Mini Cranberry Bliss Bars

With Thanksgiving just around the corner I thought it would be fun to share a mini version of this delightful treat. I don't know about you, but when I go to a holiday gathering I like to try a little bit of everything. Making these bliss bars mini sized makes it easy for everyone to get a taste with out having to eat a full sized bar or letting any go to waste. This recipe is super simple and can be easily doubled.

Mini Cranberry Bliss Bars 
Cake 
8 tablespoons Unsalted Butter ( 1 stick), softened
1/2 cup Brown Sugar, packed
2 Eggs
Zest of half an Orange
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
3/4 cup All-purpose Flour
1/8 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/4 cup Dried Cranberries, coarsely chopped (plus more for sprinkling)
1/4 cup White Chocolate Chips (plus more for sprinkling)*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9x9 inch pan then line with parchment paper and spray with baking spray. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and brown sugar till creamy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, scrape bowl as needed. Mix in the zest and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and pumpkin pie spice then add it to the butter mixture and beat until well mixed. Stir in the cranberries and white chocolate. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.

Frosting 
4 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, softened
1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

While the cake is cooling make the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar on low, then once it is fully incorporated add the vanilla and increase speed. Beat until smooth.

Assembly
Once the cake is completely cooled, remove it from the pan and spread the frosting evenly over the cake. Sprinkle with white chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Cut into small triangles if desired.

* I used the white chocolate calets pictured below from Whole Foods Market. They are smaller than regular white chocolate chips so they were the perfect size for sprinkling. If you are using regular white chocolate chips you may want to coarsely chop them up before sprinkling or use white chocolate shavings instead.

Recipe slightly adapted from My Baking Addiction where it was adapted from Mr. Breakfast

Pumpkin Gingerbread with Pumpkin Spice Buttercream

I know it is a little early for fall time desserts, but I have an obsession with pumpkin. I usually get the itch to bake with pumpkin in August and it continues through the end of November. Fall baking is my absolute favorite, so I tend to start baking treats with pumpkin, apple, and spice a bit before the fall season officially begins. I came across this amazing looking gingerbread on Oh She Glows, and I have been thinking about making it ever since. Not only does this bread look fantastic, but it is also vegan. I have not experimented very much with vegan baking but I am really interested in learning more about it and trying new recipes.

Pumpkin Gingerbread
1 cup canned Pumpkin
3 tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup
3/4 cup Organic Pure Cane Sugar
1/3 cup Coconut Oil
1/4 cup Blackstrap Molasses
1 tablespoon Ground Flax Seed
3 tablespoons Water
1 2/3 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 1/4 teaspoons Baking Soda
2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice (or make your own)
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 cup Walnuts, Toasted and Chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coarsely  chop walnuts then spread them around on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toast walnuts for 10 minutes, then set aside until needed. Prepare loaf pan with cooking spray. In a small bowl stir together the ground flax seed and water, then set aside. In a medium sized bowl mix together the pumpkin, maple syrup, sugar, coconut oil, molasses, and flax and water mixture. In a separate bowl whisk together all of the dry ingredients. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry, then stir in the toasted walnuts. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Once baked allow loaf to cool completely before frosting.

Pumpkin Spice Buttercream 
1/2 cup Earth Balance Butter Stick, room temperature
2 cups Powdered Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tablespoon Almond Milk (or enough to reach the desired consistency)

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment beat the Earth Balance butter stick until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla on low. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl, increase the speed and beat again until smooth. Add almond milk if needed.  

Recipe slightly adapted from Oh She Glows where it was adapted from Fat Free Vegan

Southern Banana Pudding Cake

I have to admit this cake was not the prettiest cake, in fact it was a bit messy but its deliciousness more than made up for its lack of aesthetics. With all the pudding, bananas and whipping cream between the layers the assembly process was a bit tricky. If you'd rather, you could make this cake a two layer cake instead of cutting the layers into four. I think this cake would be perfect for a backyard picnic or barbecue because it tastes just like the classic southern banana pudding only in cake form.

