Cakes Archives - Crafty Cooking Mama

Pumpkin Bundt® Cake with Brown Butter Glaze

November 16, 2017 by Amanda 5 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #IndulgenceDoneRight #CollectiveBias

This Pumpkin Bundt® Cake with a Brown Butter Icing & a cup of coffee make the perfect fall or anytime treat!

Pumpkin is one of my favorite flavors! I don’t need cool, crisp days and the glittering array of the leaves changing colors to make me crave all things pumpkin – but it sure does help.

Fall marks the beginning of the nonstop baking season for me. County fairs, apple everything, almost daily cravings for fresh baked bread – all of a sudden I realize I’m running out of flour on a weekly basis. Hello fall.

Pumpkin, though. Nothing quite tastes like the fall season as pumpkin.

As much as I love pumpkin, for some reason I usually default to baking pumpkin breads. I really do enjoy pumpkin bread, but our favorite fall time bounty deserves more than bread after bread recipe.

It’s been a few years since I baked this Pumpkin Cake for myself. I’ve baked it for charity dinners & bake sales – but haven’t sat down and enjoyed a slice (or two) for myself in a long time. Oh, how I’ve missed it.

This cake is moist and rich with the perfect amount of pumpkin flavor & spices. A simple brown butter icing takes it absolutely over the top.

This fall favorite dessert pairs perfectly with a hot cup of coffee. Hold the sugar, please, I’m sweet enough. What I do need is good half & half. Like new Land O Lakes® Buttercream Style Half & Half. The simple goodness of Half & Half made with an extra rich blend of real milk and cream – the way Half & Half should be.

I’ve fallen in love with new Land O Lakes® Buttercream Style Half & Half. It’s extra rich blend of real milk and cream make for a simple indulgence you will love too! It makes my morning coffee (and the numerous cups to follow) extra rich and creamy. No added sweeteners, no funny business – just a rich, gourmet half & half for the perfect cup of coffee you deserve.

I baked this cake twice in one week. Both times it was gone within a day. Good company, good cake and good coffee – they make a wonderful combination!

Happy fall everyone!

Amanda ♥

Craft the ultimate cup of coffee with new Land O Lakes® Buttercream Style Half & Half. Visit here for more information.

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Pumpkin Bundt® Cake with Brown Butter Glaze

This moist Pumpkin Bundt® Cake has just the right amount of pumpkin flavor & spices with a Brown Butter Icing that takes it deliciously over the top! Hello fall ♥

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time1 hr 10 mins

Total Time1 hr 20 mins

Course: cake

Servings: 12 servings

Author: Amanda

Ingredients

For Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks salted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
For Brown Butter Icing
1 stick salted butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons Land O Lakes® Buttercream Style Half & Half
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

For Cake:
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease & flour a bundt® pan.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger & salt. Whisk together and set aside.
In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, cream butter.
Add in both sugars and vanilla, beat until creamy.
Add in eggs, beat.
Add pumpkin puree, mix until combined. This will have a curdled look to it - no worries.
Add in half of flour mixture. Mix until combined, stopping to scraped down sides of bowl. Add in other half of flour mixture. Mix until everything is combined. Mixture will be light and fluffy.
Scrape cake batter into bundt® pan, smooth and even out top.
Bake for about 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Transfer to wire cooling rack. Let cool for 15 minutes and remove cake from pan. Continue to let cake cool on wire rack.
For Brown Butter Icing:
Have all ingredients measured and ready to go.
Add stick of butter to a stainless steel saucepan. Don't walk away, stay by saucepan during whole process - it only takes a few minutes start to finish and can burn easily.
Over medium to medium high heat, melt butter and continually whisk or swirl butter.
Butter will start to foam up, keeping whisking or swirlng. You'll notice little brown specks at the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and continue to whisk or swirl for a few seconds.
Whisk in powdered sugar, Land O Lakes® Buttercream Style Half & Half and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and all lumps are gone.
Use immediately. Spoon or drizzle over cake.

I found new Land O Lakes® Buttercream Style Half & Half at my local Walmart in the dairy section. Grab one or two while you’re there – you WON’T be disappointed!

Whipped Cream Cappuccino Frosting

May 18, 2017 by Amanda 5 Comments

Whipped Cream Cappuccino Frosting. Light & fluffy, not too sweet with the perfect amount of cappuccino flavor. It’s wonderful topped on all your favorite desserts.

My daughter, Athena, turned 11 last month. (Happy Birthday Baby♥) Each year I let her think up a birthday cake she’d like. Most years it’s pretty wild – like a Dirt Cake – but not a pudding variety – a cake, hollowed out and filled & frosted with a creamy cookie frosting & loaded with gummy bugs. Or a Mint Chocolate Chip Fudge Ice Cream Cake. Or a Stuffed Piñata Cake.

This year her taste buds have gotten a bit more sophisticated. Sigh.

She requested a Chocolate Torte with a Coffee Frosting. “Not too sweet of a frosting” she said. Sigh….very sophisticated indeed. My little girl isn’t so little anymore….

I decided to skip the Coffee Frosting and make a Whipped Cappuccino Frosting that I knew she’d love. Light & fluffy, not too sweet with the perfect amount of cappuccino flavor. It goes great with cakes, custards, puddings, waffles, pancakes, ice cream – even coffee and drinks.

Whipped cream frostings can be touchy with time and temperature, but the cappuccino powder stabilizes the whipped cream. Meaning the whipped cream won’t lose form and melt away a bit after beating. It will remain stiff and hold shape for days, refrigerated of course. So make sure whatever dessert you make will do well in the fridge. Or make the frosting and store it in the fridge until ready to use.

On a side note, I wasn’t so nuts about the Chocolate Torte in the fridge, but Angel Food Cake held up nicely.

Now you can’t let this cake sit out all day but it can be out for an hour or so without starting to melt away. Actually, I suggest pulling it out of the fridge half an hour to prior to serving to bring your cake to room temp.

I especially love Whipped Cream Frosting during the warmer months – even though the frosting itself doesn’t like the heat so much. A light & fluffy frosting is so much nicer on warm days then say, a rich sugary buttercream. This frosting works great on days you don’t want to bake as well. Like today – when I bought this Angel Food Cake at a local bakery 😉

Hope everyone is enjoy this Spring weather! Thanks for stopping by ♥

-Amanda-

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5 from 2 votes

Whipped Cream Cappuccino Frosting

Stabilized Whipped Cream Cappuccino Frosting. Light & fluffy, not too sweet with the perfect amount of cappuccino flavor. It's wonderful topped on all your favorite desserts.

Prep Time5 mins

Total Time5 mins

Course: Desserts

Servings: 2 cups

Author: Amanda

Ingredients

1 pint heavy whipping cream 2 cups
1/2 cup light brown sugar packed (make sure it is lump free)
2 tablespoon cappuccino powder

Instructions

In a chilled bowl with chilled mixers - beat the cream, brown sugar and cappuccino powder until stiff peaks start to form.
Frost cake or refrigerate until ready to use.
This frosting must be stored in fridge. Depending on what cake you make, you may have to rest cake a room temp for about half an hour prior to serving.

Molasses Pumpkin Cheesecake (Healthier)

December 12, 2016 by Amanda 4 Comments

Pumpkin love never goes out of season. This Molasses Pumpkin Cheesecake made with cream cheese & cottage cheese is a decadent, light & fluffy year round treat.

Pumpkin. Can’t stop. Won’t stop ♥

I know, I know. It’s almost Christmas and everyone is busy baking cookies, fruitcakes, yule logs and other festive sweets. Then here I am with more pumpkin. “They” say pumpkin is so fall. Nope. I love the flavors of pumpkin year round and definitely don’t get my fill of it in just one season.

I love, love, love fresh pumpkin, but ever since I started keeping chickens, I’ve learned my flock of happy hens love fresh pumpkin more than I do. I’m a sucker for all things furry or feathered.

I had a couple cans of pumpkin puree sitting in my pantry left over from bake sale donations my daughter worked on. (FYI – she made a Pumpkin Bundt Cake with a Brown Butter Drizzle and it was AMAZING. My 10 year old can bake!)

I also had an unopened, past date container of cottage cheese that needed to be used up immediately.

Oh, and I had a major craving for Pumpkin Molasses Bread.

Planned or not, I sure do love it when these things come together 🙂

I will admit that the flavors of this cheesecake might not be for everyone. First you have to enjoy pumpkin. Then molasses. Cheesecake is always a safe bet – but then we throw in the cottage cheese.

People are always yucked out at first by the thought of cottage cheese in desserts. Hear me out. There are no chunks or curds in this one. The cottage cheese gets annihilated in the food processor – pulsed until completely smooth. It transforms into something completely different. Light, creamy, smooth & tangy – it becomes almost a sour cream.

That very flavor lends quite a bit of “tang” to this cheesecake. If too much “tang” scares you – go with a higher fat cottage cheese. The higher the fat content, the less tangy it tastes.

The cottage cheese in this cheesecake result in a lighter cake in two ways. Not only does it become a lighter “healthier” dessert – it also becomes lighter in texture. Still creamy, but not as heavy as a traditional cheesecake.

Time to get back to Christmas baking. Pumpkin cookies anyone?

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Baking!

-Amanda-

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5 from 1 vote

Molasses Pumpkin Cheesecake (Healthier)

Pumpkin love never goes out of season. This Molasses Pumpkin Cheesecake made with cream cheese & cottage cheese is a decadent, light & fluffy year round treat.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time1 hr 15 mins

Total Time1 hr 30 mins

Course: Desserts

Servings: 12 - 16

Author: Amanda

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust:
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
4 tablespoon butter melted
Pumpkin Cheesecake:
1 pound lowfat cottage cheese you can use higher fat if preferred
8 oz cream cheese softened & cubed
1 can pumpkin puree 15 oz
1/2 cup molasses
4 large eggs preferably at room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup brown sugar firmly packed
2 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

For Graham Cracker Crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F
In a medium mixing bowl, combine graham crumbs, sugar and melted butter.
Press crumbs evenly into bottom of 9" springform pan.
Bake for 7- 10 minutes. (Optional - your preference)
Cool before filling.
For Cheesecake:
Preheat oven to 325°F
Lightly grease sides of springform pan. A dab of any oil will do.
Using a food processor (or blender) process cottage cheese until completely smooth, stopping once or twice to scrape down sides of bowl.
If your food processor is large enough - you can add remaining ingredients and blend until thoroughly combined. If not, transfer to a large mixing bowl and mix in remaining ingredients with electric mixers until combined.
Pour cheesecake mixture into springform pan.
Bake for 65 - 75 minutes. Outside of cheesecake should be set and center will be just a little jiggly.
Cool on wire rack for an hour or two and then transfer to fridge for a few hours before carefully releasing from springform pan. I use an icing spatula to loosen any areas that may be stuck before releasing.
Slice, serve & enjoy. Store covered and refrigerated.

Soft & Fluffy Apple Cake

October 26, 2016 by Amanda 5 Comments

A light & fluffy apple cake with a sweet buttery caramel glaze. Easy, simple & delicious ♥

How many times could I bake and enjoy this cake in just one week? Turns out, three times. I baked this three times, in less than a week, and couldn’t stay away from it each time. Given the chance, I would have went for a fourth round with it.

The beginning of this story starts with a half bushel of apples for sale along side the road. For $8. Fresh from a local farms small orchard and into my kitchen.

So apples it is. It’s the season. There’s a million wonderful reasons to eat local and nothing beats amazing fresh produce at crazy cheap prices.

With visions of apple cakes & pies floating through my head I started with this cake. Why? I’ve had quite a few apple cakes this season already. They were all so moist, delicious and wonderful but heavy and dense. That’s common with apple cakes, which is all fine and dandy, but sometimes I want something lighter.

This cake is simple to make. Follow the recipe and it will be perfect. I baked one cake and decided to measure “extra generous” with the apples. Don’t. It absolutely changed the texture of the cake. Delicious still, yes. Light & fluffy – not so much.

As for the glaze on top of this cake. It has a buttery caramel flavor and you can make it as thick or thin as you’d like. For a thinner glaze, boil for about a minute. Thicker, 2-3 minutes. I think I found my happy place glaze at about 2 minutes.

So grab some apples and get to baking. Tis’ the season and winter is coming. (Game of Thrones fangirl reference thrown in there)

Thanks for stopping by! Happy baking 🙂

-Amanda-

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5 from 2 votes

Soft & Fluffy Apple Cake

A light & fluffy apple cake with a sweet buttery caramel glaze. Easy, simple & delicious ♥

Cook Time45 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: cakes

Servings: 12 servings

Author: Amanda

Ingredients

Cake:
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup cooking oil
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups chopped apples
Glaze/Topping:
4 tablespoon salted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar packed
2 tablespoons heavy cream half & half or milk work fine too
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease/spray a 13"x9" baking dish.
Beat eggs in a large mixing bowl.
Add sugar, applesauce & oil and beat.
Stir in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt & vanilla until combined.
Stir in apples.
Pour batter into baking dish. Bake for 30 - 36 minutes. Top will be golden brown and toothpick inserted near center should come out clean.
Cool on wire rack & glaze.
For Glaze:
Combine butter, brown sugar, heavy cream & vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Stirring often, bring to a light boil.
Stirring constantly, let boil for a minute for a thin glaze and 2-3 minutes for a thicker glaze.
Let cool for a few minutes & pour/spoon glaze over cake and spread evenly with a spoon or spatula.
Serve & enjoy. Store cake loosely covered.

Vanilla Cupcakes, Buttercream & Russian Style Piping Tips

September 26, 2016 by Amanda 7 Comments

Today I’m talking cupcakes, buttercream & Russian Style Piping Tips. So get ready to look at a bunch of too cute cupcake pics ♥

Cupcakes. There is something about a cute little cake that will bring a smile to any girls face – young & old alike.

The cupcake is very much about appearance. The frosting is just as, if not more, important than the cake itself. Smear a layer of white frosting on top of a cupcake and you won’t find anyone fawning. Pull out your piping bag and decorate and watch love at first site occur!

My daughters and I LOVE cupcakes. My 10 year old daughter & I have loads of fun making and decorating cupcakes. She’s already got me beat in the decorating department.

I’m always keeping an eye out for new things in cake decorating. I’ve been seeing nothing but beautiful piping work people were putting out with Russian Piping Tips. I had to try them!

Lucky for me, my friends at A Touch of Violet sent me this set of 32 piece Russian Style Piping Tips to try out! Happiness ♥

These tips are beyond simple to use. Dare I say simpler than standard tips? Just maybe….

These tips are large – bigger than a jumbo tip from Wilton. These tips are perfect for decorating cupcakes or cakes – they make large flowers and leaves.

The most important piece of advice I can give you on piping – use a stiff buttercream. Anything too soft won’t pipe well & won’t hold up.

These tips will make some beautiful flowers with impressive detail. Try using 2-3 different colors to make everything pop. I didn’t try plain white buttercream – but it would definitely be gorgeous for wedding or christening cupcakes & cakes.

Have fun and play around with these tips the first few times you use them. It took a few times for us to figure out which tips make what. Just like other piping, the angle you pipe at will make a difference in your creations. I only got a chance to work on cupcakes so far – but I can’t wait to get to cake decorating with these tips.

The only downside is that the set does not come with a guide to what each tip creates. We jumped right in and got to decorating, figuring it all out as we went. If you’re not feeling so adventurous, there are a blogs & videos online that can give you a crash course. Perhaps this winter I’ll work on a photo guide of what tip makes what…

I’ve included a recipe for cupcakes & a basic buttercream. I recommend using gel colors when using buttercream for piping. I made a double batch of buttercream and we used most of it on 18 cupcakes. Hey…we got carried away 🙂

Thanks for stopping by! Happy baking ♥

-Amanda-

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Vanilla Cupcakes

Simple vanilla cupcakes perfect for loading up with buttercream. This recipe can make 12 - 18 cupcakes, depending on how much you fill the cupcakes. I recommend making 18 cupcakes for buttercream piping.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time18 mins

Total Time28 mins

Course: baked goods

Servings: 18 cupcakes

Author: Amanda

Ingredients

½ cup salted butter softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cup all purpose flour
1½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° Line a cupcake tins with cupcake liners.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
Beat in eggs and vanilla.
Mix in flour, milk, baking powder and salt until thoroughly combined. Do not overmix.
Spoon batter into 18 cupcake liners about half full.
Bake for 16 - 18 minutes or until tops spring back when pressed or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Let cupcakes rest in pan for a few minutes before removing to wire rack.
Cool completely before frosting.

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Basic Buttercream

A basic and versatile buttercream - flavor and color to your liking. Temperature stable, easy to make and work with - my go to buttercream for cupcakes. You may need to double this recipe for Russian Style Piping (I did)

Cook Time5 mins

Total Time5 mins

Servings: 2 1/2 cups

Author: Amanda

Ingredients

½ cup solid vegetable shortening
½ cup 1 stick butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar approximately 1 lb.
1 - 2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

In large mixing bowl, beat shortening and butter with electric mixer until very light and fluffy.
Beat in vanilla.
Gradually mix in sugar, one cup at a time. Beat well on medium speed, scraping sides and bottom of bowl.
Buttercream will be dry when all sugar has been mixed in.
Add in milk, beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
Mix in any colors or add-ins if desired.
Enjoy : )

*Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post, however I did receive a sample to try & review. All opinions are absolutely my own and not influenced in any way.*

Shoofly Cupcakes

September 19, 2016 by Amanda 12 Comments

Shoofly Cupcakes. A sweet, moist molasses PA Dutch & Lancaster County favorite made into fun little cakes. Oh, and this delicious treat is vegan if using shortening (which is traditional) instead of butter.

I have a confession to make. It’s been over two years that I’ve been working on this blog and I have yet to share a Shoofly Pie recipe. Shame. Shame on me. Hailing from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania – everyone should be a wee bit disappointed with me.

Turns out today is still not the day for a Shoofly Pie. Sorry. Soon – I promise. Instead, I’m switching it up with these fun little Shoofly Cupcakes.

So lets talk Shoofly for a minute. It’s a Pennsylvania Dutch pie that has gained some popularity the past few years. With it’s gooey molasses bottom, it’s moist center and it’s light crumb topping – it’s a unique dessert you’ll either love or hate. As a local – if you love it, you’ll never grow tired trying the endless variations of it.

Just to clear up much internet confusion – all Shoofly Pie is (and should be) “wet bottom”. If it’s not a wet bottom pie, then it’s pretty much a Shoofly Cake in a pie crust. That’s no good….

Most folks make a Shoofly Cake as a simple moist cake. But….if you’re in the know….you know that most Lancaster County residents love this cake made with a wet bottom, served warm straight from the baking dish.

These cupcakes have none of this magical wet bottom I speak of. I’ve tried making them before, but they pretty much just stick to the cupcake liner. Instead they have all the warm & wonderful Shoofly flavors in a cute little cake.

These cupcakes, much like the pie, are quick and simple to make. You’ll find this with much Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine. The food comes from a culture that was built upon hard work & minimalism. Everything was cooked from scratch and nothing was wasted. Thing is, the PA Dutch women of yesteryears didn’t have time to stand around and fuss in the kitchen all day. Many were farmers or hard at work in the family business plus managed a household – kids, cooking & cleaning. They perfected the simplest methods whenever possible.

All that being said, these cupcakes take only a few minutes to mix up and about 20 minutes to bake. These moist little Shoofly cupcakes are a fun, delicious & unique treat.

I hope you enjoy this Pennsylvania Dutch treat. Thanks so much for stopping by! Happy Baking!

-Amanda-

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3.67 from 3 votes

Shoofly Cupcakes

Shoofly Cupcakes. A sweet, moist molasses PA Dutch & Lancaster County favorite made into fun little cakes. Oh, and this delicious treat can easily be made vegan by using shortening (which is traditional) instead of butter.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: baked goods

Cuisine: Pennsylvania Dutch

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Author: Amanda

Ingredients

Crumb / Dry Mixture:
3 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar firmly packed
1/2 cup shortening or butter room temp
Liquid Mixture:
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsulphured molasses

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Line 24 muffin tins with cupcake liners.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour and brown sugar.
Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening/butter until pea sized crumbles.
Reserve 1 cup crumb mixture. Set all aside.
Boil water. Stir baking soda into water. Stir in molasses, remove from heat.
Add liquid mixture into bowl of dry mixture. Stir until thoroughly combined.
Fill paper lined muffin tins half full with batter.
Sprinkle reserved 1 cup of crumb mixture evenly over tops of cupcakes.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven, put tins on wire rack. Let rest for about 5 minutes and then remove cupcakes from tins and allow to cool completely on wire rack. Store covered.
Enjoy 🙂

Pineapple Coffee Cake

July 21, 2016 by Amanda 21 Comments

A simple, delicious & moist Pineapple Crumb Coffee Cake. Everyday, easy baking. Almost a lazy pineapple upside down cake 🙂

It’s been a few weeks since I baked. No cakes, no cookies, no brownies – nada. This summer has been busy and I haven’t had as much time in the kitchen as I’d like.

We’ve been getting our sweet fix in with all the fresh fruit in season. I’m currently on a cantaloupe & cherry kick this week. Oh – how I wish I could eat like this year round!

After a few long sweaty days of work outside, the girls & I decided to chill out indoors for the day. Hanging around, laid back, nowhere to go & nothing to do (or nothing that I wanted to do) – today was the perfect day to bake.

I’ve been craving a pineapple upside down cake for weeks. I was all excited to make one and have a new cast iron pan I’ve been wanting to bake with. I then realized I was missing two key ingredients – pineapple rings & maraschino cherries. Poop! That’s okay, though, I’m not going to let a little thing like missing ingredients halt baking festivities.

I had another cake in mind instantly. This Pineapple Coffee Cake. It’s so simple to make. There’s many things you could do to get creative here – add some walnuts, chopped maraschino cherries, flaked coconut – I kept it perfectly simple. The crumb topping is all I need.

This cake was done in no time and I couldn’t help myself from eating a piece warm. With a strong cup of coffee as a late afternoon snack – it was absolutely what I needed. It’s been awhile….

Cakes this moist are best eaten fresh and consumed within a day or two. I often get asked about freezing baked goodies, but I have to admit that nothing ever lasts long enough in my house to make it to the freezer. I’d like to work on testing freezing stuff this winter when I’m baking like a crazy woman.

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

-Amanda-

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5 from 1 vote

Pineapple Coffee Cake

A simple, delicious & moist Pineapple Crumb Coffee Cake. Everyday, easy baking.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Total Time1 hr

Course: cakes

Servings: 12

Author: Amanda

Ingredients

1 can of crushed pineapple in syrup 20 oz. drained & syrup reserved
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup salted butter softened
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional - maraschino cherries chopped nuts, shredded coconut

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray or grease & flour a 13"x9" baking dish.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, brown & white sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and cloves.
Cut in butter (with a pastry blender) until mixture is pea sized crumbled.
Set aside 1 cup crumb mixture.
Add 1/4 cup reserved pineapple syrup, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla extract to mixing bowl. Mix until combined.
Stir in crushed pineapple until combined. Any optional ingredients can be stirred in here or sprinkled on top.
Pour cake mixture into prepped 13"x9" baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup reserved crumb mixture.
Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes.
Cool on wire rack. Cake can be served warm or cold.
Cover and enjoy cake within a day or two.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake

May 28, 2016 by Amanda 11 Comments

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake. A layer of crushed cookies, chocolate fudge sauce & peanut butter in between two layers of chocolate PB ice cream. Yup, take all that in for a minute. It’s a rich, delicious frozen cake that’s impressive yet surprisingly simple to make.

Seriously, you have no idea how many ice cream cakes I’ve made in the past few months. There are a cluster of birthdays in April & May and everyone decided to request an ice cream cake. Bummer – I love baking cakes. I celebrate any excuse to bake a cake! It wasn’t a total loss for me, though. I’m also a May baby so I requested a carrot cake – one of my favorites – one of my family’s least.

Ice cream cakes really are simple to make. The only factor is time. Make life easy, keep the cake making stress free and allow yourself at least 24 hours to get the cake done.

Keeping it easy…anytime I need a large amount of chocolate cookie crumbs I skip the whole cookies. Scraping the cream out is fine for a bit of crumbs, but fussing with it for 2 cups of crumbs is just silly. Find a local grocer that has a bulk section and more than likely you’ll find chocolate cookie crumbs alongside graham cracker crumbs. Total time & effort saver.

The basics. All you’re really doing here is layering and freezing ingredients. I could talk it out, step by step, but really – this isn’t rocket science or even kitchen chemistry. I think the attached recipe card will cover everything 😉

Every good ice cream cake needs a good frosting. I’ve tried numerous frostings and have been disappointed by every one. A lot of people recommend a frosting made with heavy whipping cream – but it freezes terribly. Ice crystals, yuck. Up to this point, the best frosting I’ve found for an ice cream cake is store bought tub of “Extra Creamy Whipped Topping”. I used a generic store brand, but you can look for “Coolwhip Extra Creamy”. It’s creamy, stays creamy and has just a hint of sweetness.

I decorated the cake in a matter of minutes. I spread on an even layer of the whipped topping, sprinkled on some Reese’s Pieces candies, sprinkles and threw on a few Mini Peanut Butter Cups. Voila!

This cake was a total hit with the chocolate-peanut butter- ice cream cake loving peeps in my home. I truly intended to take a perfect picture of my pretty cake creation before cutting – but – one thing led to another and we had to annihilate that cake. Lol. Amateur move, I know.

Hope you love this Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake as much as we did! Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂

-Amanda-

The first ice cream cake I ever made was inspired by this recipe at Instructables and this recipe here is definitely a byproduct of it. Big thanks to the author for the know-how & inspiration 🙂

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5 from 2 votes

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake. Start early, plan ahead - this cake needs 8+ hours to set into between layers.

Prep Time1 d

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time1 d 30 mins

Course: Desserts

Servings: 8 - 12

Author: Amanda

Ingredients

2 - 1 1/2 quart containers of chocolate peanut butter swirl ice cream
2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs coarse
1 jar of chocolate fudge sauce I used Smuckers Chocolate Fudge Topping 12oz
1 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup karo syrup
1 tub Extra Creamy Whipped Topping 8 oz, refrigerated
Reese's Pieces candies Mini PB Cups, sprinkles, etc for decorating
Springform pan parchment paper,

Instructions

Prep your pan. You'll need a 9" springform pan (or whatever size you have will work) and we'll be using just the ring. Toss the ring in the freezer.
Note: You could use the whole pan, but think it's simpler to use parchment paper and a flat surface rather than the base.
Remove one container of ice cream and let it soften at room temp. We don't want to melt it, we want it softened. After about 20 minutes I plop the ice cream out into a large mixing bowl. If the center is too hard to beat, I cut the ice cream into fourths and let it soften a bit more.
Beat ice cream until it is soft and creamy - like the texture of soft serve.
Remove springform from freezer. You'll want to place a piece of parchment paper on top of a flat, appropriate sized base. I use a cake carrier base - a cookie sheet, cutting board or large serving plate would work well too. Place your springform on top of parchment paper.
Scrape ice cream into springform and place in freezer.
Prep your cookie crumbs. Hopefully you won't be doing any prepping here because you bought a bag of chocolate cookie crumbs in your bulk section, but if not, get to scraping that cream out and crush the cookies.
Heat the fudge sauce up so it's easily stirred and can be poured. Try 15 seconds, stir, 10 seconds & stir (if necessary). This doesn't need to be molten lava - just barely warm and easily poured.
In a microwave safe bowl, combine peanut butter and karo syrup. Microwave for 20 seconds, stir, return to microwave for 15 seconds and stir until thoroughly combined.
Remove cake from freezer. Spread an even layer of cookie crumbs over ice cream. Drizzle chocolate fudge sauce evenly over cookie crumbs and drizzle peanut butter sauce over fudge sauce. Using a spatula or fork, gently & evenly spread/swirl fudge and peanut butter over cookie crumbs.
Cover cake (another piece of parchment paper works fine) and return to freezer. Let cake set overnight.
In the morning, remove your second container of ice cream and let it soften. Repeat process as in step 3 & 4.
Scrape ice cream on top of cookie/fudge/pb layer and evenly smooth out. Recover with parchament paper and return cake to freezer. It should sit for a few hours - at least 5-6, preferably 8. The longer, the better.
Remove parchment paper for top & bottom of cake. Remove cake from springform. I gently loosen the clamp on side and carefully wiggle & loosen sides of cake with a butter knife. I hear rubbing a hot rag on the outside of the pan helps if you're having problems, but it always releases pretty easily for me.
Using a spatula, frost cake with whipped topping - I used the whole container. Decorate with sprinkles, candy, whatever you'd like.
Return cake to freezer, covered, until ready to serve.
Let cake sit at room temp for 5 -10 minutes before cutting and serving. Cake is easily cut with a knife run under hot water.
Enjoy. Store covered in freezer.

Rhubarb Kuchen

May 13, 2016 by Amanda 8 Comments

This Rhubarb Kuchen is for all you rhubarb lovers. Sweet and tart rhubarb over a yeast cake covered with a custard. Rhubarb is going solo on this one – no strawberries buddying up here.

Eating local. Eating local seasonal ingredients. Yes and yes. Great concept, but in certain parts of the world there’s not a whole lot to be grown during certain months of the year. Leave it up to Old Man Winter and his love for the East Coast.

That’s all done and over, for now anyhow. Spring is here. Rhubarb marks the start of the season of warm sunny days and bountiful fresh veggies and fruit.

I like rhubarb. I truly enjoy it’s unique, tangy flavor. It seems every time I use it I pair it up with strawberries. Really, strawberries & rhubarb are like peas and carrots. Tried and true, sure – but I wanted something new. I wanted to make something that focused on just the rhubarb. No distractions. An all or nothing type of deal.

I didn’t have to look far for the perfect recipe. I had this recipe for years. It’s an old German recipe from an old German friend.

I wondered why I’ve waited so long to bake this dessert. Perhaps I fall into seasonal routines with seasonal tastes. Much like every Thanksgiving I still crave my grandmothers potato filling – each Spring I look forward to a strawberry & rhubarb pie.

Onto our Rhubarb Kuchen. Kuchen is simply a German cake. It’s a yeast cake, so you’ll need to plan for about two hours of rise time. No biggie though – this kuchen is a simple, no knead version. No major fussing here.

The dough makes enough for two kuchens. Throw that other half of the dough in the fridge and use it another day. Bake it with some butter, sugar & cinnamon and you’ll have yourself a fab little cake.

Sprinkle your chopped rhubarb pieces over the dough, spoon the custard on top and bake. Soon your whole house will be filled of the one and only tantalizing aroma of rhubarb. Oh, I missed that smell……

This cake is delicious. I had a hard time stopping myself after a piece or two. Delicious it is, pretty it isn’t. Although there’s beauty in all things, this Rhubarb Kuchen is one ugly cake. I pondered upon ways to gussy it up but had zero time to fuss. It’s been a busy few weeks. A little whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon fixed it up enough.

Everyone’s been telling me how great rhubarb freezes – so I might just give it a try this year. Perhaps I’ll revisit (and dress up) this cake during the winter months.

I hope you enjoy this cake where it’s all about the rhubarb. Thanks so much for stopping by – Happy Baking!

