To Die For Carrot Cake
Moriah's Favorite

1 1\4 c oil or unsweetened applesauce
2 c sugar
3 eggs, room temp

2 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 1\2 t baking powder
1\2 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1 T ginger, cloves, any other spices. I used pumpkin pie spice!

2 c grated carrots
1 c shredded sweetened coconut
1 c chopped nuts, optional
1 t vanilla
1 c crushed pineapple, not drained, in juice

Frosting:
1\2 c butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 t vanilla
1 lb powdered sugar
Too with roasted pecans or coconut

Blend oil sugar and eggs. Add dry ingredients. Stir in last set.

Use 9x13, 2 9-inch pans, or 3 8- inch pans. Bake 350 for 35-40 minutes (only 25-30 for 8in pans). Let cakes cool in pan for 10 minutes, then move to cooling rack.
Whip up frosting. After frosting cake, it's best to refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Never Fail Chocolate Cake
a la Mom

1/2 c shortening
2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 c milk
1 T vinegar
2 t soda
1/2 t salt
6 T cocoa
2 1/2 c flour
1 c boiling water

Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Add vinegar to milk. Sift together dry ingredients. Alternate milk with dry ingredients to creamy sugar. Mix well. Add the boiling water. Stir in well. Batter will be very thin, but don't add more flour.
Bake 350 for 45-55 minutes. I love using a bundt pan!

Baked Chocolate Frosting

6 T canned milk
4 T cocoa
1 cube butter (1/2 c)
1 t vanilla
4 c powdered sugar
1 c nuts, optional

Boil milk, butter and cocoa in a heavy pan until bubbly. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla, sugar and nuts until smooth. Pour over a hot cake. Eat the rest with your fingers, and try to stop before you feel sick!

Strawberry Cream Cheese Icebox Cake
a la Karissa

2 pounds strawberries
2 sleeves graham crackers
1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 3.4 oz packages instant cheesecake flavored pudding
3 cups milk
1 12 oz carton cool whip, divided

Clean slice strawberries about 1/4 in thick and set aside. Line the bottom of a 3 quart 9x13 with graham crackers (using about 6-7 whole crackers).
Combine cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk and beat with mixer until smooth and creamy. add pudding mixes and milk, and continue mixing on low or 4-5 minutes or until mixture starts to thicken. Fold in 2 cups of whip cream until smooth.
Pour half of the cream cheese mixture over the graham crackers. Arrange a single layer of strawberries on top of the cream cheese mixture. Top with another layer of graham crackers. Cover with remaining cream cheese mixture and another layer of strawberries. Cover and refrigerate 6-8 hours.
When ready to serve, pat down strawberries if they are too moist. Add the rest of the cool whip. Crush the rest of the graham crackers and sprinkle over the top.

White Chocolate Lasagna
a la Karissa

1 large container cool whip
1 c powdered sugar
1 white chocolate bar
1 package Golden Oreos
6 T butter, unsalted
1/2 c butter and melted
3 cups milk
1 8 oz cream cheese
2 3.9 oz pks white chocolate or vanilla instant pudding

Crush your Oreos and add in 6 T melted butter. Mix until well combined. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 pan very evenly.
Blend cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and 1/2 of the Cool Whip. Blend well and spread over your Oreos.
In another bowl, make your pudding by adding milk to the pudding mix. Whisk together until pudding thickens. Pour over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate for at least 5 minutes.
Top off with the rest of your Cool Whip, and add white chocolate shavings. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Pumpkin Roll 
a la Grandma Sue

1/4 c powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
3/4 c flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t ground cloves
1/4 t salt
3 large eggs
1 c sugar
2/3 c Libby's pure pumpkin
1 c walnuts

Filling:
1 8oz package cream cheese
1 c powdered sugar
6 T butter
1 t vanilla

Preheat to 375. Grease 15x10 inch jelly-roll pan and line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. sprinkle a thin, cotton towel with powdered sugar.
combine flour, powder, soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. beat eggs and sugar in mixer until thick. add in pumpkin and beat again. stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into pan, and sprinkle with nuts, if desired.
Bake for 13-15 minutes. immediately loosed and turn cake onto prepared towel. carefully peel off paper. roll up cake and towel together and cool on wire rack.
for the filling: beat cream cheese and powdered sugar, butter and vanilla until smooth. carefully unroll cake and spread mixture. reroll cake, and tightly wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour.

Gelatin Poke Cake 
a la Kraft recipes

1 pkg white cake mix recipe
1 cup boiling water
1 3oz pkg Jello gelatin, any flavor
1/2 c cold water
whipped cream or cool whip for topping

prepare cake mix according to instructions. bake in 9x13 pan and let cool for about 10 minutes. poke holes in cake with a large fork in 1/2 intervals.

add boiling water to Jello, stirring about 2 minutes, or until completely dissolved. add cold water and mix well. pour mixture over the whole cake, then let chill for 2-3 hours. frost with whipped cream and chill for another hour.

this cake has endless variations! you could use strawberry Jello and add fresh berries on top too.  this is a great summer treat since it is so cold and light.

Chocolate (Philabaum) cake
a la Thompson family

2 c flour
2 c sugar
1 t soda
1/2 t salt
1 c butter
1 c water
1/3 c cocoa
2 eggs
1/2 c buttermilk
1 1/2 t vanilla

sift together flour, sugar and soda. bring to boil water, butter and cocoa. add to dry and combine. add eggs, vanilla and buttermilk and beat for 1 minute.
bake at 350 for 25 minutes for jelly roll pan, or 30-35 minutes for 9x13 pan.  frost while still hot.

Chocolate frosting
1/4 c butter
3 T cocoa
3 T buttermilk
2 1/4 c powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 t vanilla

bring butter, cocoa and buttermilk to boil. add sugar and vanilla. frost a hot cake while frosting is still  hot.

Strawberry Lemon Cake
a la Michelle Nielson

2 1/2 c flour, divided
1/2 t soda
1/2 t salt
zest of 1 lemon
2 sticks butter (1 c.)
2 c sugar
3 eggs
1 T lemon juice
8 oz greek yogurt
12 oz strawberries

Glaze:
2 T lemon juice
1 c powdered sugar

Sift 2 1/4 c flour, soda, salt, then add zest in a separate bowl. Cream butter and sugar well, then add eggs one at a time, mixing and extra minute. Add lemon juice. Alternate dry ingredients and yogurt. Toss strawberries with 1/4 c flour and gently mix in batter.
Bake 325 for 60 minutes in a greased and floured bundt pan. Cool 20 minutes in pan, then transfer to wire cooling rack. Pour glaze over when cooled.

Chocolate Mint Parfait Bars
a la Barbara Wright

Base:
1 pkg Devils Food cake mix
1/3 c butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1/2 t mint extract

Filling:
1 envelope unflavored gelatin (knox)
1/4 c boiling water
4 c powdered sugar
1/2 c margarine or butter
1/2 c shortening
1/4 t mint extract
8-10 drops green food coloring

Frosting:
1 1/2 c chocolate chips
4 1/2 T margarine or butter

Grease 15x10" jelly roll pan (a larger cookie sheet with edges). In a large bowl combine all base ingredients at low speed until crumbly. Press into pan bottom (really get into this- it is a finger-dirtying job). Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool.
Dissolve gelatin in boiling water (stir it fast to dissolve it). In a large bowl, combine dissolved gelatin and 2 cups powdered sugar. Add butter, mint extract and food coloring. Beat 1 minute at medium speed or until smooth and creamy. Blend in remaining 2 c powdered sugar until smooth. Spread evenly over cooled base.
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine chocolate chips and butter, stirring constantly until melted. Spoon frosting over filling, spreading carefully to cover.
Chill until firm. Cut into bars.

