Mmmmm..... Doughnuts

This weekend my sister came to visit and we had a blast. While she was here we tried this new doughnut place called Beyond the Glaze located at 54 West 700 South, Salt Lake City.

What makes these doughnuts so unique is how they are mostly just glazed doughnuts but have amazing toppings that give them there flavor.



I got this one for Bruce it was a German Chocolate.

But my favorite had to be the Raspberry Mango!



I love finding new places to eat specially when they are SO delicious!

Cocoa Layer Cake

I made this cake with my friend Hollie today. We had so much fun and I cannot wait to eat it!!



Recipe

Cake

1/2 C Natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 C Lukewarm water, divided
1/2 C Buttermilk
1 1/2 C cake flour
3/4 t baking soda
1 C sugar
1/2 (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 C (1 stick) butter, room temperature
2 Large eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Butter three 9 inch cake pans. Whisk cocoa and 1/2 C warm water in small bowl. Whisk buttermilk and 1/2 C water in another small bowl. Sift flour, baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat both sugars and butter in large bowl until pale yellow and fluffy. With mixer running, gradually add beaten eggs. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add cocoa mixture. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 2 additions. Divide batter among pans.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean (about 18 min. Cool completely in pans on racks.

Frosting

10 T butter
1 1/3 C golden brown sugar
1 C milk chocolate chips
1 C heavy whipping cream
2 t vanilla extract

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sugar, cocoa, chocolate chips, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Gradually stir in cream. Stir until mixture is very hot and just begins to simmer at edges. Reduce heat to low; stir 1 minute. Transfer to medium bowl; stir in vanilla. Frosting will resemble chocolate sauce. Chill until just thickened, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours. let stand at room temperature.

German Chocolate Cake

This is a special cake for Bruce and I. I have made it for his birthday every year since the night he popped the question. It was February 25,2008 and Bruce was visiting my in College Station, Texas. I wanted to do something fun for his birthday, but he said dont worry about it I have it all planned out. This made me a little suspicious but I was excited to see what he came up with.

So when he picked me up from work we went home and got dressed up since this was a "fancy" place. Then he blind folded me and drove me to the restaurant. He lead me to the front door and took the blind fold off. We were in front of a old glass chapel in the middle of no where lit with candles and a covered with roses and a table for two. My mom made my favorite dinner, and since it was Bruce's birthday she made German Chocolate Cake.



Recipe

1 1/2 C milk chocolate chips
1/2 C butter, softened
2 C packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 C all purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 C sour cream
1 C hot water
2 t vanilla

Melt chocolate chips in a bowl in the microwave stirring every 30 seconds until they are melted. Beat butter and brown sugar at medium speed with an electric mister, beating about 5 minutes until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.
Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Gradually add 1 cup hot water in a slow steady stream, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in vanilla. Pour into 3 round greased and floured cake pans (or two works). Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes. Check often after 15 minutes, you want the cake to be soft to the touch but dont let it over cook and get dry. Cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove layers from pans and let cool completely on wire rack.

Coconut Pecan Frosting
1 12oz can evaporated milk
1 1/2 C sugar
3/4 C butter
6 egg yolks
1 1/2 t vanilla
2 C chopped pecans
1 1/2 C coconut

Stir together first 4 ingredients in a heavy saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly 12 minutes. Remove from heat; add remaining ingredients, and stir until frosting is cool and spreading consistency.

Chocolate Ganache
1 12oz package milk chocolate chips
1/2 C whipping cream
3 T butter

Microwave chocolate morsels and whipping cream in a 2 quart bowl at medium power stirring every 30 seconds until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Whisk in butter; let stand 20 minutes (important). Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture forms soft peaks.



Happy Birthday Bruce! I LOVE YOU!!

Cake Catch-Up

Wow I really have some catching up to do. It was a little busy with the holidays finding time to blog all my cakes, but don't you worry I was still making them.

Week 15: Julie's Birthday cake



This is a Raspberry Blackberry Truffle Cake, super yummy and rich! It is also 3 layers so its pretty intense I'm glad my little cake plate could handle it.

Click here for the recipe.

Here is what I changed:

*Since the recipient requested no nuts I added some of the blackberry and raspberry jam to the butter cream frosting to give it a tint of flavor and color.

*For the frosting I used Bakerella's cream cheese frosting recipe (I'm not a fan of cool whip).

Week 16: Thanksgiving Ginger Bread Cake



Click here for recipe.

It was fun having at cake at our Thanksgiving celebration since we usually stick to pie. It might be a new tradition :)



Week 17: Audrey's German Chocolate Ice Cream Cake



So I kind of made this one up.

Recipe:

Your favorite vanilla ice cream
Your favorite chocolate ice cream
Oreo's

Coconut Pecan Frosting
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/4 cups butter
6 egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups coconut

Chocolate ganache
1 12 oz package milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons butter

Line a spring form pan with plastic wrap. In a blender crush the Oreo's (I crushed only the tops twisting them to get ride of the cream). Mix with 1 tablespoon of butter and mash on the bottom of the pan to make a crust. Let the ice cream soften (i let mine soften too long and it got hard to work with so just make sure its playable but not liquid). I mixed some Mexican Vanilla, Coconut, and pecans, in the ice cream then started with the Vanilla ice cream. Let that set up in the freezer for 30 min or so. while that is setting up make the Chocolate Ganache and Coconut Pecan Frosting (see below). Add layer of chocolate then layer of coconut and top with the chocolate ice cream. Place in freezer until firm. And Enjoy!

Coconut Pecan Frosting
Stir together first 4 ingredients in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, 12 minutes. Remove from heat; add remaining ingredients, and stir until frosting is cool and spreading consistency.

Chocolate Ganache
Microwave chocolate morsels and whipping cream in a 2 quart bowl at medium power stirring every 30 seconds until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Whisk in butter; let stand 20 minutes (important). Beat at medium speed with an electric miser 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture forms soft peaks.

Week 18: Cranberry Cake



This cake was super yummy! And I just so happened to have everything in my cupboard! I love when that happens!

I got the recipe here.

I did change the topping to a white chocolate crumble topping. I couldn't find the recipe I used but basically it was melted white chocolate folded into the top of the cake and then I mixed brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, and oats together and sprinkled on top before baking the cake.

The white chocolate and cinnamon went really well with the cranberry flavor and it turned out to be a great cake served warm with ice cream.



Week 19: German Chocolate Sheet Cake

We had this one for a Christmas party and I didn't get one picture. But it was really good. Here is the recipe.

I liked it because it was easy and delicious.

Week 20: Rocky Road Cake



I thought this cake up when I first started this blog so I was really excited to make it.

I used the Retired Models cake recipe.

For the topping I used this Marshmallow Butter Cream recipe.

Frosting

2 sticks butter (I use unsalted)

2 cups powder sugar

1 jar marshmallow fluff (7 oz)

2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract

In a bowl, add room temp. butter and sugar together. Mix until fluffy. Add marshmallow and vanilla, and mix well.



I used store bought chocolate icing, and made a chocolate ganashe and chunks of almond for the top. I also added some almond chunks to the cake itself. It was very rich and delicious!



Week 21: Heath Bar Cake



This picture does not do this cake justice. It was Really REALLY goood!!

I made the Retired Models cake and mixed in some of the Heath Bar chocolate chips that i am in love with. Then when the cakes come out of the oven place them on a plate and let cool a 3 minutes. Then poke small holes with a fork and cover with sweetened condensed milk, and butterscotch ice cream topper. Let that set up for a few more minutes.

For the frosting I used the Retired Models cake frosting and drizzled it with the remaining Heath bar chips and butterscotch topping.

There you have it! 7 cakes in one post! I hope I didn't leave any out.

Week 14: Ben's Oreo Cake

I made this cake for Ben Schulthies's farewell last Friday. I am so excited for him and hope him the best of luck in Portland Oregon.

Recipe

1 box Devils Food cake mix
2 6oz packages chocolate
1/2 c oil
1/2 c water
1 c sour cream
4 eggs
crushed oreo's

I got the frosting recipe from Bakerella.

Mix together and pour into floured and greased 9 inch round layer cake pans. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Remove cake to wire rack and let cool completely. Frost then cover with more crushed oreo's.

If you dont want the crushed oreo's to melt into the cake freeze them first.

Week 13: White Almond Pistachio

This cake is another mix up of the Retired Models cake. I hope you guys aren't getting board of this cake, because I definitely am not. And sadly I have the recipe memorized now which makes life so easy when you make a lot of cakes.

Recipe

1 box white cake mix
4 eggs
1/2 c oil
1/2 c milk (i used heavy whipping cream)
1 c sour cream
2 6oz packages vanilla pudding
1 t vanilla
2 t almond extract

frosting

2 6oz packaging of pistachio pudding
2 c milk
2 c heavy whipping cream

Mix together and pour into floured and greased 9 inch round layer cake pans. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Remove cake to wire rack and let cool completely.

Mix the pudding and milk until pudding is dissolved add whipping cream and whip with beaters.

Halloween and a Ghostly Cake

Halloween is so fun! This Halloween I went down to Spanish Fork for a visit to my awesome brother and my super cute sister-in-law Sierra. I has so much fun, we had a great Halloween.

For lunch we had Halloween pasta with black and white bowtie and bloody Alfredo.



For dinner we made Octopus Chicken Pot Pie. We found easy Chicken Pie recipe on Pillsbury.com and the Octopus Pot Pie from this site.





Then for dessert we had a Ghostly Cake!



I found this on I am Baker.

I did do some substitutes. Instead of making a red velvet cake from scratch I once again used the Retired Models Cake Recipe.I didn't add any pudding. I used their Butter Cream Marshmallow frosting, and I tried the Betty Crocker Ganache for the dripping chocolate icing.It wasn't as good as home made but was still yummy.