Perfect and Easy Chocolate Cake

What you need for the cake:

1 box chocolate cake mix (any brand, any type of chocolate-this time I used Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge)
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water
1 small box instant chocolate pudding
1 cup sour cream (can use light)

Just dump everything into a bowl and mix until combined. Pour into two 9 inch round pans that have been greased and floured (the baking sprays with flour work great). Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

*And guess what: you can use this recipe for any flavor of cake mix-just switch out the pudding flavor.

What you need for the Chocolate Buttercream:

3 sticks butter, softened
2 Tablespoons milk
9 oz. semisweet chocolate (I use chocolate chips and they work great-1 1/2 cups), melted and cooled to lukewarm temp.
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the milk carefully and beat until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and beat well, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat for 3 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat on low speed until creamy and of desired consistency. Before tasting the buttercream, I recommend sitting down. Or, if your kitchen permits, laying down.



From Tiffany Dixon Hansen

Applesauce Cake

APPLESAUCE CAKE

by Vicki Harbertson

1 can applesauce (16 oz. or 2 C.) 1 cup sugar

1/2 cup oil 1 tsp. salt

1 Tb. baking soda 1 Tb. water

2 cup flour 2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. allspice 2 cup raisins (or craisins)

1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 cup nuts (optional)

1/4 tsp. cloves

Dissolve soda in water. Mix soda, applesauce and oil together. Add sugar, salt and spices. Mix in flour, raisins (mixed with a little flour so they don't stick together and sink to the bottom). Bake at 350 degrees Farenheit for 40-45 minutes in a bundt pan. Can serve with icing or caramel sauce and cream.

*This is a great recipe to have for food storage because everything in it is easy to store.

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Delicious Honey Frosting!!

• • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice (or 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon each allspice and cloves)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin puree
  • FOR THE HONEY FROSTING
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, very soft
  • 1 bar (8 ounces) regular (or reduced-fat) cream cheese, very soft
  • 1/4 cup honey

  Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin-pie spice. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, butter, and pumpkin puree until combined. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture, and mix gently until smooth.
  3. Turn batter into prepared pan, and smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool cake 10 minutes in pan, then turn out of pan, and cool completely, right side up, on a rack.
  4. Make Honey Frosting: In a medium bowl, whisk butter, cream cheese, and honey until smooth.
  5. Spread top of cooled cake with honey frosting. Cut cake into squares to serve.

  
  

  
  

  It asks that you use the pumpkin filling from the can, it's the most compatable for this recipe. It's delicious and the frosting is something fresh and new.