Vanilla Butter Cake 
2 Large Eggs, Separated
1 3/4 cup Cake Flour, Sifted
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
1 cup Granulated Sugar, Divided
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
1/2 cup Milk
1/8 teaspoon Cream of Tartar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 8 inch round cake pans with baking spray then line with parchment. Separate egg yolks from egg whites then allow them to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside until needed. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter until smooth, then add 3/4 cup of sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition and scrapping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. On low speed add 1/4 of the flour mixture then 1/3 of  the milk and continue alternating between the two, ending with the flour. Transfer batter to a medium bowl and clean the bowl of the electric mixer. In the clean bowl of an electric mixer beat egg whites until foamy then beat in the cream of tartar until soft peaks form then beat in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter, once incorporated fold in the rest of the egg whites until just combined, careful not to over mix.  Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool cakes in pan on a wire rack.

Recipe slightly adapted from Joy of Baking

Vanilla Pudding
1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
1/4 cup Corn Starch
1/8 teaspoon Salt
2 3/4 cup Milk
2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
2 teaspoons Vanilla

In a medium sized sauce pan whisk together all of the dry ingredients. Gradually stir in the milk and cook over medium to medium-high heat until mixture comes to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. To cool quickly make an ice bath, put pan in ice bath stirring constantly until steam subsides. Then transfer pudding to a shallow dish place plastic wrap right on top of pudding to prevent skin from forming and refrigerate until needed.

This recipe is from my mom :)

Whipped Cream Frosting 
8 ounces Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
2 cups Whipping Cream

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until smooth. Continue beating and slowly add the cream. Mix until whipped cream frosting holds a stiff peak.

Recipe from slightly adapted from All Recipes

Order & Assembly
First prepare the cakes, while cakes are baking make the pudding. Make the frosting just before you are ready to assemble the cakes. To assemble first remove the fully cooled cake from the pan and cut each layer in half. On the first layer create a boarder using the whipped cream frosting to prevent to pudding from leaking out. Next, top the layer with about 1/4 inch of the pudding, then top that with a layer of bananas (I used 4 medium sized bananas for the entire cake), then top the bananas with a very thin layer of the whipped cream frosting then add the next layer and repeat. Once you add the final layer frost the entire cake with the remaining whipped cream frosting. Put the cake in the refrigerate immediately to set for at least two hours.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Layer Cake

Last week was full of parties and celebrations and when there is a party there must be a cake. So last week I made two cakes, one for D's birthday and one for his cousin's graduation. The cake I made for the graduation was actually a concoction D came up with. When we first started dating I wanted to make him a cake for his birthday and so I asked him what kind of cake he liked. He knew exactly what he wanted, a white cake with cream cheese frosting and raspberry filling, and not just any raspberry filling, it had to be the kind bakery used. I went to the bakery and asked them if I could purchase the raspberry filling they use for their cakes. They looked at me strangely and told me they don't usually sell the filling on its own. I told them I was making a birthday cake for my boyfriend and this was what he had requested and I would really appreciate if they could sell it to me so I could impress him with this fabulous cake. They took pity on me and sold me the filling. I made the cake and it was a huge success which was great but then the next birthday came. I had to go back to the bakery and ask for the filling again and this begging and pleading for raspberry filling continued year after year until last year when I found the filling a restaurant supply store and I never had to beg for it again. So usually I make this cake for D's birthday but this year I got a special request from his sister to make it for the graduation party. So this year D got a new cake which he thoroughly enjoyed, but I have a feeling that next year D will request his old standby instead.

White Cake 
2 3/4 cups Cake Flour
1 2/3 cups Superfine Sugar
1 tablespoon Baking Powder
3/4 teaspoon Salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, Softened
4 Egg Whites plus 1 Whole Egg
1 cup Full-Fat Yogurt
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Almond Extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 8 inch round cake pans then set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment whisk together all of the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes. Change attachment to the paddle then beat in the butter until crumbly. Add the egg whites one at a time and beat thoroughly after each addition then add the whole egg and beat until incorporated, scraping the bottom and sides as needed. In a separate bowl stir together the yogurt and extracts. Pour a little at a time into the batter mixing well after each addition, this should take about 3-4 additions. Once all of the yogurt mixture is combined beat batter for 2 minutes until nice and fluffy. Pour batter into the cake pans and bake for 30-40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool in pan for about ten minutes then take a butter knife and go around the cake to loosen it from the pan. Turn cake out onto wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe slightly adapted from King Arthur Flour

Cream Cheese Frosting
14 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Softened
16 ounces Cream Cheese, Softened
6 cups Powdered Sugar
2 teaspoons Vanilla (or more depending on taste)

Beat together the cream cheese and butter until combined. Add the powdered sugar and beat on low for a minutes until incorporated. Add the vanilla, increase the speed and beat for 2-3 minutes.

