Funfetti Birthday Cake!

Upon request: a Funfetti birthday cake for my friend Richard. You know, the same one that ate my gingerbread house... >:-\  (I'm still a little bitter about that.)

This is basically your best white cake recipe with a quarter cup -or more ;) of sprinkles. (Make sure they are the long kind. I have tried to make a confetti cake with the flat and non-glossy sprinkles before... doesn't work. They "bleed" in the batter.) 

White Cake + Sprinkles = Funfetti Cake

I didn't have a white cake recipe but I found one at The Way the Cookie Crumbles...she did all the hard work for me! :) She compared three white cake recipes: Cooks Illustrated (always fantastic!), Dorrie Greenspan's Perfect Party Cake, and a combination of the two - a recipe which she tweaked to be her ultimate white cake recipe. So, I gave hers a try. Here is my review: Flavor was perfect. Texture was pretty darn close. Her review said it was a little too sweet and she added a little extra milk to replace the sugar she took out.  I think the sweetness was just right but I think it could have been slightly moister.... I wonder if I remembered to add the extra 2 tbs milk when I made this cake. Hmmm....? Maybe I'll try 3 next time ;) Note that its important to keep your ingredients in proportion... so don't try to over do the extra milk... you'll end up with a sloppy mess.  More on the science of baking at Culinate.com; my most recently discovered foodie website. 

White Cake

The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Serves 12 -16

Nonstick cooking spray
2¼ cups cake flour (9 ounces), plus more for dusting the pans
1 cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk, at room temperature
6 large egg whites (¾ cup), at room temperature
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (11.35 ounces)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1½ sticks), softened but still cool

1. For the Cake: Set oven rack in middle position. (If oven is too small to cook both layers on a single rack, set racks in upper-middle and lower-middle positions.) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray; line the bottoms with parchment or waxed paper rounds. Spray the paper rounds, dust the pans with flour, and invert pans and rap sharply to remove excess flour.

2. Pour milk, egg whites, and extracts into 2-cup glass measure, and mix with fork until blended.

3. Mix cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of electric mixer at slow speed. Add butter; continue beating at slow speed until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no powdery streaks remaining.

4. Add all but ½ cup of milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed (or high speed if using handheld mixer) for 1½ minutes. Add remaining ½ cup of milk mixture and beat 30 seconds more. Stop mixer and scrape sides of bowl. Return mixer to medium (or high) speed and beat 20 seconds longer.

*If making a funfetti cake add 1/4 cup - although I think it could have used a half cup - of sprinkles.

5. Divide batter evenly between two prepared cake pans; using rubber spatula, spread batter to pan walls and smooth tops. Arrange pans at least 3 inches from the oven walls and 3 inches apart. (If oven is small, place pans on separate racks in staggered fashion to allow for air circulation.) Bake until thin skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes.

6. Let cakes rest in pans for 3 minutes. Loosen from sides of pans with a knife, if necessary, and invert onto wire racks. Reinvert onto additional wire racks. Let cool completely, about 1½ hours.

I frosted this cake with a fluffy white frosting that tasted like a cross between "Fluff" and "Cool Whip".  I think I'd like a buttercream for this recipe better... but no doubt the fluffy white frosting was delicious. I'm planning to use it to top off some s'mores cupcakes ;)

Nutrition Facts: (1/12 of cake)

Calories 318, Fat 12.5g, Carbs 47g, Sugars 28.6g, Protien 5.1g, 

Triple Trouble Chocolate Cake

Happy Birthday Dad!

Most of the time I try to come up with a catchy post title.  Something that is suggestive of what to expect from the recipe. This time "Triple Trouble Chocolate Cake" was the best I could come up with.... this is three ultra moist layers of decadent chocolate cake smothered with a rich, luscious butter cream that makes for a dangerously divine birthday dessert.  Would make quite the duo with milk, coffee, or vanilla ice cream.  Needless to say I'm thankful I left this with my Dad because as the name suggests - I would have been in a whole lot of trouble ;-)

Just another reason to love this cake - aside from the fact that it is perfect - is that it uses buttermilk!  Between buttermilk and bananas I'm always searching for new ways to use up the extras... never enough recipes.

