Breast and Bra Cake :)))

This week, I was asked to make a cake as a practical joke for the birthday of an 80-year-old guy. :) Adult cakes are not my usual kind of work, to say the least, but I didn't really want to say "no" to my husband's coworker (who had planned the joke), plus I do like a challenge every once in a while. So, on with the challenge I ran! :)

Apart from the obvious- that it is a breast and bra cake- it was actually a dark chocolate cake filled with whipped chocolate ganache, frosted with peanut butter frosting, and decorated with my homemade marshmallow fondant and buttercream frosting. I am including all the recipes below, as well as tips on making this particular cake, for any adult cake enthusiasts out there. :)

I used two 6" semi-sphere Wilton pans in which I baked my favorite recipe for dark chocolate cake but modified the temperature and baking time to account for the fact that I was working with domes, not regular flat pans. I normally bake this cake at 350F, but in this case I had the oven set at 325F. Also, instead of the usual 25 minutes or so in two 8" round cake pans, I baked these for a little over 30 minutes. Baking the cakes at a lower temperature but for a longer time ensured that they baked more evenly- this way, I avoided overbaking the outside of the cake and having a hard crust. The recipe I have produces a little more batter than is necessary for the two 6" pans, so I just baked a few mini cupcakes with the extra batter. :)

Dark Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tsps baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup hot coffee

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour two 6-inch semi-sphere cake pans (or use “PAM for Baking”).

1. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.

2. In another bowl or large measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Gently whisk.

3. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine – scrape up from the bottom to make sure all the flour is incorporated. Batter will be very runny, but that is okay- this is a very moist cake!

4. Pour 2 1/2 cups of batter into each of the prepared pans and place them on top of a cookie sheet. This way, the batter that may spill over will end up in the cookie sheet and not all over your oven. The reason for overfilling your pans slightly and even letting them overflow a little is because you want them to bake by filling the pans completely once they are done. Only this way can you have perfect semi-spheres as the final product- you may need to level them off a little bit by cutting the tops slightly. Also, as I mentioned above, this recipe produces a little more batter than you need for this particular size and shape of cake pans, so you can just make a few mini cupcakes with the extra batter (an added bonus!). :)

5. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack to complete cooling.

Whipped Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:
12 oz (about 2 cups) semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:
Bring the whipping cream to a boil in a little saucepan. Watch it carefully, because it may boil over. Put the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Pour the hot whipping cream over the chocolate. Stir a little until the chocolate melts and mixture is smooth and glossy- it literally looks like brown velvet! :) Place ganache in refrigerator for about an hour, until ganache has cooled completely but is not yet hard- it should still be spreadable. Beat with electric mixer for about 3-4 minutes, until it becomes the consistency of frosting that can hold stiff peaks. Do not overbeat- it may become grainy! If this does happen, however, do not panic! Just melt the ganache again and run it through a fine-mesh sieve.
Use ready whipped ganache to fill your cake (I cut the dome in two horizontally and cut out some of the middle, to create a hollow spot inside- this became the home for my yummy whipped ganache!)

Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (not natural)
3-4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp heavy cream or half-n-half

Directions:
In the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy and smooth. Add the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating on low. Mix in the peanut butter and the vanilla extract. Add the heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time, until frosting reaches your desired consistency. Frost the outside of your cake with a crumb coating- a thin layer of frosting, just to seal in the crumbs, so to say. Leave for about 30 minutes or more. Apply final layer of frosting and smooth out with a large offset spatula. Leave to dry out a little bit- another 30 minutes or more. Using a Viva paper towel, pat the frosting very carefully with your hands and smooth out any imperfections. The resulting surface should be as smooth as a lady's skin. :)))



Marshmallow Fondant

Ingredients:
16 oz mini marshmallows
1/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 lbs powdered sugar, divided
1/4 cup vegetable shortening

Directions:
Place the marshmallows in a large microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on High at 30 second intervals for about 1 to 1-1/2 minutes to melt the marshmallows. Carefully stir the water and vanilla extract into the hot marshmallows, and stir until the mixture is smooth. 

