eggs at room temperature
½ cup sifted flour
1 tsp orange zest
1 tsp lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour a tart pan--you can use an 8, 9, or 10 inch pan.

Combine almond paste, sugar and butter in a mixing bowl on low speed. Once combined, beat at high speed for two minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Once all eggs are added, beat on high until the batter is pale yellow and fluffy. This will take two or three more minutes.

Add flour, orange zest and lemon zest, folding by hand into the mixture. Be careful not to overmix. Stir just until flour is incorporated into the wet ingredients.

Pour into tart pan and bake approximately 30 – 32 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool completely.
Remove from pan and drizzle with Citrus ganache.

Citrus Ganache

1 cup heavy cream
2 cups real semisweet chocolate chips
¼ tsp lemon extract
1 tbsp orange juice

Heat cream until just before it comes to a boil. Add chocolate chips and cover with a lid for 5 to 7 minutes. Stir to combine cream and chocolate. Mix in lemon extract and orange juice.

Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Cake

This is one of my favorites for chocolate bundt cake! It made beautiful cupcakes too! I used a triple chocolate fudge cake mix just to add to the indulgence!  Oooooo so chocolatey!!!  Thanks to my sister for sharing this one a long time ago because I couldn't live without it!  If you are not a chocoholic, it also works great with your choice of any cake mix and pudding mix and chips (optional) to match!

Ingredients:
1 chocolate cake mix
1 large chocolate instant pudding
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. water
4 eggs
3/4 bag of chocolate chips

Directions:
Mix dry ingredients. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. For cupcakes, line cupcake tins with paper baking cups and fill 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for about 18 minutes. Cool, drizzle with hershey syrup and dust with powdered sugar, or top with your favorite frosting!

For bundt cake, spray bundt pan and add batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pan and then remove to cool on platter. Drizzle with hershey syrup and dust with powdered sugar!

Orange-Apricot Cake

This is a yummy cake that my sister in law shared with me.  I usually make it as a bundt cake but this time I decided to try it as cupcakes since I'm addicted to these scrumptous little individual size treats, and it worked great!  She usually uses fresh apricot nectar but you can also buy it at the store in the juice section.  I doubled the glaze recipe for the cupcakes.

Ingredients:

1 yellow cake mix

1 3oz. package orange jello

1/2 c. oil

1 1/2 c. apricot nectar

4 eggs

2 t. lemon extract

Directions:

Mix together and beat for 4 minutes.  Pour into paper lined cupcake pans and bake at 350 degrees for about 16 minutes or until tests done with a toothpick.  Cool and then glaze!  Makes about 3 dozen cupcakes.

To make a bundt cake, pour into greased and floured bundt pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until tests done.  Cool 15 minutes and then remove from the pan.  Drizzle glaze over cooled cake! 

Glaze

1 c. powdered sugar

1 T. butter

1 T. lemon juice (optional)

Oreo Cheesecake

I love cheesecake, but hate dealing with springform pans. When I came across this recipe, I had to try it. It was incredibly easy and so tasty!

Ingredients:

1 package Oreos ( 1 lb 2 oz)
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 packages (8 oz. each ) cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with tin foil with foil extending over the ends of the pan. Crush 30 Oreos until finely ground. Add butter. Mix well. Press firmly into bottom of prepared pan.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. (I've found this works better if cream cheese is room temperature--less lumps.) Add sour cream and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Chop remaining cookies. Leave out a few to sprinkle on top and gently mix the rest into the cheesecake batter. Pour over crust. Sprinkle with remaining Oreos.

Bake 45 minutes or until the center is almost set. (You can tell if it is finished by gently jiggling the pan. You want a little movement in the center. Don't stick a knife in or it will crack as it cools.) Cool. Refrigerate for four hours or overnight. Lift cheesecake from the pan with the foil that extended over the side of the pan. Cut and serve. Refrigerate leftovers (if there are any).