Chocolate Bundt Cake

For the Cake:

1½ cups hot water 

1¼ cups unsweetened cocoa powder 

3½ cups all-purpose flour 

2½ cups granulated sugar 

2½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter 

1 cup sour cream room temperature (or mayonnaise)

½ cup vegetable oil 

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan and dust with flour or cocoa powder.

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the hot water and cocoa powder until well combined. Let cool for 10 minutes

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

• To the cocoa mixture, add the melted butter sour cream, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until well combined. 

• Pour into the flour mixture and stir together just until no streaks of flour remain. Pour into the prepared Bundt pan.

• Bake for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. 

• Let cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Carefully invert onto a wire rack and cool completely.

For the Ganache Topping:

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped bars 

7 tablespoons heavy cream 

1 tablespoon butter softened

• Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl

• Microwave the cream until boiling, about 30 seconds on high.

• Immediately pour over the chocolate. 

• Drop in the butter but do not stir. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.

• Stir until the chocolate and butter are melted and the mixture is smooth and silky.

• Place the cake on a serving plate and pour the ganache over the top.

• Store the cake, covered, at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Notes

• Do not skip blooming the cocoa powder in hot water. Blooming the cocoa gives the chocolate bundt cake a richer chocolate flavor.

• As we are working with many eggs, I recommend cracking them into a bowl instead of directly into the batter. This way, you decrease the odds of accidentally getting eggshells in the batter.

• Even if you have a non-stick pan, I recommend still dusting the pan. Doing so helps the cake slide out smoothly and lowers the risk of the tops of the cake being stuck and ripping when turned out.

• Always check that the baking soda is fresh. Expired baking soda will cause the cake not to rise properly.

• Not sure what size bundt pan you have? Use a liquid measuring cup and pour water one cup at a time into the pan, keeping tally as you go, and see how many cups the pan fits.

• There’s no need to use a mixer to make the cake batter. You only want to mix the batter until everything is just combined. Overmixing the batter will make the cake dry and tough.

• If you are not using a scale to measure the flour, be sure to fluff the flour with a spoon and then sprinkle it into the measuring cups before leveling it off with a knife. While a scale is preferred, fluffing the flour is the best way to measure flour without overpacking the cup.

• Use a small spatula or spoon to force the batter into the crevices of the bundt pan. Lightly tap it on the counter after filling to remove air bubbles at the base, which could mar the surface of your cake.

Alternate Topping

Quick Cocoa Glaze

2 T butter or margarine

¼ cup cocoa powder

3 T water

½ tsp vanilla extract

1¼ cups powdered sugar

• Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. 

• Stir in cocoa and water. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. 

• Do not boil. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. 

• Gradually add powdered sugar, beating with whisk until smooth. 

• Add additional water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency.

Original cake recipe and picture from preppykitchen.com

Original glaze recipe from hersheyland.com

Cake Mix Cookie Bars

Ingredients
1 (15 oz) box of yellow cake mix (flavor of choice, I used white cake mix)
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup olive oil (can substitute melted butter, vegetable oil, or canola oil also)
12 oz bag of chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Beat eggs in a small bowl
Add cake mix and olive oil to the beaten eggs and mix well
Beat in chocolate chips (batter will be very thick)
Grease a 9 X 13 (11x7) baking dish (see notes for thickness)  
Spread batter evenly in the dish (this will take several minutes to spread evenly)
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean
Once cooled, cover or store in an airtight container
Enjoy!

Notes
The batter will be thick and hard to spread (this is normal) I found that using a rubber spatula and a spoon made it easier to spread into the pan. It may take a couple minutes, but it's so worth it!
I used an 11x7 pan and it was the perfect size. A 9x13 would have made very thin cookie bars
The thickness of the cookie bars will depend on how large of a baking dish you use.

