This news letter is from an AOL food chat and is printed here at Recipes From Friends with permission of host Judee.

We had a great chat tonight. Some new people and many oldies. There was a lot of sharing which made it lots of fun. I don't think you will have a problem choosing a number of these recipes to prepare in the future. Many are very easy "Cake Mix Creations".

Judee

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Welcome back Around Our Kitchen Table. Often we just open a cake mix and follow the directions to make the cake. Tonight we are going beyond the standard cake and give you some fantastic recipes using that same 'cake mix' and turning them into "Cake Mix Creations". I think you will be surprised to see how easy some of these creations are.


BUTTER PECAN CAKE MIX COOKIES

1 box Betty Crocker butter pecan cake mix
1 pkg. 9-12oz. pecan pieces
2 eggs
1 stick butter

Soften or melt butter (not hot). Add eggs and beat slightly. Add cake mix and nuts mix well (batter will be stiff). Drop spoonfuls and press on cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 10-12 minutes.
Yield 3 to 4 dozen.
***End of Recipe***

Dr. Pepper Cherry Marshmallow Cake
This is a self-icing cake.

2 cans dark sweet cherries, pitted
and drained, syrup reserved
3/4 C. reserved cherry syrup
1/4 C. Dr. Pepper® (not diet)
1 (3 oz.) box cherry gelatin
1/8 tsp. almond extract
1 (18.25 oz.) box yellow cake mix
1 (3 oz.) box cherry gelatin
1/2 C. vegetable oil
3/4 C. Dr. Pepper® (not diet)
4 eggs
2 C. miniature marshmallows

Arrange cherries evenly on bottom of a greased 9 x 13-inch pan. Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a small saucepan, combine the cherry syrup, 1 box cherry gelatin and 1/4 cup Dr. Pepper; gently heat until gelatin is dissolved. Add almond extract and cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, combine yellow cake mix, 1 box cherry gelatin, oil, eggs and 3/4 cup Dr. Pepper. Beat at high speed of an electric mixer for 3-4 minutes. Pour cooled gelatin mixture over cherries in pan.

Sprinkle evenly with the miniature marshmallows and then carefully and evenly spoon the batter mix over the marshmallows. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Cool on rack for 45 minutes. Chill for 3 to 4 hours.
Yields 16 servings
***End of Recipe***

Black Bottom Cupcakes

Filling:
1 8-oz package cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Cupcakes:
1 package (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix - or your own favorite homemade chocolate cake recipe.

Mix cake according to package directions. Fill paper baking cups in muffin pans 2/3 full.
Cream the cheese with sugar, beat in egg and salt. Stir in chocolate pieces. Drop 1 rounded teaspoon of cheese mixture into each cupcake. Bake according to cake package directions.
Yields 2 1/2 dozen cupcakes.

*Note: these make excellent lunch box desserts because they don't need frosting. The cream cheese sinks to the bottom, and is like frosting on the inside. Can also be baked as cake instead of cupcakes, just drop rounded teaspoons of cream cheese mixture randomly around cake and bake in 9"x13" pan according to cake mix directions.
***End of Recipe***

Lemon Cranberry Biscotti

1 package white cake mix
1 cup flour
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup chopped nuts
2 tablespoons grated lemon rind
Melted semi-sweet chocolate chips for dipping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment sheets.
Combine cake mix, flour, butter, eggs and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Beat at low speed with mixer until well blended. Mix in cranberries, nuts and lemon rind.
Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a 22 x 2-inch log, place logs on prepared baking sheets. Bake logs separately.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheets 15 minutes.

Using a serrated knife, cut each log into 1/2-inch slices on a diagonal. Arrange slices on baking sheets. Bake slices 10 minutes. Remove to cooling racks and cool completely.
Dip one end of cooled biscotti in melted chocolate. Allow chocolate to set at room temperature before storing biscotti in an airtight container.
***End of Recipe***

Knock You Nakeds

1 (18 1/2 ounce) package German chocolate cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup evaporated milk, divided
3/4 cup butter, melted
60 vanilla caramels, unwrapped (one 14 ounce package)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, combine dry cake mix, pecans, the 1/3 cup evaporated milk and melted butter. Press half of the batter into the bottom of a greased 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 8 minutes.

In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, melt caramels with remaining 1/2 cup evaporated milk. When caramel mixture is well mixed, pour over baked layer. Cover with chocolate chips. Pour remaining batter on top of morsels. Return to preheated 350 degree F oven and bake for 18 minutes. Let cool before cutting into squares.
Makes 16 to 20 bars.
***End of Recipe***

Pina Colada Muffins

1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow or butter cake mix
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 teaspoon rum extract
1 cup flaked coconut
1/2 to 1 cup nuts, chopped
1 (8 ounce) can undrained crushed pineapple

Prepare cake mix following package instructions. Add other ingredients. Mix 1 minute - don't over-mix. Grease muffin tins and fill 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes.
***End of Recipe***

Cinnamon Rolls

2 1/2 cups warm water
2 envelopes dry yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 1/2 cups flour
1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix

Dissolve yeast in warm water; let cool. Add to other ingredients and knead well. Cover and let rise.

Make cinnamon rolls as usual. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes.
***End of Recipe***

Fudgy Raspberry Torte

1 (18.25 ounce) box chocolate fudge cake mix
1 1/3 cups water
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup ground pecans
1 1/2 cups cold milk
1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate fudge or
chocolate pudding mix
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1 1/2 cups whipped topping
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
Fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 9-inch round baking pans.
In a mixing bowl, combine dry cake mix, water, eggs and oil; mix well. Add ground pecans; mix just until combined. Pour into prepared baking pans, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
In a mixing bowl, beat milk and pudding mix on low speed for 2 minutes or until thickened.
In a saucepan, melt jam. Brush over the top of each cake. Place one cake on a serving plate; spread with half of the pudding. Repeat layers. Top with third cake layer; spread top with whipped topping. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Garnish with raspberries. Store in the refrigerator.
Yields 12 servings.
***End of Recipe***

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

1 (21.5 ounce) box fudge brownie mix
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
Peanut Butter-Cream Cheese Filling
1 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 10-inch pie plate.

Prepare brownies as directed on package. Spread dough in pie plate; sprinkle with peanuts. Bake until center is set, 30 to 35 minutes; cool.

Prepare Peanut Butter-Cream Cheese Filling. Spoon into pie shell. Refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours. Drizzle with chocolate. Refrigerate any remaining pie.

Peanut Butter-Cream Cheese Filling

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon milk8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup chilled whipping cream

Mix sugar, peanut butter, milk and cream cheese in large bowl until smooth. Beat whipping cream in chilled small bowl until stiff; fold into cream cheese mixture.
***End of Recipe***

Easy Peach Dessert

3 1/2 cups sliced peaches (sprinkle with a little sugar to bring
out some juice) or use 1 (29 ounce) can sliced peaches

1 package butter pecan cake mix dry (or French vanilla)
3/4 cup melted butter or margarine
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Flaked coconut - I left this out
8 ounces whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the peaches into chunks. Pour peaches and juice into 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle the cake mix over the peaches. Drizzle with the butter. Sprinkle on the nuts. Sprinkle on the coconut. Bake for 35 minutes. Serve warm or cold. Top with whipped cream.
Yield: 12 servings
***End of Recipe***

Apricot Nectar Cream Cheese Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) box butter cake mix
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
3/4 cup apricot nectar
3 eggs
2 tablespoons lemon extract
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
Glaze
Juice of 2 lemons
1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan.

Using an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, sugar and lemon juice. Pour cake mix into bowl. Mix in butter with a fork. Pour in apricot nectar; stir. Add one egg at a time and mix. Add lemon extract and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add the cream cheese mixture to the batter. Beat an additional 1/2 to 1 minute.

Bake for 45 minutes or until cake is golden brown. Glaze as soon as cake is removed from oven.

Glaze: Combine lemon juice and confectioners' sugar. Spoon over hot cake.

Variation: You can spread all of the Cream Cheese Mixture on top of the cake batter in the Bundt pan, and you will end up with a layer of cream cheese at the bottom of the cake.
The recipe can also be used to make muffins, which should be baked in muffin tins lined with paper holders at 350 degrees F for about 15 to 20 minutes.
***End of Recipe***

Black Russian Bundt Cake

1 (18.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix (without pudding)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
6 ounces instant chocolate pudding
1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup vodka
1/4 cup coffee-flavored liqueur
3/4 cup water
Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar, unsifted
1/4 cup coffee-flavored liqueur
Powdered sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For cake: In large mixer bowl, combine cake ingredients. Mix at low speed about 1 minute; beat at medium speed 4 minutes.

Pour into greased and floured 10- to 12-cup Bundt or other molded cake pan. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes. Cake is done if wooden pick inserted into middle comes out clean.

