Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I didn't have a 10" round cake pan when I made this.  I decided to use a spring form pan - - BIG MESS.  The caramel leaked out all over.  The cake still tasted great, but I'm sure it would have been even better with the caramel contained and baked into the cake.  

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

The flavors of this recipe are incredible! Caramel goodness in every bite.

Ingredients

• ½ cup melted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 yellow cake mix plus ingredients recipe calls for, prepared as directed on the box
• 7-8 slices pineapple rings
• 7-8 maraschino cherries

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Pour melted butter on the bottom of a 10" round pan. Sprinkle brown sugar over butter. Place pineapple slices over the brown sugar. Put a marachino cherry in the center of each pineapple ring.
3. Prepare cake as directed on the box an pour into pan. Bake according to box directions.
4. After cake is done cooking and has cooled for a few minutes. Flip it carefully out of pan onto a serving platter.

-Chef in Training

Toffee Apple Dip

Toffee Apple Dip

• PREP TIME: 10 min
• COOK TIME: 0 min
• TOTAL TIME: 10 min
• YIELD: 8-10
• DIFFICULTY: easy
• RECIPE TYPE: Appetizer

Ingredients:

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 Heath Bar broken in small pieces

Directions:

1. Using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and brown sugar and beat again to combine. Just before serving stir in the toffee bits. Refrigerate any left overs.

Adapted from Eat it and Say Yum

 http://eatitandsayyum.com/toffee-apple-dip/

Oatmeal Cake

I've been on a big oatmeal kick lately and this cake didn't disappoint!  It's so moist and delicious!

Oatmeal Cake

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups water
• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup quick oats
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1⅓ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1½ teaspoon cinnamon

TOPPING

• 6 Tablespoons butter, softened
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup shredded sweetened coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
3. In small sauce pan, bring water and butter to a boil.
4. Once boil is reached pour into a large mixing bowl, add oats and let cool for 3 minutes.
5. Beat in sugar and brown sugar and eggs until well mixed.
6. Add flour, salt, baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon and mix until well combined.
7. Pour into prepared baking pan and bake for 30 minutes.

While baking, make topping.

1. Cream butter and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl. Add evaporated milk, vanilla coconut and nuts and mix until well combined.
2. After cake has baked, spread topping very carefully over hot cake. Place under a broiler for about 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Watch constantly and carefully so as not to burn.

-Chef in Training

Samoa Sheet Cake

This is a little bit of a labor intensive dessert.  It took me about an hour and a half from start to finish, without any down time for baking.  During baking time you're getting the frosting and other toppings ready the entire time.  It was really good- very rich.  It goes a long way.  It's a little hard to cut into pieces with the caramel on top, but the caramel makes it SOOO good.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup water
• 4 Tablespoons cocoa
• ½ cup shortening
• ½ cup buttermilk
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

FROSTING

• ½ cup butter
• 6 Tablespoons milk
• 2½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ⅛ cup caramel sauce, I used caramel ice cream topping in the jar

Additional Toppings

• 2½ cups toasted coconut, See instructions below for how to make it
• 7 to 8 ounces caramel, either Kraft Caramel Cubes or from a block of Caramel. I used a block of Peter's Caramel.
• ⅛ cup evaporated milk (I just used regular milk)
• ¾ cup milk chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon shortening or oil

Instructions

1. Before making the cake, line a cookie sheet with foil and spread shredded sweetened coconut evenly over cookie sheet.
2. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes, checking and tossing coconut regularly, every 2-5 minutes, to make sure all the coconut gets toasted evenly and does not burn. Coconut is done when it is golden brown.
3. In a large mixing bowl, measure flour and sugar. Set aside.
4. In a medium sauce pan, combine butter, water, cocoa and shortening. Bring to a boil. After mixture reaches a boil, add it to the flour mixture and stir to combine.
5. Add buttermilk, then baking soda, then eggs, then vanilla in that order, mixing in-between each addition.
6. Pour into a greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.

Frosting

1. In a medium microwave safe bowl, combine butter and milk and bring to a boil. Stir caramel sauce and then add powdered sugar and vanilla and stir until smooth.
2. After cake has cooked, remove from oven and poke holes in hot cake with a fork. Pour frosting evenly over top. Immediately sprinkle with top of warm frosting with toasted coconut.
3. In microwavable bowl, add caramel and evaporated milk and cook on high in 30 second increments, string in between each increment. Continue to cook and stir until caramel is smooth. Drizzle over coconut.
4. In another microwavable bowl, add chocolate chips and shortening (or oil). Microwave on high in 30 second increments, stirring in between each increment until the chocolate in melted. Drizzle over caramel.
5. Let Caramel and Chocolate drizzle set before cutting into it.

-Chef in Training