German Chocolate Cookies

Forget cake, these German Chocolate cookies will absolutely win you over!

This recipe is one of my all-time favorite cookie recipes and they did not last long. No one could stop eating them. The coconut pecan frosting is sooo good. Honestly, you could use the premade kind but I feel like this homemade version is not only better tasting but also holds up a bit better.

Funfetti Cupcakes for 3

When you just need a few cupcakes, this recipe comes in handy!

I made these for Mason's 5th birthday in 2020. He loves funfetti cake and since I was also making a cake for my sister-in-law whose birthday is the day after Mason's, I figured I'd make a small batch just for him. I was supposed to post the birthday cake that I made for my sister-in-law last Friday, but haven't gotten it up yet. I hope to do that soon, so if you're interested in a Take 5 cheesecake, keep your eyes peeled for that :)

French Vanilla Chai Cinnamon Rolls

Cake mix and chai spices make these cinnamon rolls extraordinary.

Cinnamon rolls make me so happy. I don't think I've met one I didn't like. I had these specific cinnamon rolls saved because of how much Nick loves chai. The cake mix gives a different texture to these and the chai mix instead of just cinnamon sugar made these really wintery in my opinion. Still pure comfort food but ever so different.

Red Velvet Macadamia Nut Cookies

A great twist on macadamia nut cookies with cake mix - perfect for Valentine's Day (or whenever you feel like it)!

If you look through the past almost 10 1/2 years of me blogging, you will find very few red velvet recipes. I have no problem admitting that I know it's just chocolate flavor, but I still don't really care for it. To me, it just tastes like red food coloring and that's a no for me. However, occasionally I will make red velvet treats because my family likes them and occasionally, I will find one that I do actually like (for example, a sheet cake I blogged either last year or the year before - I'll link it near the bottom of this post). I have posted recipes that I didn't care for if the rest of my family liked them. It's definitely harder to describe them if I don't like them, but I'm not really the best at that anyways haha. So fortunately this recipe is one that I did like. I love white chocolate macadamia nut cookies and these were really a nice variation of them. I love cake mix cookies too - they are so chewy and delicious anyways, but a cake mix macadamia nut cookie is just *chef's kiss*

Gingerbread Poke Cake

This cake is the most lovely addition to a holiday spread with caramel and whipped cream topping and crushed gingersnap cookies on top.

I've made more poke cakes in recent years because I really just enjoy poke cakes. I won't say all, but I think most start with a box cake mix and just a few toppings - sweetened condensed milk and Cool Whip for sure. This gingerbread cake gets caramel sauce topping in addition to the milk. And the very top has crushed gingersnap cookies which is great for a bit of crunch and more spicy goodness. So if you're looking for a quick holiday cake recipe - this! This so much! It's great!

Oreo Peppermint Crunch Cookies

Soft and chewy cake mix cookies with bits of Oreos and candy canes inside

These were Santa's cookies last year and survived a road trip to Florida and a few days in a really small, cramped airbnb. They almost didn't survive due to the fact that they are insanely good. They are cake mix cookies with Oreos and candy canes in them and they are the absolute best. They are chewy and crunchy and so good.

Peppermint Poke Cake

This holiday cake is so easy to make and loaded with chocolate and peppermint!

I think box cake mixes are awesome and I love how you can add a few more steps and change it up completely. I think at this point everyone knows what a poke cake is - you make a cake and poke holes in it and then pour stuff on top. This cake is topped with sweetened condensed milk and hot fudge. After some chilling, the cake is topped with whipped cream and other stuff - in this case, Andes mints and Oreos. I think this is my favorite poke cake of all the ones I've made. I love mint chocolate, so I guess it's not surprising. This is a really fun cake to make with kids (if you have any around) and is perfect for the holidays!

Ultimate Oreo Brownie Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Get ready for a sugar overload with this vanilla and chocolate layer cake topped with chocolate ganache, brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and Oreos!

When my husband worked outside the home, he often brings in leftovers for lunch and ends up talking about how I cook and bake and blog. I end up doing a lot of making desserts to send to work with him. It's happened at every job he's had and I personally don't mind because I love to bake sweets and don't often make things like whole layer cakes for us. This particular cake was a sort of last hurrah before he left for his current job. I made a lot of cookies for his team, so we wanted to do a crazy over-the-top cake and ended up with this massive overload of chocolate! I didn't get a piece, but I did hear from my husband that it was super good and everyone loved it.

Italian Love Cake

You will love this cake so much - with its moist chocolate cake layer, cheesecake layer, and mousse-like topping! It's amazing what you can do with a box cake mix and pudding mix!

