Strawberry cheesecake

1/3 cup oats
1/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup vanilla carb masters yogurt (any greek yogurt would work)
1/3 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/2 fresh cut strawberries
1 TB of chia seeds
1 TB of strawberry sugar free jam
Splenda pack, cinnamon, nutmeg and touches of ginger + salt

In the morning I threw in...
1 TB of vanilla protein powder
1 TB of ground flax
1 TB of dark chocolate chips

What I got was an awesome set of oats with the flavor of strawberry cheescake (+dark chocolate).   I think the flax and the other spices combined nicely to make the graham cracker crust flavor without having to add an actual cracker.  That makes the calories around 400...with generalizations made...

(http://fatboysnacks.blogspot.com/)

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Lemon drop cake

Ingredients

1box Betty Crocker™ SuperMoist™ lemon cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
1cup powdered sugar
1/4cup fresh lemon juice (1 large lemon)
1container Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy lemon frosting
Lemon drop candies, crushed, if desired

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Line two 8-inch square pans with foil, letting foil hang 2 inches over 2 opposite sides of pans. Grease or spray bottoms and sides of foil.
Make cake batter as directed on box. Pour into pans. Bake 25 to 32 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes.
In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and lemon juice. Poke top of warm cake every 1/2 inch with long-tined fork, wiping fork occasionally to reduce sticking. Drizzle and spread lemon mixture over top of cake. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled. Remove cakes from pans by lifting with foil; peel away foil.
In small microwavable bowl, microwave frosting uncovered on High 15 seconds. On serving plate, place 1 cake, rounded side down; trim if necessary so layer rests flat. Spread with half of frosting. Top with second cake, rounded side up. Frost top of cake with remaining frosting. Garnish with lemon drop candies. Store loosely covered.

(www.tablespooon.com)

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Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Cream Frosting Recipe

BEST. CAKE. and FROSTING. EVER. It’s like strawberry shortcake but better. I just can’t say enough about this recipe.

Ingredients

Frosting -

2 8-oz packages of cream cheese, room temperature (I used low-fat)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

4 cups powdered sugar

½ cup seedless strawberry jam

¾ cup chilled heavy whipping cream

Cake -

3 cups cake flour

¾ tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

3 cups sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

7 large eggs

2 TBSP vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream (I used low fat)

6 TBSP plus ⅓ cup seedless strawberry jam

2¼ lbs strawberries, hulled, sliced (about 6 cups), divided

Instructions

FROSTING: Put a small/medium bowl in the freezer to chill. In a separate large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in sugar, then jam. Remove that chilled bowl from the freezer and beat cream in that chilled bowl until peaks form. Fold whipped cream into frosting. Cover; chill for a couple of hours until it’s firm enough to spread. (If you are in a hurry, you could put the frosting in the freezer to chill quickly.)

CAKE: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans with 2-inch high sides. (I used 10″ cheesecake pans – aka springform pans – because they were the only round pans I had with high enough sides and they worked great!) In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add sour cream, and beat for 30 seconds. Add flour mixture in three additions, beating to blend after each addition. Divide batter into prepared pans.

Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pans, then turn cakes out onto a rack to cool completely. I threw the two cake layers in the freezer for about an hour to make the cake assembly easier.

Using a serrated knife, divide each layer in half horizontally. Place one half, cake side down, on a cake plate.

Spread 3 TBSP of strawberry jam over the cake, then spread ¾ c of the frosting over the jam. Arrange ¾ c of the sliced strawberries on top of the frosting in a single layer. Repeat two more times with cake layer, jam, frosting, and strawberries.

Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down. Spread two cups of frosting over the top and sides of the cake in a thin layer, then frost with remaining frosting. Stir remaining jam to loosen, then spoon teaspoonfuls onto the top and sides of the cake. Use the back of a spoon to swirl jam decoratively into the frosting. This recipe makes a very big 4-layer cake that will feed a lot of people. It says it has 12 servings but I definitely think it feeds even more!

(http://www.treatmentwithherbs.com/)

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Make a typical Danish sponge cake

Sponge cake
Makes one 8" cake to serve 12

4 large eggs (250 grams egg in total)
165 grams sugar
120 grams flour
30 grams cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
60 grams melted, cooled butter

Start by melting and cooling the butter. Preheat the oven to 190 C (375 F). Prepare an 8" round pan by brushing it with melted butter. Use a springform with removable bottom. This will help you assemble the cake later on.