Transfer mixture (it will be very sticky) to the bowl of your electric mixer which you sprayed liberally with PAM or greased with vegetable shortening. Use the dough hook attachment. 
* (See note below). Beat in the confectioners' sugar, a cup at a time, until you have a sticky dough. Reserve 1 cup of powdered sugar for kneading. The dough will be very stiff. Continue kneading the fondant until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky to the touch (about 5-7 more minutes). 

Form the fondant into two balls, grease them with vegetable shortening (this prevents them from drying), wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. To use, allow the fondant to come to room temperature, and roll it out onto a flat surface dusted with confectioners' sugar (or if you prefer, use vegetable shortening instead- that's what I did). For this cake, I rolled out the fondant with a rolling pin that had a squiggly pattern on it, to replicate a fabric texture. I was pretty happy with the way it turned out.

Cut out the fondant into two large triangles and lay each one on the "breasts" for a bra. :) Trim off any excess.


* Note: If you are using all of the fondant in one color, the easiest way is to add your food coloring at this point. However, if you need different colors, then you will have to add the coloring after the kneading stage, when you separate the fondant, and work it in by hand while kneading- I suggest using latex gloves for this, to avoid technicolor hands. :)

Finally, I used Buttercream Frosting for making the lace on the bra after I placed the fondant, and also for the writing on the cake.

Ingredients: 

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 tsp heavy cream or half-n-half

Directions:

Beat butter in the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until it is light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar gradually and beat until smooth. Add vanilla extract and cream (1 teaspoon at a time). Add desired food coloring, if using, and pipe frosting on your cake. 

I adapted the following fondant recipe: marshmallow-fondant

Apricot Cake

 

 

I made this dessert for us a couple of weekends ago when we were expecting company and it turned out beautiful and delicious! It was also a breeze to prepare! I made it with apricots but really, it can be made with any kind of fruit such as peaches, plums, berries, etc or even a combination of different kinds. It is very simple in that it does not require a frosting, just a sprinkling of powdered sugar would be enough. I served it with some homemade vanilla ice cream (stay tuned for that recipe in a post coming up soon!) and it was a killer combination! My kids raved! I am sure it will get rave reviews in your family if you make it. Go ahead- whip it up, you can thank me for it later. :) I send my special thanks to Crafty cooking by Anna where I found the original recipe (which I adapted slightly).

 



Apricot Cake

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract 
about 2 cups pitted and chopped fresh apricots  (or peaches, plums, berries, etc- any fruit you prefer, or a combination of several different kinds)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F.

Grease and flour a 9 inch round cake pan, or an 8x8 inch square pan, or any baking dish of similar size.

In a medium size bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, sugar, milk, oil and vanilla extract.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined and flour pockets are gone. Do not overmix! Mix about 1 1/2 cup of the fruit into the batter. Pour batter into prepared pan. Decorate the top with the rest of the fruit.

Bake 25 to 35 minutes. Start checking after 25 min. Baking time may vary depending on your baking dish, your altitude, oven, etc. Do not overbake- cake is done when a toothpick inserted in center comes our clean. Cool on a wire rack and dust with powdered sugar just before serving. Enjoy!





 

Recipe adapted from "Crafty Cooking by Anna": https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.835685949775346.1073741911.753830617960880&type=1



Chocolate Hazelnut Mocha Cake with Chocolate Kahlua Frosting and Dark Chocolate Ganache

In case you didn't notice from the title of this post, it is ALL about CHOCOLATE! So if you are not a chocolate fan, you can stop reading right here. However, if you think the world will just not be a perfect place without this luscious, velvety, scrumptious, beautiful PLANT called chocolate, then this post is for you!

This was a cake I made as a thank-you to a friend of my husband's for his kindness to us. We thought this would be the "sweetest" way to say "thank you" to him. :) Apparently, so did his family: he reported the entire cake was gone in two days flat!

The cake is a modification of my beloved dark-chocolate-cake-with-peanut-butter-frosting.
It is by far one of the most extraordinary cakes I have ever baked. The full name for the cake should actually read: Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Mocha Cake with fresh bananas (between the layers), Chocolate Kahlua Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting, and Dark Ghirardeli Chocolate Ganache. I know, it is a mouthful to say and it may sound like there is just way too much going on in it at the same time, but in reality, the flavors work so exceptionally well together, that every. single. bite. tastes like you just died and went to heaven.... :)

Chocolate Hazelnut Mocha Cake

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tsps baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken (or 1 cup minus 1 tbsp milk and 1tbsp white vinegar added and left 5 min)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup hot hazelnut flavor coffee

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans – Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans (or use “PAM for Baking”).

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.

In another bowl or large measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Gently whisk.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine – scrape up from the bottom to make sure all the flour is incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto cooling racks to complete cooling.

Chocolate Kahlua Frosting

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter, preferably not all-natural
2 tsp Kahlua Liqueur (or 2 tsp vanilla extract if you want to avoid the alcohol)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:
In the bowl of your electric stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese and peanut butter together until very light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the Kahlua liqueur (or vanilla extract). Add the cocoa powder and beat until combined. Add the powdered sugar gradually and mix in fully after each addition. (I like to drape a kitchen towel over the stand mixer while doing this, to avoid a cloud of powdered sugar in my kitchen- it really does help!) Cream on low speed until well blended and creamy. Gradually pour in the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is light and fluffy. Frost your cooled cake and decorate.

Chocolate Ganache:

6oz dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Bring the whipping cream to a boil in a little saucepan. Watch it carefully, because it may boil over. Put the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Pour the hot whipping cream over the chopped chocolate. Stir a little until the chocolate melts. Pour over the cake before it sets.

To assemble cake, once it has cooled on wire racks, place the first layer on serving platter, spread a little of the frosting on top. Arrange thinly sliced fresh banana on top (optional but really good :)), spread more of the frosting on top of the bananas. Place second layer on top. Frosting the entire cake with the remainder of the frosting and decorate to suit your needs and/or occasion. Pour the slightly cooled (but still not set) chocolate ganache on top of the frosting. If you want to write with icing on top of the ganache, you have to wait for it to set a little bit. For this cake, I was pressed for time and had to put my writing on top of the still liquid ganache- it was very hard to do and (as you can see from the pictures above) it turned out pretty sloppy. But, the recipients were thrilled with it sloppy writing or not... :) And I am sure you will be too, if you decide to make it! Now, don't waste any time- go ahead and bake this cake, I know you want to!

Magic Cake

Chef Anna presents "Magic Cake"! Last night, she and her friend Marley put this delightful dessert together and were very proud of themselves. :) They definitely had a good reason to be proud of their accomplishment: the result was beautiful and delicious! And it was magical too, as they only put one batter in the pan but during baking it separated into three layers! It is vanilla-custard type dessert with a cake layer on top. If you are a fan of creme caramel, you will love this cake! Next time, we are going to make it with lemon flavor; we all seem to think that it will be even better!

Ingredients:

4 eggs (separate yolks from whites) at room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

150 g (3/4 cup) sugar

125 g (1 stick or ½ cup) butter, melted and slightly cooled

115 g (4 oz or ¾ cup) all-purpose flour

500 ml (2 cups) milk, lukewarm

powdered sugar for dusting cake

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Grease an 8x8-inch baking dish.

Separate eggs. Add the egg whites to a mixer and mix until egg whites are stiff. Place egg whites in a bowl and set aside.

Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until light. Add melted butter and vanilla extract and continue beating for another minute or two. Add flour and mix in until fully incorporated.

Slowly start adding the milk and beat until everything is well mixed together. Add the egg whites, a third at a time and gently fold them in using a spatula, repeat until all egg whites are folded in. The final batter will be very runny- that's okay!

Pour batter into baking dish and bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until the top is lightly golden and cake is set in the center.

Cool on a rack. Refrigerate. It really is better the following day, when it sets. Before serving, sprinkle powdered sugar if desired.

