Triple Chocolate Poke Cake:

Another chocolate cake recipe.

I know.

But, can there really be too many?

And it's not like chocolate cakes are exclusive to Valentines Day or something, right?

I do like chocolate....a lot! But I also like other desserts and candy too. It's not like I won't eat something that doesn't have chocolate somewhere in it! So, I don't think I would necessarily be called a choco-holic.

However, sometimes I just need chocolate cake.

I don't know what it is, but I just get this craving, and it doesn't go away.

Therefore......
I make chocolate cake!

And this did not disappoint! Chocolate overload right here, and so good!!
Hope you try it out!

Cake:

1 & 3/4 cups Flour

1 & 3/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

2 eggs

1 cup brewed coffee, cooled

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup milk

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Combined milk and lemon juice and let stand for 5 minutes. (mixture will thicken slightly).

Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and xanthan gum.

Add eggs, coffee, milk and lemon juice mixture, oil and vanilla.

Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Pour into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Set aside to cool while you prepare the pudding.

Pudding Layer:

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup cocoa powder

3 tablespoons cornstarch

pinch of salt

2 & 1/2 cups milk

1 tablespoon butter

Whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch and salt, in a medium saucepan. Gradually stir in milk, and whisk until well combined. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened, or mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in better. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

With the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the cake. Pour the pudding over, and use a spoon, if necessary, to spread evenly. Tap the pan gently on the table a few times, to allow the pudding to seep down into the holes.

Let cool for about 30 minutes, before frosting.

Frosting:

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 & 1/4 cups sugar

1 cup chocolate chips

Combine milk, butter and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a rolling boil. Boil for 45 seconds.

Remove from the heat and add chocolate chips. Stir continuously until smooth.

Immediately pour over the cake.

Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Enjoy!

Reese Peanut Butter Poke Cake:

I don't really know how to describe this cake.

It's peanut butter.

It's chocolate.

Combined.

 I took it to a dinner at our church, and someone started calling it Wicked Cake.
My mouth is watering just thinking about it, so I better go make another one.
I hope you'll give it a try!


1 box Chocolate cake mix + ingredients called for as directed on the box
1 (8oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature
1 (14oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup cream peanut butter
1 (12oz.) container Cool Whip, divided
1 & 1/2 cups hot fudge, divided

Prepare cake according to the directions on the box.
Bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Poke the cake all over with a fork; set aside to cool for just a minute.
Microwave 1 cup of hot fudge, until smooth and pourable.
Pour over the cake and spread evenly with a spatula.
Once the hot fudge on the cake has cooled completely, make the peanut butter layer.
With a stand or hand mixer, beat together cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk until well combined. Add peanut butter and mix well. Stir in the cool whip until smooth and well mixed.
Spread evenly over the cake. Chill until completely cool.
Spread the remaining cool whip over the peanut butter layer. Microwave the remaining hot fudge just until easy to pour. Drizzle over the cool whip.
Chill until ready to serve.

Caramel Banana Roll:

I love my grandma's Pumpkin Roll recipe!

We had a lot of banana's to use up the other week, and as I was looking down through as many recipes containing bananas as I could, I stumbled across this one. It looked interesting, and I actually I had all the ingredients (especially the bananas), so I gave it a try.

It didn't have a strong banana flavor, but it was really, really good!!! 

The little extra surprise in the filling, gave it just the right touch!!

I hope you give it a try!

Cake:

3/4 cup flour

1 tsp. xanthan gum

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup mashed banana

Filling:

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup powder sugar

6 tblsp. butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup caramel sauce (just the ice cream topping in the squeeze bottle is fine)

Grease a 15x10-inch jelly-roll pan with cooking spray. Line with wax paper (or parchment paper) and then spray the wax paper with cooking spray.

Stir together the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar, with an electric mixer, until thick and smooth. Mix in the vanilla and banana. Add the flour mixture. Mix just until combined; be sure not to over-mix.

Pour into prepared pan and spread out evenly.

Bake at 375 degrees for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown and the top of the cake springs back when touched.

Meanwhile, mix together filling ingredients; set aside. 

Lay out a kitchen towel. Place a piece of wax paper on the towel. Sprinkle wax paper with powder sugar. 

Carefully, flip the cake out onto the wax paper - bottom of the cake up. Slowly, pull the wax paper off the cake. Let stand for about 2 minutes. Roll up the cake, wax paper, and towel together, starting at the short end. Let stand 5 minutes.

Unroll, and spread the filling over the cake to within 1-inch of the edges. Spread carefully, or else you might tear the cake. Roll the cake, starting at the short end, carefully pulling away the wax paper from the cake as you roll. When you reach the end of the cake, leave on the wax paper. Place in a 9x13 baking dish. Refrigerate for about 2 hours or until chilled firm. Remove from the wax paper and gently wrap in foil. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve. Slice in 1/2-inch slices to serve.

Note:

-This freezes really, really well and is easier to cut while it's frozen.

One Bowl Chocolate Cake:

I don't know who it was that started the connection between Valentine's Day and Chocolate, but whoever it was, they were pretty smart!! This cake is SO easy and it would be perfect for an easy, yummy Valentine's treat!!! I've been looking for a good cake recipe for a while now, and when I came across this one, I thought it was too good to be true!! Being a food-blogger, it's my duty to try out all kinds of recipes. It's a hard job, but someone's gotta do it! So, doing my "duty" I made this chocolate cake! And it.was.good!!!!!! I hope you'll do your "duty" as well and give this recipe a try!

 

 

Cake:

2 cups flour

1 tsp. xanthan gum

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup baking cocoa

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup canola oil

1 cup buttermilk (see note)

2 eggs

1 cup hot water

 

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup milk

1 & 1/2 tsp. vanilla

3 tblsp. baking cocoa

3 cups powder sugar

 

For the cake:

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, xanthan gum, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add oil, buttermilk and eggs; mix well. Add water and mix until well combined. It may seem runny, but that's how it's supposed to be! Pour into a greased, 9x13 baking dish or a large sheet pan or jelly-roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake completely cool before frosting.

 

For the frosting:

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Using a hand mixer, mix until thoroughly combined. Add more milk, if desired, 1 tblsp. at a time, to reach desired consistency. I wanted mine to spread very easily, so I added 2-3 more tblsp. of milk than what the recipe calls for, but it's completely up to you.

 

Enjoy!!!

 

Note:

-I don't normally have buttermilk on hand, so I use this handy substitute:

Place 1 cup of milk in a small bowl. Add 1 tblsp. vinegar and gently stir. Let stand for 5 minutes and then add it to your recipe! Works great!

-I made this cake with the chocolate frosting, but you could use any kind you like.

This Peanut Butter Frosting would probably be really good on it!!!!

 

Grandma Wagner's Pumpkin Roll:

My grandma was an amazing cook!

We used to eat dinner at her house every Sunday after church

and I will never forget all the amazing meals she made,

but mostly I won't forget her desserts!!!

Among a HUGE list of desserts she made, is Pumpkin Roll.

I really enjoy making them and I hope you will give them a try!

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. xanthan gum (omitt if not making gluten-free)
1 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
Finely chopped walnuts, optional

Filling:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 cup powder sugar
1 tblsp. butter, slightly softened

Beat eggs in a mixing bowl. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin and lemon juice and mix until well combined. Add dry ingredients and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Spray a jelly-roll pan with cooking spray. Cut a piece of parchment paper (longer than the pan) and press into the pan. Spray the paper generously with cooking spray. Pour batter onto parchment paper lined baking sheet and spread out evenly all the way to the edges. Sprinkle with chopped nuts if desired. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together filling ingredients; set aside. Lay out a kitchen towel. Place a piece of wax paper on the towel. Sprinkle wax paper with powder sugar.

 Carefully, flip the cake out onto the wax paper - parchment paper up. Slowly, pull the parchment paper off the cake. Let stand for about 2 minutes. Roll up the cake, wax paper, and towel together, starting at the short end. Let stand 5 minutes.

Unroll, and spread the filling over the cake to within 1-inch of the edges. Spread carefully, or else you might tear the cake. Roll the cake, starting at the short end, carefully pulling away the wax paper from the cake as you roll. When you reach the end of the cake, leave on the wax paper. Place in a 9x13 baking dish. Refrigerate for about 2 hours or until chilled firm. Remove from the wax paper and gently wrap in foil. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Slice in 1/2-inch slices to serve.

Note:

-It is best if the cream cheese for the filling has NOT been frozen....once it's thawed, it tends to make the filling runnier and that's not what your looking for! 

