Butterfinger Poke Cake

Summertime is my favorite season of all!  Other than the heat....and having to wear bathing suits, it always makes me so happy.  There is just so much to do when it is warm and beautiful outside. 
We have been going to the pool with friends, fishing in our pond, meeting friends at the lake, and don't even get me started on the cookouts people have.

When it comes to cookouts I always want to make an AMAZING JAW DROPPING dish. I mean, I want people to know I can cook! I love it when others ask me for recipes, especially friends and family.  It makes me feel all gooey inside knowing others love my cooking :) So feel free to drop some lovely comments on by ;)

I am making dinner for my family tonight and I wanted something easy but delicious for desert.  I have been craving peanut butter and chocolate and thought back to this Butterfinger Poke Cake.  It has been probably 2 years since I have made it.  I sent my sweet husband to the grocery store and got busy as soon as I had time last night.

I usually make this cake with yellow cake mix, but I was craving chocolate and thought I would try it.  I tried to look up recipes on Pinterest to help me remember how to make mine since it had been so long.  However, I had no luck with the links downloading so I winged it.

Angie from Big Bears Wife was over when I putting this cake together.  It looked and smelled so good we had to taste test.  Ooops! Didn't even wait for it to cool!  Is it bad that we tore up the cake before I even had the guests over to try it?  Oh well.... it was worth it!  My husband even ate it which tells me it must have been AMAZINGLY JAW DROPPING !!  YES!  Score for me! I guess for dinner tonight I'll go ahead and place them on plates so no one knows our little secret ;)


Angie urged to me to post this to share with the world....so here it is :)
I hope you all enjoy it as much as we did! 

Butterfinger Poke Cake

1 box of devils food cake mix or yellow
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar caramel sauce
4 full sized Butterfinger candy bars
1 big container of cool whip
chocolate syrup


1)  Mix cake mix as bake as said on the back of the box in 8 by 13 glass dish.  It will bake about 30 minutes on 350.

2)  Let cool and poke several holes in the cake.  I use a straw but you can also use a fork.

3)  In a medium sized bowl mix the sweetened condensed milk with about 3/4 of the jar of caramel sauce.

4) Pour over the cake and let sit for about 5-10 minutes to let the cake absorb the sauce.

5) Spoon the cool whip evenly over the cake.

6)  Crush the Butterfinger bars and spread over the cool whip.

7) Drip the leftover caramel and a bit of chocolate syrup over the layer of Butterfingers.

Make sure to keep refrigerated while the cake isn't being served.

Gluten Free Dairy Free Apple Cake with Honey Glaze

Apple Cake is one of my favorite desserts! The first time I had it was Christmas Eve and I was only 9 years old!  Unfortunately, it took until now for me to find a recipe to try it again.  Yes, it has been 15 years since I have had it; and guess what? ... It is still my favorite!! 

This Apple Cake tastes just like a cinnamon roll.  Better yet.... one of those cinnamon raisin biscuits from Hardee's. It can be eaten for dessert.... or breakfast ;) and I always pretend it's healthy for me because of the apples.  I can pretend right?

Recently my husband and I have built a new home together.  With a new home there comes a lot of new visitors and entertaining.  Visitors and entertaining is fine by me because I love an excuse to cook!  However, my husbands family has started a gluten free-dairy free diet.  When knowing they are coming for dinner I admit I panic a little.  Thinking of gluten free-dairy free recipes may not seem difficult, but at the moment everything we can think of includes some type of noodle or cheese.  I settle with the easy baked chicken and vegetables.  But what about dessert?  I'm known as the dessert queen so it has to be a killer gluten free dessert!  I automatically wanted to try my apple cake.  Except for a tiny bit of butter, this cake has been made completely gluten and dairy free, and it is just as scrumptious as before!

I have made this cake 5 times in the last two months!  I'm guessing it's everyone else's favorite now too :) Once for me, once from my husband's request, once for my mother in law, once for my sister in law, and another by request for my sister in law's housewarming party! 

If you make this Apple Cake, please feel free to come back and leave me a comment telling me what you think!  If you have any suggestions please feel free to share! 



For this cake you will need:

Glaze: 
2 cup powdered sugar
4 tbsp. honey
4 tbsp. soy milk

Cake:
3 peeled and diced granny apples
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts (or 1/4 cup Earth's Balance and 1 cup regular chopped walnuts)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. cinnamon
3 cup gluten free all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs

You will need 3 large bowls, a small bowl, a mixer, and a bundt pan.

