Mix Tricks: Coconut Bundt Cake

This is one of my favorite recipes for a potluck dessert.  It can be adapted from Triple Chocolate to Lemon Blueberry to White Chocolate Strawberry just by changing the cake mix, pudding mix and add-on flavors. The cake in the photo is the coconut version.

Here’s the basic recipe:

Ingredients:

1 boxed cake mix

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup water

1 package instant pudding

1 cup chosen add-on ingredient (white or chocolate chips, blueberries, coconut, etc.)

Preheat oven to 350F.  Mix first 6 ingredients together.  Stir in the add-on ingredient.  Bake one hour in a greased Bundt pan or other large cake pan.

I like to slightly warm a carton of prepared frosting for a few seconds in the microwave and drizzle it over the cooled cake.

Possible variations:

chocolate cake mix, chocolate pudding, chocolate chips, chocolate frosting

lemon cake mix, lemon pudding, blueberries, lemon frosting

strawberry cake mix, strawberry or vanilla pudding mix, white chocolate chips, vanilla frosting

yellow cake mix, vanilla pudding, chocolate chips, chocolate frosting

spice cake mix, vanilla pudding, raisins, cream cheese frosting

white cake mix, coconut cream pudding, coconut flakes, cream cheese frosting (sprinkle top with coconut)

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Caramel Mocha Truffle Cupcakes–Can You Say Yum!

For these cupcakes, I altered the recipe for Caramel Lightning Cake from The Joy of Cooking (75^th Anniversary Edition), by Irma Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker.

For truffle filling:
1 ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
¼ cup flavored creamer (I used eggnog flavor, but any would be great) or half-and-half
10 large marshmallows

Begin melting chocolate chips in 30 second increments in microwave, stirring thoroughly after each interval.  As chips begin to melt, stir in creamer and marshmallows and continue to heat. Stir carefully until blended.  Set in refrigerator to cool.

Whisk together in a large bowl (I use my stand mixer)
1 ½ cups flour (we often use half whole wheat):
½  cup sugar
½ cup dark brown sugar
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt

Add in and continue to blend:
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp espresso powder
1 Tbsp coffee liqueur (optional)

Beat in and continue to blend until light and airy (about 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down bowl halfway):

½ cup salted butter, softened

Fill cupcake cups ½- ¾ full (I use a large ice cream scoop).  Carefully place a small scoop, approximately ½ tsp, of the ganache onto each cupcake, trying not to drop it to the bottom.

Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 16 minutes, watching carefully.

Allow to cool and frost with:

Espresso Mocha Buttercream
2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter
3 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
2 Tbsp dark cocoa
1 tsp coffee liqueur (optional)
Beat until light and fluffy.

Mandarin Orange Cake

Mandarin Orange Cake
Vicki Webb, January 2008 MMCW
Cake: 1 package of yellow cake mix without pudding, 3/4 cup oil, 4 eggs, 1 can mandarin oranges with juice.

Frosting: 1 large box instant vanilla pudding, 1 (20 oz) can undrained crushed pineapple, 1 (16 oz) Cool Whip topping.

Combine all four ingredients for cake and beat with mixer for 4 minutes. The oranges should be in pieces in the mix. Pour mixture into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool completely.

Mix pudding and Cool Whip with a spoon. Fold in pineapple. Spread frosting on cool cake.

Keep refrigerated until time to serve. This cake is very moist and better if prepared a day ahead.

Perfect Rich Chocolate Birthday Cake

Loi Palmer, March 2007 MMCW
1 package Devil’s Food cake mix, 1 package (3.9 ounce) chocolate instant pudding mix, 1 stick melted butter, 1 cup sour cream, 4 large eggs, 1/2 cup warm water, 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mist pan with vegetable spray adn then lightly dust with flour, shake out the excess. Set the pan aside.

Place cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, warm water, and melted butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 3 minutes. The batter should look thick and well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour batter into prepared pan and place in center of the oven. Bake until center springs back when touched.

For a bundt cake, bake about 45 to 50 minutes. For three round layer cakes, bake 30 to 35 minutes. For a 13 x 9 inch cake, bake 40 to 45 minutes.

Let the cake sit in the pan and cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan before inverting on a cake plate or wire rack to finish cooling.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Loi Palmer, April 2006 MMCW
This recipe makes two 9 inch round cakes, so surprise a neighbor with a gift from your kitchen.

1 yellow cake mix, 1 cup sour cream, 3 large eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1 stick and 1/2 cup of softened butter, 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 2 ( 8 oz) cans of drained crushed pineapple, 1 cup chopped pecans.
Melt 1/2 cup of butter and pour evenly into two ( 9-inch) round cake pans. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter, along with the pecans and crushed pineapple. Set pans aside.

With an electric mixer, blend on medium speed the cake mix, sour cream, eggs, milk, 1 stick of softened butter, and vanilla extract. Spoon batter evenly over pineapple / sugar mixture in prepared pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert while still warm onto cake plate. Top with Whipped Topping (see below for recipe).

Vanilla Wafer Cake

Loi Palmer
1/2 lb butter (2 sticks), 2 cups sugar, 6 eggs, 1 (12 oz) box vanilla wafers crushed, 2 (7 oz) cans coconut, 1 and 1/2 cups pecans broken into pieces, 2 tablespoons milk.

Place vanilla wafers in food processor and crush into crumbs. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating 1 minute after each egg. Add crushed vanilla wafer crumbs and 2 tablespoons milk. Add coconut and pecan pieces. Bake in greased and floured tube pan at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

Let cool completely in pan.

Whipped Topping for Cakes

Loi Palmer, April 2006 MMCW
2 cups whipping cream, 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Pour whipping cream into chilled glass or metal bowl. Add brown sugar and let it dissolve. Mix on high speed until foamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Continue mixing until peaks form. This happens very quickly, be careful not to over beat it. Serve on top of cake.

Royal Plum Cake

Kellie Renfroe, December 2005 MMCW website
2 cups sugar, 3 beaten eggs, 1 cup oil, 1 cup chopped walnuts, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 cups self-rising flour, 2 small jars of plum baby food, 1 teaspoon grated cloves.

Mix in order given. Do not use an electric mixer; mix by hand. Bake about one hour at 350 degrees in a greased and floured Bundt pan or two loaf pans or six mini loaf pans.

Mississippi Mud Cake

Loi Palmer, May 2005 MMCW
1 package plain Devil’s food cake mix, 1 stick melted butter, 1 1/2 cup buttermilk, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 bag mini marshmallows, 1 cup chopped pecans (optional).

Pour the cake mix, melted butter, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend on low speed for one minute. Scrape down sides and continue blending for two minutes on medium speed. The batter should be well blended. Pour batter into a lightly greased 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Bake cake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove pan from oven. Turn off oven.

Sprinkle marshmallows and pecans on warm cake and return the cake to the oven for five minutes while the marshmallows begin to melt. Remove cake from oven and top with Chocolate Pan Frosting (see Frosting category).

Divine Dark Chocolate Frosting

Loi Palmer
1 large bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1 pint of heavy whipping cream. Only two ingredients!

Combine the heavy whipping cream and chocolate chips in a sauce pan. Over medium heat, stir constantly with a wire whisk until the chips are totally melted.

Remove the pan from the heat and let cool. Place the sauce pan in the refrigerator for several hours–the chocolate will thicken to a spreadable consistency. This will cover a three layer round cake.

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