Holiday Shortcuts in the Kitchen

It's Christmas time again, time to fire up the stove and began baking those holiday treats. If you are like me, you will appreciate all the shortcuts available to get you out of the kitchen faster. If Christmas is upon you, and you haven't had time or energy to bake, here are some shortcuts that will see you through, and who's to know you didn't spend the week baking?

Orange Spice Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 box (18.25 oz.) spice cake mix
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 pk. (3.4 oz.) instant vanilla pudding
• 2 tsp rum extract
• 2 tlb. grated orange zest

Method:

1. Heat oven to 30 degrees. You'll need a ten cup bundt pan, coated with nonstick spray.
2. With mixer on low speed, beat cake mix, water, oil, eggs, pudding mix, and extract 30 seconds to combine. Beat 2 minutes at medium. Stir in zest. Pour batter in pan: bake 50 minutes, until pick inserted in middle comes out clean.
3. Cool in pan ten minutes: turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.
4. 4. You can sprinkle confectioner's sugar on the cake, make confectioner sugar frosting, or buy a can of prepared frosting. Cream cheese frosting goes very well with this cake. Mix in a little drained, crushed pineapple and it is even better.

Chocolate Pecan Loaves

Ingredients:

• 1 box devils food cake (18.28 oz.)
• 1 1/3 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 cup oil
• 3 tlb. coffee granules
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup semi sweet chocolate morsels
• 1 cup finely chopped, toasted pecans

Glaze

Method:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. You'll need two 8 1/2 x4 1/2x2-in. loaf pans coated with nonstick spray.
2. With mixer on low, beat cake mix, buttermilk, oil, coffee and, eggs 30 seconds, until combined. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Stir in chocolate, and pecans.
3. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake 50 minutes or until inserted pick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on wire rack. Remove from pans, and turn right side up to cool completely.

Glaze:

1. Heat cream on top of stove or in microwave until steaming.
2. Stir in chocolate, let stand five minutes, then whisk until smooth.
3. Let cool until slightly thickened, about five minutes.
4. Pour over cake. Gently spread to edge of loaf.
5. 5. If you want, your can melt a little white chocolate and drizzle over glaze, and you might sprinkle a few pecans over all.