Gingerbread - Judy Gustafson's cakelike gingerbread

 Made for Kristi's bookclub - The Spine Crackers - for October 2020 - with the book Mrs. Lincoln's Dress Maker. Gingerbread was a common dessert enjoyed during Civil War times.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup light molasses

1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Grease and lightly flour one 9" round cake pan. Cream shortening and brown sugar. Add egg and molasses. beat well. Stir together flour, spices, baking powder, soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternatively with 1/2 cup of boiling water, beating after each addition. Pour into pan. Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes. Serves 8. 

Beka's Eclair Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup of water
1 cube of butter
1 cup of flour
1/4 t of salt
4 eggs
2 small pkgs of instant french vanilla pudding
8 ounces of cream cheese
2 1/2 cups milk
12 ounces of cool whip
3 ounces of milk chocolate chips
additional 3-4 T of milk
1 cup powdered sugar
2 T butter

Layers:

Layer #1
Bring the water to a boil in a sauce pan
Add one cube butter until melted
Add flour and salt - stir until dough leaves the sides of the pan
Let it cool slightly
Add eggs one at a time - stir well after each one
Spread dough in a 15x10 (sheet cake size) pan
bake at 400 for 25 - 35 minutes
break the bubbles with a fork and cool (completely)
*don't worry if it's not pretty*

Layer #2
Combine pudding mix with softened cream cheese and 2 1/2 cups milk
beat until smooth
spread on the pastry shell

Layer #3
Spread cool whip over pastry

Layer #4
melt butter and chocolate chips on low in a saucepan
mix in sugar and milk until it forms a glaze (or use hot fudge)
drizzle over cool whip

Put in fridge for at least an hour

Can be made a day ahead of time

Beka's Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cake

Ingredients:
1 yellow cake mix that has pudding in it (says has pudding in it)
8 ounces of sour cream
1/2 cup oil
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

STEP ONE: beat all above ingredients for 7 minutes
STEP TWO: pour half into a 9x 13 pan

Mix Filling:
3 Tablespoons melted butter
3/4 cup of sugar
5 Tablespoons baking cocoa
1 and 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon

STEP THREE: sprinkle half of the filling on top of the half in the pan
STEP FOUR: sprinkle how many ever chocolate chips you want on top of that
STEP FIVE: use one half of remaining cake mix to layer on top
STEP FIVE: repeat steps three and four
STEP SIX: end with cake mix on top

Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes