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.
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.
It was so much fun to make up a recipe today for our friends coming over tonight from church. I have always wanted to try this and I figured before my first heart attack or before all the butter and cream cheese went to my head and caused dementia, I needed to do this. Just finished putting the final touches on it and I can’t wait until we cut it tonight. Randy and I have set a new world record this week for us. Do not ask me why, but we have not had dessert in 4 nights. I do not count the Hershey with Almonds bar I ate last night as dessert. and..he doesn’t count scraping out the last of the Blue Bell Pumpkin Spice Ice cream out of the container as dessert. Those are just things that we eat to clean up the freezer and cabinets.
We are having friends over for dinner tonight and I know they are chocoholics so was wanting to make them something that I haven’t made them before. Looking through my old recipes, I came across this and since I had everything needed, it became the cake for dessert tonight. Whipped up some whipping cream to spoon over the top because, well, it has been several days since I have had whipped cream and a girl can only go so long without it. Taken from a Southern Living Magazine several years ago…
Are you like me and the minute you see a recipe which you are dying to try, but instantly decide that you will change up a few things? It was no different when I saw the picture of this amazing looking cake. Today, I decided that it will be our Easter Dessert, but since kids are involved in eating it, I am going to make it a chocolate cake, instead of vanilla. But…what better flavor combinations than chocolate, raspberry and peanut butter? So go wild with different flavors. Don’t be afraid to substitute flavor combinations. After all, don’t you think that was how sushi was probably discovered? They took a dead raw fish and combined it with rice and bean sprouts and they had a food everyone went goo goo over. So you never know if you might be the next baker or cook which invents a new winning food.
Yesterday I went to a cooking class and learned such cute and delicious, but easy recipes to use for Halloween. I have made cookies from a cake mix before but really didn’t like them too much, UNTIL NOW! The cream cheese does the trick. The instructor teaching us these cute little “tricks” used Candy eyeballs that she got on the baking isle at Walmart “witch” made them so cute. Be sure to use gel (instead of water based )food coloring to the dough, as the water base will change the consistency of the cookie dough.
Chocolate Castles 