Assembly
Once cakes have cooled wrap them in plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator for for 2 hours to chill (this makes them easier to cut). Once chilled level the tops, if needed and slice each layer directly in half (horizontally). Place the first cut layer on a cake board and frost the perimeter with the cream cheese frosting and fill inside the perimeter with the raspberry filling*. Then add the second layer and frost with the cream cheese frosting. Place the third layer on and frost as you did the first then add the final layer and frost the entire cake with a thin layer of frosting, this is the crumb layer which will help keep the crumbs from showing through the frosting. Once crumb layer is on put the cake in the fridge for at least 20 minutes to allow the frosting to set. Once crumb layer has set remove the cake from the refrigerator and finish frosting. Decorate as desired. To decorate the cake I made I just used a few edible flowers.

*I used Dawn's Raspberry Pie Filling. You could probably use another form of raspberry filling such as a preserve or a jelly with good results.

Makes one 4 layer cake

Raspberry Filling with Cream Cheese Frosting Perimeter 

Crumb Layer

Birthday Cake

D's birthday was this past weekend and we threw a fiesta themed party to celebrate. We had tamales, beans, rice, chips with bean dip and watermelon because it's D's favorite. Of course we had a birthday cake too. I decided to go with a classic, yellow cake and chocolate buttercream frosting. It was quite tasty and a lot of fun to make. Although I must say the frosting did a number on my mixer, it was super thick but my mixer just kept chugging along and eventually got the job done.

Yellow Cake 
2 3/4 cups Cake Flour
1 2/3 cups Superfine Sugar
1 tablespoon Baking Powder
3/4 teaspoon Salt
12 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Softened
3 Whole Eggs plus 2 Egg Whites
1 cup Full-Fat Yogurt
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Almond Extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 8 inch round cake pans. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment mix together all of the dry ingredients for 2 minutes. Switch to the paddle attachment and beat in the butter until crumbly. Beat in the egg whites one at a time then beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping bottom and sides to make sure all ingredients get mixed together. In a separate bowl stir together the yogurt and extracts. Add the yogurt mixture a little at a time to the batter, mixing after each addition. Pour batter into cake pans. Bake 30-40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. When cakes are done allow them to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then run a butter knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan then turn out on a wire rack to cool completely.

Slightly Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
8 ounces Unsweetened Chocolate, Chopped
6 cups Powdered Sugar
16 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Softened
6 tablespoons Milk plus more as needed
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1/4 teaspoon Salt

Melt chocolate in a double boiler then set aside to cool. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, milk, vanilla and salt on low until combined. My mixer struggled a bit at this point so be sure to add more milk as needed to get mixture to combined. Increase the speed and beat for another minute or two. Pour in the melted chocolate and beat for 2 minutes. Please note this frosting is quite sweet, if you prefer less sweet frosting you could try using a little less powdered sugar.

Recipe from Williams-Sonoma

Assembly
Once cakes have cooled wrap them in plastic and put them in the refrigerator for about two hours (this will make them easier to trim). Trim the tops of each cake so they are level. Set the first layer on a cake board and frost the top. Add the second layer and frost the top, then frost the entire cake. For this cake I did not do a crumb layer* because the frosting was so thick that I didn't find it necessary. After frosting the cake you may have some frosting leftover to save for another use.

*A crumble layer is a thin layer of frosting spread over the entire cake to prevent crumbs from showing through.

Easter Cupcakes

Easter morning in our house usually goes something like this... sleep in, make coffee, eat candy and other various forms of sugar for breakfast. I guess once D and I have little ones running around we may have to set a better example but until then we are going to live it up.

Chocolate Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour

3/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder 

1 1/2 cups Sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda

3/4 teaspoons Baking Powder

3/4 teaspoons Salt 

2 Eggs

3/4 cup Buttermilk

3 tablespoons Canola Oil

1 teaspoon Vanilla

3/4 cup Warm Water 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a standard muffin tin with baking cups. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk together all of the dry ingredients. Beat in the eggs, buttermilk, canola oil, vanilla, and water. Divide batter among the prepared cups, filling 1/2 to 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 20 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. 

