SOC

Sweet and Tiny

2011-09-17T20:11:00.000-05:00

It has been so long since I have blogged. I apologize for leaving everyone hanging. It got crazy for a while with having a baby and getting through his first year along with having a 3 year old who constantly keeps me on my toes. Hopefully it won't be this long before I post again.

I made these sweet little cupcakes for a friend of ours who had their first baby. She is such a cutie and tiny as she can be. They are trying to adjust to their new addition and new schedule too, so I hope these cupcakes can bring a little cheer to them.

They are white cake with vanilla frosting topped with a white chocolate heart.

Peanut Butter & Nutella Cake Balls

2010-11-21T20:05:00.006-06:00

I stepped out my front door to go get the mail one day and saw this beautiful yellow leaf laying amongst all of the dead brown ones. I love finding beauty like this when I least expect it. Good thing I always have my phone on me. I'm constantly taking pictures of the things that strike my fancy. My husband is the real photographer, but I try to do my own little thang from time to time.

By the way.......total coincidence that my hubby decided to use a yellow leaf in taking these foodie photos for me. Just goes to show you that great creative minds think alike.

In the making.....

From left:

Peanut butter cake ball (chocolate cake + peanut butter)

Nutella cake ball (chocolate cake + Nutella)

Peanut butter & Nutella cake ball (chocolate cake + peanut butter + Nutella)

All coated in milk chocolate and drizzled with peanut butter or sprinkled with glitter sprinkles.

My recipe is simple. Cook your favorite cake (I used a devil's food boxed cake mix), mix in your favorite icing or filling (I used peanut butter and Nutella), roll into balls, freeze, then dip in your favorite chocolate (I used Almond Bark milk chocolate) and finish with your favorite toppings (I used glitter sprinkles and melted peanut butter morsels).

Easy as pie!....................or...........................easy as cake balls!

The "Ava" cupcake

2010-10-25T10:52:00.004-05:00

My daughter Ava and I took time out on a rainy morning this past week and made mini cupcakes together. She requested red velvet cake with orange icing. We had a good time together and thankfully her little brother who is only 2 months old slept long enough for us to have some fun.

After we finished with them, we dipped them in red sprinkles and turned them into little lollipops.

Here's a few pics of our morning together....

Ginger Cookies

2010-08-15T18:18:00.003-05:00

I'm typically a chocoholic when it comes to cookies, so most of the time I find myself looking for recipes that have some form of chocolate in them. However, recently, I've been dreaming of fall because I am NINE months pregnant and WISHING for cool weather. So, to get me in the spirit, I found this awesome recipe for ginger cookies. Most of the time when you think of ginger cookies, you think of a crisp, hard cookie. But these are just the opposite. They are still thin but oh so chewy. And I'm a big fan of chewy.

I have to admit, these are cookies that are best around Christmas time, but I found a way to bring a little bit of summer into them. I whipped up some lemon cream cheese filling to make them into a sandwich cookie. The lemon really does help to tone down the spices that are in the cookie. (which are ground cinnamon, ground cloves and of course, ground ginger) So, even if you aren't a huge "spice cookie" fan, these can still become a favorite.

Here is the link below to the recipe...

Ginger Cookies

TIP: Before baking them, I read the reviews and most people said to chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling into balls and it really did help. I also did NOT flatten the cookies before baking. I left them rolled into balls and then just popped them into the oven.

Happy baking!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

2010-07-23T10:44:00.004-05:00

I made these chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes for my husband's birthday. His favorite ice cream is chocolate chip cookie dough, so I made these to go along with a big heaping bowl of his favorite ice cream.

The cupcakes are yellow cake filled with a bite of chocolate chip cookie dough inside and topped with chocolate buttercream icing with a Famous Amos cookie. I also made the cupcake liners out of good ol scrapbook paper and colored the designs on them to give them a little personality.

They were incredibly easy to make. One tip I have is to make sure you don't fill the cupcake liners with too much batter because you need to make room for the big cookie dough bite to go in the center. Otherwise, they will have a large "muffin top" like mine turned out. However, it didn't make them any less delicious! I've attached the link below for those of you who would like to try these out. Believe me....you won't regret it!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Homemade Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

2010-06-26T11:48:00.004-05:00

This turned out way better than I was expecting. I have been experimenting recently with homemade yeast rolls, so I wasn't so worried about the yeast part as much as I was about how soft the dough would come out. I am NOT a fan of hard rolls or any hard dough of any kind. So, when I saw this recipe had Jello pudding incorporated into it, I knew it had to be a slightly softer dough. And it WAS! YUM! The dough itself has a slight sweetness to it minus the yummy cream cheese icing, so even if you don't want a ton of icing, they are still really good by themselves.

Here I am below adding the butter, cinnamon and brown sugar to the dough.

Here they are on the pan about to rise again one last time before being tossed into the oven. You can see in this photo that the dough is not very tightly wound together. I would say that is one thing I would do different next time is make sure the dough is tightly wound as much as possible. I think that would have helped them not to spread as much in the cooking process. So, now you have a heads up for when you bake them!

The finished product! A soft, sweet dough with a thick cream cheese icing on top. Made for a large appetite! Here is the recipe below if you are brave enough! =0)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 pkg. dry yeast
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 3 1/2 oz. pkg vanilla pudding mix
• 1/2 cup margarine, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups flour

Filling:
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups light brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons cinnamon

Preparation:

Mix water, yeast, and sugar together until yeast and sugar are dissolved. Set aside. In a large bowl prepare pudding mix according to package directions. Add margarine, eggs and salt; mix to blend well. Add yeast mixture and blend well. Gradually add flour; transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead dough until smooth. Place in a greased bowl; cover and let rise until doubled. Punch down dough and let rise again.

Roll out on a floured surface. Take 1 cup soft butter and spread over surface. In a bowl mix 2 cups brown sugar and 4 teaspoons Cinnamon; sprinkle over the top. Roll up tightly. Put a notch every 2 inches. Cut with thread or a sharp knife. Place cinnamon rolls on lightly greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart; lightly press each roll down. Cover and let rise to double again.

Bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove when they start to turn golden - don't overbake. Frost warm rolls with a cream cheese frosting. Makes about 20 large Cinnabon-like Cinnamon Rolls.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk

Mix all ingredients together with a mixer until smooth. Spread over warm cinnamon rolls.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

2010-06-20T13:29:00.005-05:00

Happy Father's Day to my wonderful husband who is the greatest Daddy to both of my babies. I decided to celebrate this occasion by baking him a cake made with his favorite chocolate. Dove chocolate. This cake is called "Chocolate Lovers' Cake" and when you read the ingredients, you can see why!

The cake itself is made with Dove dark chocolate promises, then covered in a milk chocolate icing, lined in Twix bars and topped with sprinkled cocoa. All different kinds of chocolate for the chocolate lover. The cake itself reminded me of the center of a truffle. The texture of a cheesecake but melts in your mouth when you eat it. Mmmm.

At the bottom of the cake, I made Dove milk chocolate fondue but changed the recipe a little and added a spoon full of peanut butter to it. It helps hold the fondue together a little more (so you can have more chocolate in each dip) and gives it a little salty flavor that just enhances the sweetness of the chocolate a little more.

Now, if you decide to make this cake, just do yourself a favor and don't think of the calories you are consuming. It would just ruin the experience. Just make it for a special occasion and then the calories won't count! ;0)

You can find both of these recipes on Dove chocolate's website.

DOVE CHOCOLATE

Mini Chocolate Coffee Cakes with Caramel Icing

2009-11-06T10:50:00.003-06:00

I found this little mini bundt cake pan at Walmart on the clearance rack. I've always wanted to make little mini cakes, so I thought I'd give it a try.

To make the cakes with a coffee flavor, I simply followed the ingredients on the back of a cake mix box except replacing the amount of water with strong brewed coffee. And of course, the stronger the coffee, the stronger the flavor in the cake.

The caramel icing is a recipe I found online. I've never had this type icing before and it was very good. It is a dense icing, but it instantly melts in your mouth when you eat it.

Easy Caramel Icing (makes enough for 24 mini cakes)

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

About 2 cups of sifted powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt butter in saucepan, stir in brown sugar. Cook and stir over low heat 2 minutes. Add milk, continue stirring until boiling. Remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm. Put into small mixer bowl, add sugar and vanilla while beating on medium speed, then beat on low speed for one minute.

Butter Pecan Cake Balls

2009-10-26T20:36:00.003-05:00

This was my first attempt at making cake balls. I decided I would try butter pecan cake with cream cheese icing dipped in white chocolate and topped with a pecan. These were a lot of fun to make and they turned out SO moist. They remind me of truffles. One or two of these and you've hit that sweet spot wall. But they are so worth it! I think my next attempt will be a pumpkin spice cake ball with cream cheese icing. Stay tuned!

Fall Leaf Cupcakes

2009-10-21T20:23:00.007-05:00

I had some creative brainstorming today that just hit me, so when it strikes, I must act. I had been toying with some ideas to do something for fall and today it came to me.

The cupcakes above are yellow cake with eggplant-colored buttercream icing. The leaves are made of gum paste. I started with adding a golden yellow food coloring gel to the gum paste and then adding brown, blue, and red without mixing all the way to create the marbled color you see. The leaves were cut from a template I created (not a cookie cutter) and veined with a gum paste tool (not a veiner press). Believe me....if I had both of those tools, I would have used them. In the final stage, they were dusted with yellow luster dust to give it a shine. The paper wrappers were made from brown lunch sacks that I cut up and crumpled to provide a nice texture. I wrapped a piece of twine around them and tied it in the back to help them to stay on the cupcake.

