Strawberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Hooray!  It is Secret Recipe Club time again.  This is such a fun group to be a part of.  My blogging has slowed down significantly over the last year, but I wouldn't miss one of these reveals!

This month I was assigned to Cooking Whims by Megan.  She not only shares recipes, but fun food finds, and her life experiences.  I really enjoyed getting to know her and her family through her blog.  She says, "I am no chef, but I do love to cook and bake and photograph everything under the sun."  She likes to try new recipes and document them on the blog.

When it came time to choose a recipe, I struggled to make just one for my post.  I pondered these Homemade Oatmeal Granola Bars because I have struggled to find a granola bar that I really, truly loved.  I also considered Rosemary Roasted Chicken and Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Burgers.  But, I finally settled on these Strawberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting because fresh strawberries are everywhere right now.

This recipe turned TASTY!!  Honestly, I think you could put cream cheese frosting on cardboard and I would eat it.  But, on top of these moist strawberry cupcakes, the frosting was heavenly.

The cake was sweet, and with a hint of strawberry flavor.  I think I will try upping the strawberries to get a stronger flavor next time, but that was just me.  The rest of my family enjoyed them just as they were.  Megan reminded her readers that this recipe isn't a quick one.  There are multiple steps involved, but, if you choose to make it, you won't be sorry. I kept it all original and didn't change anything.  ENJOY!

Strawberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe Source: Cooking Whims

Cake:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 tsp plus 1/8 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp salt
3/4 cup softened butter
3/4 cup pureed strawberries (about 1 cup whole strawberries blended in a mixer or blender)
4 egg whites
1/3 cup milk
5-6 drops of red food coloring if you want a deep pink color

Frosting:
12 oz. cream cheese (1/3 reduced fat), softened
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350 F and line your cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

Place the dry ingredients into the bowl of your stand mixer and mix for a few seconds on low to combine.  Add the butter and and strawberry puree, mix well until combined on low speed.  Increase the speed to medium and mix for 2-3 minutes of until the mixture is light and fluffy.  It will be very thick at this point.

In a large bowl, combine the egg whites, milk, and food coloring.  Add this mixtures to the flour and strawberry mixture in three parts, make sure to incorporate the each addition well.  Add more food coloring if desired to reach the desired color.

Fill your cupcake liners 3/4 full.

Bake 17-20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool on a cooling rack.

For the frosting, combine the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl.  If you like a sweeter frosting add more sugar 1 tablespoon at a time.  Pipe or use an offset spatula to frost the cupcakes. Top with fresh strawberry slices.

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

It is time for another round of Secret Recipe Club recipes.  I love doing this every month, because it introduces me to blogs that I wouldn't otherwise see.  This month I was lucky enough to be assigned to Fantastical Sharing of Recipes written by Sarah.  What I love about this blog is that Sarah has a similar take on food as me.  She tries to cook at home and not from packaged meals, but she also cooks what her family loves.  Not everything is the healthiest but she is always trying new recipes and sharing them with her family.

As I started going through her recipes, I found many that I wanted to make.  Her one pot spaghetti looks awesome, and has been pinned for future reference.  I almost went for the cheddar baked potato soup, but the weather here is just too warm for that.  So, finally, I settled on this chocolate chip coffee cake.  I love coffee cakes, and Sarah says "adores," it and it is super easy to make.  I didn't feel the need to make any changes to this recipe.  I left it just as Sarah did.  It was light, with just the right amount of chocolate and cinnamon in every bite.  ENJOY!

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

Recipe Source: Fantastical Sharing of Recipes via Two Peas & Their Pod

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powders

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter at room temperature

2 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

Cinnamon Sugar Filling/Topping:

Combine in a small bowl and set aside

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Greas an 8 inch square pan and preheat your oven to 350 F

In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.

In your stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time and continue mixing until the mixture is smooth.  Add the sour cream, and vanilla.

Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. 

Spoon half the batter into your prepared pan.  Sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar mixture and half the chocolate chips.  Spoon the rest of the batter into the pan and top it with the remainder of chocolate chips and cinnamon mixture.

Bake for 40 minutes and cool to room temperature.

