Golf Ball Cake, Pineapple Cake with a Pineapple Filling & Recipe!!

My nephew wanted a cake for his dad's 50th birthday.  They wanted a pineapple cake with a golf theme.  For the cake I altered another recipe I have used before and I found a yummy pineapple filling from 

Mari's Cakes.  It's so good!!  Thank you Mari!!

The cake is a half sheet cake with two layers and Mari's pineapple filling.  The Golf Ball itself is a Vanilla Pound Cake from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, topped with Billy's Vanillie buttercream frosting, and wrapped in fondant.

Pineapple Cake Recipe

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

10 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup apple sauce

1 teaspoon vanilla

8 oz can of crushed pineapple (drained)

Center a rack in the over and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Flour and grease a 9x13" pan.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt.

Working with a stand mixer, and a paddle attachment, or a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes, until the mixture is smooth, thick and pale.  Add eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each addition.  Mix until you have a light fluffy batter.  Reduce the mixer to low and beat in apple sauce.  This might curdle the batter, and that's ok.  Add the pineapple and mix on low to blend completely.  Add dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the batter.  

Pour into pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Enjoy this fun tropical summery flavor!  Sweet goodness!

Cranberry Lemon Galette with the BEST Pie Crust RECIPE!!

Today's Tuesday with Dorrie from Dorrie Greenspan's Baking From My House To Yours, is a simple rustic type of pie~a galette.  This is my first galette, and it was so simple and easy to make.   This Galette is a scrumptious combination of sweet and tart, so, so good!!  Dorie you have done it again!! Delicious!

I didn't have a lime, it was supposed to be a Cranberry Lime Galette but I only had a lemon, so that is what I used.  I also substituted homemade strawberry jam for the raspberry jam.  I believe in working with what I have on hand!  :)  Simple substitutions like this do not really alter the recipe much in my opinion.  Sure the taste will be slightly different but the principle is the same.

I baked my Galette on my stone cookie sheet.  The stone prevents the crusts from burning, ie. the cookies, galette, or whatever I'm baking.

I love Dorie's pie crust, but I have a recipe I love even more.  My cousin from WI gave me this little cookbook from the Sheboygan Christian School (they are famous for their pies!) and I make the crust from this home grown book~100 Years Of Butter & Love.

Here is my pie crust recipe, enjoy it with your favorite pie.  I'm sure you'll be baking one up here pretty soon as we are just one week away from Thanksgiving!

Pie Crust 
Makes enough for two pie crusts.
4 C. flour
1 T sugar (optional)
2 tsp salt
1 3/4 C. butter
1/2 C. water
1 T vinegar
1 lg. egg
Mix together flour, sugar and salt.  Add butter and mash with a pastry blender until crumbly.  In a small bowl beat water, vinegar and egg.  Combine the two mixtures, stirring with fork.  Divide for rolling.  Works best if chilled about 30 minutes.  Roll out on floured surface or between parchment paper to prevent sticking.

The crust does not taste at all like vinegar, once cooked.  It has a wonderful consistency and is easy to work with.  Rose Levey Beranbaum author of The Pie and Pastry Bible says "The vinegar helps relax the dough with out loosing the flakiness, making it easier to roll, shrink less and be more tender."  She is also the author of The Cake Bible.

If you would like the recipe for the Galette look here at Celestial Confections blog, she picked the delicious recipe this week!

Red Velvet Cake, With Chocolate Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting (with recipe)

My first Red Velvet Cake.  I used an 8" square pan for the three layer Red Velvet Cake, between each layer was a luscious chocolate filling with mini chocolate chips, and topped with a cream cheese frosting.

After searching the web and my friend's trial with the recipe from Southern Living's Red Velvet Cake being too dry, I found these wonderful recipes for Red Velvet Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting in Nancie McDermott's cookbook Southern Cakes.  This is a wonderful book!  The filling recipe was found in Tish Boyle's The Cake Book.  I love the drizzled chocolate look with the mini chocolate chips.  

This cake came out moist and a beautiful dark red.

Here are the cake and frosting recipes below.  I already found the Red Velvet Cake recipe posted on the web, so I don't feel too guilty posting these recipes here.  This is an excellent cake cookbook.  I have tried several of her recipes and they all are delicious! 

From Nancie McDermott's book Southern Cakes (pg. 103):

Nobody knows for sure where this cake comes from, but lost of people agree with me that it is one magnificent cake.  It's signature carmine coloration is dazzling, and I adore it's tangy little grace not of flavor, created by the unusual combination of vinegar, buttermilk, and cocoa in the batter.  Red food coloring is the not-so-secret ingredient responsible for it's sassy color.  Try gel paste food coloring  if you'd like to experiment with another route to red.

Red Velvet Cake

Cake

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk*

2 tablespoons cocoa

One 1-oz bottle (2 tablespoons) red food coloring

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 tablespoon cider vinegar or white vinegar

TO MAKE THE CAKE, heat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease two 9-inch round cake pans generously, and line them with waxed paper or kitchen parchment.   Grease the paper and flour the pans.

PREPARE THREE SEPARATE MIXTURES for the batter:  Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl and use a fork to mix them together well.  Stir the vanilla into the buttermilk.  Combine the cocoa and the red food coloring in a small bowl, mashing and stirring them together to make a thick, smooth paste.

IN A LARGE BOWL, beat the butter with a mixer at low speed for 1 minute, until creamy and soft.  Add the sugar, and then beat well for 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl now and then.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each one, until the mixture is creamy, fluffy, and smooth.  Scrape the cocoa-food coloring paste into the batter and beat to mix it in evenly.

ADD ABOUT A THIRD of the flour mixture, and then about half of the milk, beating the batter with a mixer at low speed, and mixing only enough to make the flour or liquid disappear into the batter.  Mix in another third of the flour, the rest of the milk, and then the last of the flour in the same way.

IN A SMALL BOWL, combine the baking soda and vinegar and stir well.  Use a wooden spoon or spatula to quickly mix this last mixture into the read batter, folding it in gently by hand.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pans.

BAKE at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, until the layers spring back when touched lightly in the center and are just beginning to pull away from the sides of the pans.

COOL THE CAKES in the pans on wire racks or folded kitchen towels for 15 minutes.  Then turn them out on the racks or on plates, remove the paper, and turn top side up to cool completely.

*NOTE: If you don't have buttermilk, stir 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup of milk and let stand for 10 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting (pg. 148)

Makes enough for one 3-layer cake, one 13-by-9 inch cake or 24 cupcakes.

One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened (1 cup)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

One 1-pound box (3 2/3 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

IN A MEDIUM BOWL, combine the cream cheese and butter and beat with a mixer on medium speed to mix well.  Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and beat at hight speed until the frosting is fluffy and smooth, stopping once or twice to scrape down the bowl and mix everything well.  Spread the frosting on a cooled cake, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.  

Happy Birthday Payton!

Lemon Birthday Cake for Bryce

I made a Lemon Cake for Bryce and Terri's birthday.  This is one of my new favorite flavors!  I found this delicious Lemon Cake recipe in The Cake Book, by Tish Bolye.  I also included a very similar recipe off her website just below, and a link to her blog if you are interested in checking it out.  She is my all time favorite cake author!  My cake is a four layer, nine inch cake.  It is layered with a lemon curd whipped cream filling, it has a lemon sugar syrup, and is topped with a lemon buttercream icing.  Then on top of the buttercream is a layer of fondant.  It's just a fun festive birthday cake!  

http://tishboyle.blogspot.com/2009/06/pucker-up_06.html

Pucker Up Lemon Cupcakes

Makes 24 cupcakes

Lemon Curd:

8 large egg yolks

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

Lemon Cupcakes:

3 cups cake flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

1/4 cup freshly squeezed strained lemon juice

2/3 cup whole milk

Lemon Buttercream:

1 cup granulated sugar

5 large egg whites

3 tablespoons water

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup lemon curd

Make the Lemon Curd:

1. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl and set aside. In a medium, heavy, non-reactive saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until blended. Stir in the lemon zest and juice, salt, and butter and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 7 to 10 minutes (do not let the mixture boil, or it will curdle). The mixture should leave a path on the back of a wooden spoon when you draw your finger across it. Immediately strain the mixture through the sieve, pressing it through with a rubber spatula.

2. Set the bowl containing the lemon mixture in a large mixing bowl filled one-third of the way with ice water (be careful that the water doesn’t splash into the lemon mixture). Stir the lemon mixture frequently until it is slightly chilled, about 15 minutes. Cover the surface of the curd with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use (up to 3 days).

Make the cupcakes:

3. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners.

4. In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.

5. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 30 seconds. Gradually add the sugar and beat at high speed for 3 minutes, until well blended and light. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, reduce the speed to medium, and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and mixing until blended. Beat in the lemon zest and lemon juice until blended. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating it with the milk in two additions. Mix just until blended. Scrape the batter into the prepared cups and smooth the tops.

6. Bake the cakes for 20 to 22 minutes, until they are golden brown around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pans, set on wire racks, for 15 minutes.

7. Transfer the cupcakes to wire racks and cool completely.

Make the buttercream:

8. Pour enough water into a skillet so that it comes 1/2-inch up its sides. Bring the water to a simmer; reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer.

9.. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar, egg whites, and water. Place the bowl in the skillet of water and whisk gently until the mixture registers 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.

10. Transfer the bowl to the mixer stand and, using the whisk attachment, beat at medium-high speed until the meringue is cool and forms stiff, shiny peaks, about 5 minutes.

11. Reduce the speed to medium and beat in the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Beat in the vanilla. Beat at high speed until the buttercream is smooth, about 1 minute.

12. Add the lemon curd and beat until well blended.

Fill and frost the cupcakes:

13. Using a paring knife, cut a cone-shaped wedge out of the center of each cupcake (the diameter of the cone should be about 1/2 inch).

14. Fill the center of each cupcake with lemon curd.

15. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip (Ateco #5) with the buttercream. Pipe a generous swirl of buttercream on top of each filled cupcake. Serve the cupcakes immediately, or refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Amish Cinnamon Rolls

What could be more wholesome than homemade bread?  I remember homemade bread growing up, I would watch my mom kneading it in the kitchen.  We would chat as she worked.  She had a giant ceramic bowl that she aways used for her bread.  She would set it in the corner with a dish towel across it while it rose into goodness.  I think she got the bowl in Portugal, I'm not sure where it is today, but the memory remains.  Not until I was in my 20's did I start making my own bread, but I kneed my bread just like she does.  Funny what you pick up as you watch, learn, and absorb as a child.

My sister gave me some Amish starter a few months ago.  I quickly got tired of making Amish Friendship Bread, I did not like the box of pudding needed to make it.  The bread is delicious, but I want something all natural, to feed my precious family.  I found a web site dedicated to making all sorts of fun treats with the Amish starter.  I have tried Amish pancakes, and Amish biscuits, both of these are very good!  The plus?  No added box of anything, just pure natural ingredients.  My new endeavor- Amish Cinnamon Rolls.  I thought I'd share..

Above is my starter, mixed with flour and milk. It has to rise for 12 hours before I can make my rolls.  I have set it aside in a warm spot in my kitchen, with a dish towel across the top of the bowl.

12 hours later (and a little more) my dough has risen nicely.  As I moved it, it did fall just a tad, as you can tell in the picture.  But no worries, I was ready to mix more ingredients in, and make my rolls!

These are making me hungry, they are so yummy!  I made this particular batch for a friend that just had a baby.  I hope her family enjoys this sweet treat!  

If you want some starter, it's meant to be passed around.  So, just let me know (if your local) and I'll be happy to give you a cup.  Or want to make your own starter?  Look here for a recipe- Amish Friendship Bread Starter.  I use a large glass jar to keep my starter in, and I give it a stir with a wooden spoon.  No metal should touch it, as it can leach into the starter. That would be a bad thing.  I use organic sugar, organic flour, and organic milk in my starter.

Amish Cinnamon Rolls

2 cups flour
1 cup milk
1 cup Amish batter *
Combine and let set at room temperature overnight or 10-12 hours. Stir down.
Combine:
3 t. sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
Add into small bowl all at once to stir down. Pour dough out on well-floured board. Knead until no longer sticky. Roll out to 1/2" thickness in a rectangle shape. Brush dough with soft butter.
Combine:
1/4 cup sugar
1 TBS cinnamon
1/2 cup crushed nuts
Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture over dough. Beginning at wide side, roll up, and seal seam.
Cut 1" slices. Place on well-greased cookie sheet. Let rise 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees F 30-35 minutes.

* Note: This recipe requires the Amish basic batter. This is the batter that results after day 10 in the basic Amish Friendship Bread recipe  this recipe is found here: Amish Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Roll Glaze

1/4 cup butter
2 oz cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Melt butter and cream cheese in saucepan on the stove.  Add the rest of the ingredients, mix well, and pour over warm rolls.
Thanks to Nina Pepin for her mother's frosting recipe found in More Please! my Shoreline (CA) MOPS cookbook.

Rick Katz's Brownies for Julia- Recipe included!

These brownies were so delicious!  My little brother (age 28) was here recovering from his knee surgery, and he told me he really liked brownies.  What could I do but make them for him?

I found this recipe as I was browsing the internet looking at some of my favorite foodie websites and I saw a Tuesdays With Dorie (TWD) challenge to make brownies.

My brother and I couldn't eat them all so I took some to bible study.  I cut them up nice and small as my friends requested.

Each bite was chocolate bliss.  

Rick Katz’s Brownies For Julia

Dorie writes “In 1995, when I was working with Julia Child filming the PBS series Baking with Julia and writing the companion book, Boston-based pastry chef Rick Katz was running the prep kitchen in Julia’s basement.   Working between the washing machine and the dryer, Rick was in charge of getting the recipes of each of the twenty-six visiting chefs ready for their close-ups.  An ordinary human would have had his hands full, but superman Rick always found time to make us extra little goodies, among them these very dark, very fudgy brownies.   The way he prepares the batter is different from any other brownie recipe I know.  Half of the eggs and sugar are mixed in with the chocolate, while the other half are beaten until they double in volume and are as light as a sponge.   Whipping the eggs creates the surprisingly creamy, soft and definitely fudgy texture.

• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
• 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 
• 2 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350º F.  Put a 9 inch square baking pan (I actually used a 9 x 13" Pyrex for this) on a baking sheet.  Grease and flour your pan.  

Whisk flour and salt together and set aside.

Set a heat proof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, put the butter and chocolate in.  Stir frequently until the ingredients are just melted-you don’t want them to get so hot that the butter separates.  (Or melt in the microwave)  To the chocolate mixture, add 1 c. sugar and whisk gently just to incorporate it, then remove the bowl from heat.   Stir in the vanilla and transfer to a large bowl.

Put the remaining cup of sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment or a medium bowl using a wire whisk.  While whisking stir in the eggs.  

Next,  little by little pour only half of this sugar-egg mixture into the warm chocolate, stirring very gently without stopping-you don’t want the heat of the chocolate to cook the eggs.  The remaining half of the sugar-egg mixture in the bowl should be beaten more with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, on medium-high for about 3 minutes, or until they double in volume.   

Using a spatula and a light touch, fold the whipped eggs into the chocolate, stopping just short of blending them in completely.  Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the batter and delicately fold them in, working only until they disappear.   Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with the spatula.  I added walnuts to the top of the brownies.  Just enough to cover.

Bake for 25-28 minutes, or until the top looks dry. I ended up cooking them for about 10-15 more minutes.  They were still very runny.  Poke a thin knife into the center and take a peek:  The brownies should be only just set and still pretty gooey.

Transfer the pan to a rack and cool to room temperature.

The brownies are fragile and best cut in the pan.   Cut eighteen 1½ x 3 inch bars. 

Here is where I found this yummy recipe.  I did tweak the recipe a bit.  One, I had a hard time understanding it as written, and two, I made some personal changes.  I hope you enjoy!

http://chocolatechic.wordpress.com/2010/02/09/february-9-3/

Valentine's Day Cookies- recipe included!!

We love Sugar Cookies!  Christmas, Valentines, Easter, or anytime!  They are just yummy.  I have tried quite a few recipes and up until now I had not found the perfect one.  I've looked on all recipes, through my library of cookbooks, and I just could not get the right recipe.  They are either too soft or too sweet or not sweet enough. Then came Martha, oh thank you Martha!!  These are delicious!!

                

These cookies have just the right amount of sweet.  They taste great frosted or fresh from the oven.  This one is frosted with Royal Icing.  First I piped the outline with a stiff Royal Frosting, and then I flooded the heart with a thin Royal Frosting.  This frosting is opaque, and is a more traditional look.  

Love is in the air...

I made this design, it reminded me a little of Mary Engelbreit.  I used the Royal Icing for the outline then I flooded the cookie with a frosting mix of powered sugar, food coloring, and water.  This sugar frosting looks a bit translucent.  I love the combination of the two frostings!

A sweet array of cookies!

Our cookies all dressed up and ready to give away for Valentines.  :)

Blessings, Rachel

Ideal Sugar Cookies by Martha Stewart 

Makes 2 dozen

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons brandy, or milk

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Royal Icing - Optional

Directions:

Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar; add dry ingredients, and mix until incorporated. With mixer running, add egg, brandy (or milk), and vanilla; mix until incorporated.

1. Transfer dough to a work surface.  Shape into discs, cover with plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.

3.  On lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness.  Cut into desired shapes, and transfer to prepared baking sheets, leaving an inch in between.  Leftover dough can be rolled and cut once more.  Bake until lightly golden, about 10 minutes; do not allow to brown.  Transfer to wire racks to cool.

4.  Decorate with Royal Icing, optional.

Royal Icing
makes 2 1/3 cups


1 box confectioners sugar (1 lb)
5 tablespoons meringue powder, or 2 large egg whites


1.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugar and meringue powder.  Mixing on low speed, add a scant 1/2 cup water. For a thinner consistency, usually used for flooding, add more water.  A thicker consistency is generally used for outlining and adding details.  Mix until icing holds a ribbon like trail on the surface of the mixture for 5 seconds when you raise the paddle.

To look on Martha's website click here:
http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.fc77a0dbc44dd1611e3bf410b5900aa0/?vgnextoid=7ee2640093b0f010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default

Old Fashioned Lemon Poppy Seed Cake- Recipe!!

Ok, ok, I did not make this recently, but I did make it and since I'm participating in a 21 day fast with my church, I'm not making cake for just a little while longer.   So, I thought I'd share some oldies and goodies with you!

I have a love of things old.  Hence my old house, my old antique stove- among the many!  So, I found this wonderful cookbook by the Brass Sisters, Heirloom Baking.  It is composed of recipes from days past.  The recipes have been collected from scraps of papers, journals, family cookbooks, and their own recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation.

Here is my flour, no they don't give the measurements for weighed amounts, but to insure a successful cake, I do measure each dry ingredient.  :)

My ingredients ready for mixing!

The batter looks yummy!  I am scraping the sides down after using my mixer.

All ready for the oven.

My finished cake.  I made a lemon sugar glaze for the top.  The crumb was perfect and the lemon taste was just the right amount.

Anyone want a slice?  mmmmmmm....

The cake was quite scrumptious, although a little on the sweet side.

Thank you to all the cooks that have come before me!

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

from Heirloom Baking with the Brass Sisters

For Cake

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup poppy seeds

3 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

For Lemon Glaze

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

pinch of salt

1.  Set the oven rack in the middle position.  Preheat the oven to 350degrees.  Coat an 8-cup Bundt pan or an 8-cup tube pan with vegetable spray or butter and dust with flour.

2.  To make the cake:  Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

3.  Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  With mixer running, add eggs, on at a time, and sour cream.  Add poppy seeds.  Fold in sifted dry ingredients in thrids.  Add lemon juice and lemon zest and mix well.

4.  Pour batter into pan.  bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until cake pulls away from sides of pan and tester inserted into cake comes out clean.  Cake may crack on top.  Place pan on a rack and cool about 20 minutes.  Run a butter knife around the edges.  Turn out cake onto a rack and allow to cool completely.

5.  To make the lemon glaze:  Mix together confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl.  Slip a sheet of wax paper under rack to catch drips.  Use a teaspoon or fork to drizzle glaze over the top of cake.  After the glaze has set, store loosely covered with wax paper at room temperature.  Cake can be frozen and reheated.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

Blessings, Rachel

Pumpkin Roll

I made this very easy Pumpkin Roll for MOPS. I've always wanted to try a jelly roll cake but I've been too intimidated. No more! I am expanding my baking skills and I'm not afraid! I'm so glad I did, because it was actually very easy!!

I ended up making two of them. On the second one I changed up the spices, I wanted a little less clove, and a little more pumpkin pie taste. So I put in 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. It was very tasty!!

I found the recipe on a can of Libby Pumpkin. Just pull off the label and there it is! If you want it w/out the pumpkin here is a link to the recipe or read below. I've even included a link to a video below the recipe, it's very helpful!!

http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=32372

Ingredients
CAKE
1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

FILLING
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)

Directions
FOR CAKE:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.

COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.

BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes.) Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Not longer or less, the cake will crack.


FOR FILLING:
BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

COOKING TIP:
Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick.


There is even a video if you want to see how it's done!
http://www.verybestbaking.com/advice/baking101/standalone/pumpkin_roll.aspx

Happy Baking!!

Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting - Recipe!!

My aunt Jeanne says this is her favorite cupcake recipe, she loves vanilla! So, even while she was hobbling around after foot surgery she made the effort send me this recipe. I'm so glad she did, it is super yummy!

It's from Martha Stewart,

Billy's Vanilla, Vanilla Cupcakes and Billy's Vanilla Buttercream.

You won't be disappointed!

I made small cupcakes and large cupcakes. The small have sprinkles and the large have none.

In the picture you can see a few of the cupcakes are a bit wide on the tops. I over filled the pan just a little bit and the result was wide tops.  Not exactly how I wanted them to look, but I was pretty happy with them anyway. This was my first time with the large cupcake size.

Large cupcake close up! Yummy!

Here are the small cupcakes up close!

Green and pink are one of my favorite color combinations.

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Leave me a comment and let me know which look you like best!

Large/Small?? Sprinkles or none?

Happy Baking!!

Makes about 30 cupcakes

(I added to the directions, hopefully it's more clear)

1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) room temperature unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, cutting into the flour mixture one piece at a time while the mixer is on low, being careful to not over beat.

In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat.

Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes. The large cupcakes did have to cook a little longer, just keep testing them until the center comes out clean.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining batter. Once cupcakes have cooled, use a small offset spatula to frost tops of each cupcake. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Serve at room temperature.


Billy's Vanilla Buttercream


Ingredients
Makes enough for 30 cupcakes
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add 6 cups sugar, milk, and vanilla; mix until light and fluffy. If necessary, gradually add remaining 2 cups sugar to reach desired consistency.

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe

One of my favorite frostings is Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Now that I have started making cakes and cupcakes from scratch, I have also begun to try new icing/frostings. I will never go back to frosting in a container. There is no comparison! This Buttercream is so silky and delicious, it is a delight!

The recipe below has been adapted from Martha Stewart

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/swiss-meringue-buttercream-for-white-cupcakes

and The Cake Book by Tish Boyle.

Ingredients
Makes about 9 cups, enough for about 28 cupcakes
2 1/2 cups sugar
10 large egg whites
4 cups (8 sticks or 2 pounds) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

12 oz of bittersweet chocolate

5 tablespoons water

Directions

Chop bittersweet chocolate into pieces. Mix chocolate and water, and melt in double boiler. If you don't have a double boiler, then boil water in a sauce pan and melt chocolate in a stainless steel bowl above the boiling water. When chocolate is melted, set aside and let cool to room temperature.

Place sugar and egg whites in the heat-proof bowl of an electric mixer. Set bowl over a pan of gently simmering water (use the same one you melted the chocolate with), and whisk gently until sugar has dissolved and egg whites are hot to the touch, about 3 minutes or when it reaches 160 degrees using an instant read thermometer. You can test it by rubbing the mixture between your fingers; it should feel completely smooth.

Transfer bowl to mixer stand. Using the whisk attachment, beat on high speed until mixture has cooled completely and formed stiff and glossy peaks, about 10 minutes.

The picture above is just after eggs have reached 160 degrees, and placed in the mixer. Below the mixture has reached stiff peaks.

Now, add the butter, one piece (1 tbs) at a time, while the mixer is on medium. Don't worry if the buttercream appears curdled after all the butter has been added; it will become smooth again with continued beating. Beat mixture on high for 1 minute. Add vanilla, and beat just until combined.

Add melted chocolate to buttercream and whisk on medium high until mixed. Remove from mixer and with a rubber spatula scrape sides and incorporate everything into meringue.

Perfect Chocolate Swiss Meringue, a delicious topping for a deep chocolate cupcake! Enjoy!

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