German Chocolate Cheesecake

When I was young, my grandmother made me German Chocolat Cake every year for my birthday. Yesterday, we had a 9 year old birthday boy who loves German Chocolate Cheesecake. I also love cheesecake, probally becasue it is not healthy for my figure. This recipe is the best of both worlds. Enjoy!


German Chocolate Cheesecake
INGREDIENTS FOR 16 SERVINGS:
1 Pkg. (18-1/4 ounces) German Chocolate Cake Mix
Ingredients for cake
2 Pkg. Cream Cheese (8 ounces)
1 ½ C. Sugar
4 Eggs
1 Container Coconut Pecan Frosting
INSTRUCTIONS:
Prepare cake batter according to directions; set aside. In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, beat on low speed just until combined. Pour half of the cake batter into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Gently pour cream cheese mixture over batter. Gently spoon remaining batter over top; spread to edge of pan. Bake at 325 for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Frost cooled cake. Refrigerate leftovers.
Comments: I used the Betty Crocker German Chocolate cake mix that has added pudding.

Fresh Tangerine Cake

So this was a recipe that my husband brought home from work that a co-worker had made. He told me that I had to make it. This came to a bit of a surprise because he doesn't like orange ingredients used in my cooking. I gave it a whirl and it was very good. I made it for a cooking class at my house and it was a huge hit. Enjoy!

Fresh Tangerine Cake
INGREDIENTS:
2 ½ C. Flour
1 ¾ C. Sugar
1 ½ tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1.2 tsp. Salt
3 Eggs, Beaten
1 C. Vegetable Oil
8 oz. Sour Cream
1 C. Tangerine Juice
1 Tbs. Tangerine Zest
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray two 9” Cake Pans with Pam. Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add eggs, oil, sour cream, tangerine juice and zest. Mix until well combined. Divide batter between pans evenly, bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely on wire racks before icing.

Tangerine Icing
INGREDIENTS:
½ C. Butter, Softened
8 Oz. Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
6 C. Powdered Sugar
3 Tbs. Tangerine Juice, or More
1 Tbs. Tangerine Zest
INSTRUCTIONS:
Mix together in a large bowl; combine until you get the consistency you desire. This sounds like a lot of icing, but you will use it all. Frost bottom layer of the cake and top with the second layer. Frost the top and around the sides.

A Spring Torte

The Side View..

I have a Pampered Chef Cookbook that I have never made anything our of. I decided to give this recipe a try. I turned out really yummy. It is a perfect dessert for spring!

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Torte
INGREDIENTS FOR 16 SERVINGS:
1 Pkg. (16 oz.) Pound Cake mix (plus ingredients for cake)
1 Large Lemon ¾ C. Boiling Water
1 Pkg. (6 oz.) Lemon Gelatin 1 Pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
1/3 C. Cold Milk 12 oz. Frozen Whipped Topping, Thawed
1 Pkg. (3.4 oz.) Cheesecake Pudding 1 Kiwi, Peeled, Sliced and Cut in Half
1 C. Blueberries
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400. Line a Stoneware Bar Pan with Parchment Paper. Prepare cake mix as directed; pour into pan, spreading evenly. Bake 15-18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean; cool 10 minutes. Using the edges of paper, carefully lift onto cooling rack; cool completely.
Juice lemon to measure ¼ cup juice. Pour boiling water into a small bowl. Add gelatin and 2 Tbs. of the juice; reserve the remaining for cream cheese mixture. Stir until gelatin is dissolved. Prick cake at ½- inch intervals and brush cake evenly with all but 2 Tbs. of the gelatin mixture. Trim
¼-inch. around edge of cake; discard edges. Cut cake into 3 equal layers. In a separate bowl, combine cream cheese and remaining 2 Tbs. lemon juice; whisk until smooth. Add milk; whisk until smooth. Spoon whipped topping over cream mixture (DO NOT MIX). Sprinkle with pudding mix; mix well until smooth (Mixture will be thick). Place 1 cake layer on a platter. Attach open star tip to a decorator bag; fill with filling mixture. Pipe a straight border around the edge of cake layer. Place 4 scoops of filling down center; spread evenly to border. Top with second layer and repeat as above. For third layer, pipe a decorative border around edge. Spread any remaining filling sown center. Arrange kiwi slices on the top of cake. Add blueberries to reserve gelatin mixture; mix gently. (If gelatin mixture has set, microwave on High for 5-10 seconds or until softened.) Spoon blueberries over top of cake; sprinkle with reserved zest. Garnish with lemon slices and mint leaves, if desired.

Work Gifts

Here is what I made for my husbands' coworkers. They are really yummy. I had a hard time not eating them all myself.
Here is the link to the recipe.
http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/recipe/buttermilk-cupcakes-in-a-jar?&backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/fancy-cupcakes?#slide_5

The Most AMAZING Cheesecake ever!

Layered Turtle Cheescake
By Melissa Maseda
INGREDIENTS FOR 12 SERVINGS:
1 C. Flour

1/3 C. Packed Brown Sugar
¼ C. Finely Chopped Pecans

6 Tbs. Cold Butter
Filling:

4 Pkg. Cram Cheese, Softened
1 C. Sugar

1/3 C. Brown Sugar
¼ C. plus 1 Tbs. Flour, Divided

2 Tbs. Heavy Whipping Cream
1 ½ tsp. Vanilla Extract

½ C. Milk Chocolate Chips, Melted and Cooled
1/3 C. Chopped Pecans

¼ C. Caramel Ice Cream Topping
Ganache:

½ C. Milk Chocolate Chips
¼ C. Heavy Whipping Cream

2 Tbs. Chopped Pecans
Garnish:

Pecan Halves
Caramel Ice Cream Topping
INSTRUCTIONS:
Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan. In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar and pecans; cut in butter until crumbly. Press onto the bottom of prepared pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 12-15 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugars until smooth. Beat in 1/4 cup flour, cream and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Remove 1 cup batter to a small bowl; stir in melted chocolate until blended. Spread over crust. Combine caramel topping and remaining flour; stir in pecans. Drop by tablespoonfuls over chocolate batter. Top with remaining batter. Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan.
Bake at 325° for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. For ganache, place chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chips; whisk until smooth. Cool slightly, stirring occasionally. Spread over cheesecake. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Refrigerate until set. Garnish with pecan halves and additional caramel topping if desired.
COMMENTS: I left out the pecans out of the filling and did not use them for garnish. Though we may be nuts, my family doesn’t enjoy eating a ton of nuts.

Monkey Cupcakes

Here are the cupcakes that I made for my daughters birthday. She had a monkey party. We had these cupcakes and banana splits.

Batty Bats

Here is the pictures of the cupcakes that I made for my kidos classes. It was a crazy day. I went to Pilate's and then baked and decorated 80 cupcakes. They turned out really cute.

A Zucchini Avalanche

I am back at it again. For anyone who has ever grown Zucchini, you know that a family of 6 only needs 1 plant. Well I have several - NOT SURE WHAT I WAS THINKING!!
Everyone seems to have their own zucchini - so who do you give it all to. Everyone, it appears, already knows what to do with it: Leave it on a neighbor's porch in the middle of the night. I haven't tried this yet. We have just tired to use it up, which has been hard since I am the only one that will eat it as a vegetable at dinner. I do have a husband that will eat a few bites to set an example to our kids and I have 1 daughter that just tolerates it. We have to get creative with our uses.
So here are some new recipes:

Chocolate Zucchini Bread
1 ½ C. Shredded Zucchini
2/3 C. Sugar
¼ C. Milk
1 Egg
2 Tbs. Honey
2 Tbs. Oil
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
½ tsp. Ground Cloves
1 1/3 c. Flour
¾ tsp. Baking Powder
½ tsp. Baking Soda
1/8 tsp. Salt
½ C. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
½ C. Chocolate Chips
Powdered Sugar, Optional
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Pat shredded zucchini dry with paper towels. In a bowl, combine sugar, milk, egg, oil, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and cloves. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa. Add the zucchini, milk mixture and chocolate chips to the flour. Stir until moistened. Scrape into loaf pan and bake until a wooden pick inserted comes out clean, 33-45 minutes depending on the oven. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove and cool completely on a rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar on top, if desired.

My kids LOVED this recipe.