Sugar Cookies

I have been searching for years to find a sugar cookie that I love.  The problem is that everyone has their own preferences when it comes to cookies: crispy, soft, chewy, gooey, etc., which makes it hard to find the "perfect" recipe.  Your perfect is probably not the same as my perfect.

When it comes to most cookies, I like them soft, but not so soft that they are underdone in the middle.  I have been using a recipe for years that had amazing flavor and stayed soft through the baking process; however, the high volume of eggs made the cookies very puffy and they didn't keep their shape very well.  I was ok with puffy cookies because they were just for me and my family, but once in a while I wanted a cookie that would hold the cutter shape better. This cookie does that!

Thanks to the lovely world of Pinterest, I have finally found a cookie that meets my requirements.  This recipe comes from the blog Make Bake Celebrate and it is soft and still looks like the cookie cutter.  I loved them plain, but they also frost beautifully.  This recipe is quick to make.  It doesn't require long chilling times, it rolls beautifully and the final product is one that everyone in my family loves.

I did have to make a few minor changes.  First I added salt.  The original recipe doesn't call for any salt, but I am a firm believer that every recipe should have some.  I also added a little lemon zest for some additional flavor, but this is optional and depends on the flavors you enjoy most in your cookies.  ENJOY!

Rolled Sugar Cookies
Recipe Source: Modified slightly from Make Bake Celebrate

**Please note that baking times will vary depending on the thickness and size of your cookies.  I would highly recommend keeping a close eye on your first batch in order to determine the baking time that you need.**

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons lemon zest

About 30 minutes before making the cookies set your butter and egg on the counter to come to room temperature.  You don't want super soft butter, for a good information on softened butter check this link out.

In a bowl combine the lour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

Using your mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until well combined.  Add the egg and mix well.  Mix in the vanilla and lemon zest.

Slowly add the flour one cup at a time.  When the dough is well mixed, turn it out and knead until your it is nice and smooth.  Wrap and refrigerate.  At this point you don't need to chill for hours.  You are only seeking for the dough to be firm.  I left mine in the refrigerator about 20 minutes is all.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 F

When your dough is chilled, place it between two sheets of parchment paper to roll out.  (The parchment paper under the dough can be transferred straight to your cookie sheet to prevent sticking if you like.  I bake on stoneware and don't need the parchment.)  Roll out your dough to the thickness you desire.  I rolled to about 3/8 inch thickness, but you can go thicker or thinner if you want.

 Cut out using the shape you want, transfer to a baking sheet, and bake until the cookies are set, and the tops look done.  You can check for the moist, shiny appearance to be gone too.  Mine baked for 9 minutes and were perfect for me.

Frost if desired, or enjoy immediately!

Chocolate Fudge Bundt Cake

Every year, after the massive amounts of food at Thanksgiving dinner, we head over to my sister-in-law's house for dessert.  It has become a tradition for all of the extended family, and everyone enjoys the time together.  I try to make a new dish each year to share.  Last year it was this Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Cheesecake that took two days to make, but was insanely good and worth every second of effort.  This year I needed something easy and quick to make, but with the same decadence as last year's contribution. 

After a short visit to my Pinterest page, I found a chocolate cake that I had pinned a while back.  It looked rich and moist, but best of all the recipe was easy.  Perfect to bake the morning of Thanksgiving. Now, I'm not a huge fan of mixes, but when a cake looks this good I am willing to make compromises.  I am so glad that I did.  The recipe called for two cups of sour cream which contributed to the tenderness of the final result, and I substituted coffee for the water.  The pudding added a richness that I have never achieved before with a chocolate cake recipe.  The final result was a cake that was uber moist and full of rich, chocolate flavor.  I loved that it didn't require a thick layer of frosting and it was even better the next day once all of the flavors had melded together.  I opted to include  the fudge sauce and more chocolate chips; however, they are not necessary at all.  ENJOY!

Chocolate Fudge Bundt Cake

Recipe Source: modified slightly from Let's Dish 

Ingredients
1 (18.25 oz.) chocolate cake mix
1 (3.4 oz.) package instant chocolate pudding mix
2 cups sour cream
3 eggs
⅓ cup vegetable oil
½ cup strong coffee (or water if you prefer)
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Grease and flour a 10-inch fluted or bundt pan very well. Mix all ingredients, except the chocolate chips, in stand mixer or with a handheld mixer until well blended. Fold in chocolate chips. Spoon batter (it will be thick) into prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.  If desired, top with fudge sauce and more chocolate chips (I did and it was wonderful!)

