Yummy, Yummy, Yummy! This coffee cake was even more delicious than I thought it would be! It really reminded me of the Snickernoodle Muffins I made several weeks ago. It was so moist and delicious. I loved the cinnamon streusel layer running through the middle of the cake. Everybody in my house loved this one. My little Emme was even grunting for more! Shhh....yes, I give my 11 month old cake sometimes :) This is exactly why I love muffins and coffee cakes. It gives you a legitimate excuse to eat cake for breakfast. I was tempted to plop some Blue Bell ice cream next to it! You have definitely got to put this on the weekend breakfast rotation!
2 cups all purpose flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup (8-oz) sour cream
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1 stick butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Streusel:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 11 X 7-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. In another bowl, combine the eggs, sour cream, yogurt, butter and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
In a small bowl, combine the streusel ingredients. Spoon half of the batter into the dish. Sprinkle with half of the streusel topping. Top with remaining batter and streusel. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Place pan on a wire rack to cool.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Taste of Home)
I wasn't planning on making these tonight, but I wanted something sweet. I really liked the Brownie Cookies I made a couple of weeks ago, so I wanted to remix it using the strawberry cake mix I had in the pantry. I didn't think the cookies would work, so I decided to try out my new mini-muffin pan. These little cakes were too cute! And not to mention, quite tasty! I could seriously eat about one thousand. You could use whatever frosting you have on hand. If you have a tub of frosting, whip it up in your mixer first. It really fluffs it up and gives it more of a homemade texture. I only had some heavy cream in the fridge, so I whipped it up with some sugar and topped each cake with a dollop of the whipped cream. It was a nice light balance to the heavier cake. A sweet treat for my Tuesday!
1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 box strawberry cake mix
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or use paper liners in a mini-muffin pan. Set aside.
In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla. Add the cake mix and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Drop tablespoon size dollops into the prepared muffin pan. Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool. Top with desired frosting or eat plain!
Enjoy!
I have GOT to quit making all of these sweets for my house! I don't know how to say "NO", and so when I make this mess I eat too much of it! I loved this cake. I figured it would be tasty just because of the mixture of oranges and pineapple. But this cake turned out wonderful! I loved how moist it is, and I love the addition of the coconut I added to the original recipe. I could have just eaten the whipped topping with a spoon! My Mother-in-law is having her birthday Wednesday, so maybe I should have saved this cake until then. Oh well...I'll just have to make another one :) This cake is a lovely salute to summer.
1 box yellow cake mix
1 11-oz. can mandarin oranges, undrained
2 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce (I only had the chunky kind)
1/2 cup coconut flakes (optional)
2 8-oz. cans crushed pineapple, undrained
1 3.4-oz. package instant vanilla pudding
1 carton Cool Whip, thawed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 8-inch round baking pans (or 1 9 X 13-inch pan). In a large bowl, beat the cake mix, oranges (undrained), eggs, coconut and applesauce until well blended. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Pour the batter into prepared pans and bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine the pineapple (undrained) and instant pudding mix. Fold in the Cool Whip. Invert 1 layer onto a cake plate. Top with half of the topping. Invert second later on top. Spread the remaining topping over the second layer. Garnish with orange slices. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Because this frosting is made with Cool Whip, it needs to be stored in the fridge.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Let's Dish)
Yay! I know some of you have really been waiting on this recipe. I didn't want to post it until the magazine came out. The recipe was featured in the June issue of Eastern Shore Parents Magazine! I was so excited to see it in print last week! And a big Thank You to Erin from Erin Creel Photography. I absolutely love the pictures! Lynn, the editor of the magazine tried this recipe and e-mailed me to let me know how wonderful they turned out! I can't wait to make them again. They were fabulous. Elizabeth Green, The Cake Fairy, provided me with the cake recipe. It is wonderful because it uses fresh strawberries. Nothing against box cake mix, because the strawberry ones are great. But I love how when you take a bite of this cake it has a burst of fresh strawberries in every bite. And the icing is just that...icing on the cake! It is also made with fresh strawberries so it is perfect for the cupcakes. The recipe was given to me by the Fairhope Foodie readers on Facebook. I tweaked it just a pinch and it is great. I added too much moisture with the mashed strawberries, so I ended up adding more powdered sugar to reach the stiff consistency like I needed. Shhh...I ended up adding an entire bag of powdered sugar! You wouldn't have to add that much, but I needed a stiffer consistency for the pictures. Don't get me wrong, they were great! But if you're uncomfortable using a whole bag of powdered sugar don't feel like you can't make the recipe. You will just have a softer icing! I promise you will love this. I can't wait to make these again!
(Photo by Erin Creel Photography)
Strawberry Cupcakes:
2-1/4 cup cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 stick butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup fresh mashed strawberries
16 drops pink food coloring
Strawberry Frosting:
1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
4-6 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup mashed strawberries, drained well
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, salt and baking powder together in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl combine butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Beat for a total of 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl if needed. Quarter strawberries and pulse in a blender until mashed.
Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternating with the mashed strawberries beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Drop in food coloring and beat for 2 minutes.
Line muffin tin with paper liners. Divide batter evenly between 18 cups. Bake for 20-24 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
For the Frosting:
Cream butter and cream cheese together with a mixer. Gradually add in 4 cups powdered sugar. Blend in vanilla and strawberries. Make sure to drain your strawberries well, squeezing with paper towels if needed. If you add too much liquid with the strawberries add extra powdered sugar to reach desired consistency. Pipe onto cupcakes.
And be sure to check out the latest issue of Eastern Shore Parents Magazine. Its a free local publication for all of us along the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay! The cupcake recipe is featured as well as a picture of my oldest daughter, Ella. The photos were taken by Erin Creel of Erin Creel Photography. You can check out some of her latest work HERE on her Facebook page. She is mega-talented and did a fabulous job with my girls' pictures. I can't wait to work with her again!
(Photo by Erin Creel Photography)Enjoy!
(Cupcake recipe from Elizabeth Green- The Cake Fairy)
(Frosting recipe adapted from The Fairhope Foodie readers)
I love baking. Some people can cook, but they don't bake. Baking takes more time and precise measuring. I love baking because you can do it when you wake up, in the middle of the afternoon, or at midnight. It fills the house with a smell that is pure happiness. I wanted to make something for my brother's birthday. I knew he wouldn't like Pinkalicous cupcakes, so I decided to ask him what he wanted. Anything...name it and I'll make it. He said chocolate cake. Done. Now begins the search for the perfect recipe! I searched out a few and then decided to go with one of my favorites, Joy the Baker. And how could I go wrong when she calls it "The Best Chocolate Bundt Cake Ever". Yes, I knew this would be smashing. This is the best chocolate cake I have ever had. And I'm very proud that I baked it!
For the cake:
1-1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon brewed coffee
3/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey's)
2-1/4 cup sugar
1-1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
2-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
1-1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 cup plus 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, sifted
For the glaze:
6 oz. unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup unsalted butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/4 cup brewed coffee, cooled (plus more if needed)
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan and set aside.
To make the cake batter: Put brewed coffee and cocoa powder in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Remove from the heat and let come to room temperature (I let mine sit for almost an hour).
In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a whisk attachment, mix together sugar, salt, baking soda, eggs and egg yolk on low speed for about 1 minute. Add the buttermilk, oil and vanilla extract and mix on low again for another minute.
Add the flour and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the cooled cocoa mixture and mix on medium speed for 3 minutes. *The batter will be very loose*. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake for 1 hour, or until a cake tester inserted in the cake comes out clean.
Let the cake cool completely in the pan and then invert onto a cooling rack. (I made my cake the day before and glazed it the day-of.)
To make the icing: Chop the chocolate into small pieces, put them in a heatproof bowl (or a double boiler), and set the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. Be sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the boiling water. Remove the bowl from the heat when all of the chocolate bits have melted.
Melt the butter in a separate pan or the microwave. Whisk the melted butter into the melted chocolate until thoroughly incorporated. Sift in half of the powdered sugar. Add the sour cream and whisk to combine. Sift in the remaining powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. The glaze should be thick and shiny. Lastly, add the coffee and whisk to create a glossy glaze.
Pour the glaze over the Bundt cake, covering it completely. Leave at room temperature until ready to serve.
The glaze was WONDERFUL! For those that are not coffee lovers, don't worry. You don't taste the coffee one bit. Coffee brings out the chocolate's natural flavors, so its a great pairing. Its not at all coffee-tasting.
Happy Birthday Chaz!
Enjoy!
(adapted from Joy the Baker)
I was really looking forward to this Saturday morning. My husband loves peanut butter so I figured this would be a total hit. The original recipe called for an oat topping, but I didn't have regular rolled oats. I found a topping that used chocolate. Peanut butter and chocolate...for breakfast? In my house, Yes. I wish that I hadn't used my stoneware though. It doesn't cook like a regular baking dish and I had to cook it a lot longer than I should have to get it done in the middle. Doing that made the outside of the cake get too done. I wasn't exactly thrilled with the results. It wasn't as fluffy as it should have been. It was almost to peanut-buttery for me. If you like peanut butter and you have lots of it in the pantry, try this out. If not, read no further. This recipe is not for you :)
Cake:
2-1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup peanut butter (I used creamy)
1-1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1-1/2 cups chocolate chips
In a bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside. In another large bowl cream together butter and peanut butter. Slowly beat in brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until fluffy.
Add flour mixture alternately with milk to the creamed mixture, beating after each addition and beginning and ending with the flour mixture (1/3 flour, 1/2 milk, 1/3 flour, 1/2 milk, 1/3 flour).
Spread batter in a greased 13 X 9-inch baking dish.
In another bowl combine ingredients for topping. Crumble over the batter. Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting. Top with powdered sugar.
Enjoy...if you really like peanut butter!
(adapted from Natalie's Killer Cuisine)
This cheesecake was exactly what I was hoping for: light and creamy. Cheesecake is not the first thing I would order off of a dessert menu. Most of the time it is too dense and heavy for me. This cheesecake was awesome. I think my father-in-law said, "out of this world!" This is on my go-to list of dessert recipes now. It was very easy to make. And because it chills in the fridge, its great to make ahead of time. The tricky part is knowing when its ready to come out of the oven. This was my first try at a cheesecake and I just left it in a few minutes extra to be on the safe side. There were cracks on the top, so I don't know if that's normal or if I could have done something different to prevent that. Either way, it was divine. This is a must-have recipe!
40 Nilla Wafers, crushed (about 1-1/2 cups)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
4 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened, divided
1 cup sugar, divided
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla, divided
3 eggs
1 8-oz. tub cool whip, thawed
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix wafer crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
Beat 3 packages of cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.
Bake 50-55 minutes or until center is almost set. I baked mine an additional 5-10 minutes. The cake still "jiggled" but the top was set when I touched it. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake (I don't know if you are supposed to do this right out of the oven, or after it cools slightly. It pulled some of the cake up when I did it). Cool completely in pan.
Beat remaining cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer in large bowl until well blended. Whisk in cool whip; spread over cheesecake. Refrigerate 4 hours. Remove rim of pan before serving cheesecake. Garnish with fresh berries.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Kraft Foods)
The Sara Lee Pound Cake was on sale this week at Publix (along with the pineapple) so I knew I had to give this one a try. The weather was great for grillin'! I must say though, that these did not turn out quite as yummy as I had hoped. Don't get me wrong, they were good, I just felt like they were missing something. So I added a little vanilla ice cream! I almost felt like the pound cake should have been soaked in something before I skewered them. I don't know what though. And if I soaked them, they might have even fallen apart. This is a great recipe to welcome Summer!
1 pineapple, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 frozen pound cake, slightly thawed, cut into 1-inch cubes
honey, for drizzling (optional)
vanilla ice cream (optional)
Soak 8 wooden skewers in water. Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Alternately thread 4 cubes each of pineapple and pound cake on each skewer. Grill, turning once, until lightly charred, about 1 minute per side (I got distracted with Emme so mine were on there a little longer!) Drizzle with honey or serve with vanilla ice cream...or both!
Enjoy!
(adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine)
I really had high expectations for this cake when I saw it on Joy The Baker last week. And I am proud to say that all of those expectations were met! This cake is so good! Definitely not what you would think of when you hear "Pound Cake". Its almost a cross between a pound cake and a quick bread. The cornmeal gives it a slightly different texture, though not as grainy as cornbread. My only disappointment is its not green enough! Clay thought it was good until I told him it had avocados in it. After that, he wouldn't have anything to do with it! I enjoyed my fair share tonight. The recipe makes two loaves. I wrapped one loaf and stuck it in the freezer. I kept two slices for me to snack on tomorrow and the rest is going to work. I told the guys at work that I am getting them ready for bikini season with all of the snacks I'm bringing them! But, hey, avocados are good for you right?!?
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk
flesh of 1-1/2 avocados, mashed (just over 1 cup)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour (I used Pam) two loaf pans and set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, sift together flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside. Set the four eggs on the counter to come to room temperature while you beat the butter and sugar.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter on medium speed until softened and pliable. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes (mine was still a little crumbly). Add the avocado and beat another minute to incorporate. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure that everything is thoroughly mixed.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and add half of the flour mixture, all of the buttermilk, and then the rest of the flour mixture. Beat just until combined.
Divide the dough between the two loaf pans and place in the oven. turn the oven down to 325 degrees. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cakes come out clean (Mine ended up baking for almost 30 minutes longer. I cranked it up to 350 for the last 10 minutes). Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Joy The Baker)
When I came home from the hospital after having Ella, my first daughter, a friend of mine brought me a pound cake. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I had never had a "real" homemade pound cake. I ate it for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Obviously, losing the baby weight wasn't on my mind yet. I searched out recipes and found this one. I'm not sure if my friend used cream cheese, but this cake is just as good. The first time I made it I lost count of the sugar I was adding, and I ended up using an extra 1/2 cup. It was delicious! So, the second time I counted correctly and the cake wasn't as good. Go figure. More sugar equals better pound cake! This is my "edited" version that includes the extra 1/2 cup of sugar. The crust on the cake is great. Probably my favorite part. I promise you though, if you make this, plan to take some to somebody else. If this cake sits in your house, you WILL eat all of it!
3 sticks butter, softened
1 8-oz. block cream cheese, softened
3-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
6 eggs
3 cups cake flour
Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add salt and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time and beat after each addition. Add flour, dividing into four additions. Pour into a 10" round tube cake pan or bundt pan, buttered. Bake at 325 degrees for 1-1/2 hours or until done (I used my Pampered Chef Stone Bundt pan so I increased the temperature to 350 degrees). Let cool in the pan 10 minutes, then flip out onto a platter. Cool completely.
Enjoy!
(adapted from NorthPole.com)
