Since I started working at Discount Party Supplies earlier this year, I haven’t been baking as much as I used to. When I was asked to write a blog post about bake sale recipes, I was thrilled to dig in to my recipe box and see what I could come up with.
Bake sales are great fundraisers for churches, schools, and various other charitable organizations. Since bake sale items are usually donated by members of the organization, it’s the easiest way to make money without having to spend money first. With no expenses, 100% of the money raised during a bake sale is profit.
Planning a bake sale can be a lot of work and the leader will need to be organized and able to delegate. Gathering donations and volunteers to work the bake sale is no easy task. Also it is imperative to know what kinds of treats people are planning to donate. A bake sale with a large variety of items will be more successful than a sale with 7 different kinds of chocolate chip cookies. Customers will have a harder time choosing when they have many yummy options, and will be more likely to buy more than one treat. More items sold equals more money raised.
The following recipes include some of the traditional bake sale favorites along with a few twists to really get people talking about your bake sale. My personal favorite is the blueberry muffin recipe, sour cream adds that extra something that people won’t be able to put their finger on but just LOVE. And move over cupcakes… I think whoopie pies will be the next big craze.
Snickerdoodles
Cookie Dough Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Topping Ingredients:
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Mix sugar and cinnamon for topping together in a small bowl and set aside.
Sift dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, cream butter. Add sugar and continue to mix, then add eggs one at a time. Add corn syrup and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add dry ingredients and mix until blended. Wrap cookie dough and chill for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll balls of dough approximately the size of walnuts. Roll in the cinnamon sugar to coat. Place 2-3″ apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes. Cookies should be puffed up a little and slightly cracked on top. Cool on pan for 2 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
Amazing German Chocolate Bundt Cake
Vegetable oil spray, for the bundt pan
Flour, for dusting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain German chocolate cake mix
1 container (14.5 ounces) coconut pecan frosting
1 cup water
1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
1⁄3 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar, optional
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly mist a 12-cup Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust it with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set the pan aside.
Place the cake mix, frosting, water, flour, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the batter for 11/2 minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed. The batter should look smooth and thick. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan, smoothing the top with the rubber spatula, and place the pan in the oven.
Bake the cake until the top springs back when lightly pressed with a finger, 42 to 47 minutes. Transfer the Bundt pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool for 15 minutes. Shake the pan gently to loosen the cake, then invert the cake onto a wire rack. Let the cake cool completely, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Sift the confectioners’ sugar over the cake, if desired. Sell as a whole cake, or slice and bag individual pieces for sale.
Best Fudge Brownies Ever
1 cup butter
4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped walnuts, optional
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.
In 3-quart saucepan over very low heat, melt butter or margarine and chocolate, stirring the mixture constantly. Remove from heat, and stir the sugar into the chocolate. Allow the mixture to cool slightly. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour and salt; stir into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the walnuts. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake in oven 30 to 35 minutes. Brownies are done when toothpick inserted into center come out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.
Lemon Bars
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3/4cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup butter, softened
4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch pan.
In a medium bowl, stir together 2 cups flour and confectioners’ sugar. Cut in the softened butter until evenly distributed. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden. In a large bowl, beat eggs until light. Combine the sugar, baking powder and 1/4 cup of flour so there will be no flour lumps. Stir the sugar mixture into the eggs. Finally, stir in the lemon juice. Pour over the prepared crust and return to the oven.
Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until bars are set. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg
1 (12 ounce) package NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts, optional
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a large bowl, cream together the peanut butter, butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until well blended. Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla one at a time. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into creamed mixture. Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Press balls with fork tines to make traditional peanut butter cookies.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are lightly browned.
Blueberry Muffins
4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sour cream
2 cups blueberries
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 24 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
In large bowl beat eggs, gradually add sugar while beating. Continue beating while slowly pouring in oil. Stir in vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, salt and baking soda.
Stir dry ingredients into egg mixture alternately with sour cream. Gently fold in blueberries. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Whoopie Pies
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup water
1 cup buttermilk
FILLING:
2 cups marshmallow creme
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