Recipe courtesy: jocooks.com

Vegan Chocolate-Mocha Cake

This chocolate-mocha cake is a twist on the popular cake originated during WW II, known as "wacky cake". It is completely vegan: no eggs, butter, milk, cream, yogurt, or any other animal products and extremely moist, dark and delicious! It is also exceptionally mess-free: everything is mixed in the baking dish in which it is baked, not even a mixing bowl is required. I call this efficient!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cider vinegar
6 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup brewed coffee, room temperature

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift flour, sugar, salt, soda, and cocoa together into an 8x8 inch ungreased cake pan. Make three wells in the dry mix- one larger one and two smaller ones. Into one of the small holes pour the vanilla, into the other one- the vinegar, and into the larger one- the oil. Pour coffee over all, and stir with fork until uniformly moist.

Bake on middle rack of oven at 350 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is springy and a tester inserted in the center comes out dry. Frost with your favorite icing (I didn't even do that- it was delicious all on its own!).

Recipe adapted from: wacky cake

Greek Nut and Spice Cake (a.k.a. Karethopita)

Another amazing- and Sweet- dessert from "All-American Desserts: 400 Star-Spangled, Razzle-Dazzle Recipes for America's Best Loved Desserts" by Judith M. Fertig.
Here is what the author herself says about it: "Also known as karethopita, this moist cake, cut into diamond shapes and served on frilly paper doilies, is an annual hit at Greek festivals around the country. Besides its heritage though, this flavorful cake appeals to the modern cook because it's easy to make, stays moist, and is easily portable to the lake or a country home, where you and your guests can nibble it away during a three-day weekend."

Cake:
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 cup milk
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Sugar Syrup:
2 cups water
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and set aside.

To make the cake, in a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk the vinegar and the milk and set aside for several minutes to sour. In a medium-size bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves. With an electric mixer, beat together the oil, sugar, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Beat in the vanilla and sour milk. Add the dry ingredients gradually, beating well. Beat in the walnuts. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. Allot the cake to cool completely in the pan while you make the syrup.

To make the syrup, bring the ingredients to a boil in a medium-size heavy saucepan over medium-high heat and boil for 5 minutes. With a wooden skewer, poke random holes halfway through the cake, then pour the hot syrup over the cake. Let the syrup soak into the cake, then cut it into squares or diamond shapes and serve.

Recipe courtesy: "All-American Desserts: 400 Star-Spangled, Razzle-Dazzle Recipes for America's Best Loved Desserts" by Judith M. Fertig;
All-American-Desserts

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

This beautiful festive cranberry upside down cake is the ideal dessert for this holiday season. The fresh cranberries add delicious tartness balanced wonderfully with the caramel glaze and the rich, buttery taste of the cake. A great alternative to pumpkin desserts (which my family happens to hate :). 

Topping:

5 tablespoons (1/3 cup) (70 grams) unsalted butter

2/3 cup (140 grams) light brown sugar

8 ounces (2 1/4 cups) (227 grams) fresh cranberries

Cake Batter:

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour

2 teaspoons (7 grams) baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs, separated

1/2 cup (120 ml) milk, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (or lemon juice)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Butter a 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pan.

Topping: Place the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Continue cooking for a few more minutes until the sugar starts to brown (caramelize). Then remove from heat, and pour into your prepared cake pan. Sprinkle evenly with the fresh cranberries.

Cake Batter: In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add the egg yolks and beat until incorporated. Add the flour mixture (in three additions), alternately with the milk (in two additions), ending with the dry ingredients. 

 

In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar just until the whites hold a firm peak. With a large spatula gently fold the beaten egg whites into the cake batter in two additions. Pour the batter into the cake pan, smoothing the top. Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the top of the cake has browned and it just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 10-15 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan and then invert the cake onto your serving plate. 

This cake is best served shortly after baking, while it's still warm. But leftovers can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for a few days. Reheat.

Makes about 8-10 servings.

Recipe courtesy: http://joyofbaking.com/CranberryUpsideDownCake.html#ixzz2l9ZkuZJk

Apple Cinnamon Cake

When I saw this recipe posted on Facebook, I immediately thought, "This is perfect, I am sooo making it!". My son is the ultimate apple fan, eating an average of 3-4-5 apples each day, so apples are a staple in our kitchen. Plus, at this time of year, they are delicious! Whipping the cake together was a snap- it is a true one-bowl recipe. My cinnamon-loving family absolutely loved it! It makes a definite cinnamon statement and it's also very moist and full of apple flavor.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
6 medium apples (I used Red Delicious because this is what I had on hand)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, cinnamon and oil. Peel and slice the apples and add to mixture in bowl (coating as you go to keep apples from turning brown.) Mix together the baking soda and flour and add to the ingredients in the bowl. Mix well (best with a fork) until all of the flour is absorbed by the wet ingredients. Pour mixture into a greased one 9x13" or two 9″ round pans. Bake for approximately 55-60 minutes in 9x13" pan or about 30-35 minutes in 9" round pans, or until cake tests done. Cool on racks. Slice and enjoy! :)

Note: The batter for this cake is very dense (it initially freaked me out a little bit) but the apples release a lot of moisture during baking and it actually turns out really moist and utterly delicious!

Original recipe re-posted on Facebook: http://honeytreebuzz.com

Double Dark Chocolate Mocha Cake

Last week, I was asked to make a cake for a farewell sort-of party. The retiring person was a big fan of any and all kinds of cake, so I was given the freedom to choose whatever I wanted to make. I was thrilled! :) I decided to bake a dark chocolate mocha cake (which is one of my personal favorite cakes) but for the filling and the frosting I wanted to try something new and different. So, I chose a chocolate cream cheese frosting for the filling and the base layer of frosting and a mocha frosting for the basket weave and the decorations on top. It worked out pretty successfully with the two shades of brown in the two frostings and the flavor combination was to die for! The lady who took it to the party said that there wasn't a single crumb left and that the cake was "amazing". That's what I like to hear! :) So, I am sharing the recipe with you, as it received such rave reviews.

Dark Chocolate Mocha Cake

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tsps baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup hot coffee
  
  Directions:
  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans – Line with parchment, then butter and flour the pans (or use “PAM for Baking”).
  
  1. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.
  2. In another bowl or large measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Gently whisk.
  3. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer on the lowest setting, add the coffee and stir just to combine – scrape up from the bottom to make sure all the flour is incorporated. Batter will be very thin and runny- don't worry!
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack to complete cooling.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting/Filling

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp chocolate syrup
• 1-2 Tbsp milk
  
  Directions:
  Beat butter and cream cheese for 3-5 minutes, until fluffy. Bean in powdered sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate syrup and 1 Tbsp milk. Beat for an additional 3-5 minutes, adding more milk to get desired consistency.
  I used this frosting to fill the cake with and to do the crumb coating on the sides and cover the top.

Mocha Frosting

• 1 tbsp instant coffee powder
• 2 tbsp boiling water
• 3-oz unsweetened or dark chocolate (I used Ghirardelli's bittersweet), chopped
• 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions: 

In a medium sized, microwave-safe bowl, combine instant coffee and boiling water. Stir to completely dissolve coffee. Add chocolate to the bowl and allow the hot water to begin to melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally. If the chocolate does not melt, microwave mixture in 20-30 second intervals until chocolate is melted. Set aside to cool completely.

In a large bowl, beat butter until fluffy and creamy. Beat in vanilla extract and cooled chocolate mixture. Gradually blend in the confectioners’ sugar and beat until frosting is thick and fluffy.

I used this frosting to pipe the basket weave on the sides and to make the roses for the top of the cake.

Recipes adapted from:
Dark Chocolate Mocha Cake: click here.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting: click here.
Mocha Frosting: click here.

White Texas Sheet Cake

This was a cake I made a couple of times last week. I had seen it on Pinterest and thought it sounded delicious- anything vanilla sounds great to me! :) Of course, I had to add a little bit of my own to the recipe: I couldn't resist throwing in some lemon zest, as I had fresh lemons and I love the flavor they add to vanilla desserts. It was extremely easy to prepare and it turned out very yummy! I had some excellent reviews!

