Confectionery Canary

I don't know about you, but I love a good Pineapple Upside Down Cake!  This delicious twist was inspired by autumn apple season and my Pineapple Upside Down Cake recipe!  I hope you enjoy this cake as much as we do!

What You'll Need:
- 1 boxed yellow cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)
- 2 Golden Delicious Apples
- 1/2 stick butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Put butter and sugar in cake pan and place in the oven to melt the butter and sugar. In the meantime, peel, core, and slice apples.  Remove pan from oven and arrange apple slices on top of the melted sugar.  Prepare cake mix per box instructions, or make your own.  Add in cinnamon.  Pour batter into cake pan, over the apples.  Bake for about 40-45 minutes.  The top will get golden brown early, but this is normal.  The center will be liquid until full baking time is reached. As soon as you remove your cake from the oven, carefully invert it onto a cake plate. Tap the bottom of the pan and slowly remove the pan to reveal your beautiful cake!  If you let the cake cool down, even slightly, you risk the fruit or caramel sticking to the inside of the pan, ruining the look of your cake.  This cake is best served fresh and warm.  The topping tends to get soggy if leftover. Enjoy this with friends on a chilly fall evening!

If you're looking for the prefect autumn treat look no further! These delicious little cakes are sure to be a favorite at any holiday gathering you attend this season! I usually only make these once a year for Thanksgiving but they're so yummy I may have to half the recipe and make them again before next year! I've used this recipe to make a cake and to make cupcakes.  This recipe makes one 9 x 13 cake or about 30 cupcakes.  Whether you're making these cupcakes for Thanksgiving, Christmas or just a seasonal treat, I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Ingredients:
- 2 lbs sweet potatoes
- 1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups flour
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Mash sweet potatoes. Beat egg and sugar until fluffy. Add cup of vegetable oil and sweet potatoes. Mix well. Sift together flour, baking power, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add into potato mixture. Mix until just combined.  Add vanilla. Bake cake for 40 to 45 minutes, cupcakes for 15 to 20 minutes.  Finish them off with cinnamon cream cheese frosting and chopped pecans if you wish!

Cream Cheese Frosting is one of the most simple, delicious and versatile frosting's you can make! It's great on cupcakes, cakes, cookies and spoons! ;) Add a dash of cinnamon and it makes cream cheese frosting the perfect accompaniment to seasonal desserts.

What you'll need:
-1 8oz block of cream cheese (room temperature)
-3 to 4 cups of confectioner's sugar -1 teaspoon vanilla
-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions: Let cream cheese reach room temperature. Place in bowl of electric mixer. Sift in confectioner's sugar cup by cup. Cream together on medium speed. Add in vanilla and cinnamon, scrape down bowl, mix thoroughly until thick and fluffy. Add more sugar for thicker frosting.  Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes if using a piping bag, (this helps stiffen the frosting to better show the design you pipe) otherwise, ice cooled cakes or cookies and enjoy!  For more frosting, simply double or triple all ingredients.