Blueberry Buckle

This Blueberry Buckle is chock full of sweet and delicious blueberries. Eat it for breakfast, dessert, or anything in between.  It's mostly fruit so it's healthy, right? ;)

Sometimes things don't go as planned.  Potty training, for example.  I read waaayyy too many success stories from the 3 Day Potty Training Method that I became convinced that it would work for Summer.  However, I have a very stubborn strong-willed child and it became clear rather quickly that forcing her to constantly sit on the potty was not going to work.  We're currently on day 3 (day 1 with no accidents!) but I wouldn't consider us anywhere close to being fully potty trained.  Any success stories to share with me?  

Another thing that doesn't go as planned is pretty much any time I try to bake in my oven.  Sometimes what I'm making comes out just perfectly.  Other times, like with this Blueberry Buckle, it turns out disastrously (luckily, I was able to save this delicious buckle!)  I followed the directions for this cake, baked it at the right temperature for the correct amount of time.  Pulled it out, checked it with a knife in the center which came out clean, so I set it on the rack to cool.  A few hours later I took the cake outside to photograph and cut into it, only to discover the entire center of the cake was still batter!  Oh no!  I put it back in the over, but it took nearly an hour longer before the cake was completely cooked.  Thankfully the top and sides didn't burn and the cake still turned out delicious.  My love-hate relationship with my oven is very much on the hate side right now. :( 

I found this delicious recipe on Sarah's blog, The Pajama Chef. As soon as I read Sarah's introduction where she says "I'm all about healthy delicious recipes with a side of indulgence", I knew that I would have no trouble finding a recipe to make for this month's Secret Recipe Club.  I found a variety of delicious recipes that I wanted to make, like Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake and Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake.  But I had just gone blueberry picking and so I was specifically on the hunt for a delicious blueberry recipe.  I saw her recipe for Blueberry Buckle and I knew I'd found my recipe.

This recipe calls for 5 (yes, 5) CUPS of blueberries.  Yes, that's a lot of blueberries. But I think that's what makes this cake so amazing.  Every single bit is full of blueberries, not just a few here and there throughout the cake.  There's not much cake compared to blueberries, so it's actually a pretty light breakfast or dessert.  It's super easy to make, and as long as your oven works properly, it bakes up in about an hour.  You'll want to make this again and again...I promise you won't be disappointed!

Blueberry Buckle

Ingredients:

for the cake:
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
5 cups fresh blueberries

for the crumb topping:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 Tablespoons butter, softened

1.  In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.  Beat in the egg and vanilla.

2.  Combine the flour and baking powder.  Add the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined.

3.  Gently stir in the blueberries.  Pour into a well-greased 10" springform pan.

4.  Prepare the crumb topping by combining the flour, brown sugar,and cinnamon in a bowl.  Cut the butter and vanilla with a pastry blender or two knives.

5.  Sprinkle the crumb topping over the cake batter.

6.  Bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes, until the crumb topping is brown, and a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, before removing the sides and allow to cool another 15 minutes before slicing.

Source: The Pajama Chef

An InLinkz Link-up

Pumpkin Cake

This Pumpkin Cake is filled with pumpkin, cinnamon, and cloves.  It's the perfect dessert for fall!

Zucchini Cake

This simple and delicious Zucchini Cake is a great way to use up an abundance of zucchini from your garden.

Funfetti Cupcakes

Add a few extra ingredients to a boxed cake mix for a delicious cupcake!  These cupcakes are bakery quality!

White Chocolate Strawberry Pound Cake Skewers

Strawberries and pound cake. They're made for each other! Drizzled with white chocolate, these Strawberry Pound Cake Skewers make a beautiful dessert!

It's my favorite time of the year!  The weather is starting to get warmer, the days are longer, and the gardens are growing!  Our local farmer's market opened up a couple weeks ago and Summer and I went down to get some fresh vegetables.  There aren't too many fruits in season yet, but that time will be here soon.

My strawberry plants have flowers, and I'm hoping it won't be long before the fruit starts to grow.  In the meantime, I'll keep enjoying strawberries from the grocery store or the farmer's market.  The past few times I've purchased strawberries I've been impressed with how red and flavorful they are.  I love to have a big bowl of strawberries for snack.

