Novelty Cake, aka The Richest Cake Ever!

Obviously the novelty of having a blog is wearing off. My sister has to cajole and basically force me to add more posts now. That's kind of sad, it's only been a month and a half...

Anyway I made this amazing cake. It was my first attempt at a layer cake. I followed the Bakerella instructions for her 14 for 14 cake, but I used the cake mix from my Hot Water Devil's Food Cake. I used the frosting that her instructions had, and man it was amazing. This is so impossibly rich! Chocolate cake, rich on its own, with chocolate glaze and chocolate cream cheese frosting. Whew! But man, it went fast! I did this recipe once with 9 layers and once with 10, I wasn't too careful about the batter measurements. This is what it looked like!

I baked the cake in 8" rounds three at a time for 11-12 minutes.

When the last one was cooking I started the Icing for between the layers. This is from a link on the Bakerella site.

Icing

1 c Butter, cut up

1 can Evaporated Milk

1/2 c Cocoa

3 c Sugar

1 T Vanilla

Mix sugar and cocoa in a sauce pan. Add butter and milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and continue cooking until the icing thickens. Remove from heat and let sit for 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix.

Place 1 layer of the cake on a cake board (I used cardboard wrapped in foil) on a rack over a jelly-roll pan to catch the icing. Scoop about 1/4-1/3 c icing on to the layer and spread it over the layer. Add another layer of cake and continue the process until all the layers have been used. Pour the remaining icing over the top of the cake and let it drip down.

You can spread the icing as it drips so that it covers the whole cake. Then let the icing set until firm. You can also serve it warm and be done at this point.

I continued and put Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting over the top. I got this recipe from Bakerella.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 c Butter, softened

8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 c Cocoa

1 lb Powdered Sugar

1 t Vanilla

1-3 T Milk

Cream the butter and cream cheese. Add the cocoa and mix. Add the powdered sugar in batches, mixing between each addition. Add the vanilla and as much milk as needed for desired consistency.

I then slathered this over the outside of the beautiful cake:

I thought it looked so amazing! Especially for my first one!

Of course we had to have it for dinner so that I could see what it looked like on the inside!

YUM!!!

Cupcake Bites

I finally used the instructions on my cupcake pops link. I didn't have the pop sticks, so I made Cupcake Bites! They were delicious.

I decided to make some chocolate ones, because almost everyone I know LOVES chocolate. I used a recipe for Hot Water Devil's Food Cake. Yum.

Hot Water Devil's Food Cake

1/2 c Shortening

1 1/2 c Sugar

2 Eggs

1/2 c Cocoa

3/4 c Sweet Milk

2 c All-purpose Flour

1/4 t Salt

2 t Soda

1 c Boiling Water

Mix in order given, when mixed thoroughly add boiling water. Batter will be thin. Bake at 375* for 35-40 minutes in a 9x13 in. pan until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

We almost always double this recipe and use Hershey's One Bowl Buttercream Frosting with Orange Extract for birthdays. But this recipe only needs a single for about 50 cupcake bites!

Let the cake cool, and make Cream Cheese Frosting. I guess you could buy it too, but its not nearly as good.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 c Butter, softened

8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened

1 T Vanilla

1 lb Powdered Sugar

Cream the butter and cheese, add the vanilla. Add the powdered sugar in batches.

When the cake is completely cool, crumble it into a large bowl. And I mean LARGE. Add 2 cups of the cream cheese frosting (1 can or about 1/2 of the recipe here). And mix together. Mash the frosting into the cake with a wooden spoon, or knead it with your hands. When the frosting is all mixed in, use a 1 T spoon or a small cookie scoop and roll the mixture into thick oval shapes. When all rolled press into a flower shaped cookie cutter. Mold the cake mixture into a small cupcake shape. (You can just roll them into balls an be done, also.)

I ended up with 50 little cupcakes. When they were all set on the pan they looked like truffles!

Melt candy for the bottom, I used Vanilla Almond Bark. Dip the bottoms in the candy and place on waxed paper with the top side down, to set. I also used a little bit of yellow food coloring to make the candy look like cupcake wrappers.

You can do the same for the top with any kind of candy you like. I decided to use frosting, Hershey's One Bowl Buttercream Frosting, to be exact.

Hershey's One Bowl Buttercream Frosting

6 T Butter, softened

1/3-3/4 Cocoa (1/3 is pretty light but 3/4 is EXTREMELY rich)

2 2/3 c Powdered Sugar

1/3 c Milk

1 t Vanilla

In small mixer bowl, cream butter. Add cocoa and sugar alternately with milk. Beat to spreading consistency (additional milk may be necessary). Blend in the vanilla. Makes about 2 cups of frosting.

I then used a small spatula to spread about 1 tablespoon, maybe less, of frosting on each cupcake bite.

These are very rich! But very tasty.

I did the same with my pumpkin cookie recipe, just baked it as a cake, then crumbled it...but I left them as Cookie Balls and glazed them with a powdered sugar glaze. Mmmmmm!

Testing Out The New Toys: Sherry Bundt Cake & Mexican Chocolte Cake

I just had to try out my new toy, the mini bundt pan that I mentioned earlier. I can't believe it took me this long to use it!



So I made some cakes last night, and some more today, maybe I'll test out another recipe tomorrow...Anyway they're beautiful! And I love them! And I think these are my new favorite things to make.

First I made the good ole Sherry Bundt Cake that we've made in my family for as long as I can remember. This recipe is one of the easiest and yummiest that I know.

Sherry Bundt Cake

1 Cake Mix

1 T All-purpose Flour

1 Small Instant Pudding

4 Eggs

1/4 c Oil

1/2 c Sherry (water if you're boring)

Sift the cake mix, flour, and pudding mix together. Beat the eggs and oil together and add to the dry mix. Add the sherry and mix until moistened. Pour (spread) into a greased bundt pan (or mini) and bake for 25 minutes at 350*F (I did about 15-20 for my minis).

Remove cake from oven, flip it onto a rack or serving plate and remove the pan. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm.

**I don't have a picture of these, because I made them at a friend's house, but as soon as I get the ones he took I'll post them.**

I tried one of the recipes that came with my pan today with Eli and Cavan. They turned out amazing, and the recipe made about 12 mini cakes!

Mexican Chocolate Cake

4 (1 oz.) Squares Unsweetened Chocolate

3/4 c Finely Chopped Walnuts (I left these out)

2 t Cinnamon

1/4 c Butter, Softened

2 Eggs

1/2 c Brown Sugar

1/2 c Granulated Sugar

2 c Sifted Flour

2 t Baking Powder

1/2 t Baking Soda

1/2 t Salt

1 c Buttermilk

1 t Vanilla

Grate chocolate and chop nuts finely; add the cinnamon. Set aside. In large bowl, cream butter and eggs; add brown and granulated sugar. Beat until smooth. Add chocolate mixture and blend. Sift together flour, baking powder, soda and salt; add alternately with buttermilk to creamed mixture, add vanilla. Bake in greased and floured bundt pan at 325*F for 40-45 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool in pan 10-15 minutes; turn out on wire rack or serving plate to complete cooling.

I cooked my minis for about 20 minutes and tested them by making sure they bounced back when I touched the top. I also turned them onto a rack immediately.

Mexican Chocolate Glaze

1/2 c Chocolate Chips

1/4 c Boiling Water

1/2 t Cinnamon

1 c Powdered Sugar

Combine chocolate chips and water and mix well (this didn't fully melt the chips for me so I put it in the microwave for 20 seconds). Add cinnamon and powdered sugar and blend until smooth. Drizzle over cake. The glaze set really fast for me, so I had to glop it on the last few cakes. But it tastes amazing. You can also refrigerate it to get the consistency you want.

¡Buen apetito!

Chocolate Heart Cookies

The Chocolate Heart Cookies tasted rather like chocolate shortbread, and did look sorta pretty, but not nearly as nice as they should have. I got the recipe from RecipeZaar and it had a lot of good reviews. Maybe if you get the frosting right.


Chocolate Heart Cookies

1 c Butter, softened
1/2 c Sugar
1 t Vanilla
2 c All-purpose Flour
1/4 c Cocoa
1 c Vanilla Chip or White Chocolate Chips
2 T Shortening, divided
1/2 c Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour and cocoa; gradually add to creamed mixture.

On a lightly floured surface (you can also used powdered sugar) roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with a heart-shaped cookie cutter placing 2-inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes.

Remove to wire racks to cool.

In a microwave safe bowl, heat vanilla chips and 1 tablespoon of shortening until melted, stirring frequently. Dip both sides of the cookie into melted mixture (so you make a V-shape from the point of the cookie out to the middle of both rounded tops).

In another microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and remaining shortening, stirring frequently. Drizzle over the cookies. Place on wire rack to dry.

Red Velvet, Cookies If You Please

I made 2 types of cookies this week. The Chocolate Heart Cookies were not that great, but the Red Velvet ones were amazing. They were perfect with or without frosting! Wow.

The amazing ones! I got this idea from Bakerella (my link to Cupcake Pops) but got the cookie recipe from RecipeZaar, with a few slight changes.

Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches

1 2/3 c Flour, +2 T For high altitude

1 1/2 T Cocoa

1/2 t Baking Soda

1/2 t Salt

1/2 c Butter, softened

3/4 c Sugar

1 Egg

1 T Red Food Coloring

1 1/2 t Vanilla

1 c Buttermilk, -1 T For high altitude

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl. In a larger bowl cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg, food coloring and vanilla and mix well. Add the buttermilk, alternating with the flour mixture.

Drop by tablespoon onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350* for 12-15 minutes. Remove to a rack and let cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 c Butter, softened

8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened

1 lb Powdered Sugar

1 t Vanilla

Cream the butter and cream cheese. Add the vanilla and mix. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.

Frost the bottom of one cooled cookie, and make a sandwich with another.

I didn't want the whole batch of frosting, so I used 2 T butter, 2 oz Cream Cheese, 1 1/2 c Sugar, and 1/4 t Vanilla. This made about 14 sandwich cookies.

Mmmmm...red velvet, if you please.

It's a Party! Chocolate Mashmallow Cookies

Sunday is Steve's birthday so the party was today, in case he takes tomorrow off. I made some Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies. They are quite amazing. And SO easy!



Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
1/2 c Butter, softened
1 c Sugar
1 Egg
1/4 c Milk
1 t Vanilla Extract
1 3/4 c All-purpose Flour
1/3 c Cocoa
1/2 t Baking Soda
1/2 t Salt

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; beat into creamed mixture.

Drop by rounded teaspoonful onto un-greased baking sheets. Bake at 350*F for 8 minutes.



Press a marshmallow half, cut side down, onto each cookie. Return to the oven for 3 minutes.



Cool completely on wire rack.

Icing
6 T Butter
2 T Cocoa
1/4 c Milk
1 3/4 c Powdered Sugar
1/2 t Vanilla Extract
Pecan halves, Almonds, Peanut pieces, whatever you want on top

In a small saucepan combine butter, cocoa and milk. Bring to a boil; boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Cool slightly; transfer to a small mixing bowl. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread over the cooled cookies. Top each with your choice of nuts.



Or not.



I took these cookies, although they told me I didn't have to. That they would provide them this time. When I got there they revealed that this was also a going away party for me. (I guess they didn't get the memo that I am not leaving until April, now) Anyway they all pitched in and got me a new toy! Since I take so many goodies to the office. YAY! A mini bundt pan! I'm so excited to experiment!

Aaahhhh Artichoke Dip

I forgot to add this recipe! I almost forgot we ate it the other night for dinner. Aaahhh!

Hot Artichoke Dip

1 can Artichoke Hearts, chopped

8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 c Mayonnaise

4 oz Mozzarella, grated

1 c Parmesan, grated

1/8 t Garlic powder, (or 1/2 T Minced Garlic: my family likes lots of garlic!)

Mix together all ingredients, place in a baking dish (pie pan) and bake for 25 minutes at 350*F. Serve with veggies, crackers, chips, or toast.