The base recipe is pretty much the same one I used for Ian’s first birthday cake (the Oreo Dark Chocolate), so there’s a few things to keep in mind:

1. I know most cakes tend to be moist, but do NOT get the super moist cake mixes. They tend to be a little to pliable and will break apart when you try to manhandle them out of the pan and whatnot.
2. Make sure you get the whipped frosting for the sides.  Otherwise the frosting will end up pooled at the base and very thin at the top.

I am using two different frostings for this recipe. I don’t normally do that, but how can you have a German Chocolate cake without the Coconut Pecan frosting?  You can’t, but that particular frosting doesn’t like to stick well, hence the reason for the second kind.  Also, make sure you allow the cake to cool at least 2 hours, if not longer, before trying to level it off.  If it’s not completely cooled, there’s a better possibility of cutting off more or making the cut uneven.  As for the pudding mixture, the longer it sits, the better it is to work with.  I usually make the filling the night before so it’s good and set.  The whip cream will keep it creamy and still make it pretty firm, which is fabulous when trying to spread frosting on it.

Believe it or not, making these layered cakes is really easy.  Since I started doing them 2 years ago, I’ve come to really rely on 10″ Cake Leveler and Cake Lifter.  Seriously, trimming the top off the first layer is a lot easier with the leveler than using a wire.  Plus,the lifter may seem frivolous, but it’s a lot sturdy than using my hands.

Added 7/23/10: One complaint I had was that the texture of the filling really didn’t go with the idea of German Chocolate.  The pecans weren’t chopped enough and it was more creamy.  So I added 7oz of coconut to the filling and I think this will do it.

Ingredients:
1 pkg of German Chocolate cake mix + ingredients to make
1 pkg of whipped chocolate frosting
1 pkg of coconut pecan frosting
1 pkg of Jell-O Coconut Cream pudding mix
1 cup of cool whip
1-1/2 cups milk
7oz coconut
1/4 to 1/2 cup finely diced pecans

Directions:

1. Combine milk and pudding mix in medium bowl. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. Stir in 1 cup semi-thawed cool whip and pecans. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until set.
2. Prepare and bake cake according to box directions. Cool completely.
3. Take one cake and level the top off, making it flat. Add the coconut to the chilled pudding mixture. Layer pudding mixture lavishly onto cake. Once completed, gently add the second cake on top of mousse.
4. Use the whipped chocolate to frost sides of the cake.  Use the coconut pecan to frost the top of the cake, letting it drip over the edge a little.  Viola.

Ingredients:
4-6 cups quartered or sliced strawberries
2/3 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup bisquick
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together 1/4 cup sugar and strawberries. Spread strawberries mixture in ungreased square pan, 8x8x2 inches.
2. Mix remaining ingredients until crumbly; sprinkle over strawberries.
3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until strawberries are tender and topping is golden brown. Serve warm.

Variation: Substitute sliced peeled all-purpose fruit for strawberries; substitute nuts for any kind of chocolate or toffee chips; substitute blueberries (or other fruit) for strawberries.

Substitution for bisquick: 1/2 cup bisquick = 1/2 cup flour + 1 tsp baking powder + dash of salt

Ingredients for cake-size pan:
8 cups strawberries
1-1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup bisquick
1/4 cup toffee bits
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 tsp cinnamon

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup softened butter or margainr
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 cups wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups white chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375ºF.
2. Mix sugars, butter, vanilla and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff). Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft). Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.  (Total time will vary; cook or bake time is per batch.)

Variation
Feeling a little nutty? Go ahead and add 1 cup coarsely chopped nuts with the chocolate chips.

