Cake Bites

So...a week ago I my very first The Sweet Tooth Fairy cupcake.  I know...I know...how can I have just barely had something from this amazing bakery.  I had the Strawberry Shortcake cupcake, wow...that is all I can say.  I have now had their cake bites too.  Wow again.  I know I am really late to the game about the cake bites/cake balls thing...but I really want to make some, they seem very simple.  

So I went onto Pinterest to see if anyone had any copycat things with The Sweet Tooth Fairy.  I found some and I believe that I may have an original recipe for their cupcakes. Don't worry, I will do another post.  I wanted to try and make cake bites.

First - make your cake according to the box directions or if you have an original cake recipe you can use that too.  I went the easy way and used a Devil's Food box cake.  I baked it last night, let it cool and then covered it overnight.  

I then dumped the cake into a bowl and used my fingers and a spoon to crumble it into pieces.

I found this amazing Almond Joy frosting at Walmart.  I thought about making my own chocolate frosting but after finding this I knew it would make amazing cake bites.  Find it.  Buy it.  And the best thing is that you only use about 2/3 of the jar so you can eat the rest of it, I mean...save the rest of it. :)

Mix the frosting with your cake crumbles.

You can just make balls using your hands, but I decided to try and use my mini muffin pan.  Stick them in the freezer or fridge.  The process of dipping is much easier if they are frozen or cold.

Dip them in chocolate.  I used Almond Bark and sprinkled coconut on top.  

And I must say they are very good.  Almond Joy Cake Bites.  Enjoy! :)

Did you say Banana Frosting?

I work in a small office so when it's someone's birthday on my team, I ask them what kind of cake they would like and then bring it in for them.  So when I asked my boss what kind of cake he would like for his birthday and he told me "Spice cake, with banana frosting!", I had to bite my tongue.  Banana frosting?  Spice Cake WITH banana frosting?  WHAT?!?!  My facial expression must've given me away though because he then explained to me that his grandma used to make it.  I just smiled and told him I would try.  Well believe it or not, it turned out AMAZING.  Seriously amazing.  This just might be my new favorite.

Spice Cake

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 pkg white chocolate Jell-O pudding (or vanilla)

2 cups dark brown sugar

1 cup milk

3 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup salted butter, softened until easily spreadable

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour 2 8 or 9 inch round cake pans.  Whisk dry ingredients and spices in a large bowl.  Mix milk, eggs and vanilla extract in a 2-cup measuring cup.
Beat softened butter into dry ingredients, first on low, then medium, until mixed well together.  The mixture will be very grainy, pebble like.  Add about 1/3 of the milk mixture and beat on low until smooth.  Add remaining milk mixture in two stages; beat on medium speed until batter is just smooth.  Pour batter into cake pan.
Bake about 30-40 mins, when a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the cake's center comes out clean.  Let cool for about 5-10 mins and then turn cake onto rack to cool.

Banana Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 banana, just green on the ends (as pictured above) (if you use an overripe banana, it will be too sweet)

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 to 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Cream the butter, then add a cup of the powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments.  Then add 1/3 of the mashed banana, mix well.  Add another 1/2 cup of sugar, the next 1/3 of banana.  Add the lemon juice and vanilla.  Add the last 1/2 cup of sugar and the last 1/3 of banana.  Mix until it's fluffy and creamy, adding sugar as you need.

Seriously.  Try it.  You just might like it!  :)

Butter Pecan Cake

Before I go any further....I have admit right now, if all my cakes looked as good as the picture, I would be a professional baker. LOL! I borrowed this picture, my cake didn't turn out half as pretty but it sure tasted that good!!

So, who doesn't love a butter pecan cake? What's that? Oh, you haven't ever really had a piece of butter pecan cake? Well, let me tell you, I hadn't either but I think it's my favorite now!! I found this recipe online and tweaked it a bit for high altitude and such. Making cakes from scratch is a difficult thing to do so if yours doesn't turn out just right, keep trying. It takes some tweaking but it is pretty amazing how good they taste. Okay, enough chatter. On to the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans



• 1 cup butter



• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour



• 3/4 cup granulated sugar



• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed



• 1 tablespoon baking powder



• 1 teaspoon salt



• 1 package Jell-O pudding mix (I usually use either vanilla or white chocolate flavor)



• 1 cup milk



• 1 teaspoon vanilla



• 2 eggs

Preparation:

In 2-quart saucepan over medium low heat, brown pecans in butter until butter is lightly browned; stir constantly. Drain browned butter into a measuring cup, set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and pudding. Mix together well. Add eggs, milk, vanilla and 1/2 cup of the browned butter (save the rest for the frosting). Beat together for about 2 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup of the chopped pecans. Pour batter into two greased and floured 8 or 9 inch round layer cake pans. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted in center. Cool for 5 minutes; remove from pans and cool thoroughly before frosting. (I always have a hard time with the cake coming out when I make it from scratch. Be sure to be generous with the grease and flour. PAM does not work very well. Okay, it doesn't work very well for me!)


Frosting Ingredients:

• 4 cups confectioner's sugar



• Reserved brown butter



• 1/2 cup salted butter, softened to room temperature



• 1 teaspoon vanilla



• 1/4-1/3 cup heavy whipping cream



• remaining chopped pecans

Whip browned butter and butter together. Blend confectioner's sugar with butter mixture, 1 tsp vanilla and 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream. Add more whipping cream if necessary, a little at a time. Whip the icing to get it light. At this point, you can add the remaining pecans to the icing or, you can frost the cake and use the pecans to decorate the top. Whichever you choose, you will not regret it. SO yummy!!! You should probably just plan on taking it somewhere because if you keep it at home, you will gain 10 pounds. Believe me. I learned it the hard way. :)

EB

Homemade Cheesecake

My husband LOVES cheesecake. Out of all the desserts we have that is the one thing he actually asks for.

His birthday was coming up so I decided to try and make him a homemade cheesecake.

I searched the internet and found this recipe on foodnetwork.com it is supposed to be just like The Cheesecake Factory.  Oh boy...was I excited.  So I read the recipe and it actually doesn't cost too much to make, it just takes quite a bit of time.  So I went to the store and got the ingredients and since I didn't have much time the week of his birthday, I made it two and a half days before the actual day.  This turned out to be a good thing because letting it season is the key to the flavor!

These are the ingredients for the crust.  You really are going to want a spring-form pan  to make this cheesecake.  Luckily I have an awesome sister (thanks Erin!) and she had one I could borrow.

Vanilla wafers, walnuts, pecans, almonds and butter.

There is a recipe (below) that doesn't include the nuts and it is just as simple.

Chop up your nuts and your vanilla wafers so they are very finely chopped.

I have a handy dandy Pampered Chef Food Chopper and it did the job quickly.

Combine your cookies and nuts and mix well.  Mix with the butter and press into the bottom of the pan.

Next you are going to start making the good part - the filling.  The most important thing about making this cheesecake is make sure ALL ingredients are at room temperature.

Beat your cream cheese until it is fluffy, and then keeping the setting on low add your sugar a little bit at a time.  Keep your mixer going, don't stop.

Next you will add the eggs one at a time and make sure you beat well before adding the next one.

Add the rest of your ingredients and mix well.

You will then pour your cream cheese mixture into the spring form pan, over your crust.

This is when I did a taste test and I will tell you that the flavor is so heavenly...so creamy and good.

Mmmmm...

You are then going to bake this for one hour and 15 minutes.  After that time turn off the oven and crack your oven door and let it sit for an hour.

Looks yummy fresh out of the oven...smells wonderful too.

You then place this in the refrigerator for 24 hours.  I kept mine in the pan and covered. (don't let the picture deceive you).  You need to wait for the 24 hours...it has to season.  

YUM!!!  It was wonderful. :)

Homemade Cheesecake
Crust:

¼ Cup Pecans, finely chopped

¼ Cup Walnuts, finely chopped

¼ Cup Almonds, finely chopped

¾ Cup Vanilla Wafers, finely chopped

2 Tbsp Butter, melted

Mix the nuts and wafers with the butter and press into a spring-form pan.

Crust (without Nuts):

1 ½ Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs

¼ tsp Cinnamon

1/3 Cup Margarine, melted

Mix the crackers, cinnamon with the margarine and press into a spring-form pan and refrigerate.

Filling:

1 ½ lb Cream Cheese

1 1/3 Cup Sugar

5 Eggs

16 oz Sour Cream

¼ Cup Flour

2 tsp Vanilla

2 tsp Lemon Juice

*All ingredients should be room temperature!

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy.  Keep your mixture on the low setting during the entire mixing process.  Add the sugar a little at a time and continue until creamy.  Add the eggs one at a time and beat after each egg.  Add the flour, vanilla and the lemon juice and mix well.  Add the sour cream and beat well.  Pour your cream cheese mixture into the spring-form pan.   Place on the top rack in the middle of the oven and bake for one hour and fifteen minutes.  When the time is up, turn off the oven, prop open the oven door and leave for one hour.  Remove from the oven and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Cheesecake needs to season – be patient and wait...it is worth it. :)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Yummy! So my step-daughter wanted a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake for her birthday.

I knew where the perfect recipe was, it was at kevinandamanda.com.

I made my own adjustments, and the recipe I used will be posted at the bottom. But her blog was my inspiration. Since my step-daughter loves stars I decided to make her cake in a Wilton Star cake pan.

I made the chocolate cake, and I added Reese's Peanut Butter chips to it =)

Then I made the frosting...peanut butter buttercream frosting. Oh my goodness this was so sinful that I kept eating it. It tasted just like the Reese's peanut butter. =)

I then cut up some Reese's peanut butter Cups and put them on top. It was devilishly good!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 small pkg Jello instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a very large bowl, mix together everything except peanut butter chips. Batter will be thick. Stir in the peanut butter chips. Pour batter into cake pan of choice. For cooking time, I use the cooking times on the back of the cake box as a guide and usually add 10 mins to whatever it says. Then I do the toothpick check, and if it’s not done, I check on it every 5 mins after that. It usually takes around 45 mins for two, 9-inch pie pans.

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosing

1 Butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 Cup Peanut Butter

In a mixing bowl, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue creaming until well blended. Add salt, vanilla, and whipping cream and then peanut butter. Blend on low speed until moistened. Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy.

REALLY REALLY Good Chocolate Cake

So today I decided to make a chocolate cake because I had a ton of leftover frosting from my son's birthday party. I was cruising my friend Google and found this recipe.

It is heavenly...

I mean really really good.

I didn't make the frosting because of all of my leftover buttercream frosting...but I know this is good frosting. Look at the picture! =)

Try it...you will love it!

Chocolate Cake

2 Cups Sugar

1 3/4 Cups Flour

3/4 Cups Cocoa

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Salt

2 Eggs

1 Cup Milk

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil

2 tsp Vanilla

1 Cup Boiling Water

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. You can use 2 round pans, cake pans or cupcake pans

(I did cupcakes). Stir the dry ingredients together, then add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Stir together for 2 minutes and then stir in the boiling water. This will thin your batter, but it's okay.

Pour your batter into preferred pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Let cool.

Chocolate Frosting

1/2 Cup Butter

2/3 Cup Cocoa

3 Cups Powdered Sugar

1/3 Cup Milk

1 tsp Vanilla

In a saucepan melt the butter, then stir in the cocoa. Alternately add your powdered sugar and milk until they are mixed in well. stir in the vanilla and mix. Once your cake or cupcakes have cooled frost with this yummy frosting!

-Kelli

Boston Cream Pie

Erin here!! As many of you know, I am the cake baker of the family. This past Saturday night, my brother and sister-in-law had a get together at their house and I offered to bring a Boston Cream Pie.... Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures of it as it was smashed on the way to the get together....but I will share the recipe as it was AMAZING. And, if yours happens to ge smashed on the way, it still tastes good. :-)

Boston Cream Pie

1 12.5 oz bag Ghiradelli Milk Chocolate Chips
2 pints heavy whipping cream, halved
1 small box french vanilla pudding
1 cup crushed oreos
1 box butter recipe cake
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs
1 small box pudding (vanilla or white chocolate)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 2 9" round pans.

Empty chocolate chips into a bowl. Heat 1 pint of heavy whipping cream almost to boiling point. Pour over chocolate chips and whip with whisk until smooth. I sometimes add about 1 tbsp butter to the mixture as well. Set aside and cool.

Crush oreos. Set aside. Pour dry pudding into bowl. Add 1 pint of heavy cream. Mix on low speed until almost set. Fold in oreos by hand and refrigerate.

Cream butter in mixer. Sift cake mix and pudding into bowl. Add water and mix on low speed, adding eggs one at a time until incorporated. Add sour cream and mix until well blended. Do not overmix.

Pour cake batter into pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Release from pan and cool completely.

Assembly:
Place one cake layer on serving plate. Top with oreo cookie/pudding mixture. Top with second cake layer. Poor cooled ganache over entire cake. Chill, if desired. Refridgerate any leftovers.

As a tip, I used about 3/4 of the ganache to cover the cake and then took the rest and drizzled it on the cake as we served it. Yummy!! Enjoy!!

Chocolate Chili Cake

Hey there! It's Erin. As many of you know, I love to bake!!! My sisters are so good at cooking but my specialty seems to be baking...so most of my contributions will be cakes or treats of some kind or another.

At work tomorrow for CINCO DE MAYO, we are having a potluck and I'm always asked to contribute a cake. I wanted to go for something different this time so here is a cake creation that is yummy but it definitely has a kick.

Chocolate Chili Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix
ingredients to make cake from the box (eggs, oil, water)
1 box chocolate pudding
1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp chili powder
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix dry ingredients together til combined. Add wet ingredients and mix for at least 2 minutes. Bake as directed on box.

I frosted my cake with chocolate buttercream frosting. ENJOY!!