Chocolate Flan Cake (AKA Magic Cake)

Photo from Something Quite Domestic

Dirk and I love trying flan at different Mexican restaurants in our area. It's fun to see the unique ways people make it and how different they all are. Two of my brothers introduced me to this cake. I never tried making it because it seemed too complicated and I didn't want to spend all day baking one thing. 

Oh, fear not! You do need to plan a little bit in advance because this cake tastes the best when it's chilled overnight, but it's easy to make. This cake preps in less than 30 minutes, bakes in about an hour and in a pinch you could chill it for a few hours before you serve it. 

Why do they call it "Magic Cake"? Because of science and chemistry the two layers switch places during baking. This cake is really fun to make with kids because when you put it in the bundt pan the chocolate batter goes in first and then the flan batter goes on top. During the baking process the flan sinks to the bottom and the cake rises to the top, all in 2 beautiful, distinct layers. Then when you plate it, the flan will be on the top and the chocolate cake on the bottom. It made for a fun experiment and lesson while we baked the cake and a great opportunity to discuss basic principles of chemistry. :)

The sky is the limit with this cake. You can experiment with different extracts, different flavors of cake, etc. 

So another thing, this recipe uses cateja which is caramelized milk. You can make your own or you can go to the Hispanic section of your supermarket and buy it already made if you are pressed for time. 

Okay. Here's what you need:

-Large bundt pan (at least 12 cup size)

-Large roasting pan

-1 can of cateja (can make your own as listed below or buy in the Hispanic section of most supermarkets)

Cateja

-1 (14 oz.) can of sweetened condensed milk

Place unopened can into a large pan and fill pan with water ensuring to cover can completely. Cover pan and bring water to a boil. Turn heat down to med-low and boil can for 3-4 hours. Add more water as necessary to cover can of milk. Remove can from hot water with tongs and allow can to cool. Open can and voila! You have cateja! You can do several cans at the same time so that you can keep some on hand.

Cake:

-1/2 c. unsalted butter, plus 2 TBS at room temp

-1 c. sugar

-1 egg, at room temp

-1 tsp. dark rum

-1 tsp. vanilla extract

-4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted

-1/3 c. cocoa powder (if you can find dark chocolate that works best)

-1 3/4 c. flour (best if you can use 1 c. cake flour and the rest all-purpose. I have used all all-purpose and it still works out great.)

-3/4 tsp. salt 

-3/4 tsp. baking soda

-3/4 c. baking powder

-1 1/4 c. buttermilk

Flan:

- 1 (12 oz.) can of evaporated milk

- 1 (14 oz.) can of sweetened condensed milk (splurge for a good brand)

-3 large eggs, at room temp

-4 oz. of cream cheese, at room temp.

-1 TBS vanilla extract

Garnish:

-1/4 c. pecans, chopped

-1/4 c. cateja

-1 TBS whole milk

1. Fill roasting pan with 1 inch of water and place in oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat bundt pan with 1 tsp. of butter. Warm 1/2 cup of cateja in the microwave and pour on bottom of the bundt pan. Try not to get on the sides of the pan.

2. Prepare the cake. Place sugar and butter in a mixing bowl and use a hand mixer to beat together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix to combine. Next add the rum, vanilla extract and melted bittersweet chocolate and mix until incorporated. In a separate bowl sift or use a wire whisk to combine the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add 1/3 of flour mixture to bowl and half of the butter milk into the egg mixture. Repeat again. Add the last 1/3 of flour mixture and beat until incorporated. The batter will be thick. Carefully spoon the mixture into the bundt pan on top of the cateja. Be careful to avoid spilling the batter on the sides. 

Photo from Something Quite Domestic

Photo from Something Quite Domestic

3. Prepare the flan. Place all ingredients into a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds until well combined. Carefully and slowly pour the flan mixture on top of cake batter in the bundt pan. Cover bundt pan with foil. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and carefully place bundt pan into the water bath. Make sure that the water comes up at least an inch on the bundt pan. Add more hot water to roasting pan if necessary. 

Photo from Something Quite Domestic

4. Place roasting pan back into the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, until the cake top bounces back or a toothpick comes out clean. Remove roasting pan from oven and remove bundt pan from water bath. Transfer cake to a wire rack and allow the cake to rest in the pan to room temperature, about 2 hours and then refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

5. After the cake is chilled, place 1/3 bottom of the bundt pan in a bowl of hot tap water for about a minute. Invert cake on to a cake platter. Microwave the cateja and milk for about 10-15 seconds. Stir until combine and add more milk if necessary to get the a good consistency so that you can drizzle it on the top of the cake. (You want it thick, but just thin enough to drizzle.) Drizzle the cake with cateja and sprinkle with toasted pecans. 