Ingredients:
1 pkg (18-21 oz) brownie mix (plus ingredients to make cake-like brownies)
2 bars (1.55 ounces each) milk chocolate candy, divided
3 cups cherry pie filling
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup cranberry-cherry juice
2 cups cold 2% milk
2 pkg (3.3 oz each) white chocolate instant pudding and pie filling
1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions for cake-like brownies; spread batter over bottom of large stone bar pan. Bake 18-20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.
2. Loosen brownie from sides of bar pan and invert onto a large cutting board. Cut brownie into 1-in. cubes; set aside. Chop 11/2 of the chocolate bars using a food chopper. Reserve remaining chocolate for garnish.
3. Combine pie filling and almond extract in a small bowl; set aside 1/2 cup for garnish. Stir juice into bowl.
4. Pour milk into a large bowl; add pudding mix and whisk until mixture begins to thicken. Fold in whipped topping.
5. To assemble trifle, place half of the brownie cubes into bottom of trifle bowl. Layer with half of the pie filling mixture. Sprinkle with half of the chopped chocolate; top with half of the pudding mixture. Repeat layer one time.
6. Make chocolate curls with reserved chocolate using a vegetable peeler (see Cook’s Tip). Garnish top of trifle with reserved pie filling mixture and chocolate curls. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

Yield: 16 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 380, Total Fat 14g, Saturated Fat 5g, Cholesterol 45mg, Carbohydrate 59g, Protein 4g, Sodium 300mg, Fiber 0g

Cook’s Tips: To make chocolate curls, hold the Vegetable Peeler across the short side of the chocolate bar. Using even pressure, push the blade away from you to create curls.

This trifle can be assembled several hours before serving, or even the night before.

Although, I should mention that we haven’t tried this recently.  Basically, I’m moving all of our tried recipes from a database to OSC. So I’m not really sure how much onion was actually included in this recipe.

Ingredients:
1 (15oz) can of tomato sauce
3/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp onion powder
3/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp rosemary
onions

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, mix all ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes or until the onions are tender.

Ingredients:
2 large (about 2lbs) sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 stick (8 tbsp) softened butter or margarine
4 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 13×9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Peel sweet potatoes and grate coarsely to yield 6 cups.
3. Combine granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer set at high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each additions.
4. Combine the sweet potatoes, buttermilk, milk, pecans, vanilla extract, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl and mix well. Add butter mixture to sweet potato mixture and mix well.
5. Spoon the sweet potato mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake for 1 1/4 hours. Serve Immediately.

Ingredients:
1 lb (450 g) fresh strawberries, divided
3 pkg (3 oz each) soft ladyfingers (about 24 total) (see Cook’s Tip)
1 can (14 oz or 300 mL) sweetened condensed milk, divided
1 can (14 oz or 398 mL) unsweetened coconut milk, divided
1 container (8 oz or 250 mL) sour cream
1 container (12 oz/1 L) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
1 pkg (3.3 oz or 102 g) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling
1 tsp (5 mL) Korintje Cinnamon

Directions:

1. Set aside one strawberry for garnish. Hull and slice remaining strawberries. Cut ladyfingers into 1-in. pieces; set aside.
2. Whisk together 1/2 cup of the condensed milk, 2/3 cup of the coconut milk and sour cream in large bowl. Add ladyfingers and toss gently.
3. Reserve 1 cup of the whipped topping as a topping. Combine pudding mix and remaining coconut milk in a mixing bowl; whisk until thickened. Add remaining condensed milk and cinnamon; whisk until incorporated. Fold in remaining whipped topping.
4. To assemble, place half of the ladyfinger mixture into Trifle Bowl; top with half of the strawberries. Spread half of the pudding mixture over strawberries. Repeat layers one time. Pipe whipped topping over top; garnish with strawberry fan.

Yield: 24 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 220, Total Fat 10g, Saturated Fat 8g, Cholesterol 10mg, Carbohydrate 29g, Protein 3g, Sodium 160mg, Fiber 1g.

Cook’s Tip: Ladyfingers are sheets of sponge cake that can be separated into long ovals and are found in the bakery section of most grocery stores.

One 16-oz (about 390-g) frozen pound cake, thawed, trimmed and diced into 1-in. (2.5-cm) cubes, can be substituted for the ladyfingers, if desired.

It doesn’t take too many zucchinis to get 2 grated cups worth. When I made this, I had 3 good sized zucchinis and it gave me enough to make 4 loaves. So there’s no reason to get the largest veggie out there.

Ingredients:
4 eggs (beat until foamy)
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini
3-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp baking soda

Directions:
Mix together eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla, and zucchini until well blended. Add remaining ingredients. Pour batter into 2 loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes.