I think what's so cool about these cupcakes is that I used ingredients and stuff that I had around the house. Now, not everyone would have gum paste or luster dust, but since I had some leftover from a previous project, it makes it easier. I had so much fun creating these. A lot of hard work but a big payoff in the end.

No-Bake Cookies

2009-10-19T09:38:00.003-05:00

Now, I know these cookies are probably the easiest cookies to bake, but finding a good recipe can be challenging since there are so many versions of this cookie out there. I tried a different recipe before these that called for marshmallows. They were good, but had more of that marshmallow flavor than the deep chocolate flavor that I love so much. So, I found this recipe and in my opinion, they turned out great. For that deeper chocolate flavor, I added dark chocolate cocoa instead of regular cocoa and I liked it much better.

No-Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar

4 tablespoons cocoa (I used dark chocolate cocoa)

1/2 cup milk

1 stick butter

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

Put sugar, cocoa, milk and butter in a pan and boil for 1 1/2 minutes. Add peanut butter, vanilla and oats. Boil for 2 1/2 minutes or longer, stirring frequently. Drop on wax paper or buttered cookie sheet.

Po Po Whips

2009-09-26T12:47:00.009-05:00

I received this recipe from my brother-in-law who is a police officer. They really didn't have a name so I decided that I would name them after him. Po Po Whips. (Hope you don't mind, Russell) =0)

They are SUPER easy to fix and you can decide on what flavor you want. You'll see in the recipe below...

PoPo Whips

Preheat oven to 350º.

1 box of cake mix (any flavor)

1 egg

1 regular sized tub of cool whip topping, thawed (no fat free kind)

Whip it all together, spoon out onto greased cookie sheets, cook for 15-20 minutes and voilá! Instant cookies!

I ended up using golden yellow cake mix and threw in 2 cups of chocolate chips. Think of all the endless possibilities!

Thank you, Russell, for your great recipe!! Love you!

Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie Bars

2009-09-20T16:12:00.004-05:00

Well, Fall is just around the corner and to get in the mood, I decided to bake some chocolate chip pecan pie bars. They really do have that sweet toffee/pecan flavor that pecan pie has but with the chocolate chips added, it almost tastes like a brownie as well. Great combo. These are so easy to make for a party or get-together and turns out great every time. They are especially good warmed up with a scoop of ice cream on top. Happy Fall and happy baking!!

1 1/2 cups Original Bisquick mix

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup firm butter or margarine

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup dark corn syrup

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted, cooled

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350º.

In medium bowl, mix Bisquick mix and powdered sugar. Cut in firm butter using a pastry blender (or your hands) until crumbly. Press firmly in bottom of 13x9-inch pan. Bake 15 minutes; cool.

In large bowl, beat eggs, corn syrup, melted butter and vanilla with spoon until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans. Pour over crust.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and set. Refrigerate at least 2 hours until chocolate is firm.

Fresh Blueberry Jam

2009-09-07T16:37:00.003-05:00

I have never made any kind of jelly or jam in my life before this experiment. I've always heard of other people making it all the time and it sounded like fun. However, after reading the back of the Kerr jar box, I quickly realized it may be harder than I thought. But with the expertise of some in-laws and the physical help of my husband, I think I pulled it off. My reward was hearing those little tops go "pop pop pop" in the kitchen afterwards. If any of you are interested in making jam or jelly, it's really not as hard as it seems. I am attaching the recipe that I used. It made 7 half-pint jars. Let me know if any of you try it!!

How to make cooked jam

Taking a Step Back

2009-09-03T13:08:00.002-05:00

I wanted to inform everyone that I have decided to take a step back with my baking concerning taking orders. I am making this decision because I want to take some classes and experiment more before I get in over my head. I am still very new to decorating cakes, and I want to feel more comfortable in charging my clients for my creations. So, I will continue baking and posting like normal but only as a hobby for now. I hope you guys will continue to visit this site and enjoy the recipes, photos and creativity.

Rebecca

Double Peanut-Choco Bars

2009-06-05T10:04:00.004-05:00

1 box white cake mix (18.25 oz.)

1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup peanut butter

1 egg

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

1 (6 oz.) package of semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup Spanish peanuts

Preheat oven to 350º. 325º for a glass dish.

In large bowl, combine cake mix, 1/2 cup peanut butter and egg; beat on low speed until crumbly. Press firmly on bottom of greased 13x9-inch baking pan.

In medium bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and remaining 1/3 cup peanut butter; mix well. Spread evenly over crust.

Top with chips and peanuts. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars. Store loosely covered at room temp.

Margarita Cupcake Recipe

2009-06-01T19:21:00.003-05:00

Since so many people have been asking for this recipe, I decided to post it so you guys can make your own margarita cupcakes.

Cupcakes

1 white cake mix (18.25 oz. box - no pudding included in the mix)

1 can (10 oz.) frozen margarita mix, thawed and undiluted

3 egg whites

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tbsp. lime zest

Beat all ingredients together on medium speed with a mixer. Fill 2/3 full in muffin tins (makes 24 cupcakes). Bake at 350º for 22-24 minutes. After a few minutes, take cupcakes out of the muffin tins to continue to cool. Do not leave them in the pans to continue cooling.

Lime Cream Cheese Icing

8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

2 tbsp. key lime juice

1 tsp. key lime zest or lemon zest

4-5 cups confectioner's sugar

Beat all ingredients together except for sugar. Then beat in confectioner's sugar 1 cup at a time. I added a little food coloring to my icing to get that limey color to it. Otherwise, icing will be a creamy yellow tint.

Enjoy!

Margarita Cupcakes

2009-05-31T09:27:00.004-05:00

Margaritas and Margarita Cupcakes. Can't get much better than this. I absolutely love these! The cupcake is made from frozen margarita mix, so it tastes just like a margarita. The icing is made from lime juice and cream cheese and is decorated with a ring of sugar and a sour lime candy on the side. Great idea for a party!

My Grandmother's 80th Birthday Cake

2009-05-29T17:53:00.008-05:00

My Grandmother was having a party for her 80th birthday over Memorial Day weekend and I was asked to make a cake for her. It was such an honor to make my Grandma's birthday cake. 80 years is a special age and it was a very special day to celebrate. As you can see in the first picture, pink and pink roses was the theme for the cake table. The cake was a half-sheet cake with white cake and snow white buttercream icing. The roses are gumpaste and I added little iridescent stones and pearls to accent them. Her initials on the cake in the center are made from a mixture of gumpaste and fondant and they are brushed with pink luster dust. I will say, it is difficult to travel 3 1/2 hours with a cake....let alone when there is not a toddler sitting next to it. But I am so glad that it got there in one piece. Most importantly, my Grandma loved it and that makes me proud. Happy 80th Birthday, Grandma!!

Elvis' Cream Cheese Pound Cake

2009-05-17T22:12:00.005-05:00

Just to let you guys know, I am a big Elvis fan. Earlier this year when I spotted this cool Elvis cookbook while on vacation, I had to buy it and bake some of these yummy treats. This cookbook called "Fit For a King, The Elvis Presley Cookbook" was written by one of Elvis' personal cooks who made all of Elvis's favorites at Graceland. So, when I was looking through this book, one of the first recipes I wanted to try was this cream cheese pound cake. YUM!

This is a light, fluffy and not too sweet pound cake that would be perfect with a nice cup of coffee. My husband also recommended possibly adding some whipped cream and ice cream to it. We didn't actually try it, but it sounds like it would taste great!

Elvis' Cream Cheese Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

1 8-ounce package cream cheese

3 cups sugar

6 eggs

3 cups sifted cake flour

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Confectioner's sugar

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter with the cream cheese with an electric mixer. Gradually add the sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour and vanilla.

Pour the batter into a well greased 10-inch tube pan (or angel food cake pan). Bake at 325º for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove it and let it cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

Enjoy a little southern Elvis homecookin'! Thank ya....thank ya very mush.

Fireman Cupcakes

2009-05-10T15:21:00.005-05:00

I made these fireman cupcakes for a little boy who was turning 2 this past weekend. I made the platform out of styrofoam and foam core. Each platform was covered in black fabric. Yellow cupcakes with buttercream icing. I made the chocolate fireman hats out of a mold and piped the number "2" on each one. The top white cupcake is of course for the birthday boy. Thanks for looking!

A Blog Article About Sweet On Cakes

2009-05-04T18:04:00.005-05:00

A former co-worker of mine has a blog of her own called "Realistic Mom". It's a blog about sharing her thoughts and tips on being a Mom who is just trying to keep life real.

Recently, she emailed me and asked if I wouldn't mind answering some questions to feature Sweet On Cakes on her blog. I accepted and am very excited about what she has written.

To check it out, visit the link below and learn a little more about Sweet On Cakes.

www.realisticmom.com

Rich Peanut Butter Cookies

2009-05-01T16:17:00.004-05:00

For peanut butter lovers everywhere!

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup butter, room temp

3/4 cup peanut butter, chunky or smooth

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375º.

In a bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Beat together the butter, peanut butter, and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Gradually beat in the flour mixture.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, or about 2 to 4 hours.

