Anyone for cake?

Abby's first Birthday cake (while we were in America)

Who doesn't like to eat cake?  Who isn't interested in saving money?  Over the last couple of months our incoming finances have severely lessened.  We still have enough to live on, we haven't gone hungry or anything, but I've had to find some creative ways to use what we have.  Now I know cake is definately something that is not on the have list, but it's nice to have a treat once and awhile and my husband does like to have baking to take his for lunch.  Here are some cake and cake-related recipes I've found lately.  Eggs are quite expensive here ($3.00 for a dozen small eggs) so I'm always on the lookout for recipes for baked goods that have no eggs in them.  Neither of these cakes call for eggs.

White Cake (used for Silvana's Birthday cake and Bus Ministry Birthday cake)
3 1/4 cups flour
2 1/4 cups sugar
3 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 cups sour milk
3/4 cup margarine, butter, or shortening (I use margarine)
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Put all ingredients into a bowl in order.  Mix by hand with a wooden spoon for 2 - 3 minutes.  Pour into greased 9x13 cake tin.  Bake for 45 - 50 minutes at 350.

Chocolate Cake (this is the cake pictured above)
1 2/3 cups flour
1 cup sugar (brown or granulated)
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon white vinegar (I used cider vinegar and that worked fine too)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (if I'm out of vanilla I just omit this and the cake still tastes delicious)

Mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt with fork in ungreased square pan. Stir in remaining ingredients.  Bake 35 - 40 minutes at 350.
*If you want to make a cake to tip out of the pan and decorate, just mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and then add the wet ingredients.  Then pour batter into a greased and floured cake pan.

This next recipe was an exciting find.  My husband loves carrot cake with cream cheese icing.  Cream cheese can cost anywhere from $3 - $5 for a block so we rarely buy it.  While looking on-line one day I found this recipe for Mock Cream Cheese Icing.  I was a bit skeptical, but I had all the ingredients on hand and gave it a go.  We were so shocked with the results.  It actually taste like cream cheese icing!  As a bonus, it is also dairy free.

Mock Cream Cheese Icing
1/4 cup margarine
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon white vinegar (again I used cider vinegar)
2 Tablespoons water
2 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)

Combine all ingredients.  Mix until smooth.

There you go, now you can save money and eat your cake while doing it!