White Cherry Chocolate Dump Cake

Running late this morning, my apologies!

A few of us here have come down with some crud and don't feel well. We need to get better so we can celebrate my oldest son's 15th birthday!

This recipe was one of the ideas we had for his cake, but he chose carrot with cream cheese frosting instead. Doesn't mean I can't share it with you!

Credit at the bottom
White Cherry Chocolate Dump Cake

Ingredients

(1) 21 ounce can Cherry Pie Filling
(1) 15.25 ounce Yellow Cake Mix
1 Stick Butter (1/2 cup) melted
1 Cup White Chocolate Chips
Non-Stick Cooking Oil Spray
Vanilla Ice Cream for serving
Instructions

Spray a 3.5 quart or larger slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
Spread cherry pie filling on bottom of slow cooker.
Next sprinkle entire box of yellow cake mix on top of filling.
Drizzle melted butter over cake mix.
Sprinkle the white chocolate chips (1 cup) over the butter.
Put the lid on, and cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours on HIGH, or until set in the middle.
Set slow cooker to warm until ready to serve.
Ladle into bowls, and serve with vanilla ice cream.

The Magical Slow Cooker

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

A friend shared these on her page and it looks perfect for upcoming birthdays.

Between February and June we have A LOT of birthdays, but March is the busiest with 5 (including the beautiful friend who shared the recipe)!  We also have a baby due in the family in March, so excited to meet her!

So this recipe is copyrighted. The credits are at the bottom. This recipe comes with a boxed cake version as well as a from scratch which I love. So make sure you check out the author of this mouth watering recipe, Your Cup Of Cake!

CHOCOLATE CAKE:

Box Version

1 box devil’s food cake mix
3 eggs, 1/2 C. melted butter
2/3 C. sour cream
1/2 C. milk
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes

From Scratch

1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 eggs, at room temp
1 C. sugar
1 C. brown sugar, packed
2/3 cup oil
1 C. buttermilk or milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING:
1/2 C. butter, softened
1/2 C. creamy peanut butter
3 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 Tbsp. milk
3-4 C. powered sugar
Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners, I used orange to really bring out the Reese's Pieces theme!
2. In a medium bowl, combine cocoa flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, brown sugar, oil, buttermilk and vanilla extract.
4. Pour half the dry ingredients into the wet and stir. Then add the rest of the dry ingredients and stir again. Don't over mix.
5. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 18-22 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Let cool.
6. Peanut Butter Frosting: Beat butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add vanilla extract, milk and 2 cups powdered sugar. Continue to add powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. If it becomes too thick, like a cookie dough, add more milk!
7. Frost cooled cupcakes and top with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups! You can use the regular sized or the minis!
3.1
Copyright © YourCupofCake

Earl Grey Tea Cake with Lemon and Honey

This is in my to do list for today.  I love Earl Grey tea and my dream is to work/run my own tea shop. 

Check out the credits at the end.

Earl Grey Tea Cake worth lemon and honey

Ingredients

½ cup (120 ml) milk
4 Alokozay Earl Grey teabags (I used Tazo)
½ cup (113 g) butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons (45 g) honey
¾ cup (150 g) sugar
2 eggs
1½ cup (190 g) all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
zest of 1 lemon

Syrup:
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon honey
¼ cup hot water
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions
Heat the milk in a small saucepan, and then steep 2 Alokozay Earl Grey teabags in the hot milk for half an hour.
Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease or line a 9x5 loaf pan.
If your honey is semi-solid melt together with the butter. Using an electric mixer beat together butter, honey and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
Add flour, salt, and baking powder and mix until combined.
Remove the teabags from the milk making sure to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Add infused milk, lemon zest and tea powder from 2 bags and mix until well incorporated.
Fill batter into prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
For a nice, clean split in the loaf make a cut into the batter after about 10 minutes of baking time. If the top is browning too quickly, cover with aluminum foil towards the end of baking time.
Combine all ingredients for the syrup and set aside. Let the loaf cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and place on a wire rack. Poke holes into the top and brush syrup on while still warm. Store any leftover syrup in a glass jar in the fridge. A couple teaspoons of syrup make a great addition to a cup of brewed tea.

http://leelalicious.com/earl-grey-tea-cake/

Crazy banana cake with cream cheese frosting

I have a ton of frozen bananas in the freezer. We used Saucy's Two Ingredient Banana Ice Cream and still have plenty. So I went searching and since I have cream cheese in the fridge too, why not?!?!

Crazy banana cake with cream cheese frosting

Ingredients

Cake:
1.5 cups very ripe bananas (3 fresh bananas or 4 thawed, previously frozen bananas)
2 tsp lemon juice
3 cups all-purpose flour
1.5 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup soft butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1.5 cups buttermilk (OR milk soured with one tbsp vinegar or lemon juice)
Icing:
½ cup softened butter
8 oz cream cheese, room temp.
1 tsp vanilla
3.5 cups icing sugar (also known as powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar)

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 275 F, and grease and flour (or spray), a 9x13 cake pan.
Mash banana and mix with lemon juice and set aside.
In a med bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
If you're making your own buttermilk, combine milk and vinegar (or lemon juice) in a small bowl, and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar.
Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla.
Beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk.
Stir in bananas.
Pour into cake pan and bake 1 hour and 10 mins (or until knife comes out clean). *if need be, cook longer, checking every 10 minutes until cake is fully cooked.
Immediately place in freezer for 45 minutes. (if not completely cool upon removal from freezer, let cool further before icing).
Cream butter and cream cheese.
Beat in vanilla and icing sugar on low until combined, then high until smooth.
Frost cake and enjoy!

Recipe by Happy Hooligans

Raspberry Butter Cake

HAPPY THURSDAY! At least that's what Saucy would tell you. She's always got a good out look on life for everyone! She is off doing her thing, so she sent me this recipe to share with you. I hope you enjoy and have an amazing weekend ahead! Saucy's brother in law is headed to mh house for the Sturgis Motorcycle rally. So, I am off to get stuff ready for that and to get my kids moving on their chores for the day.

RASPBERRY BUTTER CAKE

• 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
  
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter + 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 
  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 10" round baking pan (a 9x12 pan works, too).

1. Sprinkle the brown sugar in the bottom of the pan. Pour 6 Tbsp. of the melted butter evenly over the brown sugar, then lay the berries evenly on top.
2. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat together the 1/2 cup of butter and the granulated sugar until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well.
3. Fold in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into the butter mixture. Stir in the cream and vanilla until smooth.
4. Spoon the batter evenly over the raspberries.
5. Bake until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven; transfer the cake to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes.
6. Run a knife blade around the edge of each cake to loosen it from the ramekin. Invert the cake onto a serving plate. Lightly tap the bottom of the pan to loosen the cake, then lift the pan.
7. Serve the cake warm and top with whipped cream if desired.

Guiness Chocolate Cake

I figured I wasn't the only one willing to extend the Irish food or Irish inspired foods into the rest of the week.My Asylum is preparing for company this weekend and what recipe to make. That got me thinking about the company we may have for the Sturgis Rally. This weekend's guest wouldn't like this recipe nearly as much as my guest this summer would. This is similar to my Chocolate Whiskey Cake. Make sure you go check that recipe out too! Conclusion? I think to much... 

 

Chocolate Guiness Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup stout or porter beer, such as Guinness extra stout
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
• 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cream cheese frosting recipe

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 8 or 9-inch springform pan with butter and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.

2 In a large saucepan place the beer and butter. Cook over medium-high heat until the butter has melted. Add the cocoa powder and sugars and whisk together. Take off heat and allow to come to room temperature.

3 In another bowl beat together the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract until very, very well combined. Add to the butter-beer mixture and whisk together.

4 In another bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the beer-butter mixture and whisk together until it just comes together. Pour into the prepared pan and give the pan a few short drops onto the countertop to shake the air pockets in the batter to the surface and out of the cake. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack. Run a knife around the edge to separate the cake from the pan and pop the ring off the springform.

5 Spread frosting on the cooled cake and serve.

Simply Recipes http://www.simplyrecipes.com

Easy Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Hello All!  So it's Tuesday, it's been a rough week for me so far.  I can only hope things are better at your Asylum's.  I hadn't made a pineapple upside down cake ever and was craving one so we indulged.  Dad was grateful.  Apparently he's a fan, Hubbers was happy with it too.  It's just too simple and yummmmmmmmmm!  Credit for this easy gem goes to Betty Crocker!  She's been helping us out a lot lately LOL!

Easy Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients

1/4

cup butter or margarine

1

cup packed brown sugar

1

can (20 oz) pineapple slices in juice, drained, juice reserved

1

jar (6 oz) maraschino cherries without stems, drained

1

box Betty Crocker™ SuperMoist™ yellow cake mix

Vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box

• 1Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). In 13x9-inch pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter. Arrange pineapple slices on brown sugar. Place cherry in center of each pineapple slice, and arrange remaining cherries around slices; press gently into brown sugar.
• 2Add enough water to reserved pineapple juice to measure 1 cup. Make cake batter as directed on box, substituting pineapple juice mixture for the water. Pour batter over pineapple and cherries.
• 3Bake 42 to 48 minutes (44 to 53 minutes for dark or nonstick pan) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Place heatproof serving plate upside down onto pan; turn plate and pan over. Leave pan over cake 5 minutes so brown sugar topping can drizzle over cake; remove pan. Cool 30 minutes. Serve warm or cool. Store covered in refrigerator.

Rocky Road Nut Cake

Hello everybody.  I'm sorry I missed out on being here on Saturday.  I really felt bad letting Spicy and all of you down like that.  Life just took over.  But I am here today and very glad to be so.  Since I was guilty of such a thing I figured I should bust out one of the THE BEST recipes I have.  My Mom has been making this cake for more years than I remember.  And if  asked my son would tell you that it is by all means his all time favorite!  It is absolutely delicious.  Not the easiest recipe I have ever made but well worth any obstacles!

I hope you are all enjoying a great week so far.  Of course I hope that you were able to enjoy a fabulous Thanksgiving with your family and friends!  Enjoy the cake and I will see you on Thursday!

Rocky Road Nut Cake

1 3/4 Cups sugar

1 1/2 Cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/ 1/2 Cups walnuts

1 Cup butter, melted

4 Cups miniature marshmellows

Butterscotch Icing:

1 Cup brown sugar

1/2 Cup butter

1/3 Cup milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Cup Confectioners Sugar, sifted

Grease and flour 13 x 9 pan, preheat oven to 350°.

Sift together sugar, flour and salt.

Add eggs and vanilla, mix until well blended.  

Stir in walnuts and melted butter.  Pour into pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.  When cake is done, pull it out and immediately cover with the marshmellows so they will melt. 

To make Butterscotch Icing combine brown sugar, butter, milk and salt in pan.  Boil for 3 minutes.  You must watch it and stir constantly or it will burn.  Add sifted confectioners sugar and mix until smooth.  Drizzle over cake!  Be sure to let the butterscotch harden before you try to cut the cake.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Good day wonderful people!  Hope things have been going well for everyone.  I have been so busy I'm not sure which way is up, but thankfully Spicy has been taking care of business here at the Asylum.  Yeah, speaking of that........................boiling water, really?  LOL!  That's my girl!  Nothing but love for the Spicy!

So, Thanksgiving week is soon upon us, wow!  The biscuit recipe from last week?  Very good, nice and light!  Today we are not going so light lol!  Not real bad though.  So you know me and breakfast, so here we go again.  BUT this time we are having cake for breakfast, who wouldn't be interested in that!???  I want it!  Everybody I know wants it!  Bet they are gonna want it at your house too!  Please enjoy, this is especially good and easy if you have family staying with you through the holidays!  Enjoy!  See you next week!

Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind

7/8 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided (1 cup less 2 tablespoons)

1 egg, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

2 cups fresh blueberries

2 cups all purpose flour, divided

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

1.  Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease a 9" square baking pan with butter, or coat with nonstick cooking spray.

2.  Combine butter, lemon rind and 7/8 cup sugar in a mixing bowl.  Beat with an electric mixer at medium high speed until light and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla; beat until combined.

3.  Toss blueberries with 1/4 cup flour.  In a separate bowl, whisk together remaining 1 3/4 cup flour, baking powder and salt.

4.  add flour mixture to egg mixture a little at a time, alternating with buttermilk.  fold in blueberries.

5.  Spread batter in prepared pan.  Sprinkle batter with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.  bake 35-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Oh, and last time I made this I had to use frozen blueberries and it was still wonderful!

Autumn Apple Cake

Happy Halloween!  I hope you are having a spooktacular day!  My Residents decided that they would rather just buy their favorite candy than go out trick or treating. The idea of Halloween and Thanksgiving soon to come evokes the thoughts of apple bobbing, apple cider, caramel apples...well you get the idea.  Sorry went a little Bubba Blue (Forest Gump) there...


Todays recipe comes from one of my favorite places, Mennonite Girls Can Cook.

Autumn Apple Cake

2/3 cup butter 

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

2/3 cup buttermilk

3 cups apples, peeled, cored, and chopped

1/3 cup chopped nuts..I used pecans, walnuts would be good too

1. Cream together butter, sugar. Add eggs, and vanilla and beat till well blended.
2. Stir in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk. Fold in chopped apples and nuts.
3. Pour into a 9" by 13" greased pan and sprinkle topping over cake.
4. Bake in 350 oven for 40 minutes.
5. Cool, serve with whipped topping and a drizzle of caramel sauce if you like.

Topping:

• 1 tbsp melted butter
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 2 tsp flour
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts
• 1/4 cup coconut
• 1/4 cup toffee bits
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• Crumble this together and sprinkle over cake batter.

Intros and a HEALTHY dessert! Wait? What?

Today I am going to re-introduce us and someone new!  So please hang in there if you are one of our regulars and WELCOME to the new followers!


For those of you new here to the Asylum, I am the Spicy German.  My friend the Saucy Irish and I started this blog at the beginning of the summer to share our Residents (families) favorite recipes and tips.  Saucy is on a journey with her mom right now so she is checking in when able and we are sending her all our love and, as she tells me, pure happiness! 


I am here Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  Saucy gets the other days and we both take Sundays off (a day pass) to be with our Residents!


We do like to warn you that if you stay, you will be given a white jacket with fancy buckles to wear (they buckle in the back)!  There are days we are short and to the point (most of this summer, sorry), but there will be days that we share the hard times at our Asylums. This has become our therapy!  We have an Asylum "table" that we have you pull a chair up to and hang out with us.  We also have an Asylum "Library".  It is where we go to research any of your questions and get you the best answer we can! 


We have a Facebook page that we let you know when there is a new blog and every afternoon we share a saying, picture or quote to put a smile on your face!  So make sure you like our page to get those updates! Click on the Like button and click Get Notifications so you don't miss anything!


Want to know more about us individually?  To the left is a tab called About Us, click it!  I double dog dare you to!  We are pretty awesome, so you want to know more about us!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


OK, on to the fun stuff! Today I want to introduce you to an amazing woman that I met on Facebook!  Her name is Jessy and she has been an inspiration for me!  She is a young woman who has taken on the challenge to become a healthier person, but not lose her personality and her love of life along the way.  She is very encouraging, so if you-like me, need a little extra encouragement or a boost PLEASE go check out her Facebook page-Gaining While Losing!  Take the time to read her About section and see how her journey began and how she has lost 130+ pounds!  If you have a few extra minutes leave her a note and let her know how awesome she is!


When you are done don't forget to come back!  I am sharing her recipe today!  Although you can find it on her Facebook page, but we would love it if you came back and had a seat at the Asylum table!  Hang around and check out all the recipes and tips that Saucy and I have for you!




Skinny Peach Cobbler
Jessy at Gaining While Losing


1 bag peaches or sliced fresh
cinnamon to taste
1 can Sprite or Dt. 7UP
1 Sugar free Yellow Cake mix


Combine ingredients.  She doesn't give specifics, but I would guess that you are replacing the liquid of the cake mix with the soda. 


This looks so yummy and I would imagine you can use strawberries, or blueberries!  Or a combination like the  healthy Ambrosia I shared with you the other day! 


Irony kicks in here!  She shares this recipe on the day I have chosen to give up soda!  I am thinking it doesn't count when you are using it to bake with though.  What do you think?

Use up those bananas!

Hello Crazies! I hope you checked out the Saucy Irish's soup yesterday!  So I was laying in bed last night drilling my hubs on what recipe to use today and this popped into my head and I yelled it out randomly and he just went right in watching tv. Guess after 17 years together he's given up!

Black-Bottom Banana Bars

About.com cooking with kids

Ingredients:

• Black Bottom Base
• 1 18.25 oz. devil's food cake mix
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• 
  
• Cheesecake Layer:
• 2 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large very ripe bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1-1/2 cups miniature chocolate chips

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.


2. With an electric mixer, beat cake mix, 4 oz. cream cheese, melted butter and egg. Press into prepared pan.


3. Bake 15 minutes.


4. Meanwhile, prepare cheesecake layer: Beat the remaining cream cheese, eggs, banana and sugar until smooth. Stir in miniature chocolate chips. Spread cheesecake mixture over chocolate layer.


5. Bake 25-30 minutes until set. Cool completely, then refrigerate until firm.

I was also informed that since I used the hubs recipe for lasagna the other day and didn't give you proper OCD step by step directions that I have to fix it!  So at some point tomorrow I will attempt to do that-if I haven't admitted him to a real Asylum before then!  He said that there are now people out in the world doing it all wrong! Excuse me while I find him a jacket...

National Chocolate Eclair Day

It is National Chocolate Éclair Day! So I dug in the Asylum Library and found a recipe at MrFood.com for Chocolate Éclair Cake. It is also very easy with only 5 ingredients!

Chocolate Éclair Cake

MrFood

1 (14.4-ounce) box honey graham crackers 

2 (4-serving) packages French vanilla instant pudding mix

3 cups milk

1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (16-ounce) container ready-to-spread chocolate frosting

What To Do:

1. Line bottom of an ungreased 9- x 13-inch baking dish with one-third of the graham crackers.
    
2. In a large bowl, whisk together pudding mix and milk; add whipped topping, stirring until mixture thickens.
    
3. Spread half of pudding mixture over graham crackers in baking dish. Repeat layers with one-third of graham crackers and remaining pudding mixture. Top with remaining graham crackers. Spread with chocolate frosting. Cover to chill.

Hope you have a wonderfully chocolatey day! Don't get anything on your jackets! I'm going to try making my own detergent so I hope it still keeps the stains out and keeps your jackets white!

The other shoulder

The other day I shared the Devil's Food Cake recipe, so today I thought I would share an Angel Food Cake recipe.  So you have your Devil on one shoulder and your Angel on the other!  There is another reason I wanted to share this recipe as well.  My hubs had his birthday yesterday and every year my mom makes him an Angel Food Cake with strawberries and whip cream.  This year they made it for the weekend and that was the first thing she asked-do you have a mix.  Well of course I do!  But, there was a time where I would make it from scratch.  Now that I am trying to stay away from boxed/processed foods I thought I should dust off my recipe! 

This recipe comes from a very well used cookbook that my Aunt gave me (my Grandma gave to her).  It is the Mennonite Community Cookbook by Mary Emma Showalter.  I highly suggest you get this cookbook!  It was published in the 70s but I have seen it on Amazon (where I am an affiliate)! 

