Better Than "Better Than ? Cake"

Recipe Created by Janet Ashworth

Cake Ingredients


Your favorite chocolate cake mix
Half of a large symphony bar chopped (blue)
1/3 can of sweetened condensed milk
Hershey's Dolce De Leche Carmel Sauce (made by Hershey's either by milk flavorings or Ice-Cream toppings)
Hot fudge ice cream topping or Hot Caramel

Make Cream Cheese Mousse and refrigerate.

Make cake mix according to box directions. Add chopped symphony bar to cake mix. Make sure you line the bottoms of your cake pans with parchment paper and spray them very well. Divide cake into two 9 inch cake pans. Swirl 3-4 tablespoons of heated caramel or chocolate into the cake mix and bake per box directions. Let cool 5 min before tipping out of pans.
Once cooled place bottom round on serving dish and lighly poke holes and cover in sweetned condensed milk. Let cool completely. Add layer of Cream Cheese Mousse top with next cake. Drench cake with Dolce De Leche Carmel Sauce. Put cake into refrigerator for 1 hour. Frost with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting. Drizzle with caramel and fudge and put crushed symphony bar on as well. Store in the refrigerator.

Cream Cheese Mousse

1 Pkg Jello Instant French Vanilla Pudding
1 Envelope Dream Whip
1-1/2 cups light or heavy cream (half and half or heavy whipping)
4 oz Cream Cheese softened
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp Knox unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water

Pour powdered pudding and powdered Dream whip into medium bowl and add the light cream, blend on low speed with electric mixture until blended. Switch to high speed and beat 6 minutes scraping down sides occasionally with spatula. Add softened cream cheese and vanilla and beat another minute. Pour 1/4 cup water into small saucepan and sprinkle gelatin over it. Stir and the let stand for one minute. Heat gelatin mixture over medium heat until gelatin dissolves and mixture thins ad turns clear. DO NOT allow to boil. Remove pan from heat and set aside for a few minutes and allow mixture to cool off a bit. Don't let sit too long-it will begin to gel after about 10 mins. or so. Pour gelatin mixture into pudding mixture and beat thoroughly, scraping down sides of bowl for 1 minute. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. When ready to fill cake mix with mixer until nice and creamy. If too thick add a little bit light cream until desired texture achieved. TIPS: recipe can be doubled-use a large bowl. Flavors develop when sitting over night. If cake you are filling is crumbly, pipe filling between layers and spread with knife dipped in hot water.

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese
1-3/4 powdered sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Whip cream until very stiff. In seperate bowl combine all other ingredients until smooth and creamy. Fold in heavy cream into cream cheese mixture.

Carrot Cake
Adapted by: Janet Ashworth (I made several changes until it was the way I wanted!)

2 2/3 cup flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon cinnamon
7 cups grated carrots (medium grate, too fine and cake is really dense)
1 cup plus 2/3 cup sugar
5 sticks butter
1 cup brown sugar
5 eggs
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
1 8oz can drained crushed pineapple (save the juice)
½ cup coconut
2 Tbs. grated orange zest
¾ cup finely chopped and toasted pecans (optional)


Heat oven to 350* F. Grease and flour pan. Whisk flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda, set aside. Toss carrots with 1 cup sugar in colander set over bowl. Drain until 1 cup liquid is collected in bowl (20 to 30 minutes)(reserve liquid). Melt butter and cook until golden brown (about 8-10 minutes). Cool for 10 minutes and add rest of sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs one at a time, whisking before adding the next egg. Add vanilla. Add flour mixture, carrots, coconut and orange zest. Bake 40-45 minutes. If not quite done, reduce heat to 325 degrees and cook another 20 minutes or until center of cake reaches 205 to 210 degrees F. Cool for 15 min in pan and then turn out on rack and allow to cool completely.

I fill this cake with a cream cheese mousse. I take the reserved liquid from the carrots and pineapple and put them in a pan to boil. I reduce them for about 20 min. Then I add 2 Tbs. Apricot jam and cook another 2-3 min until boiling. Thicken by adding ½ c sugar and 2 Tbs. Corn Starch. Stir constantly until thick. Add ½ cup of this mixture to the cream cheese mousse.


Cream Cheese Mousse

1 Pkg Jello Instant French Vanilla Pudding 1 Envelope Dream Whip 1-1/2 cups light cream or heavy4 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese softened 2 tsp pure vanilla extract 1 tsp Knox unflavored gelatin 1/4 cup cold water Pour powdered pudding and powdered Dream whip into medium bowl and add the light cream, blend on low speed with electric mixture until blended. Switch to high speed and beat 6 minutes scraping down sides occasionally with spatula. Add softened cream cheese and vanilla and beat another minute. Pour 1/4 cup water into small saucepan and sprinkle gelatin over it. Stir and the let stand for one minute. Heat gelatin mixture over medium heat until gelatin dissolves and mixture thins ad turns clear. DO NOT allow to boil. Remove pan from heat and set aside for a few minutes and allow mixture to cool off a bit. Don't let sit too long-it will begin to gel after about 10 mins. or so. Pour gelatin mixture into pudding mixture and beat thoroughly, scraping down sides of bowl for 1 minute. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. When ready to fill cake mix with mixer until nice and creamy. If too thick add a little bit light cream until desired texture achieved. TIPS: recipe can be doubled-use a large bowl. Flavors develop when sitting over night. If cake you are filling is crumbly, pipe filling between layers and spread with knife dipped in hot water.

