Here's our version, and its definitely a family favorite! Confession Cake 1 DevilÂs Food Cake mix 1 3 oz. pkg. Instant chocolate pudding mix 2 cups sour cream 1 cup melted butter (2 sticks) 5 eggs 1 tsp. almond extract 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips Oven 350 degrees Mix together: the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, melted butter, eggs, and almond extract. Beat on low to medium speed until all ingredients are thoroughly blended. Add chocolate chips, and stir well. Pour into well-greased bundt pan. Bake 50-55 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then invert onto serving plate. Cool cake completely before cutting. No icing needed, just sprinkle with powdered sugar, or leave plain. Try different cake mix, pudding, and chip combinations. We like raspberry flavored chocolate chips in the chocolate. Jan

Actually a pound cake type recipe works best for anything that's in a more intricate mold. There are good chocolate pound cakes too. I'll look around for recipes I have later if you don't get anything that you want. As far as the icing goes, sure a basic cream cheese icing can work, but it needs to stay pretty stiff. The main thing to remember when wanting to decorate with icing is to keep it fairly stiff so it's easy to work with. Just keep checking when you add the liquid to see the consistency. The recipe below is from Cooks Country and went with a red velvet cake... which might work actually. It has so much cream cheese that it doesn't use milk. I make it with about half the cream cheese and then add milk to get the consistency I want. Frosting 16 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened 4 cups confectioners' sugar 16 ounces cream cheese , cut into 8 pieces, softened 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract Pinch salt With electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese, one piece at a time, and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Beat in vanilla and salt. Refrigerate until ready to use. My basic butter cream is a stick of butter per pound of confectioners sugar, flavoring, pinch of salt and then enough milk to get whatever stiffness I need for the application.

I'm a simple cook. To be in my "favorites" file, it has to be easy, economical, and not require me to run to the store. For years I have used the "Hot Milk Sponge Cake" recipe in my old Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. I noticed they've posted it on AllRecipes.com but they never allow anyone to give credit to the original printing of it. Here's the link to that recipe. Leave off the last three ingredients and the fifth level of instructions if you don't want to use the frosting. That was not part of the original recipe and probably something they threw in. I never frost this cake. I usually bake it especially to serve with strawberries and vanilla ice cream, but DH in in the habit of eating up the cake before the strawberries are gone so I have to make extra. So, OK, I know a sponge cake is not a pound cake, because historically a pound cake gets its name from the fact that it calls for a pound of butter, a pound of sugar, a pound of flour.... but we actually like this better because it's not so high in fat. And when I serve it to guests, they always compliment me on my delicious "pound cake". --Ilene

All of these are tried and family approved :-) The banana cake doesn't start with a mix, but I'm sending it anyway since you say he loves bananas. Becky * Exported from MasterCook * Death By Chocolate Recipe By :Tamara Chatham Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 box chocolate cake mix 1 small package instant chocolate pudding mix 12 ounces chocolate chips 4 eggs 1 cup sour cream 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup oil Mix all ingredients, except chocolate chips. Dust chocolate chips with flour. Remove excess flour, and fold into cake mixture. Bake in greased and floured bundt cake pan at temperature indicated on cake mix box. Dust with powdered sugar. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : Tamara likes to refrigerate the cake before serving, as the texture becomes denser and the cholcolate chips harden. * Exported from MasterCook * Italian Love Cake Recipe By : Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 box fudge marble cake mix (or chocolate) 2 pounds ricotta cheese 1 cup sugar 4 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 box instant chocolate pudding -- (3 3/4 oz.) 1 cup milk 8 ounces non-dairy whipped topping -- thawed Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cake as directed on box and pour into greased and floured 9 x 13 pan. In separate bowl, combine ricotta, sugar, eggs, and vanilla; mix well. Spoon over unbaked cake. Bake cake for 1 hour. Cool. Mix instant pudding with milk; fold in whipped topping. Spread over cake; refrigerate. Yield: 12 servings. Source: "http://busycooks.about.com" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - * Exported from MasterCook * Chocolate Thunder Cake Recipe By : Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 box German chocolate cake mix 1 can sweetened condensed milk -- (14 ounce) 1 jar fudge ice cream topping -- (8 ounce) 1 container frozen whipped topping -- (16 ounce) thawed 2 8 ounce Heath candy bars -- crushed Bake cake in a 9-by-13-ounce pan as directed on package. Let cool 25 to 30 minutes. Poke holes in cake with wooden spoon handle. Pour on sweetened condensed milk; spread evenly. Wait 5 minutes. Spread fudge topping over cake. Wait 5 minutes. Spread whipped topping over cake and sprinkle with crushed candy bars. Chill thoroughly before serving. Makes 16 servings. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - * Exported from MasterCook * Banana Cake Recipe By : Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 3/4 cup butter 2 1/8 cups white sugar 3 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas Frosting: 1/2 cup butter -- softened 1 package cream cheese (8 ounces) -- softened 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar (1 lb box) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. In a small bowl, mix mashed bananas with lemon juice, set aside. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. 2. In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Stir in banana mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan. 3. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place directly into freezer for 45 minutes. This will make the cake very moist. 4. For the frosting: In a large bowl, cream 1/2 cup butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add confectioners sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high until frosting is smooth. Spread on cooled cake. Source: "www.allrecipes.com" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : I had to cook this for more than hour to get it cooked through, but it was very moist. Toasted chopped walnuts on top would be a nice addition. Use a metal pan (not glass) to bake it in if you're going to put it in the freezer! * Exported from MasterCook * Grandma's Rum Cake Recipe By :Teri Morrison Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 package Duncan Hines yellow cake mix 1 package vanilla instant pudding (4 serving size) 1/3 cup oil 1 cup water 4 eggs 3/4 chopped pecans Glaze: 1/2 cup butter 1/4 cup water 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup Bacardi Rum (80 proof) Mix together cake mix, pudding, oil, water and eggs in large bowl until well blended. Spread evenly chopped nuts on the bottom of greased Bundt pan. Pour prepared cake mix into pan and bake as directed on cake mix box in a 350* oven. Cake is done when toothpick inserted in center of cake comes clean. While cake is cooling. Melt butter in saucepan, stir in water and sugar. Boil for 5 minutes while stirring constantly. Then stir in rum. After cake cools for 10 minutes pour glaze over cake letting it run down all the sides and center. Let it soak into the cake for a while. Let cake cool until you can handle cake pan to invert. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : I like to use Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum. This cake really tastes best after it's had a couple of days for the flavors to blend.