Beat eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for several minutes until sugar is completely dissolved and a thick mousse has formed. When you drop a ribbon of batter from the beaters, it should be visible for about 30 seconds. This is very important!
Add the sifted flour and cocoa in 3 parts and gently fold into the eggs. Use a large slotted spoon or a large whisk for this, taking care not to overmix and deflate the batter. Add the butter with the last flour.

Immediatly pour into the pan and bake for about 35 minutes, depending on your oven. Do not open the oven door the first 20 minutes, or your cake might fall. Test with a toothpick to see if its done, and let it cool a bit in the pan before flipping it out on a rack to cool completely.

While it cools, you can make the strawberry mousse.

Strawberry mousse
500 grams strawberries (frozen, thawed strawberries are best)
100 grams sugar
½ vanilla bean
4 gelatin sheets

250 ml heavy cream

Heat the strawberries, the sugar and the vanilla bean gently in a saucepan. Let it simmer until the berries are mushy, about 10 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean, split it and scrape the seeds into the pan. With an immersion blender, puree the strawberries. Remove from heat.
Soak the gelatin sheets for around 10 minutes and shake off excess water. Melt the sheets in the warm strawberry puree. Stir until they have melted completely and let the puree cool to room temp. Put it in the fridge for faster cooling, but be careful that it doesn't set.
Whip the cream to stiff peaks and fold into the strawberries. The mousse is ready to fill into the cake now.

With a large serrated knife, split the sponge into 3 thin layers (about ½ inch). Put the bottom layer into the springform. The cake will be assembled upside down. Spread half the strawberry filling on top of the cake. Add another layer and spread the other half of the filling on top of it. Top with the third and last layer. Make sure the cake is level. Wrap everything in plastic wrap and refridgerate overnight or at least 5 hours. The gelatin will set and make the cake stable.

Take the cake out of the fridge and remove the plastic wrap. Run a spatula along the edge to loosen the cake from the springform. Place a cake board on top and flip the whole thing over. Don't worry, this cake is light as a feather. Remove the springform and you now have a perfect sponge cake. Unfortunately the filling smeared a bit and is hiding the middle layer on the photo, but if you look closely you can see it's there.

For the glaze mix 1 eggwhite with as much powdered sugar as it takes to make a thick glaze. It should be runny enough to flatten in about 10 seconds, but not so runny that you can see the cake through it. Thin with water if needed.
If you have a favorite cookie glaze, by all means use it. It's the same thing.
Take a few tablespoons of the glaze and tint it red. Put it in a piping bag with a #3 tip. Spread the white glaze over the top of the cake. With the red glaze, pipe a spiral on top. It should flatten out and "merge" with the white glaze if you have the right consistency.
To make the spiderweb pattern: Mark 10 or 12 points on the cake. Draw lines with a knife from the edge to the middle. Between these lines, drag the knife from the middle to the edge. Easy!

Beat 100 ml heavy cream with 2 tbsp powdered sugar and a bit of vanilla to make creme chantilly. Put it in a piping bag with a 1M star tip and pipe large rosettes all the way around the edge. Place a rosette in the middle. The cake is now ready to eat.
It is highly perishable and must be kept in the fridge, where it will last 2 days max.

(http://sugarteachers.blogspot.com/)

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Strawberries and Cream Angel Food Cake Roll

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

• 9 egg whites
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ¾ cup cake flour
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

For the Filling:

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
• 6 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups diced strawberries

Powdered sugar, for dusting top of cake (optional)
Directions:

1. Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, line a 15×10-inch baking pan with waxed paper; lightly coat paper with cooking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

3. Add vanilla and cream of tartar to egg whites; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Fold in flour, ¼ cup at a time.

4. Carefully spread batter into prepared pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes.

5. Dust a clean kitchen towel with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar. Turn the cake out onto the kitchen towel. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the cream on medium speed until it begins to thicken. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; increase the speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form. Gently fold in the strawberries. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

5. Unroll cooled cake; spread filling to within ½-inch of edges (you will have some filling leftover). Roll up again. Place seam side down on a serving plate; sprinkle with additional powdered sugar, if desired. Serve with any leftover strawberries and cream filling. Store leftovers, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator.


