BANANA CAKE WITH COFFEE FROSTING

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup white whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 medium-size (1 1/2 cups) ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup sour cream

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. 

Combine the flours, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with bananas and sour cream, beating well after each addition.

Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Frosting:
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp instant coffee granules
2 to 3 tbsp milk

In a small bowl, beat butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Dissolve coffee granules in milk; add to butter mixture and beat until smooth. Spread over cake.

Top each piece of cake with a couple of fresh banana slices when serving, if desired.Yield: 12 - 15 servings

Note: This is my version of a recipe I got from an old TOH Holiday Celebrations Book.

SUNDAE CONE CAKE

This is a fun recipe from Kraft Foods.

1

tub   (1.75 qt.) vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

6

 sugar cones, divided

4

oz.  BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate

1

Tbsp.  oil

1/4

cup   chopped PLANTERS Dry Roasted Peanuts

USE back of spoon to pack ice cream into foil-lined 1-1/2-qt. bowl. Crush 4 sugar cones; place over ice cream. Press gently into ice cream to form even crust. Freeze 4 hours or until ice cream is firm.

UNMOLD dessert onto plate. Remove foil. Break remaining cones into pieces; press into side of dessert.

MELT chocolate as directed on package just before serving dessert. Stir in oil; cool slightly. Drizzle over dessert; sprinkle with nuts.

Note: Dessert can be store in freezer up to 3 days. Let stand at room temperature about 10 min. to soften slightly before serving.

PECAN CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Love this recipe from Positively Splendid.

For the shortbread layer

1. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3. 1/2 cup butter, softened
4. 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
5. For the cheesecake layer
   1. 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
   2. 1/2 cup sugar
   3. 1/2 cup milk
   4. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
   5. For the pecan pie layer
   1. 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
   2. 1/2 cup light corn syrup
   3. 1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
   4. 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
   5. 1/4 teaspoon salt
   6. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
   7. 1 1/2 cups pecans
   6. Instructions
      
      1. Preheat oven to 350.
      2. For the shortbread layer: In a medium bowl, combine flour and 3/4 cup brown sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1/2 cup pecans. Press mixture evenly into bottom of a greased 9x13" baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes; remove from oven, and cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
      3. For the cheesecake layer: Place the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer outfitted with a paddle attachment, and beat at medium speed until smooth. Beat in sugar. Add milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla, and beat until combined. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the cooled shortbread layer. Bake for 15 minutes; remove from oven and cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
      4. For the pecan pie layer: In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar, corn syrup, and melted butter. Gently stir in the eggs, salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir in 1 1/2 cups pecans. Pour pecan mixture over cooled cheesecake layer. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until center is set and pecan pie layer is a rich brown color.
      5. Adapted from Southern Lady Magazine
      6. 
         

ELVIS PRESLEY'S FAVORITE WHIPPING CREAM POUND CAKE

This recipe is going around as Elvis Presley's Favorite Whipping Cream Pound Cake. I have no idea if that is true. I have his longtime cook's cookbook and this cake is not in it. Whether it was his favorite or not, it does sound good and all you non-diabetics out there might want to try it.

3 cups sugar
1/2 lb butter, softened
7 eggs, room temperature
3 cups cake flour, sifted twice
1 cup whipping cream (heavy cream)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Butter and flour a 10 inch tube or bundt pan.
Thoroughly cream together sugar and butter. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in half the flour, then the whipping cream, then the other half of the flour. Add Vanilla.
Pour into prepared pan. Set in COLD oven and turn heat to 350ºF. Bake 1 hour to 70 minutes, until a sharp knife inserted in cake turns out clean.
Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool thoroughly. Wrapped well, this cake will keep for several days.

ICING
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk- Mix and Drizzle Over Cake.

STRAWBERRY BROWNIES

A friend gave me this recipe and she had gotten it elsewhere. I disagree with the title because I think brownies have chocolate in them. To me this is more strawberry bars. But whatever you call them they are good. My 11-year-old granddaughter made these for a bake sale. They sold very well.

1 box strawberry cake mix (I use Duncan Hines)
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup powdered sugar
½ -2 TB water or milk
Mix strawberry cake mix, eggs, and oil until well combined.

Spread in 9 X 13 pan lined with parchment paper (lining makes it easy to lift entire contents from pan for glazing and cutting).

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until done in center. Be careful to remove before edges brown; these taste best when "just done" rather than too done.

Mix powdered sugar and water or milk until smooth. Pour glaze over brownies while hot. Spread glaze to edges, allowing it to drip down sides. Allow brownies to cool and glaze to set before cutting into squares.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings.