Tag Archives: Cake

Chocolate Fudge Cake

Dessert, , , , , ,

Owen’s first birthday was yesterday!  He really enjoyed eating and playing with this Chocolate Fudge Cake.  Owen got everything a 1 year old could ever want: a floaty balloon, a strawberry banana smoothie for lunch, a new tooth and Chocolate Fudge Cake.  At my house we always joke that the first birthday is that magical day when you are now able to eat delicious things like chocolate.  At one year old we say goodbye to that forbidden list of foods for kids under 12 months.  This Chocolate Fudge Cake is super moist and delicious.  Happy Birthday Owen!

 

 

Ingredients:
2 Cups Sugar
1 3/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
3/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
2 Eggs
1 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Canola Oil
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Boiling Water

Chocolate Fudge Frosting:
1 ½ Squares Bakers Chocolate
3 Tablespoons Water
3 Tablespoons Butter
12 Large Marshmallows
1 1/3 Cups Powdered Sugar

 

 

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.  Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and mix for 2 minutes with an electric mixer to combine.  Stir in the boiling water.  Pour into the cake pan(s).

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes.  Let cool completely before frosting.

 

Prepare the frosting:

In a large bowl, microwave the chocolate, butter, water and marshmallows until melted.  Heat in short intervals, stirring frequently.  Cool in freezer for a few minutes.

Sift in the powdered sugar and stir to combine.

An alternative way of preparing this frosting is to mix in a high powered blender, like a Vitamix.  Combine the chocolate, butter, water and marshmallows and blend to combine.  Add the powdered sugar and blend until smooth.

Yield: 1 Cake

*Note: This can be made in two 9 inch cake pans.  Double the frosting to allow enough to cover completely.

-Recipe adapted from Hershey’s Kitchens–

Strawberry Cake

Dessert, , , , ,

 

This strawberry cake is for Chloe’s 3rd birthday, which was yesterday.  She had been requesting a strawberry cake for several weeks now, so I thought I would give it a try. I almost cheated and bought a strawberry cake mix.  I saw it sitting there on the shelf staring at me and it cost less than the box of cake flour in my basket.  It was tempting with the little doughboy on the box with his sweet smile, but I couldn’t do it…I had to make my own strawberry cake for my sweet Chloe’s birthday.  I have to admit that my first attempt was a complete and utter disaster.  It was the saddest looking cake ever.  It didn’t rise at all, it was somewhat uncooked in the middle and it was crispy around the edges.  It sat on the counter looking pitiful for several hours.  I kept walking by it trying to decide if it was salvageable.  There was no saving this baking tragedy.  I trashed the first recipe and started from scratch.  I figured it couldn’t get worse than the first cake.  The second attempt was not only much better, but it was delicious.  Chloe got everything she wanted for her birthday, a strawberry cake, a floaty balloon and a picture of a duck colored by mom.  We got those magic relighting candles for Chloe’s cake, which she thought was awesome since she could blow out the candles many times.

 

 

 

Ingredients:
Cake:
1 Heaping Cup Whole Strawberries
1/2 Cup Milk
4 Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla
2 3/4 Cup Cake Flour
1 3/4 Cup Sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
3/4 teaspoon Salt
3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened and cut into 1/2 inch slices
Strawberry Glaze:
4 Strawberries
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
2 Tablespoons Butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

 

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Blend the strawberries and milk together in a blender or food processor.  Add the eggs and vanilla and pulse a few times to combine.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together.  Add the butter and mix with an electric mixer until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.

Add the strawberry mixture and mix on medium speed for about 1 minute to combine.

Pour into a 9×13 inch baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes.  This can also be baked in 2 round cake pans, although cooking time may need to be decreased slightly.

Cool completely.

Prepare the glaze by combining the strawberries, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla together in a blender or small food processor.  Mix until smooth.  Pour glaze on cake.

Yield: 1 Cake

Black Bottom Banana Bars

Breakfast, Dessert, , , , , , , , , ,

 

I’m always looking for banana recipes and this one is surely a keeper.  They turned out to be more cake-like than I expected, but were super delicious.

 

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Butter, softened
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cup Mashed Ripe Bananas (about 3 medium)
1 1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder

 

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spray a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

 

In a large bowl, mix together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth.  Add the egg and vanilla, mixing to combine.  Mix in the bananas.

 

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture.

 

Divide the batter evenly between two bowls.  Add the cocoa powder to one bowl and stir to combine.  Pour the cocoa batter into the prepared baking dish and spread out evenly.

 

Spoon the other bowl of batter over the cocoa batter in the baking dish.  Swirl with a knife.

 

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

 

-Recipe comes from BeckyHiggins.com–

Root Beer Chocolate Cake

Dessert, , , , ,

And here is the recipe for Robbie’s birthday cake.  This cake turned out great and was super moist.  The glaze is quite tasty too.  This recipe came from Food Network.

 

Ingredients:
1 Stick Unsalted Butter, plus more for the pan
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour, plus more for dusting
2 1/2 Cups Root Beer
1 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/4 Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 Cup Packed Dark Brown Sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Ground Allspice
1 teaspoon Salt, plus a pinch
3 Large Eggs, beaten
2 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

 

Preheat oven to 325°F.  Butter and flour a Bundt pan, shaking out any excess flour.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt together 2 cups root beer, cocoa powder, chocolate chips and butter.  Whisk in the granulated sugar and brown sugar until dissolved.  Let cool.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, allspice and 1 teaspoon salt.

Whisk the eggs into the cooled root beer mixture.  Add to the large bowl containing the flour mixture.  Fold together to combine.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan and place in oven.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes.  Rotate the pan half way through baking.

When the cake comes out of the oven, poke all over with a skewer.  Pour 1/4 cup root beer over the cake and let rest for 20 minutes.

Invert the cake onto a serving dish.  Let cool.

When the cake is cooled, make the glaze.  Combine 1/4 cup root beer, a pinch of salt, powdered sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.

Drizzle the root beer glaze over the cake.

 

 

 

 

Serves 8-10

Italian Plum Cake

Dessert,

I had a bunch of Italian Plums that I needed to do something with.  Of course I love eating plums (Chloe does too), but I also needed to make a dessert tonight for our Bible study group.  Fruity desserts are great because you don’t feel so bad about eating it…it’s just fruit, right!  I found this recipe and it was just what I was looking for.  I only made a few changes.  I needed it to be bigger, so I doubled it.  I forgot to double the eggs, but it turned out just fine.  So I guess you can use 2 or 4 eggs.

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup plus 2 Tbsp margarine
1 ½ cup (packed) brown sugar
4 eggs
2/3 cup canola oil
Grated zest of 1 orange
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 Italian Plums, halved and pitted

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer cream together the margarine and brown sugar on medium speed.  Add the eggs one at a time.  Mix in the oil, zest and vanilla.  Turn the mixer down to low and slowly add the dry ingredients until just combined.

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking dish.  Place the plums cut side up in the batter and press them down until they are level with the top of the batter.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-40 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.  Once cool, dust with powdered sugar.

Pecan Coffee Cake

Breakfast, Dessert, , , , ,

I found that most coffee cake recipes have sour cream in them, but I didn’t have any sour cream in my refrigerator.  So, I had to do some searching until I found this recipe.  The original recipe called for raisins, but I didn’t put any in this coffee cake.  This was really yummy!

Ingredients:

For the filling –
1½ cups light brown sugar
3 tbsp all purpose flour
3 tbsp cinnamon
1 ½ cups chopped pecans
¾ cup butter, melted

For the cake –
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Prepare a 9X13 inch pan by spraying it with non-stick spray and dusting it with flour.

For the filling, combine brown sugar, 3 Tbsp flour and cinnamon in a bowl.

For the cake batter, combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and set aside.  Cream together the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer, about 2 minutes.  Add eggs and mix until combined.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add milk and vanilla, mix to combine.  Add flour mixture slowly, mixing until just combined.

Spread half of the cake batter in the prepared pan.  Sprinkle with half of the brown sugar mixture.  Pour on half of the melted butter.  Then half of the chopped pecans.  Repeat with remaining batter, brown sugar mixture, butter and pecans.

Bake until browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

Serve warm or room temperature.