I use Nathalie Dupree's Mississippi Mud Cake/Bars when I need a chocolate frosting but usually that's only for Mud Bars since I'm not a big chocolate fan. I make one modification though, I usually add cinnamon since I think cinnamon and chocolate pair well. I made a mistake one of the first times I made it. I used a 2# bag of powdered sugar rather than 1#. Came out thick like a fudge and I liked it. Got a lot of compliments on it too, bot on the bars and as a candy on its own. Similar to my mother's fudge but much, much easier. Here's the original recipe: Mississippi Mud Cake/Bars from Nathalie Dupree's New Southern Cooking Cake/Bars 2 cups Sugar 1 cup Butter 4 each Eggs 1 1/2 cup Flour 1/2 cup Cocoa 1/4 teaspoon Salt 1 tablespoon Vanilla 1 cup Chopped pecans Icing: 1 pound Powdered sugar 1/3 cup Cocoa 1 cup Butter, melted 1 teaspoon Vanilla 1 cup Pecans, chopped 2 tablespoons Milk Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13-inch pan. Cut a piece of waxed paper to fit the bottom of the pan and butter it. With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the flour, cocoa, salt, vanilla and nuts, and beat again. Turn the batter into the pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. When cool, remove cake from pan and peel off the waxed paper. Icing: Sift the sugar and cocoa together. Beat in the melted butter, vanilla, pecans, and milk. When smooth, spread the icing over the cake. This cake is cracked and dry-looking, like Mississippi mud in the hot, dry summer. NEW SOUTHERN COOKING by Nathalie Dupree

MARLEN!!! Did you take the calories out of this one??? Do you know how many recipes I am saving for after the diet??? RL`

I just made banana bread last night, although I don't really care for it because I don't like bananas the kids love it. My recipe is kind of like Nancy's because I use yogurt, but kind of like Glenda's because it calls for sour cream and like neither because it takes shortening, LOL. I'd rather have cake, though. Even with my banana bias, I love this cake. I made banana bread because I can leave that alone but this cake is impossible for even me to resist. The notes are from the original poster but like her, I omit the lemon zest. Banana Cake (Rose Levy BerenbaumÂs Cordon Rose Cake) Jgarner-Cooking Forum (good as layer cake, elegant, delicate texture) mix together: sifted cake flour 2 cups (200 g) sugar 3/4 c + 2 Tbs (170g) baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 3/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp puree together: 2 large ripe bananas 1 c (227 g) sour cream 2 Tbs or up to 1/2 c (30 g to 121 g) 2 large eggs 2 (100 g) grated lemon zest 2 tsp (I left this out since I don't like the flavor of lemon with banana) vanilla 1-1/2 tsp soften: Butter 10 Tbs (5 oz) (142 g) Add butter and half of pureed mixture to dry ingredients in stand mixer and mix at medium with paddle for 1-1/2 minutes. Scrape bowl and add rest of banana mixture in two batches, mixing 20 seconds after each addition. Pour into 9"x2" round pan (I just lined the bottom with parchment, no spray or butter) and bake at 350 F for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in pan and then turn out onto rack to cool completely. Hint: Use smallest amount of sour cream and 3 bananas for more pronounced banana flavor Cream Cheese Icing Cream cheese, softened 8 oz. Butter, softened 5 TBS (2.5 oz) Sour cream 1 Tbs Vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. Rum 1 Tbs Powdered sugar 1 1/4 C (5 oz) Process (yeah, the food processor) or beat cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth. Add powdered sugar and pulse until smooth. Makes enough to frost the top of a 9x13 sheet cake. Annie

THanks everyone. FOAS, the fondant is kind of fun to work with, as soon as I figured out how not to tear it or nick it or have it stick. It's kind of like playdough. Unfortunately, it kind of tastes that way too, all of it is just icky. Kids love it, though, all sugar and corn syrup. Nope, Jessica, no second career. I like to play with the cakes when I want to and make what I want to. I don't want some overbearing bridezilla all ticked off because the cake is 1/2 layer shorter than she envisioned, or the diva mother of some 16 year old demanding that I add or substract or fix some imaginary flaw. I just like to play with the fondant, bake the cakes and make the kids happy. I don't have the patience to actually do this for money, I only do it for friends and family. They know if they complain at all, no more cake! momj47, two year olds ARE the best, next to three year olds and four year olds and....well, you know. Annie