Fudge Sauce

Recipe Source: Let's Dish originally from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food: Great Food Fast cookbook

Ingredients
1/4 cup light corn syrup
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions
In a small saucepan, combine corn syrup and chocolate chips over medium-low heat. Stir occassionally until smooth, 4-5 minutes. Whisk in heavy cream until smooth and well blended. Serve warm, or cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. Store any unused sauce in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Caramel Pear Upside Down Cake

You know those recipes that are similar to another recipe that you love?  This recipe is one of those recipes.  It is like a pineapple upside down cake, which is one of my all time favorite cakes,  in flavor and technique, but instead of pineapple the fruit layer is fresh fall pears.  YUM!

The original recipe calls for canned pears, but during this time of year in my area we have an abundance of fresh pears.  I went with the fresh pears because of price and flavor.  I was not disappointed.  This cake has rich, gooey, caramelly, flavors from the brown sugar and butter combined with  sweet pears and a moist yellow cake.  The whole thing just screams Fall, well you have to listen carefully to hear the screaming, but I promise it does.  ENJOY!

Caramel Pear Upside Down Cake

 Recipe Source: Modified slightly from Moonspice 

Ingredients:

½ cup Dark Brown Sugar

¼ cup Unsalted Butter

2-3 Ripe pears, peeled, cored and sliced

1 cup Plain Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

A pinch of Salt

1 cup Granulated sugar

3 Medium size Eggs

½ cup Plain Yogurt or sour cream

¼ tsp Vanilla Extract

½ cup vegetable oil

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch cake pan, then line with a round piece of parchment paper. 

In a small pan, melt the butter and brown sugar over medium heat.  While the butter and sugar are melting, slice the pears and arrange them in the prepared pan.  When the butter and sugar are melted, carefully pour it over the top of the pears.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.  In another bowl, beat the sugar, eggs, yogurt, vanilla  and oil.  When the wet ingredients are well combined, gently mix it into the dry ingredients.  Don't over mix!

Pour the batter over the top of the pear topping.  Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.  Allow to cool in the pan completely.  When cool, place a plate on top of the pan and turn it over to release it from the pan.  If for some reason a pear sticks to your pan, just gently remove and place it back where it is supposed to be.  No one will know the difference.  

Top the whole thing with fresh whipped cream!

Peanut Butter Pound Cake

This month's recipe for the Secret Recipe Club comes from the blog Loving Life written by Kirstin.  What I enjoyed about reading through this blog is the personal aspect Kirstin brings to all of her posts.  Not only are there recipes, but also daily life details of one family from the Pacific Northwest.  I love learning about those who write the blogs and getting to know about their life and what is important to them.

I have shared on my blog a time or two that my husband's favorite dessert flavors are chocolate and peanut butter, in fact I have a chocolate and peanut butter category on my blog just so I can quickly find a recipe whenever he has a craving.  When I found this peanut butter pound cake at Loving Life I knew it was the recipe that I would be making for this month's reveal.

As pound cakes go this one fits the bill.  It is dense, but moist, and very full of flavor.  Alone it reminds me of a peanut butter cookie in cake form, but then the frosting is added leaving the eater with a peanut butter explosion of flavor...oh yes, it was tasty!  I didn't change a lot about the recipe.  I doubled the amount of vanilla, thinned the frosting so that it was more of a glaze, and added a chocolate drizzle on top for hubby.  I did find that it took 1 hour and 20 minutes to finish baking. This may be due to the size of my pan.  I used a large stoneware fluted pan that utilized "most" of my batter.  If you make this, be sure to begin checking your cake for doneness at about 55 minutes.  ENJOY!!

Peanut Butter Pound Cake
Recipe Source: Modified slightly from Loving Life

Cake:

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup peanut butter

5 eggs

2 tablespoons vanilla (original recipe called for 1)

3 cups cake flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cups whipping cream or whole milk

Prepare a large tube pan or bundt pan and preheat the oven to 325 F.  Depending on the size of your pan you may have extra batter left over, use this for cupcakes.

In a large bowl or kitchen aide mixer cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the brown sugar and peanut butter mixing until well combined.  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one.  Add in vanilla.

In another bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.  Add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients and then about 1/3 of the milk.  Continue adding the dry ingredients and the milk alternating until they are both added and well combined.

Fill the prepared pan about 3/4 full (remember you may have extra batter left over depending on the size of your pan).  Bake for 60-90 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  

Cool cake for 10 minutes then turn out to finish cooling.  When completely cooled frost with frosting and top with chocolate drizzle or shavings.

Frosting/Glaze: 

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cups peanut butter

2 cups powdered sugar

3 Tablespoons milk (more or less depending on how thick or thin you want it. I used close to 7 tablespoons to get the consistency I wanted.)

In a kitchen aide bowl or medium bowl with an electric mixer combine the butter and peanut butter until well mixed.  Add in the powdered sugar and milk until the desired consistency is reached.  

**I should have cut the original recipe in half because I ended up with a lot of glaze, but it was tasty and with some additional powdered sugar to thicken it up it tasted great on graham crackers!**

Chocolate Drizzle:

1/2 chocolate chips

1 teaspoon oil

Melt together over a double boiler over low heat until well combined.  Drizzle over frosted cake.

Apple Cake

When your in-laws give you three cases of apples it means it is time to make delicious desserts!  Apples are my all time favorite fruit to bake with and it won't be difficult to use them all up.  My father-in-law made a request for a batch of apple butter, my husband asked for dried apples to pack during hunting season, and I wanted to try some new recipes.

The first recipe I tried was this delicious French apple cake.  It it dense with chunks of apples and rich with an almost custard flavored cake, but light and delicate too.  I would put the cake to apple ratio at about 50/50.  This cake was gobbled up quickly by my family.  I thought it was best at room temperature with a sprinkling of powdered sugar; however, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it served warm with fresh whipped cream!

I only made one change to this recipe--the original calls for 3 tablespoons of rum; however, I didn't have any so I left it out of this recipe.  If you have it, add it in and let me know how you like it.  ENJOY!!

Marie Helene's French Apple Cake  published in Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table
Recipe Source: Slightly adapted from Kirbie's Cravings


3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
4 large apples (it’s suggested you use 4 different kinds)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and center a rack in the oven. Butter an 8 inch springform pan (I lined mine with parchment paper). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper to put your pan on, or you can also wrap tin foil around the base of the pan like I did.

Peel, core, and chop the apples into 1 inch chunks.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until light yellow and foamy. Add the sugar and vanilla and  whisk until smooth.  

Stir in half of the flour mixture, when it’s incorporated, add half of the melted butter, followed by the remaining flour mixture and butter. Mix in between additions so you have a smooth, thick batter. 

Fold in the apples with a rubber spatula. 

Pour batter into prepared pan. Spread with spatula so the batter is somewhat even.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool for five minutes.  Top with powdered sugar and freshly whipped cream.

Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats

Yes, it is time for another Secret Recipe Club reveal.  I can't believe how little I have been cooking or trying new recipes.  I am happy to report that school was released a few weeks ago, so my days of not cooking much are gone, at least for the summer.  I will be preparing many more new recipes for my family and everyone that reads my blog starting with the June Secret Recipe Club.

For those that aren't familiar with it, the Secret Recipe Club, is a once a month opportunity to secretly try a new recipe from another blogger's site and write about it.  Everyone does a reveal on the same day at the same time.  During my last term of school it was the only time I tried new recipes because it was all I had time for.

This month I am assigned to Shockingly Delicious.  Oh. My. Goodness.  This drool worthy blog is written by Dorothy Reinhold who is newspaper editor, writer, mom, food lover, and volunteer.  Just reading her blog made me hungry, and I was challenged to choose only one recipe to highlight.  She highlights recipes that are familiar yet unique, like Avocado ice cream, and Mediterranean Deviled Eggs. After drooling over this delicious dressing for a summer salad, her 22 pie recipes, and her many meatless dishes, I finally settled on Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats.

These little dessert bars are reminiscent of my adult childhood favorite gooey snack. Dorothy has many variations of this traditional recipe on her blog, but I chose this one because it was different than any other version I have seen.  Because I was out of chocolate chips, used pieces of a chocolate bar; however, I didn't feel the need to change or alter anything else about Dorothy's original recipe.  They are bites of soft, gooey, sweet, and salty heaven.  Browning the butter adds a rich nutty flavor that can't be beat for a grown up treat.  Dorothy calls them, "scary good," and I couldn't agree more.  ENJOY!

Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats
Recipe Source: Shockingly Delicious adapted from Smitten Kitchen


4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 (10-ounce) bag marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
Garnish: chocolate chips equal to the number of pieces you are cutting (A Cook's Quest used a chocolate bar instead)

Lightly grease an 8-inch square pan with butter or a non cook spray. Set aside.

In a  heavy pan melt the butter over medium heat allowing it begin to brown. As the butter begins to change color, add the salt and stir frequently, making sure to scrape small brown parts from the bottom of your pan. Don’t leave your stove now, this step requires attention or you will end up with burned butter which is not good at all. 

As soon as the butter is the nutty brown color, turn the heat off and stir in the marshmallows.  Stir until the marshmallow is completely melted and glossy. 

Stir the Rice Krispies cereal into the melted marshmallow and butter mixture. Using your greased hand, or any other handy kitchen gadget, press the delicious mixture into the prepared pan. Press the chocolate chips point down into the warm mixture using as many as you need to have one chip per serving.

Cool completely and cut between chips into squares.

Another variation recommended by Dorothy is to omit the chocolate chips and add 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh rosemary.  Yum!

Lemon-Blueberry Breakfast Cake

My kids thought I was nuts when I told them we were having cake for breakfast.  There is something about eating cake for breakfast that makes the meal feel special.  Similar to a muffin batter, this cake is spread into a cake pan, topped with sugar, and then baked to delightful yumminess.  It isn't too sweet and has a wonderful lemon aroma that fills your mouth and blends perfectly with the blueberries dotted throughout pair it up with breakfast sausage or bacon for an  easy and tasty breakfast.

The original cake called for 2 cups of berries, but I thought that was too much for such a small pan and cut it down to 1 cup instead.  Please feel free to add as many as you like though, there is nothing wrong with a lot of berries! ENJOY!

Lemon-Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Recipe Source: Modified Slightly from Alexandra's Kitchen

Serves 6-8
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
zest from 1 large lemon
7/8 cup sugar (3/4 cup+2 tablespoons) plus additional sugar for the top (about 1 Tbl.)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup blueberries
½ cup buttermilk


Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and 7/8 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.


Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. 


Prepare a 9-inch square baking pan with butter or coat with non-stick spray. Spread 1/2 the batter into the pan and sprinkle with 1/2 the blueberries.  Spread the remaining batter in the pan and top with the remaining blueberries pushing them down into the batter gently.  Sprinkle batter with additional sugar. 


Bake for 35-45 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving


**The original recipe said that it may be necessary to bake the cake as long as 10 additional minutes depending on  your oven. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Cheesecake

This cake, THIS CAKE, is unlike any other cake I have ever made.  It is a cake, within a cake, that has surprises throughout...good surprises like caramel, peanut butter cups, and peanuts...oh yes, it crazy rich, but soooo delicious!

Usually I am all for easy, fast, economical, or all of the above.  This cake is not any of those things; however, for the holidays I am willing to splurge for a dessert that makes the entire family drool in anticipation.  I served this for a dessert party that my sister-in-law hosted after Thanksgiving and it was a hit for everyone who tried it.  At one point three of us were standing around what was left eating bites with our forks and visiting.

I found this recipe by complete accident when I stumbled upon the blog Sprinkle Bakes.  If you have not seen this blog, go there right now and check out the many, many, many, tasty and beautiful recipes.  I made a few changes to the original recipe but nothing that changed it too much.  A few pointers:

1. You need time to make this cake so plan accordingly
2. Read the recipe a few times before starting it!
3. Use good quality chocolate to make the ganache and chocolate curls (check out this video for a how to on making the curls
4. Take the cake out of the freezer about 15 minutes before slicing, and use a hot butcher knife to cut through the multiple layers.
5. Last but not least, ENJOY!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Cheesecake
Recipe Source: modified slightly from Sprinkle Bakes


**Cook's note...store this cake in the freezer.  The multiple layers will start to collapse if it gets too soft**


Crustless Cheesecake portion:
30 mini peanut butter cups, each one quartered
2 sticks (16 tbsp) softened butter
1 cup granulated sugar
4- 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
1- 3 oz. package cook and serve vanilla pudding
4 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 9" pans with shortening, line the pans with parchment and then grease the parchment. Lightly flour the pans and tap out excess over the sink. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add cream cheese a little at a time until smooth. Scrape bowl down and beat again on medium speed, adding eggs one at a time. Add remaining ingredients except peanut butter cups. Mix again until smooth.

With a rubber spatula, fold in quartered peanut butter cups. Divide batter evenly between pans. You should have 8 cups of batter, so 4 cups in each pan. Smooth batter with offset spatula (Fig.1) and bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour. Cheesecake will puff up during baking, then deflate when taken out.

Do not turn out cheesecakes when they are finished baking. Put them directly in the freezer, and leave until frozen solid.

Turn out frozen cheesecake layers and peel parchment from the bottoms. Line the pan they were in with enough parchment or wax paper to hang over the sides of the pan (Fig. 3). Place the cheesecakes back in the pans. This makes removal FAR more easy after caramel layer has been added. Place cheesecakes back into the freezer while you make the caramel layer.


Caramel for cake layers:
 2-14 oz cans of sweetened condensed milk
10 tbsp. butter
80 caramels
Scant cup of salted peanut halves

Important note: This recipe is made in two batches (one batch for the cheesecakes and one batch for the chocolate cakes), so all of the ingredients are divided.

In a large microwaveable bowl, place 1- 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk, 5 tbsp. butter, and 40 caramels. Heat at 1 minute intervals until smooth. My household microwave at full power took about 4 minutes.

Pour caramel evenly over frozen layers of cheesecakes. Be careful to not let much of the caramel drip over the sides. Sprinkle each layer with 3-4 tbsp. of salted peanut halves. Return cheesecake layers to freezer.


Chocolate cake portion:
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups cocoa powder, unsweetened
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canola oil (or other vegetable oil)

2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup of coffee - must be hot!

Grease 2- 9" pans with butter and line with parchment. Grease parchment and lightly flour pan, tapping out excess. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift all the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. In a 4 cup glass measure, mix all the wet ingredients except hot coffee!

Turn mixer on low speed and gradually add wet ingredients to dry. Stop and scrape down the bowl. Return mixer to low speed and beat in hot coffee. The mixture will be very thin but don't worry!

Divide batter evenly between the two pans, and bake for 35-40 minutes (check at 35). Cake is ready when toothpick tester comes out clean. Cool slightly in pans. Run knife around the edge of cakes and turn them out. Let them rest on a cooling rack.

When cool, level cakes. . Line cake pans with parchment or wax paper, enough to hang over the edges (just like previously with the cheesecake layers). Return cake layers to parchment lined pans.

Make 2nd batch of caramel as directed for the cheesecake layer. Pour caramel evenly over both chocolate cake layers.  Place caramel covered cakes in freezer until caramel has hardened a bit (about 15 minutes).

Remove all cake layers from freezer. Remove all cake layers from pans using the parchment overhang to pull them out. Stack layers beginning with 1 layer of chocolate cake as the bottom, then cheesecake layer, then chocolate layer, and last cheesecake layer will be on top. Wrap layers in plastic wrap and freeze overnight. You'll frost your cake the next day.


Chocolate ganache frosting:

13 oz. or 1 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 tbsp. corn syrup

8 oz cream cheese softened

Note: Remove cheesecake layers from freezer and unwrap. Choose your serving plate and line it with wax paper strips. Place cake over strips. Now you're ready to frost.

Put chocolate chips in a medium bowl or 4 cup measure. Heat cream in a saucepan over medium high heat until very hot but not boiling. Pour hot cream over chips and stir until smooth. Remove 2/3 cup chocolate mixture and pour into a small bowl. Add 1/2 tbsp. corn syrup and stir. When combined, immediately pour over top of cake, creating a shiny dark topping and taking care that most remains on top of the cake and doesn't spill down the edges. Return cake, uncovered this time, to freezer.