Let cool in pan 10 minutes; invert onto rack or plate. Poke holes in cake with tines of fork; slowly pour glaze over. Cool completely; dust with powdered sugar.

For glaze: Combine powdered sugar and liqueur. Blend until smooth.
***End of Recipe***

Peach Schnapps Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) box white cake mix
3/4 cup water
1 egg white
1 small box vanilla instant pudding mix
1/2 cup peach Schnapps

Put cake mix, water and egg white in a mixer bowl. Beat at high speed until the batter is thick and smooth.

Pour batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan, and bake at 350 degrees F for about 25 to 30 minutes.

Cool cake in pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then frost.

Frosting
1/2 cup peach Schnapps
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/2 cup orange juice
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
Boil all ingredients in a saucepan for 4 minutes. Punch holes in cake with a fork. Spoon frosting over cake.
***End of Recipe***

Poppy Seed Cake

1 yellow cake mix
1 package instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sherry
1/2 cup poppy seed
1/4 cup melted butter

Put dry ingredients in a bowl. Add eggs, sour cream, melted butter, sherry and oil. Mix well to combine. Bake in a greased 9 x 13-inch pan. Set the 9 x 13-inch pan into a much larger pan that has been filled with some water. Bake at 325 degrees F for 1 hour 15 minutes.
***End of Recipe***

Atomic Cake

This is a very popular bakery cake in the Chicago area.

1 layer banana or yellow cake
1 layer chocolate cake
1 layer white cake
Fresh bananas, sliced
1 small box Jell-O Banana Pudding
Fresh strawberries, sliced
1 small box Jell-O Chocolate Pudding
1 small box Jell-O Vanilla PuddingWhipped cream

Set the banana (or yellow) cake layer on a cake plate. Top with sliced bananas, then spread banana pudding over the top to hold the bananas together.

Place the chocolate cake layer on top. Top with sliced strawberries, then spread chocolate pudding over the top.

Place the white cake layer on top. Spread with vanilla pudding.

Frost top and sides of cake with a generous amount of whipped cream. Refrigerate.
***End of Recipe***

My Blue Heaven Cake

1 (19 ounce 0 570g) can crushed pineapple with juice
1 (19 ounce - 570g) can blueberry pie filling
1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix
1 tablespoon (15g) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon (2g) ground cinnamon
1 cup (240g) butter or hard margarine, thinly sliced
3/4 cup (180g) walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

Spread pineapple and juice in the pan. Randomly place small spoonsful of pie filling over the pineapple. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the pie filling.

Mix the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the cake mix. Arrange the sliced butter or margarine over the top of the cake mix and sprinkle walnuts on top. Bake on center rack of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes.

Cut into squares and serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream. Garnish with blueberries or pineapple chunks.
***End of Recipe***

Pecan Coffee Cake

1 pkg yellow cake mix
1pkg (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup veg. oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 Tbs orange juice

Combine 1st 6 ingredients. Beat on med. speed for 2 min. Pour into a greased 13x9x2 in. baking pan. Combine pecans,sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over batter. Cut with a knife to swirl. Bake at 350 for 30-35 min. or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and orange juice until smooth; drizzle over warm coffee cake.
***End of Recipe***

Wine Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix
1 large box vanilla instant pudding
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sherry wine
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Bake in greased and floured tube or Bundt pan for 45 minutes at 350 degrees F. While still hot remove from pan. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar or glaze.

Glaze
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons margarine
1/2 teaspoon rum flavoring

Combine above ingredients, except flavoring, in saucepan. Boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat; add flavoring and pour over cake.
***End of Recipe***

Chocolate Chip Rum Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) box Duncan Hines yellow cake mix
1 large box instant chocolate pudding
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 to 8 tablespoons rum

Grease and flour a Bundt pan. Mix all ingredients for 12 minutes at high speed of electric mixer. Bake in Bundt pan at 350 degrees F for about 1 hour. Cool; invert onto cake platter.
***End of Recipe***

Our last recipe is one Alf shared with me several years ago and is now a standby in my kitchen. It is not only but very easy.

Blue Berry Crunch

9x13 inch pan greased

Turn oven on to 350 degrees

1 can crushed pineapple with juice
3 cups blueberries, fresh, canned or frozen thawed
3/4 cup sugar
1 yellow cake mix
1 cube butter or margarine melted
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup chopped pecans (walnuts)

Put in prepared pan in order given. DO NOT MIX.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until done.

**You probably could use pineapple with either peach, apricots or rhubarb.