Red Velvet Cheesecake

This was a biggie, it was for my own birthday and it was oh so delicious, and not even that hard to make, just a little time consuming. The icing made with this recipe is kinda sticky at least it was when I made it I mean it tasted great it was just kinda hard to work with, also I didn't have as much icing as I thought I did so I kinda had to do that border on the fly because I didn't have enough icing to do the design I originally intended to do but it still turned out nice and I am happy with it. I gave out a lot of pieces of this cake at school and it was a big hit, in fact I am making this same cake for my friends birthday next week because she loved it so much. Anyways, as usual I found the recipe on tastespotting it is from 17 and Baking and it is quite scrumptious. 

CHEESECAKE:

Ingredients:

-20 oz full fat cream cheese, at room temperature
-2/3 cup white sugar
-Zest of half a lemon
-1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
-1/4 tsp salt
-2 large eggs, at room temperature
-1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
-1 tablespoon all purpose flour

Directions:

I started the cheesecake the day before. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and set a kettle of water to boil.
     Grease a 9″ springform pan, and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper. Wrap the outside of the pan with heavy duty aluminum foil, and set the pan into a larger pan (for the waterbath.)
     In the bowl of a mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium until fluffy. Add the sugar and beat until smooth. Switch to a wooden spoon and beat in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Add eggs one at a time, making sure they are combined but not overmixing. Add the sour cream. Stir in flour and gently mix just until combined.
     Pour the batter into the greased pan. Pour boiling water into the larger pan halfway up the cheesecake. The aluminum foil should protect the cheesecake from seeping water. Bake until the cheesecake is just set in the middle, about 40 minutes. Run a knife around the sides and let the cheesecake cool completely. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of the cheesecake and refrigerate overnight.

RED VELVET:

Ingredients:

-2 1/2 cups cake flour
-1 1/2 cups white sugar
-1 tsp baking soda
-1 tbsp cocoa powder
-1 tsp salt
-2 eggs, room temperature
-1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
-1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1 tsp white distilled vinegar
-Red food coloring, as desired

Directions:

I made the cake the day after I made the cheesecake, so it had rested overnight in the fridge and was sturdy enough to flip.
    For the red velvet, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9″ pans.
Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. In the bowl of a mixer, beat the eggs, oil, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and vinegar until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and as much food coloring as you like. Beat until well combined, about two minutes.
     Divide the batter between the two pans. Bake 25-30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans for five minutes, then run a knife around the edges. Invert them onto cooling racks and cool completely. (I like to make the frosting at this point, while the cakes cool down.)

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

Ingredients:

-12 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
-6 tbsp butter, at room temperature
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1/4 tsp almond extract
-3 cups sifted powdered sugar (sift, and then measure)

Directions:

Beat the cream cheese and butter in an electric mixer until very smooth and lump-free. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts. Then stir in the powdered sugar a cup at a time until very smooth.

ASSEMBLY:

Use a cake leveler or serrated knife to level the tops of the red velvet cakes. Put one of the layers, cut-side up and parchment paper removed, on a serving plate. Spread with a very small amount of frosting, just enough to cover the cake in a thin layer.
     Take the cheesecake out of the fridge. Open up the springform pan and peel off the plastic wrap. The cake should be pretty sturdy. My cheesecake was still attached to the bottom of the springform pan. I simply used one hand to hold it, and gently flipped it over onto the red velvet. I lifted off the bottom of the springform pan and peeled off the parchment paper. Piece of cake.
     My cheesecake was wider than the red velvet. I just gently sawed a knife around the edges and trimmed the excess.
     Spread another very thin layer of frosting on the top of the cheesecake. Flip the remaining layer of red velvet, cut side down, on top. Peel off the parchment paper.
     Use about a third of the cream cheese frosting to cover the whole cake with a crumb coat. Basically, you want to frost the cake with as little frosting as possible, picking up all the red crumbs and sealing the cake. Refrigerate the cake for half an hour, or until the crumb coat is hardened.
     Then frost the cake with the rest of the cream cheese frosting.  Keep the cake in the fridge. It can stand at room temperature about half an hour before serving, if necessary.

Reese's Peanut Butter Bars

This is part three of three of Mike's care package: Reese's Peanut Butter Bars. Okay so I LOVE making these because they are so easy it is ridiculous! Plus, they taste EXACTLY like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups this recipe is scary accurate. So when I made these I was transporting them to another state so I cut them up into squares and wrapped each individual one in plastic wrap and kept them in the fridge to keep the chocolate from melting but even if you aren't planning on traveling with these I still think its a good idea to wrap them individually because it seems more convenient and you can pack them in your lunch or take one on the go.  So the recipe cake from Let's Dish and it is excellent and easy!

REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER BARS:

Ingredients:

-1 cup butter melted
-2 cups graham cracker crumbs
-2 cups confectioners' sugar
-1 cup + 4 tablespoons peanut butter
-1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan. In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the peanut butter layer. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares. And as I would recommend wrap each square in plastic wrap and keep refrigerated.

Oreo Cheesecake Bites

This is part two of Mike's care package: oreo cheesecake bites, now I did not have one of these for myself but according to Mike they are delicious so I will take his word for it because they certainly look it. The recipe calls for 42 Oreos and I discovered that oreos come in packs of like 25 or 30 so I bought two packs and used a couple of the left over ones and crushed them up for a crumb dust topping on each of these little cakes. If you are a total overachiever you could whip up some heavy cream and top these puppies with fresh whipped cream. Also, the title is oreo cheesecake "bites" implying that they are small but they are the size of regular cupcakes. Anyways the recipe is from The Family Kitchen, it makes 30 cupcake size oreo cheesecakes. 

CHEESECAKE BITES:

 Ingredients:

-42 Oreos (30 whole, 12 chopped)
-2 pounds cream cheese (4 8-ounce packages), softened
-1 cup sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-4 large eggs, room temperature
-1 cup sour cream
-pinch of salt

Directions:


Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Line muffin tins with 30 paper liners (white is fun to see the cookie on the bottom after they’re baked), and then place one cookie in each of the cups.
     Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add in sugar and vanilla and beat to combine. Scrape the bowl as needed. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl in between eggs. Mix in sour cream and salt and stir in the chopped cookies.
     Divide the batter between the 30 muffin cups, filling each cup nearly to the top. Bake at 275 degrees F for 22 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking time. Remove pans from the oven and allow to cool in the pan. Refrigerate for 4 hours before serving.

    If desired you can crush a few Oreos in a zip lock with a rolling pin until very fine and sprinkle them over the tops of each of the cakes for a little added Oreo taste. 

Coffee Cake

This I made as part one of Mike's care package and it turned out really good. Even though I had to bake it in the convection microwave because the control panel part of our oven broke and it won't let you do anything. So I had to bake it in the microwave and so apparently even though the microwave says its preheated at 350F its really cooler than that so instead of baking it for 45-55 minutes it baked for more like 70 minutes. Another mishap I had with this was since I thought my microwave was cooking at the correct temperature when I took it out after about 50 minutes I stuck the toothpick into the center and it appeared to come out clean and I did it a few more times just to be sure and it kept coming out clean so I let it cool for half an hour then cut it into squares, then when I went to take the squares out the entire inside of the cake was of batter consistency so I had to re preheat the microwave and bake it for another 20 minutes meanwhile realizing that the thick crumb coating on the top of the cake CLEANED OFF the goop that indicates when the cake isn't done! So make sure that your cake is actually baked before you cut it up and eat it. I found the recipe as usual through tastespotting it is from Fake Ginger.

CRUMB TOPPING:

Ingredients:

-1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
-1/2 cup granulated sugar
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
-1 cup (2 sticks) melted butter
-2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter the sides and bottom of a glass 9×13 pan. You can use a metal pan, but the edges may get a bit crispy.
     To make the crumb topping, mix both sugars, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and whisk until combined. Fold in the flour until it is absorbed. Spread out a large sheet of parchment paper on the counter and spread this mixture out on the parchment paper to dry while you make the cake mixture.

CAKE:

Ingredients:

-2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-3/4 teaspoon baking powder
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter
-1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
-2 large eggs
-1 1/4 cups plain (vanilla or honey flavor work too) yogurt
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

To make the cake, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
     Cream the butter until it is smooth and ribbon-like in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle. Scrape down the bowl and add the sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until incorporated. Scrape the bowl and mix again for 30 seconds. Add the yogurt and vanilla and beat just until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, scraping down the bowl before each addition, beating only until it is just incorporated.
     To assemble the cake, pour the batter in the prepared pan. Use your hands to scoop up a handful of the topping and make a fist. The topping should hold together. Break off in chunks and drop them over the cake. Repeat to use all the topping. Remember, the topping layer will look very thick.
     Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Rotate the pan two times during the baking process. Cool the entire pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes before serving.
     The cake will last for 3 days, tightly covered, at room temperature.

