Cakes · Chocolate · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Uncategorized

Caramel Chocolate Chocolate Chip # Cake

Made this cake for a friend this week and it was such a hit. Several friends have ask for the recipe when they saw the picture on FB so here it is. It is easy and so yummy. Also, a friend of mine told me the other day that she didn’t understand how my cupcakes were always so soft and moist. The secret is, keep them in the refrigerator (covered) until about an hour before serving them.

1 Duncan Hines Chocolate Fudge cake mix
1 small package instant vanilla or cheesecake flavored pudding mix
4 eggs at room temperature
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup oil
1 cup chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips. Beat on high for 2 minutes and then stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into greased and sugared bundt pan. (yes, I use sugar instead of flour for pound cakes, as it adds a nice crunchy texture to the outside of the cake)
Bake in preheated 350 degree oven until cake tests done. I take it out when there is still little shine to the top of the cake. IT will continue to “bake” for a few minutes after removing from oven, so that way, the chocolate cake doesn’t get to dry.

When cool, turn upside down and remove the cake from the pan onto a serving platter.

Using a good brand of caramel ice cream topping, place about 1/2 cup of caramel in the microwave oven for about 12 seconds. Drizzle the caramel over the cake. Then when it has set for a few minutes, Drizzle some of the chocolate frosting glaze over the cake in-between the caramel drizzles. Sprinkle more chocolate chips if desired onto the top of the cake.
Any left over caramel and chelate frosting can be poured in to the center of the cake so that will give you more yumminess when you cut the slices to pour over each serving of cake.

Chocolate Drizzle
1/4 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup whipping cream or milk (add gradually as you might not need all of this)
1 teas vanilla

Add all ingredients together and beat on high until no more lumps from the powdered sugar remain. Add the whipping cream or milk gradually until texture is a good consistency to drizzle over the cake. If desired, you can put into microwave after you have mixed all ingredients together, for about 10 seconds to thin and make it easier to drizzle over and downs the sides of the cake.

Cakes · Chocolate · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Fruit · Uncategorized

Nutella Filled Cupcakes With Raspberry Frosting

1 Duncan Hines chocolate fudge cake mix
1 small package of chocolate instant pudding mix
4 eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup veggie oil
1 1/4 cup water
Mix all ingredients together and beat for 2 min on high, Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Fill each liner about half full. ( I use a large cookie scoop to fill them… so much easier to make them exactly same size and less messy)
Bake until cupcakes are done. Be careful to take them out when there is still a little shine left on top. Chocolate is so easy to be dry so you want to take them out before top looks a dull chocolate color. Cool completely. Repeat until all batter us used.
When cool, using an cupcake corer (under $2 at Walmart, will post picture), make a hole in the center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with Nutella. Set aside.

Frosting
1 box (3 1/2 cups) powdered sugar
1 stick (8 oz) butter at room temperature
Milk or whipping cream to thin frosting (about 1/3 cup)
3 tables raspberry preserves
1 teas raspberry extract

Beat all frosting ingredients together adding milk or cream till frosting is a good consistency to spread over filled cupcakes.

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Fruit · Uncategorized

Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake

If you are a strawberry shortcake lover, this cake is for you. While trying to think of a cake that would taste great for a friend of my Jodi’s (my daughter) last week in Phoenix, I thought about this cake. Rochelle, Jodi’s friend had told me she wanted a cake that did not have buttercream frosting, but one that had fresh fruit. Jodi and I thought it would be so nice to bake her a cake for her birthday so this is one that we thought would hit the spot. Last week, when I was at Jodi’s house, I made a Pistachio cake when I first arrived for the week. It was Caleb’s birthday (our 11 yr old grandson) so when your grandson tells you that “anything you bake Nana will be better than anything we could buy” well…..after signing over every dollar I had to him in my will, I proceeded to bake his cake. After we devoured the Pistachio cake in 2 days, it was time to think about baking another cake for Rochelle. Because we loved the cake texture of the Pistachio cake, I wanted to use the same recipe, but with a different flavor of cake mix. So that’s exactly what I did. This is the cake.

Cake
1 box of Duncan Hines White cake Mix
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cup veggie oil
1 cup club soda
1 small box of French Vanilla Instant Pudding mix

Beat all ingredients together and divide into prepared and greased 2 or 3 (9″) baking pans. (or you could actually bake in aa 9×13 baking pan, if you are just wanting a one layer cake.)
Bake in preheated 350 oven until cake tests done and cool completely.

Whipping Cream
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup of powdered sugar

Whip cream until it begins to thicken. Gradually add the sugar until the sweetness is to your liking. You might not need the whole 1/2 cup. When whipping cream is thick, cover and place in fridge until you are ready to frost the sides and top of cake.

Glaze and filling for between the layers (or if you bake in 9×13, use half of this filling for pouring over the top of the cake before placing the whipped cream on top of cake)

2 cups water
1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
5 tables cornstarch
1 small box of Jello Strawberry flavored jello

Combine the water, sugar and cornstarch, stirring until cornstarch is dissolved. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. When mixture is thick and clear, add the box of the jello, stirring until jello is dissolved and mixture is combined. Mixture will thicken more as it cools. Cool completely.

Spoon some of the jello mixture between layers of the cake, reserving some of the filling/glaze to pour over the top of strawberries.

Since about 2 cups of fresh strawberries and slice in half. Allow to dry on paper towel. When cakes are assembled and you have frosted the cake with the whipping cream, place the fresh berries over the top. Spoon the glaze over the berries allowing it to drip over the sides of cake.

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Uncategorized

Easy & Quick Coconut Cake

We got home from church and since Randy is needing to work overtime on the weekend, I decided that I would bake, while he worked. When I ask him what he was in the mood for, he said anything but chocolate since sometimes eating chocolate in the evenings keeps him from sleeping well. We had talked today about him needing a phone because the hand me down he got from me last year (for me to get a new phone with more memory) is acting up, so between me looking at recipes and new phones on the internet, I also was looking at puppies, since we do want to get another doggie when we end up moving to a new place. I was on a web site that had teacup yorkies when Randy walked in to ask what I had decided to bake. Before answering him, I showed him the cutest little yorkie with a pink bow in her hair and looked at him with puppy dog eyes that immediately told him I found an adorable yorkie. He looked at it and said, “how much does that cute little thing cost?” When I responded that she cost about $3000, he looked at me and said, “$3000? I wouldn’t even pay that for you.” I think this sheltering in place is beginning to show its ugly face. And please don’t write and tell me I’m awful for spending that much money on a dog when they have so many in shelters. We would NEVER pay that much for a dog or anything close to that. I just have fun looking at pictures of cute puppies. So now back to the cake. Going to the pantry to see what I had, I discovered I had the necessary ingredients to make a coconut cake. It ended up so moist and yummy and will have it to snack on for a couple of days. I use a small bundt pan that allows me to make two so I can put one in the freezer for another time. Picture is of the two small cake pans I used

Ingredients:
1 Duncan Hines White Cake Mix
1 (small 3.4 oz) box of coconut instant pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1/3 cup veggie oil
1 teas coconut extract
1/2 teas almond extract
1 cup of sweetened shredded coconut

Blend all ingredients except the shredded coconut in a bowl and mix with electric mixer for about 2 minutes.Add coconut and using a spatula, mix well into batter. Pour into prepared baking pans. Use 2 (9″) baking pans, or 2 small bundt pans or 1 (9×13″) pan. Or you can make 24 cupcakes.
Bake in preheated 350 oven until cakes test done.

Frost with the following:

2 cups powdered sugar
1 stick (8 oz) softened butter
1 teas almond extract
1/2 cup coconut
Enough milk to get to spreading consistency. Add coconut and frost completely cooled cake.

Breads · Breakfast · Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Uncategorized

Blueberry Streusel Skillet Breakfast Cake

My sister-in-law sent this to me yesterday after texting me and telling me that she had made it and it was simply wonderful. She says the streusel just makes it and the flavor is just so good. She even liked it better than one of the lemon pound cakes we make often. So here it is. Hope you enjoy it as much as she did. Will be making as soon as I get to the store for more butter. I went through about 5 lbs of it this week.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9″ cast iron skillet with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, whisk 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/4 cup flour and a pinch of kosher salt. Add 3 tables melted unsalted butter and stir until crumbly with some large pieces still intact.

In another medium bowl, whisk 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 1/2 teas baking powder and 1 teas salt. In a large bowl (yes, I know, the dishwasher will be full after making this, but she tells me it is worth all the dirty bowls.), beat 1/2 cup (8 tables) unsalted butter, which should be at room temperature for 1 min or until smooth. Add 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar; beat 2 minutes or until fluffy. Stop to scrape sides down on bowl and beat in 2 large eggs. (remember eggs should always be at room temp to get the full volume they need to be), 1 large egg yolk and 1 tablespoon vanilla. In 2 additions, beat in 1/2 cup whole milk or buttermilk and flour mixture, alternating between each. Gently fold in 2 tables lemon zest, 1 tables lemon juice and 2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (or frozen, tossed with 2 tables flour). Scrape mixture into prepared skillet. Sprinkle top with the brown sugar mixture.
Bake about 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and top is light golden brown.
Transfer the skillet to a wire rack; cool for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl (yes another bowl), combine 1 cup powdered sugar with 2 tables lemon juice; stir until smooth. Drizzle over cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

(Janece did not use the lemon or the glaze. She said the streusel topping was all the cake needed. And with the tables of vanilla, she omitted the lemon zest and juice.)

Cakes · Chocolate · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Fruit · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

CHEWY CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CAKE

 

 

This recipe is taken from a Taste of Home Magazine in the Easter Edition. 

Sprinkle fresh raspberries around the cake platter and have a bowl of fresh whipping cream sitting beside this wonderful cake and oh my, the compliments you will receive!

3 Cups sugar

3/4 lb melted butter

4 eggs

1 tables vanilla

1 tables almond extract

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 teas salt

1/4 cup raspberry jam

1 cup miniature chocolate chips

3/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 300.

Mix the sugar and butter in a mixing bowl on low.

Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add the extracts. Sift together dry ingredients and add to the batter, mixing until smooth. Pour into greased and papered 9” cake pan, reserving about 1/3 of the batter.

Carefully smooth out a thin layer of the raspberry jam. Top with chocolate chips and half the sliced almonds. Carefully cover with the remaining batter.

Sprinkle the top of the cake with the remaining sliced almonds.

Bake for 1 hour and almost 45  minutes or more to be sure cake is done when knife inserted in center comes out with just a few crumbs on it. 

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Fruit · Uncategorized

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

We have a winner folks. These cupcakes are truly decadent, light, flavorful, beautiful, sunshine in your mouth wonderful!  Everyone who has had one, (and so far that is about 50, (two different times of baking them and taking them to different places) has told me that this is their new favorite flavor of cupcake, or cake, that I have made. The first time i made it, was in a cake with cream cheese frosting for the filling and then wrapped it in whipped cream. As that is, to me, the best way to enjoy anything, (wrapped in whipping cream) these cupcakes just are so light and fluffy, that you could eat 5 of them in one sitting. I wish I could say it is because we have great will power to not do that, but the truth of the matter is, that we are in “stay at home” mode due to the CV. I don’t want to run out of eggs, or flour, which I am being told is very hard to find right now. So thankful I had bought a 10 lb bag  of flour last time I went to the store and 36 eggs. Because I make a shake pretty much every morning for breakfast with frozen blueberries I usually always have frozen blueberries in the freezer so when I began to think yesterday what I would bake, these came to mind, as the sun finally came shining through the kitchen window after about eleven days. So in honor of the beautiful sunshine, lemon blueberries were the baked good of the day.

1 Duncan Hines or Pillsbury lemon cake mix

1 small box of lemon instant pudding mix (yesterday I only had french vanilla pudding mix so used that.)

4 eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup water mixed with 1/2 cup lemon juice=1 cup liquid

1 cup frozen blueberries or pint of fresh blueberries, sprinkled with a little flour to keep them from sticking together in batter. (sprinkle about 1/8 cup or 2-3 tablespoons over the blueberries and stir flour to just coat them)

Mix all ingredients, except for blueberries for 2 minutes.  Stir in the blueberries just until they are mixed in well.  Do not stir much. Using large cookie scoop, fill cupcake liners and bake until the tops of cupcakes still have a little shine. Cupcakes continue to bake because of the hot cupcake pan, so you need to always take them out when there is still a little shine on the top and they are soft to the touch. This keeps you from making a dry cupcake.

Remove from pan and continue until all the batter is used. . This recipe makes 28 cupcakes if you use the large cookie scoop.  Cool and Frost.

Frosting

3  1/2 cups of powdered sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

4 oz cream cheese, softened

Whipping cream to thin or milk if you prefer. Takes only about 1/3 cup , (but add this gradually by tablespoons so it doesn’t get to think) to get frosting to spreading consistency.  Add by tablespoon if you need a little more.

Mix all together and continue to mix until frosting is very light and fluffy. Frost cupcakes ( or cake if you have made this into a 9×13 cake). Store in refrigerator, covered.

 

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Uncategorized

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!!!!! What a great way to say I Love You by dropping off some wonderful homemade cupcakes to friends or family.

A dear friend had requested either red velvet or carrot cake cupcakes when she found out that I was baking her something. Because I had a whole bag of carrots in the fridge, I thought to myself, “self, should you make a kale-carrot smoothie or carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting?” and guess what won out?  Because I had not made a homemade carrot cake in a long time, I began to go through some old cookbooks and decided to try this recipe which was in an old cookbook I have had since the 70’s. They were passed down to me by my aunt Gladys. The actual print date of the cookbook is 1961. I (I know you are never suppose to begin a sentence with “I” but because it is Valentines, please be kind to forgive me) have to tell you that besides the recipe that I have made before with a can of crushed pineapple in the carrot cake, this one is the best one I have found. It is super moist and light and the flavor is wonderful. Of course, all the cream cheese frosting certainly didn’t hurt the flavor either. So grab a bag of carrots from the grocery store and get the food processor out. These are just delicious and will be a perfect ending to our night at home tonight. Yes, that’s right, Mr. Cupid and I will be at home tonight. We have a dinner planned of Olive Tapenade, Bruchetta with Garlic Bread, Salami and cheese wraps. We plan to celebrate tomorrow night but because my Valentine is now working, I have the feeling he will be so thankful to stay home tonight and then celebrate tomorrow night. Besides, I have to find out what happens in the next episode of A Place to Call Home …..

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup oil

2 cups sugar

4 eggs, well beaten

1 teas vanilla

2 cups flour

2 teas cinnamon

1 heaping teas pumpkin pie spice

2 teas baking soda

2 teas baking powder

1 cup crushed pecans or walnuts (I didn’t put them in the cake, but sprinkled them over the frosting this time

3 cups grated carrots

 

Directions

Mix oil and sugar; beat well. Add beaten eggs. Sift all dry ingredients 2 -3 times. If you add the nuts to the batter, add them to the flour mixture. Mix dry ingredients with the sugar mixture. Add carrots 1 cup at a time and mix in well after each addition. Either bake as cupcakes or layer cakes or one 9×13″ cake. Bake until cake feels firm to the touch but still looks shiny on top. Cool and Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting*

*Frosting

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1 8 oz cream cheese, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

1 teas vanilla

Mix all ingredients together until no lumps remain in mixture. I added a little pineapple juice to the frosting and blended it in to give it extra flavor. Sprinkled the crushed pecans over the top.

 

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

Fresh Orange Apple Cake

Today I had volunteered to bring an apple cake for a dear friends birthday celebration. This is one of her favorite cakes, especially the praline frosting. If she was at the house when I might be making the frosting, she would stand there with a spoon, eating the frosting right out of the bowl. So, as per her request, I made an apple cake with her favorite frosting. There is an apple cake that is already on the blog, but for some reason, this new recipe caught my eye, as it had a 1/2 cup of orange juice in the batter. Because it is so much fun to try new flavor combinations, this one intrigued me. All I can tell you is the women at the party all commented, saying they wanted the recipe. It really was, we thought a great flavored apple cake. Very moist, yet not mushy or soggy, as some apple cakes tend to get. Because it had a little less than the 3 cups of chopped apples that a lot of recipes call for, it had a little more cake texture to it. This will now be my “go to” recipe for apple cakes.

1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup orange juice
1 teas vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teas baking soda
1 teas cinnamon
1 heaping teas pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teas salt
2 1/2 cup chopped apples, finely diced (Gala apples worked well in this recipe)
* If you add 1 cup of chopped pecans, add them when you add the apples

Combine melted butter, oil, sugar, eggs. Mix until well combined. Add orange juice and vanilla. Stir until completely mixed.

In another bowl, combine flour, spices, baking soda, and spices.
Stir flour mixture and then add to sugar/oil mixture. Mix until no lumps remain. Then add the apples and nuts (if desired). Stir until well combined. Pour into a greased and floured large bundt pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes, or until cake test done.

When cool, turn out onto a cake plate. Pour praline frosting over entire cooled cake.

Praline Frosting

Melt 1 stick unsalted butter in a small saucepan with 1 cup of light brown sugar. Stir consistently until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.

Pour over 2 cups powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add chopped nuts if desired. If needed, add about 2-4 tables whipping cream to get frosting to spreading consistency. Add 1 teas vanilla and continue beating. When cake is cooled, pour over entire cake.

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Having been assigned to bring a dessert to a luncheon today, I quickly started to explore cookbooks for something pumpkin, since it is officially Pumpkin Month here in Pumpkinville. As I leafed through The Cake Doctor, I came across a Pumpkin spice cake, which I used for the cupcake base (making a few adjustments) and then just added a little cream cheese surprise for the middle, topping it off with cream cheese frosting. The result received many compliments.

Preheat oven to 350.
1 Duncan Hines Yellow or Spice cake mix*See below
1 package (3.4 oz) french vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup pumpkin, canned puree of pumpkin, not pumpkin mix
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 teas cinnamon
1/2 teas ground ginger
*because I didn’t have a spice cake mix, I used a yellow one and added an additional 1 teas of pumpkin pie seasoning to the mix, if you use spice cake mix, I would leave this out.

Cream cheese filling
1 8 oz softened cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teas vanilla

Frosting
1 (1 lb) box of powdered sugar (equals about 3 1/2 cups)
8 oz (1 stick) softened butter
1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream (add a little at a time, as it might not need all of this, but might need a little more, depending on how thick you like the frosting.

Cake:
Mix all ingredients together in large mixing bowl and beat for about 2 minutes on medium. Set aside

Cream cheese filling:
Beat softened cream cheese and powdered sugar together and beat until smooth. Add vanilla and mix well. Beat until no more lumps appear.

Place cupcake liners in cupcake pan. Add enough batter to liner to cover bottom. Drop about a tablespoon of cream cheese mixture into middle of the batter. Cover this mixture with more of the pumpkin batter until cupcake holder is about a little more than 1/2 full. Bake in preheated 350 oven until cupcakes test done. About 20 minutes, depending on your oven. I always take mine out when the tops look a little shiny but still feel done to the touch. Let cool and continue using batter and filling until all is used. (You will probably have some of the filling left over, but just keep covered in fridge for another use or you can actually add it to your frosting ingredients, as it is just cream cheese and powdered sugar.)

Frosting

Beat all ingredients until smooth and then frost cooled cupcakes. Keep covered in fridge. Remove from refrigerator about an hour before serving time.