Hummingbird Cake
(This is a delicious version of a banana bread/cake.)

3 C flour
2 C sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 C Wesson oil (or your favorite brand)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 can (8 1/4oz) crushed pineapple, undrained
2 C mashed bananas*
1 C chopped black walnuts or pecans

     Mix dry ingredients together well, by hand.  Add oil and mix well.  Add rest of ingredients mixing well after each addition.  Pour into 10-inch bundt pan or tube pan.  Bake for 350 degrees F. for 60-70 minutes.  (Usually 70 min. to make sure cake is done in the middle.)

Cool in pan for 15 minutes.  You can drizzle a powdered sugar glaze over finished cake if you like.

*When short of bananas, I have used as much as 1/4 C of grated apple or applesauce to make the required amount of 2 Cups.  Didn't notice any effect on flavor or texture.

Ferna Ward
Sasche, TX  

Milk Chocolate Bar Cake

1 18.25 oz pkg Swiss Chocolate Cake Mix
1 8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 C powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 C granulated sugar
10 1.5oz Hershey bars with almonds
1 12-oz container frozen whipped topping, thawed (or use real whipped cream, it's richer)

   Prepare cake batter according to package directions.  Pour into 3 greased and floured 8-inch round cake pans.  Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until tests clean.  Cool in pans on racks for 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely on racks.
   Beat cream cheese and sugars on medium until creamy.  Finely chop 8 candy bars.  Fold the cream cheese mixture and the chopped candy into the whipped topping.  Spread on cake.
   Chop the remaining candy bars and sprinkle half on top of cake and press other half around the bottom edge.  Store in fridge.

Julie Newkirk
Oklahoma City, OK

Chocolate Chip Cake

1 Duncan Hines Butter Cake Mix
1 large instant chocolate pudding
1 C sour cream
1 C chocolate chips
4 eggs
1 C oil
1/4 C water
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 C chopped pecans

   Mix cake mix, pudding, eggs, oil, and water. Stir in vanilla and sour cream; add chips and nuts.  Bake in greased and floured bundt pan at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 5 minutes.  Cool in pan for 10-15 minutes.  Will remain moist for up to a week (if any is left).  Wonderful with a dip of vanilla ice cream.

   You can make in muffin tins for individual servings.  Bake cupcakes 12-15 minutes at 325 degrees.

Ferna Ward
Sashe, TX

Dreamsicle/Creamsicle Cake

1 box Orange cake mix
1 box (3 oz) Orange Jello
1/3 C Crisco Oil
1 1/4 C water
3 eggs
1 tsp orange extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour two 9" cake pans.  Blend all ingredients and pour into prepared pans.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Cook and slice each layer lengthwise to make four layers

Icing:
1 8 oz pkg sour cream
1 12 oz pkg coconut
1 1/4 C. sugar
1/2 C orange juice
1 8 oz bowl of Cool Whip (thawed)

Combine sour cream and coconut in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, add sugar to orange juice, stir until sugar is dissolved.  Combine with coconut mixture and fold in Cool Whip.  Frost each layer with icing.  Refrigerate.

NOTE FROM FERNA: Let cakes cool in pan at least 15 minutes.  The first one I attempted to un-pan almost fell apart.

Ferna Ward
Sasche, TX

Wooden Spoon Coffee Cake

1 loaf frozen bread dough
1/4 C butter (softened)
1/4 C brown sugar (packed)
1/4 C sugar
1/4 C flour
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)
1/4 C chopped walnuts

   Thaw dough.  Shape into a round cake pan.  Let rise.  Punch holes into the dough with finger or end of wooden spoon (hense the name!)  Combine butter, sugars, flour and vanilla.  Fill holes in the dough until all is used.  Sprinkle top with cinnamon and nuts.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and hollow.  Remove from pan to cool.

Nan Roberts

No Bake Banana Split Cake

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 sticks margarine
2 eggs 
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
2-3 medium bananas, sliced          
1 large container Cool Whip
½ cup chopped nuts
 maraschino cherries
1 teas. vanilla                                     
small can pineapple, drained

   Mix together graham crumbs and 1 stick of melted margarine and pat in a 13” X 9” pan. Combine 2 sticks of margarine, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Beat mixture for 20 minutes ( no less or it will taste greasy) with a mixer. Spread bananas over the crumbs, spread margarine/sugar mixture over bananas, spread pineapple on mixture, spread cool whip on top.

   You can add any other fruit for filling, under the Cool Whip but no pie fillings. Garnish with nuts and cherries. Refrigerate several hours before serving. Drizzle chocolate sauce on top when serving. 

Cathy Didas
Springwater, NY

1 stick of Parkay margarine
1 C sugar
1 T regular flour
1 C evaporated milk

Cook all ingredients together until thickened.  Keep stirring so it won't stick or burn.  After thickened add 1 tsp vanilla. Cool slightly.

Pour this over a plain white cake serving in a bowl while warm.  I have a hard time waiting until it's cooled enough and tend to burn my tongue! 

