A creamy spicy pumpkin cheesecake with graham cracker crust

Yield: 

12-16 servings

Ingredients: 

Crust Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons melted butter
1/16 teaspoon ginger
1/16 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Filling Ingredients:

1 cup canned/pureed/mashed pumpkin
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
20 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch (sift if there are lumps!)
4 large eggs, at room temperature

Whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Instructions: 

1. Make cheesecake crust by combining crust ingredients and mixing well. Press into the bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

2. In a bowl, whisk together pumpkin, whipping cream, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, stir the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugars and stir until smooth. Mix in the pumpkin mixture, then add the cornstarch and mix until just blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until just combined. (Stir by hand! Using an electric mixture will incorporate air into the batter, causing the cheesecake to rise and crack during baking!)

4. Wrap the outside of the springform pan tightly with 2-3 layers of aluminum foil.

5. Pour the filling into the cooled crust. Set the still-wrapped springform pan in a large roasting pan. Carefully pour enough boiling water into the large pan to come up 1 inch on the sides of the springform pan.

6. Bake at 325 degrees for 70 to 80 minutes or until the center is almost set in the middle.

7. Remove cheesecake from water bath and place on a cooling rack. Carefully remove the foil and run a thin knife around the edge of the cake. This will loosen the cake and help prevent the top from cracking. When cheesecake has cooled slightly, remove the sides of the springform pan. Allow to cool completely at room temperature.

8. Refrigerate cheesecake for at least 4 hours before serving. Cut into 12-16 slices and serve with whipped cream if desired!

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A creamy dense chocolate cheesecake on a chocolate graham cracker crust, drizzled with chocolate and caramel and sprinkled with almonds

Yield: 

12-16 servings

Ingredients: 

Crust ingredients:

1 1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling ingredients:

20 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon sugar (to remove lumps)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
12 ounces dark chocolate chips (60% cocao)

Topping ingredients:

1/2 cup (3 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter
Caramel*
Sliced almonds

Instructions: 

1. Make crust by combining crust ingredients and pressing into the bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Set pan on a wire rack to cool while you make the cheesecake batter.

2. In a large mixing bowl, gently stir the softened cream cheese with the sugar and cornstarch/sugar mixture until smooth. Add vanilla and stir.

3. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring to combine, but being gentle enough to not incorporate any extra air/bubbles into the batter.

4. In a heavy sauce pan over low heat, melt the chocolate chips with the whipping cream. When no lumps remain, remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly (but not completely — or the chocolate will get too thick to mix!) and then stir the chocolate into the cream cheese mixture, making a dark chocolate batter.

5. Place two layers of heavy duty aluminum foil on a flat surface, and place the cooled 9-inch springform pan (with crust) on the foil. Wrap the foil snugly around the pan to make it water-proof.**

6. Pour the chocolate batter over the crust, smoothing with a spatula. Place the foil-wrapped pan in a large roasting pan, and pour boiling water into the roasting pan, to come about 1 1/2 inches up the sides of the springform pan.

7. Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees. Place roasting pan in the middle of the oven and bake for 70-90 minutes, or until cheesecake is almost completely set (only the center will still be slightly wobbly).***

8. Remove roasting pan from the oven, and carefully take the springform pan out of the water bath and place it on a wire rack to cool. Gently remove the foil after setting cheesecake on rack.

9. Run a thin knife aroud the edges of the cheesecake, to allow it to separate from the sides of the springform. (This helps prevent cracks during cooling.) When cheesecake has cooled slightly (maybe for 20 minutes), carefully remove the outside of the springform pan. Allow cheesecake to completely cool.

10. Prepare the toppings by warming the chocolate chips and butter in a saucepan, until chocolate is melted. (Stir to remove lumps.) Allow chocolate to cool slightly. When chocolate is still warm but not hot, put it into a small plastic bag. Snip off a (small) corner of the bag to allow you to squeeze out the chocolate.

11. In a separate pan or bowl, warm the caramel enough to be able to drizzle it. Drizzle caramel over the cheesecake. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top of the caramel, and then drizzle the chocolate (from the baggie) over the almonds and caramel.

12. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A fluffy, fruity coffee cake with a sweet crusty topping

Yield: 

9 servings

Ingredients: 

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk
1 cup blueberries, cranberries*, raspberries, chopped strawberries, or finely-chopped apples

Topping Ingredients:

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions: 

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

2. In another bowl, beat eggs until frothy. (We use an electric mixer for this.) Mix in oil and milk.

3. Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients and stir. Fold in fruit.

4. Pour batter into a greased 8- or 9-inch square baking pan**.

5. Mix topping ingredients together (should be coarse crumbs/lumps of topping) and sprinkle over batter.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, until cake tests done in the middle. Cover cake loosely with foil if the top starts browning too quickly (I usually place foil over the cake after about 45-50 minutes).

7. Serve hot, or cool in pan. 🙂

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A moist, sweet carrot-pineapple cake with a light cream cheese frosting

Yield: 

9 servings

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup (packed) finely shredded carrot
1/2 cup crushed pineapple (with juice)

Frosting Ingredients:

3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespon butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
milk, as needed
1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional

Instructions: 

1. To make the cake, sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

2. Add wet ingredients and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.

3. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9×9-inch baking pan.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until cake tests done.

5. Cool 10 minutes on wire rack, and then remove from pan. Cover with a clean towel and frost when cool.

6. To make frosting, beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until fluffy. Add powdered sugar. Beat, adding a little milk as needed to achieve desired consistency. Sprinkle chopped pecans over the frosted cake, if desired.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A dark spicy oatmeal cake with a sweet broiled coconut topping

Yield: 

16-24 servings

Ingredients: 

Spice Cake Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup quick oats
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, softened or melted
1 cup water
2 eggs
2 tablespoons molasses

Coconut Topping Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 tablespoons light cream or whole milk

Instructions: 

1. Measure all cake ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Blend 1/2 minute on low speed, and then for 3 minutes on high.

2. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool cake slightly.

3. To make coconut topping, melt butter in sauce pan. Add brown sugar and stir over medium heat until sugar is mostly dissolved. Add coconut, pecans, and cream. Spread topping over cake and broil cake for 2-3 minutes, until topping is bubbly and browned.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A two-layer chocolate cake with a rich fudge frosting!

Yield: 

12 servings

Ingredients: 

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Frosting ingredients:

2 cups white sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions: 

1. To make the cake, cream the sugar, butter, and eggs with an electric mixer on high until well-beaten.
Stir in flour, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Batter will be thick, like brownie batter.

2. Grease and flour a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan (baking pan with 1-inch sides). You could use two 8- or 9-inch cake pans instead, if you wished. Spread batter evenly into pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, or just until cake tests done with a toothpick or fork.

3. Place cake (in the pan) on a cooling rack, cover with a clean towel, and allow to cool completely.

4. Cut cake in half, trimming sides if necessary, so that the two pieces can be stacked on a serving tray or platter.

5. Make frosting by combining frosting ingredients in a sauce pan and heating over medium heat, stirring constantly. Bring mixture to a boil and then boil and stir for 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.

6. Using an electric mixer, beat frosting on high until it starts to thicken to a frosting consistency. The frosting will continue to thicken as it continues to cool, so don’t beat it too long.

7. Once it is spreadable, spread half of the frosting over the first layer of the cooled cake, working quickly. Place the second piece of cake on top and insert a few toothpicks if desired, to keep the cake layers from shifting. Finish frosting the cake.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A fluffy moist chocolate cake mix recipe — better than Duncan Hines!

Yield: 

12-16 servings

Ingredients: 

Cake mix ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable shortening

To make the cake:

1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs

Instructions: 

1. Make the cake mix by combining the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

2. Using an electric mixer or a food processor, blend in the shortening until no lumps remain. (Using the mixer on this makes a dusty cocoa mess, so I prefer the food processor!) This is the dry cake mix part, and you can store it in an air-tight container for several months.

3. Finish making the cake by adding the water, oil, and eggs to the cake mix in a large bowl. Mix on low speed until moistened, and then beat on medium for about 2 minutes.

