Cheese cake can cause major disagreements – what is “proper”.  This one will probably fail all the “traditions”  but it is really good and creamy so enjoy.  Because it is a no-bake cake you can use the softer cream cheese spread/whipped product.  (Don’t use the soft stuff in a baked cake – does not work.)

Ingredients for crust:

• 10 – 12 oz    (about 3 cups once crushed) vanilla wafer crumbs (or chocolate, or graham cracker crumbs)
• 1 Tab sugar
• 6 – 7 Tab butter, melted

Ingredients for filling:

• 10 oz cream cheese room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate broken into pieces (or chocolate chips: 1 c = 6 oz )
• 1 Tab butter
• 1 1/2 c powdered sugar

Ingredients for topping:

• 2 oz special dark chocolate
• 2 Tab butter
• toasted almonds
• whipped cream serving

Directions for crust:

Directions for filling:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a medium mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
2. Add vanilla, continue mixing.
3. Place butter and semi-sweet chocolate in a microwave safe dish.
4. Heat on high for 30 seconds, stir. If it is not fully melted, heat at additional 15 second increments, stirring between each.
5. When fully melted and smooth, immediately combine with cream cheese mixture, mixing well.
6. Add powdered sugar, fully incorporating.
7. Evenly spread into the bottom of the graham cracker crust.
8. Chill for an hour or so.

Directions for topping:

1. Melt chocolate and butter together.
2. Cool slightly
3. Gently pour over the top of the cake – it doesn’t have to cover it.
4. Sprinkle with toasted almonds.
5. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
6. Serve with whipped cream .

Serves:  8

Source:  I had the list of ingredients but no recipe.  Had to search for directions that sort of matched the ingredients.

Nothing wrong with using cake mix – time is money and there are so many other things to cook.  Not a rum drinker you can still enjoy this tasty cake. This is the moistest cake you’ll ever eat. It freezes beautifully.  You can use different nuts too.  

Ingredients for Cake:

• 1 c. chopped macadamia nuts
• 1 (18 ½ oz) pkg. yellow cake mix
• 1 (3 ¾ oz.) pkg. instant vanilla pudding
• 4 eggs
• ½ c. cold water
• ½ c. oil
• ½ c. dark rum (80 proof)

Directions for Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Grease and flour 10-inch tube or 12 cup Bundt pan.
3. Sprinkle nuts over bottom of pan.
4. Mix all cake ingredients together.
5. Pour batter over nuts.
6. Bake 1 hour.
7. Cool.
8. Invert on serving plate.
9. Prick top.
10. Drizzle and smooth glaze evenly over top and sides.
11. Allow cake to absorb glaze.
12. Repeat until glaze is used up.

Ingredients for Glaze for Rum Cake:

• ¼ lb. butter
• ¼ c. water
• 1 c. sugar
• ½ c. rum

Directions for Glaze:

1. Melt butter in saucepan.
2. Stir in water and sugar.
3. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Stir in rum.

Serves:  10 – 12

Source:   cooks.com

“Note that the resulting cheesecake is VERY rich (like beyond anything you’ve ever had) and should be served in meager portions.  Be cautioned that, when utilized in the proper setting, servings of this cheesecake are an aphrodisiac of surpassing potency.”

Ingredients:
Crust:

• 1 1/4 cup chocolate cookie crumbs (the Oreo crumbs are available in boxes in stores)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:

• 1 envelope gelatin (1 Tab)
• 1/3 c Drambuie (The 1/3 cup Drambuie can be substituted with a Drambuie / Amaretto mix (this is in fact preferable in flavor), but do not exceed 1/3 of a cup, as the filling will not set, and the alcohol will tend to overwhelm the flavor of the cheesecake.)
• 16 oz  cream cheese (2  8 oz. packages)
• 3/4 c sugar
• 1/2 c cocoa
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• dash salt
• 1 1/2 c heavy cream – NO don’t whip it!

Directions:

1. Leave cream cheese out of fringe to soften.
2. Melt butter in microwave or on stove.  You may need slightly more than the 1/4 cup, but that’s ok.
3. Crush the cookie crumbs.
4. Mix with the butter.
5. Press into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
6. Place pan in freezer to help crust set.
7. In a glass measuring cup, sprinkle 1 pouch unflavored gelatin over 1/4 cup cold cream and let stand for 1 minute.
8. Microwave on HIGH (100%) for 30-40 seconds; stir once.  Make sure it is completely dissolved.
9. Mix together with rest of cream, Drambuie, and vanilla.
10. Mix the sugar and cocoa and salt.
11. Add the cream mixture a little at a time for an even mix.
12. Dump in the softened cream cheese.
13. Mix vigorously with hand mixer.  You’ll want an electric one as this can be some work.
14. Dump mix into pan on top of crust.
15. Cover pan.
16. Place pan into freezer for at least 4 hours or the refrigerator over night.
17. Some chocolate flakes, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, or cocoa powder can be garnished on the top when serving.
18. Enjoy!

Serves:    12-16

Source:  Gerard van Belle

Off-the-shelf all-American ingredients like devil’s food cake mix and cherry pie filling are your passport to a rich and decadent dessert that will make you look like a pastry chef!

Ingredients:

• 1 (16.5-ounce) package devil’s food cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 c water
• 1/2 c vegetable oil
• 1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling, drained, with 1/2 c sauce reserved
• 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
• 1/3 c Late Harvest Zinfandel (or other sweet dessert wine)
• Cooking spray with flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Coat two (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray.
3. In a medium bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, water, oil, and reserved cherry sauce.
4. Mix well.
5. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans.
6. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool 10 minutes, then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
   Place a cooled cake layer upside down on a serving platter.
8. Sprinkle with half the Zinfandel.
9. Spoon on cherry pie filling
10. Place second cake layer over first.
11. Sprinkle the rest of the Zinfandel on the top.
12. Wait a little to let it soak in.
13. Then sprinkle with powdered sugar. (use a fine strainer and a spoon to get an even covering.

Serves:  12

Source:  Mr. Food Test Kitchen

Heloise has a treasure trove of quick, easy, and somewhat old fashioned recipes.  

Ingredients:

• 1 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple in heavy syrup
• 1 21-ounce can of cherry pie filling
• 1 package of yellow cake mix (2-layer size)
• 1 c pecans chopped
• 1/2 stick of butter (4 Tab) chilled

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Grease a 9-by-13 inch baking pan.
3. Spread the pineapple with its syrup evenly in the pan.
4. Spoon the cherry pie filling evenly over the pineapple.
5. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the mixture.
6. Sprinkle the chopped nuts over all.
7. Slice the chilled butter into thin slices, then place evenly over the other ingredients.
8. Place your cake pan in the center of the rack, and in the middle of the oven, for an evenly baked cake.
9. Bake for 50 minutes, or until golden.
10. Serve warm

Serves: 12 .

Source:  Heloise.com

Cake mix and soda – who would have thunk??

Ingredients:

• 1 box cake mix (use yellow, white, butter or spice cake. Cake mixes without pudding work better)
• 1 12-oz can of lemon lime soda  (you know – Sprite)
• 5-6 c fresh peaches (about 2#) or use about two 29-oz cans drained peaches
• 2 Tab cinnamon

Directions:

1. Peel and slice fresh peaches into chunks. (Drain canned peaches.)
2. Place into a 9×13 pan that’s been sprayed with non-stick spray.
3. Sprinkle cake mix directly on top of peaches.
4. Use a spoon or your hand  to gently press the cake mix down into the peaches.
5. Pour the can of soda on top. Make sure you pour it all over the cake mix, attempting to cover it completely. It will bubble up.
6. Sprinkle the cinnamon on top of the soda. It will pop some of the bubbles, but it will still be very liquidy on top.
7. Now preheat your oven to 350 °. The cobbler will just sit and bubble around for a few minutes while the oven is preheating. This is good!
8. Bake cobbler for 1 hour.
9. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes.
10. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or top with whipped topping!

Serves:  8-12

Source:  Butter With a Side of Bread.

What a hoot!  Have the kids make it at home.  You can use a round foil cake pan instead of the dutch oven.  This is one of those recipes you can keep the ingredients on hand and make in a moments notice.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans peach pie filling
• 1 yellow cake mix
• 1 can sprite

Directions:

1. Dump pie filling in bottom of dutch oven.
2. Sprinkle cake mix over the top.
3. Pour Sprite evenly over the cake mix. (7-up works too.)
4. Cover and cook until top is browned, about 40 minutes.

• To get a 350 ° temperature to cook – take the size of the dutch oven, double the number, and use that many briquettes.
• To bake in a dutch oven – typically you place 1/3 of the briquettes on the lid, and 2/3 under the dutch oven.
• You can use a Disposable Foil Dutch Oven Liner for easy clean up!!  (Looked like a round foil cake pan!)

Serves: 6 – 8 (how old are they – the son could eat a whole cake!)

Source:  Cathy Painter’s rendition from Five Little Chefs