Caramelized Almond Topping
(Almond Crème Mix)
Melt 3 T butter in a saucepan. Add 2 T milk (or cream) and 1/3 cup brown sugar (packed). Stir until combined. Add 1/3 cup sliced almonds & stir until mixture is smooth.

When cake has baked for 30 minutes, pour almond mixture over cake, carefully. Place a cookie sheet under cake to catch drippings as the topping will bubble over a bit. Finish baking cake an additional 25 minutes. Take out of oven and cool 10 to 15 minutes. Carefully, remove cake from loaf pan. Place a slice of cake on a plate and top with a dollop of softly whipped cream.

Maple Glaze
(Maple Oat Walnut Mix)
1 Tablespoon melted butter, cooled a bit
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon maple flavoring  
3 Tablespoons milk (or cream)

Stir together melted butter, powdered sugar, maple flavoring and milk (or cream) to make a smooth glaze.  Drizzle on top of the cake and allow glaze to set. Garnish plate with a few toasted walnuts.

Vanilla Fig
(Vanilla Fig Mix)
Add 1 small chopped firm banana to the liquid ingredients. Add ¼ cup chopped hazelnuts, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon and 3 or 4 roughly chopped dried Calimyrna Figs to the dried mix. Proceed as directed…

To make a sauce to top sliced cake, melt equal amounts of butter and brown sugar in a sauté pan…when it sizzles sauté a slice of the Vanilla Fig cake.

Chocolate Truffle Glaze
(Chocolate Truffle Mix)
Put 4 ounces of good quality bittersweet chocolate chips in a bowl. In a small saucepan pour 4 Tablespoons heavy cream and bring to a boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips and stir until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. You can add 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract if you would like. Pour (or dip your cake in the sauce) the sauce over the cake and put in the fridge for 30 to 60 minutes until the chocolate firms. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with strawberries.

Apple Spice Stacked Cake
(Apple Spice Mix)
Add ½ cup chopped walnuts to cake and ½ cup peeled chopped apple (use a crisp tart apple, such as Granny Smith). Then mix together ½ cup packed brown sugar, 1/8 cup milk or cream, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for approximately 3 to 5 minutes until slightly reduced and thickened. Peel and slice 2 apples.

The chef baked this cake in a 7” spring form pan (you can use either a loaf pan or 6 cup bundt)… After the cake has baked for 25 minutes, pour the sauce over the cake and then place apples in a concentric circle around the cake and brush with a little more sauce. Finish baking the cake and then put under broiler for a few minutes to finish browning the apples being careful not to burn the cake.