Photo from Something Quite Domestic

Enjoy a little slice of heaven! The cake is slightly dense and fudgy and the flan is creamy and delicate.

Photo from Something Quite Domestic

Enjoy and Happy Baking!

Here's the printable recipe.

Strawberry Banana Trifle with Vanilla Bean Pudding

I'm not usually a trifle kind-of-gal, but this recipe has converted me. Thanks to my sweet cousin, Emily, for sharing this recipe. Trifles are fun to make because they look pretty and you can use your favorite fresh fruit. My favorite is strawberry banana. If you missed my post on how I created a Patriotic Trifle for the 4th of July, you can  read about it here. There are so many ways you can make a trifle, so use your creativity.

Oh my gosh. You have not experience a trifle until you've had this one. The vanilla bean pudding is so delicious that you will come back for seconds and thirds. The first time I made it my husband about died when he tasted it. I don't think my husband has ever asked to lick a bowl or the beaters in our 5 1/2 years of marriage, except when I made this pudding.

The pudding is made with sweetened condensed milk so it has a slight caramel, banana-ish flavor when mixed with the boxed pudding. It totally goes amazing with strawberries and bananas. If you read my post about the Patriotic Trifle, I mentioned my husband is allergic to bananas. I have made this with just strawberries before and it is really yummy also.  Just when you think the pudding can't be any more delicious and incredible, just add some vanilla bean paste to it. It's outta this world! And I love seeing those lovely little black flecks in the pudding. It seems so fancy to me. :)

I've told you about the place where I buy my vanilla beans. I mainly use Madagascar vanilla beans since they are the most versatile bean in baking, but the Tahitian beans are also incredible. If you want to try out the Madagascar beans, they are on sale right now! This is the best price I've seen and you get free shipping! Check out the sale over at Beanilla. AND some lucky person is going to win some lovely, gourmet Madagascar beans in my upcoming giveaway sponsored by Beanilla. Stay tuned!

Back to the trifle...You can use your favorite cake although I'm partial to a vanilla sponge cake, yellow or angel food cake. You can either cube a 9x13 cake or use (2) 8" or (2) 9" round cakes whole (depending on the shape and size of your trifle bowl) for a quick assembly of the trifle.

I don't recommend assembling the trifle any sooner than a few hours before you want to serve it as the bananas tend to go a little brown and watery even when coated with citrus juice). However; you can prep the cakes (freeze them) and the pudding a few days in advance. The pudding needs at least 3-4 hours to set up properly, so make sure you take that into account when making this. Make sure to keep your trifle refrigerated until right before you serve it.

Here's what you need:

-(2) baked 9-in round cakes (bigger or smaller depending on the diameter of your bowl)

-1 lb of fresh strawberries, sliced

-4 C ripe bananas, sliced

-2 TBS lemon juice

Pudding:

-(1) 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

-(1) 3.4 oz box of instant vanilla pudding (I like Jello brand best)

-1 1/2 C ice cold water

-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

-1 Madagascar vanilla bean (sliced and vanilla caviar removed)

-4 C heavy cream, 1 C reserved after whipping

1. In a small mixing bowl combine sweetened condensed milk, cold water and vanilla and mix on medium speed for about 1 minute until well-combined. Add the pudding mix and continue beating for 2 more minutes. Slit the vanilla bean lengthwise and then use the back of a butter knife to scrape out of the vanilla beans.  Add vanilla bean paste and beat until combine. Refrigerate 3-4 hours or overnight. It's important to allow plenty of time for the pudding to set up so that the consistency stays when you fold in the cream.

Vanilla Bean Caviar. Delicious!

2. In a separate bowl, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold cream (except one cup) into chilled pudding mixture until color is mainly uniform with no white streaks in the pudding. Be careful avoid over-mixing. 

3. Prepare fruit and slice. Toss sliced bananas with lemon juice to prevent them from browning. Place first cake layer in the trifle bowl. Place bananas and strawberries right up against the glass all the way around (just for aesthetic purposes). Spoon pudding mixture on top of cake. Add a layer of strawberries and bananas on top of pudding. Repeat with the next layer of cake, put fruit up against the glass, spoon in a layer of pudding, another layer of bananas and berries, etc. Once trifle bowl is full, cover the top with the reserved whipped cream.