Pineapple Zucchini Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
1 ½ C. Flour
1¼ C. Sugar
½ C. Sweetened Flaked Coconut
2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Cinnamon
3 Tbs. Canola Oil 2 Large Eggs
1 Tsp. Vanilla
2 C. Grated (unpeeled) Zucchini
1 (20 Oz.) Can Crushed Pineapple In Juice, Drained (reserve In Case You Need It For The Cake Batter Or The Frosting)
FROSTING :
2 Tbs. Butter, Softened 2 C. Powdered Sugar
8 Ounces Low-fat Cream Cheese, Softened (can Use Full-fat Cream Cheese)
2 Tsp. Vanilla
Splash Of Milk Or Pineapple Juice, If Necessary
Preheat oven to 350°. To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, coconut, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Combine oil, eggs, and vanilla; stir well. Stir egg mixture, grated zucchini, and pineapple into flour mixture. Batter will be stiff and dry but keep folding it and it will all come together. If it still seems too dry, just add a little splash of the pineapple juice.
Spoon batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for about 33-35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs and cake is pulling away from sides of pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.
To prepare frosting, combine butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla just until smooth. Add a splash of milk or pineapple juice if necessary. Spread frosting over top of cake. You can garnish with chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired.
NOTES : If your zucchini are huge, scrape the seeds out of the center before you shred it so it’s not too watery. Also, I spread it all out on layers of paper towel to drain it and dry it off a bit. Then I measure out 2 cups. Not sure if this is critical though. Nuts can also be added to the cake batter if desired. This recipe makes a very generous amount of frosting.
And this recipe can be turned into a Carrot Cake just by substituting shredded carrots for the zucchini.

This recipe came from The Tasty Kitchen - The Pioneer Woman's recipe web sight. You should check it out.

Too much Zucchini...

What to do with to much Zucchini?


One Zucchini plant is enough Zucchini for a family of 6. Well, bought a pack of seeds. I planted 2 plants in our back yard. We have had a few Zucchini from them. However, we have another garden out in the country on some friends property. I planted the rest of the pack of seeds. All of the plants seemed to all come up and are doing amazing. Which means we are already sick of Zucchini. I have already given away a ton. We are going to have people hiding from us when we go to thier doors because they don't want any more Zuccini. So if you have this problem or maybe would just like some ideas for your Zuccini, here are a few recipes to help you out.

ROASTED VEGETABLES
From The Kitchen of Jamie Hurren
Comments: use any variation of veggies
INGREDIENTS:
Cubed and chopped veggies of choice (red potatoes, carrots, zucchini, squash, broccoli, peppers, onions, etc)
Olive oil
½ tsp salt
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
¼ tsp pepper
lots of granulated onion or real onions
DIRECTIONS:
Mix all in bowl.
Transfer to 9x13 pan.
Bake 375 for 30-3 minutes or until tender.


Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake
From the kitchen of Julie Mustard
½ C. Margarine
4 Tbs. Cocoa
½ C. Vegetable Oil
1 Tsp. Baking Soda
1 ¾ C. Sugar
½ tsp. Baking Powder
2 Eggs
½ tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Vanilla
½ tsp. Salt
½ C. Butter milk
2 C. Grated Zucchini
2 ½ C. Flour
Cream margarine, oil, and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and blend again. Add dry ingredients, alternating with milk. Mix in zucchini. Spread into a 9 x 13 pan. Top with ½ C. chocolate chips, ½ C. Brown Sugar and ½ C chopped pecans. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Can be lightly dusted with powdered sugar.

Zucchini Bread
From My Grandmother who is my cooking inspiration.
Grease & Flour 2 loaf pans or 1 cake pan
Beat Together:
1 C. Vegetable Oil
1 C. Sugar
3 Eggs
Then Add:
2 ½ C. Washed and grated Zucchini
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
3 C. Flour
3 tsp. Cinnamon
¼ tsp. Baking Powder
Pour into pans and bake on 350 for 60 minutes.

I have also grated Zucchini in sloppy Joes and Spaghetti. My family never knew. Pretty sneeky - I know!

Pound Cake

Spring is here! I past by our produce stand and I saw that they had strawberries on sale. They were pretty good for being so early in the season. What better to go with fresh strawberries than a yummy pound cake.




Here is the Recipe:

The Perfect Pound Cake
3 Sticks Butter
1-8oz. Cream Cheese
3 C. Sugar
6 Eggs
3 C. Flour
¼ tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 Container Cream Cheese Frosting (melt in the microwave)
Soften butter and cream cheese. Cream together. Add sugar and mix well for 5 minutes. Add eggs one and a time and mix after each one. Add salt and vanilla and mix well. Next, add flour 1 cup at a time mixing well after each. Pour into a prepared bunt pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes. When finished cool slightly and pour melted frosting over top. Serve with fresh berries.
From the kitchen of Katie Banz