Black Forest Cake

Cake:

1 pkg chocolate cake mix

1 pkg brownie mix

4 eggs

1½ c water

1 c oil

Chantilly Cream:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

2 c whipping cream

1 c powdered sugar

2 T instant vanilla pudding mix 

1 tsp vanilla

Chocolate Ganache:

½ c heavy cream 

1 c chocolate chips 

Canned cherry pie filling

Chocolate shavings

Preheat oven to 350⁰. Mix all cake ingredients (Do not use the ingredients listed on the back of the box mixes) together & divide batter into two 9" round pans & bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven & let cool. 

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add whipping cream & beat until it's not soupy. Add powdered sugar, pudding mix & vanilla & continue whipping until thick. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

Cut cake layers so you have 4 layers. Place one layer on a cake stand & top with ¼ of the cream mixture & ¼ of the cherries. Repeat remaining cake layers, cream & cherries 3 more times. Frost outside with Chantilly cream. Place chocolate chips in a small bowl. Heat cream in microwave for 30 seconds & pour over chocolate chips. Let sit 5 minutes & stir. Top cake with ganache & decorate with remaining chantilly cream & fresh cherries. Place chocolate shavings on outside of cake. 

Vanilla Custard Cake with Berry Filling

6 cups whole milk, divided

6 egg yolks

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup sugar

1¼ cups cornstarch

7 T butter, room temperature and cubed

2 cups heavy cream, whipped to medium peaks

Fruit Layer:

3 cups frozen cherries (or frozen berries of choice)

½ cup sugar

3 T cornstarch

½ cup water, divided

Powder sugar, for dusting

2 sheets puff pastry

To make the vanilla custard whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until smooth. Whisk in 3/4 cup of the milk. Add the cornstarch, and vanilla. Set aside.

Add the remaining 5 ½ cups of milk into a medium pot and bring to a simmer.

Remove from the heat, and temper about ½ of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, whisking vigorously. Return the mixture to the pot. Place the pot on low heat and cook for a few minutes, whisking constantly until thickened. Bring the custard to a boil for 5 minutes, then remove from heat. Whisk in the room temperature butter.

Transfer the custard to a mixing bowl, cover the top with plastic wrap and set aside until completely cold at room temperature.

In three additions, fold in the whipped heavy cream. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

In a medium pot, combine the cherries, and half of the water. Bring the cherries to a boil. Whisk together the remaining water with the cornstarch to make a smooth slurry. Add the slurry to the boiling fruit, and continue to cook, stirring constantly for 5-8 minutes until the mixture is thick and jammy. Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 425°.

Roll each of the two pieces of the puff pastry into 15x11 inch rectangles. Transfer one rolled pastry onto a baking sheet. Use a fork or sharp knife to prick the pastry all over. Bake for 15 minutes until medium golden color. Repeat the baking process with a second puff pastry sheet.

Set the baked puff pastry sheets aside to cool.

Assembly: 

Place the first baked pastry sheet into a deep baking pan (15x11 inches).

Spread half of the vanilla custard evenly over top of the puff pastry.

Spread the fruit filling evenly over the custard and repeat the same steps with the remaining custard.

Top with the last sheet of baked puff pastry, pressing down gently to adhere it into the custard.

Refrigerate the cake for 1-2 hours to set. Dust with powdered sugar before slicing and serving.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Dump Cake

1 small box instant chocolate pudding mix

2 cups cold milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 box chocolate cake mix

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

½ cup butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350° and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

In a bowl, whisk together the chocolate pudding mix and cold milk until it begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Pour the pudding mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

Drop spoonfuls of peanut butter over the pudding layer, spacing them out across the surface. Do not stir.

Sprinkle the dry chocolate cake mix evenly over the top of the pudding and peanut butter. Again, do not mix.

Scatter the chocolate chips over the top of the dry cake mix.

Drizzle the melted butter as evenly as possible over the entire surface, covering as much of the cake mix as you can.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is set and the edges are bubbling. The center may still be slightly gooey, which is ideal for this style of cake.

9 Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm as is or with vanilla ice cream for an extra indulgent treat.

Pumpkin Cake

Crust:
1 pkg. yellow cake mix (reserve 1 c. for topping)
1 egg
½ c. butter, softened 
Filling:
2 c. pumpkin puree

½ c. sugar
2 ½ t. pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
⅔ c. evaporated milk
Topping:
reserved 1 c. cake mix
¼ c. butter (cold)
¼ c. brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350⁰. Grease a 9x13 pan. Reserve 1 cup of cake mix from the package. In a bowl, combine remaining cake mix, 1 egg & butter. Press mixture into the bottom & up the sides of the pan to form a crust.
Mix together the pumpkin, 2 eggs, sugar, pumpkin pie spice & evaporated milk until blended. Pour over the crust. Combine the brown sugar & reserved 1 c. cake mix, then cut in the butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over filling.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Serve warm with cool whip. Cover loosely (it'll get soggy if you cover it too tight)

Piña Colada Cake

1 yellow cake mix (mix as directed on box)

29 oz can crushed pineapple, in juice

15 oz can coconut cream

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 small pkg vanilla pudding

8 oz Cool Whip, thawed

2 cups sweetened coconut flakes, (toasted in a frying pan for 5-7 min. Watch carefully, it can burn quickly!)

Preheat oven to 350⁰. Prepare cake mix & bake in a 9x13 baking dish.

While cake is baking, drain crushed pineapple into a bowl (saving the juice).

In a separate bowl, whisk together coconut cream, sweetened condensed milk, pudding mix & ½ of the drained pineapple juice.

Once cake is done, take it out of the oven. While cake is still warm, begin poking holes in the top using the handle of a wooden spoon.

Pour pudding mixture evenly over cake. It will look pretty saturated, but don't worry the cake is going to soak it all up. Refrigerate until cool.

Once cake is completely cooled, top with drained crushed pineapple. Spread whipped topping evenly on top.

Sprinkle toasted coconut flakes on top.

Slice and serve. Keep cake refrigerated.

For the cake mix. you can use white, yellow, pineapple or coconut cake mixes. 

Perfect White Cupcakes

Whipped Buttercream Frosting

www.iambaker.net

2 ¾ cups (275 g) cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup unsalted butter, room temp

2 ½ cups (500 g) granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

5 large egg whites

1 cup (225 g) milk, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare muffin tins with liners. (This recipe yields 23 cupcakes.)

In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

With the mixer on the lowest speed, carefully add in egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

With the mixer still on low, add ⅓ of the flour mixture into the creamed mixture, then half the milk, another third of the flour mixture, the remaining milk, and then the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until combined. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Using a ¼ cup ice cream scoop or a ¼ measuring cup, fill each lined muffin cup with the batter.

Bake for 21-23 minutes, or just until the cupcakes start to brown at the edges and the center springs back when touched.

Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Frost with Whipped Buttercream Frosting