The Sweetheart Cake

Hello! It has been a really long time since I have taken the time to post anything on this blog, my apologize. I do still love to bake cakes and decided to post this one for you all.

Valentines is a great time to show your love through sugar and baked goods. Next time you want to show some love, or have a sweet tooth craving, make the Sweetheart Cake! You can use your favorite white cake recipe, I tried this White Almond Sour Cream recipe and LOVED it! This cake was very moist and I am a sucker for anything with almond flavoring!

 Recipe Cake:

1 Box White Cake Mix
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1⁄3; cup water
1/8 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon real vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup sour cream
4 large egg whites

Frosting:

1 8oz package cream cheese (room temp)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
the large container of cool whip (room temp)
1 can cherry pie filling (you can do 2 cans for extra cherry love)

 Directions:

 1. Place all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir together with a wire whisk.

 2. Add the remaining ingredients and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

 3. Pour into greased and floured cake pans, filling each pan a little over half full. To make the heart shape use one square pan and one round pan. 4. Lightly tap cake pans on counter to bring air bubbles to top.

 5. Bake in preheated 325° F oven until cake tests done.

 6. Baking time varies according to the size and depth of pans being used. I lost track of the amount of time I cooked mine after about 30 min. Just check it often.

 7. After cakes have cooled place them on your cake plate (you will need a pretty big plate, I usually have to cut up a piece of cardboard box and cover it with tin foil.) Cut the round cake in half and place on conjoining sides of the square like so...

 Frosting:

1. Blend the room temperature cream cheese until smooth.

2. Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

3. Add the room temperature cool whip and blend.

4. Frost cake then pour cherries on top, for extra cherry love I will use two cans and let it drip down the sides of the cake

This cake is best when chilled so I usually will make it ahead and refrigerate overnight.

S'more Cake

It is the perfect time of year to start the bonfires and roast some marshmallows! But lately all we have been having is rain rain and more rain, so not the best weather for outside activities. If you are in need of some chocolate, marshmallow, graham cracker goodness look no farther then this cake.



Recipe

1 box Devil Chocolate Cake
1 Cup sour cream
1/2 Cup oil
1/2 Cup water
4 eggs
2 6oz packages chocolate pudding
graham cracker crumbs
1/2 Cup butter
2 7oz jars of Jiffy Puff Marshmallow Cream
Chocolate Frosting

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil. Combine cracker crumbs and butter into a crumble (little chunks) and place on baking sheet and bake for a few minutes (5-10). Remove and set aside.

Mix cake mix, sour cream, oil, water and eggs with electric mixer. Add half of the cracker crumble. Pour into 2 round cake pans that have been sprayed. Bake at 350 for 20-25 min. Remove and cool.

Remove lid from one Jiffy jar and place in microwave for 10 seconds ( or enough time to get warm but not explode). Place one layer cake on cake plate and cover top with Jiffy Puff and crumbles. Then add second layer and coat with chocolate frosting. Then warm the second jar of Jiffy and place on top of cake then sprinkle remaining crumble.



I would have loved to roast the marshmallow but I couldn't think of a way to do it without a cooking torch which I don't own and didn't want to purchase. Any ideas?

I made this with Hollie and so we just split each layer to make take home a lot easier. I also used a sweet foil pan to give it a more rustic camping feel :)


Thanks Hollie I had so much fun!!

Strawberry Short Cake

I got inspired to make this cake based on the Boston Cream Pie. I used the same cake and cream recipe then topped it with strawberry's and drizzled with chocolate for a little extra deliciousness.

I made this for General Conference weekend. We had a family dinner and was asked to bring dessert. I wanted to make this but I also wanted something that would be easy to serve for the amount of kids that were going to be there. So I mad it into cupcakes and cut out the centers. Then filled it with cream and topped with strawberries. But I ran out of cupcake papers so with the rest of the batter I used a bread pan. And just smothered that with the rest of the cream and covered it with strawberries.

This is one of my favorites so fare. Perfect for spring!



Ingredients
White Cake:
3 large eggs
5 large egg whites (reserve yolks for the pastry cream)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 cups pastry flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

Whisk together the eggs, egg whites, milk, and vanilla and set aside.Place the sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add in the softened butter and half of the egg mixture to the mixer and beat on medium speed until batter is very smooth, about 4 minutes.

Add the remaining egg mixture in 3 additions, scraping down the bowl after each addition, and beating for 2 minutes afterwards.

Portion out the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake until the cake springs back when lightly touched in center, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out to cool completely. Can be made a day ahead.

Pastry Cream:
4 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar, divided
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
5 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, cold

Place most of the milk, half of the sugar, and vanilla into a saucepan and bring to a low simmer. Meanwhile, whisk together the rest of the milk, eggs, yolks, the remaining sugar, and cornstarch. Temper the egg mixture with 1/3 of the hot milk, whisk well, and pour back into the saucepan. Over medium heat, continue to cook and whisk until the custard is thick and starts to bubble. Continue whisking and cooking for 10 more seconds. Immediately cover the entire custard surface with plastic wrap and cool before using.

When the pastry cream is cool, remove the plastic wrap, beat the pastry cream on medium speed until smooth. Remove the cream to a mixing bowl. Whisk the heavy cream to stiff peaks and fold into the pastry cream in 2 additions.

Boston Cream Pie

Last week I went on a much needed vacation to Sunny San Diego. I had a great time there with my family. While I was there me and my mom made an AMAZING Boston Cream Pie. My mom found this recipe after watching Throwdown with Bobby Flay.

Here is the recipe

Ingredients
White Cake:
3 large eggs
5 large egg whites (reserve yolks for the pastry cream)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 cups pastry flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

Chocolate Ganache:
1 pound bittersweet chocolate
1 pound semisweet chocolate
1 pound unsalted butter
2 cups heavy cream
Pastry Cream, chilled, recipe follows
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line 2 (8-inch) cake pans.

For the cake: Whisk together the eggs, egg whites, milk, and vanilla and set aside.

Place the sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add in the softened butter and half of the egg mixture to the mixer and beat on medium speed until batter is very smooth, about 4 minutes.

Add the remaining egg mixture in 3 additions, scraping down the bowl after each addition, and beating for 2 minutes afterwards.

Portion out the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake until the cake springs back when lightly touched in center, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out to cool completely. Can be made a day ahead.

The cake is super yummy and moist, its like a pound cake.

For the ganache: Place the ingredients into a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Whisk until melted and smooth.

Pastry Cream:
4 cups whole milk, infused with thyme and orange zest, strained
1 cup sugar, divided
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
5 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, cold
Place most of the milk, half of the sugar, and vanilla into a saucepan and bring to a low simmer. Meanwhile, whisk together the rest of the milk, eggs, yolks, the remaining sugar, and cornstarch. Temper the egg mixture with 1/3 of the hot milk, whisk well, and pour back into the saucepan. Over medium heat, continue to cook and whisk until the custard is thick and starts to bubble. Continue whisking and cooking for 10 more seconds. Strain the pastry cream through a sieve, pushing through with a spatula, into a clean mixing bowl. Immediately cover the entire custard surface with plastic wrap and cool before using.

When the pastry cream is cool, remove the plastic wrap, insert the beater attachment into the stand mixer, and beat the pastry cream on medium speed until smooth. Remove the cream to a mixing bowl. Whisk the heavy cream to stiff peaks and fold into the pastry cream in 2 additions.

Place the cooled cake on a cake round. Trim the top of the cake and hollow out the middle to hold the pastry cream (basically you want it to look like a big tire, this is were you are going to put all the cream, so the bigger the hole the more cream). Cut the trimmed cake into big chunks and set aside. Place the lightened pastry cream into the cake, creating a small mound in the middle. Pile the cake pieces on top of the pastry cream. Pour warm ganache over the entire surface until covered. Let the cake rest for 2 to 3 hours before serving.




Its a tough one but so worth it! Next time I think I will leave out the thyme and orange zest from the cream. Its not that I didn't like it, but I am just a strait up cream kind of girl.

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!!