Easy Caramel Apple Cake with whipped Cream Frosting

While grocery shopping with my son, we sopped in the baked goods aisle to pic up some chocolate chips, walnuts and toffee. He loves to shop and saw a cake mix for apple caramel cake cake. Being a true lover of both ingredients he of course had to have it. Also while shopping I picked up a large variety of ice cream toppings of his choice lol to include hot caramel topping. Upon returning home I decided to go ahead and make him his cake, however when i opened the caramel packet that came with the cake, it smelled and tasted a whole lot like butterscotch. Which btw he hates. So I pulled out the hot caramel topping, trashed the butterscotch tasting packet from the cake and proceeded to make these. They didnt last long on the serving dish, once drizzeled with more caramel and topped with a decadent homemade whipped cream frosting.

1 duncan hines apple caramel decadent cake mix and the ingredients needed for cake portion. (discard caramel packet and ignore ingredients needed for that)
2 tablespoons cinnamon
smuckers hot caramel topping
WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING
3 tablespoons water
1 envelope of unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/3 c confectioners sugar
3 c whipping cream

Directions

1

Prepare cake mix according to box. Add cinnamon and mix in.

2

Pour cake mix into pan sprayed with non stick cooking spray (I used my amazing brownie pan but you can use a regular cake pan)

3

Open jar of caramel topping and spoon a teaspoon randomly throughout cake mix. (i used my brownie pan divider to put a teaspoon into each section then removed the divider for the next step)

4

Swirl the caramel thru cake using a butter knife.

5

Bake in 350 degree oven according to directions on box. Testing 5 minutes before called for time to check for doneness. (toothpick comes out clean and cake is springy not jiggly)

6

Allow to cool completely and then cut into desired size pieces. (i removed my divider and transferred slices to another plate)

7

Warm remaining caramel topping in microwave till pourable but still thick. and drizzle over top of each cake slice

8

Now add a nice dollop of whipped cream frosting to each cake.

9

Watch them disappear

10

Frosting: Sprinkle unflavored gelatin over 3 tablespoons of water in a glass bowl or measuring cup. Let sit until geleatin softens up. Now microwave on HIGH for about 10 seconds and then stir until the gelatin dissolves completely. Allow toc cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Gelatin has to be in a liquid form and not warm. Beat cream in a large mixing bowl at high speed until soft peaks begin to form. Add confectioners sugar to this and whip until you see peaks holding their shape in the bowl. Add the cooled gelatin slowly and in a steady stream while beating the mixture. Now add vanilla and beat till stiff peaks. Refrigerate until ready to use.

11

Refrigerate frosted cakes until ready to eat.

Blueberry Shortcake Bowls

I bought a new kitchen toy. It's called the Better Baker Bowl Maker (available online and at Bass Pro Shop) Anyway I just had to try it our so I decided to make some shortcakes in it, this is what I came up with. I wasnt sure how the pan was going to work so I used a box mix but now that I know it makes perfect little cake bowls I am going to try this with every cake recipe I have lol and also I am going to make individual meatloafs in it then fill them up with my famous mashed potatoes : ) The pan is so versatile it makes bowls on one side and mini muffins on the other. The possibilities are endless. Cornbread bowls filled with chili, bread bowls for individual dips you name it. Anyway these were delicious.

1 box butter cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 c softened butter
1 c water
2 cans blueberry pie filling (you can use any of your favorite flavors)
slightly frozen cool whip or white icing
non stick cooking spray
YOU WILL ALSO NEED THE BETTER BAKER BOWL MAKER



Tell us how you work that kitchen magic! Enter each step of the process by clicking the edit button. Add as many steps as you need, we don't mind a bit.

1
Combine mix, eggs, butter and water in large bowl. Mix on low till blended and then on medium for about two minutes. Spray the cake bowl pan with non stick cooking spray making sure to get inside of each bowl well.

2
Carefully pour some batter into each of the six bowl molds. filling to the center rim.

3
Bake in 350 oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until cakes are completely done

4
Allow to cool completely and then gently invert pan and shake cake bowls loose.

5
Add pie filling to hole in each cake bowl and then top with slightly frozen cool whip, whipped cream or icing. Top off with additional fruit from pie filling.

6
I made a total of 18 bowls. Be creative use your favorite cake recipe and fruit fillings.

Alligator Cake and Froggie Cupcakes

Last year I had A Reptile Show for my sons birthday. It was complete with reptilian decorations, a show that consisted of 20 live reptiles from itty bitty turtle to a 6 foot gator. The cake was made from cupcakes and in the shape of a gator. He loved it. Surrounding the gator were cupcake frogs! Not a one was left at the end of the party and I even decorated a sheet cake I made to match. It was a great theme and a great time for all!

about 36 vanilla cupcakes (the batter should be tinted green with green food gel prior to baking) removed from cupcake liners if used
2 large marshmellows (you can use remainder of bag for froggie cupcakes to surround the gator)
1 bag of candy corn
1 bag chocolate morsels
black gel decorating icing
vanilla frosting (your fav. tinted green) i actually used the store bought cans in green since i was on limited time, i used about four cans)