Directions:

1-  Heat oven to 350 and lightly grease bundt pan

2- In a small bowl melt walnuts and 1/2 a stick of unsalted butter in the microwave for about 2  
    minutes.  Stir every 30 seconds.

3- In a large bowl mix the diced apples, walnuts, cinnamon, and vanilla.  Set aside.

4- In a separate large bowl mix the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set this aside as well.

5-  In another large bowl beat the sugar, oil, and eggs for about 2-3 minutes. Add the flour mix and
     beat until well combined.  Fold in the apple mixture.

6-  Scrape batter into the bundt pan and bake in the over for 1 hour 30 min or until done. 

7-  Allow to cool for about an hour before dumping the cake onto a plate.

8-  When you have turned the cake out, in a small bowl, mix the
     powdered sugar with the soy milk.  Mix really good with a spoon making sure to dissolve all
     sugar clumps.  Add the honey and stir very well.  Drizzle the glaze over the Apple Cake.

9- Enjoy!!!


** If you don't want this to be gluten or dairy free:
     Use regular all purpose flour in place of the gluten free
     Use regular milk in place of the soy milk.
     If using Earth's Balance to toast your walnuts, use 1/2 a stick of unsalted butter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mini Raspberry Cheesecakes with White Chocolate Crust #SundaySupper

When I heard #SundaySupper was having a cheese, cake, and cheesecake week I was so excited!  I knew I had to join in on the fun!

Cheesecake is by far one of my favorite desserts!  I could eat it every day!  Matter of fact when I was pregnant...I did :)  My husband would buy me cheesecake whenever we went to the grocery store and sometimes even had to make special trips out!  Not only was it delicious, but it always made me feel better.

This week I was planning on making a homemade cheesecake, but when I went on a trip to the store I came upon a tub of Philadelphia Cheesecake Filling!  Fantastic!  I'm a mom of two tiny babies... so not only would this be more convenient for me to make cakes with, but what I have left over I can just eat straight out of the tub :-)  YUM!

I decided I would use white chocolate as a main crust because I love love love white chocolate raspberry cheesecake from Olive Garden.  Instead of using white chocolate in the cheesecake though, I thought it would be neat to make the cheesecake more tart with raspberry and use the sweet chocolate for the crust.  It worked!

Here's the recipe I used:

Cupcake Pan
24 Cupcake liners

1 Tub of Philadelphia Cheesecake Filling (or 24 oz of your own no bake cheesecake recipe)
1 Bag frozen raspberries (thawed out)
1/2 c sugar
2 c white chocolate chips
36 Nilla Waffers

1/2 bag of dark chocolate raspberry melts (optional for decoration)

Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

Crush up the Nilla Wafers so they are fine crumbs.

Melt white chocolate chips according to package.

Push the white chocolate onto the bottom and sides of the cupcake liners creating a "bowl".

Spoon crushed Nilla Wafers into the bottom of the cupcake liners.

After the white chocolate has completely dried, spoon the cheesecake filling into the cups.  Even the tops out with a spoon.

Mix raspberries in a small bowl with 1/2 cup sugar.  Mash the raspberries with the back of a spoon until they are smooth.

Spread the raspberry sauce on top of the cheesecakes.

For decoration I melted dark cocoa raspberry melts into a mold.  Once they cooled I took them out carefully and places on top of the cheesecakes.

Below are some other great Recipes from other #SundaySupper members for our "Cheese, Cake and Cheesecake week!!

Cheese –

• Garlic and Goat by Supper for a Steal
• Quick and Easy Homemade Cottage Cheese by The Meltaways
• Homemade Velveeta Cheese by Juanitas Cocina
• Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Dip with Parmesan Crisps by BigBearsWife
• Irish Cheese Soufflés by girlichef
• Paneer Tikka Masala by Kimchi Mom
• Creamy Meyer Lemon Pasta with Homemade Ricotta and Broccoli by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
• Ricotta Croquettes by Basic N Delicious
• Cheeseburger Soup by Dinners Dishes and Desserts
• Cherry Blossom Crescents by The Ninja Baker
• Saag Paneer! Golden Roasted Ricotta In Savory Spinach Sauce by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Sourdough Cheese Crackers by Curious Cuisiniere
• Basil Balsamic Strawberries & Whipped Feta Grilled Cheese by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Lox and Cream Cheese Mini Omelettes by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Buffalo Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken by In The Kitchen With KP
• Baked Mozzarella Sticks by Mama’s Blissful Bites
• Paneer Indian Cottage Cheese Pancake by Masala Herb
• Crepes with Strawberry Mascarpone Cream Filling by Soni’s Food
• Roasted Pears with Pecorino by Happy Baking Days
• Pan-Fried Halloumi Cheese Salad by The Catholic Foodie
• Chevre Torte with Mango and Sweet Pepper Salsa by Noshing with the Nolands

