What I’ve been doing!

So last week was my 1 year anniversary of decorating cakes! Yep! A whole year! The very first one I made was for my aunt, Dona. When her birthday came around this year I realized, Wow! It’s been a WHOLE YEAR! Here is a picture of her first one.

50th Birthday Cake

Which leads me to show you a picture of her 2nd one!

51st Birthday Cake

Since my first cake, I would like to say I have grown in my decorating experience. I am hoping to grow even more over the next year and hopefully one day I’ll be somebody famous.

I’ll let y’all be the judge of my work and show you some of my favorite cakes over the past year!

Be gentle!

So these are just a FEW of the cakes I have been making! Now go check out the rest at Pixie Cakes!

Coconut Cake

Ok, so, if anyone ever makes you a coconut cake… BE GRATEFUL! These things are tough! At least the frosting part. Before you make this let me warn you: YOU HAVE TO HOLD THE MIXER FOR 8 MINUTES STRAIGHT. Some of you might be thinking, Dang, she’s a wimp. Try it. That’s what I thought. It’s delicious though and if you are a coconut lover, this is right down your alley! So go ahead, give it a whirl!

Coconut Cake

Cake Ingredients:

2 sticks butter, room temperature

2 c. sugar

4 eggs

3 c. self-rising flour, sifted

1 c. coconut milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour 2, 8″ cake pans.

Cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time and mix for about 4 minutes. Add flour and milk, alternately. Add vanilla.

Divide batter equally into your 2 pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cake cool for 30 minutes before icing.

Cake Filling Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup sour cream

4 tablespoons milk

1/2 cup flaked, sweetened coconut

Directions:

Stir together all ingredients until combined well. After cake has cooled, remove first layer and invert onto cake plate. Using the wrong end of a wooden spoon, poke holes approximately 1-inch apart until entire cake has been poked. Spread 1/3 of filling mixture on cake layer. Top with second layer, repeat process. Top with last layer and repeat process again. (As I stack layers together I stick them with toothpicks to prevent cake from shifting).

Frosting Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 tablespoon white corn syrup

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup water

2 egg whites

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Frosting Directions:

Place sugar, cream of tartar or corn syrup, salt, water, and egg whites in the top of a double boiler. Beat with a handheld electric mixer for 1 minute. Place pan over boiling water, being sure that boiling water does not touch the bottom of the top pan. (If this happens, it could cause your frosting to become grainy). Beat constantly on high speed with electric mixer for 7 minutes. Beat in vanilla.

Source: Food Network/ Paula Deen

Salted Caramel Cupcakes

I was inspired to try and make these cupcakes after trying one from Splat Cakes, which is in Lowell and they only have to most amazing cupcakes I have ever tasted, just in case you were wondering. So I Googled (my go-to) and here is a recipe that I found from Tidy Mom. They are absolutely delish. I like making the mini’s in this cupcake because it’s just about the perfect amount. Although I must admit, sometimes I might go for 2 or 3 of them. Try this recipe out. It’ll be worth it!

Ingredients:

For Caramel Cupcakes

• 1 box Duncan Hines Signature Caramel Cake Mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup Coffee-Mate Caramel Macchiato creamer
• 1/2 cup water

For Salted Caramel Frosting

• 1 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup Nestle la lechera dulce de leche caramel
• 7-8 cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
• fleur de sel

For Caramel Cupcakes:

Heat oven to 350° and line cupcake pans with cupcake papers.

In a large bowl, using electric mixer, combine cake mix, eggs, butter, cream and water for 1 minute on low. Scrap sides, then mix on high for 1 minute.

Divide batter evenly between cupcake wells and gently shake to smooth batter. Bake 18-20 minutes (10 minutes for mini cupcakes) or until toothpick inserted into the center cupcakes comes out clean.

Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen in a covered container for 1-2 weeks.

For Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting:

Place butter in a large mixing bowl and blend slightly. Add cream cheese and blend until combined, about 30 seconds.

Add the caramel and mix until fully incorporated.

Slowly add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and blend on low speed until combined and desired consistency (you want your frosting pretty thick).

Increase to medium speed and beat until it begins to get fluffy.(about 1 minute)

Pipe caramel frosting on top of cupcakes with an extra large round pastry tip

Drizzle frosting with caramel

Lightly garnish with fleur de sel

Cara and Steve’s Christmas Photoshoot

Zach and Shawna’s Christmas Photoshoot

The Perfect Sugar Cookie!

So this month, my Twitter friend Erica from YeahWrite asked me to enter this cooking challenge. I thought it was a FANTASTIC idea seeing as I LOVE to cook! So I pulled out my most favoritest sugar cookie recipe and went to town! Turns out, they ended up not doing the challenge. (bummer) But I have to say, they. were. delicious. You should really give them a go. Another good thing about this recipe is, they don’t blow up. You know how the packaged sugar cookies do? Yeah. I don’t love that. Especially when I’m trying to cover them with chocolate or whatnot. These stay JUST the same size as the cookie you cut out of the dough. Perfect. Make sure you pour some sugar on them as soon as they come out of the oven because that is THE best way to have a sugar cookie! Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter, softened

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. no-color almond extract

2 3/4 c. All-Purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Mix flour, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Do not chill dough. Divide dough into 2 balls. On floured surface, roll each ball into a circle approximately 12 in. diameter x 1/8 in. thick. Dip cookie cutter in flour before each use. Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheet 8-11 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned.

The Best Chocolate Cake Ever

This recipe is amazing! Hands down, best chocolate cake I have ever eaten. It’s a recipe from Buddy the Cake Boss, so that right there tells ya it has to be great!

Don’t forget to scroll all the way down for a great Chocolate Ganache recipe also!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. All-Purpose flour

1 1/2 c. Sugar

1 stick butter

1/3 c. Cocoa

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1/4 tsp. Baking Powder

1/3 c. Unsweetened Chocolate, melted (or 2 1/2 squares)

1/2 c. Hot Water

2 Eggs

1/2 c. Buttermilk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 9-inch pans.

Mix flour, butter, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda together in a large bowl, or stand mixer. Pour in melted chocolate and mix for about 1 minute on low. Pour in the hot water while mixer is still going. Add eggs, one at a time. Pour in buttermilk and mix for 1-2 minutes.

Pour mixture into pans evenly and bake for 25-30 minutes or until springy to touch and the cake pulls away from the pan. Cool for 30 minutes before removing from pan.

If you would love a glaze to go on top of the cake, you should use this ganache recipe. It is so good, you could actually just lick it out of the bowl! Ha! (I NEVER do that.)

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:

8 oz. dark chocolate chips

2 Tbsp. butter

1 1/2 Tbsp. whole milk

1 Tbsp. Honey

Directions:

Melt the chips and butter in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly.

Add in the milk and honey and stir until the mixture is smooth and glossy.

Let cool to spreading consistency, then pour over cake.

 

Goodie Butter Bars

This scrumptious treat is a/k/a “Ooey Gooey’s”, “Goodie Bars”, “Ooey Gooey Butter Bars”… which ALL stand for DELICIOUSNESS!!! I am making them today to send off to the CBS Baking Show and hopefully (fingers crossed) they will get me somewhere. Y’all cross your fingers too please! Without further ado, here is the recipe.

Goodie Butter Bars

Ingredients:

First Layer:                                                    Second Layer:

1 Box Yellow Cake Mix                                    1 Box Confectioners Sugar

1 Stick Melted Margarine                                8 oz. Cream Cheese, Softened

1 Egg                                                             2 Eggs

Directions:

Mix ingredients for First Layer and spread into a 9×13 pan.

Mix ingredients for Second Layer and spread on top of First Layer.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Cut into squares to serve.

Sounds easy enough, right? Well bake up!!

Chicken Pie

Seeing as I haven’t posted a recipe in quite a while, I figured it was about time! This is a very easy recipe (which is why I am making it tonight) and super tasty too! My mom used to make it ALL the time when I lived at home! It’s delish! Just cook up some green beans and corn to go along with and you have yourself a yummy homestyle meal!

Chicken Pie

Finished Product

Ingredients:

4 chicken breast, cooked and peeled off the bone (or 4 boneless breast, cooked and shredded)

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

1 1/2 c. Chicken Broth

3/4 c. Self-Rising Flour

3/4 c. milk

3/4 stick melted butter

Directions:

Place cut up chicken in casserole dish. (Approximately a 9×9) Mix soup and chicken broth in a separate bowl with a whisk and pour on top of the chicken.

In another bowl, mix flour, milk and butter. Pour evenly over chicken pieces.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Ta-da!

Sengla’s Photo Shoot