I found this recipe over at Paperseed. She called this cake: "The most AMAZING buttermilk chocolate cake EVER"... and she's right. The original recipe came from Portland Monthly magazine which included a useful commentary from the author:

So what gives this recipe such staying power? It’s the oil, says McKinney. “Oil makes a moister cake, and allows it to last a week, whereas a layer cake made with butter becomes dry the next day.”  Plus, the hot coffee elevates the cocoa’s depth and complexity. The cake is versatile as well: The batter can be stored in the fridge for several days; stout can be used in place of coffee, it can even be made vegan (McKinney suggests using egg replacement and vanilla soy milk.) And the layers can be filled with whipped cream and fresh berries instead of ganache.

Buttermilk Chocolate Layer Cake

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 tbsp + 1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted)*
1 1/3 cups canola oil
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups freshly brewed, extra-strong hot coffee*
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9-inch cake pans with nonstick spray, and line the bottoms with parchment paper. *note that this recipe made enough for three layers when I made it*

2. Place flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, mix on low to combine. Keeping the mixer on low , add oil, buttermilk, then eggs one at a time. Add hot coffee in a thin stream, pouring down the side of the bowl. Add vanilla and mix until batter is smooth. Divide into pans and tap gently on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs, about 30-35 minutes. Let cool in pans for at least 20 minutes.

3. Remove cakes from pans. Place one layer of cake on a serving plate. Trim the top with a serrated knife to make it even (although I didn’t find this necessary). Frost with frosting of choice. [*i would suggest chocolate frosting, vanilla butter cream, cream cheese frosting, peanut butter cream, or fluffy frosting] I decorated with gold mocha M&Ms, whipped cream, a Ferrero Rocher and edible gold 'pearls'. 

Nutrition Facts: (1/16 cake)

Calories 317, Fat 20.9g, Carbs 35.4g, Fiber 1.8g, Sugars 32.5g

Strawberry Cheesecake

Life is sweet... Exams are over!! Time to celebrate!  : ))

Fresh strawberries from Bernie's Berries, just up the street from Dad's house, made this absolutely divine! [and they don't have to know its low fat   ]

I used a cheesecake recipe from Eat Better America.com.... A fantastic website that that takes classics and "healthifies" them.  Okay, all you skeptics.. dont' knock it 'till you try it.. just give it a try. The texture is a bit "fluffier" or lighter than a regular cheesecake (which is usually very dense). But I assure you the flavor is fantastic and you may even prefer the fluffier version. The recipe didn't call for the strawberry topping - but I like to jazz it up.. you could also add dulce de leche or chocolate, candied pecans, or make a berry crumble. Mmmmm... So much for a "healthified" cheesecake 

 Strawberry Cheesecake  

6 2	sheets of chocolate graham crackers (or chocolate waffer cookies) packages (8 oz each) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened (I used one fat free and one 1/3 less fat)
2/3	cup granulated sugar
3	egg whites or 1/2 cup fat-free egg product (I used egg whites)
2	teaspoons vanilla extract
1.75	cups fat free/low fat vanilla yogurt (I combined vanilla and lemon yogurt)
2	tablespoons all-purpose flour

1.	Heat oven to 300°F. Spray springform pan, 9x3 inches, with cooking spray. Sprinkle cookie crumbs over bottom of pan and pat down.
2.	Beat cream cheese in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add sugar, egg whites and vanilla. Beat on medium speed about 2 minutes or until smooth. Add yogurt and flour. Beat on low speed until smooth.
3.	Carefully spread batter over cookie crumbs in pan. [I would suggest doing a water bath or  set a brownie pan of warm water on the rack beneath the cake. This way you don't risk water seeping through. This will prevent the top of the cake from cracking. I forgot to do this when making this cake and ended up with a cracked top - good thing I was covering it with strawberries :) But I used it to make a key lime cheesecake and it was absolutely flawless!]  Bake 1 hour. Turn off oven; cool in oven 30 minutes with door closed. Remove from oven; cool 15 minutes. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours.
4.	Decorate with strawberry topping as follows. Store covered in the refrigerator. Strawberry Glaze 1 pint fresh strawberries, washed and hulled 1/3 cup water 2 tbs granulated sugar 1 ½ tsp cornstarch Cut 10 to 12 strawberries into slices; and arrange in a single layer onto cooled cheesecake. Cut enough remaining strawberries to make 1/2 cup; put in saucepan. Stir in 1/3 cup water and heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Press through a strainer to make 1/2 cup of juice/puree. Return the 1/2 cup puree to the saucepan. Mix together the sugar and cornstarch and stir into the puree in saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue cooking and stirring until thickened. At first it will be cloudy and then will become more transparent. It will remain a beautiful red color though. Cool slightly; spoon evenly over strawberries on cheesecake. Cool and store, covered, in refrigerator Nutritional Sats: (1/14th of recipe with strawberry glaze) 184 Calories 8.1g Fat 5.5g Protein 18g Carbs 18.3g sugar

Chocolate Crepe Cake - A special breakfast for Brittany's 21st

This is the labor of love!!  Are you jealous of my roommates yet?? Does your roommate make this cake for your birthday breakfast? Didn't think so. 

I've been meaning to share this cake with you all for a few weeks now.. I've been a bad blogger! But a good baker.. and a good student : )) 

Answer: 33. 

I should have stopped at 21 - the number of years. That would have been appropriate (and a little less work :) 

The idea of a crepe cake is a familiar Hungarian dessert as well. I have had this before but instead of using cocoa in between the layers there was ground almonds and powdered sugar. You could also use lemon zest + powdered sugar, or ground walnuts + jam, or even a cream or custard would be delicious.

I made mine with my new small fry egg pan I got for my birthday. The crepes were about 4 inches in diameter so I was able to achieve a tall cake. If you'd like to make a bigger cake I would suggest doubling the recipe so you still get the same height.

Alton Brown's Crepe recipe

(yields 17 normal sized crepes or 33 mini crepes, about 4 inches)

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• Butter, for coating the pan

Make the batter.

In a blender, combine all of the ingredients and pulse for 10 seconds. Place the crepe batter in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking. The batter will keep for up to 48 hours.

Choose your filling. 

Make your filing before you start your crepes. You'll see why in a minute. I used a combination of a lot of powdered sugar with some cocoa powder.  Alternately you can use hot cocoa mixes such as Nestle Quick.  Other fantastic choices are lemon zest and powdered sugar, ground walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds etc + jam or powdered sugar, any creams or custards would be lovely as well. 

Make your crepes and assemble the cake.

Heat a small non-stick pan. Add butter to coat. Pour 1 ounce of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. (If you're making the mini crepes I used about 1tbs per crepe. I think Alton mentioned about 1/4 cup for a normal sized crepe) Cook ...until you see the outer edges start to flip up a bit. It will not bubble like a pancake. Note: YOU DO NOT NEED TO FLIP THE CREPES. Slide the crepe (cooked side down) onto a plate. Since you will be stacking the other crepes the same way, the uncooked side will get cooked by the fresh and hot crepe that you will be stacking on top of it. See, Makes sense and its good short cut. (learned this from my mom and grandma :) After placing your first crepe sprinkle or spread the filling of your choice. Continue this process of alternating crepe, filling, crepe until all batter is gone. 

Alton suggests these variations for the crepe batter. I have actually seen a savory crepe cake made with mushrooms and ham. Yum!

*Savory Variation Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, spinach or sun-dried tomatoes to the egg mixture.

*Sweet Variation Add 21/2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of your favorite liqueur to the egg mixture.

Layerd Lime Cheesecake

A good friend of mine, Jesse, had just celebrated his birthday the day before our Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. Since we were already having a party what better than to make a birthday cake to celebrate with all our friends. Now what kind of cake to make??

Dilemma! 
 He does not like cake... uhmm, okay. 

Approach:

He loves mint, lime, cheesecake, and pies. 

Possible Remedies: 

 Key Lime pie  

(too summer-y)

Andes Mints inspired something or other

(wait, he doesn't like chocolate)

Cheesecake  

(too obvious)

Pie 

(nothing Birthday-ish about it...
can you even put a candle in a pie??)

Ah Hah! Got it...

A Key Lime Pie Cheesecake hybrid

Key Lime Cheesecake

P E R F E C T I O N !

I have no reservations about bragging on this recipe... it was absolutely luxurious.

The crust itself was incredible - just a simple graham cracker crust. Everyone loves this. On top of that a lime custard. On top of that a lime cheesecake layer. And to top it all off a layer of sweet sour cream. (Honestly, I was kind of turned off by this idea at first but the reviews swore by it so why not?!)

The criteria for this recipe search was that it must be: unique, do-ahead, have an impressive presentation and bold flavor, and required an intermediate skill level at most, so I stumbled upon this recipe on Epicurious and it was exactly what I was looking for.

I do not even like cheesecake but this was incredible!

I have provided you with a modified version of the recipe below. I simply tweaked it to include some of the recommendations that the Epicurious reviews provided.

Ingredients

Lime custard

• 6 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons fresh Key lime juice or regular lime juice (I used regular limes)
  
• 1 teaspoon grated Key lime peel or regular lime peel

Crust

• 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 12 whole graham crackers)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling

• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature (I used 1/3 less fat)
  
• 2/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons fresh Key lime juice or regular lime juice (I used regular limes)
  
• 1 tablespoon grated Key lime peel or regular lime peel

• 1 16-ounce container sour cream

Recipe

For lime custard:
Whisk all ingredients in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until custard thickens and boils for 30 seconds, this will take about 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally (mixture will thicken).
For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8 inch spring form pan. Stir first 3 ingredients to blend in medium bowl. Mix in butter until moistened. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of prepared pan. Bake just until set, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Maintain oven temperature at 350F.
For filling:
Place cream cheese, 2/3 cup sugar, lime juice, and lime peel in processor; blend well. Add eggs and blend until just incorporated. (You may have some smaller lumps but this is okay.)

Spoon custard into crust; smooth top. Carefully spoon cheesecake filling over the custard.

Baking instructions:
Fill a brownie pan half full with water. Place on a rack directly beneath the middle rack in your oven. Set the cheesecake on the middle rack. Bake until almost set but not completely puffed and center moves slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 45 minutes.


Meanwhile, stir sour cream and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl to blend. (I ended up using about 4 or 5 tbs. I guess it depends on your taste.) Carefully spoon sour cream mixture over hot cheesecake; smooth top. Bake until topping sets, about 10 more minutes. Cool cheesecake completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight. I would not recommend serving this immediately after cooled. Let the flavors settle over night and it is just fabulous!  

Do ahead Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated. Release pan sides from cheesecake; transfer to platter. Garnish with lime slices and serve.



Nutritional Stats: (makes 12 servings)
Calories 463, Fat 33.6g, Carbs 34.9, Sugars 22.6g, Protien 7.4g
Vitamin A 23%,  Vitamin C 6%, Calcium 9%, Iron 8%

Ps. This cake will serve WAY more than 12 people so don't completely freak :)  Just eat a sliver of cake (not a lot of slivers- I had to immediately leave the room after finishing my second sliver because this is just that good.)

Dobos Torta

DOBOS TORTA

The August 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful
of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite
Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.


This was my very first Daring Bakers challenge...They don't call it a challenge for no reason; this was tough!

Peanut Butter + Something? = PB Coffee Cake

Warning: If you eat peanut butter by the spoon full right out of a jar, this cake will be your weakness.

At First: It was like eating a spoon full of peanut butter, except it was fluffy and it melted in your mouth instead of sticking to the top of it :P This was such a moist cake. I would not use anything but skim milk in this recipe. I can't imagine what results you would get with whole milk. It might also depend on what peanut butter you are using but I'm guessing that almost any brand would have plenty fat to provide for a moist cake (unless you're using an all natural pb). It had great texture, but definently lacked something. Even with the mini Hershey kisses and Reese's Pieces on top there just wasn't any contrast in flavors.. but that didn't stop me from eating nearly a quarter of the pan!!! (yeah, I'll be doing 2-a-days in the gym for the next week for that little slip up ; p )

Next Time: I'll tweak it a little. Sorry, pb fanatics.. I love the stuff too.. but there are so many flavors that pair well with peanut butter it would be wrong not to try kicking it up a knotch. Hmm...maybe some cinnamon in the batter... or maybe a cream cheese swirl... or even fresh berries ( like a pb&j ). I was also thinking instead of making the crumble topping with pb, using Nutella or white chocolate (maybe even Fluff!). Possibly adding some nuts.

Inspiration: When ever I use peanut butter in a recipe I always think in terms of a peanut butter sandwich... the possibilities are endless. My inspiration? French Canadians put maple syrup in almost everything. My father, who is from Quebec, makes an incredible real-deal-maple-syrup-apple-pie. Eaten hot with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or even better: for breakfast the next morning! So, it makes perfect sense that my favorite pb sandwich as a child was: peanut butter and apple slices with a maple syrup drizzle. Try it if you dont believe me. And although, I'm not sure yet how I would incorporate apples and maple syrup in this cake I'm positive its do-able. With that said, I challenge you to use this pb cake as a base recipe and just add to it! What do you put on your pb sandwich? Let me know how it goes! :-)

Peanut Butter Coffeecake

from Suite101.com

• 1/2 cup brown sugar (I used light brown)
  
• 1/2 cup flour (All purpose)
  
• 1/4 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter (I used creamy but I would have used crunchy if I had it!)
  