Take tablespoonfuls of dough and roll into balls with hands. Place about 3 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Using a dinner fork dipped in flour, lightly press cookies, flattening and forming a criss-cross pattern on each cookie.

Bake until golden brown or about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for a minute; transfer to rack to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

2009-04-19T19:03:00.003-05:00

I made these cupcakes this weekend because I had an awesome new recipe I found for cookies and cream icing and I couldn't wait to try it out. I thought I would dress these boys up with a little tux since Oreos can be dressed up or dressed down. Who doesn't like Oreos?!?

Cake Wrecks

2009-04-18T21:51:00.004-05:00

This is what a bride wanted for her wedding cake.

This is what she received.

What?!? I found this awesome and hilarious blog that you guys need to check out. We all know that when baking, anything can go wrong but sometimes you just gotta wonder....what were they thinking?!?

Cake Wrecks

Become a Fan of Sweet On Cakes on Facebook!

2009-04-17T17:27:00.004-05:00

I have a page on Facebook now, so follow me there as well! I would love to hear from you.

Happy Easter Cupcakes

2009-04-15T19:39:00.004-05:00

I made these cupcakes for my family on Easter weekend. They are lemon cake with lemon cream cheese icing, gum paste daisies and chocolate crosses. Everyone thought these were a big hit and I thoroughly enjoyed making them. A lot of firsts for me. The cupcake wrappers were made from paper doilies you can find at any craft store. Happy Easter!

Banana Bread

2009-04-15T19:33:00.002-05:00

I have had several people ask for this recipe. It is a very moist bread.

Preheat oven to 325º.

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

3 ripe bananas, mashed

Hint: When bananas get too ripe, put them into a gallon bag and place into the freezer for the next time you want to make banana bread. They will turn black in the freezer but they are still good inside. Allow bananas to thaw on the counter for several hours before making the bread.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients and blend well. Add bananas mixing well with a spoon. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 8 inch loaf pans. Bake at 325º for 55 minutes.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

2009-04-05T21:36:00.003-05:00

These are one of my very favorite last-minute sweet craving recipes. So easy to make and are very delicious.

Cook Time: 20 minutes

14 oz. sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups quick cooking rolled oats

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350º.

Combine sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter; stir to blend then set aside. Combine brown sugar, flour, oatmeal, soda, salt and butter. Mix well.

Pat 1/2 of mixture in a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.

Drizzle with peanut butter mixture. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Top with remaining crumbs. Bake about 20 minutes.

Chocolate Fondue

2009-03-30T17:08:00.003-05:00

This recipe is SO creamy. The peanut butter and cream really thicken it up and make it so yummy. As you can see, I fixed fresh cut strawberries, bananas and pineapple. However, you can dip anything you like in it. Pound cake, brownies, apple slices, oranges, pear slices, cherries and maybe even popcorn. Anything you want dipped in creamy chocolate.

4 blocks Hershey's Baking Chocolate

1 cup of light cream (or whole cream)

1 cup of sugar

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Heat baking chocolate & cream in a fondue pot or a sauce pan over medium to low heat. Stir constantly until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth & well-blended. Add sugar and peanut butter; continue cooking until mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from heat & stir in the vanilla.

Makes 2 cups.

Tea Party Cake

2009-03-15T22:45:00.003-05:00

This was a cake I did for my daughter's 1st birthday party. The theme was a tea party, so I designed the cake to look like table cloths over tables with the tea set on top. The bottom tier was strawberry cake with buttercream icing. The top tier was white cake with buttercream icing.

Otis Spunkmeyer Blueberry Muffins

2009-03-12T20:00:00.003-05:00

These muffins are the most moist homemade muffin recipe that I have found.

2 cups of fresh blueberries (rinse lightly and drain)

1 package white cake mix

1 package of instant vanilla pudding (4 serving size)

4 eggs (beaten)

1/2 cup of vegetable oil

3/4 cup of milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350º.

Rinse blueberries lightly and drain. In mixing bowl, beat eggs until light. To the eggs, add cake mix, pudding, vegetable oil, vanilla and milk. Beat until smooth but do not over beat. About 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Batter will be thick. Carefully fold blueberries in the batter with a spoon or spatula. Try not to break the berries. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and place in the oven for 20-30 minutes depending upon the size of your muffin cups. Test with a toothpick and taking care not to over bake.

Will make about 9 large muffins or 12-15 small muffins.

The Cupcake Truck

2009-03-10T12:47:00.000-05:00

Recently, I found this cool cupcake site with a very creative flare. It is called "The Cupcake Truck" and it is basically a mobile bakeshop. They are located in New Haven, CT and they fill the cupcake truck with fresh cupcakes every day and ride around like an ice cream truck. I would love to taste their creations since they have yummy-sounding flavors like salted caramel, sweet potato pecan and loco coconut. You can also rent out the truck for parties and other events. Check it out!

The Cupcake Truck

They also have a blog if you are interested in reading.

The Cupcake Truck blog

How To Achieve the Perfect Cookie

2009-03-10T12:08:00.000-05:00

Perfect Cookies

Lemon Glazed Blueberry Pound Cake

2009-03-08T17:24:00.004-05:00

This is one of my ABSOLUTE favorite recipes that I have found. And I have added a small touch to it that really gives it some extra zip. I have made it several times and it was always a big hit. Plus, SO easy to make. My mom had given me some home grown Mississippi blueberries and I used them in this recipe. YUM! The lemon glaze is what I invented to drizzle over the top. It really does give it that extra tang to go with the blueberries.

This pound cake is baked in a tube pan.

Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Cake

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups flour, divided

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 pint fresh blueberries or 2 cups frozen, thawed

Glaze

3/4 cup confectioner's sugar

2 tbsp. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325º

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Sift 2 cups flour, salt and baking powder together. Add sifted ingredients to creamed mixture and beat. Dredge berries in remaining flour. Gently fold floured berries into the batter. Grease and dust a tube pan with confectioner's sugar or flour; pour batter into it. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until it tests done.

Once cake has cooled, take out of the pan and place on cake plate. Stir confectioner's sugar together with lemon juice and drizzle over the top of the cooled cake.

Happy Valentine's Day Cake

2009-03-07T18:28:00.006-06:00

3 layered strawberry cake with white buttercream icing and covered in white fondant. Sitting on a cake board covered in fondant wrapped in pink ribbon. Plastic pearls strung on thread around the bottom. Fondant bow on top dusted with pink luster dust.

This was a very fun cake to make. It took about 8 hours total from baking the first layer to taking the pictures of it. Some people can't believe that I would spend that much time working on a cake....well, for no one really....except family. But I find this to be so much fun. I am an artist at heart and to work with my hands again is truly exhilarating. I have had a lot of people comment on the bow. I am attaching a video from YouTube that I found on how to create this bow and wanted to share with you all. Hope you enjoy.

Fruit Basket Cake

2009-03-07T18:24:00.004-06:00

Yellow cake with chocolate icing, sugared grapes and chocolate-dipped strawberries. Surrounded in Pirouette cookies and wrapped in a gold ribbon. This was a welcome home cake I made for my sister and brother-in-law. Very yummy.

My First Decorated Cake

2009-03-07T18:10:00.005-06:00

I made this cake and cupcakes for a family member's birthday. They love hummingbirds, so I decided to design a cake to mimic that. This was my first time covering a cake with fondant. It was a little difficult trying to get it smooth around the sides, so I was kinda glad that my design included the chocolate ribbon around the bottom to hide it. Sometimes you learn as you go.

Substitutions

2009-03-07T18:09:00.002-06:00

1 cup cake flour = 1 cup minus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar = 1 cup granulated sugar mixed with 2 tbsp. molasses

1 tsp. baking powder = 1/4 tsp. baking soda plus 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 cup whole milk = 1 cup skim milk plus 2 tbsp. melted butter

1 cup buttermilk = 1 tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup (Stir; let mixture stand 5 minutes).

1 cup sour cream = 1 cup plain yogurt

1 cup honey = 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup water

1 cup molasses = 1 cup dark corn syrup or honey

1/2 cup corn syrup = 1/2 cup granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup water

1 ounce (1 square) unsweetened chocolate = 3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa plus 1 tbsp. shortening

1 ounce (1 square) semi-sweet chocolate = 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate plus 1 tbsp. sugar

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips = 6 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped

10 Tips for Baking Great Cookies

2009-03-07T18:07:00.001-06:00

Top 10 Tips For Great Cookies

1. Use top quality ingredients.
2. Be careful when you melt chocolate because it burns easily.
3. If the recipe calls for nuts, toast them before incorporating into your recipe. Toasting enhances their flavor.
4. Have all your ingredients at room temperature before you begin. Butter that’s too warm will make your cookies flat and greasy.
5. Throughly beat the butter or other fat with the sugar.
6. Don’t overbeat the dough once you add eggs or other dry ingredients.
7. If the dough is too sticky to handle, refrigerate it for about 15 to 30 minutes before using. Don’t add extra flour unless it’s absolutely necessary.
8. When rolling out dough, use form, even strokes. Try not to smash it.
9. Use heavy-duty cookie sheets and make sure they are completely cool before putting dough on them.
10. Let cookies firm up on the baking sheets for several minutes before moving them to wire racks.

Always keep your pantry stocked with basic and frequently used ingredients. The information that follows will help guide you with ingredients, equipment and techniques.

Chess Squares

2009-03-07T18:06:00.000-06:00

Skill Level: Easy

3 eggs
1 stick of butter, melted
1 box yellow cake mix
8 oz. cream cheese
1 lb. box confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 325º

Mix 1 egg, butter and cake mix by hand and press into a 9x13 baking dish. Mix 2 eggs, cream cheese & confectioners sugar and pour over cake mixture.

Bake until outer edges and top are lightly brown.

Lemon Bars

2009-03-07T18:04:00.003-06:00

Skill Level: Easy
Makes: 2 dozen

1 box lemon cake mix
3 large eggs, divided
1/2 cup oil
2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 container (8 oz.) sour cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon lemon juice (from a real lemon)
Powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350ºF.

Mix cake mix, 1 of the eggs and oil. Press mixture onto bottom and up sides of lightly greased 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

Mix cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add remaining 2 eggs, sour cream, granulated sugar, lemon peel and juice; mix until blended. Pour batter into crust.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until filling is just set in the center and edges are light golden brown. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into bars.

Wicked-Easy Fudge Brownies

2009-03-07T18:01:00.002-06:00

Skill Level: Easy
Makes: 2 dozen

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
3 large eggs
1 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Heat oven to 375ºF.

Put all of the ingredients into a large bowl in the order in which they’re written. Stir, then beat the mixture until smooth.

Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9x13-inch pan. Bake the brownies for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they’re just barely beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let them cool completely before cutting.

New Baby Cookies

2009-03-07T17:55:00.002-06:00

I made these cookie cutouts for my sister-in-law who had just had a baby. I used a sugar cookie mix for the heart cookies. The top icing is made from colored fondant and writing icing. This was my first time playing with fondant and I knew from then on I would want to dabble more in it.

Cinnamon Chocolate Nut Spirals

2009-03-07T17:51:00.002-06:00

Skill Level: Intermediate
Makes: 2 dozen

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup very finely chopped walnuts
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 tbsp. butter

Combine flour and salt in small bowl; set aside. Beat 1/2 cup sugar and 1/3 cup softened butter in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Gradually add flour mixture. Dough will be stiff. (If necessary, knead dough by hand until it holds together.)

Roll out dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper into 12x10-inch rectangle. Remove waxed paper from top of rectangle.

Combine chips, walnuts, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl. Melt 3 tbsp. butter; pour hot melted butter over chocolate chip mixture; mix well. (Chips will partially melt.) Spoon mixture over dough. Spread evenly, leaving 1/2-inch border on long edges.

Using bottom sheet of waxed paper as guide and starting at long side, tightly roll up dough jelly-roll style, removing waxed paper as you roll. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour. (If dough is chilled longer than 1 hour, slice with sharp, thin knife.)

Heat oven to 350º. Lightly grease cookie sheets. Unwrap dough. Using heavy thread or dental floss, cut dough into 1/2-inch slices. Place slices 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.

Bake 14 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool completely on wire racks.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

2009-03-07T17:49:00.002-06:00

Skill Level: Easy
Makes: 4 dozen

1/2 cup vegetable shortening
4 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
4 large eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
confectioner’s sugar

Heat oven to 350ºF.

In a microwave or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt together the shortening and chocolate. Transfer the melted chocolate to a large mixing bowl, and beat in the sugar and vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a separate bowl, sift together the baking powder, flour and salt. Add the nuts, then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mix well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for several hours.

Remove the dough from the fridge and shape it into walnut-sized balls. Roll the balls well in confectioner’s sugar and place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet, leaving about 1 1/2-inches between each cookie; they’ll spread.

Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes.

Note: For quick and easy coating of the cookies with confectioner’s sugar, put the sugar in a bag and add 4 or 5 balls of dough at a time. Gather the bag together at the top to trap the air inside and shake gently.

Giant Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

2009-03-07T17:47:00.003-06:00

Skill Level: Easy
Makes: 9 cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
16 miniature peanut butter cups, cut into fourths

Preheat oven to 350º

Beat butter, sugar and peanut butter in medium bowl until creamy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture; blend well. Drop dough by level 1/4 cup measurements onto ungreased cookie sheets; three cookies per sheet. Push about seven pieces of peanut butter cup into each cookie, flattening cookie slightly.

Bake 15 to 17 minutes or until light golden brown around edges. Centers will be pale and lightly soft. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet. Remove to wire rack; cool completely.

Oatmeal Toffee Cookie

2009-03-07T17:44:00.003-06:00

Skill Level: Easy
Makes: 4 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 3/4 (10 oz. bag) toffee bits
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to 375º

Lightly grease cookie sheet. Beat butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; beat until blended.

Stir in oats, toffee and coconut, if desired, with spoon. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto prepared sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 1 minute; remove to wire rack.