1
Using a large tray arrange cupcakes to form the gator. I used 2 lined up for the nose, then 2 side by side for the eye area, then four behind that for the front leg area, three rows of three for the body and then another row of four for the back leg area, finishing off with several lined up for the tail.
2
you can of course change the amounts in order to achieve the size alligator you need for your party.
3
Once the body is assembled, ice each cake using a swirling motion to give the gator texture. I connected the cupcakes together with the frosting and filled in holes between cupcakes with a marshmellow tucked in it and frosting on top of that.
4
Use twomarshmellows for the eyes and then frost over them to blend them in with the cupcakes. Use Black gel decorating icing to make the pupils.
5
Slide candy corns into the feet for claws and the mouth for teeth.
6
Place chocolate morsels onto the gator with the pointy part up to achieve a scaley look.

For froggies: Pipe on green icing, use marshmellows for the eyes and black icing for pupils and mouth. Use a small piece of fruit roll up to achieve the tongue and top it off with a black icing dot for a fly. (pic taken before tongues added)

I also decorated his sheet cake to match : )

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes

The day my daughter left for Paris  I was on edge until I knew she landed safely. So to de-stress I made some cupcakes. She bought a bunch of cake mixes the other day so i grabbed one and started from there. Hunter my seven year old wanted peanut butter and jelly cupcakes, (i made him peanut butter and jelly brownies once and he loved them) so this is what we came up with : ) You can use any kind of preserves or jam, i used grape jam since it is my sons favorite. I myself would prefer them with some blueberry or blackberry preserves. These are great for kids, cause what kid doesnt like PB&J but they are also very pretty and amazingly tasty for company or to share with friends. The kids will love them but i can guarentee the adults will too.

1 box french vanilla cake mix with pudding in mix
1 to 1 1/4 c peanut butter (i like alot)
1 1/4 c water
3 eggs
1 can fluffy white icing and or 1 can chocolate whipped frosting
peanut butter
additional jam to heat up and drizzle and/or m&m's to decorate



1Line muffin tins with cupcake papers and preheat oven to 350

2 Empty cake mix into a large bowl

3 Add 1 to 1 1/4 c peanut butter to mix.

4 Mix on medium speed till crumbly

5 Pour water into this mix

6 Add the three eggs

7 Mix batter until smooth

8 Pour into paper lined muffin pan, filling each only 1/3 full

9 Add 1 t jam or preserves to top of each

10 Fill with remaining batter over the jam.

11 Bake in oven for about 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean

12 allow cupcakes to cool completely

13 in a small bowl mix fluffy white icing and peanut butter to taste (i use alot about 3/4 cup)

14 put icing into pastry bag or decorating tube and pipe onto each cupcake, warm jam in microwave and using thin tip on pastry bag or a small hole in a plastic baggie pipe the warm jam over the frosting.

15 I also used chocolate icing and m&m's as per my sons request lol

ENJOY

Devil's Delites

So I  somehow ended up with a zillion boxes of cake mix in my cupboards and I never use cake mix.. I decided I best come up with some recipes using them as the base so I could fit actual foods in there lol. So, here is the first of quite a few, recipes based on a cake mix. With the right ingredients added you can do wonderful things to your basic mix. This one starts with a devils food cake mix (hence the devils) and when you bite into it your mouth gets a surprise of wonderful cherries encased in all that chocolate!! Oh so yummy (hence the delites) These were moist and delish. As you will see I used several different toppings, a fluffy cherry almond frosting, a fudge frosting and cherry pie filling. You decide what sounds best for you!

Devils Delites

Ingredients:

1 box devils food cake mix
1/4 c water
3 eggs
1/3 c oil
1/2 of a container of chocolate yogurt (single serving size, you can use cherry or vanilla)
1 can cherry pie filling


Topping: your choice: fluffy cherry almond icing (recipe follows)
Cherry pie filling
Fudge icing
Or do some of each like i did : )



1. Line muffing tins with paper liners

2. Pour cake mix into a large bowl

3. Add, eggs, water, oil and yogurt

 

4. With mixer beat on medium speed until completely blended.

 

5. Fill paper liners 1/2 way with cake batter.

6. Now add a nice teaspoon of cherry pie filling to each liner.

7. Top off with more cake batter.

8. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until done.

9. Allow to cool completely.

10. Remove cupcakes from muffin tin and frost with desired frosting.

Cherry almond fluffy icing:

Empty a container of fluffy white icing into a small mixing bowl

Add a few spoonfulls of the glaze from the remaining cherry pie filling

Stir until well blended adding more filling until desired taste

Stir in 1/2 t almond extract

 

cool in frig until you are ready to use it so it stiffens up just a tad

Pipe onto cakes and top with a cherry from the remaining pie filling

For Pie filling topped cupcakes

Using an additional can of cherry pie filling, using a melon ball scooper, scoop out the top of each cupcake very carefully. Fill this hole with cherry pie filling

or top them off with your favorite fudge frosting and then use left over cherries from the pie filling to decorate