It's An EARTHQUAKE Cake - No Insurance Necessary

It's a beautiful Monday.  Spring is finally showing all it's flair.  Trees are leafing, flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, birds are warbling, it is warm and breezy, and all is right with the world.  Hope you enjoyed a sunshiney kind of weekend too!  We went to opening day of tee-ball and little league for our two oldest grandsons  and we spent some time out of doors blowing giant bubbles among other things.  I think I enjoyed it as much or more than they did.

You can find directions for the blower and the bubbles on my blog.  We made these for all the grandsons for Christmas.  I posted the "how to" the week before Easter.

We are so eager for warm weather, we even went to Bobby's Dairy Dip and enjoyed a cone.  If you ever come to Nashville, you must go to Bobby's Dairy Dip.  We grilled out AND we ate this fabulous cake that I made.  And, I do mean fabulous!  It has everything you could ever want in a cake.

Why is it called an earthquake cake?  Have you ever experienced an earthquake?  They are not the most pleasant experience, let me tell you as the ground rumbles and shakes and everything around you is in danger of falling or collapsing.  I think this cake is called an earthquake cake because it looks like undulating ground that happens during an earthquake.  The cream cheese filling sinks, the chocolate, nuts, and coconut rise, and it all tastes outstanding in the end.  The good thing is, nobody gets hurt and there is no need for earthquake insurance.  Just eat and enjoy!!

Here is what you need to make this amazing cake.  Did is say it was good?  Yeah, it's better than good. I can't think of the proper term to describe it other than delectable.

1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)
1 box chocolate cake mix (I used Devil's Food), made according to directions on the box
1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter softened (1 stick)
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease a 9 x 13 pan.   Sprinkle chopped nuts and coconut on the bottom of the pan.

Make the cake according to directions on the box.  Pour over nuts and coconut.

Beat softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla on medium low until well blended.  (Looks like cheese cake batter).  Add the powdered sugar a little at a time so you don't have a powdered sugar explosion.  Mix thoroughly.  Drop by spoonfuls over the chocolate cake batter.  Leave a 1" margin around the edge of the cake so it doesn't run over while baking.

Weave a butter knife through the cream cheese filling in an "S" pattern to create a swirl in the cake batter.  Do not go too deep, stay very shallow - you don't want to disturb the coconut and nuts on the bottom of the pan.

Sprinkle with chocolate chips and bake for 50 minutes.  Remove from oven, let cool slightly and serve.

This may be the ultimate cake.  It has all the good stuff.  Chocolate, coconut, nuts, cream cheese, chocolate chips.  I mean, what's not to love?  Seriously?  This cake is beyond good.  It is magical.  It's other worldly.   It's worth making.  Make sure you have people to share it with or you will eat the whole thing yourself.  I'm just sayin'.

I found this recipe on Cheryl's Recipe Archives at ideascomefrombrownies.blogspot.com.  She has some fabulous recipes and this is Earthquake Cake recipe #2.  Check out her blog if you like good things to eat.  And, make this cake.  You may feel the earth move under your feet.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

“The Earth is God's pinball machine and each quake, tidal wave, flash flood and volcanic eruption is the result of a TILT that occurs when God, cheating, tries to win free games.” 
― Tom Robbins, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

I Know You Want One Of These German Chocolate Cake Bars!

Yesterday we did healthy, today not so much.  This has been a two dessert recipe week.  Why?  Because it just seems like that kind of week and Labor Day Weekend is coming up.  You may be celebrating that last big hurrah of summer with family and friends and you need dessert for a celebration.  Right?  If you don't want to try the Apple Pie Bars from earlier in the week, try these over the top fabulous German Chocolate Cake Bars.

This dessert is going to knock your socks off if you've never made it.  It's got all the good stuff like chocolate, coconut, nuts, chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate.  Did I mention chocolate?  Just in case I forgot, it's got chocolate and is it ever good.

Blame Pinterest, friends, it's all their fault.  I start looking through all the posts late at night and there is one good recipe after another and I am just happily pinning away.  What's the use of pinning if you don't make some of these delectable treats.   It just becomes a past time.  Me, I am all about jumping in with both feet and giving these recipes a try.

There have been a couple that were not keepers, but for the most part they have all been really good.  These German Chocolate Cake Bars are the bomb.  Seriously, the bomb.  The only flaw I can find is that the recipe uses a Devil's Food Cake Mix and next time I might use a German Chocolate Cake mix just to get a more German chocolate taste.  Don't get me wrong, the Devil's food is really, really good.  It was just not really German chocolate.  If you don't know, it's really not German chocolate, but German's chocolate which is a brand name.  Through the years, it has come to be known as German chocolate.  Just a bit of trivia for you.  You can buy German's chocolate at the grocery in the baking aisle of you want real German's chocolate.

This recipe originally came from your friend and mine, Paula Deen.  Now we all know Miss Paula knows a knockout dessert and they are always worth a try.  Try it I did and it is definitely a keeper.

Here is what you need:

1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix (or German Chocolate Cake Mix)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 large egg

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips  (I used 1 cup, cause why not?)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 pan.

Mix cake mix, butter and egg.  Press in bottom of pan.  Do not press up the sides of the pan.  Bake 7 minutes.

While the base is baking, mix the filling.  Mix sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, egg and nuts.  Pour evenly over warm crust .  Sprinkle with chocolate chips.  Use 1 cup if you really like chocolate (and we do)!

Bake 24-30 minutes until light golden brown.

Cool completely before cutting into squares.

I mean, look at all those chocolate chips!  Who wouldn't want that many?  If you only want 1/2 as many, that's your choice, but the full cup made it really awesome.  Of course, we all had a little scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on ours just in case you want to give that a try.

Thank you Paula Deen.  You did not fail to deliver one more decadent, totally unhealthy dessert for our enjoyment.  Give these a try, you will be glad you did.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.” 
― Charles M. Schulz