In memory of
Reba Cash
Wynnewood, OK

When I make cakes I prefer to use Duncan Hines Brand in all flavors.  Over my 20 years of cake decorating, I have constantly had people ask me what I use.  Most can't believe it's a cake mix.  I have lots of people tell me they just LOVE to know the wedding cake (or any cake) was made by me because they just love it.  The cakes and icings on the wedding recipes page contain ALL my "trade secrets".. not that they are really all that "secret".  But I know people like these, so I stick with them!

I do occasionally use Betty Crocker cake mixes if I can't get the flavor I want in Duncan Hines, or the sale is just so good that I can't resist.  It does very well too.  I do prefer Betty Crocker's Angel Food cake mix over the others.  Just a personal thing!

Brenda Brazell
Dumas, TX

2 sticks margarine
2 C sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 C pecans
1 tsp vanilla
1 C (8 oz) sour cream
2 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 T brown sugar

Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs, vanilla and sour cream.  Sift together flour, baking powder and salt before adding gently to creamed mixture.  Mix well pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon. (Sometimes I make a little more of this because I like plenty of it with this cake.)

Grease a bundt cake pan, dust with half of nut mixture.  Put 1/2 of dough in pan, sprinkle rest of nut mixture, then add rest of dough.  If I have mixture left I also like to sprinkle it on top of the cake.

Bake at  350 degrees for 60-65 mins.

Lorene Brazell
Albuquerque, NM

Measure in a large bowl:
2 C sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 C all purpose flour

Measure in a small bowl:
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 C buttermilk
1 tsp soda
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla

Measure in a saucepan:
2 sticks margarine
4 Tbsp cocoa
1 C water

Bring these to a full rolling boil, then add to small bowl mixture.  Mix well, then add to large bowl mixture.  Stir to mix well.  Pour into greased 10x15x1 pan.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Cool only 5 minutes then ice.

Icing:
1 stick margarine
4 Tbsp cocoa
6 Tbsp milk
then add 1 lb powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 C chopped walnuts.  Beat well and spread on cake.

Mary Ann Rindt
Pittsburg, PA

Cream together:
1 C shortening
2 C sugar
2 eggs

Add to above:

1 C buttermilk (or sour milk)
1/2 C cocoa
2 tsp soda
2 1/2 C flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 C boiling water

Stir all ingredients together.  This makes a large cake.  Use either an 11x15 sheet cake pan or 3- 8" layers.  Or make cupcakes out of the remaining batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or when toothpick comes out clean.

Cooked icing:
In saucepan, cook on medium heat 2 C sugar, 2 T cocoa, 1 stick margarine, 3/4 C milk.  Cook to soft ball stage.  Beat until this starts getting stiff, then add 1 tsp vanilla.  Pour over cooled cake. Can also add nuts to this, or place them decoratively on top.

Billie Brazell
Dumas, TX

Place in pan and bring to a boil:
1 stick margarine
1/2 C Crisco
4 Tbsp cocoa
1 C water

Remove from heat and add:
2 C sugar
2 C flour
Mix well.

Then add:
1/2 C buttermilk
1 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, slightly beaten

Bake in large sheet pan at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Icing:At least 5 minutes before cake is done, bring to a boil:
1 stick margarine
4 Tbsp cocoa
6 Tbsp milk

Remove from heat and add the following and pour over hot cake:
1 box powdered sugar
1 C chopped nuts
1 tsp vanilla

Helen Tufford
Dumas, TX

1 stick margarine, softened
1/2 C Crisco
2 C sugar
1 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla
2 C flour
5 eggs, separated
1 C buttermilk
1/2 C angel flake coconut
1 C pecans

Cream margarine and shortening, add sugar.  Put soda in buttermilk and stir gently.  Alternate adding milk and flour to creamed mixture.  Add egg yolks.

In a separate bowl beat egg whites and gently fold into previous mixture.  Add coconut, pecans and vanilla.  Makes 3 8" layers.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes.

Frosting:
Cream 8 oz of cream cheese and 1/2 stick of margarine.  Add 1 lb powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla.  Add milk to desired consistancy.

Brenda Brazell
Dumas, TX

Grease and flour tube cake pan.  Line bottom with waxed paper (grease and flour it too) (OR use pan coating recipe without the waxed paper.) 

Cook this starting from a COLD oven.

1 C real butter (very important!)
3 C sugar
6 eggs
3 C cake flour (or 7/8 C per cup of regular flour, so a little under 3 C)
1/2 pt whipping cream (unwhipped)
2 tsp vanilla

Have butter at room temp.  Cream with sugar.  Add eggs and flour alternating, just to blend.  Blend in whipping cream by hand.

Put in a cold oven and cook at 325 degrees for 1 hr and 35 mins.  Cool in pan.  Best if cooked the day before served.

Billie Brazell
Dumas, TX 

This is an absolutely WONDERFUL pound cake!
--Brenda