Fit stand mixer with whisk attachment. Beat the softened cream cheese until light and airy then pour remaining chocolate ganache into the stand mixer bowl and whip on the highest speed for 5-10 minutes (I set my timer for 7 minutes) until icing is light and fluffy. Icing is ready when it is thick and can be pulled into a stiff peak.

Remove cake layers from freezer and frost sides with chocolate ganache using an offset spatula. The whipped frosting should grab on to the frozen cakes well. Use all the ganache frosting, evening the cake's surface as you work. Return to freezer


Chocolate curls:
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips -semisweet


Equipment:

11x14 cookie sheet

Small brownie spatula with a sharp edge - like this one

Melt chocolate chips at 30 second intervals in the microwave; stir until smooth. Pour onto cookie sheet and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Place in refrigerator for 5-7 minutes, or until the chocolate is firm and has a matte appearance.

Remove from refrigerator and let stand for a few minutes (3-5ish) at room temperature. With a small, sharp spatula, begin scraping chocolate at one edge in a thin strip. If chocolate breaks into pieces it is too cold, so allow it to stand a few minutes more at room temp. Chocolate should curl easily as you run your spatula under the chocolate and down the length of the cookie sheet. Place curls in a small bowl and store in refrigerator until ready for use.

To garnish cake top with the chocolate curls.  If you want curls on the side of the cake, allow it to soften a few minutes then gently place on the sides of the cake.

Pumpkin Pound Cake

 

It is Secret Recipe Club time again!  This month I was assigned the blog, Savannah's Savory Bites.  It is a fun blog full of recipes that are tasty, easy on the budget, and easy to prepare.  Yes, it is right up my alley!  Because this Secret Recipe Club posting is during the holiday season, I decided to make a Pumpkin Pound Cake.  We love pumpkin year round in this house so I always have a can of it in the pantry ready for a delicious treat.

This recipe is exactly what holiday desserts should be in my opinion.  Warm and delicious full of sweet spices and moist from the canned pumpkin.  We topped ours with fresh whipped cream, oh yes it was a delicious dessert, but it also makes a great breakfast treat too!  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pound Cake
Recipe Source: Savannah's Savory Bites


3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups white sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

1/2 cup milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 

Grease and flour a Bundt pan.

Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together sugar and oil until foamy.  Add eggs one at a time beating thoroughly after each. Mix in  pumpkin. 

Stir in flour mixture alternately with milk.

Pour batter into prepared pan.Bake in the preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Add small cup of water to oven in heat proof pyrex while the cake cooks for a moist texture.

Stained Glass Jello and more 4th of July Recipes

Oh what can be better than a BBQ with great friends and family for the 4th of July?  Not much in book! 

This year I decided to make stained glass jello for the 4th of July.  SO MUCH FUN!  My kiddos loved the look and it was really easy.  Also don't forget to try out some of the other recipes below that I found while I was looking through other sites!

I'm linking this post, go check out all the other cool recipes!

Stained Glass Jello
Recipe Source: I have no idea, this stuff is all over the Internet!

4 small boxes (3 oz. each) of Jell-O or store brand "gelatin dessert" in different colors. (I used two boxes of raspberry and two boxes of blue berry flavor)

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin (that Knox stuff)

For each flavor, dissolve one box of jello in one cup of boiling water. Pour into a container and chill
until firm.  Don't do anything with the sweetened condensed milk and unflavored gelatin yet.

After chilling the jello cut it into small blocks. Carefully mix the blocks in a 9 x 13 pan.

In a separate bowl, sprinkle 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin into 1/2 cup cold water. After the gelatin blooms, add 1 1/2 cup boiling water and dissolve. Add the can of condensed milk. Stir and cool. Pour cooled milk mixture over jello and chill overnight.


Cut into blocks or shapes and serve!

4th of July Cupcakes by A Cook's Quest

 4th of July Cookie Cake by Plum Pudding

Flag Cake by Crafty Mama

4th of July Fruit Salad by Chico and Jo

Firecracker Whoopie Pies by Annies Eats

Summer Berry Trifle by Family Fun Go