I've never made it because of the large amount of food coloring. I went looking for an alternative: Red Devil's Food Cake Made With Beets 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped 1 8 1/4 ounce can beets 2 1/4 cups allpurpose flour 1/3 cup cocoa powder 2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened 1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar 1 cup granulated sugar 3 large eggs 2 tsp. vanilla 2/3 cup buttermilk 2 tsp. cider vinegar Frosting: 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar 1 tsp. cream of tartar Pinch of salt 6 large egg whites 1/4 cup cold water 2 tbs. vanilla Preheat oven to 350 ° F. Butter and flour two 9 by 2 inch cake pans. Melt chocolate in double boiler and set aside to cool. Drain beets and puree in a blender or food processor; you should have 1 cup. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate. With mixer on low alternately beat in flour mixture (in fourths) and buttermilk mixed with vinegar (in thirds), beginning and ending with flour. Beat until incorporated. Add pureed beets and mix on medium until blended. Divide the batter between the pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean and top of cake springs back when lightly pressed. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes and invert onto racks to cool completely. Make frosting: In a bowl set over a large saucepan of simmering water beat sugar, cream of tartar, salt, egg whites and water with mixer for 5 to 7 minutes, or until mixture holds stiff peaks. Remove bowl from pan and beat icing for 3 minutes more. Beat in vanilla. To assemble cake: On serving plate spread one cake layer with a third of frosting and top with second layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides. Yield: 9 inch Layer Cake, 8 to 10 servings _________________________________________________________ Unique Red Velvet Cake Beet juice is the secret ingredient that substitutes for red food color in this traditional Southern specialty cake. Some people prefer a boiled white frosting, but I cannot imagine this cake without cream cheese frosting. Make this cake when you want to dazzle people -- or when you want superb taste. This is the kind of cake to take to a party. CAKE 4-1/2 C cake flour, sifted 1-1/2 t salt 4 T Cocoa 4 oz. beet juice (drain from one 15 oz. can of beets - add water to make 4 oz., if needed) 1 C vegetable shortening 2-3/4 C sugar 4 large eggs 2 C buttermilk 1-1/2 T vanilla extract 2 T white vinegar 2 t baking soda Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Remember to use glass and metal utensils to avoid beet-juice stains. Add salt and cocoa to sifted flour and sift again. With mixer on medium, cream together vegetable shortening and sugar for at least five minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating at least one minute after each addition. Add beet juice and vanilla to buttermilk. Alternate adding these liquids and the flour-salt-cocoa mixture to the shortening/sugar. Use a spatula or put your mixer on low -- don't overbeat. Put white vinegar in a small bowl and add baking SODA (not powder). It will foam up briefly. Fold into the cake batter -- DO NOT BEAT. Batter should be somewhat thick, but add water, if needed, to make a pourable batter. Pour batter into prepared cake tins and bake for approximately 30 minutes in a 350 oven. Allow layers to cool for 10 minutes before removing from cake tins. Cool cake completely before frosting. Cut each layer in half to create a four-layer cake. CREAM CHEESE FROSTING 2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened (Neufchatel tastes great, too, and has less fat -- as if that mattered given the rest of the recipe) 2 sticks butter or margarine 2 T vanilla 4 C powdered sugar water or milk to thin, if needed