Cookie Dough Cupcakes

I made these cupcake for my girlfriends at my birthday party and they were a big hit. But warning these cupcakes are for hardcore cookie dough lovers only, they consist of cookie dough flavored cake, icing and have a secret cookie dough filling on the inside that is so sweet it will make your teeth hurt. As usual I found the recipe on tastespotting from The Sweet Art. They are fairly simple to make but slightly time consuming but well worth it when you sink your teeth into one of these puppies. 

COOKIE DOUGH CUPCAKES:

CUPCAKES:

Ingredients:

-3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp.

-1 1/2 cups. light brown sugar, packed

-4 large eggs

-2 2/3 cup all purpose flour

-1 tsp. baking powder

-1 tsp. baking soda

-1/4 tsp. salt

-1 cup milk

-2 tsp. vanilla extract

-1 cup chocolate chips (bittersweet or semisweet)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total). In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

     Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir together to blend. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.
     Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

FILLING:
Ingredients:


-4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temp.
-6 tbsp. light brown sugar, packed
-1 cup plus 2 tbsp. all purpose flour
-7 oz sweetened condensed milk
-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
-1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:


To make the cookie dough filling, combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up a bit, about an hour.
     To fill the cupcakes, cut a cone-shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with a chunk of the chilled cookie dough mixture.
FROSTING:
Ingredients:


-3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp
-3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
-3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
-1 cup all purpose flour
-3/4 tsp salt
-3 tbsp. milk
-2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For decoration:
  Mini chocolate chips

Directions:

To make the frosting, beat together the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until creamy. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Beat in the flour and salt. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.
     Frost the filled cupcakes as desired, sprinkling with mini chocolate chips and topping with mini chocolate chip cookies for decoration.

Cheesecake with Whipped Cream and Raspberry Topping

I made this cake for my dad's birthday, it is the same recipe as the whipped cream cheesecake but with an added raspberry topping at his request. For the recipe for the cheesecake refer to that post, it is light, fluffy, and totally delicious. The difference between this cheesecake and the last one I made, besides the topping, is that I took the left over whipped cream and whipped it up some more in my mixer to form stiff as opposed to soft peaks and used it to pipe a border. Initially, I piped a rosette border around just the top edge of the cake, but apparently the cake wasn't COMPLETELY cooled when I added the topping and it formed five deep cracks. To fix this I piped whipped cream into the cracks to seal them then piped another row of rosettes random little whipped cream tufts to fill the space between the original border and the topping. 

This is the border I ended up with after all of the repairs, not exactly the look I was going for but it didn't turn out completely ugly. So for the cheesecake refer to the previous post and as for the raspberry topping it takes ten minutes and its made in the microwave! I found it along with many many other things on tastespotting from  The Yummy Life. 

RASPBERRY TOPPING:

Ingredients:

-12 oz (approx. 3 cups) frozen raspberries

-3/4 cup brown sugar (or white brown is just better)

-2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (1 lemon should produce enough)

Directions:

In 2 quart microwave-safe bowl, stir together 2 cups of the raspberries, brown sugar and lemon juice. (Don't use a smaller bowl or the mixture may overflow as it cooks.) Microwave uncovered at full power for 8 minutes total, stopping and stirring after 4 minutes. Remove from microwave and stir remaining raspberries into hot mixture just until combined. Cool at room temperature, uncovered, for 30 minutes; sauce will thicken some as it cools. Cover and store in refrigerator. Keeps for at least 1 week.

topping before adding it to the cake

After I had added this to the center of the cheesecake I had some left over and placed it in the fridge with some left over whipped cream so that people could add it to things later.

Chocolate Doughnuts

I made these from a box that Hannah gave me for my birthday from kitchen conservatory and let me tell you they are good! I wouldn't really call them doughnuts however, they are more like chocolate cakes in the shape of circles, but no matter what you call them they tasted great. I ended up giving them away instead of taking them to school which didn't really matter because just having one was enough. The box made twelve doughnuts and it comes with a little powder packet for the icing/glaze that goes with it which really tops them off. So anyways if your interested the box for chocolate doughnuts and doughnut pans can be found at kitchen conservatory, they make for a great gift!

Gooey Double Chocolate Brownies

These are ooey gooey chocolicious brownies that are super good for any chocolate lover. When I made these I didn't quite cook them enough and didn't figure it out until they were cooled and cut which was kind of a bummer but they were still good. So make sure that you insert a toothpick into the center and it comes out clean so that you know they're really done before you turn off the oven let them cool. When you take these out of the oven they will be slightly gooey but when they cool they will turn more fudgey except if it's uncooked then it just stays the consistency of the batter. 