Cakes –

• Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting by Hezzi D’s Books & Cooks
• Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cake by Gourmet Drizzles
• Dairyfree Ice Cream Cake by Galactosemia in PDX
• KitKat Chocolate Cake by The Urban Mrs.
• Old Fashioned Caramel Cake by There and Back Again
• Peanut Butter Banana Bundt Cake with Chocolate Chips by Gotta Get Baked
• Flourless Chocolate Bean Cake by Vintage Kitchen
• Dense Chocolate Cherry Cake by What Smells So Good?
• Tequila Lime Cupcakes by Mama Mommy Mom
• Almond Polenta Cake by Shockingly Delicious
• Salmon Cakes by Family Foodie
• Banana Split Bundt Cake with Chocolate Glaze by NeighborFood

& Cheesecakes

• Kit Kat Cheesecake Brownies by Chocolate Moosey
• Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Bundt Cake by Daily Dish Recipes
• Nutella Cheesecake Brownies by The Foodie Army Wife
• Individual Strawberry and White Chocolate Cheesecakes by Small Wallet Big Appetite
• Grasshopper Cheesecake Bars by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Chocolate Covered Cherry Cheesecake by Magnolia Days
• Mini Toddler Cherry Cheesecakes by In the Kitchen with Audrey and Maurene
• Mocha Cheesecake by The Lovely Pantry
• Lime Cheesecake Bites by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• No-Bake Banana Sundae Cheesecake by The Messy Baker
• Mini Raspberry Cheesecakes with White Chocolate Crusts by Cupcakes and Pearls
• Savory Shrimp Cheesecake with Herbs and Garlic by Food Lust People Love
• Cheesecake au Baileys by Baker Street
• Tiny Turtle Cheesecakes (No Bake) by Cravings of a Lunatic
• Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Mini Cheesecakes by Cookistry
• Chocolate Cheesecake Bites by Mom, What’s For Dinner?

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. This week we will be sharing our love of Cheese, Cakes AND Cheesecakes!  Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST!

Follow the #SundaySupper hash tag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. 

Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Join us Around the Family Table this Sunday at 7PM Eastern Time and share your favorite Cheese, Cake and Cheesecake Recipes with us! 

Pina Colada Cake

I LOVE the beach!  Anything warm and tropical makes me happy! Including things that remind me of being at the beach...such as coconuts, pineapple, and pina coladas!

My husband is the exact opposite!  He hates the beach, hates pineapple, and really hates coconut!
Usually we argue about who is crazier, but on this cake... I don't argue.  Why?  Because I am happy with not having to share :-)

My cousin introduced me to this cake when I was really little and I haven't had it since!  It has really been weighing on my mind for years, so I decided to recreate it my way....and MMMM!  It was good!

It's full of coconut flavor, pineapple, and cool whip.  If your feeling frisky...you can even add in some coconut rum :-)  I would have totally done that if I didn't have to share with my 1 year old!



Pina Coloada Cake:
1 box yellow cake mix (or your own made from scratch kind)
8 oz cool whip
1 can crushed pineapple
1 bottle cream of coconut
1 bag shredded coconut
coconut rum (optional)

Make yellow cake mix according to box and bake in a 13 x 9 pan.

When it is done, poke holes in cake and pour bottle of cream of coconut on top.  If you are using rum, now would be when you would sprinkle a few tablespoons on top of the cake.

Let the cake cool.  As it cools, the cream of coconut will soak through cake (making it really moist!)

When the cake is cooled spread coconut all over the top.  I only used half a bag but you can use the entire thing if you like.

Next, I spread cool whip on top of the coconut layer.

Evenly distribute the crushed pineapple on top of the cool whip.

Now sit back, eat your cake, and pretend you're in paradise!