Angel Food Cake

1 cup cake flour (make sure it is cake flour)
1 1/2  cups sugar, finely granulated
1 1/2  cups egg whites (11 to 12 eggs)
2 TBSP water
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla or 1/2 tsp each of vanilla and almond extract (I do the 1/2 and 1/2, tastes so much better)

Sift flour and measure.
Add 1/2 cup sugar and sift together 3 times.
Beat egg whites with rotary beater until frothy.
add salt and cream of tartar.
Continue to beat until whites hold peaks.
Slowly add remaining sugar to beaten whites, folding it in with a wire whisk.
Add flavoring (extract).
then sift flour and sugar mixture, a tablespoon or two at a time, over beaten whites.
Fold in lightly with a down-up-over motion.
When well blended, pour into a large ungreased tube pan (10 inch diameter).
Cut through batter with a knife.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
Remove from oven and invert pan to cool. (My mom uses a bottle in the middle of the pan).

Want to make it a chocolate?  Just remove 3 TBSP flour and add 3 TBSP cocoa!  Don't forget the strawberries and whipped cream! 

So which are you a Devil's Food lover or and Angel Food lover?  Or, are you both, a Chocolate Angel Food lover?  Our Doctor's here at the Asylum would call the Devil/Angel on your shoulder like Freud's Id and Ego...

National Devil's Food Cake Day

Today is National Devil's Food Cake Day, so why not celebrate with a recipe from Framed Cooks?  She has taken Devil's Food and given it a twist with Butterfinger!  It is made even easier as it starts with a boxed cake mix, nothing wrong with semi-homemade!

 

Ever wonder how Devil's Food Cake got it's name?  I have been told it is because it is the chocolate version of Angel Food Cake.  Sounds legit to me! The definitions given throughout the internet are-- A very dark chocolate cake.  Again, sounds legit to me! 

 

Devil’s Food Butterfinger Cake

   

Ingredients

1 box devil's food cake mix

1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 12 ounce jar caramel topping

1 12 ounce container whipped topping (aka Cool Whip. Or make your own by whipping 1 cup heavy cream with 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla until soft peaks form.)

1-2 Butterfinger bars, crushed.

Directions

1. Prepare the cake according to package directions. You can use either a 9x13 pan or a bundt pan. Immediately after removing the cake from the oven, poke several holes in it with a fork or a skewer. Mix the condensed milk with the caramel topping and spread over the entire cake.

2. Cool cake completely, then spread the whipped topping over the top, and sprinkle the crushed Butterfinger over the topping.

3. Stand back!

I highly suggest you go to Yummly and check out all the other recipes for Devil's Food Cake.  I love this website and the app on my phone. 

In preparing for this blog I went to the Asylum Library and found, in a lot of the medical journals, that there are cases of people being addicted to chocolate.  If you are one of those people please skip todays post and maybe try the Angel Food Cake instead!  Also, group therapy is down the hall to the left and will meet weekly unless there is a higher demand, which I am afraid the will be....

Tips and tricks and alcohol?

As you can see my cake in the picture enjoyed the whiskey ;)

So I thought I would share some tips and tricks for baking and cooking today, but I just can't seem to make any come to mind!  So I went searching in the Asylum Library for some of the most popular tips and tricks I could find.  Since I am the baker I thought I would start there.

Woman's Day has 10 very great tips!  My favorite is #10-Don't forget to experiment!  You will never know if you like something or if it works if you don't try!  That goes for pretty much any area of life...

King Arthur Flour has lots of categories to pick from but what I love about them is that they have a HOTLINE!  So if you can't find answers give them a call.  I have tried it and they are great! 

Ever wonder about your cake pans?  Betty Crocker has some great tips about your choice in pans and how it can help you make the perfect cake, or maybe why your cake is a flop.

Our Asylum's Kitchen!  Wait that's us.  Yep, we are here to answer any questions you may have!

Now we get to the alcohol, because we all know that is what caught your attention in the title!  So using some of the tips you learned above, why not make a Chocolate Whiskey Cake?  This is something that I make and get A LOT of RAVE REVIEWS!!!  I will warn you that it is not the simplest of recipes like we usually share here.  This will take a lot more patience and time to make, but believe me it will be worth it, I promise!  (My tips are in parentheses.)

 

Chocolate Whiskey Cake

Rachel Ray Magazine

 

• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 1/2 cups strong brewed coffee (Stronger the better)                     

• 1/2 cup whiskey (I prefer Jack Daniel's, but PLEASE use the whiskey you prefer to drink.  Please buy a new one**)                       

• 1 1/2 sticks  (6 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1 cup mini chocolate chips (don't have mini, 3/4 cup regular works too)                        

• 2 cups flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

• 3 large eggs plus one egg white

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (real vanilla is better if you can get it)                        

Directions

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees . Butter a 10-inch springform pan, dust with 2 tablespoons cocoa powder and place on a baking sheet.
2. In a saucepan, whisk together the coffee, whiskey, butter and 3/4 cup cocoa powder over low heat. Whisk in the granulated and brown sugars. Let cool (room temp).
3. In a small bowl, toss the chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon cocoa powder. (This will keep them from completely melting and give you chocolate bits in your cake)  
4. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, pepper and cloves. Whisk the eggs, egg white and vanilla into the cooled coffee-chocolate mixture. Whisk in the flour mixture. Fold the cocoa-dusted chocolate chips into the batter.   
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out just slightly moist, about 1 hour. Let cool. Dust with the remaining 1 tablespoon cocoa powder before serving (or use powdered sugar, looks amazing against the chocolate).

**Whisky gets stronger as it sits.  I have tried to use a bottle that has been sitting in my cupboard and it was way too strong.  The results are worth the new bottle!

Finally some sweetness!

Wow, the Asylum is creepishly quiet today.  With tomorrow being Friday, it's like the calm before the storm.  So I don't have a lot to say today, I'm sorry.  Life kind of gets in the way of things you enjoy sometimes and I'm just not feeling myself.  But you know what always makes a girl feel better? Cake!  Always!  Lots would say chocolate and I would totally agree with that also, but then comes the feeling of oh crap did I really eat all that?  LOL.  Well, that's my personal experience anyway lol.  So the recipe I have chosen for today doesn't leave me feeling that way.  I get the whole "cake" experience but not the guilt that normally follows.  And OMG Easy doesn't even describe this one!  I'm sure the Spicy German will be all over this recipe LOL.

I hope the week finishes off well for all of you.  Much love and happiness in you life, your family and let's not forget in your kitchen!  Enjoy and happy Thursday!

This recipe comes to us from a website I really enjoy, eatbetteramerica.com!  I have been with them for a few years now and they take recipes we all know and love and make small changes so that it is easier to "eat better america"! They, boosted the recipe from Prevention Healthy Cooking, don't let that fool you about the taste and yumminess of this cake!

Pina Colada Cake

Prep time:  10 minutes

Start to finish:  30 minutes

Makes:  16 servings

1 package (14.5 oz) Angel Food Cake Mix

1 can (8 oz) unsweetened crushed pineapple (I have been known to add more depending on my mood)

8 oz fat free frozen whipped topping, thawed

1/2 cup (2 oz) toasted coconut

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 13x9" baking dish with cooking spray.

2.  In large bowl, stir together cake mix and pineapple.  Pour into prepared baking dish.

3.  Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean.  Cool completely on a rack.

4.  Spread whipped topping over cake.  Sprinkle with coconut.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

(***Don't let the whole toasted coconut thing bother you.  When the cake comes out and is cooling spread coconut on a flat baking sheet.  Put it in the 350 oven to toast it.  Keep an eye on it, but normally when you can smell it, it's done.  Just stir it around and viola you have beautiful different stages of toasted coconut!  It's an important step, don't leave it out! :D)

P.S.  I have nutritional information if anyone needs it!