BROWNIES:

Ingredients:

-3/4 cup butter

-10 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

-1/3 cup cocoa powder

-2/3 cup all-purpose flour

-1/2 tsp. salt

-4 eggs

-2 cups sugar

-1 tsp. vanilla extract

-1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 19x3 in. pan with foil allowing excess to hang over the edges of the pan, and spray the foil with cooking spray.

     Melt the butter in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water, add the chocolate and stir until melted and combined. Transfer chocolate mixture to a large bowl and set aside to cool. 

     Beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla on a high speed until light and fluffy-about 3 minutes. 

     Whisk the cocoa into the chocolate batter. Add the flour and salt and whisk until incorporated then whisk into the egg mixture. The fold in half of the chocolate chips into the batter.

     Pour batter into prepared pans and sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over the batter. Bake for about 25-30 minutes. The brownies should be soft and moist. Let the brownies cool in the pan before cutting and serving. 

before oven

finished product

       

Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

These cupcake are awesome!! The icing especially is very good it tastes store bought. This icing is my new official buttercream from now on because it is seriously delicious. Along with the icing these cupcakes are scrumptious especially while they are still warm but they are delicate moist cakes perfect for anything. The amount of icing this recipe produces is a lot and if you're not a huge icing lover I would recommend  cutting the recipe in half. Also, I lined the cupcake pan with liners but you can also just butter the crap out of the pan and it works the same. 

CUPCAKES:

Ingredients:

-2 sticks butter

-2 cups sugar

Just out of the oven

-1 egg

-4 egg whites

-1/4 tsp. baking soda

-1 tsp. baking powder

-3/4 tsp. salt

-2 tsp. vanilla extract

-1 1/2 cup milk

-2 1/2 cups flour

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F and line two cupcake trays with liners. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, and egg until white and very fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients and beat just until incorporated. Pour batter into a large measuring cup and pour batter into lined cupcake tins. Bake in oven for 18-20 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack and cool completely before frosting. 

FROSTING:

Ingredients:

-3 sticks butter

-2 lbs powdered sugar

-2 tsp. vanilla extract

-1/4 cup milk

Directions:

Using an electric mixer beat the butter until light and fluffy. Slowly begin beating in powdered sugar and vanilla. Begin adding milk to mixture turning mixer on high. Add just enough milk so that the mixture is light and fluffy not runny. Continue beating frosting until light and fluffy. Then fit a pastry bag with a star tip and spoon icing into bag and pipe swirls onto the cooled cupcakes. 

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

These cupcakes are pretty awesome along with pretty much everything else I make. The cupcakes have bits of oreos in them and so does the icing. I swear this icing tastes exactly like the inside of an oreo! These cupcakes are actually not that hard to make either but they taste like they are. I was able to make about 22 cupcakes but I did put a little too much batter in some of the cupcake tins. I also ran out of cupcake liners in the middle of making them so I lined the pan with a HEAVY coat of butter, either way they tasted pretty much the same and the cupcakes with liners are obviously easier to transport and are better for events but you really have the option to do it either way. So here it goes, Cookies and Cream cupcakes:

CUPCAKES:

Ingredients:

-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

-1/2 cup cocoa powder

-1 1/4 cup sugar

-3/4 tsp. baking soda

-1/2 tsp. baking powder

-1/2 tsp salt

-2 eggs

-1/2 cup vegetable oil

-1 tsp. vanilla extract

-3/4 cup milk

-3/4 cup hot water

-one package of double stuffed oreos

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line cupcake tray with baking cups (or an excessive amount of butter if that's what you prefer). Set aside 6 oreos for crushing for the icing later, and break the remaining oreos into smaller pieces and place evenly throughout the cups. 

     Mix the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl using a whisk. Then add the eggs, oil, vanilla, milk, and mix well until thoroughly incorporated. The batter should look like normal batter about the color of hot chocolate. 

     Then add the hot water and mix until combined. Now the mixture should be a much thinner liquid. Transfer the batter into a large measuring cup and fill each cupcake up until its about 3/4 full (when you add the batter you will see bubbles and the oreos will float to the top, the bubbles go away). Bake for 16-18 minutes. Repeat the baking process for any excess batter.

FROSTING:

Ingredients:

-1 cup butter (2sticks) softened, at room temperature

-1 Lb powdered sugar

-1 tsp. vanilla extract

-3-6 Tbsp. milk

-4 Tbsp. oreo cookie crumbs (from cupcake recipe) 

Directions:

Put the 6 extra oreos (from the cupcake recipe) into a large zip lock bag. Using a rolling pin, crush the oreos until extremely fine and crumbled (if they are too big they won't go through the piping tip). 

     Beat the butter with a whisk (or electric mixer) until it is creamed. Add the vanilla. Then add the powdered sugar in increments, scraping down the sides of the bowl each time. Add 1 Tbsp. of milk at a time until you get the desired consistency. Add the 4 Tbsp. of oreo crumbs and mix until fully incorporated.

     Place the frosting in a piping bag fitted with a star tip and swirl the frosting on each individual cupcake. Lastly, sprinkle the extra oreo crumbs over the cupcakes and enjoy!!

finished product = awesome 

    

Red Velvet Cake

This picture above is of the first red velvet cake I made with the accidentally pink icing and it tasted really good. I made another red velvet for my mom's friend at work a couple weeks ago and although I never actually had a piece of it I heard it was pretty good. Below is the recipe I used for both of those cakes and the cream cheese icing that really tops it all off. (Enjoy Emma)

CAKE:

Ingredients:

-6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

-1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

-2 eggs, beaten

-1 tsp. vanilla extract

-1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

-3 Tbsp. cocoa powder

-1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

-Pinch of salt

-1 Tbsp. red food coloring

-1/2 cup buttermilk

-1 Tbsp. white vinegar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour two 9in round cake pans.

     For the cake, cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl, then beat in the eggs and vanilla extract. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a separate bowl. Stir the food coloring into the buttermilk.

     Alternately add the flour and buttermilk mixtures to the creamed mixture. Stir in the vinegar, mixing well. Pour the mixture into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly. Bake in oven for 30-35 min, or until firm to the touch. Cool in the pans for 10 min, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

FROSTING:

Ingredients:

-6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

-8 oz. cream cheese

-1 lb powdered sugar

-1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

For the frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese together in a bowl. Beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mixing well. Sandwich the two cakes together with some frosting, then spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. 

cake I made a few weeks ago

Funfetti Cookies

I have made these cookies so many times and every time they are soo good and gone really quickly. The recipe is so simple that its only three ingredients and it tastes just like cake batter. You can ice these cookies and decorate them with sprinkles or just leave them plain they are amazing either way. I prefer to ice them but that's just me and each time I have used canned icing that I bought when I got the cake mix and it makes these cookies even better. You could always make buttercream with these cookies too it also tastes very good. I made a funfetti cookie cake for Mike's birthday which was double the recipe below baked in two 9 in cake pans and coated the cake in two batches of buttercream it was so sweet it made your teeth hurt, there's a picture below.

Ingredients:

-1 box funfetti cake mix

-1/3 cup oil

-2 eggs

-icing and sprinkles for decorating (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F and spray two baking sheets with nonstick spray.

     Dump the cake mix into a large bowl and add the eggs and oil. With an electric mixer (or just a spoon) beat the mixture until thoroughly combined. Place 12 one inch dollops of dough onto each baking sheet and bake in oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. (The cookies might look a little doughy, that's okay they will set when they cool.) Leave cookies on baking sheet for a minute or two then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, and ice and decorate if you so choose. 

funfetti cookie cake 

Oreo Stuffed Brownies

I have made these brownies twice and both times they have been super delicious. I found the recipe while I was browsing tastespotting.com from lifestooshorttoskipdessert.blogspot.com and they are amazing I only made a few slight changes in the recipe below but it's pretty much the same. These brownies are also really easy to make if your looking for a spur of the moment treat to satisfy your sweet tooth. 

BROWNIES:

Ingredients:

-2 sticks butter

-8 oz semisweet chocolate

-4 eggs

-1/2 tsp. salt

-1 cup brown sugar

-1 cup granulated sugar

-2 tsp. vanilla extract

-1 cup flour

-1 bag double stuffed oreos

Directions:

Butter a 9x13in baking pan and preheat the oven to 350F

     In the top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, or on low power in the microwave, melt butter and chocolate together. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. In a large bowl or mixer, whisk eggs. Whisk in salt, sugars, and vanilla. Whisk in chocolate mixture. Fold in flour just until combined.

     Pour HALF of the batter into the prepared pan, line the batter with oreos ( I was able to fit about 24). Pour the rest of the batter over the oreos and make sure they are completely covered. Bake for 35-40 min or until shiny and beginning to crack on top. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. (for best results bake one day before serving, let cool and store, tightly wrapped.)

ENJOY!

New Brooklyn Chocolate Blackout

This cake is awesome. It also takes forever to make and mine kinda fell apart but I covered it up with a crumb coat. Also, this cake has a pudding filling that glues everything together and makes one big dense chocolate cake. I got this recipe from Chocolate Cakes by Elinor Klivans which says that the total time for this cake is about an hour and ten minutes but it took me a lot longer. Also, make sure that you read the recipe before making this cake because you do have to let the pudding filling chill overnight and you're probably not going to have all of these ingredients in your pantry so this is not a spur of the moment cake. But it is definitely worth the time and effort you put into it. 

FILLING:  (requires 5 hrs - overnight chilling)

Ingredients:

-2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

-1 1/2 cups hot water

-3/4 cup sugar

-3 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

-3 Tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2Tbsp. water

-1/4 tsp. salt

-1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces 

-1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, heat the cocoa powder, hot water, sugar, and chocolate over low heat. Use a large spoon to stir constantly until the cocoa powder dissolves and the chocolate melts. Add the dissolved cornstarch and the salt to the saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil gently for 1 min, stirring constantly, especially where the sides and bottom of the pan meet. Remove the pan from the heat, add the butter and vanilla, and stir until the butter melts. Pour the filling into a bowl and press plastic wrap onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until the filling thickens, at least 5 hours or up to overnight. It will be the consistency of soft pudding. 

CAKE:

Ingredients:

-2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

-1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

-3/4 cup whole milk

-2 cups cake flour

-1 tsp. baking powder

-1 tsp. baking soda

-1 tsp. salt

-1 cup unsalted butter, at room temp

-2 cups sugar

-4 large eggs

-2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter the bottom and sides of two 9 in. round cake pans with sides 1 3/4 to 2 in high. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and butter the paper. 

     To make the cake: Put the chocolate, cocoa powder, and milk in a heatproof bowl (or top of a double boiler) and place it over, but not touching, barely simmering water in a saucepan (or bottom of a double boiler). Stir until the chocolate is melted, the cocoa powder dissolves, and the mixture is smooth. Remove from over water and set aside to cool to lukewarm.

     Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until lightened to a cream color and smooth, about 2 min. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, two at a time, mixing until each addition is blended into the batter, and adding the vanilla with the last addition. Beat for 1 minute more. On low speed, mix in the cooled chocolate mixture to blend it smoothly. Add the flour mixture, mixing just until the flour is incorporated and the batter looks smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly.

     Bake just until the tops feel firm when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, about 40 min. Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks for 10 min. Use a small sharp knife to loosen each cake from the sides of the pan, and invert each cake onto a wire rack. Carefully remove the paper and place it loosely on the cake. Let the cake layers cool thoroughly, then discard the paper. 

FROSTING:

Ingredients:

-12 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

-3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temp

-1/2 cup lukewarm water (88F-90F)

-1 Tbsp. light corn syrup

-2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

To make frosting: Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl (or top of a double boiler) and place it over, but not touching, barely simmering water in a saucepan (or bottom or a double boiler). Stir until the chocolate and butter are melted and smooth. Remove from over the water and set aside to cool slightly. Check with your fingertips that the temperature of the lukewarm water feels similar to that of the chocolate. Add the lukewarm water all at once to the chocolate mixture and gently whisk until the frosting is smooth. It will thicken slightly when the water is added. Stir in the corn syrup and vanilla. Let the frosting sit at room temperature until it cools and thickens slightly, about 30 min. 

ASSEMBLY:

Invert a serving plate on one cake layer and turn the cake so that it is top up. Tuck wax paper strips 1in or so under the cake all the way around to keep the plate clean. Use a long serrated knife to cut the cake layer horizontally into two even layers (this is where my cake fell apart). Carefully slip the removable bottom of a tart pan or springform pan between the layers, lift the top layer, and set aside. Leaving a 1/2 in plain edge around the top of the cake, use a thin metal spatula to spread about half of the cold filling over the cake. Carefully slide the top cake half over the filling, centering it over the bottom layer, and spread it with the remaining filling. Invert the second layer onto a plate so that it is top up, and cut horizontally into 2 even layers. Carefully slide the top layer over the filling. You will have a three layer cake. The remaining cake will be crumbled and used to cover the frosted cake.

     Use a thin metal spatula to cover the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of frosting. Refrigerate the cake for 15 min to firm the cake and filling. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the chilled cake. Use your fingers to crumble the remaining cake layer into small crumbs. Sprinkle the crumbs over the top of the cake and press them onto the sides. Use all of the crumbs to make a thick crumb coating. Remove the paper strips and discard them. Use a large, sharp knife to cut the cake.

     The cake can be covered and refrigerated up to 2 days. Let it sit at room temperature for about 45 min before serving. 

     

Checkerboard Cake

I made this cake for Mike's graduation party in the spring and it was a huge hit. It looks like it would be hard to make but it really isn't. I got this recipe from Valerie Barrett's Cakes Galore and only changed the color to make it blue and white instead of pink and white to match Ladue colors. For this cake above I cheated and used canned icing because I thought the cake would take too much time and I would not want to make buttercream but if I did this again I would make my own icing so I included the recipe the book had for the most basic buttercream. When I decorated with the canned icing I only dyed about a 1/3 of it blue rather than all of it because only the side of my cake and the writing on top was blue and the majority of it was white. 

CAKE:

Plain Cake Ingredients:

-3/4 cup vegetable margarine

-3/4 cup superfine sugar (I used granulated)

-3 eggs, beaten

-1 1/4 cups self-rising flour

Blue Cake Ingredients:

-3/4 cup vegetable margarine

-3/4 cup superfine sugar

-3 eggs, beaten

-1 1/4 cup self-rising flour

-Blue food coloring

 FROSTING:

-2 cups soft margarine

-8 cups powdered sugar, sifted

-blue food coloring

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. To make plain cake, grease and line the bottom of two 8 in. round cake pans.

     Beat the margarine and sugar together in a bowl until light and creamy. Add the eggs and flour and beat until smooth. Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared pans and level the surface. Bake in oven for 20-25 min, or until risen and firm to touch. Cool in the pans for a few minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

     To make the blue cakes, follow the same method as for the plain cakes but add some blue food coloring to the margarine and sugar mixture, mixing well. Bake and cool the cakes as above. 

     To make the frosting, put the margarine in a bowl and gradually beat in the powdered sugar. Add some blue food coloring, mixing well. You can leave out come plain white icing for decorating if you would like

     To assemble the cakes, place them on a large work surface. Using a 4 1/2 in and a 2in plain round cookie cutter, cut rings from each cake. (make sure that cakes are COMPLETELY cooled) Carefully lift the central ring from each cake and replace it with one of the other color (when I did this I put a little icing between the different rings to keep them together better). Spread a little frosting over each cake and stack them on top of one another, making sure you alternate the cakes to give a checkerboard effect. 

this is what the cake should look like before icing it

     Spread the remaining blue frosting over the top and sides of the cake. If you are decorating it with white icing like I did then place the reserved icing in a piping bag and pipe away. 

Whipped Cream Cheesecake

Whipped cream cheesecake is light and creamy makes for a beautiful centerpiece. I made this cake above as a practice for my mom's 50th birthday which really wasn't needed because this cheesecake is pretty easy to make. I got the recipe from Cakes Galore by Valerie Barrett and it is very good! 

CHEESECAKE:

Ingredients:

-7 oz graham crackers, crushed

-1/4 cup/1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

-3 x 8oz packages cream cheese

-pinch of salt

-3Tbsp. cornstarch

-1 cup superfine sugar (I used granulated)

-2 eggs, beaten

-2 egg yolks

-2 tsp. vanilla extract

-2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

-fruit to decorate

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300F. Grease a 9 in. springform pan fitted with a flat base. Mix together the cracker crumbs and melted butter, and press evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in oven for 10 min, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

     Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until soft and smooth. Add the salt, cornstarch, and sugar and beat for 1 min. Gradually add the eggs and egg yolk, beating well to combine. Stir in vanilla extract.

     In a separate bowl, whip the cream to form soft peaks, then fold half of the whipped cream into the cheese mixture. Refrigerate the remaining cream. Pour the cheese mixture evenly over the graham cracker crust. Bake in the oven for 50-60 min, or until set at the edges but slightly soft in the center. 

     Turn off the oven, leave the cheesecake inside, and leave the door ajar. Cool in the oven for 30 min. Remove the cheesecake and cool to room temp, then remove it from the pan, place it on a serving plate, cover with foil, refrigerate until cold. 

     Spread the remaining whipped cream evenly over the top of the cheesecake and decorate with fruit.

Happy Chocolate Cake

This is your basic chocolate cake. Two layers of devil's food cake gobbs of chocolate buttercream topped off with chocolate curls. I got this recipe from Elinor Klivans Chocolate Cakes that I got for my birthday last year its easy and delicious and perfect for any occasion. I made this cake for father's day a couple moths ago but it is so versatile you could make it for anything.

