Chocolate Mug Cake

https://www.tablefortwoblog.com/the-moistest-chocolate-mug-cake/

Gracie likes mini M&Ms in hers
Kenny likes butterscotch chips
Keith like chocolate chips
Sarah likes a spoon of peanut butter

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoon granulated sugar (you can add 1 tbsp. more if you like it a bit sweeter)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp. milk
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 1 tablespoon mix in of choice

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
• Whisk in the milk and vegetable oil until all ingredients are combined and batter has no clumps.
• Pour batter into a microwave-safe mug. Mine was a 14-ounce mug. You want enough head space for the cake to rise without pouring over.
• Add mix in of choice in the middle of the batter. Just drop it in the middle, no need to push it down and sink it in the batter. It does that on its own when it cooks! :)
• Place a paper towel into the microwave and set the mug on top (this is to catch any batter if your mug cake overflows).
• Microwave mug cake for 70 seconds on high (microwaves vary~start with 60 seconds, but it may take up to 90 seconds for cake to puff)

Tres Leches Strawberry Shortcake

https://www.bhg.com/recipe/tres-leches-strawberry-shortcake/

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup butter, softened
• ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ½ cup buttermilk
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• ⅔ cup buttermilk
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• 2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch cake pan. Line with parchment paper. Grease parchment.
• In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
• In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine butter and 1/2 cup sugar; beat on high until fluffy. Add eggs; beat until smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add 1/2 cup buttermilk and the almond extract; beat until smooth. Add flour mixture; beat until just combined.
• Spoon into prepared baking pan; spread evenly. Bake about 30 minutes or until cake is golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
• In a medium bowl whisk together sweetened condensed milk, 2/3 cup buttermilk, and 1/2 cup cream. Using a skewer, poke cake all over. Pour milk mixture over warm cake. Chill, covered, at least 3 hours or overnight. Invert cake onto a wire rack. Remove parchment. Transfer to a serving plate and bring to room temperature at least 30 minutes before serving.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine strawberries, lemon juice, and remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Let stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes.
• In a medium bowl beat remaining 1 cup cream and the powdered sugar with a mixer to stiff peaks. Spread over cake. Top with berries. Makes 10 servings.

Blueberry Lime Cake (or Cupcakes)

 based on this recipe for Blackberry Lime Cupcakes
https://cookienameddesire.com/blackberry-lime-cupcakes-with-lime-frosting/

Ingredients

For blueberry jam

• 1 cup blueberries
• 1/3 cups sugar
• juice of 1 lime

For Cupcakes

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• zest of 3 limes
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature

For Frosting

• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup blueberry jam
• 1 cup fresh blueberries for decorating top of cake (if desired)

Instructions

Make the Jam

1. Mix the blueberries and sugar together in a small saucepan and heat on medium-high until the berries break down and the juiced become thick and syrupy. Set aside to cool.

Make the Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 13x9 pan with cooking spray or Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners (makes 12 cupcakes).
2. Mix together the flour, baking powder, lime zest, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. In a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in extract and the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each egg and beating for one additional minute after the last egg.
5. Alternate between adding the flour and the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.
6. Evenly distribute the batter in the cake pan or among the cupcake liners. Spoon a heaping half cup of  jam over the cake batter (or heaping teaspoon of jam over the cupcake batter) and swirl in using a skewer or knife.
7. Bake for about 35 minutes (17 - 20 minutes for cupcakes), or until a light golden brown and the tops spring back when gently pressed upon. Take out the oven and allow to cool completely.

Make the Frosting.

1. Beat the butter until smooth and cream. Beat in the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Mix in the jam and beat well. 

Assembly

1. Spread frosting over cake & sprinkle with fresh blueberries if desired.  For cupcakes, fit a piping bag with a large open star tip and fill with the frosting. Frost each cupcake.  Top with a few fresh blueberries if desired. 
2. Cupcakes make last up to five days in refrigerator.

Dr Pepper Marshmallow Cake

Ingredients:

2 (8 oz) cans Dark Sweet Pitted Cherries

For the Jello mixture:
3/4 cup reserved cherry syrup
1/2 cup Dr Pepper
1 3-ounce package Cherry flavored Jell-O
1/8 teaspoon Almond extract

For the Cake batter:
1 package Yellow cake mix
1 3-ounce package Cherry Jell-O
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup Dr Pepper
4 Eggs
2 cups minature Mashmallows

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9 X 13 inch pan.

Drain 2 cans of Dark Sweet pitted cherries. Reserve the syrup.

Arrange the cherries evenly on the bottom of the cake pan.

Heat the cherry syrup, dr pepper, and jello mix in a small saucepan at medium heat until the Jello is dissolved, stirring constantly to keep Jello powder from scorching on the bottom or the pan.

Once dissolved, remove from heat and add the Almond extract.

Once cooled, pour cooled Jello mixture over cherries
in the greased pan.

Sprinkle evenly with the miniature marshmallows.

In a large mixing bowl, combine yellow cake mix, second Jello packet, Oil, eggs and 3/4 cup Dr Pepper. Beat on high for 3 -4 minutes.

Carefully and evenly spread the batter mix over the marshmallows.

Bake for 40-45 minutes.

Cool on a rack for 45 minutes.

Chill 3-4 hours before serving.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2011/10/pumpkin-coffee-cake/

• ⅓ cups Water
• 1 can Pureed Pumpkin (15 Oz)
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1 box Yellow Cake Mix (18 Ounce Box)
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 cup Brown Sugar, Divided
• ½ cups Flour
• ⅓ cups Walnuts, Chopped
• 4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
• ¼ cups Granulated Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ¼ cups milk

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a large bowl mix together the water, pumpkin, eggs, 1 Tablespoon of vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice until well combined. Add the cake mix and baking soda and mix until just combined.

Grease a 9×13 pan and pour batter into pan.

In a small bowl mix together 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, walnuts, and melted butter. Use fingers to sprinkle over the top of the cake. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

For the glaze, combine the other 1/2 cup brown sugar, granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and heavy cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir until all sugar is dissolved.

When cake is finished baking, poke holes in the top with a toothpick. Pour glaze over the cake, making sure to cover all surfaces. Serve cake warm or at room temperature.

Ice Cream Cake

Our favorite combination is this one (based loosely on a Pioneer Woman recipe for cappuccino ice cream cups) but any cake/ice cream flavor combo is good. For Wende's birthday, we make a vanilla cake with chocolate chip mint ice cream and some mint extract in the frosting. Yum!

1 box chocolate cake and eggs, oil, water called for on box recipe

12 oz container vanilla frosting

8 oz tub Cool Whip, defrosted

1/2 gallon coffee ice cream (can use low fat or frozen yogurt and it turns out fine), softened

1 Hershey chocolate bar (1.55 oz), chopped (or dark chocolate, if you prefer)

1 Tbs cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

The day before the party, bake the cake. (We prefer to do a sheet cake) Cool completely and freeze overnight.

The day of the party, mix together the ice cream, chocolate chunks, and spices.

Whip the vanilla frosting and Cool Whip together and refrigerate until ready to use.

Remove frozen cake from pan. Using a sharp bread knife (or the turkey carving knife works well), carefully slice the cake in half horizontally. Spread bottom half of cake with ice cream mixture and carefully replace top half of cake. Frost with frosting mixture, decorate as desired (chocolate shavings, Oreo cookie crumbs, chopped nuts, or writing "Happy Birthday" is chocolate sauce is good)

Refreeze for at least one hour before serving.

Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Pirate’s Rum Cake

http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/desserts/yo-ho-ho-and-a-bottle-of-piratee28099s-rum-cake/

• FOR THE CAKE:
• 1 box (18.25 Oz. Box) Yellow Cake Mix
• 3 ounces, weight Box Jello Vanilla Pudding Mix
• ½ cups Dark Rum
• 4 Eggs
• ½ cups apple sauce
• ½ cups Water
• ¾ cups Chopped Walnuts
• _____
• FOR THE GLAZE:
• 1 stick Butter
• 1 cup Sugar
• ¼ cups Dark Rum

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In your stand mixer or in a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, rum, eggs, applesauce and water. Mix to combine.

Get out your trusty bundt pan and spray really well with Baker’s Joy. I can’t tell you how much I love Baker’s Joy. Whenever I have to flip something out, wanting it to look ever-so-beautiful, I use this stuff. Be sure to spray up the sides of the tube on the bundt pan, getting inside all the nooks and crannies of the pan sprayed.

Pour batter into the pan. Then sprinkle the walnuts evenly over the top of the batter.

Now pop your pan into your preheated oven, and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. This all depends on your oven temperature. Keep watching it, and be sure to do the toothpick test to ensure the inside center is baked thoroughly.

About 10 minutes before the cake is done, it’s time to make the glaze.

Get out a small pan and place in your butter, sugar, and rum. Place on the stove on medium high heat (the number 8 on your stove setting). With your wooden spoon, stir and stir until this mixture comes to a soft rolling boil. You want to keep stirring this so the sugar breaks down and is not all gritty. Kind of like what you would do if you are making fudge.

Stir, stir, stir, stir. This is where I might start using my pirate accent and sing “Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum” (to kill time while I’m stirring, you know). Shiver me timbers, this rum sure smells good!

Once the glaze is at a soft rolling boil, and the sugar is broken down, set the pan aside, off the burner.

Take your cake out of the oven and set your bundt pan on a cookie sheet. This is so the glaze won’t run off onto your counter. Gently pour the wonderful rummy glaze over the top of the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Now let this set for a good 2 hours (pirate time), so the rum glaze can seep into the cake. After about 2 hours, you will come back, and in amazement you will see how the floating rum has miraculously worked its way down into the cake, start to harden, and become glaze-like.

Take your butter knife, and gently slide it down the sides of the pan to un-crust the glaze that might be holding the cake to the pan. Be sure to slide the knife down the tube side of the pan, too.

Now it’s time for a trick, worthy of a high-ranking pirate.

Take out two plates. One plate will be your nice pretty serving plate. The other plate will be just a regular dinner plate. Place your regular ole dinner plate on top of the bundt pan and very quickly flip it over. Thanks to that friend of ours, Baker’s Joy, your cake should just effortlessly pop right out of the pan.

Now comes the trickery. Take your platter, the pretty plate you want to place this rum-filled beauty on, and gently place it on top of the cake. As quickly as a pirate’s sword, flip it over once again. Now the walnuts and glaze are upright and showing off to your guests.

Yo ho yo ho, a pirate’s life for me! Rum soaked, moistness. A proud pirate you will be!