Chocolate Chestnut Bourbon Torte with Kentucky Bourbon Cream

6 eggs, separated, + 2 egg yolks
1.5 c sugar + 1/3 c
4 T bourbon + 2 tsp
2.5 c pureed unsweetened chestnuts
3/4 c ground pecans + pieces for garnish
2 T really strong coffee
6 T chilled butter cut into pieces
1.5 oz bitter (unsweet) chocolate, chopped
6 oz bittersweet (semisweet) chocolate
3.5 c whipping cream
1/2 c confectioner's sugar

Make the cake:
Heat oven to 350. Grease and flour 2 9-inch cake pans. Beat 6 egg yolks well. Stir in 1.5 c sugar and 1.5 tsp bourbon, then blend in 2 c chestnuts. Stir in pecans. Whip egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Fold whites into batter. Divide mixture between 2 cake pans and bake for 25 minutes. Cool on wire rack then remove.

Make Filling:
Beat 2 egg yolks with 1/2 c sugar. Add coffee and 1 T hot water. Beat chilled butter into mixture. Add 1/2 tsp bourbon and 1/2 c chestnuts. Stir in chopped bitter chocolate. Cover bowl and refrigerate.

Make Icing:
Melt bittersweet chocolate with 1.5 c cream over low heat. Stir in 2 T bourbon. Cover and chill.

Whipped topping: (make right before serving)
Whip 2 c cream to soft peaks. Beat in confectioner's sugar and fold in 2 T bourbon.

Assemble:
Spread chestnut filling between 2 cake layers. Cover with chocolate icing, sprinkle with chopped pecans. Chill before serving. Serve with whipped cream.

Sunshine Orange Cake

1/4 c applesauce
box yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1 can 11 oz mandarin oranges in light syrup

Beat these with electric mixer. Bake at 350 in 9x13 pan for 30 minutes. Cool.

Frosting:
Cool Whip 12 oz.
large box instant vanilla pudding
20 oz can crushed pineapple

Layer - cut cake into cubes, layer with cool whip frosting in truffle bowl.

Diabetic Chocolate Flourless Cake

9 oz dark chocolate (Lindt Excellence 70% Dark is good. 2.25 bars is 9 oz.)
1/2 c butter
6 eggs
1/4 c sugar
Whipped cream (optional)

1. Melt chocolate in microwave. When it starts to melt, add stick of butter and melt until completely melted.
2. Get out 2 bowls for the eggs. In one bowl, put two whole eggs and four egg yolks. In another bowl, put 4 egg whites.
3. Beat egg whites for a minute or so on high. Add sugar and beat until dairy queen ice-cream type peaks form when you insert and remove a spoon.
4. Stir chocolate/butter into egg yolks bowl.
5. Add glob of egg whites to chocolate mixture, then fold in rest of egg whites by hand. Don't overmix.
6. Pour into greased 12" round pan or square casserole and bake at 350 for 30+ minutes. It is done when you jiggle the pan and the center doesn't jiggle. The top will be cracked and the cake will have risen a lot. It will fall again when you take it out of the oven.
7. Scoop out cake with spoon to serve! Add whipped cream if you want.

Melanie's Cake Mix Expansion

1 Cake Mix box.
In addition to ingredients called for on back of box, add:

1 c. sour cream
1 extra egg
1 c flour
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together at once with electric mixer. Pour into 2-3 round cake pans or 1 13x9 pan. Bake at 325 for 45-55 minutes. Line cake pans with wax paper for easier removal.

Frosting:
1 c. salted butter
1 c. crisco
2 T water
1 T vanilla
Mix, then add 1-2 lbs powdered sugar and water to get desired consistency.

Blueberry Pound Cake

8 oz cream cheese, room temp.
3 sticks butter, room temp.
3 c. sugar
3 tsp. vanilla
5 eggs, room temp.
3 c. all purpose flour
1.5 c blueberries, dredged in flour

Cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar well. Add vanilla. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in flour. Prepare Bundt or Tube pan by spraying with Pam and sprinkling with flour, then sugar. Layer cake batter and blueberries, about 3 layers each. Put in cold oven, set to 300 degrees for 1.5 hrs. Cool on wire rack 15 min. before removing from pan.