My Favorite Cream Cheese Frosting

This is my favorite cream cheese frosting recipe and my go-to every time I make a cake, unless there's a specific flavor request. When I know I'm going to be baking a cake, I just get my cream cheese and butter out in the morning and let it sit out all day (or overnight if I'm planning to frost a cake in the morning). It's okay for them to sit out for eight hours. Also, I know sifting can be a pain, but it's better to get the lumps ahead of time than to have little chunks of powdered sugar in your frosting!

Ingredients

• 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 8 T unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 ¾ powdered sugar, sifted (or to taste)
• 1 tea vanilla extract

Directions

1. Beat butter and cream cheese with electric mixer until combined.
2. Add the sugar, about a half cup at a time, until well incorporated.
3. Add vanilla and beat until fluffy.

Chocolate variation: add ½ cup cocoa powder and an extra ¼ cup powdered sugar.

The Best Doctored Box Cake Recipe

I've made cakes from scratch on occasion, but generally when one of my kids' birthdays rolls around, I don't feel like taking the time to do that because I have so much else going on. This is my go-to recipe for all my boxed cakes. The added ingredients make such a difference, you'd never know it came from a box! I almost always top my cakes with cream cheese frosting because that's my favorite. Note: If you (or your child or husband or whoever) wants a chocolate cake, just sub the box of vanilla pudding for chocolate.

Ingredients:

• 1 box cake mix, any flavor
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup milk
• 1 box instant vanilla pudding
• 1 tea vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (sometimes I do 325)
2. Combine all of the ingredients into a large bowl and mix with beaters until well-blended. It will be thick.
3. Pour into prepared cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Chocolate Trifle

This is a dessert that everyone loves (unless you know a crazy person who doesn't like chocolate).

Ingredients

• 1 (19.8 oz) package brownie mix
• 2 (3.9 oz) packages instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 (16 oz) package Cool Whip, thawed
• 3 (1.4 oz) Skor bars, crushed

Directions

1. Prepare brownies according to package directions. Let cool.
2. Mix pudding according to package directions.
3. In a trifle bowl (or glass punch bowl), layer in the following order: ½ of the brownies (crumbled), ½ the pudding, 1 toffee bar, ½ the Cool Whip.
4. Repeat the layers and then sprinkle the final candy bar on top.
5. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (It's even better if made the day before it's served.)