Black Bottom Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Filling

• 1 (8 oz. pkg.) cream cheese
• 1 egg
• 6 oz. chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Batter

• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tbsp. vinegar

Directions:

1. Make the filling. Mix together cream cheese, egg, chocolate chips, sugar, and salt. Set aside.
2. Make the batter. Mix together flour, cocoa, salt, sugar, and baking soda. Add the oil, water, vanilla, and vinegar. Mix well.
3. Pour batter into greased muffin cups about 1/2 full. Top with 1 spoonful of the cream cheese filling. Sprinkle with sugar (or slivered almonds--optional). 
4. Bake in a 350°F oven for about 30 minutes.

Serves: 16-18

Submitted by Sue Richichi, her mother's recipe

Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 3 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (15 oz.) can solid-packed pumpkin
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup maple syrup, divided
• 1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine crumbs, sugar, and butter; press firmly on bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese on medium speed until fluffy. Gradually beat in condensed milk until smooth. Add pumpkin, eggs, 1/4 cup syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg; mix well. 
3. Pour into springform pan. Bake at 300℉ for for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight; remove sides of pan. 
4. In a saucepan combine cream and remaining syrup. Boil rapidly for 15-20 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in pecans. Cool. Spoon over the cheesecake before serving.

Submitted by Karen Kunzler

Old-Fashioned Banana Cake

Ingredients:

Cake

• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• Walnut halves for decorating

Directions (Cake):

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 by 2-inch round cake pan.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the bananas, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on low speed until combined. With the mixer still on low, add the oil, eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and orange zest. Mix until smooth.  
3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Stir in the chopped walnuts, if using. 
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, turn out onto a cooling rack, and cool completely.  
5. Make the Cream Cheese Frosting. Spread the frosting thickly on the top of the cake and decorate with walnut halves, if using.

Directions (Frosting):

1. Mix the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed until just combined. Don't whip! Add the sugar and mix until smooth.
   
   
   Submitted by Sarah Bublitz from Barefoot Contessa: How Easy It That? by Ina Garten.

Wilhelm Family Baker's Torte

Ingredients:

• 1 small package lemon Jell-O
• 1 small can  crushed pineapple, drained, reserving juice in measuring cup. Add enough water to equal 1 cup of liquid
• 1/2 cup milk--Whole or 2%
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 lb. Sendik's Bakers Cheese
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 pint whipping cream

Crust

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup sugar (original recipe used 1/2 cup)
• 1/3 cup melted butter--no substitutes, must use butter 

Directions:

1. Mix together graham cracker crumbs and sugar; add melted butter. Mix well. Place in either a spring form pan or a 9x13 inch pan. Reserve some of the crust crumbs for the top.
2. On the stove top, bring the pineapple and water mixture to a boil. Add Jell-O and stir until all dissolved. Cool.
3. In a second pot on stove top, combine milk, sugar, salt, and beaten egg yolks, stirring constantly until thick. Remove from stove and allow to cool.
4. When both the Jell-O mixture and the milk mixture are cool, add the milk mixture to the Jell-O mixture, beating with electric mixer. Add Sendik's Bakers Cheese and continue beating until smooth.
5. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until very stiff. Gently fold beaten egg whites into the Sendik's Bakers Cheese mixture using a hand whisk, be very careful not to over mix and break down the egg whites.
6. In another chilled mixing bowl using chilled beaters, beat the whipping cream until stiff. Now fold this into Sendik's Bakers Cheese mixture again, being very careful not to over mix, causing the whipping cream or egg whites to break down.
7. Now assembly: Spread the crushed pineapple evenly in pan on top of graham cracker crust. Pour Sendik's Bakers Cheese mixture on top of the pineapple, spread evenly. Sprinkle with reserved crumbs. Refrigerate to set overnight.

Submitted by Mary Wilhelm

Classic Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

Cake

• 1 (8 oz.) can unsweetened crushed pineapple
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Frosting

•  2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:

1.  Drain pineapple, reserving 2 tablespoons juice (discard remaining juice or save for another use). In a large bowl, beat the carrots, eggs, sugars, oil, pineapple and reserved juice until well blended. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; gradually beat into pineapple mixture until blended. Stir in walnuts.
2. Transfer to a greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Bake at 350℉ for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.
3. For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread over cake.

Serves: 12

Submitted by Bill Stoecker from Taste of Home