ORANGE OATMEAL CAKE

Cake:
1-1/2 cups orange juice
1 cup quick oats
1/2 cup soft butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1-3/4 cups flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 t cinnamon
1 T grated orange rind
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Orange Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 T grated orange rind
1 T orange juice
1 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

350 oven.  Bring orange juice to boil and pour over oats.  Set aside.  Cream butter and sugars until light.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Sift flur, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon together.  Add to butter-sugar mixture alternately with oats.  Stir in rind and nuts and pour into 13 X 9 greased baking dish.  Bake 40 minutes.  (Glass dish, use 325 oven)

Topping:
Combine sugar, butter, rind, and juice in small pan.  Bring to boil and cook one minute, stirring constantly.  Add remaining ingredients and spread on top of cooled cake.  Place cake under broiler for about one minute or until topping is bubbly.

Serve warm or cold.

This cake is very nice for a change with the orange flavor.  Adding Cool Whip is good on this.

GRAHAM CRACKER CAKE

1 cup + 2 T sugar
1 cup + 2 T milk
1/2 cup margarine
3 whole eggs
39 graham cracker squares, finely crushed
2-1/2 t baking powder
1 T flour

Mix all together.  Bake in greased and floured round cake pans or 13 x 9" baking dish for 35 to 40 minutes at 350.

This is all right.  I frosted it with some chocolate frosting for a s'mores effect.  It was good for one time, but not that awesome, although with the chocolate on it it bumps it up a little!

GLOSSY CHOCOLATE FROSTING (FOR TRAY OF BROWNIES)

3 T shortening
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 t salt
1/3 cup milk
1 t vanilla

Melt shortening and chocolate in saucepan over low heat.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Beat until smooth.  Place pan of frosting in bowl of ice and water.  Continue beating until of spreading consistency.

This is really good.  I didn't need to put the frosting over ice and water.  I like my frosting soft and spreadable.  I'll save this one.

HOT MILK SPONGE CAKE

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups sifted flour
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
2 t vanilla
1 cup milk
2 T butter or margarine

Beat eggs.  Graduallly add sugar beating until fluffy and light colored.  Add flour sifted with baking powder and salt.  Beat well.  Add vanilla.  Heat milk with butter almost to boiling.  Stir quickly into batter.  Beat slightly.  Pour at once into ungreased 9" or 10" tube pan.  Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and invert pan until cool.

This is very pleasant tasting, although it is plain.  I think this would be good as a base for strawberry shortcake.

BLACK BOTTOM CUPCAKES

Chocolate Mix:
1/4 cup Hershey's cocoa
1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 t salt
1 t soda
1 cup water
1/3 cup oil
1 T vanilla

Topping Mix:
8 oz. Philly cream cheese
1 egg
1 t salt
1/3 cup sugar
16 oz. chocolate chips

Bake at 350 in paper cups 25-30 minutes.

Well, first of all, this recipe is apparently from my cousin Marilyn Hendriksen.  I made a mistake I think when I made this as I started baking the cupcakes with just the chocolate mix ingredients.  Then as I was mixing the topping I realized that I think I was supposed to put the topping on and then bake all together.  Well, halfway through baking I spread the topping on them, but I'm not sure they came out with the desired effect.  They looked kind of funky, tasted okay, but still not sure how they were supposed to turn out.  I never bothered to make them again, so if anybody out there tries this, let me know!

CHERRY PARTY CAKE

1 box white cake mix
1 can cherry pie filling
Cool Whip topping

Mix cake according to box directions.  Pour into greased and lightly floured 9 X 13" baking dish.  Spoon out 1 cup of the cherry pie filling and reserve for topping.  Spoon remainder of filling evenly over top of batter and marble through a little with a table knife.  Bake at 325 for about 40 to 45 minutes.  When cooled serve with Cool Whip topping and a spoonful of the reserved pie filling.

This is obviously super fast and easy.  It makes a nice appearance for a party, not as a whole cake but individual serving and not too sweet.

APPLESAUCE BUNDT CAKE

3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
1 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t cloves
1/2 t allspice
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups thick applesauce
2-1/2 cups sifted flour
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 t baking soda

Combine raisins and boiling water.  Set aside.  In mixing bowl beat shortening, sugar, salt, spices, and eggs until creamy smooth and fluffy.  Blend in applesauce, then flour and walnuts.  Stir soda into undrained raisins.  Add to batter and mix well.  Pour into greased and floured bundt pan and bake at 325 for 55 minutes or until it tests done.  Cool in pan 15 minutes.  Then turn out on rack.

This recipe is all right.  It was different stirring the soda into the undrained raisins before adding.  It was a good way to use up some leftover applesauce that I had.