4. Make a decorative pattern on top of whipped cream. I like to use a pattern just with strawberries so that the bananas don't go brown when prepping ahead of time. 

Enjoy and Happy Baking!

Here's the printable recipe.

Patriotic Trifle

I went to a family party and my uncle had made an incredibly delicious trifle. I finally tracked down the source of the recipe and yy cousin, Emily, was sweet to share this recipe with me. I thought it would be so fun to make a holiday version of this trifle for the upcoming summer holidays.

Trifles are so fun to make because you can make them anyway you like with whatever fruit is your favorite or in season. The pudding in this recipe goes well with any type of fruit. You can also use your favorite cake. My favorite is a vanilla sponge cake, but if you are short on time I actually love yellow cake with this.

Most of you know my addiction to vanilla beans and extract in baking. I usually use Madagascar beans in baking because they are so versatile, but this time I tried Tahitian vanilla beans. Tahitian vanilla beans have a slightly fruity undertone that I thought would pair perfectly with the fruit and pudding. This was the first time trying Tahitian vanilla beans and I have to say that it was quite a treat. The beans are gorgeous, moist, plump and chuck full of delicious vanilla caviar. I couldn't believe how huge these beans were and they did not disappoint in flavor.

I buy all of my beans at Beanilla. They are my favorite company to work with because they have impeccable customer service, fast shipping, the beans arrive perfectly every time and the taste of the beans is exceptional. They also have the best selection of gourmet vanilla beans for the best price. They also have a great selection of vanilla extract making supplies as well as baking extracts. Beanilla is the one-stop shopping place for vanilla beans and extract supplies. I can't tell you how much I love them.

My whole world stopped when I discovered their vanilla beans and I use them in my baking all the time. They just add that extra special layer of flavor that separates your baking from others' baking. Look how gorgeous these are. The Tahitian is on the left and the Madagascar on the right. Tahitian beans are more expensive, but you get a lot more paste out of one pod, so that balances out the price. If you are just starting with using vanilla beans in baking, I recommend starting with Madagascar beans since they are the most versatile in baking.

Tahitian bean (left), Madagascar bean (right)

This trifle will knock your socks off and you will have to resist grabbing the bowl to lap up any leftovers. The pudding in this recipe is ridiculously easy to make, it tastes incredible and people may be knocking down your door to get the recipe. Whomever thought of using sweetened condensed milk as a pudding base was a baking genius. It has a slightly caramel, banana-ish flavor and then when you add some vanilla beans---holy cow! So yum! It pairs beautifully with any fresh fruit, but I love it best with strawberries, bananas and blueberries. My husband is allergic to bananas (I almost killed him on our first date) so some of my pictures do not include bananas. If you aren't against (or allergic) to bananas, definitely add them to this trifle for sure. If you are making the trifle with bananas, make sure to assemble your trifle the day you want to serve it or your bananas will go kind of brown and watery. The pudding also takes a few hours to set up, so be mindful of that when you are planning. I usually prep the pudding and prepare the fruit and bake the cakes while the pudding is setting up.

Also, if you are short on time you can make (2) 8-in or 9-in round cakes (depending on the diameter of your trifle bowl) and use them whole instead of cubing the cake. I also like the look of the whole cake layer and it is quicker to assemble, too.

Here's what you need: (Slightly adapted from my cousin's recipe)
-(2) baked 9-in round cakes (bigger or smaller depending on the diameter of your bowl)
-1 lb of fresh strawberries, sliced
-1 lb of blueberries
-4 C ripe bananas, sliced
-2 TBS lemon juice

Pudding:
-(1) 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
-(1) 3.4 oz box of instant vanilla pudding (I like Jello brand best)
-1 1/2 C ice cold water
-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
-1 Tahitian vanilla bean (sliced and vanilla caviar removed)
-4 C heavy cream, 1 C reserved after whipping

1. In a small mixing bowl combine sweetened condensed milk, cold water and vanilla and mix on medium speed for about 1 minute until well-combined. Add the pudding mix and continue beating for 2 more minutes. Slit the vanilla bean lengthwise and then use the back of a butter knife to scrape out of the vanilla beans. Add vanilla bean paste and beat until combine. Refrigerate 3-4 hours or overnight. It's important to allow plenty of time for the pudding to set up so that the consistency stays when you fold in the cream.

Look at that gorgeous vanilla bean paste!

2. In a separate bowl, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold cream (except one cup) into chilled pudding mixture until color is mainly uniform. Be careful avoid over-mixing.

3. Prepare fruit and slice. Toss sliced bananas with lemon juice to prevent them from browning. Place first cake layer in the trifle bowl. Place bananas and berries right up against the glass all the way around (just for aesthetic purposes). Spoon pudding mixture on top of cake. Add a layer of berries and bananas on top of pudding. Repeat with the next layer of cake, put fruit up against the glass, spoon in a layer of pudding, another layer of bananas and berries, etc. Once trifle bowl is full, cover the top with the reserved whipped cream.

4. Make a decorative pattern on top of whipped cream with the fruit. I like to use strawberries around the bowl with a blueberry star in the middle.

Here are some other decorative ideas:

Trifle using whole cake layers. 

Love how this design turned out. So cute and festive! 

Enjoy and Happy Baking. This trifle will make a perfect addition to your 4th of July BBQ!


Here is the printable recipe.

Giant S'more Cake

I love planning and putting together birthday parties for my kids. We have a tradition to invite our whole immediate families to our children's first birthday. Since my daughter was born in the summer, I thought it would be perfect to throw an outdoor/camping themed party. I haven't had a chance to blog about the whole party, so stay tuned.

I wanted to have a s'more bar, so I thought it would be perfect to make a giant s'more for her birthday cake. I found the original idea on the Not Just a Housewife blog. I took those concepts and created my version of the S'more cake. I loved her idea for making the homemade graham cracker. The dough was so good and it was perfect being made in advance. It's a really great recipe and worked nicely for the cake.

I made (2) 9-in round chocolate cakes since we were going to be serving a lot of people. Although the giant graham crackers are so cute and even taste delicious, I didn't think people would want a big hunk of cracker with their cake, so I opted for a graham cracker cream filling. I have to tell you, the filling was to die for. I'm not usually a big graham cracker fan, but it totally worked with this cake. I wanted the cake to look like a real S'more, so I opted for marshmallow frosting (AKA "7 Minute Frosting") that could be toasted with a kitchen torch (thanks to my awesome friend, Missy, for that great idea). I also wanted the chocolate to look melted, so I thought chocolate ganache would be a perfect addition for that. 

So I didn't do a practice run with this cake before my daughter's birthday, so this was all trial and error. The flavors were so yummy, but there were a few aesthetic hiccups that I had to figure out the day of the party. So fortunately for you, you can learn from my mistakes. The biggest problem is that I made the graham crackers way to big and they were too thin, so they were kinda droopy when the top was placed. I did them a little bit smaller than a standard baking sheet. The next time I make this cake I will make them each about 10"x10". That way they are slightly bigger than the cake, but you won't have to deal with any droopage. :) Also, always always ALWAYS work with frozen cakes when you frost them. That prevents all of those little cake crumbs from getting in your frosting. It's especially important when using the marshmallow frosting. Seriously, frozen cakes are so much easier to work with.

So here's what you need. I'm going to separate it into each component:

Cake:

(2) 9-in round chocolate cakes, baked and frozen

Homemade Graham Crackers: (slightly adapted from Not Just a Housewife)

-1 C butter (2 sticks)

-1 C brown sugar 

-1/2 C dark corn syrup

-1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
-1 1/2 tsp baking soda

-4 C all-purpose flour

-4 TBS cold water

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter, sugar, corn syrup and vanilla together in a medium mixing bowl. Add baking soda and flour and mix until incorporated. Add 2 TBS of water and continue stirring. Add a TBS of water at a time until you have a dough-like consistency. My flour was more dry, so I used all 4 TBS of water. 

2. Chill dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling out. Do not skip this step or the dough will be super messy to work with. 

3. Take a piece of parchment paper (mine is the size that fits a standard baking sheet) and sprinkle a little flour on op. Take half of chilled dough and begin to roll it out. You want it about 1/4" thick. Roll it out bigger than you need so that you can cut clean, crisp edges. Cut your rolled dough with a pizza cutter into a 10"x10" square. Repeat for the other cracker. 

4. Take a wooden dowel and make an impression in the middle of the dough. Then take the end of the dowel and make the circular impression to resemble a real graham cracker. 

5. Transfer the piece of parchment paper with the rolled out dough on top and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 13-15 minutes until cracker is golden brown. If you bake less time then you'll have a softer texture, so make sure to bake enough time to ensure a cracker-like consistency and so that it doesn't fall apart when you assemble your big S'more. Remove from oven and allow the cracker to rest 5-10 minutes before transferring the parchment paper (with the cracker on top) to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before assembling your cake. 

Graham Cracker Filling:

-(1) 8oz. cream cheese, room temp

-3/4 C canned marshmallow cream

-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

-1/2 C prepared marshmallow frosting (the same you are using for the cake)

-2/3 C graham cracker crumbs, finely processed in a blender or food processor

1. In a small mixing bowl combine cream cheese, marshmallow cream and vanilla on medium speed until well-combined. Then add marshmallow frosting and graham cracker crumbs until combine. Refrigerate until you are ready to fill your cake. 

To fill cake: Place one cake layer down on frosting pedestal. Add graham cracker filling in the center of cake. Use a knife or an off-set spreading spatula and spread out the filling in an even layer to the edges of the cake. Place the next layer on top and then proceed to frosting the whole cake with marshmallow frosting.  

Marshmallow Frosting:

-1 1/2 C white sugar

-1/2 C water

-2 egg whites

-1/2 tsp. salt

-1 tsp. cream of tartar 

-1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1. In top of a double boiler combine all ingredients. Stir until ingredients are just combine. If you are using pure vanilla extract, your mixture will look brown. Don't worry; after you beat your frosting it will become white and glossy. While water is heating, beat all ingredients with an electric mixer at high speed for about a minute.

2. Place top of double boiler over rapidly boiling water and beat at high speed until mixture forms soft peaks (peak tops fold over). This took me about 3-4 minutes.

3. Remove pan from heat and transfer mixture into a separate mixing bowl. Continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks form and mixture becomes glossy and thick enough to spread. This took about 2-3 minutes.

  

4. Frost your filled cake. I like using a rotating cake pedestal for this step. If you aren't an expert at frosting a cake, don't worry because this frosting is forgiving and I think that adds to toasted look of being a marshmallow. In fact, I actually purposefully made the cake have some imperfections in the frosting so that I could get some toasted dimensions on the outside of the cake. 

5. Once you have frosted your cake, take a kitchen torch or a heavy-duty torch on the lowest setting possible to toast the outside. Be careful not to burn the cake. I practiced a few times with a spoonful of frosting before trying to toast the cake. You don't have to toast the top of the cake since it's going to be covered in ganache, but I did anyways so that I would have an even look once the ganache was on. I didn't want to have to battle melting ganache. 

6. Once your cake is toasted, top with cooled ganache and drizzle in on the sides so that it resembles melted chocolate. Make sure the ganache is barely warm or you will melt the frosting. 

Chocolate Ganache:

-4 oz. semi-sweet baking chips

-4 oz. heaving whipping cream

1. Combine baking chips and whipping cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir mixture. If chocolate is not melted entirely, continue microwaving on high for another minute, stirring in 15-30 second intervals. 

2. Allow the ganache to cool so that it's barely warm to the touch. If the ganache cools too much it will become thick like frosting. If the ganache cools too much before you need it, just microwave it 10-15 seconds and stir before you drizzle. Make sure cake and ganache are chilled before assembling the cake.

Assembly of Cake:

1. I like using Wilton Cake boards. You probaly want to get a 10" circle or an 11x13 rectangle. I used the latter since my crackers were a lot bigger. You just need something that you can lift when the cake is assembled to transport it to where it will be displayed. 

2. Place one large cracker on the cake board. Carefully lift the cake and place on top of graham cracker. Carefully place the 2nd graham cracker on top. 

Cut, serve and enjoy! I wouldn't taken a picture of a slice of the cake, but it got eaten too fast! :) Here is the cake with the S'more bar.

Happy Baking!

Here's the printable recipe.

Brownie Turtle Cake

I have to be honest. I am not usually a brownie lover. I love chocolate, but there is just something about brownies that doesn't float my boat. I actually have willpower when it comes to brownies. Well, this has all changed. This brownie turtle cake is divine and it's given me a new love for brownies. It's quick, easy and the ingredients are simple. This is one of my favorites to make for when company comes over or to take to a potluck. You can make this in advance and it comes together quickly. I think the combination of the brownie paired with pudding and the cheesecakey flavor is so divine. And I love that this is served cold.

The fun thing about this cake is that you can customize it and make variations that fit your tastes and preferences. This cake also tastes great with fresh berries on top. You can also switch up the chocolate pudding for banana pudding and top with fresh bananas. The possibilities are endless. Have fun discovering what flavor combinations you love best. This would also be fun to do for a birthday in lieu of traditional birthday cake. 

Here's what you need: This generously serves 7-9 people

-(1) Duncan Hines Turtle brownie mix

-2 eggs

-1/3 C oil (can use veggie, canola or coconut)

-3 TBS water

-(1) 8oz. cream cheese, softened to room temp (I used light)

-1/4 C agave (or you can use honey or powdered sugar)

-(1) small container Cool Whip, thawed

-2 tsp. vanilla

-(1) 3 oz chocolate pudding mix

-1 1/4 C milk 

Garnish:

-Caramel sauce (included in brownie mix)

-chopped pecans

-mini chocolate chips

1.Take brownie mix, eggs, water and oil and mix together in a medium mixing bowl. Place in a greased 11x7 baking pan. You can use a 9x13, but the brownie layer will be thinner.  Bake according to box instructions. **High altitude bakers need to add 1/4 C flour to mix. Allow to cool completely.

2. While brownies are baking, put cream cheese, agave (or whatever sweetener you are using) and vanilla into a medium mixing bowl and beat until smooth. I like using an electric mixer, but you can do it by hand. Fold in the container of Cool Whip. Set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, mix the pudding mix and milk together and beat with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes. Put in refrigerator until ready to assemble. 

4. Once brownies are cooled, take half of your cream cheese mixture and spread on top of brownies. Next, put all of the pudding on top of cream cheese layer and spread. Then place the rest of the cream cheese mixture on top of pudding and spread. 

5. Allow cake to set up in fridge for at least 1 hr. before serving. You can make this a day or two in advance, just make sure to cover top with plastic wrap and keep cake refrigerated until ready to serve. Right before serving, drizzle the top with the caramel sauce that was from the brownie mix. Sprinkle with chopped pecans and mini chocolate chips. Cut into pieces and serve cold.

Here's the printable recipe.

Enjoy and Happy Baking!

Chocolate Cake/Cupcakes

I LOVE a good chocolate cake. This is one of my favorite go-to recipes. It's so easy to make, it turns out perfect every time and I always have the ingredients in my pantry. It's just as easy to make as using a cake mix and tastes SO much better.

One of my favorite memories from growing up was making this cake on Sunday evenings with my family. Sundays were church and family day and after Sunday dinner it was kind of tradition to make some type of treat (or Mollicks as we like to call them in my family). My brother, Andy, always seems to be the unofficial person that made this cake. It was kinda his thing. We would take a piece of warm cake right out of the oven and pour cold milk over it and devour it. We also affectionately referred to this cake as "snacking cake" because it is so delicious by itself that you don't need any frosting. Not that a good frosting would hurt this cake, but it really is so yummy plain. I made these cupcakes for my birthday with a fresh strawberry frosting that was so yummy. Honestly, this is my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe.

This recipe is versatile because it makes a great cake, double-layer cake or cupcakes. The cupcakes are slightly dense and very moist. They also hold up really well when doing filled cupcakes.

Here's what you need:
-1/2 C butter (one stick), room temperature
-1 1/2 C sugar
-2 eggs
-2 tsp. vanilla
-1/4 C cocoa powder (double this if you want a more intense chocolate flavor)
-2 C all-purpose flour
-1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
-1 tsp. salt
-1 1/4 C water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter and sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Cream together until fluffy, about a minute. Add eggs and vanilla and mix to combine evenly.

2. In a separate bowl combine all dry ingredients and whisk together to incorporate them. If you want to sift them together you can, but I just give it a quick stir with a whisk to make sure all dry ingredients are incorporated.

3. Pour half of the water into first wet mixture  Mix just until combine. Pour in half of dry mixture and mix just until combine. Pour the remaining half of water into bowl and mix until combine. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients.

4. Grease and flour baking pan or use cupcake liners. If using (2) round pans, I always line the bottom of pan with a circle of parchment paper to ensure that cakes can be easily removed from the pan.

Cupcakes: Fill liners 2/3 full and bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes.
Cake 9x13: Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes
(2) 9-in round cakes: Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes

**Cakes are done with you touch the center of the cake and it springs back without leaving an indent of your finger. Or when you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean. I always bake the minimum time and then recheck it every minute or two until done. 

5. For round cakes and cupcakes: Remove pan(s) from oven and allow to rest for about 5 minutes. Remove cake or cupcakes and transfer to a cooling rack. You can frost once cake is completely cooled.
    For 9x13 cake: Remove from oven and eat cake while warm or allow to cool completely in pan before frosting.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Fresh Strawberry Frosting
{www.somethingquitedomestic.blogspot.com}

Here is the printable recipe.


Enjoy and Happy Baking!

Rum Cake

Linda and Ester
{www.somethingquitedomestic.blogspot.com}

My family and I recently took a trip to Florida to visit some dear friends. During our trip our friends graciously shared favorite recipes and gave us a taste of the types of food they enjoy in their region. The wanted our visit to be a culinary treat, which it was. They introduced us to a shrimp boil, New Orlean's food with a Mardi Gras dinner party (King Cake and all), good fried chicken and my favorite: rum cake. I had never tried rum cake before. When I tried it I wondered where it had been all of my baking life. Rum cake can be kind of involved, but this recipe is SO easy. Every time I make this cake it reminds of that awesome trip. That trip was so special and we are so blessed to have such amazing friends! The Mardi Gras party was so fun with beads and all. Ester was such a sweet lady who taught me all about " Loo-siana" food and how to make the best brown roux. It was great to meet her and chat about food. What an experience to remember! Thanks to Linda for the amazing cake recipe. I wish that I could take credit for it. :)

Mardi Gras decor

Linda tells me that deep down inside I'm really a Southern girl that got geographically relocated. I love Southern food, the hospitality and the people. Florida will always feel like my second home. And can you believe the view? My. Favorite.

Florida Beach

This cake is SO good. It's dense, moist, and the brown sugar gives it a delicious caramel taste. If you are worried about baking with alcohol, you can boil the rum for the cake until you smell the alcohol burn off (3-5 minutes) and then fill up the measuring cup with water to get to 1/2 C. The glaze is also boiled so the alcohol will burn off and just the rum flavor remains. The pecans are also a nice compliment to the rum and brown sugar flavor. I also love that the top of the bundt cake gets caramelized. We all fight over who gets to eat the top. I hope you enjoy this cake. It's a crowd-pleaser and I get so many requests to make this cake and it's usually the first dessert to get gobbled up. I always buy 3 or 4 cake mixes and boxes of pudding at a time so that if I need a quick dessert for company or a pot-luck I have all the ingredients on-hand.

Here's what you need:

Cake:

-(1) Duncan Hines Butter Golden cake mix (not the standard yellow cake mix)

-(1) 3.4 oz. instant vanilla pudding (not prepared)

-1/2 C. oil (I used canola, but you could also use veggie or melted coconut oil)

-1/2 C rum (I used Bacardi because it was on sale. Just get regular, not spiced)

-1/2 C water

-3 eggs

-1 C. pecans, coarsely chopped

*High altitude bakers: add 1/3 C flour to mixture.

Glaze:

-1 C brown sugar
-1/2 C butter

-1/2 C rum

-1/4 C water

-1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Garnish:
-1/2 pint whipping cream

-3 TBS powdered sugar

-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

-sprinkle of cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (350 degrees if you are using a dark-colored pan) or 325 degrees for sea-level bakers. Grease and flour a bundt pan.

2. Combine all ingredients except for nuts in a medium mixing bowl and mix with an electric mixer until well incorporated. Pour batter into bundt pan.

3. Sprinkle the top with pecans and lightly push the pecans into the batter.

4. Bake about 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Sea-level bakers: bake 50-55 minutes at 325 degrees.

5. While cake is baking make the glaze. Combine sugar, butter, rum, water and vanilla in a medium skillet (gives more surface area for alcohol evaporation). Boil for 4-5 minutes or until you smell the alcohol burn off.

6. After cake is baked, remove from oven and allow it to stand in the pan for 5 minutes. Poke holes in the cake with a knife and then pour glaze over top of cake. Allow to stand at least 15-20 minutes (or longer if you wish) and loosen the sides of cake from the pan with a knife. Turn the cake out on to your serving platter.

7. Pour whipping cream into a medium mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Stir in vanilla and powdered sugar.

Cut cake and serve with fresh whipped cream and sprinkle cream lightly with ground cinnamon.

This was my first cake. The whipped cream idea came when I made my second cake.
It was eaten too quickly before I could take a picture of it. :)

Enjoy and Happy Baking!


Here's the printable recipe.

Oatmeal Cake with Coconut Frosting

Oatmeal Cake with Coconut Frosting
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We have a tradition in our family that the birthday person gets to choose their favorite dinner and favorite birthday cake for me to make. This year my husband chose my oatmeal cake with coconut frosting. This is a recipe that I grew up with that is one of my all-time favorites. It totally reminds me of home. I remember having it for my Dad's birthday. He's a sucker for this cake.

This cake is awesome. It's moist, dense, and reminds me of why I love brown sugar. It has a slightly caramel taste and the frosting totally compliments it. The frosting I could just eat by the spoonful. The vanilla extract makes the frosting rock and this cake isn't complete without it. I almost never make this frosting to go on German chocolate cake. It's always reserved for oatmeal cake. When I was little it was kinda tradition that we'd eat the leftover cake for breakfast the next morning. That's probably not the most healthful, but it's made with oatmeal so it completely justifies having seconds, right?

When I make this cake for a special occasion I like to do the double-layer round, but if you are in a hurry or just want a cake for a simple dessert, then a 9x13 works well. Sometimes we just make this cake for a treat and I almost always do it in a 9x13. But because it was my husband's birthday, I did the double-layer. The cake actually comes together in about an hour and a half for the double-layer, but a 9x13 takes less than an hour, so you can plan accordingly. I always make my frosting while the cake bakes and it saves a lot of time. If you do the double layer, you will want each cake to cool almost completely so that the layers don't break. I usually frost mine when it's slightly warm when you touch it because I'm a little impatient. The frosting is okay to be slightly warm also when you frost it. If doing it in a 9x13 pan, I usually let the cake cool for about 5 minutes and then I put the frosting on it and then let it cool completely before serving. This cake also tastes amazing after it sits a day. The frosting makes it even more moist.

Here's what you need:

-1 1/2 C oatmeal (I use rolled oats, but you can use quick oats if that's what you have)

-1 1/2 C boiling water

-1/2 C (one stick) butter 

-1 C brown sugar

-1 C white sugar 

-2 eggs

-1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (sometimes I double this)

-1 1/2 C all-purpose flour

-1/2 tsp. salt

-1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Frosting (do a double batch for a double-layer cake):

-2/3 C evaporated milk

-2/3 C brown sugar

-2 egg yolks

-1/4 C real butter

-1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

-1 1/2 C sweetened flaked coconut

-1/2 C toasted pecans, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine oatmeal and boiling water in a large mixing bowl and let it stand for 5 minutes. Add the butter, white and brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and baking soda and mix with an electric mixer. Mix for about a minute until all ingredients are well incorporated. Add the flour and mix just until incorporated.

2. Grease and flour (2) 9 in. round pans. I usually grease with butter-flavored Crisco. I also trace the bottom of the pan on a piece of waxed paper and cut out a circle to put in the pan. This really helps the cake not to stick. Separate your batter evenly into both pans. If using a 9x13 pan, grease and flour and pour all batter into the pan.

3. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30-35 minutes. Do the toothpick test after 30 minutes and check. (Mine usually bakes for 33-35 minutes). Rotate your cake halfway through baking to ensure that it gets baked evenly. (You should do this for all baked goods.)

4. While cake is baking, make the frosting. Combine milk, sugar, egg yolks, and butter in a medium sauce pan. Stir over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Boil for a minute or 2 until the frosting begins to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and coconut. Set aside.

5. For a double-layer cake: Remove pans from oven and allow to sit for 3-5 minutes. Take a knife and run it around the cake pans. Take a cloth and flip the cake onto your hand holding the cloth to remove from pan. It should come out easily. Remove the waxed paper from the bottom and transfer the cake to a wire rack for cooling. Repeat for the other cake. For a 9x13 cake: Remove pan from oven and allow to sit 3-5 minutes and then add frosting. Sprinkle with pecans

6. Double-layer cake: Once cakes are cooled completely, get your serving platter or cake stand. Take 3 strips of waxed paper and form a triangle on the platter. Place bottom layer on top of waxed paper strips. If the top isn't even, trim the top with a knife to make it even.

Place a big dollop of frosting on the first layer. Spread to the edges and then garnish with 1/2 C of toasted pecans. Add the next cake layer on top. Add a dollop of frosting and spread to edges. Continue frosting the cake all the way around to completely cover cake.

Once frosted sprinkle with remaining toasted pecans. Remove strips of waxed paper.

Let the cake cool completely and then serve. Enjoy and resist the temptation to eat the cake entirely to yourself. :)

Enjoy and Happy Baking!


Here's the printable recipe.