Ingredients:

Cake:
1 c. butter
1 c. water
2 c. sugar
2 c. + 4 T flour
1/2 t salt
1 t soda
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
zest of 1 lemon (optional)
1/2 c. sour cream

Frosting:
1 C butter
6 T evaporated milk
1 t vanilla
4-5 c. powdered sugar
dash of salt
1 c. pecans, chopped (optional)

Directions:
Put butter and water in a large bowl.  Heat in microwave for 2 minutes.  Stir until all the butter is melted.  Add sugar, flour, salt, and soda.  Stir with a wire whisk until smooth.  Add eggs, vanilla and lemon zest. Beat well.  Stir in sour cream until all is blended. 
Pour into a 11”x17” baking sheet that has been greased and floured. 
Bake at 375º for 20-25 minutes, until cake springs back when lightly touched or toothpick inserted in center comes clean.
Remove from the oven and make the frosting.
Cook butter and milk for 3-4 minutes in microwave.  Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and a dash of salt.  Beat until smooth. Add nuts and gently spread on warm cake.

Cool and serve.

This awesome recipe came from:
http://www.friedalovesbread.com/2011/12/quick-easy-dessert-for-group-white.html

Golden Rum Cake

I am generally a fan of "from scratch" baking, but this recipe that starts with a boxed cake mix has won me over. I have to admit, I was sceptical at the beginning, but after reading all the rave reviews it had on the website where I found it, I had to give it a try. Wow! I can honestly say this is one of the moistest cakes I have ever tasted- between the pudding mix and rum in the cake itself and the rum glaze you add to it after baking it is simply phenomenal! And- always a bonus for me- easy, easy! It does have a little "kick" to it, so if you want to avoid that, just add the rum to the glaze a couple of minutes earlier to let the alcohol cook out. The flavor will still be there! This is great on its own, but I think it will be out of this world with a little vanilla ice cream on the side... :)))

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix 1 (3.4 oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix 4 eggs 1/2 cup water (or milk) 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup dark rum (I used Bacardi) GLAZE: 1/2 cup butter 1/4 cup water 1 cup white sugar   1/2 cup dark rum (I used Bacardi)

 

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sprinkle chopped nuts evenly over the bottom of the pan.
2.	In a large bowl, combine cake mix and pudding mix. Mix in the eggs, 1/2 cup water, oil and 1/2 cup rum. Blend well. Pour batter over chopped nuts in the pan.
3.	Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let sit for 10 minutes in the pan. After the cake cools in the pan for about ten minutes, take a spatula and loosen it from the sides and from the center (bundt pan). Poke holes in cake using a fork or a skewer. Then, pour the hot glaze around the edges so it goes right down the sides and soaks into the bottom (which will be the top) and the sides of the cake. Also, pour some around the inner ring and then a little along the top (which will be the bottom).  Let it sit for an hour or two, upside down, and then flip it over onto a serving plate and let it sit for a few hours or overnight before serving. It is definitely better the day after.
4.	To make the glaze: in a saucepan, combine butter, 1/4 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup rum. Recipe courtesy: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/golden-rum-cake/detail.aspx

Raspberry cake with white chocolate raspberry mousse filling

This week I had the pleasure of making a cake for one of the most special people in my life- my Mom. She turned 60 years young earlier this month and I organized a little surprise party in her honor on Sunday. Of course, I just had to make the cake myself! :) And since mama likes moist cakes only, and frosting that is not too sweet, I had to think of something extra special, for a special lady like her. This is how the raspberry cake with white chocolate raspberry mousse filling and whipped cream cream cheese frosting was born. The whole process did take three days to complete, as there were quite a few steps to it, but it was quite worth the effort. The decorations were buttercream frosting borders and writing and an assortment of fresh flowers in the corners. It turned out feminine, delicate and pretty, just like my mama (or "baba" as my kids call her :)).

Raspberry cake

Ingredients:
2 cups white sugar
1 (3oz) package raspberry flavored Jell-o
1 cup butter, at room temperature
4 eggs, at room temperature
2 3/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup raspberry puree made from frozen, thawed raspberries

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and dry raspberry gelatin until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Combine the flour and baking powder; stir into the batter alternately with the milk. Blend in vanilla and rasberry puree. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a small knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool in their pans over a wire rack for at least 10 minutes, before tapping out to cool completely.

I made my cake in two 9x13 inch pans and baked for 27-30 minutes. Cooled and filled with white chocolate raspberry mousse.

White Chocolate Raspberry Mousse

Ingredients:

1 (10 oz) package frozen raspberries, thawed
2 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp orange liqueur
1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
6 oz white chocolate, chopped
1 drop red food coloring

Directions:

1. Process berries in a blender or food processor until smooth. Strain mixture into a small bowl, and discard seeds. Add the sugar and liqueur, and stir until sugar dissolves. Makes 1 cup of sauce.
2. In a heavy saucepan on low heat, warm 1/4 cup of the cream and the white chocolate, stirring constantly until chocolate melts. Let mixture cool until it is lukewarm. Stir in 1 tablespoon of raspberry sauce, and the food coloring. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. In a medium bowl, whip remaining 1 1/2 cup cream to soft peaks. Fold into melted chocolate mixture, one-third at a time, until no streaks remain.
4. Fill or ice a cake (or serve in parfait cups layered with the rest of the raspberry sauce for a delicious dessert in its own right).
   
   Since I had extra raspberry sauce, I mixed the remainder with 1 tsp unflavored gelatin dissolved in 1-2 tbsp boiling water and used that to put between the layers of the cake, before I put the mousse. This way, some of the raspberry sauce seeped in the cake and made it even more flavorful and moist. It looked pretty when cut too. :)

Whipped cream cream cheese frosting: 

Ingredients: 

1 (8oz) package cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. In a small bowl beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form; set aside.
2. In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until smooth, then fold in whipped cream.
3. Since I was concerned about the frosting not being stiff enough to hold its shape, I followed a suggestion given by one of the reviewers of this recipe. I dissolved 1 tsp unflavored gelatin in 1-2 tbsp boiling water. I strained out any lumps. While beating the finished frosting very fast with mixer, I poured in the hot gelatin mixture. I kept beating for a minute or two until it was well mixed (if not there will be lumps of gelatin). The frosting held its shape for a few days but was still not stiff enough for me to pipe the borders with (as you can see in the picture below, it was hard to make it smooth when frosting too). For the borders and the writing, I ended up making a small batch of my tried-and-true buttercream frosting standby which is too sweet to frost the entire cake with, but which works beautifully for decorating.

Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
4-5 tbsp heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, and continue creaming until well blended.
2. Add salt, vanilla, and 3-4 tbsp whipping cream. Blend on low speed until moistened. Add an additional 1-2 tbsp whipping cream if necessary. Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy.

Recipe links:

Raspberry cake:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/strawberry-cake-from-scratch/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=strawberry%20cake%20from%20scratch&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e13=A%3aSearch%20Results-List%28control%29&e7=%2fmy%2frecipebox%2fdefault.aspx

White chocolate raspberry mousse:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/raspberry-white-chocolate-mousse/detail.aspx

Whipped cream cream cheese frosting:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/whipped-cream-cream-cheese-frosting/detail.aspx
  

Lemon-raspberry cake with "magical" lemon cream cheese frosting

I have been so excited about the new recipe for "magical" frosting I just found over at Mel's Kitchen Cafe, that I have made it three times in the last three days! :) Still, I made it in the original form the first time, using almond extract the second time, and changing it up just a couple more notches the third time- read below. :)

My daughter, Anna, helped me with the baking of the cake and making of the frosting, as well as assembly and decoration of the cake. She is so eager to learn, at just 8 years of age, I can't contain my joy! :) Here she is, proud with the cake we created together:

For the cake, we used my favorite vanilla cake recipe (see here), adding to it at the end the zest of one whole lemon and 1 tsp of lemon extract. We put raspberry preserves between the two layers of the cake and then frosted with the magical frosting (see here) and the following modifications:

Magical lemon cream cheese frosting
I substituted 8 oz of the butter in the base recipe with 8 oz of cream cheese,  added 1/2 tsp of lemon extract, the zest of one whole lemon, and freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon.

