Vanilla Bundt Cake

One thing I love about Trinity is that I can try a new recipe out on our friends here, and they are always appreciative (or at least forgiving). I served this at our Lenten Fish supper on March 21.  I had received a jar of Dark Chocolate Sour Cherry sauce (from Tait Farms) as a gift, and thought it would make a good cake topper, so I scoured the internet for recipes that included things I had in my pantry and wouldn't have to leave the house to find. I saw various incarnations of this recipe over and over again, so I figured I likely wouldn't strike out with this one.

I was right. The cake was super moist and tasty, and didn't have that "box cake" flavor. (But it was from a box!) The sauce complimented it perfectly; not too sweet, but interesting and flavorful. It would also be great with fresh berry coulis or a drizzle of nutella. I think this method would work with just about any flavor of cake mix. It really made it rich and delicious.

Vanilla Bundt Cake
made by Ronica, recipe from various internet sources

1 (18.25 oz) package yellow cake mix
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
(original recipe included a teaspoon of vanilla extract, but I had my kids helping me and forgot about that. It had plenty of flavor without it.)

Preheat oven to 350F, and lightly grease a bundt or 9x13 pan.
Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl and mix on low speed about a minute. Increase speed to high and mix about 2 minutes, until well mixed, scraping down bowl as needed.
Pour into pan, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (or with a few moist crumbs), about 30-35 minutes for a 9x13, 40-42 minutes for a bundt.
Let cool, and if bundt, turn out of pan after about 10 minutes.

Frost as desired or just serve with sauce or topping of choice.

Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bars

Lena made these for a recent coffee hour, and they were absolutely delicious! (I had 2.) She got the recipe from the Kraft foods site, linked at the bottom. Nice to have a taste of summer--right now, I think we could all use that!

Lemon-Blueberry Crumb Bars

What You Need

1/2 cup butter
1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
2 eggs, divided
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. zest and 3 Tbsp. juice from 1 lemon
2-1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Make It

Heat oven to 350ºF. Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Microwave butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 to 1-1/2 min. or until melted. Add dry cake mix and 1 egg; beat with mixer until blended. Press 2/3 of the dough onto bottom of prepared pan.
Beat cream cheese and sugar with mixer until blended. Add remaining egg, zest and juice; mix well. Pour over crust; top with berries. Pinch small pieces of the remaining dough between your fingers; press lightly into cream cheese layer.
Bake 48 to 50 min or until center is set. Cool completely. Refrigerate at least 1 hr before cutting. Use foil handles to lift dessert from pan before cutting into bars.

http://www.kraftfoods.com

Holiday Rum Cake

by Ronica Skarphol Brownson

This cake was made famous by the Bacardi company, and has become a popular one for the holidays. My husband's Grandma Mitzi made it every year, and it wouldn't be Christmas in our house without it! It stays moist and delicious for a long time due to the preservative qualities of the rum and butter glaze, and stays nice in the refrigerator or the freezer. It is one you can mail or give as a gift, and it's always a popular dessert. You can cook the glaze longer to make sure to rid it of the alcohol if you like, but it won't be as tasty or stay quite as moist if you do. I say leave it in. 

• ---Cake---
• 1 cup chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts
• 1 18-1/2 ounce yellow cake mix
• one 3.4 ounce package (4-serving size) instant vanilla pudding mix  

If your cake mix has pudding in it, you can skip the added pudding and reduce the number of eggs to 3 and the amount of oil to 1/3 cup.

• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup Bacardi dark or gold rum

• ---Glaze---
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup Bacardi dark or gold rum

Preparation:

Cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt or tube pan. (Or use Wilton Cake Release. I love that stuff! Works on my most intricate pans.) Sprinkle nuts on bottom of pan. Combine all cake ingredients. Beat for 2 minutes on high with electric mixer. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert on serving plate. Prick top with fork or knife. Drizzle glaze (recipe follows) over top of the cake. Use brush or spoon to put extra dripping back on cake. Easiest to slice with a serrated knife.

Glaze: Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Note: The rum will cause steam. Be careful not to burn yourself. 

Rice Krispie Squares/Scotcheroos

By Kathy Brasier Sikorski

She calls them Rice Krispie Squares, to me they are Scotcheroos. Either way, they are fantastic. Perfect with a cup of hot coffee (to wash the sticky off your teeth.) So good!

Rice Krispie Squares
1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup (white)
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups Rice Krispies
1 pkg chocolate chips
1 pkg butterscotch chips

Combine sugar and corn syrup and large pan. Heat to rolling boil. Remove from heat; stir in peanut
butter. Add cereal. Press into 13x9 pan. Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips together. Spread over
cereal mixture. Cool completely.