(browneyedbaker.com)

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Low-Fat Raspberry Summer Sensation

• 2 cups raspberry sorbet, softened
• 1 pkg. (1 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Fat Free Sugar Free Instant Pudding
• 1 cup cold fat-free milk
• 1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Sugar Free Whipped Topping, thawed
• 1 cup fresh raspberries

Directions:

SPOON sorbet into foil-lined 9x5-inch loaf pan; freeze 10 min.

BEAT pudding mix and milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir
in COOL WHIP; spread over sorbet.

FREEZE 3 hours or until firm. Unmold onto plate; remove foil. Let
dessert stand 10 min. to soften slightly before slicing to serve. Top
with berries.

(http://www.kraftrecipes.com)

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Passion Fruit Mousse Cake Recipe

For the Cake:

1 plain white cake mix
3 eggs
2 egg whites
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup water
For the Passion Fruit Mousse:
1/3 cup water
2 packets unflavored gelatin
1 1/4 cup fresh or frozen passion fruit pulp
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons rum or pisco
5 egg whites
For the Passion Fruit Syrup:

3/4 cup fresh or frozen passion fruit pulp
3/4 cup sugar
For the Whipped Cream Frosting:
2 cups whipping cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
How to make Passion Fruit Mousse Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, add the cake mix, 3 eggs, 2 egg whites, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1/3 cup buttermilk, and 1/3 cup water. Mix for 2 minutes or until well blended.
Line the bottoms of 2 9-inch cake pans with wax paper, and divide the cake mix between the 2 pans.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the center of the cake springs back when lightly pressed.
Let cakes cool 10 to 15 minutes in the pans. Run a knife around the edge of the cakes and flip them out of the pans. Set aside to cool.
While the cakes are baking, make the mousse: Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and set aside for 5 minutes. Microwave for 15 seconds or until gelatin is dissolved (do not overheat). Whisk the melted gelatin into the passion fruit pulp and set aside.
Make the cake soaking syrup: Bring 3/4 cup passion fruit pulp and 3/4 cups sugar to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, and remove from heat. Let cool and set aside. When cool, stir in 2 tablespoons rum.
Make the italian meringue: Add egg whites to the clean bowl of a standing mixer. In a saucepan, bring 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil. Boil for 3 to 4 minutes, until the syrup starts to thicken and the bubbles are popping slowly.
Until the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.
Slowly add the hot sugar mixture to the egg whites. Pour syrup in a thin stream down the side of the bowl to prevent splattering. Work carefully to avoid burns.
Beat the meringue on high speed for 2 minutes, then reduce the speed to low and continue to beat so that the meringue will cool.
While the meringue cools, beat the whipping cream until very soft peaks form. Do not overbeat.
Fold the the passion fruit/gelatin mix gently into the egg whites. Do not overmix.
Whisk a small amount of the meringue/passion fruit mixture into the whipped cream, then gently fold all of the whipped cream back into the meringue mixture.
Slice each cake layer in half horizontally, so that you have 4 layers. Line the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with a circle of wax paper. Butter the inside of the springform pan.
Place one cake layer, cut side up, in the bottom of the springform pan. Brush the cake with 1/4 of the syrup. Spread 1/3 of the mousse over the cake.
Cover mousse with another cake layer, and brush cake with syrup. Spread another 1/3 of the mousse over the cake.
Continue to layer, ending with the fourth cake layer. Press cake down gently into the pan. Brush top of cake with syrup. Chill thoroughly – at least 4 hours to overnight.
Pop the side of springform pan off of cake in one quick motion. Gently lift ring off, leaving cake on base.
Add sugar to remaining whipped cream, and beat until stiff peaks form. Stir in vanilla. Spread whipped cream around sides of cake and on top. You can also use a pastry bag with star tip to pipe the whipped cream onto the top of the cake. Decorate with fruit, and serve chilled.

(http://www.evernewrecipes.com/)

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Dreamy White Chocolate & Raspberry Cupcakes Recipe

Ingredients

• 120g Butter
• 120g Caster Sugar
• 2 Medium Eggs
• 120g Self Raising Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 100g Halved Raspberry’s
• 50g White Chocolate Chips

For the Ganache

• 80ml Double Cream
• 20g Butter
• 100g White Chocolate (chopped)

Method : 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180oc and line your bun tin with cake cases.

