German Chocolate Cake

Our church hostes a Men for Christ meeting Monday evening. The women of the church were asked to donate pies and cakes for the event. I signed up to bring two cakes--before I decided on a whim to take a cake decorating class. After having my first class last Wednesday, I decided to practice with the two cakes I would make for the church. I just practiced the basics with them:  leveling them, putting on a crumb coat, and simple star tip decorating.

I have never made a German chocolate cake before. I used a chocolate cake mix for the cake, but made both icings from scratch. The Coconut-Pecan Frosting was from my Better Homes & Gardens binder cookbook. Thanks for stopping by!

Chocolate-Sour-Cream Frosting

Yesterday I told you about some brownies I made from scratch. Here's the recipe for the Chocolate-Sour-Cream Frosting that I added to them to make them even more decadent than they were on their own! Can you tell I was really craving chocolate last week? This recipe is another oldie but goodie from that red and white plaid binder Better Homes & Garden Cookbook that almost everyone owns.

Chocolate-Sour-Cream Frosting

1 c. semisweet chocoate pieces
1/4 c. margarine or butter
1/2 c. dairy sour cream
2 1/2 c. sifted powdered sugar

In a saucepan melt chocolate and margarine over low heat, stirring frequently. Cool about 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating till smooth and of spreading consistency. Frosts top and sides of two 8- or 9-inch cake layers. Store cake in refrigerator.

Thanks for stopping by!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake and Carrot Cake

Once again, I am going to reference my old favorite cookbook, the Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook in the big red and white plaid binder. That's where I got the recipes for both my Pineapple Upside-Down Cake and Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

As usual, I didn't follow the recipe exactly. Again, I simplified the pineapple upside-down cake recipe by using a boxed yellow cake mix instead of making the cake from scratch. Hey, I was cooking for 100 people! I had to take a few shortcuts! Thanks for stopping by!

Peanut Butter Cake Icing

For dessert last Wednesday night, I made a variety of cakes:

• Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
• Coconut Cake
• Texas Coconut Pecan Cake
• Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Icing
• Texas Sheet Cake
• Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

The first one to be eaten was the chocolate cake with peanut butter icing. Have you ever made peanut butter icing? It's easy. There's a recipe in the red and white plaid Better Homes & Gardens cookbook, which I reference frequently, for buttercream icing. It has a few variations listed under it, and one of them is peanut butter. You simply substitute peanut butter for the butter or shortening in the recipe. Try it with your favorite buttercream icing recipe. It's very rich, but very very good. Be sure you have a tall glass of milk ready!

Tomorrow I'll share another cake recipe. Thanks for stopping by!

Cranberry-Macadamia (Pecan) Bars

Here's the second recipe for cookies I made for a cookie tray Christmas gift. This is a fancier cookie than what I normally make, but I wanted to make some varieties that I knew no one else had given them yet. Plus, the bar cookies were easier than drop cookies. Just like the Chocolate Revel Bars, this recipe comes from that Better Homes & Gardens red and white plaid binder cookbook most of us have in our collection. Just a note: I always use pecans in this recipe.

Cranberry-Macadamia Bars

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. finely chopped macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, or pecans

1 1/4 c. sugar
2 beaten eggs
2 T. milk
1 tsp. finely shredded orange peel
1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. finely chopped macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, or pecans
1 c. finely chopped cranberries
1/2 c. coconut

In a mixing bowl stir together the flour and the 3/4 c. sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until misture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the 1/2 c. nuts. Press flour mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Bake in a 350 oven for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is light brown around the edges.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl combine the 1 1/4 c. sugar, eggs, milk, orange peel, and vanilla. Beat until combined. Pour over the hot crust. Sprinkle with the 1/2 c. nuts, cranberries, and coconut.

Bake in the 350 oven for 30 minutes more or until golden. Cool slightly in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars while warm. Cool completely in pan.

My notes: I lined my pan with parchment paper. After allowing the bars to cool for a bit, I lifted the entire pan of cookies out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling. I didn't cut the bars until they were completely cool. The orange zest in these cookies makes all the difference in the world, so if you try the recipe, don't let that out! Thanks for stopping by!

Chocolate Revel Bars - Take II

I posted the recipe for these bar cookies a few weeks ago. I made them for a Sunday afternoon 8 for $10 stamping workshop at my house. I didn't post a picture of them the first time, so now you can see how yummy they look!


I made them again for Christmas gifts for the Associate Pastor and Children's Pastor at our church. I made three types of cookies and gave each of them a tray full. This is the first of the three. I'll share the other two recipes in the next two posts. Thanks for stopping by!

Chocolate Revel Bars

For Sunday afternoon's 8 for $10 Halloween Treats workshop, I had Chocolate Revel Bars here for a snack. There were extras, so I took them to my preschool board meeting that night. Everyone like them, so I thought I'd share the recipe. It can be found in the red and white checkered "Better Homes & Gardens" cook book if you have one--and most people do!

Chocolate Revel Bars

1 c. butter

2 c. packed brown sugar

1 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3 c. quick-cooking rolled oats
1 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate pieces
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
2 tsp. vanilla

Set aside 2 T. of the butter. In a large mixing bowl beat the remaining butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and baking soda. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and 2 tsp. vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour. Stir in the oats. (I do all of this with my electric stand mixer.)

For filling, in a medium saucepan combine the reserved 2 T. butter, chocolate pieces, and sweetened condensed milk. Cook over low heat until chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in the nuts and 2 tsp. vanilla. (I have never made these with nuts.)

Press two-thirds (approximately) of the rolled oats mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan. (To make it easy to get the bars from the pan, I line my pan with parchment paper. After baking and cooling, you can run a knife around the edge and lift the whole pan of bars out easily. Then I use a pizza cutter to cut them into bars. They look great, and cleanup is easy!) Spread filling evenly over the oat mixture. Dot remaining rolled oats mixture on filling.

Bake in a 350F oven about 25 minutes or until top is light brown (chocolate filling will look moist). Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars and serve.

Variation: Substitute 1 c. whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 c. all purpose flour for the 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour. (I always make these this way.)

For some reason, fall seems like the best time to make these. I guess it's the oatmeal that makes them seem hearty and good cool-weather food. Thanks for stopping by!