Category Archives: Cakes & Frostings

Jun19

Mini Cheesecakes

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minicheesecakes

Mini Cheesecakes

These are so easy, kids can make them.  And, of course, eat them.

  • 12 vanilla wafers
  • 2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Place paper or foil liners in a 12-cup muffin pan.  Put a vanilla wafer in each.  In mixing bowl, blend together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed.  Add eggs, and mix well.  Pour over wafers, filling 3/4 full.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Allow to cool, then remove from pan.

Melt chocolate chips in microwave for 1 3/4 minutes on HIGH, then drizzle over baked cheesecake.

You may also top with fruit.

“God will either spare you from suffering or give you the grace to bear it.”

May1

Banana Pudding Poke Cake

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bananapuddingpokecakeBanana Pudding Poke Cake

Oh my goodness!!!!  You can literally inhale this cake, it’s so good.  I just love poke cakes because they are so quick and easy to make.  And I love banana pudding.

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 (3.4 oz.) pkg. instant banana pudding
  • 1 (3.4 oz.) pkg. instant vanilla pudding
  • 4 cups whole milk, divided
  • 2 large bananas, sliced thick
  • 1 (8-oz.) tub Cool Whip, thawed
  • 15-20 vanilla wafers, crushed

Prepare cake mix according to package directions for a 9 x 13 cake.  Once cake comes out of oven, allow it to cool until it’s just warm to the touch.  Then, with a wooden spoon handle, poke holes in the cake.  You want the holes to be BIG so the pudding will go down into them.

In a bowl, whisk together banana pudding with 2 cups milk.  Stir until all the lumps are gone.  Pour pudding over cake making sure you get the holes filled, gently pushing the pudding into the holes and then spread rest over the top of cake.

In another bowl, whisk vanilla pudding with 2 cups milk.  Stir until all the lumps are gone.  Add sliced bananas to pudding and mix gently.  Spread over top of cake.

Put cake into the fridge to set and cool (about 2 hours).  Once cake has cooled, spread on Cool Whip.  Top with crushed vanilla wafers.  (I put my vanilla wafers into a ziploc bag and crushed them with a rolling pin.)  Leave some bigger pieces for a little bit of crunch when you eat the cake.

(I couldn’t wait, I put my Cool Whip on before I put it in the fridge to cool, and it came out just fine)

Serves 12 to 15.

“The more we meditate on the Scriptures, the closer we’ll walk with the Savior.”

 

Apr8

Heavenly Angel Food Cake / Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

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heavenlyangelfoodcakeHeavenly Angel Food Cake / Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

This is a classic angel food cake that I made for Easter.  I made it in a 9″ x 13″ baking pan, but you may also bake it in an ungreased angel food cake pan or in 3 ungreased (9-inch) round pans.  The cake and frosting are delicous, but my husband and I thought the frosting was too sweet.  My daughter loved it.  I think, though, it would be good for a drizzle over a hot cake.

This makes quite a large cake.  Bigger than an angel food cake mix.  I beat my egg whites in my mixer and they came right to the top of my pan.  Then I transferred them to a bigger bowl to fold in the sugar mixture.

This was such a good angel food cake mix, I am anxious to try it some different ways.

  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/2 cups egg whites
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line bottom and sides of a 13″ x 9″ pan with aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides of pan.  (Do not grease pan or foil.)  Sift together first 3 ingredients.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until stiff peaks form.  Gradually fold in sugar mixture, 1/3 cup at a time, folding just until blended after each addition.  Fold in vanilla and lemon juice.  Spoon batter into prepared pan.  (Pan will be very full.  The batter will reach almost to the top of the pan.)

Bake at 375 degrees on an oven rack one-third up from bottom of oven 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.  Invert cake onto a lightly greased wire rack; let cool, with pan over cake, 1 hour or until completely cool.  Remove pan; peel foil off cake.  Transfer cake to a serving platter.  Spread Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting evenly over top of cake.  Garnish, if desired.

Times for angel food cake pan is also 30 to 35 minutes, and 9-inch round pans is 15 to a18 minutes.

Serves 15.

Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 1/2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 (16-oz) package powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest

Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; add lemon juice, beating just until blended.  Gradually add powdered sugar, beating a low speed until blended; stir in lemon zest.

“Stay close to God and you will never be the same.”

Jan5

Toffee Poke Cake

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toffeepokecaketoffeepokecake2

Toffee Poke Cake

I had to make my own birthday cake this year.  That’s ok.  I love baking anyway and I wanted to try this recipe.  Oh my goodness it was so good!!  I got raves reviews from my family.  So very simple to make also.  The caramel oozes when you cut it.

  • 1 (18 1/4-oz.) pkg. chocolate cake mix
  • 1 (17-oz.) jar butterscotch-caramel ice cream topping
  • 1 (12-0z.) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
  • 3 (1.4-oz. each) Heath candy bars, chopped

Prepare and bake cake according to package directions, using a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan.  Cool on a wire rack.

Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes in cake.  Pour 3/4 cup caramel topping into holes.  Spoon remaining caramel over cake.  Top with whipped topping.  Sprinkle with candy.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before seving.

“When God works a change in us He can change others through us.”

Dec3

White Fruitcake

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whitefruitcakeWhite Fruitcake

This fruitcake is for everyone that loves fruitcake, and for everyone who thinks they don’t like fruitcake.  This is citrusy and light.  Not soaked in alcohol!

  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 2 pounds candied fruit (4 cups)
  • 1 cup (4 oz.) slivered almonds
  • 1 cup (3 oz.) sweetened shredded coconut
  • 2 cups (10 oz.) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (7 oz.) granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees.  Generously grease 12-cup tube pan and line bottom with parchment paper.

Microwave orange juice in medium bowl until hot, about 30 seconds.  Add candied fruit and stir to coat completely.  Let cool completely, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Process almonds, coconut, and 1/4 cup flour in food processor until finely ground, about 1 minute.  Transfer to second medium bowl and whisk in remaining 1 3/4 cups flour, baking powder and salt.

Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined.  Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with candied fruit in 2 additions, scraping down bowl as needed.  Give batter final stir by hand.  Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top.

Bake until skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about 2 hours, rotating pan halfway through baking.  Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes.  Remove cake from pan, discarding parchment and reinverting cake.  Let cool completely, about 3 hours.

You can decorate the top of your cake however you want.  I brushed mine with melted orange marmalade (while it was still warm) and then lined pecans around the top edge and brushed the pecans with the marmalade.  Or you could just dust the top with powdered sugar.

“Facing death with confidence comes from trusting Christ.”

 

 

Aug23

Marbled Boston Creme Cupcakes

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Marbled Boston Creme Cupcakes

So good!!!

  • 1 Fudge Marble Cake Mix (I used Duncan Hines)
  • 1 1/4 cups milk
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 (3.4-oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix
  • Chocolate Glaze (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 24 muffin cups with cupcake liners.

Mix cake mix, milk, oil and eggs in mixing bowl for 2 minutes.

Measure 1 cup of batter into small bowl and set aside.  Divide rest of batter between the 24 cups.

Blend cocoa (from envelope) into small bowl of batter and mix well.  Divide the batter into the 24 cups.  Swirl with knife.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Make pudding as directed on package and set aside.

Fill piping bag with pudding and fill each cupcake in the center.

Make chocolate glaze and then dip cupcake upside down into the glaze and return right side up onto your cooling rack.  Refrigerate.  If glaze starts to get to thick, reheat it a little which makes it easier to dip.  (I did everything in the microwave)

Chocolate Glaze

  • 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted (dark chocolate)
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream, hot
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch salt

Whisk all of the glaze ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth and let sit until thickened, about 25 minutes (I didn’t do this for the cupcakes).  Pour the glaze over the top of the cake after it has cooled completely, letting the glaze drip down the sides.  Let the glaze set before serving, about 25 minutes.

“Focusing on Christ puts everything in perspective.”

Aug22

Warm Brownie Pudding Cake

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Warm Brownie Pudding Cake

What makes this dessert so irresistible?  As it bakes, a pudding sauce forms beneath the cake layer.  Cocoa-based and made without eggs, it’s an old-fashioned treat that should be served with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and a big spoon.

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 9-inch square baking dish.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1/3 cup cocoa in medium bowl.  Combine milk, butter and vanilla in measuring cup; stir into dry ingredients just until blended.  Spoon batter evenly into prepared dish.

Combine brown sugar and remaining 1/4 cup cocoa in small bowl.  Sprinkle evenly over batter.  Pour boiling water over entire mixture; do not stir.

Bake 35 to 38 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes.  Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Makes 8 servings.

“Where God guides, He provides.”

 

 

Aug15

Too Much Chocolate Cake

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Too Much Chocolate Cake

If you need a chocolate fix, this is for you.  Very yummy!

  • 1 (18.25-oz.) package devil’s food cake mix
  • 1 (5.9-oz.) package instant chocolate pudding mix
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water.  Stir in chocolate chips and pour batter into a well greased 12-cup bundt pan.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool cake thoroughly in pan at least an hour and a half before inverting onto a plate.  If desired, dust the cake with powdered sugar or put a chocolate drizzle on it.

“When we worship God, only our best is good enough.”

Jul24

Peaches and Cream Cake

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Peaches and Cream Cake

This is so-o-o good and easy to make.

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 large can sliced peaches
  • 1 large pkg. cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup sugar

Mix cake mix as directed.  Pour into greased and floured 9 x 13 pan.  Drain peaches, reserving 4 tablespoons peach juice.  Cut peach slices in half and place on top of cake.  Mix cream cheese, sugar and reserved peach juice until well blended.  By tablespoonful, dollop over cake and peaches, covering the entire top of the cake.  Bake 350 degrees for 60 minutes.

This can be eaten cold, but I like it slightly warm with whipped cream.

Makes 12 servings.

“When we’re forgiven, no record is kept of our failures.”

May24

Whole Wheat Rhubarb Pudding Cake

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Whole Wheat Rhubarb Pudding Cake

I love rhubarb and I was in the mood for it, so I made this cake.  All I can say is “Yum”.  If you are using frozen fruit instead of fresh, let it stand for 15 to 20 minutes or until it’s partially thawed but still icy.

  • 5 cups sliced rhubarb
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 1/4 cups boiling water
  • Whipped cream, opt.

Place the sliced rhubarb in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish.  Sprinkle the 1/4 cup sugar over the rhubarb.

In a medium mixing bowl stir together the all-purpose flour, 1 cup sugar, whole wheat flour, chopped pecans, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.  Add the milk and melted butter.  Stir till combined.  Spoon the batter over the rhubarb and spread evenly.

In a medium mixing bowl stir together the 1 1/4 cups sugar and the cornstarch.  Add the boiling water and stir till sugar dissolves.  Slowly pour the mixture over the top of the batter.

Bake in a 375 degree oven about 45 minutes or till top tests done.  (To prevent overbrowning, cover the dish for the last 10 minutes, if necessary.)  Let cool for 30 minutes.  Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

“The name of Jesus is at the heart of our faith and our hope.”