This variation definitely resulted in a softer frosting which would have been close to impossible to pipe, but in our case, that wasn't a problem- we wanted to simply smother it on the cake and make it very homemade looking. We achieved our goal! :) The frosting- and cake- were delicious! Tangy and sweet at the same time, moist and irresistible- all guests went for seconds!

We used the zester to garnish to top of the cake with more lemon zest in pretty long strips:

My little hostess serving the lemon-raspberry cake to our guests with a sweet smile:  :)

Apple walnut cake

This beautiful Apple Walnut Cake was the "Recipe of the month" for January, 2013 as printed in one of my local magazines, The Navesink Area Journal. It sounded good and I am always game for another apple dessert, so I whipped it up this past weekend. It turned out pretty darn good: buttery, moist, with a good apple-spice flavor, and walnuts that give it richness and texture.

Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
3 eggs, at room temperature
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsps salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
2 tsps vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts
4 cups cubed/chopped Macintosh apples  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour one 10inch tube pan.

 2. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Set aside.

3. Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Add to wet ingredients and mix well.

4. Stir in vanilla, walnuts, and apples. Mix well and pour into prepared pan.

5. Bake at 350F for approximately 1 hour to 1 hour, 15 minutes (depending on your oven), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool. Slide knife along outer edges to release bottom of tube pan. Slide knife along bottom of tube pan and inner tube to release cake. Note: If using lesser amount of apples, add several tablespoons of milk, to moisten the batter.  

Glaze (optional)
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tbsps of milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Makes approximately 1/2 cup of icing.

Stir milk into sugar. Add vanilla. Drizzle onto cake. May be thickened with confectioners' sugar or thinned with milk.

Old-fashioned apple cake

I love this cake! Since I first made it a couple of weeks ago, I've baked it at least half a dozen times for different occasions. Let's put it this way- I find reasons to make it! :)) It is so moist, yet so simple, pure old-fashioned goodness! And perfect for the fall with all these wonderful, sweet, juicy apples that are in season right now! I know the recipe by heart now, since it is so easy to remember- I call it my 1-2-3-4 cake (because it has 1 cup oil, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour, 4 eggs plus a few other ingredients) :)))

Old-fashioned apple cake

Preheat oven to 350F.

Indredients:

5-6 medium apples (4 if large) cored and sliced thinly in small pieces (but not peeled)
5 tbsps granulated sugar
1-2 tsps cinnamon

Mix the apples, sugar and cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Drain any juices that the mixture may produce.

In a large bowl, blend together:

1 cup oil
2 cups granulated sugar
3 cups all-purple flour
1/4 cup orange juice
3 tsps baking powder

To this batter, add:
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend all ingredients.  Batter will appear thick and heavy, not runny like traditional cake batters, but do not worry- this cake is one of the moistest cakes you will ever taste!

In a well greased angel food pan or bundt pan, pour 1/3 of the batter, add half of the apples, pour another 1/3 of batter over apples, add remaining apples and cover with remaining batter. Bake at 350F for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Note: If using a dark or non-stick pan, start checking for doneness at 1 hour.

After it cools, and you turn it over in an air-tight container, you could dust it with some powdered sugar too, if you want. This part is optional, of course.

Variations:

The first time I made this cake, I followed the directions- and list of ingredients- to the letter. However, since then, I have made it using a combination of apples and pears (delicious!), added chopped walnuts and slivered almonds, threw in raisins and cranberries- you can come up with so many delicious variations! I have also made it without the cinnamon because my mother has an aversion to it and I thought it would be nice to bake a cake that she could have with her coffee too. :)
She really appreciated it! It is truly perfect with a cup of coffee or tea!

Here is a picture of one of my variations: it has apples and pears, cranberries, walnuts and no cinnamon. My family- and everyone else who has tasted it- loves it!

Special thanks to my husband's co-worker, Don Cottrell, for this fabulous recipe!