2. Mix together the butter and sugar.

3. Add one egg and a little flour and mix. Then add the next egg, a little flour and mix.

4. Once both eggs are mixed in add the rest of the flour and give it all a good stir.

5. Add the vanilla extract, halved raspberry’s and white chocolate chips and give your mixture a final stir.

6. Divide your mixture in to the bun cases and bake for around 25 mins icon smile (If your unsure if they are ready just prick with a fork and if the fork comes out clean then they are done)

7. Once your cakes are cooked, leave to cool and then lets start the gorgeous ganache!

8. In a pan heat together the butter and sugar until very warm but not boiling. Pour your melted mixture over the chopped white chocolate (chop the chocolate in to fairly small pieces so they melt) and leave for 2 mins then stir and make sure all chocolate has melted! (If your chocolate isn’t melting – like mine as I didn’t chop the chocolate – Just put the bowl over a pan of hot water and let it melt down)

9. Leave your ganache to cool for a good hour then give it a good whip with a wooden spoon which should thicken it up nicely so you can pipe icon smile Pipe a little bit of ganache on top of your cakes, top with a raspberry and finely dust with icing sugar. There you have it, gorgeous elegant & romantic cakes icon smile

(http://www.cookbakeeat.com/)

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Hidden Dark Chocolate & Orange Cake Recipe

Ingredients

• 260g / 6oz Butter
• 260g / 6oz Self Raising Flour
• 260g / 6oz Sugar
• 4 Eggs
• Zest of 2 Oranges
• Squeeze of Fresh Orange Juice
• Dash of Milk
• Dash of ‘Tangerine’ Colouring

For the Ganache

• 240g / 6oz Dark Chocolate
• 200ml Double Cream
• A small knob of Butter (this will make the chocolate shine)

Method 

1. Preheat your oven to 180oc or gas mark 4 and line your cake tins with butter or baking paper.

2. Whisk together the butter and sugar till fluffy.

3. Add one egg and a little bit of flour and mix. Add the remaining eggs, one at a time adding a little bit of flour every time (this prevents the mixture from curdling).

4. Add the remaining flour and mix.

5. Grate your oranges and add  the zest to the mix, with half of one of the oranges add a dash of orange juice and mix. Add a small dash of milk, mix. Finally add your food colouring and mix.

6. Split your mixture in to the the two cake tins and pop in the oven for around 30 – 40 mins. To test if they are ready prick your cake with a fork, if the the fork comes out clean they are ready, if the fork comes out with sticky mixture on it then leave your cakes a little longer :).

7. Once your cake is cooked, leave to  completely cool before spreading on the ganache.

8. To make the ganache put a bowl over a pan of boiling water.Hidden Dark Chocolate Orange Cake Recipe 4 Add the chocolate to the bowl and let it start to melt. Once it’s begun to melt add your cream and mix till you have a nice smooth mixture. Add the butter and again melt it in and mix. Now you can do several things with ganache, you can eiher drizzle it over your cake whilst runny or leave it to cool and it will thicken on it’s own (can take a while). With this Hidden Chocolate & Orange Cake Recipe I let the ganache cool a little (around 15mis) and then I whipped it till it was a thick mixture that I could spoon on without it running. I then spooned the ganache in the middle of the cake and then covered the whole cake in ganache, giving it a rough ‘whipped’ look. It’s up to you how you would like to use the ganache it will still taste just as good.

(http://www.cookbakeeat.com/)

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Apricot Cream Cheese Babka

INGREDIENTS:
For the Dough:

• 1¾ cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• Pinch of salt
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• ⅓ cup whole milk, lukewarm
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the Apricot Filling:

• 1½ cups dried apricots
• ½ cup orange juice
• ⅓ cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

For the Cream Cheese Filling:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

For the Streusel:

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 4½ teaspoons light brown sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 3½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the Egg Wash:

• 1 egg
• Pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:
1. Make the Dough: Place the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir on medium-low speed for a minute or so to combine. Add the egg, milk, vanilla and butter and mix on medium speed until a smooth dough forms, about 5 minutes. Form into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a draft-free area until doubled in volume (about 1 hour). While the dough rests, make the fillings and streusel.

2. Make the Apricot Filling: Combine the dried apricots, orange juice, lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apricots soften and the liquid is reduced by half. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. Once cool, transfer the mixture to a food processor and process until a puree forms. Set aside at room temperature.

3. Make the Cream Cheese Filling: In a medium bowl, stir the cream cheese and sugar with a wooden spoon until smooth and lump-free. Add the egg yolk, vanilla extract and salt, and stir to combine. Set aside at room temperature.