Recipe from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

Toasted Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting 

16 Large Marshmallows

1 cup Powdered Sugar

1/2 pound Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 

8 ounces Marshmallow Cream

Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set oven to broil. Broil marshmallow for about two minutes or until toasted. Keep a close eye on them so they don't burn. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat together the butter and powdered sugar until combined. Add the vanilla and beat for a few minutes until fluffy. Beat in the toasted marshmallows and marshmallow cream until incorporated, about a minute.

Recipe from Sweetapolita

Toasted Coconut
5 ounces Sweetened Coconut

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread coconut out on a baking sheet. Bake for about 7-8 minutes, tuning coconut half way through. Keep an eye on the coconut as it bakes, it can burn pretty quickly.

Assembly 
Frost cupcakes and pour toasted coconut into a bowl. Swirl frosted cupcake around in the coconut until all the frosting is covered. Top each cupcake with a mini Cadbury Creme Egg.

Tosted Marshmallow and Chocolate Malt Layer Cake

I have been thinking about this cake for a long time, it's been hard to get it out of my head. Ever since 

I saw it featured on Sweetapolita I knew I had to try it. The toasted marshmallows and malt were just too 

much to resist. The toasted marshmallow buttercream frosting is ridiculously good, I could have eaten it 

all on its own, but since I had an entire cake to frost and not to mention my health and well being to 

consider, I used it for the cake instead.  This frosting is one of my new favorites and I am sure you will 

be seeing it again or some version of it in the near future. 

Chocolate Cake

1 pound 4 ounces Granulated Sugar

4 ounces Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

8 ounces Bread Flour

8 ounces Cake Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Soda

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

6 Eggs

2 cups Buttermilk

2 cups Sour Cream

12 ounces Unsalted Butter, Melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter then set aside. Whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder,

flours, baking soda, and baking powder. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle

attachment beat the eggs for one minute then mix in the sour cream and buttermilk. Add the flour mixture

and beat until smooth. Pour in the melted butter and mix to combined. Spray three 8 inch cake pans with

baking spray and divide the batter evenly among them. Bake for 40 minutes or until cake tester comes

out clean.

Slightly adapted from The Professional Pastry Chef by Bo Friberg

Toasted Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting

16 Large Marshmallows

1 cup Powdered Sugar

1/2 pound Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

8 ounces Marshmallow Cream

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set oven to broil. Broil marshmallows for about 2 minutes

or until toasted. Keep a close eye on them so they don't burn. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with

the paddle attachment beat together the butter and powdered sugar until combined. Add the vanilla and

beat for a few minutes until fluffy. Beat in the toasted marshmallows and the marshmallow fluff for

a minute or so.

Recipe from Sweetapolita

Chocolate Malt Buttercream Frosting

1 pound Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature

4 cups Powdered Sugar

3 teaspoons Vanilla

3/4 cup Malt Powder

8 ounces Bittersweet Chocolate Chips, Melted

1/2 cup Whipping Cream

Melt chocolate and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat

together the butter and the powdered sugar until combined. Beat in the vanilla and malt powder. Pour in

the melted chocolate and beat for two minutes. Add the whipping cream and beat for another minute or

until fluffy.

Recipe from Sweetapolita

Assembly 

Slice each layer in half and trim the tops if necessary. Place bottom layer on cake board and frost top

with the toasted marshmallow buttercream. Add the next layer and frost with the chocolate malt

buttercream. Continue to layer and frost alternating between the toasted marshmallow buttercream and

the chocolate malt buttercream. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the rest of the chocolate malt

buttercream then top with chocolate sprinkles if you like.

Vanilla Frosted Honey Cake

This recipe comes from the cookbook Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros. This cookbook is one of my absolute favorites because I never tire of looking through the pages. The pictures gorgeous and her recipes are exactly what I picture when I think of homemade. Every recipe in this book has a story or a memory attached to it. The other day when I was looking through the cookbook I came across this recipe for honey cake. I have made this dessert before but it's been while. This cake reminds me of spring.  From the dense moist cake made with honey and rosemary to the delicate vanilla frosting it is the perfect springtime dessert. The original recipe calls for lemon frosting, but I made this cake with vanilla instead. The frosting for this cake is delicious, it is lighter and a bit more runny than your typical buttercream but it compliments the heartiness of the cake perfectly.

