Hummingbird Cake

Ingredients

Hummingbird Cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 8 oz. can crushed pineapple (with juice)
• 2 cups diced ripe bananas
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 8 oz. package cream cheese (softened)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
• 6 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Hummingbird Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of three 8 inch cake pans with wax paper, and grease the sides.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add applesauce, oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Stir in pineapple, bananas and walnuts. Divide equally into prepared pans.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool on a rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting

In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla. Add the sugar a few cups at a time, beating until fluffy.

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Now I’m going to show you how to decorate it with a petal technique.

A yummy recipe and a decorating tutorial…it’s a Two-fer!

This design was inspired by My Cake School.
I think it is my new favorite – so easy and so pretty!

• Cover your cake with a crumb coat (very thin layer of frosting).
• Prepare a decorating bag with a large round tip (Wilton #12).
• Pipe a vertical line of dots on the side of your cake.
• Use a small spatula to press down on each dot, dragging to the right.
• Make another line of dots, just to the right of your petals. Repeat.

Cheesecake of Champions

Goat Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• 8 oz fat free cream cheese, softened
• 4 oz goat cheese, softened
• 1/4 c powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

How-to

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a hand mixer, beat cream cheese, goat cheese, powdered sugar, and lemon juice on low until the sugar is incorporated.
2. Switch stand or hand mixer to high and whip frosting for 2 minutes until light and fluffy
3. Apply to cupcakes.

 

Phobias, Part 2, and Goat Cheese Frosting

 

Cherry Filled Red Velvet Cupcakes and Cream Cheese Frosting

http://theovenmitt.com/2012/11/08/cherry-filled-red-velvet-cupcakes-and-cream-cheese-frosting/

Ingredients for the cherry filling:
• 1 cup cherries (frozen or fresh, I used frozen)
• 3 tbs. sugar
• 4 tbs. water
• 1 tbs. corn starch
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Use a medium sauce pan to heat the cherries, sugar and 3 tbs. of water (leave the last tbs. for later).
On medium-high heat, bring all of the ingredients to a simmer.
Stir and mash the cherries as much as possible. It will be quite a watery/milky constancy.
In a small cup, stir the remaining tbs. of water and the corn starch together.
Once the cherries begin to bubble, add the water and corn starch mixture and stir until it thickens.
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside in a heat safe bowl until it’s ready for use.

Ingredients for the red velvet cupcakes:
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (or use regular milk w/ a splash of lemon juice, set it aside for about 5 mins before use)
• 1 tbs. red food coloring
• 1/2 tsp. white distilled vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Preheat your oven to 350F.
Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla, mix until well incorporated.
In a separate large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder together.
In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk and food coloring.
While beating at a low speed, alternate between the flour and buttermilk mixtures into the butter concoction.
In a small cup, combine the vinegar and baking soda. As soon as it fizzes, pour into the cake batter and quickly(yet gently) fold into the batter.
Pour your red velvet batter into the cupcake liners and bake for 18-22 minutes or when a tooth pick comes out clean.
Once they’re finished, allow 15-20 minutes for them to cool.

Ingredients for the cream cheese frosting:
• 1 (8oz) package of cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

On medium-high speed, beat the cream cheese and butter together until light and fluffy.
Pour in the vanilla until combined.
Slowly add the confectioners’ until the desired consistency is reached.
Now that your cupcakes are cool, it’s time to fill them up with your cherry filling. Make sure that when you scoop the cherries into a piping tool that most of the big cherry chunks are taken out.
Use a knife to poke an “x” in the center of each cupcake, almost down to the bottom of the cupcake.
Insert the tip of your piping tool (or ziplock bag with a hole at the end) into the “x” and apply a bit of pressure. You will feel the cherries filling the cupcake and it will literally push your piping tool out the top of the cupcake.
Once they’re all complete, it’s time to ice your cupcakes with your freshly created cream cheese! I decided to garnish with some of the leftover filling and walnuts

Monster Cookies

Monster Cookies by Baked

Print

Cook time: 1 hour 30 mins

Total time: 1 hour 30 mins

Serves: 36 cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 5 3/4 cups old-fashioned oats
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon corn syrup (the recipe calls for light, I used dark)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups peanut butter (I prefer chunky, but creamy works, too)
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup M&Ms

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add in the oats and whisk until evenly combined. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth and pale in color. Add in the brown sugar and the granulated sugar and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the eggs one at a time, being sure to incorporate the egg fully before adding in the next one. Add in the corn syrup and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
3. Scrape down the bowl and add in the peanut butter. Mix gradually until just combined. Very carefully add in your oat mixture in three separate additions, so you don’t overload your mixer. Mix until just incorporated (don’t overmix).
4. Fold in your chocolate chips and M&Ms. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 5 hours. This is important for the texture of your cookies.
5. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line and/or grease your baking sheets. Roll the dough into balls the size of 2 tablespoons (I used a small ice cream scooper to do this) and place them on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart from one another. Do NOT press down.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes, turning the pans once through the baking time. The cookies are ready when they are set and golden. Let the cookies cool completely for 8-10 minutes on the baking sheets before removing them and placing them on a new surface to cool completely. These can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for 3 days.

Popovers with Whipped Strawberry Butter

Ingredients:

For the popovers:

1¼ cups flour
1¼ cups whole milk
3 eggs
½ teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 even pieces

For the whipped strawberry butter:

1 stick unsalted butter at room temp
1/3 cup mashed fresh strawberries
2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

Directions:

For the popovers:

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Whisk together the flour, milk, eggs, salt and melted butter until mixture is the consistency of heavy cream (about 3 to 4 minutes).

Place the popover or muffin pan in the oven for 2 minutes to heat it.

Remove the heated pan and place one piece of butter in each cup.

Divide the batter into each of the 12 cups, filling them half full.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Reduce the heat to 300ºF and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Remove and serve with whipped strawberry butter (recipe below).

For the whipped strawberry butter:

Whip together the softened butter, mashed strawberries and powdered sugar until ingredients are well blended (about 4 to 5 minutes).

Serve immediately or cool in refrigerator for later use.

Reptar Bars

 

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Serves: 24

Ingredients

• 24 ounces (or 2 bags) milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup marshmallow fluff
• green food coloring (I prefer the gel kind)
• 1/4 cup melted caramels

Instructions

1. Line 2 8×8 pans or 4 miniature loaf pans with parchment paper and spray lightly with non-stick spray. Over a double boiler, melt your chocolate, stirring constantly, until smooth. You can use the microwave or a regular pot if you don’t have a double boiler (although you can make one by finding two pans that fit inside of each other and filling the bottom one with about 2 inches of water, bringing to a boil, and setting your 2nd pan on top), just be careful and stir constantly, as the chocolate has the tendency to burn.
2. When your chocolate is fully melted, pour half of it evenly among your pans (for example, I used 2 8×8 pans, so I used 1/4 of my chocolate for each pan) and place the pans in your freezer for 5-10 minutes, until firm. While the chocolate firms up, melt your marshmallow in the microwave for 15 seconds or so, just to make it easier to stir, and stir in your food coloring until it is bright green. Melt the caramels in the microwave, too, for about 15-20 second intervals, stirring until melted and smooth. Working quickly, spread your fluff evenly among your pans, then drizzle your caramel evenly among the pans. When you spread the fluff, be sure to leave at least 1/2-inch of space around the edges of the chocolate – if you don’t do this, your chocolate will force the marshmallow out through the sides and make a mess. Pour the remaining chocolate on top, then place in the fridge or freezer to firm up. Cut into bars or serve whole and enjoy. These will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge or a cool spot for up to 1 week.

bacon chocolate chip cookies and candied bacon

candied bacon
1 pckg thick cut bacon (about 10 strips)
brown sugar for sprinkling

chocolate chip cookies
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
12 oz toll house semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1. make the candied bacon: preheat the oven to 350 F. lay bacon on a parchment covered baking sheet so they are not overlapping. sprinkle about 2 tsp brown sugar evenly on each strip of bacon. bake for 12 minutes, remove from oven, flip bacon and drag it through the syrupy liquid that’s collected on the baking sheet. put the bacon back in the oven for another 12-15 minutes, until it is fully cooked and very dark (mahogany). remove the strips from the sheet and cool on a wire rack. after they have cooked, chop them or quickly food process into tiny pieces.

2. make the cookies: combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. beat butter, both sugars and vanilla in a large bowl. add eggs, one at a time, beating well. gradually beat in flour mixture. stir in morsels and bacon pieces.

3. spoon dough (about a Tbsp per cookie) onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 375 F for 9-11 minutes. i tend to go a little under 9 minutes so they come out just underdone. remove to cooling racks or eat immediately with a tall glass of cold milk.

Mango Orange Yogurt Popsicles

2 mangoes, peeled and diced
Freshly squeezed juice from 1 large orange
200 ml water [3/4 cup PLUS 2 Tbsp]
150 g sugar [rounded 3/4 cup]
Yogurt

Fill the bottom of your popsicle mold with the yogurt, then freeze it until the mango puree is ready, but for at least 30 minutes.

Stir sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Process mango and orange juice in a food processor until smooth, add syrup and process to combine. Let it cool in the refrigerator.

Fill popsicle molds and freeze until firm. Insert wooden popsicle sticks and return to freezer until frozen. Dip molds in hot water to unmold before consuming.

Apple Crumb Cake

Ingredients

For the Crumb Topping:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup raw sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds (or other roughly chopped nuts)

  For the Apples:

• 2 large apples, thinly sliced
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• juice of 1 orange
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  For the Cake:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 vanilla bean
• zest of 1 orange
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 heaping teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/4 cup whole milk

Instructions

For the Crumb Topping:

1. In a large bowl, combine the 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Add in the butter, and using your hands or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until coarse crumbs form. Add in the almonds and mix to combine. Cover and place in the fridge until ready to use.

For the Apples:

1. Slice the apples very thinly – you can peel them, or not (I didn’t). Combine with 1 cup of brown sugar, 4 tablespoons of melted (and cooled) butter, cinnamon, orange juice, and salt. Toss to combine, and set aside.

For the Cake:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of a mixer, combine the sugar, scraped vanilla bean, and orange zest. Use your fingers to rub the vanilla and orange zest into the sugar, until it is a pale orange and the vanilla is well combined. Add in the eggs, one at a time, until combined.
2. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, alternating with the milk, starting with the flour and ending with the flour. Scrape the sides of the bowl if needed, and do not overmix.
3. Grease and line a 10-inch springform pan. If you have parchment paper, cut out a circle and line the bottom of the pan with it, then grease it, otherwise just butter the pan very well. Pour the cake batter into the bottom of the pan, then arrange the apple slices over the top in a circular pattern. You may have leftover apples – these will keep well in the fridge for up to 2 days and make a great topping for yogurt or pancakes! Sprinkle the crumb mixture on top and pat down lightly.
4. Place the cake in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or so, until golden and set. Place on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before removing from the pan, slicing, and serving. This cake will keep well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.