Oreo Pudding Poke Cake

Another Pinterest recipe.  It is super easy and I have made it a couple of times in the last two weeks.  So yummy and I prefer it cold right out of the fridge.

Ingredients:
1 Box Chocolate Cake Mix
Ingredients needed to make cake (usually eggs, oil and water)
2 (4 oz.)packages of Instant Oreo pudding
4 cups milk (2% or higher)
Crushed Oreo Cookies (optional)

Directions
Make cake mix according to directions and bake in a well-greased 9x13 pan (I use the nonstick spray that has flour in it).

Just before cake is done, start making pudding. In a medium bowl, begin to add milk to pudding mix and continue to whisk until most of the lumps are removed. Let pudding mixture sit for about 2 minutes. You want it to thicken slightly so it isn't runny but not fully thickened into pudding.

When cake is finished, while still warm, poke holes all over cake (about 1-inch) intervals using a wooden spoon handle or a straw. Pour pudding mixture over warm cake.
Spread it out with a spoon, gently pushing the pudding down into the holes.
Allow the cake to cool for several minutes on the counter then put into the fridge to set up. About an hour.

Once it is set, top with crushed Oreo cookies. The cake needs to be kept refrigerated.

Cook’s Note: This is great with so many different combinations; yellow or white cake mix with chocolate pudding is another good one.

Molten Chocolate Cake

My kindergartener received a coupon for a Domino's chocolate lava cake and we all sat around and watched him eat it.  I decided I was gonna try and make everyone else one.  I found this recipe from Betty Crocker and it was decadent and delicious.

Unsweetened baking cocoa
6 oz semisweet baking chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Additional powdered sugar, if desired

1.Heat oven to 450°F. Grease bottoms and sides of six (6-oz) custard cups with shortening; dust with cocoa. In 2-quart saucepan, melt chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring frequently. Cool slightly.


2.In large bowl, beat whole eggs and egg yolks with wire whisk or eggbeater until well blended. Beat in 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar. Beat in melted chocolate mixture and flour. Divide batter evenly among custard cups. Place cups on cookie sheet with sides.

3.Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until sides are set and centers are still soft (tops will be puffed and cracked). Let stand 3 minutes. Run small knife or metal spatula along sides of cakes to loosen. Immediately place heatproof serving plate upside down over each cup; turn plate and cup over. Remove cup. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar. Garnish with kumquats. Serve warm.

Heath Bar Cake

I saw this on Mel's Kitchen Cafe awhile ago, but we have been avoiding treats at our house since the holiday overload and the extra pounds that came with that overload.  I thought this recipe looked great.  I finally broke down and made this for a family night treat.  It was super easy and was done in no time.  I was of course going to have all the will power in the world and not eat any.  Ha Ha!  I of course couldn't resist taking a bite.  It was so worth it!!!!  I couldn't stop at one bite.  The cake part is really moist and the top has a great crunch!  This is definitely a keeper.

1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup buttermilk (I used 1 C. of milk mixed with 1 T. of lemon juice)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
5-6 chocolate covered toffee bars, chopped (I just used the chopped toffee bits from the baking aisle)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and center a rack in the middle of the oven. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan and set aside.  In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, white sugar, flour and butter. Crumble these ingredients together with a pastry blender, whisk or two forks until the mixture is crumbly and coarse. Remove 1/2 cup of the crumbs to a small bowl and set aside. To the large bowl with the remaining crumbs, add the buttermilk, egg, vanilla, baking soda and salt. Mix well.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it to the edges. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the reserved crumbs and chopped Heath bars. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the center is no longer gooey but a toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs. The cake may fall slightly in the center leaving the edges raised. It will still be delicious.

The Best Coconut Cake

Recently, I was reading a novel called, Let Them Eat Cake, by Sandra Byrd.  It takes place in a French bakery.  The main character loves to cook and try new recipes.  The fun part of the book is that the author actually put recipes in the book to go along with the story line.  I saw this recipe and immediately wrote it down because it sounded so good.  I tried it this weekend and it was so awesome!!!  I loved the denseness of the cake and the frosting.  It definitely doesn't leave you wondering what kind of cake it was!  It was a coconut explosion!

