Preheat oven to 350°.

Coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray, and dust with flour; set aside.

Combine the sour cream and next 6 ingredients (sour cream through chocolate pudding mix) in a large bowl, and beat mixture at medium speed of a mixer for 3 minutes. Add the chocolate chips, and beat the mixture for 30 seconds.

Spoon the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Bake cake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack. Invert cake onto a wire rack, and cool completely. Sprinkle cake with powdered sugar.

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring until salt dissolves. Remove from heat; cool completely.

Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Pour brine into a 2-gallon zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken; seal. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, turning the bag occasionally.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Bring 2 cups cider to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until cider has thickened and reduced to 1/4 cup (about 15 minutes). Set aside.

Remove chicken from bag; discard brine. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place the onion halves, parsley, and garlic into cavity. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under chicken. Tie legs. Place chicken on rack of a broiler pan. Bake at 400° for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until thermometer registers 175°. Remove from oven (do not turn oven off). Carefully remove and discard skin. Baste chicken with half of reduced cider; return to 400° oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven; baste with remaining cider reduction. Transfer chicken to a platter.

Place a zip-top plastic bag inside a 2-cup glass measure. Pour drippings into bag; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into a small bowl, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat. Serve jus over chicken.

Preheat oven to 325°.

To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and 3/4 cup sugar, stirring with a whisk.

Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat until soft peaks form. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla, juice, and almond extract.

Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat until soft peaks form. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla, juice, and almond extract. Sift 1/4 cup flour mixture over egg white mixture; fold in. Repeat with remaining flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time.

Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, spreading evenly. Break air pockets by cutting through the batter with a knife. Bake at 325° for 55 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Invert pan; cool completely. Loosen cake from sides of pan using a narrow metal spatula. Invert the cake onto a plate.

Nutty: For nut lovers; fold 1/2 cup finely chopped toasted nuts--such as almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts--into the batter with the flour.

Chocolate glazed: Whisk together 3 tablespoons unsweeetened cocoa, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and about 3 tablespoons water or cold coffee. Drizzle over cooled cake.

Chocolate malt: Add 2 tablespoons malted milk powder and 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder to the flour mixture.

Citrus-glazed: Whisk together 2 tablespoons lime, lemon, orange juice and 1 cup powdered sugar until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake.

Ice cream: Cut the cake horizontally into 3 layers, then spread each layer with cup of softened ice cream or sorbet. Reassemble the cake, then freeze it until ready to serve.

Orange: Fold 2 tablespoons grated orange peel and 1 teaspoon orange extract into the batter.

Pink Peppermint: Add 1/4 teaspoon red food coloring to the batter and fold in 1/4 cup finely crushed hard peppermint candies.

Spiced: Add 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice to the flour mixture.