a day off to relax?

No, not me... I take a day off to bake! I know, I am a glutton for punishment. If the cakes didn't turn out so well, I would regret my decision. But they were AMAZING! Check out this spread, and you can imagine how lovely my house smelled!

Well, I decided to make a trip up to see my cousin, Nikki. I realized her daughter had just turned 3 and I hadn't even met her yet! Yes, my entire family is horrible about staying in touch with relatives but I am hoping to change that. 


She said Pineapple Upside Down cake was her favorite but I don't like it. I have a rule, I have to make something I like or I won't be able to tell if it came out good or not! Makes sense, huh? That, and I LOVE sweets and if I am slaving away in the kitchen, I want to be able to reap the rewards! So, I decided to make mini ones to satisfy the birthday girl, but also make a Hummingbird Cake. I have made one before and it was surprisingly good even though I don't like fruit in my cake.


So, I found a recipe for mini Pineapple Upside Down cakes on allrecipes.com and made a few adjustments. WARNING: Put some foil down in the bottom of your oven or you will have a smokey mess from the abundance of brown sugar/butter mixture overflowing.  The extra mixture is worth the mess! BELIEVE ME!

MINI PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKES

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup butter, melted
• 2 (20 ounce) cans sliced pineapple
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package pineapple supreme mix
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 12 maraschino cherries, halved

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and butter; mix well. Spoon into 24 greased muffin cups. Drain pineapple, reserving 1/4 cup of the juice. Trim pineapple to fit the muffin cups; place one ring in each cup. Push cherry into middle.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, oils and 1 cup water and 1/4 cup of the reserved pineapple juice; mix well. Spoon over pineapple, filling each cup two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
3. Let rest for 5 minutes in pan before inverting onto wire racks to cool completely. 

For the Hummingbird Cake, I couldn't find the original recipe that I used so I just found something similar. I don't think it was as good as the first one I made, but it's still worth sharing the recipe.

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

Ingredients

• 3  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 2  cups  sugar
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  ground cinnamon
• 3  large eggs, beaten
• 1  cup  vegetable oil
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  vanilla extract
• 1  (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
• 1  cup  chopped almonds
• 2  cups  mashed bananas
• Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)

Preparation

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; add eggs and oil, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. (Do not beat.) Stir in vanilla, pineapple, almonds, and bananas.

Pour batter into three greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake; Store in refrigerator.

For the almond flowers, I just toasted some slivered almonds and then formed the flowers with a mini M&M for the middle.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Ingredients

• 1  (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2  cup  butter or margarine, softened
• 1  (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, sifted
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract

Preparation

Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.

But, that's not all! Saturday was Pete's BFFs birthday, Dennis! His wife said he likes anything with chocolate and peanut butter. I could have made the 8-layer cake that I made before with Reeses but I like to try something I have never done before so my blog will stay interesting! (You're welcome)

So, I decided to try and make a chocolate/peanut butter marble cake. I have never made a marble cake before and they always look so fancy! I found a recipe on allrecipes.com and then added 2 different frostings (chocolate and peanut butter, of course) and a sprinkle of Butterfinger to add some crunch!

Here's the recipe for the cake:

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER MARBLE CAKE

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• 1 cup smooth REESES peanut butter 
• 1 tablespoon shortening
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 3 eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). With a non-stick cooking spray, coat two 9 inch baking pans. Dust with flour and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the cocoa, confectioners' sugar, butter and 2 tablespoons hot water until smooth and set aside.
3. In microwavable bowl, place peanut butter chips and shortening. Microwave on high for 1 minute, or until chips are melted and smooth when stirred.
4. In large bowl, combine cake mix, brown sugar, 1-1/4 cups water, eggs and reserved melted peanut butter mixture; beat on low speed of electric mixer until moistened. Increase speed to medium, beat 2 minutes until smooth. Remove 1-1/2 cups of the batter and add it to the reserved cocoa mixture; blend well.
5. Pour the peanut butter flavored batter into the prepared pan. Drop spoonfuls of the chocolate batter on top. Swirl with a knife or spatula for a marbled effect.
6. Bake at 350 degree F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and frost as desired.

For the frosting, I could have just bought it at the store already made but it's not as impressive. Frosting is actually really easy to make and tastes so much better! For the chocolate frosting, I used the recipe that I always use when I make chocolate cake:

THE CHOCOLATE FROSTING:

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 3 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
• 3 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
• 5 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Cool several minutes. In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, sour cream and vanilla. Add chocolate mixture and beat until smooth. Frost cooled cake.

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING:

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 
  

Combine 1 cup peanut butter, and 1/2 cup butter or margarine cream together until light and fluffy. Add the confectioner's sugar. Mix in enough milk to make the frosting of a spreading consistency. Apply to cool cake.

I decided to cut my 2 layers in half so I would have a 4-layer cake (the lazy way). By doing that, it made it hard to see the marbling effect that had drawn me to this recipe to begin with. But it was soooooo good that I didn't care! I alternated the 2 frostings between the 2 layers and I sprinkled some Butterfinger on the peanut butter layer. Then I frosted the sides of the cake with chocolate, sprinkled with more Butterfinger and then mixed the 2 frostings together for the top of the cake. I was hoping to make a swirled effect but I don't think I added enough milk to the peanut butter frosting so it wasn't wanting to cooperate. But it didn't matter cause it was so freakin yummy! VERY VERY VERY GOOD!

the disappearing donuts, beignets, fritters... whatever you wanna call them!

So, I saw this recipe in the FoodTV magazine and even though I have never fried anything before, I decided I would give it a try, because these Banana Beignets look too good to pass up!

Right??? YUMMY-NESS!!!


I have never heard of a beignet (I know, I have as much culture as a fig newton. Someone actually told me that once. Sad, but true.)  so I decided was gonna call them donut holes, but I couldn't get them to come out in a perfect ball like these, they were all different shapes so I then decided to call them fritters. 


I took them to a good friends pool party and half of the batch was gone by the time I reached the food table! Therefore, I decided on a final name for these fried little pieces of heaven: 
"Disappearing Banana Beignets/Donut Holes/Fritters/Whatever-you-wanna-call-em"


But they disappeared so fast that I didn't get my own picture of them. Here is my only visual evidence that they actually existed:

See it? It's that bulge coming out of this cute kids face! Yup, that's it. That's all I got. They are THAT good, believe me.


You should make em! Here is the recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mini-banana-beignets-recipe/index.html

pots & pans can be beautiful?

Who knew? My momma, that's who! She called me a few weeks before my birthday to tell me about her new Paula Deen cookware and was telling me how great it was and she wanted to buy me a set for my birthday. My first response was "I don't NEED cookware, the set I have works just fine." Then I went online, saw it and quickly realized that birthday presents aren't things you NEED, it's stuff you WANT! And I wanted that cookware! It's so beautiful that I haven't even cooked with it yet. Guess I'm scared that my novice cooking skills might damage them. But I am giving away my old set tonight to a needy family so I don't have much choice. Look at these beauties:

My momma said she bought hers at Wal-mart and swore that they would have the cheapest price. But because I am an avid Wal-mart hater and Target lover, I was happy to find that Target's set was the same price. So no trip to Wal-mart is a gift in itself!


Thank you momma! I love you so much and I love my beautiful pots and pans!






Now all I need is a stove that will work when I turn it on, not when it decides to. And an oven that cooks evenly. Ugh. But that's another story. Maybe a future blog entry?

just a simple thanks

I have kinda been neglecting the design side of my blog. So I thought I would share my most recent creation, my niece's graduation thank you cards. These are designed to resemble the announcements I designed for her a few months ago.

I even came up with the text for the inside! 

I know I claim to be anything BUT a writer, so believe me when I tell you it took me a reeeeeaaaally long time to come up with this. 

Not so bad, eh?

my birthday balls...

For my birthday, I decided to try and make a pound cake. I have never made one before but Lemon Pound Cake has always been one of my favorites! 

I knew right away who to get the recipe from! My step-sister in North Carolina! Last Christmas, she made us a pound cake and it only took one bite to realize that I had never eaten a "true" pound cake before that moment. It was so moist that it literally melted in my mouth. It was so dense that it bent my paper plate in half when I picked it up off the counter! That is the difference between a cake and a pound cake.

Lemon is my favorite so I altered the recipe slightly and it came out perfect! I decided to make it onto balls, cause it's easier to eat when you have a party! I love coconut, but I know some people don't, so I had some plain ones with just the lemon glaze.

Here is the recipe:

Lemon Pound Cake

Ingredients:
2 sticks room temp salted, sweet cream butter (margarine doesn't work, must be butter)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cups granulated sugar
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
5 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 tsp lemon extract
3 tblsp lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300. Grease 10" Bundt pan and lightly flour. Cream butter. Slowly add oil and sugar. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl. Beat till moderately fluffy. While beating at medium-low speed, slowly add alternating flour mixed with salt, eggs (one at a time), and milk mixed with all 3 extracts. Beat at medium speed for about 2 minutes. Pour into bundt pan and bake @ 300 for approx 1 hour and 25 minutes. Set on rack to cool for 15 minutes and turn upside down on cake plate.

Notes: Use pure not imitation extract. Put the top cover on cake plate within 30 minutes of inverting the cake onto plate to lock-in moisture.




Lemon Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel


Just mix all ingredients together until smooth. If its too thick, you can add some more lemon juice to thin it out.

And just because I am a dutiful blogger, I thought it was necessary to show you what the inside looked like. It was a rough job, but someone had to do it.

oh, no you didn't!

Oh, but I did!
For my dad's birthday, he ALWAYS asks for a German Chocolate cake. Actually, when I was little, I didn't even know another type of cake existed because that is all we had. For some reason, just cause my dad liked the cake, we all asked for it on our birthday's too. Well, now I am all grown up and I am so sick of German Chocolate cake! And even though my dad never remembers saying this, and would never admit to it, every single year as he bites into his first bite of cake, he says "Dang, I am about sick of German Chocolate cake, that's all I have had all week!" Well, maybe cause its the ONLY cake you ever request so EVERYONE gets you one.

Since I have started this blog, my dad likes to pick on me because as a youngin' I could never cook anything that was remotely edible. So, he has a hard time believing that these treats I make actually taste good too. So this year, I asked if I could make his birthday cake for the very first time. I am not even sure why I asked what kind he would like, because the answer, of course, was German Chocolate. Blah.
So I did:

But that's not all. My dad also really like reeses peanut butter cups so I made him another cake, Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate icing:

Just because I think he needs to broaden his cake horizons.

The thought of making two whole separate cakes sounded overwhelming, so I decided to...




wait for it....




Bake them both into the same cake! Oh, yes I did!

The best part is, that it is a bit lopsided. Since the two different cakes are different consistencies (the peanut butter cake was fluffier than the chocolate) the 3 towers couldn't help but lean to the side. And gravity isn't helping either. If the cake came out perfectly, what would my dad have to pick on me about? And it is his birthday afterall, so I decided to embrace this mishap on his behalf. Just an added touch to his special day, since picking on me is one of his favorite things to do.

The real show stopper will be when this baby is sliced into! The cake/icing color combos are completely transposed! I will update my blog with photos of that tomorrow, since we aren't devouring this until tonight. Plus, I don't wanna share the recipes until I know it tastes good!

So... to be continued....