1 box yellow butter cake mix
1 small instant coconut cream pudding
3 eggs
1 1/3 C.  Coconut milk  (one of my favorite ingredients!)
1/2 tsp. coconut extract
1 stick butter, softened

Mix together cake mix and pudding until combined.  Add the eggs, coconut milk, coconut extract, and the butter.  Blend for about 3 minutes in a stand mixer or 5 with a handheld.  (The batter is thicker than a normal cake batter.)  Spread into 2 8" round, greased and floured cake pans.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees until cakes are just set and barely pulling away from sides.  Let cool completely.

Frosting:

1 stick butter, softened
4 C.  powdered sugar
1/8 C. milk  (I used probably a 1/2 C., but you just have to look at the frosting consistency)
1 tsp. coconut extract

Beat all the ingredients until fluffy.  Level cake tops and then add a thin layer of frosting to bottom layer.  Stack on top layer.  Frost entire cake with frosting.  Toast shredded coconut in oven on broil.  Watch it closely because it goes from being fine to burned in seconds!  Cover cake with toasted coconut.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Cake

I really love to try to remake restaurant dishes that I have tried. This is my first attempt to duplicate the best chocolate cake I have eaten from a small restaurant I love. I have to say this cake was delicious, but definitely not at all healthy!!!

Chocolate Butter Cake

From Joy of Baking:

4 ounces (120 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup (30 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
1 cup (240 ml) boiling water
2 1/4 cups (295 grams) all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups (400 grams) granulated white sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup (240 ml) milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter, or spray with a nonstick vegetable spray, and line with parchment paper, two - 9 x 2 inch deep (23 x 5 cm) round baking pans. In a stainless steel or heatproof bowl place the chopped unsweetened chocolate and cocoa powder. Pour the boiling water over the chocolate and cocoa powder and stir until they have melted. Set aside to cool while you make the batter. In a separate bowl, whisk to combine, the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is fluffy (this will take about 3-5 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla extract and melted chocolate mixture and beat to combine. Add the milk and flour mixtures in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat only until the ingredients are incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for about 35 - 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Then remove the cakes from their pans and cool completely on a greased wire rack before frosting.

Chocolate Custard Icing: (For in between the layers of cake)

From CDKitchen

**Makes 6 Cups**

2 cups sugar

6 tablespoons cornstarch

2 dashes Salt

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate -- grated

2 cups boiling water

6 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix sugar and cornstarch; add chocolate and salt. Add water. Cook until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla. Spread on cooled cake.

Chocolate Ganache (For outside of cake)

8 ounces (227 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter

Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel bowl. Set aside. Heat the cream and butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir with a whisk until smooth. If desired, add the liqueur.
Makes enough ganache to cover a 9 inch (23 cm) cake or torte.

To Cover a Torte or Cake:
Note: If covering a cake with ganache that is to be refrigerated, make sure the cake is cold before covering with the ganache. This will ensure that the ganache does not dull when stored in the refrigerator. Brush any loose crumbs from the cake and place cake on a wire rack. Put the wire rack on a baking sheet. In this way if the ganache drips it will end up on the baking sheet, which makes clean up easier. Using a cake spatula, cover the sides and top of the cake with about 2 tablespoons ganache. This is called a crumb coat and seals in any cake crumbs so that your cake will have a smooth finish. Refrigerate cake for 5 minutes to set the crumb coat. If you have any air bubbles or crumbs in your ganache, pour through a strainer. To cover cake, pour the remaining ganache into the center of the cake. Working quickly, spread with a spatula, using big strokes to push the ganache over the sides of the cake, to create an even coating of ganache. If there are any bare spots on sides of cake, cover with leftover ganache.