Honey Cake 
11 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1/2 cup Dark Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Honey
1 1/2 tablespoons Water
1 2/3 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
pinch of Salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Rosemary Leaves
2 Eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8 inch round cake pan and set aside. In a medium sized sauce pan set over medium heat melt the butter. Stir in the brown sugar, honey and water and cook until the sugar completely dissolves, then set aside to cool. In the bowl of an electric mixer whisk together all of the dry ingredients. Attach the paddle attachment to the mixer then add the cooled butter mixture to the flour mixture and beat to combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides as necessary. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-35 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pan for 20 minutes then using a butter knife, or plastic if your pan is non-stick, go around the edge of the cake loosening it from the sides then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Vanilla Frosting
7 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Softened
1 2/3 cups Powdered Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
3-4 tablespoons Milk

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the powdered sugar until incorporated then add the milk and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes until frosting is light and airy.

Carrot Sugar Cookies

These sugar cookies are fun and pretty simple to make. The dough comes together quickly so you can easily make it the night before then stick it in the refrigerator and make your cookies in the morning. When rolling out the dough be sure to use enough flour so the dough does not stick to the rolling pin. If you find the dough is getting too soft to work with, stick it back in the refrigerator for a few minutes until it firms up a bit. I find it helpful to use a metal spatula to transfer the unbaked cookies from the work surface to the baking sheet.

Sugar Cookies 

1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
1 Egg, Room Temperature*
3/4 teaspoon Vanilla
1 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat together the butter and the powdered sugar till fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined. Add the flour mixture and beat to incorporate. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Working with half of the dough at a time (leaving the other half in the refrigerator), on a floured work surface roll out dough then cut into shapes. Bake for 7-10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 12-15 cookies

* To bring the egg to room temperature place the egg in a bowl and fill the bowl with hot tap water. Allow egg to sit in water for 10 minutes.

Adapted from Taste of Home

Frosting 
8 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
1 tablespoon Meringue Powder
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
3 tablespoons Milk 

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat together the butter, meringue powder and vanilla until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and beat to combined. Pour in the milk and beat for a few minutes, until frosting is nice and fluffy. 

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

Assembly
Place 1/3 cup frosting in a separate bowl and stir in two drops of green food coloring until all frosting has been colored. To the remaining frosting add 4 drops of orange food coloring and beat until all the frosting has been colored, add more food coloring if desired. For the coconut, place 2 drops green food coloring in a container fitted with a lid. Add 1/4 cup shredded coconut, cover and shake until all coconut has been dyed. 
Frost the carrot leaves first then sprinkle with coconut. To frost the carrot, fill a pastry bag fitted with the star attachment half way full with the orange frosting. Line the border of the carrot with stars, then fill in the middle.

Coconut Lime Cupcakes

Fridays are my favorite day of the week. Most Fridays D and make a pizza, have a glass of wine or two and watch a movie. I know this is not the most exciting evening, but it's what we do. Tonight however we will be going over to a friend's house for dinner because one of D's good friends is in town and we are going to celebrate his birthday. We actually celebrated his birthday last year too, only he wasn't there. It's long story, anyway this year we are happy he will be in town to celebrate his birthday with us.

Lime Cupcakes

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Cake Flour

3/4 cup plus one tablespoon Super Fine Sugar*

1/2 tablespoon Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon Salt 

6 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Softened*

2 Egg Whites

1 Whole Egg

1/2 cup Sour Cream (the full fat kind)

1 teaspoon Vanilla

Zest and Juice of 1 Lime 

Line a standard 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk together all of the dry ingredients starting on low then gradually increase the speed to medium until well mixed, about 2 minutes (make sure flour doesn't fly out). Switch to the paddle attachment, add the softened butter and mix till crumbly. Beat in the egg whites until fully incorporated, about 1-2 minutes, then beat in the whole egg, about 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom as necessary. In a separate bowl stir together the sour cream, vanilla, lime juice and zest then beat 1/2 of the mixture into batter until well mixed about 1 minute, then beat in the rest of the sour cream mixture until fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping sides and bottom as necessary. Fill baking cups 3/4 of the way full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. 

Makes 12 cupcakes 

Adapted from King Arthur Flour

* A few notes:

1) To make super fine sugar from regular granulated sugar, put it in a food processor and grind until sugar is fine. 

2) Make sure butter is soft. To soften butter cut it up into tablespoon sized pieces and allow it to sit at room temperature until it become very soft, I let mine sit for 45 minutes. 

3) Always remember to scrape down the bottom and the sides of mixing bowl as needed to be sure all of the ingredients get incorporated.

Super Fine Sugar

Batter

Baked

Frosting

8 ounces Cream Cheese, Softened 

4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Softened 

1 cup Powdered Sugar

2 teaspoons Vanilla 

3 ounces Sweetened Coconut for Topping 

Beat together the cream cheese and the butter for a few minutes. Add the vanilla and the powdered sugar beat for a few more minutes. Frost cooled cupcakes. 

Adapted from Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home

Assembly 

Pour the coconut into a wide and shallow dish such as a pie tin. Using a small offset spatula, create a little dome of frosting on top of each cupcake. Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the coconut and roll them around a bit until the coconut covers the frosting.

This post is linked with Everyday Sisters Sharing

Frosted 

Mint Chocolate Layer Cake

Yesterday D and I had our first barbecue of the season. We invited our friends Jay and Stacey over for some drinks, barbecue, and cake. While it was still a bit cold in the evening, the day was perfect. The sun was out and the temperature was in the 60s. D and I spent some time in the yard enjoying the warm weather. By the time our friends arrived the temperature had dropped and so we had to eat inside, but still had a great time and great food.

Devil's Food Cake 
2 2/3 cups Granulated Sugar
1 1/2 cups Cocoa Powder
1 1/3 cups Bread Flour
1 1/3 cups Cake Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
8 tablespoons Powdered Buttermilk
6 Eggs
2 cups Water
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 1/2 cups Unsalted Butter, Melted

Makes 4, six inch layers
Note: For this cake we will only be using 3 of the layers. You could use the remaining batter to make a few cupcakes or a single layer cake.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 3 six inch cake pans with cooking spray. Whisk together all of the dry ingredients and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the eggs for one minute. Add the vanilla, sour cream and water, mix on low until combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix until smooth, then  mix in melted butter. Pour batter into the prepared pans and bake for 40- 45 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool in pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes then remove the cakes from the pans and place them directly on the wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled cakes can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for a few hours to make trimming the tops easier.

Adapted from The Professional Pastry Chef: Fundamentals of Baking and Pastry, 4th Edition

Peppermint Buttercream 
1 cup Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
3 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Peppermint Extract
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
4 drops Green Gel Food Coloring, if Desired
1-2 tablespoons Milk

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat butter till fluffy. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time and beat on low to incorporate. Add the vanilla, peppermint, milk, and food coloring (if using), increase the speed and beat for a few minutes until frosting is nice and fluffy.

Ganache 
3 ounces Heavy Cream
4 ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla

Heat the butter and cream over medium heat until cream is hot and butter is melted but mixture is not boiling. Pour butter and cream mixture over chocolate and allow to sit for 5 minutes then stir till smooth. Stir in the vanilla.

Assembly 
Using a serrated knife trim the tops of the cakes to form 3 even layers. Place the first layer on a cake board and frost the top of the cake with about 1/8 inch thick layer of frosting, leaving 1/4 inch around the edge unfrosted. Place the second layer on top of the first and frost as you did the first layer. Top with the final layer and frost the entire cake with a very thin layer of frosting. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Frost the cake with the rest of the frosting and refrigerate again for 30 minutes to allow frosting to set. While cake is in the refrigerator make the ganache. Once frosting has set pour the ganache over the top of the cake letting it drip down the sides and decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Put cake back in the refrigerator for another 30 minutes or until 30 minutes before the cake will be served.

Peanut Butter Brownies

D loves anything that involves chocolate and peanut butter, but oddly enough I have never made a chocolate and peanut butter dessert. I decided to remedy that with these peanut butter brownies.

Brownies
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons peanut butter
3 large eggs
1 cup all purpose flour, scooped
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
 1 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9"x13" pan with parchment paper slightly hanging over the sides so brownies can easily be removed. Melt the butter, peanut butter, and chocolate in a sauce pan over low heat. Once melted, set aside to cool. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla then beat in the cooled chocolate mixture. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour and the salt then add it to the chocolate mixture and beat until well incorporated.  Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. Allow brownies to cool in pan for a few minutes. Then holding the sides of the parchment paper, carefully remove the brownies from the pan and set on a wire rack to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Frosting
1 cup peanut butter
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup heavy whip

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat together the butter and peanut butter. Add the powdered sugar and beat until fully incorporated then add the heavy whip and beat about another minute or two.

Once brownies have cooled top with the peanut butter frosting and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to allow frosting to set.

Brownies can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for a few days.

These brownies taste best when served at room temperature.

Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies

When I was a kid I loved oatmeal sandwich cookies . They would come in a box each one wrapped up individually in a cellophane package. I remember devouring them on long road trips with my family. They were so soft, they would almost just melt in your mouth.
These carrot cake sandwich cookies were inspired by this nostalgic treat.

Makes 14 sandwich cookies

Ingredients

Cookies
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup crushed pineapple
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1/4 salt

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat together the butter and sugars. Add the egg and beat until well combined. In a separate bowl whisk together all of the dry ingredients. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the carrots, pineapple, and raisins. Drop dough by one tablespoon at a time onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Cool on rack.

Filling 
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon orange juice

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat together the cream cheese and the butter. Add the powdered sugar and beat for 2-3 minutes. Add the vanilla and the orange juice, beat to combine.

Once cookies have cooled, turn half of the cookies up side down and frost with the cream cheese frosting, then top with the remaining cookies.

Cookies can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerate for a few days.

These cookies pair well with a cup of spicy black tea and taste best served at room temperature.

Peach Cupcakes with Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting

The peach flavor in these cupcakes is very subtle. When paired with the ginger cream cheese frosting, the subtle peach flavor compliments the ginger nicely. If you prefer a stronger peach flavor you could add a teaspoon of peach extract to the batter.


Subtly Peach Cupcakes 
1 18.25 oz. box white cake mix
3 egg whites
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup peach nectar

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat all of the ingredients together for 2-3 minutes. Line a standard 12 cup muffin tin with baking cups. Fill each cup 1/2 way full. Bake according to box instructions, usually about 16-21 minutes. Once cupcakes are done, carefully remove them from pan and cool on rack.

Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting 
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted Butter, room temperature
16 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
5 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
crystallized ginger for decoration

Please note if you do not pile your cupcakes up high with lots frosting you can half this recipe.
In the bowl of an electric mixer cream together the butter and the cream cheese. Add the powdered sugar, ground ginger and vanilla. Beat until creamy, about 3-4 minutes.

Frost cupcakes and sprinkle with crystallized ginger.

Makes 24 cupcakes

Heart Shaped Frosted Sugar Cookies

This sugar cookie recipe is a very special recipe to me because it came from my Oma. She was an excellent baker, and one of my fondest memories from early childhood was decorating sugar cookies with her. These cookies are delicious frosted or even just plain with a cup of coffee or tea.

For the sugar cookies you will need...
1/2 lb butter
3/4 Cup sugar
2 1/2 Cups flour
2 Egg yolks
1 Whole egg
2 Teaspoons baking powder

Whisk together the sugar, flour, and baking powder. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture becomes crumbled. Lightly beat together egg yolks and whole egg. Add eggs to crumbled mixture and knead together  to form the dough into a ball. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Working with half the dough at a time (leave the other half in the refrigerator so it doesn't get too warm), roll out thin and cut with a heart shaped cookie cutter. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until very light brown. Cool on rack.

 

For the frosting you will need...
1/2  lb butter, room temperature
5 Cups powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons whole milk
1 1/2 Teaspoons vanilla

Beat together the butter, sugar, milk, and vanilla. Start beating on low and gradually increase the speed as the sugar becomes incorporated. Beat for a few minutes to get really fluffy frosting. Add a little food coloring if desired.

Decorate frosted cookies with an assortment of candies if you like. As a kid I would always decorate my cookies with red hots and shoestring licorice.