So I'm still not sure how this recipe works, but apparently the layers are supposed to switch out when you bake. Somehow mine turned into a split deal which we found awesome! You get a little rich chocolate cake on bottom and top of the cheesecake-like layer. If you make this, please let me know how it turns out for you - if you get a flip flop layer deal or a split layer of chocolate cake. Regardless, it was one of the best cakes I've ever had. This cake was actually my daughter's 11th birthday cake...back in 2019. I'm so behind sharing recipes. That's why this cake features this gorgeous, fancy paper plate serving platter :)

Cake Mix Coffee Cake

This moist yellow cake with a cinnamon brown sugar crumble swirl and topping is the perfect breakfast!

I haven't made coffee cake in a while but I really love it. What's not to love about cake for breakfast?! This coffee cake utilizes cake mix and it makes the most moist coffee cake I've ever had. I loved the walnuts and the crumble swirl is fantastic coupled with it actually being a crumble topping too. Honestly, I really like that this isn't a little 9x9 pan...it's a 9x13 and that means there is plenty of coffee cake. Some for breakfast, some for snack, some for second breakfast :)

Slow Cooker Apple Cake

This wonderful fall dessert is made in the slow cooker and takes little effort to throw together!

Slow cooker desserts are among my favorite thing because you can set them and forget them and you have a delicious dessert ready after dinner. This particular recipe for apple cake is perfect for late summer into fall. It's pretty much a dump cake because you just put all the ingredients into the slow cooker and cook it. There is not beating of ingredients and a crazy amount of preparation. It is simply tossing the apples with cinnamon and sugar, topping with cake mix, topping with melted butter, and cooking. This is a great dessert to make with children or for a potluck. You can even add some caramel sauce when you serve it up for a little caramel apple goodness!

Banana Split Trifles

The perfect summertime treat that can be portable in lovely individual servings!

I love desserts that can be portioned individually and I love them even more when they can be portable, like in this recipe for these delish trifles. They take a little bit of time to make, but they truly aren't too bad. The cake is made from a box mix and is light and fluffy. The pudding is homemade which was a first, if I'm remembering correctly, for me. It was super simple and quick. Then it's just a matter of building your trifles into mason jars and you've got a great dessert for a cookout in the summertime. The fresh fruit was simply perfect in this - absolutely reminiscent of a banana split sundae.

Chocolate Oreo Cream Cake

This chocolate cake is devilishly good with a Oreo whipped cream filling and fudgy chocolate frosting.

Happy Valentine's Day to all those celebrating! Today is just a momentary breath between more birthdays for us, so the holiday isn't really a huge deal. My middle baby, Cami, just turned 10 on Sunday, and pretty soon, I'll have my boys turning 3 and 11. They are all getting so big! It's like I blinked and they're grown.

Speaking of birthdays, this lovely chocolate cake was picked by Matthew, my oldest, for his birthday cake last year. He is too much like his momma and loves chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate. In fact, the more chocolate you can jam pack in a cake, the better. He especially loves Oreos and really liked the idea of a cake that was like a giant Oreo. The cream filling was simply fantastic. It was so fluffy and I wish I could eat it by the spoonful.

Twinkie Cupcakes

Fluffy yellow cupcakes filled with marshmallow creme and topped with marshmallow buttercream frosting - you won't be able to stop at one!

What's better than a Twinkie? A Twinkie in cupcake form, of course. This isn't quite a sponge cake, but it does have a delicious marshmallow creme filling and marshmallow buttercream frosting. It does taste like a Twinkie and they are so light and airy, so it makes you want to eat more than one. I followed the directions and filled 20 cupcake liners, but I think that it would be much better with 22 to 24 cupcakes total. I did have to kind of trim edges of cupcakes that overlapped the edges of the muffin pan cups. Unfortunately, these cupcakes won't survive the apocalypse...but that's because they won't last more than a couple days in your home :)

Junior Mint Cupcakes #Choctoberfest

These aren't your ordinary cupcake - just like the candy on top, the cupcake has a sweet mint filling!

I talked about my kids choosing their birthday cakes each year yesterday, but I also had to share these adorable cupcakes that I made for my mom's birthday last November (last year). I do typically pick out cakes for the adult family members based on what I think they will love. My mom loves Junior Mints and has always loved them, so when I found the recipe, I saved it immediately. I knew it would be perfect. I tend to find recipes months in advance and then it's just a waiting game to make them.

These are relatively easy cupcakes that start out with a boxed cake mix with some extra goodness added to it. The mint buttercream is perfect, but what takes the cake is the insanely amazing mint filling! It tastes exactly like the candy's mint filling and it's such a surprise when you bite into the cupcake.

Since it's the last day of Choctoberfest, I just wanted to say thank you to Allison of The PinterTest Kitchen for hosting once again and hope y'all have found some lovely recipes from my fellow bloggers. Each day of the week that I posted a chocolate recipe, you'll find a blog hop at the bottom with tons of chocolately amazingness linked up!

Andes Mint Cake #Choctoberfest

From cake mix to this mint-filled, chocolate mint buttercream-frosted, ganache-covered chocolate cake to beat all cakes

Every year, I let my kids pick out the cake they want for their birthday. Each year, Matthew and Cami pick out recipes from my Pinterest board and then go through a process of elimination until they reach the final recipe. I am pretty sure this Andes Mint Cake has been on their list every single year since we started the tradition. It never ends up being the last cake standing, but I decided to go ahead and make it in a non-birthday month. I just figured that even though it was in their top cakes, we'd probably never get around to having it unless I picked it.

I have always been a huge fan of Andes Mints. I think they are just absolutely wonderful and I have used them in plenty of desserts. This cake is made from devil's food cake mix and you can do two or three layers. I personally did two because I was being a little lazy. There is a mint filling between the chocolatey layers and then it's covered in a chocolate mint buttercream frosting and a row of Andes mints around the bottom. To top it all off, the extra touch of chocolate ganache and chopped mints is just divine. I have been so in love with ganache lately because it's just so decadent and amazing. It makes every dessert better.

Chocolate Mousse Cake

This devil's food cake is much more than just a chocolate cake - it's filled with chocolate mousse and topped with chocolate ganache!

Chocolate Mousse Cake...you don't have to ask me twice! Not only is it devil's food cake, which is just my favorite...it has a chocolate mousse filling and a chocolate ganache topping. Plus in addition to all of that, there are Heath bits in every bite. It's just a wonderful cake altogether. I am pleased with how the mousse turned out too. It was so easy to make - much easier than I anticipated.

Hot Cocoa Poke Cake #Choctoberfest

Rich chocolate cake topped with hot fudge sauce and decadent cocoa whipped cream - tastes like heaven

I am so excited to take part in Choctoberfest this year. A huge thank you goes out to Allison of The PinterTest Kitchen for organizing the event - you rock, Allison. I love love love chocolate. LOVE. I have a few chocolate recipes to share over the next two weeks and I decided to start with a bang. This Hot Cocoa Poke Cake is the perfect recipe for me to share first. It's unbelievable. It's easily the best poke cake I've ever had.

It consists of double fudge chocolate cake with hot chocolate mix in the batter. It's topped with hot fudge sauce and cocoa whipped cream then drizzled with more hot fudge. It's rich and oh so chocolatey. Be sure to check out the rest of the chocolatey recipes for today at the bottom of the post!

Apple Cider Donut Muffins

Forget pumpkin, these apple cider donut muffins are where it's at!

Please forgive me, Pumpkin. I didn't mean it! But seriously, I think apple can get a little overshadowed and that makes me feel bad. I definitely go pumpkin crazy as soon as September 1st hits, but I had to share this little recipe because it makes me reminisce autumn in upstate New York. Cider donuts are definitely a must up there and I haven't found any like it anywhere else I've lived. These definitely helped me cope with that missing part of autumn.

They are super simple to make. I was unable to make them with the apple cake mix, so I subbed in spice cake mix. The apple cider adds so much flavor and moisture to these muffins, plus they are so light and fluffy with the cake mix as a base. The sugar cinnamon is just icing on the cake -- or in this case, topping on the muffin! :)

S'mores Cheeseball #SundaySupper

The perfect dessert cheeseball with all the best parts of a s'more, but less mess!

Today's Sunday Supper Movement event is KIDS FAVORITE RECIPES hosted by Ellen of Family Around the Table. So all of today's recipes are kid-friendly! I have a long list of recipes that I have yet to post and I found the one that I know my kids would say is their favorite and I'm sure that they would ask me to make it again. Like tomorrow!

When I told them I was making a s'mores cheeseball for July 4th (2015), my oldest two looked at me like I was nuts. Cheese with s'mores - yuck?! What is wrong with you, Mom!! I convinced them that it was cream cheese, so that it would be more like a dessert cheeseball, not like cheddar cheese with s'mores or anything. I picked up some cute little graham sticks for dipping because I figured they would be the easiest and most sturdy utensil to use on this cheeseball.

I'm so glad I got a few pictures of the cheeseball before setting it down in front of my kids. I left the room for a few minutes and came back to this below. Matt and Cami did some major damage on this thing. They ate about half of it by themselves and as you may have guessed - they LOVED it!

What I loved about this desserty appetizer is that it was incredibly simple to make and my kids didn't make a huge mess eating it like they do with regular s'mores. So it's a win-win all around!