Fudgy Oreo Ice Cream Cake

My friends Kato & Kim are serving as missionaries to Native Americans in Arizona. Kim has a recipe corner in their newsletter, and she shared this recipe, which I've adapted here. I've served this on 2 separate occasions. It's easy to put together and fun to serve and eat. It'd be a refreshing treat on a hot summer day, and even a fun birthday cake. I'm a dork, so I never think of taking step-by-step photos, or even a good finished product photo, but here's a half-gone photo for you:

Still looks delicious!

Fudgy Oreo Ice Cream Cake
1/2 cup fudge ice cream topping, warmed
1 large tub (16 oz.) Cool Whip, thawed
1 pkg. (4 serving size) chocolate instant pudding & pie filling
8 Oreo chocolate sandwich cookies
16 vanilla ice cream sandwiches

Pour warmed fudge topping into medium bowl. Stir in 1 cup Cool Whip until blended. Add dry pudding mix. If too thick to spread, stir in a little bit of milk. Chop Oreo cookies into chunks, stir into pudding mixture. Arrange 6 ice cream sandwiches side by side in bottom of large loaf pan (I used a disposable loaf pan) or on a large piece of foil. Top with half of the pudding mixture. Repeat layers, adding extra ice cream sandwiches, if needed. End with a third layer of ice cream sandwiches on top layer. Frost top (and sides, if you didn't use the pan) with remaining Cool Whip. Cover loosely with foil and freeze at least 4 hours. Let stand at room temperature to soften slightly before serving, or slice with knife dipped in hot water. Makes 16+ servings.

Jennifer's Pumpkin Layer Cake

Here is a delish fall layer cake. A former church member, Jennifer, brought this cake to a luncheon at our church office during October Clergy Appreciation Month a few years ago. It was so delicious that we were all begging for the recipe. It is a very rich cake - the kind you want to save for special occasions, because you'll want to eat the whole thing yourself! I would take pictures of it, but I can't allow myself to make it until Thanksgiving!

Jennifer's Pumpkin Layer Cake

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups pumpkin pie filling
• 1 cup oil
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I use walnuts)

Mix dry ingredients, then add eggs, pumpkin, & oil. Mix well, then blend in nuts. Grease and flour two 9" cake pans. Divide batter between the two pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 - 2 Tbsp milk

Blend until smooth, add the milk until frosting reaches a "spreadable" consistency. Spread some on top of the bottom layer of cake. Add the top layer, then frost the cake competely. You may wish to garnish with toasted chopped nuts or mellowcreme pumpkins.

Mrs. Norvell's Fresh Apple Cake

We had a birthday celebration at our office today. One of the birthday girls loves apples, so I took advantage of a great opportunity to pull out this wonderful recipe:

Mrs. Norvell’s Fresh Apple Cake

(From My Kitchen by Barbara Richardson McClellan)
2 c. sugar1 c. oil2 eggs2 ½ c. flour1 ¼ tsp. baking soda½ tsp. salt3 medium apples, peeled & chopped1 c. chopped nuts¾ c. raisins (if desired)
Preheat oven to 350°. Flour or sugar a 9x13 pan, or line with foil. Mix oil and sugar, then add eggs. Mix dry ingredients and add to sugar mixture. Add apples, nuts, and raisins. Mix well and bake for 50-60 minutes. Cool and frost with the following:
Frosting:2 c. brown sugar½ c. evaporated milk1 stick butter¼ tsp. salt1 tsp. vanilla
Mix first four ingredients in saucepan and stir over low heat until blended. Bring to boil over high heat. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and beat until cool and of spreading consistency. Add vanilla. You may wish to garnish with extra nuts. If it's very humid, you may need to add some powdered sugar to the frosting to get it to a spreadable consistency.

You. Must. Make. This. Sugar Cookie Cake

I'm sorry, but you simply must make this! Who doesn't like sugar cookies? And cake? Honey, please! I found this recipe on Simple Folk, via Kelli at There is No Place Like Home (both worth a visit). I made it for company last week, then shared the leftovers at church. Everyone loves it, and it couldn't be simpler. I had leftover icing (from these cupcakes), which I put on top, and that was yummy, but honestly? I think I'd prefer it plain. You could also put coolwhip or cream cheese on it and then top it with strawberries and blueberries for a patriotic dessert, along these lines.

Sugar Cookie Cake

3/4 c. cold butter
3 c. flour
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda

Mix butter, sugar, and flour into crumbs. Reserving 1 cup of crumbs. To the rest of the crumbs, add the buttermilk to which the 1 tsp. of baking soda has been added. Add the eggs and vanilla, mix well. Top with the 1 cup reserved crumbs. Bake in a greased 9x13" pan at 350 for 30-35 minutes (or until cake tester comes out clean).