Original recipe (in black) from buildyourbite.com

Easy Cake Mix Cake with Pudding and Sour Cream

1 cup full-fat sour cream
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
4 eggs
1 box (15 – 16 ounces / 432 – 461 grams) yellow or vanilla cake mix, unprepared
1 box (4-serving size) instant vanilla pudding mix, unprepared

First, preheat the oven to 325°F. 
Next, grease the bundt pan well with oil or butter. 
Then combine the sour cream, oil, and milk, beat in the eggs, then incorporate the cake mix and pudding mix. 
The batter will be oddly thick but that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 40 – 45 minutes.
Let the cake cool in the pan for about 20 minutes before removing. 
Lastly, after the cake has cooled significantly, top it with your favorite glaze or frosting.
Original recipe from beatbakeeat.com

Glaze
2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar

2-4 tablespoons milk, half and half, water, or flavored liquid of choice

1/2 to 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

In a bowl, whisk together sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and enough liquid to thin the glaze to your desired consistency for dipping, drizzling, or pouring over your favorite baked goods and pastries. Glaze will be smooth.

See the FAQ section above for make ahead and storage instructions and the notes below for flavor variations.

Recipe from stripedspatula.com

Grandma's Corn Bread Dressing

Ingredients 
1 (16 ounce) package dry corn bread mix 
2 tablespoons butter 
½ cup chopped celery 
1 small onion 
2 eggs, beaten 
2 cups chicken stock 
2 tablespoons dried sage 
salt and pepper to taste 

Directions 

Step 1 

Prepare the dry corn bread mix according to package directions. Cool and crumble. 

Step 2 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9x13 inch baking dish. 

Step 3 

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the celery and onion until soft. 

Step 4 

In a large bowl, combine the celery, onions, 3 cups crumbled corn bread, eggs, chicken stock, sage and salt and pepper to taste; mix well. 

Step 5 

Place into prepared dish and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. 

Original recipe and picture from allrecipes.com.  

3 Ingredient Lemon Glaze

6 tablespoons butter melted

3 cups powdered sugar

¼ cup lemon juice or juice of 2 lemons

Instructions

In a small microwave safe mixing bowl or large measuring cup, combine butter, powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth.

Warm 15 seconds and whisk to remove any clumps. 

Pour over scones, cookies, cakes, pound cake and more!

Allow to set before slicing.

Tips

• Avoid organic powdered sugar. It doesn't achieve a desirable consistency.
• Warm the glaze in the microwave (you can use a measuring cup).
• Whisk until smooth to remove any lumps.
• Pour over your baked goods rather than spread for a beautiful finish.
• To Store
• Refrigerate covered for up to a week. Bring to room temperature before warming.

Note: Freezing is not recommended.

Lemon Cake with 3 Ingredient Lemon Glaze

Recipe from julieblanner.com

Whiskey Cake

1 c chopped walnuts or pecans
1 box yellow cake mix
1 box large instant vanilla pudding
1/2 c cold water
1/2 c vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 c whiskey, I’ve used crown royal, southern comfort and jack daniels with success
GLAZE
1 stick butter, softened.
1/4 c water
1 c granulated sugar
1/2 c whiskey

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325°. Grease and flour 12 inch bundt or 10 inch tube pan.
2. Place chopped nuts in bottom of pan. In mixing bowl, blend cake mix, instant pudding, water, oil, eggs and 1/2 cup whiskey. Beat for 2 minutes.
3. Pour batter over nuts. Bake approximately 1 hour or until cake top springs back when lightly touched.
4. Let cool and invert onto serving dish, pricking the top of the cake with a toothpick. While cake is cooling, prepare glaze.
5. Mix butter, water and sugar together in saucepan. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add the other 1/2 cup whiskey. Pour glaze slowly over cake, allowing glaze to absorb into cake.

Recipe from justapinch.com

Pistachio Bundt Cake

1 box (15 oz) yellow cake mix
1 3.4 oz package instant pistachio pudding
4 eggs
1c sour cream
½c vegetable oil
1t almond extract
¼c granulated sugar
¼c brown sugar
1t ground cinnamon
½c + 1T finely chopped pistachio nuts (omitted)
 

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
In a small bowl, combine both sugars, cinnamon and 1/2 cup chopped pistachios; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, oil and almond extract. Using a hand mixer, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Pour 1/3 of the batter into a prepared 9-cup bundt pan. Sprinkle with the sugar-nut mixture. Top with the other 2/3 of batter.
Bake at 350F for 50 minutes or until done. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes before removing cake from pan. Let cool entirely and then frost with icing and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of chopped pistachios.
ICING:
Combine
1c powdered sugar
1T softened butter
2T milk
½ t almond extract (to taste - didn't use full 1/2t)
¼ t cinnamon (omitted)
Beat until smooth and pour over cooled cake.