Cheesecake

This. Is. So. Good!

Crust:
3 cups finely ground graham crackers (about 40 squares)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling:
2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pint sour cream

To prepare crumb crust: In a mixing bowl, combine the crust ingredients together with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray. Firmly press the mixture over the bottom and 1-inch up the sides on the pan, use your fingers or the smooth bottom of a glass. Refrigerate the crust while preparing the filling.

To prepare filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute just until smooth and free of any lumps. Gradually add the sugar and beat until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to slowly beat until combined. Stir in the vanilla. Blend in the sour cream. The batter should be well mixed but not overbeaten. Overbeating incorporates too much air and will cause the cake to puff when baking, then fall and crack when cooling. Pour filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 50-55 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle slightly, it will firm up after chilling. Be careful not to overcook! Do not do a toothpick test in the cake’s center, this will make a crack. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours to set up. Demold and transfer to a cake plate. Slice the cheesecake with a thin, nonserrated knife that has been dipped in hot water and wiped dry after each cut.

Enjoy!
*Taken from melskitchencafe.com (one of my most favorite cooking blogs.)

Cherry Pie Cake

Ingredients:

1 white cake mix (I used vanilla)

eggs, oil, and water (whatever your cake mix calls for)

1 can of cherry pie filling

1 tub of cherry frosting

1 tub of cool whip

Steps:

1. Make your cake mix according to the box directions.

2. Spoon the pie filling over the batter.

3. Bake according to box directions.

4. Cool your cake.

5. Mix the tub of frosting with the tub of cool whip until it is the consistency you want for your "frosting".

6. Frost your cake.

7. Partake of this yummy goodness!

*This recipe can be done with any flavor of cake mix/pie filling/frosting. My friend loves to do it with lemon pie filling and lemon frosting. My other friend does a chocolate cake, raspberry pie filling, and chocolate frosting. Seriously, the combo possibilities are endless!

Lemon-Blueberry Swirl Cake

Ingredients:

1 pkg. ( 2 layer size) white cake mix

3/4 cup water

3 egg whites

2 tablespoons oil

1 pkg. (3 oz.) Lemon Jello, divided

1 cup blueberries

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1 whole egg

3 tablespoons water

Optional: 1/4 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Beat cake mix, 3/4 cup water, egg whites, and oil in a large boil with mixer until well blended. Add 1/4 cup dry jello mix; beat on low speed 1 minute, then on medium speed for 4 minutes. Stir in berries ; set aside.

3. Beat cream cheese and whole egg in a small bowl until well blended. For a sweeter cream cheese filling, add 1/4 cup of sugar to the cream cheese and egg mixture.

4. Pour half of the cake batter into a greased 12-cup fluted pan of a 10-inch tube pan. Cover with layer of cream cheese mixture and the remaining cake batter.

5. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cook cake in pan for 10 minutes. Loosen the cake from the side of the pan with a knife. Inver the cake onto a wire rack; gently remove the pan. Cool cake completely. Place cake on a serving plate.

6. Microwave 3 tablespoons of water on HIGH for 30 seconds. Add remaining dry jello mix and stir until dissolved. Brush over cake until the mixture is absorbed.

Refrigerate leftovers.

My insights:

- This cake is super moist... it reminded me of a blueberry muffin.

- I did not add the 1/4 cup sugar and think that it tasted just fine.

- Make a really thick layer of batter at first before you add the cream cheese filling... It tended to settle and peek through on the top of the cake in a few places.

- I used thawed, frozen blueberries and they tended to turn the cake batter purplish. The picture in the cookbook shows a yellow cake. Crap. It still tasted yummy, although it didn't look at all like the picture.