4. Pour batter into greased and floured pans (one 9×13-inch pan, two 9-inch round cake pans, or cupcakes) and bake at 350 degrees.

9×13-inch pan: 35-38 minutes
9-inch cake pans: 30-33 minutes
cupcakes: 19-22 minutes

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A flavorful moist carrot cake with sweet cream cheese frosting Yield: 

18 servings Ingredients: 

Cake Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups finely grated carrots*
1/4 cup well-drained crushed pineapple
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Icing Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3-4 cups powdered sugar

Ground cinnamon and ground walnuts, for dusting (optional) Instructions: 

1. In a large mixing bowl, blend sugar and oil. Add eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice and mix.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon, soda, and baking powder. Fold into the batter in the large bowl.

3. Stir in carrots, pineapple, and walnuts to make a thick batter.

4. Pour into a greased 9×13-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes, until cake tests done. Cool in pan on a wire rack, covered with a thin clean towel.

5. To make icing, mix ingredients in order listed, using an electric mixer. Spread over cake and dust with cinnamon and walnuts if desired. Enjoy!

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A spicy syrup made with apple juice and brown sugar — not too sweet but full of flavor! Yield: 

6 1/2 cups of syrup Ingredients: 

6 cups apple juice (we use a can of concentrate and add water)
1 2/3 cup brown sugar (use more if you like a very sweet syrup)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
dash cloves
5 small apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (optional)
1/2 cup clear jel/Sure Gel OR cornstarch Instructions: 

1. Combine 5 cups of the apple juice with the sugar, spices, and apples (if using). Bring to a boil. (If using apples, simmer until apples are tender.)

2. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 cup apple juice with the cornstarch, stirring or whisking to remove lumps.

3. Add cornstarch mixture to boiling mixture and stir for a few minutes until mixture bubbles and thickens.

4. Serve hot over pancakes, waffles, or French toast!

A rich, creamy cheesecake bursting with dark, rich semi-sweet chocolate
Yield: 

16
Ingredients: 

Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs*
6 Tablespoons butter, melted
3 Tablespoons sugar

Filling
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
12 Tablespoons cocoa powder (baking cocoa)
4 Tablespoons butter
28 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (4 1/2 8 oz. packages)
1 cup sugar**
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs, room termperature
3/4 cup sour cream (6 oz.)

Optional: 1 Tablespoon cornstarch mixed in 1 Tablespoon cold water
Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a metal or glass bowl on the bottom rack with bottledwater.

2. Crust: Mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar.
Grease a 9 inch springform pan (sides and bottom) and press the graham
cracker mixture evenly along the bottom of the springform pan.

3. Mix the baking cocoa and butter until smooth. Then add the mixture
and semi-sweet chocolate chips to a sauce pan on low on the stove and
cover. Stir mixture periodically until all the chips are melted and the
mixture is mixed.

4. In a large bowl beat the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth.
Add vanilla and sugar. Slowly add one egg at a time while beating with
an electric mixer on low, doing a scrape down of the bowl with a
spatula periodically. Add and mix in sour cream. (Optional: Also add
cornstarch mixture and mix in).

5. Slowly beat in chocolate mixture–beat just enough to mix in evenly.

6. Pour into crust.

7. Bake for 60-80 minutes, depending on desired doneness***

8. Cool and then remove rim. Refrigerate before serving. Best served 24 hours or longer after you begin refrigeration.****

Additional Notes: 

* You can use chocolate cookies for the crust if you desire a dish with even more chocolate flavor.

** You you prefer sweeter chocolates you may wish to add more sugar
(double). The recipe is very deep and rich and not overly sweet.

*** 60 minutes is sufficient for us, but ovens vary and with such a
thick cake your results may vary. You may find at 60 minutes your cake
is more moist texture; if too soft and creamy for your liking try 80
minutes for a more solid cake. Note that you may need to cover the
cake to prevent over browning. A compromise may be 60 minutes and try
turning off the oven and opening the oven door and allowing the cake to
sit in the oven for 15 minutes before removing to cool. 60 minutes
works for us, but with such a dense, thick cake you may need some minor
adjustments.

**** You can freeze slices of the cheesecake. Place in the fridge the night before serving to thaw.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.