4. Make the Streusel: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars and salt. Add the butter and mix with a rubber spatula until the mixture comes together into large, coarse crumbs. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

5. Assemble the Babka: Lightly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan; set aside.

6. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a 10x24-inch rectangle, with the long edge facing you. Spread the apricot filling evenly over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border along all of the edges. Spread the cream cheese filling over the apricot filling.

7. Starting with the bottom edge, roll the dough into the middle of the rectangle, then do the same with the top edge so that the two rolls meet in the center. Visualize the long cylinder divided into three equal lengths. Fold the left third over onto the middle third. Then, fold the right third over the middle third. Pick up the dough and turn it over so the seam is on the bottom. Then, holding each end, gently twist it in the middle and place it in the prepared pan.

8. Whisk together the egg and salt for the egg wash and brush it over the babka. Lightly cover the pan with plastic wrap and place it in a draft-free area until it is doubled in size, 1½ to 2 hours.

9. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the babka once again with the egg wash and sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top, pressing lightly so the crumbs adhere to the babka. Bake until the top is a deep golden brown, about 50 minutes. Cool the bread in the pan set on a wire rack for 25 minutes, then unmold the bread from the pan (some of the streusel may fall off) and place on the wire rack to cool completely. The bread will keep, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.

(http://www.browneyedbaker.com/)

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APPLE DUMPLINGS

INGREDIENTS:
For the Pastry:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
• ⅓ cup ice water

For the Apples:

• 8 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
• 8 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 7 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

For the Sauce:

• 1½ cups light brown sugar
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup salted butter, cubed

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make the Pastry Dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the shortening until the mixture is crumbly. Gradually add the ice water, tossing the mixture with a fork, until the dough forms a cohesive mass. Divide the dough into eight equal portions, wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

3. Assemble the Apples: Roll each portion of dough on a lightly floured work surface into a 7-inch square. Place an apple in the center of each square. Place 1 teaspoon of butter and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon-sugar mixture in the center of each apple.

4. Gently bring up the corners of the pastry to the center of each apple; pinch the edges to seal. Place the pastry-encased apples in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture.

5. Make the Sauce: In a large saucepan, combine the brown sugar, water and butter over medium-high heat until it just begins to boil, stirring occasionally. Pour the sauce evenly over the apples.

6. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until the apples are tender and the pastry is golden brown, basting occasionally with the sauce. These are best served warm immediately after baking.

(http://www.browneyedbaker.com/)

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Chocolate-covered Strawberry Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS:

Cheesecake:

• 9 oz. chocolate wafer cookies (I use animal crackers)
• 15-20 Nilla Wafers
• 1/4 c. margarine (melted)
• 2 (8oz.) packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese (softened)
• 1/2c. sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 c. white chocolate chips (melted)
• 1 c. heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp. margarine (melted)
• 3 tsp. vanilla

Toppings:

• 1 1/2c. heavy whipping cream (divided)
• 1c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 15-20 medium strawberries
• one bag (12 oz.) Wilton White Candy Melts
• one bag (12 oz) Wilton Dark Candy Cocoa Melts
• 1/3c. powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:
Cheesecake:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Crush cookies into fine crumbs and add melted margarine.  Combine well and press into the bottom of a 9-Inch Springform Pan
.
Gently press Nilla wafers upright along the edges of the crust.
Beat softened cream cheese with sugar until smooth.
Add eggs one at a time, beating in between each one.
Add remaining cheesecake ingredients, beating until smooth.
Pour into crust and allow to sit at room temp for 30 minutes.
Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 60 minutes.
Turn off oven, open oven door a little and allow to sit for another 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and run knife around edge of pan.  Remove edge of pan.
Allow cheesecake to come to room temperature and then refrigerate overnight.

Toppings:
CHOCOLATE:  Put 1/2c. whipping cream into saucepan and heat justuntil bubbling at edges.  Turn heat off, add chocolate chips, cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, stir until smooth.
Pour over top of cheesecake and allow this to harden.