Mostly I make berry trifle but at Christmas last year I made this recipe. It was in a cooking magazine and on the front cover. It was very yummy! I did make my own lady fingers...couldn't find fresh ones at the bakery. Here is the White Chocolate/Spiced Pear Tiramisu Trifle recipe for you (courtesy of Epicurious, Bon Appetit's wonderful website) Spiced Pears: 1 750-ml bottle dry white wine 2 cups pear juice or pear nectar 1 1/4 cups sugar 12 whole green cardamom pods, crushed in resealable plastic bag with mallet 4 1-inch-diameter rounds peeled fresh ginger (each about 1/8 inch thick) 2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half 5 large firm but ripe Anjou pears (3 to 31/4 pounds), peeled White Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse: 7 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), finely chopped 1/3 cup poire Williams (clear pear brandy) 1/4 cup water 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise 1 8- to 8.8-ounce container mascarpone cheese* 1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream Trifle Assembly: 3 3-ounce packages soft ladyfingers,** separated 2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream 1/4 cup minced crystallized ginger White chocolate curls 1 tablespoon powdered sugar Preparation For spiced pears: Combine first 6 ingredients in large saucepan. Stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Add pears and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until pears are just tender when pierced with knife, about 35 minutes. Transfer liquid with pears to large bowl and refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours. Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to plate. Boil poaching liquid in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until slightly thickened and reduced to generous 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Strain into 2-cup measuring cup; discard spices in strainer. Cool. Cover and chill pears and pear syrup until cold. For mousse: Combine white chocolate, pear brandy, and 1/4 cup water in top of double boiler set over simmering water. Stir until smooth (mixture will be very liquidy). Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; discard bean. Transfer white chocolate mixture to large bowl; gradually add mascarpone, whisking until mixture is smooth. Cool mascarpone mixture until barely lukewarm. Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup cream in medium bowl until peaks form. Fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture in 4 additions. Cover and chill white chocolate mousse until set, about 3 hours. DO AHEAD: Pears and mousse can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. For trifle assembly: Cut pears lengthwise in half and remove cores and stems; cut halves lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange ladyfingers, rounded sides down, in single layer in bottom of 12-cup trifle dish (about 8 inches in diameter and 5 inches deep), covering bottom completely (using about 15 ladyfingers). Drizzle 5 tablespoons pear syrup evenly over ladyfingers. Using small offset spatula, spread 1/3 of white chocolate mousse over ladyfingers, making layer slightly thicker around outer edges of dish to allow mousse to be more visible (center of mousse layer will be thin). Starting at outer edges of dish, place pear slices in single layer with curved edges against sides of dish atop mousse, covering completely. Repeat layering of ladyfingers, syrup, mousse, and pears 2 more times. Cover with fourth layer of ladyfingers (some ladyfingers and pear slices may be left over). Drizzle ladyfingers evenly with 5 tablespoons syrup. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate trifle and remaining pear syrup separately. Using electric mixer, beat 2 cups whipping cream in large bowl until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 cup pear syrup and beat until stiff peaks form. Working in batches, transfer cream to large pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe rosettes all over top of trifle, mounding slightly in center. Sprinkle with crystallized ginger. Garnish with chocolate curls. DO AHEAD: Can be made 6 hours ahead. Keep refrigerated. Sift powdered sugar over trifle just before serving.

How hard do you want to work? We went to a fundraiser that involved a chocolate contest...everyone got to sample and vote. I'm sure this is the cake that won, although I don't know if the lady who won would admit it was this easy. (Next year I'm taking my chocolate mascarpone tart). The zucchini cake is a great traveler...moist and not-too-sweet. * Exported from MasterCook * Chocolate Cherry Cake With Variations Recipe By : Katie Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 package chocolate cake mix -- * see note 1 can cherry pie filling -- * see note 1 teaspoon vanilla extract -- or almond extract 2 eggs 1 cup sugar 5 tablespoons butter 1/3 cup milk 1 cup chocolate chips -- * see note Beat together cake mix, pie filling, flavoring and eggs with electric mixer until very well mixed. Pour into a greased 13"x9" pan and bake @ 350° for 25-30 minutes. Touch lightly in center to test for doneness. Frost when partially cooled. For frosting: Boil together for one minute the sugar, butter, and milk. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour over partially cooled cake. Source: adapted from Seasoned With Love - Priest Lake Community Cookbook - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : You can use any cake mix and pie filling combination that sounds good...white cake and any fruit pie filling, spice cake and apple pie filling, lemon cake and lemon filling, etc. You can also use white chocolate chips in the frosting. Wait until the sugar mixture is almost cool before stirring in chips. White chocolate will seize very easily. * Exported from MasterCook * Christie's Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe By : Katie Serving Size : 16 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1/2 c soft butter 1 c oil 1 3/4 c sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 c sour milk or buttermilk OR use 1/2 c milk = 1/2 tsp. lemon juice 5 tbsp cocoa 2 1/2 c flour 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp salt 2 c finely grated zucchini 1/2 c chopped nuts 1/2 c chocolate chips Blend all together (except nuts and chocolate chips)and pour into two 9" square (or one 13 x 9) ungreased pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 c. chopped nuts and 1/2 c. chocolate chips. Bake 40-45 minutes at 325F. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : Good served warm. Freezes well.

Kayjones, Your recipe said one Jiffy CB mix and one Jiffy cake mix. Glenda's said 1 CB and 2 Cake. So it is 1 and 2, right? I want to make this, but don't want to mess it up. Krogers didn't have any Jiffy cake mix when I was there the other day. I'll look at WalMart next time I'm there. I really want to try this. Sue