Devil's upside down cheese (or is it flan?) cake

I'm well aware that a half eaten cake is just not that beautiful, but I've come to accept that I'll never get a picture before we consume, so this is what I've got. 

This bad boy comes from www.everydayfoodstorage.NET. I saw it on TV a while ago, pinned it and forgot about it. I rediscovered it yesterday and had to make it. I love that it can be made with food storage items. I didn't love that it took 2.5 hours to make. However, it was still simple and well worth the time. My family raved about it!

Ingredients:

• box chocolate devil's food cake mix
• water (amount per cake mix)
• oil (amount per cake mix) or bean puree (in the same amount as the oil-to learn how to use the bean puree for oil click HERE)
• eggs (amount per cake mix) or 1 T dry egg powder + 2 T water for each egg
• 1 (11 oz.) jar caramel sundae topping
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk*
• 1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk*
• 1/2 c.. fresh milk*
• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
• 1 t. vanilla
• 5 eggs (powdered eggs can be used but it will change the texture a little-use a heaving 1/2 c. egg powder + 1/2 c. water
• Or omit the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and fresh milk and use:
• 1 2/3 c. water
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 2/3 c. dry non-instant powdered milk or 3 1/3 c. dry instant powdered milk
• 1 T butter

Method:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick coating. Pour caramel into prepared pan. Prepare cake mix according to package directions and pour cake batter into the Bundt pan over the caramel topping.

To make the flan: Pour condensed, evaporated and fresh milks into a blender with the cream cheese, vanilla and eggs. (If using powdered milk, just add all ingredients to the blender.) Mix well.

Pour flan mixture very slowly over the cake batter. (You will see pieces of cake batter floating to the top-this is normal). Spray a piece of aluminum foil with non-stick spray and cover the pan TIGHTLY with aluminum foil. (This step is VERY important.)

Set the Bundt pan into a large pan and set on the oven rack and slide into the oven. Carefully pour hot water into the larger pan to a depth of 2 inches (The Bundt pan will be sitting in two inches of water).

Bake for 2 hours (Yes, I mean it TWO hours-don't worry, nothing will burn, I promise!). After the two hours, remove cake from water and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Peel off the aluminum foil. Invert cake onto a large plat with rim (or you'll have a caramel mess everywhere). Cool completely then refrigerate. Refrigerate leftovers.

NOTE: Even though the flan is poured on top of the cake batter, it will sink to the bottom of the pan.

Clam Chowder

3 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams

1 cup minced onion

1 cup diced celery

2 cups cubed potatoes

1 cup diced carrots

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 C. milk

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Drain juice from clams into a large skillet over the onions, celery, potatoes and carrots. Add water Just to cover, and cook over medium heat until tender.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in flour and stir constantly until thick and smooth. Stir in vegetables and clam juice. Heat through, but do not boil.

Stir in clams just before serving. If they cook too much they get tough. When clams are heated through, stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

Hamburger buns

I never have buns on hand and sometimes I just don't want to go shopping, so these are a good alternative. They took a bit of time to rise, but they were very easy to make overall.

Yield 10 buns:

13 1/ 4 to 3 3/4 cups flour

1 pack active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)

1 cup milk

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, margarine, or shortening

1 beaten egg

Sitr together 1 1/4 cups of the flour and the yeast. In a saucepan, warm the milk, sugar, butter, and 3/4 tsp. of salt until warm and butter almost melts.  Add to the flour mixture and beaten egg. Beat with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds. Beat on high for 3 minutes.

Turn out dough and knead in the remaining flour until you have a moderately stiff and elastic dough.

Place in greased bowl. Cover and let rise until double (about 1 hour).

Punch down and shape into 10 circles that you flatten into 4 inch circles. Place on greased baking sheet and let rise about 30 minutes.

Bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes.