Cinnamon Struesel Cake

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
FOR THE CINNAMON FILLING:
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
for the Cake Batter:
1 (18.25-ounce) package plain yellow cake mix
1 (3.4-ounce) package vanilla instant pudding mix
3/4 cup vegetable oil, such as canola, corn, safflower, soybean or sunflower
3/4 cup water
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
FOR THE VANILLA GLAZE:
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly mist a 12-cup Bundt pan with no-stick cooking spray, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Sprinkle pecans in bottom of prepared pan. Set pan aside.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:
Place brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and stir until well combined. Set bowl aside.

TO MAKE THE CAKE BATTER:
Place cake mix, pudding mix, oil, 3/4 cup water, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed 1 minute. Stop machine and scrape down side of bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping side down again if needed. The batter should look thick and smooth.

Pour one third of the batter into the prepared pan. Scatter half of the filling evenly over the batter. Pour another third of the batter evenly over the filling. Scatter remaining filling over the batter. Pour remaining batter evenly over the top, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place pan on center rack of preheated 350-degree oven.

Bake 58 to 60 minutes until cake is golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed with your finger. Remove pan from oven and place it on a wire rack to cool 20 minutes. Run a long, sharp knife around edge of cake and invert it onto a rack. Allow it to cool 30 minutes more until completely cool.

TO MAKE THE VANILLA GLAZE:
Place confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla in a small bowl and stir until smooth.

Yellow Squash Casserole

4 cups sliced yellow squash
1/2 cup chopped onion
35 buttery round crackers, crushed
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place squash and onion in a large skillet over medium heat. Pour in a small amount of water. Cover, and cook until squash is tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well, and place in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, mix together cracker crumbs and cheese. Stir half of the cracker mixture into the cooked squash and onions. In a small bowl, mix together eggs and milk, then add to squash mixture. Stir in 1/4 cup melted butter, and season with salt and pepper. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cracker mixture, and dot with 2 tablespoons butter. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned.