Rainbow Chip Cake Mix Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 box Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip Cake Mix
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 jar Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip Frosting

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prepare cookie sheet with parchment paper or silpat, then set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs in the oil. In a medium bowl, whisk the rainbow chip cake mix to break up any lumps. Then dump the eggs/oil on top, and mix until combined.

Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out the dough, and place at least 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet. Transfer from cookie sheet to cooling rack, and let come to just above room temperature.

Frost cooled cookies with your Rainbow Chip Frosting, and then have at it!

Peach-Raspberry Dump Cake

INGREDIENTS
2 cans peach pie filling
1 pint fresh raspberries
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Spray 13x9 pan with non-stick cook spray.

Spread peach pie filling evenly across the bottom of pan.
Evenly distribute fresh raspberries over peaches.
Sprinkle dry cake mix over raspberries and peaches.
Pour melted butter all over dry cake mix.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. It will still be a little bit ooey gooey. Let sit for a couple minutes to cool and set up a bit.

Scoop out, and serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Red Velvet M&M Bars

Adapted from Yellow Bliss Road
INGREDIENTS
1 Box of Red Velvet Cake Mix
1 egg
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup of of Valentine M&Ms

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare a 9x13 pan, with cooking spray.
In a kitchenaid with the paddle attachment, mix cake mix, egg, butter and vanilla until blended.
Carefully fold in half of the M&Ms. This will be a pain in the butt.
Press batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with the remaining M&Ms, pressing them into the batter.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Allow to completely cool before cutting into bars.

I hate red velvet cake. I will admit that it looks beautiful, because red is bae. However, I think it tastes like poop. It's just not my favorite, but I always find myself pinning recipes for it. So, I figured that I could bring a recipe to one of my ward's FHEs… cause that's how Mormon girls get a husband. They turned out to be super pretty, and pretty dang good. Not my favorite, but definitely a crowd pleaser.

Margarita Cake

In honor of Cinco de Cuatro, and my love for all things lime, I give unto you, Margarita Cake!

adapted from Betty Crocker

INGREDIENTS
CRUST:

1 1/2 cups coarsely crushed pretzels
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter -- melted

Zest of 1 lime

CAKE:
1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix
3/4 cups bottled nonalcoholic margarita mix

1 Tablespoon tequila

3 Tablespoons lime juice

1/4 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Zest of 2 limes
3 egg whites

TOPPING:
1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping -- thawed

Zest of 1 lime

DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom only and lightly flour 13x9-inch pan, or spray bottom with baking spray with flour. In medium bowl, mix crust ingredients. Sprinkle evenly on bottom of pan; press gently.

In large bowl, beat cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter over crust.

Bake 34 to 39 minutes or until light golden brown and top springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool completely, about 2 hours. Frost with whipped topping; sprinkle with additional lime peel. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

The original recipe did not call for quite so much lime zest, lime juice or tequila… but I am a Mormon that likes to live on the wild side, and I still had half a bottle of Jose Cuervo from the time I made these, and I would feel like such a fraud if I called this a Margarita Cake and didn't use tequila. Fun fact: the batter for this cake, was amazing. I literally stuck my head in the bowl to lick it! The pretzel crust was REALLY hard to eat with plastic spoons, so do some dishes and use real utensils. Also, I would probably add more tequila and less water.

Pineapple Angel Food Cake with Maraschino Cherry-Cream Cheese Frosting

INGREDIENTS
cake:

1 box angel food cake mix
1 20-oz can crushed pineapple

frosting:

2 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup maraschino cherry juice

2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

DIRECTIONS

cake:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Combine angel food cake mix with can of crushed pineapple by hand. Chuck into a 13x9 inch pan and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove from oven, and cool on rack until it comes to room temperature.

frosting:

Mix the cream cheese with the maraschino cherry juice, until the cream cheese isn't in giant chunks. Add confectioner's sugar until it your desire consistency.

Frost cake, then enjoy!

I am obsessed with maraschino cherries. It's kind of ridiculous just how much I love them. So my mother purchased a 9 lb 6 oz container of them for me. Annnnd I have downed half of them, mostly by myself. SOOOOO when I made some pineapple angel food cake, and realized I didn't have any coconut or canned frosting, I decided to be a big girl and make my own frosting- and that I was going to jazz it up with maraschino cherry juice! I am SO glad that I did!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Spiced Frosting

INGREDIENTS

1 box spice cake mix
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée
1 can vanilla frosting
Pumpkin Pie Spice

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350*F.

Combine the cake mix and pumpkin purée.

Evenly fill cupcake tins. The batter was definitely on the thick side, so I used a cookie scoop.

Bake until cake springs back when touched.
Remove from oven, and cupcake tin.
Allow to cool on a wire rack before frosting.

For these mini-cupcakes it took approximately 10-11 minutes,

For larger cupcakes increase cooking time to about 20 minutes.

While cupcakes are in the oven, take out the can of vanilla frosting, and mix in pumpkin pie spice until frosting is spiced to your liking. I think we added about a tablespoon.

These are SO easy, and my niece and nephew LOVED helping me do this. It was definitely a really kid friendly recipe. It's also batter that I can let them eat without worrying about them getting sick!