*note: these were delicious, and I am anxious to try it with a different flavor than mint, perhaps raspberry?

Coconut Buttermilk Cupcakes (best cupcakes ever)
a la Sarah Sorenson

Make a box of Betty Crocker vanilla cake mix for cupcake instructions.

Buttercream Frosting
1/2 c butter, softened
3-4 c powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 c milk
2 t vanilla
Cream butter in mixer, then add 3 c sugar with milk and vanilla. Keep adding powdered sugar until desired consistency.

Buttermilk Syrup
1/2 c butter
1 1/2 c sugar
2 T corn syrup or real maple syrup
3/4 c buttermilk
1 t baking soda
1 t vanilla
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, bring all ingredients except vanilla to a boil. (Make sure to use a large pan since it does boil up) Reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly until mixture begins to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully stir in vanilla. Skim foam from surface and serve.

For cupcakes, I piped in 3 spot on the top. I added some of the syrup to the frosting, along with a little coconut extract. I frosted them and added a little coconut on the top.

THE Chocolate Cake
a la Rachel Vega

1 c butter
3 c brown sugar, packed
4 eggs
2 t vanilla
3/4 c Hershey's Special Dark Baking Cocoa
1 T baking soda
1/2 t salt
3 c flour
1 1/3 c sour cream
1 1/3 c boiling water

Cream butter, sugar and eggs until light and smooth. Whip in vanilla. Sift dry ingredients. Add to creamy mixture, alternating with sour cream. Mix until smooth. Slowly add boiling water.
Pour into greased pan and bake 350 for 35-40 minutes, or cupcakes for 20 minutes.

Hummingbird Cake
a la Moriah (The Girl Who Chased the Moon recipes)

3 c all purpose flour
2 c granulated sugar
1/2 t salt
2 t baking powder
1 t ground cinnamon
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 c vegetable oil
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1 can (8oz) crushed pineapple, well drained
1 c chopped pecans
2 c chopped, firm bananas

Sift flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon together. Add eggs and oil to the dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until ingredients are moistened. Stir in vanilla, pineapple and pecans. Stir in bananas last. Spoon the batter into3 greased and floured 9-in round cake pans.
Bake for 25-30 minutes in 350 degree oven, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 pound cream cheese, softened
4 c sifted confectioner's sugar
1 c unsalted butter
1 t vanilla extract
in a standing mixer, mix the cream cheese, sugar and butter on low speed until ingredients combine. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low. Add the vanilla, then raise the speed back up to high and mix.

Lime Cake
a la Wendy

white cake mix
about 3-4 limes
coconut milk (look for the real kind in the can, not the artificially flavored one)
eggs/water per box instruction

Prepare cake according to package directions, with the following substitutes:
put in coconut milk instead of oil
zest and juice 2 limes. sub juice for part of the water added (i.e. my recipe asked for 1 cup of water, so i squeezed the juice into the 1 cup measurer, then filled the rest with water)
Bake according to package directions.

Frost with buttercream frosting, with substituted coconut milk for regular milk, and add more lime juice and zest. and perhaps green food coloring.

Hawaiian Wedding Cake
a la mom
2 c flour
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 t soda
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (20 0z) crushed pineapple with juice
1 c shredded coconut
1 c chopped pecans or walnuts

Mix together and bake 325 for 30-40 minutes.

Frosting:
4 oz cream cheese
1/4 c butter
2 c powdered sugar
vanilla
Beat until smooth.

Carrot Cake
a la Mom
4 eggs
2 c sugar
1 c oil
4 c grated carrots
2 c flour
2 t soda
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t allspice
1/2 t salt
Mix and bake in greased and floured 9x13 pan at 350 for 1 hour.

Frosting:
4 oz cream cheese
1/4 c butter
2 c powdered sugar
vanilla
Beat until smooth