Random baking over the past month!

Disney Villains Cake.

So last week was kind of insane in my house - I was making a Disney Villains cake for my parents 40th Birthday. It took a few days and my house was trashed after wards but it was well worth it. The cake came out better than I expected. I am a fairly inexperienced baker so when things turn out well it always surprises me. Plus at about midnight with purple frosting all over me and my kitchen I was DONE with this cake whether it looked good or not! ;) 

Not to be conceited but I think this came out pretty awesome. It was all done in purple buttercream, black buttercream & royal icing black flowers with white centers. The villains I got from a random store online that I can't remember now.. I definitely didn't get all of the villains in there though! 

Bottom cake is yellow cake filled with milk chocolate buttercream. 2nd cake is strawberry cake with vanilla buttercream, top is lemon cake with lemon frosting. My parents loved this cake and it tasted awesome too - or at least I'm assuming it did because it was all gone! 

I also submitted this cake to this really amazing webpage:  Disney Cakes  and it made it on the next day!  


Overall through the stress this cake was a lot of fun to make and even more fun seeing everyone enjoy it. 




 

Mini Cupcakes and sprinkles!

My mom asked me to make some type of dessert for my little brothers school - they are having a bake sale so they can get the kindergartners a new sandbox. I decided to bake up some mini cupcakes. I figured most kids like sprinkles - I knew when I was a kid I always picked food items with sprinkles. I didn't even like donuts but I always wanted the one with sprinkles so I decided to incorporate sprinkles in the cake & on top! 

I made a basic white cake threw in some rainbow sprinkles. Here's the recipe:
Classic White Cake

After mixing the cake right before you're about to put it in the cupcake liners toss in some sprinkles - any sprinkles will do. I like rainbow. 
 
with some buttercream icing! 
1/2 c butter
1/2 c shortening
4 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp milk (more for thinner icing, less for thicker)

Cream together butter & shortening. Once mixed well - add vanilla. After vanilla is incorporated add sugar - 1 cup at a time - make sure to scrape down the sides and get all the sugar mixed in well. Add milk until you get your desired consistency.  

Apple Coffee Cake!

My 5 year old brother and I made a delicious cake tonight and I had to share the recipe. I originally got this recipe from my aunt whose more like my best friend when she made it one night at her house. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture in the chaos that is my Mom's house. But trust me it is amazing! 

  

It's this great Apple Crumb Coffee Cake and it's one of my new favorites. No frosting needed just this nice brown sugar glaze. 

Here's the recipe!

Apple Coffee Cake

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 stick plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apples

Crumble Topping:

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Brown Sugar Glaze:

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with 2 teaspoons of the butter.


In a large bowl, cream together the remaining stick of butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after the addition of each. In a separate bowl or on a piece of parchment, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients, alternating with the sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the apples. Pour into the prepared baking dish, spreading out to the edges.




To make the topping, in a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter, and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the cake and bake until golden brown and set, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.






To make the glaze, in a bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla, and water and mix until smooth. Drizzle the cake with the glaze and let harden slightly. Serve warm.

Red Velvet Swirl Brownies

Last week I was watching Food Network with Jarret and Sunny Anderson was making Red Velvet brownies and they looked so amazing I went online and got the recipe right away. Jarret LOVES red velvet cake in fact it's one of the only cakes he actually likes so I made these for him. 

These were delicious!! I suggest if you love red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting to give these a shot. You won't be disappointed. Here's the recipe -

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/red-velvet-swirl-brownies-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for pan

Red Velvet Brownie Layer:

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• Pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Cream Cheese Layer:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Special equipment: 8 by 8-inch baking pan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter an 8 by 8-inch baking pan, and set aside.

Brownie layer: In a saucepan on medium heat melt the butter. Remove the butter to a large bowl and add the sugar, vanilla, cocoa powder, salt, food coloring, and vinegar, in that order, mixing between additions. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and stir it into the cocoa mix. Fold in the flour until lightly combined. Stir in the walnuts and pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, saving 1/4 cup of the batter for the top.

Cream cheese layer: Blend together the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Gently spread the cream cheese layer on top of the brownie batter in the pan. Dollop the remaining brownie batter over the cream cheese layer. Using a skewer or the tip of a knife, drag the tip through the cream cheese mixture to create a swirl pattern. Bake the brownies for 30 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before cutting




ENJOY!! 


With Love,
Cheri

Nutella & Oreo Cookie Filled Cupcakes

So my boyfriend loves Nutella and I thought that I'd make him something special this week :) plus we're on diets and actually having a competition as to who can lose the weight faster so I had to sabotage him a little with these cupcakes ;) 

I made both a chocolate & vanilla cake because I wasn't sure which would taste better with the Nutella. We also had oreos so I asked my boyfriend to separate them and I used the cookie part in the cupcake. I put a little of the cake batter in the cupcake liner then topped the cookie with nutella and put that in the cupcake and covered it with some more batter filling it 2/3 full. Then baked at 350 deg. for 15 minutes. My oven tends to cook fairly quick so keep that in mind. I frosted the cupcakes with vanilla buttercream because it's my favorite but you could also top it with a nutella frosting -

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter (room temp)
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup very soft nutella   

 Cream together butter & nutella. Add vanilla. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time. Mix thoroughly. Add milk slowly. You may not need all of it. Just add milk until you get the right consistency.

I made these on Halloween so I dyed my frosting purple & orange! and the liners say trick or treat on the bottom. 


These turned out really good & tasted delicious as well. I also used the leftover oreos and put them inside a few cupcakes but those were eaten before I could get a pic! 


You have to try these if you're a nutella fan. 


With Love,
Cheri

not cupcakes, but still pretty delish - Pumpkin Brownies.

I got a random e-mail from Betty Crocker this week which I usually just delete as spam but I saw pumpkin in it and had to at least look at it. They had a recipe for pumpkin brownies and I love pumpkin & brownies so I decided right there and then I had to try it!

Now they are supposed to be kind of layered but ended up all blending together which worked just fine. 

Here's the recipe:
Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

I didn't follow it to the T. I didn't use the brownie mix suggested but they still came out delicious!! The pumpkin was not overpowering at all and the brownie & pumpkin together really worked. If you love pumpkin and brownies try this, you won't regret it! They are absolutely perfect for holiday get togethers or just because ;)

With Love,
Cheri