For The Sweet Tooth

Our last gathering also included some incredible desserts.  It seems as though we end up with as many sweets as we do main dishes whenever we have a pot luck and this meeting was no exception.  We had Creme Caramel, Decadent Chocolate Cupcakes, Brown Sugar Cake with Strawberries and Chocolate Italian Love Cake!

This is Renee's recipe for the Brown Sugar Cake:

Ingredients

1 pkg. yellow cake mix

1 pkg. (4-serving size) Jell-O Vanilla Instant Pudding

4 eggs

2/3 cup Sour Cream

2/3 cup Water

1/2 cup Oil

1 cup Packed Brown Sugar

1 tsp. Icing Sugar

Preparation

Heat oven to 350ºF.

Beat first 6 ingredients in large bowl with mixer 3 min. or until blended. Add brown sugar and nuts; mix well.  Pour into 3-L fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube pan sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted near centre comes out clean.

Cool cake in pan 15 min. Loosen cake from sides of pan; invert onto wire rack. Remove pan; cool cake completely. Sprinkle with icing sugar just before serving.  

Variations:  You can serve this delicious cake with strawberries and fresh creme.  You can also drizzle chocolate glaze on top.  Enjoy!

Joanne also brought a delicious dessert, Chocolate Italian Love Cake.  Another death by chocolate dessert! lol  Here is the recipe for it if you would like to give it a try.

Ingredients

• 1 package chocolate cake mix (I recommend using Betty Crocker brand), and the ingredients needed to make the cake according to the package
• 2 lbs. ricotta cheese (@ 900g)
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 large package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 cup cold milk
• 8 oz. Cool Whip

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F and spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with nonstick spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix together your cake mix according to the directions on the box. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, using a hand mixer, beat together the ricotta cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
4. NOTE:  The following directions are correct.  The layers switch during the baking time!
5. Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish.  Spread to fill the pan evenly.  Once the cake batter is in place, carefully pour the cheese mixture evenly over the top of the cake batter.  Spread to cover the cake batter as best as you can.
6. Bake the cake at 350 F for 1 hour.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.
7. Once the cake is cool, stir the pudding mix and milk together with a whisk until combined.  Carefully, fold the Cool Whip into the pudding until combined.
8. Spread the pudding mixture over the top of the cooled cake.  Cover the cake and refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving.  It tastes even better the next day.

This dessert is not for the faint of heart!  With 3 eggs in the cake mixture and 4 in the cheese mixture, you do not want to eat this if you are watching your cholesterol.

We hope you enjoy these recipes!  There will be many more that we will be sharing :)