Have you cake and eat it too

As the holidays approach we are faced with lots of potluck events and family dinners. If you are trying to entertain on a budget, consider baking a cake rather than purchasing a desert. Home baked deserts always taste better and typically save you at least $5 each time. Not much of a cook, then consider using a box mix and canned frosting, or better yet, make a pan of boxed brownie mix - it'll still tast great.

Here are a few cake variations to get your creative juices flowing:

• Pudding cake (bake cake, make holes with spoon handle, pour liquid pudding in holes, top with cool whip)
• Jello cake (bake cake, make holes with spoon handle, pour liquid jello in holes, top with cool whip)
• Tropical cake (yellow cake w/coconut extract, frost with vanilla pudding mixed w/crushed pineapple)
• Turtle cake (bake choc cake, mix 1 jar caramael topping & 2 oz chocolate chips - heat to melt enough to mix. Drizzle mixture on top of cake, sprinkle on chopped pecans)
• Bundt cake (bake a dark colored cake, like red velvet, in a bundt pan and top with powdered sugar after cooled for a nice effect)
• Mint brownies (pour 1/2 of brownie mix in pan, layer unwrapped thin mints, then pour remaining bownie mix on top & bake)