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted (Use unsalted! the pb has enough sodium)
  
• 1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I used half a bag of Hershey's mini kisses)
  
• 1/2 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs (at room temperature)
  
• 2 cups sifted flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt (I did not use salt!)
  
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup milk (use skim!)
  

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 13x9" pan and set aside. Mix 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup peanut butter and the melted butter till crumbly; stir in chocolate chips and set aside.

In large bowl, combine 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1/4 cup softened butter; mix together well. Beat in 1 cup brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until fluffy.

Sift together 2 cups flour, baking powder, salt, and soda. Add alternately with milk to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan and top with chocolate chip mixture.

Bake at 375 degrees F. for 30 to 35 minutes, until coffeecake is golden brown and is beginning to pull away from sides of pan. Cool for 30 minutes, then serve warm. Serves 12-16

Flag Cake

Where to begin? Two sisters, two trips to the grocery store, two batches of cake, two crazy dogs and two very long days later.....finally, a Flag Cake!

I went home for the Fourth of July, and my sister and I wanted to bake something for the occasion. Strawberry stripe cakes with Blueberry stars: cute but expected. Cutting into this cake: a flag, unexpected. Perfect! And if the pattern isn't enough to impress, a hint of almond flavor in this cake is guaranteed to pleasantly surprise your taste buds.

Because this recipe would be extremely long to post I have provided links instead. The process seems intimidating but is really quite simple. I used this recipe for the cake base. Full instructions and cream cheese icing recipe can be found at 17 and baking.

Here are some tips:

When you are cutting the circles, make sure to cut in a completely vertical fashion. Otherwise your blue ring of cake will not be wide enough and there will be a gap between your red and white layers. - if this happens just use the left over blue cake to stuff it into the gaps.

I used the cream cheese frosting suggested by the original blogger although mine did not turn out fluffy like in her picture. It was almost transparent and covering the bright red and blue cake was difficult. I would suggest making a buttercream instead.

Dogs + Car = Disaster:

So I bet youre wondering what two dogs has to do with this cake? We slaved for two days (baked one day, decorated the next). My sister had to drop off our energy surged dogs to my Mother's house before she joined her boyfriend's family for festivities. She did not have time to return home for the cake so she carefully covered it with foil and placed it on the floor on the passangers side of the car. Our dogs (both vizslas) are quite full of life. And to cut to the chase of a long and painful story, Reka (the female) somehow managed to sit on this cake!! FURIOUS! Luckily the cake was salvageable and was re-iced. I now have my dog to thank for the thin red layer at the top. >:-| Despite the mishap the cake got great reviews (there was only one slice left the next day!)

The cake as it was originally decorated:

Cheesecake Checkers

Bite-sized cheesecakes... Mmmmmm! (minimum guilt, maximum satisfaction)

I've actually never been a huge fan of cheesecake - maybe because I haven't ever liked dairy ::gasp!:: until about two years ago. This was the first time I have tried cheesecake since and perhaps its the perfect petite portion but these little squares were quite delectable! ((How certain am I? Lets just say they passed the ultimate taste and texture test :))

I bought a silicone baking tray (at Hobby Lobby) that makes 24 darling cheesecakes at a time. My review: Although the end product seemed to please, I envisioned these cheesecakes to be a bit thicker (with more of the actual cheesecake filling). I had planned on topping each of the cakes with an elegant frosted cherry but the cherry was nearly as big as the square and even a half was still too large. So, I created the cute checker-like presentation alternating cheesecake with cherry. (Worked out for the best. Turns out the people I made these for don't even like cherries! ::shocked!::)

This recipe makes about 28 of the 1.5 x 1.5 x .75 inch squares. I reduced the baking time to about 8-9 minutes since my tray made smaller pieces.

Filling:
8oz. cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1/4 C. granulated sugar

Crust:
1 C. graham cracker crumbs
2 T. brown sugar (I used dark brown)
1/3 stick melted butter
Topping: Canned cherry pie filling - or like I suggested frosted cherries. you could also try drizzling them with caramel or chocolate.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter with a fork until well combined.
3. Divide crumb mixture evenly between the 12 cups of your mini-cheesecake pan. Using your fingers (if you don’t have long nails!) press crumbs firmly onto the bottom and partially up the sides of each cup; set aside.
4. Using an electric mixer, blend softened cream cheese, egg, vanilla and sugar together in a medium bowl.
5. Spoon cream cheese mixture into each cup (they will only be half filled).
6. Bake for 14 minutes (remember to adjust baking time in accordance to the size of the cakes) in a preheated 375 degree oven.
7. Remove from oven and place on rack to cool for 20 minutes then carefully remove cheesecakes from pan and let cool completely.
8. Top with cherries and refrigerate until ready to serve.
9. Enjoy!

Chocolate PB loco!

Inside Out Reeses Cake
This weekend's baking seemed to be inspired by candy... for this cake it was Reeses Peanut butter cups.


(Per usual) It all started with the chocolate mayonnaise cake cut into three layers. (Here's a cool tip: If you do not have a long knife or special cutting tool to cut straight through the cake, use floss to create a clean cut.

Here you can find the original recipe (note: I used the mayonnaise cake...the original recipe starts with a sour cream cake). I made a few modifications. For the peanut butter cream cheese frosting I used 1/3 less fat cream cheese, worked just fine. (by the way, you are saving minimum calories here.. unfortunately this does not allow you to eat half this cake in one sitting ::sigh::) I also added about 1/4 cups skim milk to the icing. I found mine to be too thick to spread and the milk made it a perfect, spreadable consistency. For the chocolate ganache I used my favorite peanut butter brand PB Loco. (Ah-mazing natural pb that comes in crazy flavors like banana pb, white chocolate raspberry pb, asian curry spice etc.) I used two tablespoons of the chocolate chip cookie dough pb to add just a hint of "secret" flavor to this cake :)

Cookies n' Cream - a Chocolate Oreo Cake

Mmmmm! Oreos : )) what a delicious cookie + chocolate cake =Yummy!

I made this cake for a friend who is moving away. One of his favorites is an Oreo cake we've purchased at Harris Teeter (local grocery). I was determined to create a close clone.

I started with a chocolate mayonnaise cake (I'll likely never switch back to oil again. Mayo does the trick every time.) The Oreo frosting was a dangerous endeavor (I could seriously eat spoons full of this stuff...but I warn you: you may end up with a bit of a stomach ache. Trust me, the finish product is worth the wait.) The frosting is a basic vanilla butter cream frosting (butter at room temp, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla). I used a food processor to crush the Oreos. Next time I may just place the cookies into a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them. The food processor made such fine crumbs that when mixed with the icing it created a gray color.

Reviews from the boys: "Holy crap! The Oreo cake is amazing! : )"
..... so I encourage you to give it a try!

A Fisherman's Birthday Cake

Upon request, this is a simple chocolate cake with chocolate icing. ((Dad is a Chocolate fiend!)) He also loves fly fishing.. so, my sister and I came up with this crafty cake.

The little man is actually a "grow me" boyfriend. You know, you throw him in the water and he magically expands. His fishing pole is a tooth pick and for the line I used floss. Baby Goldfish look much bigger in this river and toothpicks spell out "Happy Birthday Dad"

Don't judge a book by its cover. Although, this is not the most impressive design, it was the most MOIST cake I have EVER made! Click here to see the recipe and discover the secret ingredient. (Don't freak out, oil isn't any better!)

Close up of the fisherman

Zebra or Bullseye

Two cakes- in one :)

I LOVE this cake! Its so much fun. It requires a lot of patience but is really quite simple and makes for an impressive dessert.

Zebra

Bullseye

The details on how to make the cake along with the recipe can be found at Baking Bites.

Have FUN!

Princess and the Pea

Princess and the Pea

You're never too old for a cute cake! I made this cake for my sister's 19th birthday. I was furious when I unwrapped the fruit roll up and noticed the Scooby-Do print! Nowhere on the box did it say there was a cool little pattern. >:|

I started with a basic jelly roll cake. {note that throwing sprinkles into a jelly roll cake does not result in the ultimate confetti cake. Save those jimmies for these cupcakes.}



That's my sis, and the eight colorful cake layers! I used a basic buttercream icing mixed with food coloring. The girl's face is a simple vanilla sandwich cookie and her hair is mini chocolate chips. The pillow she rests on is actually a piece of cake I had left at the house. Just get creative, use what ever you've got! The official recipe for this cake can be found here. Since i was taking the cake for a half-hour car ride the chocolate headboard in the original recipe would have been in trouble. So, I used the curly candles instead. Bellow you can see a green jelly bean for the pea. : )