Use sturdy, good quality layer pans with sides that are 1 3/4 to 2 in high because if sides are too low cake can overflow and then you have a problem. Mixing time: 15 min for cake and frosting Baking time: 350F for about 35 minutes

DEVIL'S FOOD:

For two 9 in. layers:

-2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

-2 cups cake (soft-wheat) flour

-2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

-1 tsp. baking soda

-1/2 tsp. salt

-3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temp

-1 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

-3/4 cup granulated sugar

-3 large eggs

-1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

Directions:

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Butter the bottom and sides of two 9 in round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment baking paper and butter the paper. 

     Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl (or top of a double broiler which is what I do) and place it over, but not touching, barely simmering water in a sauce pan (or bottom of a double boiler). Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from over the water and set aside to cool slightly.

     Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and brown and granulated sugars until smoothly blended and creamy, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each is blended into the batter. Add the vanilla and beat for 2 minutes. On a low speed, mix in the melted chocolate. Add the flour mixture in three additions alternately with the buttermilk in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing just until the flour is incorporated and the batter looks smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly.

     Bake just until the tops feel firm when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

     Use a small, sharp knife  to loosen each cake from the sides of the pan, and invert the cake onto a wire rack. Carefully remove the parchment paper and place the paper loosely on the cake. Let cool thoroughly, then discard the paper.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM:

Ingredients:

-3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

-4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

-1/3 cup heavy cream, at room temp

-3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temp

-2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

-1/8 tsp. salt

-1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Put both chocolates in a heatproof bowl (or top of a double broiler) and place it over, but not touching, barely simmering water in a saucepan (or the bottom of a double broiler). Stir constantly, until the chocolates are melted and smooth. Remove from over the water and set aside to cool slightly.

     In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, powdered sugar, and salt until smoothly blended and creamy, about 1 minute. On a low speed, beat in the melted chocolate, cream, and vanilla until blended into the frosting. On a medium speed, beat the frosting until it is fluffy and lightens slightly in color, about 1 minute. Frosting is best used right after it is made. 

CHOCOLATE CURLS (OPTIONAL)

Ingredients/tools:

-large thick piece of chocolate, about 8 oz. \

-Vegetable peeler with swivel blade

-baking sheet/tray lined with parchment paper

Directions:

The chocolate should be at a very slightly softened state. To check the temperature, try making a few curls. If the chocolate is too firm, flakes form. If the chocolate is too soft, soft lumps clog the vegetable peeler. When the chocolate is at the right temperature, curls roll easily of the vegetable peeler. White and milk chocolate are softer than dark chocolate, and on a warm day they may be ready to form curls without preparation. 

     Have ready a baking sheet (tray) lined with parchment paper. Warm the chocolate between the palms of your hands for about 2 min. White and milk chocolate take less time to warm up; any chocolate takes longer to warm up if the room is cold. When the chocolate is ready it will feel slightly sticky. In this state, dark chocolate looses some of its shine. Another method is to put the chocolate in a sunny window for about 5 minutes, being sure to watch it so it doesn't melt. 

     Hold the block of chocolate in one hand. Moving the vegetable peeler away from you, scrape curls from the block in a single layer, using long strokes of 1 1/2 to 2 in. and forming curls about 1 in wide. Let the curls fall gently onto the lined baking sheet, using a small spoon to separate any that touch. Scrape along the sides of the chocolate block. The curls will vary in shape and size; longer curls will roll over themselves, and smaller shavings will have a curved shape. If the chocolate begins to flake or break instead of make curls, it is too hard and should be held between your hands again until it softens. If the chocolate is too soft and starts to clog the vegetable peeler, let it sit at room temp or chill briefly until it is firm enough. When block becomes too small to form curls save the chocolate pieces for a later use. You can make about 4 cups of chocolate curls from an 8 oz block. 

     Put the baking sheet with the chocolate curls in the freezer for about 30 min to firm them. Use a spoon to place them carefully over the top of a dessert or on the sides of a frosted cake. You can also place the curls in a tightly sealed container and freeze for up to 1 month.

ASSEMBLY:

Transfer one cake layer to a serving plate so that it is top up. Tuck wax paper strips 1 in or so under the cake all the way around to keep the plate clean. Use a thin metal spatula to spread about 1 1/4 cups of the frosting over the cake. Place the remaining cake layer onto the filling, centering it carefully. Scrape 3/4 of the frosting into a small bowl for decorating. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. 

     Spoon the reserved 3/4 cup frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a star or round tip. Pipe a border of shells or swirls around the top of the cake. (you can do this on the bottom as well if you have leftover icing) Spoon the chocolate curls over the center of the cake. Remove the paper strips and discard them.

     The cake can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Let sit at room temp for 1 hour before serving to let the frosting soften.