Betty Crocker GF Mixes:

Some of you may have tried the Betty Crocker GF Mixes before,

but if you haven't I thought I would share my take on them!!   

#1. I LOVE them!
#2. They are a little (okay, a lot) expensive :(

We try to keep at least one on hand, because it's nice to have.

We don't use them all the time, but they are nice.

We aren't fond of the cookie or the brownie mix. They might be "ok" if you are used to using boxed mixes for that kind of stuff, but we have NEVER done that, so we weren't at all impressed with them. We decided the recipes we have for those things were much better. The cakes, however, are really good.

You can purchase these at Walmart, Martins and other grocery stores. Like I said before, they are expensivee, but if you've been eating gluten-free for any amount of time, then you should know by now that gluten-free products ARE expensive. That's just how it is!!

A Tip:

Whenever I make a cake mix, I always add one package of Dream Whip to the mix.

 I did this with wheat-based cake mixes and have still done it with gluten-free cake mixes. It keeps things moist and really flavorful. It doesn't change the flavor of the cake in any way...just makes it better!

I get this at Walmart. It's in the same section as the gelatin.

I'm sure you can find it at other grocery stores as well.

So I hope you give the mixes a try. If for no other reason, but to support companies who are trying to make life a little easier for us!!

Angel Food Cake:

This is SO good! It's one of the first desserts I tried to make after going gluten-free and it turned out perfect! I hope you will give it a try and enjoy this light, summer dessert (although it's good all year!)!

Photo Credit: Me!

1/2 cup Rice flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
12 egg whites, room temperature
1 tblsp. lemon juice
1-1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. almond extract

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, confectioners' sugar and xanthan gum; set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. While beating, add lemon juice, cream of tartar and salt. Continue to beat until eggs are stiff. While still beating, add the sugar slowly in a steady stream.

Beat until stiff peaks form.

                   Photo Credit: Google Search

 Add dry ingredients; mix well. Add almond extract. Pour into an angel food cake pan or bunt pan that is totally free of grease. Run a knife though the batter to release any air bubbles. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes. During this time, the cake WILL fall. Don't worry, it's just how it goes! 

Invert over a funnel; let stand until cool.

     Photo Credit: Google Search

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Serve with strawberries and/or blueberries and whipped topping!!

Photo Credit: Me!

Note:

-It's best to separate eggs while they are still very cold.

-Don't be intimidated by all the steps with the egg whites. It really is easy!!!



Blueberry Cobbler

This is my mom's #1 favorite dessert. She chooses it for every birthday, Mother's Day and any other time that she can possibly think of!!! I hope you will try it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(Picture coming soon!!)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tblsp. baking powder
3 cups flour
2 tsp. xanthan gum
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
Brown sugar and cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl, cream together shortening and sugar. Add egg and milk. Combine salt, baking powder, flour, and xanthan gum. Add to shortening mixture. Mix until well combined. Add blueberries and mix just until evenly distributed. Spread evenly across the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or cooled!

Note:
-Some members of my family like to eat this in a bowl with milk, but you can do whatever you want.
-This is the same texture and ingredients as a coffee cake, so technically you could eat this for breakfast (my mom's pretty happy about that)!!!!!!

Peanut Butter Cake:

We got this delicious recipe from a relative of ours. It's SO easy and very yummy!!! Pretty rich though, so don't cut it too big!!!

                                               
In a large saucepan, bring to boil:
1 stick (8 Tablespoons) butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup water
1/2 cup canola oil

Stir with a whisk until a rolling boil is reached. Remove from the heat and stir in:
2 cups flour
1 & 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix well until there are no lumps. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Right after you take the cake from the oven, start on the frosting.

1/3 cup milk
3/4 stick (6 Tablespoons) butter
1/2 cup peanut butter

Melt together in a small saucepan, whisking continually until a full boil is reached. Remove from the heat and add:
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lb. (3 3/4 cups) powder sugar

Whisk until no lumps appear. Spread over cake. Let stand until cooled. Cover and store in the refrigerator.

Note:
-I hope the way I wrote this recipe isn't too confusing!
-It's a Wagner Family "thing" that cake can not be eaten without being served in a bowl of milk. I don't personally care for it, but I am of a very small minority in this "thing"!!! It does help to cut down on the sweetness of it, though. So, do you like your cake with or without milk?