The only major change I’m working on is whether I want to add the coffee or not. The original recipe calls for 1-1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder or 2-3 teaspoons instant coffee crystals and I’m not sure if that will work as well with white chocolate as it does with chocolate.  However, for this first batch, I added the coffee (1-1/2 tsp coffee grounds) since it would be an easy fix the next time around.  Update: Do not use coffee!  It was too powerful and totally overwhelmed all of the brownies.  A coffee drinker even said it wasn’t tasty.

As for the chocolate, I initially used 8 ounces of white baking chocolate, but while you could tell it was white chocolate, I didn’t think it was strong enough, so I’m adding another 2 ounces to the recipe.  Although, I am wondering if the strength of the white chocolate would increase if the coffee is taken out.  Coffee is strong after all.  Either way, I don’t believe adding more white chocolate would be a bad thing, whether it is 2 ounces or 4.

Something I did unintentionally, and I’m actually happy about, is I reduced the amount of butter that is used.  The original recipe calls for 10 tbsp, but for these, I stuck to one stick of butter (8 tbsp) and the chocolate wasn’t as liquidy as the original recipe – at this stage.  There was definitely a different look to it and I think adding the extra 2 tbsps would not have made it turn out well.  Granted, this may change once I actually taste the brownies, but considering how the chocolate looked when I pulled it from the microwave, I’m not upset I miscalculated that.

Side note: Adding nuts to the top is totally optional. Whenever I include nuts within the recipe, I like to have them on top so it’s easily recognizable that it’s not something for anyone with nut allergies.  Also, I’ll get a better picture once I cut.

Ingredients:
10 ounces white chocolate
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1-1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
tiny drops almond extract
3 large eggs
2/3 cup all-purpose flour (extra half to a full cup for cake-like brownies)
3/4 cup toasted pecans (optional)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 325F. Adjust an oven rack to a lower-middle position.
2. Line an 8 inch square metal baking pan with foil or parchment paper.
3. Mix and bake brownies according to type desired – Fudge-like or Cake-like.
4. Cool brownies in pan on a wire rack. When cool enough to handle, use the foil or parchment to pull the brownies from pan. Completely cool brownies on rack, at least 3 hours for fugdey and 1 hour for cakey. Be patient, or the brownies won’t cut into nice squares and you’ll have a mess on hand. … Cut and enjoy!!!

Fudge-Like brownies
Put chocolates and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high, stirring every 30 seconds, until chocolate is almost melted. Remove from microwave, and stir to melt remaining bits of chocolate. Alternatively, you can melt the choco/butter/coffee combo over a pan of simmering water: put a heat-proof bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water, and stir until everything is melted. Remove from heat.

Whisk in sugar, salt, baking powder, and extracts into the chocolate mixture. Then whisk in the eggs, one at a time, mixing each one completely before adding the next one. After adding the eggs, whisk the mixture until smooth and glossy. Add flour; whisk until just incorporated. Do not over mix. Stir in the nuts.

Pour batter into the prepared pan; flatten the top with a spatula. Bake until a toothpick poked into the center comes out with wet crumbs, 55 to 65 minutes. Start checking at 40 minutes, oven may vary.

Cake-Like Brownies
Melt chocolate using the above instructions. Let rest. Combine both mixtures together. Sift flour, salt, baking powder together. Then fold in/add that to the choco/butter mix. That should be all the ingredients but the nuts.

Pour batter into the prepared pan; flatten the top with a spatula. Bake until a toothpick poked into the center comes out with clean, 45 to 55 minutes. (If your oven is notorious for overheating, start checking around 35 minutes.)

Ingredients:
2 cups Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Milk
1/2 cup Butter or Margarine
8oz White Chocolate
1/2 cup Peanut butter
1/2 tsp Vanilla
3 cups old fashion Oats, quick cooking (or 4 cups instant)
8 oz pkg Peanuts (optional)

Directions:
Combine sugar, salt, milk, butter and cocoa in saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Mix peanut butter, vanilla, oatmeal and peanuts. Drop onto table – spoon onto wax paper. Cool.