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie

2009-03-07T17:40:00.003-06:00

Skill Level: Easy
Makes: 5 dozen

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 small box of vanilla Jello
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 package (12 oz.) semi-sweet morsels

Preheat oven to 375º

Combine flour, baking soda, salt and vanilla Jello in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixing bowl until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Double Chocolate Cookies

2009-03-07T17:37:00.002-06:00

Skill Level: Easy
Makes: 5 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 packed light brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Hershey’s cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda

Heat oven to 375ºF.

Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in large bowl until creamy. Add eggs; beat well.

Stir together flour, cocoa and baking soda; gradually add to butter mixture, beating well until well blended. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Add your choice of chips
Chocolate
Mint
White Chocolate
Peanut Butter
Toffee
etc.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

2009-03-07T17:34:00.003-06:00

Skill Level: Easy
Makes: 4 dozen

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
granulated sugar
chocolate kisses

Preheat oven to 375º

In a large bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter until well blended. Add the sugars; beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg, milk and vanilla and beat well. Stir the flour, soda and salt together. Gradually mix into the wet ingredients.

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar. Place balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately place one kiss on each cookie. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Homemade Oreos

2009-03-07T17:32:00.004-06:00

Skill Level: Intermediate

2 (18 oz.) boxes devil’s food cake mix
4 eggs, beaten well
2/3 cup oil
1/2 cup butter
4 oz. cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350º

Mix eggs, cake mix and oil together

Shape into gumball size balls

Bake for 10 minutes

Inside cream filling of cookies:

Mix butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla together

When cookies are completely cool, frost the flat side of one cookie, place another cookie on top of the frosting (flat side to flat side).

Snickerdoodles

2009-03-07T17:30:00.000-06:00

Skill Level: Easy

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
cinnamon & sugar to taste

Preheat oven to 400º

Mix together butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, cream of tartar and baking soda. Stir in flour until well mixed. Roll into balls about 1” in diameter & roll in cinnamon and sugar to coat.

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes. Cookies are done when they are just barely brown.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

2009-03-07T17:29:00.000-06:00

Skill Level: Easy

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
4 squares unsweetened baking chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375º

Combine flour, baking soda & salt. Set aside. Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is melted. Add 1 cup of the sugar and mix well. Blend in egg & vanilla. Stir in flour mixture until well blended. Refrigerate 15 minutes or until dough is easy to handle.

Shape into 1 inch balls. Rollin the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes . Cool on baking sheets 1 minute.

No-Roll Sugar Cookies

2009-03-07T17:23:00.004-06:00

Skill Level: Easy
Makes: 3 1/2 dozen

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. vanilla
2 eggs
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar

In large bowl, beat 1 cup granulated sugar, powdered sugar, butter, oil, milk, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in remaining ingredients except for 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Cover, refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm.

Heat oven to 350º. Place 1/4 cup granulated sugar in small bowl. Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. Roll balls in sugar. On ungreased cookie sheet, place balls about 3 inches apart. Flatten to 1/4-inch thickness with bottom of glass. Sprinkle cookies with a little additional sugar.

Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until set and edges just begin to brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

Cookie Cups

2009-03-07T17:19:00.004-06:00

Skill Level: Intermediate
Makes: 4 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 packages (3 oz. each) cream cheese, soft
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup ground toasted almonds
2 eggs
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups Hershey’s Cinnamon Chips, divided

Beat butter and cream cheese in large bowl until well blended; stir in flour, sugar and almonds. Cover; refrigerate about 1 hour.

Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Shape each part into 12 smooth balls. Place each ball in small muffin tin (1 3/4 in. in diameter); press evenly on bottom and up sides of each cup.

Heat oven to 375º. Beat eggs in small bowl. Add sweetened condensed milk and vanilla; mix well. Place 7 cinnamon chips in bottom of each cookie shell; fill a generous 3/4 full with sweetened condensed milk mixture.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until tops are puffed and just beginning to turn golden brown. Cool 3 minutes. Sprinkle about 15 chips on top of each cookie. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Remove from pan using a small metal spatula or sharp knife. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Gotta Love Peanut Butter Cookies

2009-03-07T17:02:00.004-06:00

This is one of the best peanut butter cookie recipes I have found yet. YUMMY!

Skill Level: Easy
Makes: 2 dozen

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup peanut butter chips (or any other chip flavor you would like)
Granulated sugar

Heat oven to 375ºF. In large bowl, beat brown sugar, peanut butter, butter and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir in chips.

Shape dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Dip tops of balls into granulated sugar. Place balls, sugared sides up, about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet (do not flatten).

Bake cookies 9 to 10 minutes or until light brown. Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Did You Know:
Cookie dough can be covered and refrigerated up to 24 hours before baking. If it’s too firm, let stand at room temp 30 minutes.