Sweet Potato Praline Cake

Listen...this is not healthy!!! Again this is not healthy...but it does contain vegetables :) and it is Delicious!! It has become one of my family favorites and I made it for my class mates and they are still talking about it. Now, I know you are probably thinking...I don't have time to make a cake from scratch...and guess what - you don't have to! I am all about semi-homemade dishes - I mean I work and go to school..I am a wife, mother, grandmother and believe it or not I have friends..so I'm a busy girl! This is a fool proof recipe and thanks to Duncan Hines Butter Recipe cake mix - no one will ever know the difference..and I make it in a bundt cake pan..beautiful! Oh, and the praline sauce......shut your mouth and keep on talking! I am a sweet potato lover...pumpkin not so much so I changed the recipe to make it a sweet potato cake instead of pumpkin...but the choice is yours. You can bake a medium sized sweet potato and get your 1 cup of mashed sweep potato or you can purchase a can of Bruce's baked sweet potato with nothing added. Amazing! Try it..take it to the next family dinner it will become everyone's favorite. Don't forget the Homemade Vanilla Bluebell ice cream. Talk back to me...leave comments after you try this one.

Praline Sweet Potato Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup whipping cream

1 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix

1 cup (from 15-oz can) Bruce's mashed sweet potato or 1 med. sweet potato baked (you can make it with pumpkin - don't use the canned pie filling)

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 container (1 lb) Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy cream cheese frosting

Caramel topping, if desired

Additional coarsely chopped pecans, if desired

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325°F. In 1-quart heavy saucepan, stir together butter, whipping cream and brown sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until butter is melted. Pour into 2 (9- or 8-inch) round cake pans; sprinkle evenly with 3/4 cup pecans.

2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, sweet potato (or pumpkin if you choose), water, oil, eggs and 1 teaspoon of the pumpkin pie spice with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Carefully spoon batter over pecan mixture in each pan.

3. Bake 43 to 45 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

4. Stir remaining 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice into frosting. To assemble cake, place 1 layer, praline side up, on serving plate. Spread with half of the frosting. Top with second layer, praline side up; spread remaining frosting to edge of layer. Drizzle with caramel topping and additional pecans. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

Bananas, Oats, Raisins and Vanilla

I came across this on Facebook ...it was posted on twitter by Perez Hilton and I thought it looks delicious! It's egg-less, dairy-less, flour-less and has no added sugar! In addition it's a quick easy recipe that you can make ahead and pack with your lunch or have after dinner. I'm putting this on my list for this week. Happy baking!

St. Patty's Day Treat!- Corned Beef and Cabbage

I love, love, love this dish...so delicious yet so simple, especially in the slow cooker. If you have never tried it treat yourself and your family and it will become a favorite...if you've tried it before try it again in the slow cooker. All that flavor really soaks into the cabbage...mouth watering. This is going to happen tomorrow...with cornbread of course! 

INGREDIENTS

Serves 6-8

4cups hot water
2tablespoons cider vinegar
2tablespoons sugar
1⁄2teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1large onion, cut into quarters
3lbs corned beef brisket(with spices)
8small white potatoes or 8 small yellow potatoes, scrubbed and cut into quarters
1head cabbage, cored and cut into 10 wedges (about 1 1/2 pounds)
4 -5carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces

DIRECTIONS
Combine the water vinegar, sugar, pepper and onions, in a 6 qt crock pot and mix well.
Place corned beef and contents of spice packet in the mixture.
Scatter the potatoes over the top and along the sides.
Cover and cook on high heat setting 4 hours.
Remove the lid and scatter the cabbage wedges over the top.
Cover and continue cooking on high 3-4 hours longer, or until beef is tender.
To serve, carve the beef into slices against the grain and serve with the cabbage and potatoes, with some of the cooking liquid spooned on top of the beef to keep it moist.