-Amanda-

Print Recipe

Rhubarb Kuchen

Rhubarb Kuchen - A German Rhubarb & Custard Yeast Cake

Prep Time2 hrs

Cook Time40 mins

Total Time2 hrs 40 mins

Course: cakes

Cuisine: German

Servings: 12

Author: Amanda

Ingredients

Kuchen Dough
1/2 cup scalded milk
1/2 cup butter room temp
1/4 cup sugar
1 packet of yeast
3 cups flour
3 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
Rhubarb & Custard Topping
4 -5 stalks rhubarb cut into 1/2"-3/4" pieces
1/2 cup sugar
Custard Topping
1/2 cup sour cream
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional: Whipped cream & cinnamon to serve

Instructions

For Dough
Combine butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Pour scalded milk over it and stir until butter is melted. Set aside - this needs to cool down a little.
In a small bowl, combine packet of yeast and 1-2 tablespoons warm water (about 100°F) and stir until yeast is dissolved.
Add yeast to butter mixture.
Add flour, egg yolks, salt & lemon rind. Mix until thoroughly combined, no need to knead (hehe)
Cover bowl and let dough rise for about 2 hours in a warm, draft free area.
Divide dough in half. Save other half, covered and refrigerated, for another occasion.
Preheat oven to 350°
Press dough into bottom of a greased 9"x13" baking dish.
Onto the rhubarb. Slice it and toss it with 1/2 cup sugar. Spoon evenly on top of dough.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together sour cream, egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar and vanilla extract.
Spoon custard mixture over top of cake.
Bake for 35 - 40 minutes. Toothpick inserted near center should come out clean and custard should be set.
Cool on wire rack.
Top with whipped cream and cinnamon if you'd like. Enjoy 🙂
I store this Rhubarb Kuchen covered in the refrigerator. Let sit at room temp for about half an hour before serving.

Layered Ricotta Cake

April 10, 2016 by Amanda 22 Comments

Pour this ricotta cheese mixture over a basic yellow cake before baking and the magic happens. This cake is rich, delicious and moist with a beautiful bottom layer of ricotta. Go ahead and add this to your “To Bake List” 🙂

I love baking. I love talking about baking, I love writing about baking. I even love chatting it up with total strangers about baking. Usually it will be while looking at flours or new cake tins or something of the sort. It seems other bakers like taking about baking too.

The other day I had a discussion with a sweet lady easily twice my age. She commented that the days of a simple cake baked in a 13×9 dish were gone – almost primitive. I reassured her that these cakes were not at all a thing of the past. Really, they’re baked all the time – people just don’t serve them from the dish anymore. It’s far more “très chic” to cut and plate the cake instead of serving it out of the old anchor or pyrex dish.

So in honor of the always loved and celebrated 13×9 cake, I thought I’d try a new one.

I’ve had something similar to this cake before. There was chocolate involved and a whipped topping pudding frosting. Perhaps I’ll make it again sometime.

This cake, though. I appreciated the simplicity of this ricotta cake. I don’t always want a fluffy cake frosted to high heaven. I appreciate a cake that can stand alone and be served with just a dusting of powdered sugar.

The original recipe calls for a boxed cake mix which I usually don’t have on hand. I threw together a simple yellow cake and topped it with the ricotta mixture.

This is a moist, dense cake – reminiscent of a pound cake with almost a custard bottom from the ricotta. I appreciate all the flavors are there but none are too overwhelming.

I served this cake various ways. Dusted with powdered sugar, dusted with cocoa powder, drizzled with dark chocolate syrup, drizzled with raspberry syrup, topped with strawberries & whipped cream – the possibilities are endless here.

This is a delicious, simple and easy cake to bake in your good ol’ 13X9 dish. You could easily switch this cake up by adding different extracts or lemon juice to the batter – it’s one of those fabulous recipes that’s perfect as is or that can be built upon.

Thanks for reading! Happy baking!

-Amanda-

Recipe is adapted from Jill’s Most Requested Ricotta Cake @ Just Rolling With It. Check out her blog – she’s got tons of fab recipes!

Print Recipe

4.25 from 4 votes

Layered Ricotta Cake

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Total Time55 mins

Servings: 12 - 16 servings

Author: Amanda

Ingredients

For cake:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter cubed
1 cup milk
3 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
For Ricotta Mixture:
1 pound ricotta cheese
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
optional - powdered sugar or cocoa powder - dust when serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease/spray a 13"x9" baking dish.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda & salt.
Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles cornmeal.
Add in milk, eggs, oil and extracts. Beat until smooth. Pour cake batter into baking dish.
In a large bowl (go ahead and use the same bowl) mix together ricotta cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla.
Evenly pour/spoon ricotta mixture over cake.
Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
Most of the ricotta cheese mixture will have sunk to the bottom creating almost a custard layer.
Cool on wire rack. Serve and enjoy. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, cocoa powder or top with a jam or fruit syrup.
Store covered in the fridge. Let cake sit for a few minutes at room temp before serving.