Frost with Wilton Cream Cheese Icing:
Cream Cheese Icing
Gently sweet Cream Cheese Icing has a surprising twist of orange zest. Great with Carrot Cupcakes!
Ingredients:
· 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
· 2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
· 8 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (about 2 lbs.)
· 2 tablespoons milk
· 1 tablespoon orange juice
· 1 teaspoon orange zest
Makes: About 5 1/2 cups of icing.
Instructions
In medium mixer bowl, cream butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add sugar one cup at a time and milk. Mix well. Beat on high until smooth (only 30 seconds to 1 minute). Thin to ice cake smooth; use full strength for piping borders.
NOTE: Do not use light cream cheese or butter substitute. If margarine is used, icing will be softer.
I add 1 tsp. vanilla extract to this frosting.

Top Cake With:

Take about 2-3 Tbs. of coconut and add 1-2 Tbs. of your juice concentrate that you reduced and thickened. Put in a hot skillet and stir until “candied” and toasted. Consistency will change and you’ll know it is done.

German's Sweet Chocolate Cake

1 package (4 ounces) German's sweet chocolate
1/2 cup boiling water
3/4 cup shortening, butter or margerine*
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 3/4 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk*
Coconut Pecan Frosting (below)


Melt chocolate in 1/2 cup boiling water; cool.
Cream butter; gradually add sugar, creaming until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in vanilla and melted chocolate. Sift flour with baking soda and salt. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to chocolate mixture, beating after each addition until smooth. Line bottoms of three 9-inch layer pans with paper. Pour cake batter into pans. Bake at 375 degress for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of each layer comes out clean. Cool cake in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans and finish cooling on racks. Peel off paper. Sprad Coconut Pecan Frosting between layers and over top of cake.

Note: For altitudes below 3,000 feet, use 2 cups sugar. For altitudes 5,000 to 7,000 feet, use 1 1/2 cups sugar.

* If using vegetable shortening, use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk.

Cocnut Pecan Frosting

3 egg yoks
1 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans


Combine egg yoks, sugar, milk, butter, and vanilla. Cook and stir over medum heat until thickened, 12-15 minutes. Add coconut and pecans. Beat until thick enough to spread. Makes 3 cups, enough to cover tops of three 8 or 9 inch layers or one 9x13 - inch cake. If you want to frost the outside of the cake, double the recipe for the frosting.

Sweet Milk Cake

Sweet Milk Cake (very similar, but in my opinion better than, Tres Leches cake)
SERVES 12
Prep Time: 35 min (plus chilling)
Bake Time: 30 min


6 large eggs, separated
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 cups evaporated milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 quart heavy cream
Papaya slices, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with 1 cup sugar on low speed until combined, then increase to high and beat until fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup evaporated milk and the vanilla; beat until combined. Fold in the flour and baking powder.

2. Clean the beaters. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy, about 30 seconds. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Beat in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Working in batches, fold the egg white mixture into the yolk mixture until just combined. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 45 minutes.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk, the sweetened condensed milk and 1 cup cream. Ladle over the cooled cake. Cover and chill until the liquid is absorbed, about 4 hours.

5. Beat the remaining 3 cups cream until soft peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Can sweeten with 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 1tsp vanilla if you want. Serve with the cake and fruit slices.

Fruit and Vegetable Salsa

1 yellow onion, cut fine
2 tart apples (Granny Smith), diced fine, with peels
4 green peppers, cut fine
3 tomatillos, cut fine
2 jalapenos, diced fine
5 avocados, cup up and added just before serving
cilantro (1 bunch) chopped
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 pkg frozen corn, thawed
2-5 limes, juiced
1 tsp cumin
garlic salt to taste

mix all ingredients together well. This makes A LOT of salsa. Cut the recipe in half for a smaller batch.You can add diced mangos if desired. Serve over fish or with corn chips.

Wheat and Bean Salsa

1 green pepper, finely diced
1 orange or red pepper, finely diced
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 small bunch cilantro, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
3 cups cooked wheat (wheat berries)
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin powder
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs. sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt

Cook wheat in a slow cooker overnight; 3 cups to 10 cups water. Drain wheat, corn and beans. zplace all ingredients in large bowl and toss well. Chill for an hour before serving. Can be served alone as a salad or with chorn chips as a salsa

Note: 3 cups of wheat kernels cooked in 10 cups of water make about 7 cups of cooked wheat.You can add wheat berries to just about anything. They make a great hamburger extender. I also like to just put a little sugar and milk on them and eat them for breakfast.