STRAWBERRIES: Take the top off each strawberry and wash well.  Allow these to dry completely on paper towel.
Melt both dark and white chocolate candy melts in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until completely melted.
Gently dip strawberries in chocolate (half in dark and half in white).  Use a fork to drain away excess chocolate and set on parchment paper to harden.
Put remaining melted chocolate in ziplock bags.  Clip a corner and drizzle each strawberry with its opposite color.
Allow these to completely harden.
Add powdered sugar to remaining cup of  whipping cream and whip with mixer (you could use Cool Whip to save time on this part).
Spoon whipped cream into a zip-lock bag with a decorative tip added into one corner.
Gently place hardened dipped strawberries on cheesecake.
Pipe whipped cream around edges and between berries.
Keep chilled.  Serve the same day as you place the berries (they will eventually get “soggy”  if they sit too long.
ENJOY!!!

(http://easybaked.net/)

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Strawberry Lemonade Layer Cake

INGREDIENTS:

• One box of strawberry cake mix (plus oil, water and eggs as directed on box)
• 8oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese (softened to room temp.)
• 1 packet (0.23oz.) of Kool-Aid Lemonade
• Yellow food coloring gel (as desired for color)
• 2cups Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme
• 8 oz. Cool Whip Topping
• Fresh strawberries to garnish.

DIRECTIONS:

• Make cake according to box and bake in 2- 9 inch round cake pans as directed.  Turn finished cakes over on cake racks and allow to cool completely.
• Cream together cream cheese, lemonade and yellow food coloring until smooth.
• Mix marshmallow creme in and then mix in Cool Whip until completely smooth.  Refrigerate until cake is cooled and cut.
• Cut each cake layer in half.
• Alternating layers of cake with layers of filling, assemble cake.  End with layer of filling.
• Top with sliced strawberries.
• Refrigerate and serve chilled.

(http://easybaked.net/)

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Banana Coconut Upside Down Cake

Ingredients

• 1 BettyCrocker yellow cake mix
• 3 whole eggs
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 bananas sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, divided
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray 2 (8 inch) round cake pans with cooking spray.
With an electric mixer, beat cake mix, eggs, oil, water, and sour cream on low until combined. Beat on high for 2 minutes.
Place banana slices evenly on the bottom of the two cake pans.
In a small saucepan melt butter. Add brown sugar and lemon juice and heat until dissolved. Pour half of the brown sugar mixture into each of the 2 round cake pans over the bananas. Sprinkle coconut over brown sugar sauce.
Pour cake batter on top of the coconut into the two pans, dividing equally.
Bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Invert onto serving dishes. Slice to serve.

(http://www.bestyummyrecipes.com/)

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Fluffy Strawberry Pie with Pretzel Crust Recipe

Ingredients

Pretzel Crust

• 1 1/4 cups crushed pretzels
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

Pie

• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1 package (4-serving size) strawberry-flavored gelatin
• 1 teaspoon grated lime peel
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 1/2 cups whipping (heavy) cream
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 cups strawberries, slightly crushed
• Chocolate-covered strawberries, if desired

Directions

1 In medium bowl, mix all crust ingredients. Press mixture firmly against bottom and side of 9-inch glass pie plate.

2 In large bowl, pour boiling water on gelatin; stir until gelatin is dissolved. Stir in lime peel and lime juice. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until very thick but not set.

3 Beat gelatin mixture with electric mixer on high speed about 4 minutes or until thick and fluffy; set aside. In chilled large bowl, beat whipping cream and powdered sugar on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream and crushed strawberries into gelatin mixture. Pour into crust.

4 Refrigerate about 8 hours or until set. Garnish with chocolate-covered strawberries. Store covered in refrigerator.

(http://www.bestyummyrecipes.com/)

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No Bake Cherry Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 can comstock brand cherry pie filling
• 1/2 cup butter
• 16 ounces  Sour Cream
• 8 ounces  Cream Cheese
• 16 ounces  marshmallows
• 2 regular size keebler ready graham pie crusts ( save plastic as cover)

Directions

In med-large bowl mix together sour cream and cream cheese with mixer (if mixer is unavailable fork is easy but more time consuming) mix until smooth and set aside.

On stove top melt stick of butter and mix in marshmallows little at a time until smooth.

Quickly add marshmallow mix into the sour cream/cream cheese mix and quickly mix those together.

Pour equal amount of “batter” into each of the ready pie crusts. Cover the pies with the plastic that came with the pie crusts, simply turn plastic upside down to cover. Place in fridge overnight.

Once pie is firm you may top with cherry pie filling (our favorite) or any other fruit you may want to top pie with — you also may play with pie crust and get Oreo pie crust for chocolate lovers!

(http://www.bestyummyrecipes.com/)

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Banana Pudding Poke Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 (10 oz.) box yellow cake mix
• ingredients needed to make cake (eggs, oil & water)
• 2 (3.4 oz.) packages instant banana pudding
• 4 cups milk
• 1 (8 oz.) tub frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 20 vanilla wafers, crushed

Directions:
Prepare cake mix according to package directions for a 9×13 cake.
Once cake comes out of the oven, allow it to cool for just a couple of minutes.
Then, with a wooden spoon handle or some other similarly-sized object, begin poking holes in the cake.
You want the holes to be fairly big so that the pudding has plenty of room to get down in there.
Be sure to poke right down to the bottom of the cake.
In a bowl,whisk together instant pudding with 4 cups milk.
Stir until all the lumps are gone.
Let the pudding sit for just about 2 minutes, so it has just slightly begun to thicken but not fully set, it should still be easily pourable.
Pour pudding over cake. Taking care to get it into the holes as much as possible.
Spread it all out and using the back of the spoon gently push pudding down into the holes.
Put the pudding into the fridge to set and cool.
Once your cake has completely cooled, spread on whipped topping.
If you haven’t done so already, crush your vanilla wafers.
I just place mine in a ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
Leave some of the pieces big. It’s nice to have a bit of a crunch when you eat the cake.
Spread crushed wafers onto the top of the cake. You can do this part immediately before serving the cake if you like.
This will ensure the wafers are Crunchy when you serve it.
I think this cake gets more delicious over time.
To me, it’s even better the next day so it’s a great dessert to make ahead of time.
Serve with freshly sliced bananas. Keep refrigerated.

(http://www.bestyummyrecipes.com/)

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Cherry Bar Dessert

60 ServingsPrep: 20 min. Bake: 30 min. + cooling

Ingredients

•     1 cup butter, softened
•     2 cups sugar
•     1 teaspoon salt
•     4 Eggland’s Best Eggs
•     1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•     1/4 teaspoon almond extract
•     3 cups all-purpose flour
•     2 cans (21 ounces each) cherry pie filling

   GLAZE:

•     1 cup confectioners’ sugar
•     1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
•     1/2 teaspoon almond extract
•     2 to 3 tablespoons milk

Directions

    Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and
    salt until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well
    after each addition. Beat in extracts. Gradually add flour.
    Spread 3 cups batter into a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Spread
    with pie filling. Drop remaining batter by teaspoonfuls over
    filling. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely
    in pan on a wire rack.
    In a small bowl, mix confectioners’ sugar, extracts and enough milk
    to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over top. Yield: 5 dozen.

(http://www.bestyummyrecipes.com/)

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Apple Cake with Vanilla Sauce

For Apple cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 2 eggs
• 4 large apples, cored and grated
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional- I leave them out)

For Vanilla Sauce (Makes 3/4 cup.)
•1 cup water
•1/2 cup sugar
•1 tablespoon cornstarch
•2 tablespoons butter
•2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•pinch salt

Apple Cake Directions

Cream together sugar and butter. Add eggs one at time. Add grated apples. Sift together flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add in half of flour mixture stir in until incorporated, add second half and still until just mixed. (I stir in the flour by hand to avoid over-mixing.)
Pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. (less if you bake convection)

Vanilla Sauce Directions

Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Combine sugar and cornstarch, blend well. Add sugar and cornstarch mixture to boiling water; reduce heat to medium, stirring constantly, and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and add the butter, vanilla, and salt, stirring until butter is melted. Spoon over dessert Enjoy!

(http://www.bestyummyrecipes.com/)

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Strawberry Cake Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 package white cake mix (regular size)
• 1 package (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 cup mashed unsweetened strawberries

Frosting

• 1 cup heavy cream,
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced or halved.

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the dry cake mix, gelatin powder, water and
oil.
Beat on low speed for 1 minute or until moistened; beat on
medium for 4 minutes.
In a small bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites on high speed
until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites and mash strawberries into
cake batter.
Pour into two greased and floured 8-in. round baking pans. Bake at
350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool
completely.
To prepare frosting, beat cream and sugar until stiff peaks form.
Place first cake layer on serving tray, top with a layer of whipped cream and strawberries, place second cake layer on top and top with remaining whipped cream and strawberries.

(http://www.bestyummyrecipes.com/)

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