I also enjoy strawberries as a part of a delicious dessert like the topping of a pound cake or center stage in these delicious White Chocolate Strawberry Pound Cake Skewers.  I made my favorite Almond Pound Cake with fresh strawberry sauce for Mother's Day dessert a couple weeks ago.  I had about half a cake left over, and while the cake alone was delicious, I wanted to come up with a fun way to enjoy the rest.

These skewers were a fun way to enjoy both the pound cake and the abundance of strawberries I had!  They're super easy to make and make an impressive impression when served!  I first made these on small skewers, but then decided they looked a little boring.  I decided to use longer skewers and drizzle white chocolate on top of the strawberries and pound cake.  I'm glad I did--the chocolate drizzle was just what this dessert needed to liven it up and make it special.

The directions on this cake are pretty basic. You can make as many or as few skewers as you'd like.  If you want to use an entire pound cake, go for it.  If you have half a cake leftover like I did, then use that!  In fact, you could even use an angel food cake if you wanted to!  Chocolate chips would be a delicious topping if you didn't want to use white chocolate.  Make mini skewers or make longer ones.  You can come up with any pattern you'd like too--so have fun with these!

White Chocolate Strawberry Pound Cake Skewers

Ingredients:
Pound cake
Strawberries
1 cup white chocolate chips

1.  Cut the pound cake into thick slices and then cube each slice.

2.  Wash and hull strawberries. Cut in half, if desired.

3.  Assemble the skewers in any pattern that you desire.  I did pound cake-strawberry-pound cake etc.

4.  Put the white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and then microwave in 15 second increments, stirring after each time, until chocolate can be stirred smooth.

5.  Scoop the chocolate chips into a pastry bag or a ziploc bag with the end snipped off and drizzle over the skewers.  Allow the chocolate to harden before serving.

Cover any leftovers and refrigerate.

Rainbow Cupcakes

These fun and easy to make Rainbow Cupcakes bring a hint of spring into your home...and your tummy!

Does anyone else have Spring Fever?  We've had a few days of really beautiful warm weather, and now it's back to cold and rainy.  I feel like I should be in Washington for as cloudy as it is, but this is Michigan.  In fact, yesterday there was a nearly 20 degree temperature difference from the morning to the evening, and the temperature went the wrong way...down.

Anyway, they say that April showers bring May flowers and that is true!  We just finished celebrating Tulip Time where I live and though the week started out with just a bunch of flower buds, it ended up with a lot of gorgeous blooms.  All the rain had something to do with that of course, so I can't be too disappointed with the rain.

And with rain comes rainbows!  I love rainbows.  They're so beautiful and a wonderful reminder of God's promise to us.

These rainbow cupcakes are so fun and easy to make!  I created them for my work's intern celebration last month. They're so happy looking and great for a celebration.  My co-workers loved how they looked and raved about the taste too.

As you can see in the picture, I also created a few cupcakes with eggs.  Bird's eggs are another wonderful reminder of Spring!

I used my favorite boxed cake mix--funfetti for the cupcakes, but you could use any recipe you want.  For the frosting, I again went simple and used an can of frosting along with a package of Duncan Hine's frosting creations in cotton candy flavor to get the blue color for the sky.  I added in a couple drops of yellow food coloring for the green grass.  Then I cut a few Airheads Xtreme Sour Belts Candy in half and curved them to form the rainbows.  Marshmallows made the perfect clouds.  The bird's eggs are simply Cadbury Candy Coated Mini Eggs (yes, I do buy the big bag!)

These cupcakes are sure to be a show stopping dessert on your table too!

Rainbow Cupcakes

Makes 24

Ingredients:
24 cupcakes, baked and cooled
1 can vanilla frosting
1 packet Duncan Hine's Frosting Creations Cotton Candy flavor
12 Airheads Xtreme Sour Belts Candy
1 bag mini marshmallows

1.  Mix together the frosting and the Frosting Creations packet until the color is evenly distributed.

2.  Spread the frosting onto the cupcakes.

3.  Cut Airhead candies in half.  Fold into an arc and place each end into the cupcake.

4.  Place 3 mini marshmallows at the base of each candy.  This forms clouds but also provides support to keep the rainbow in place.

If you want to make the bird's eggs cupcakes:

Ingredients:
24 cupcakes, baked and cooled
1 can vanilla frosting
1 packet  Duncan Hine's Frosting Creations Cotton Candy flavor
3 drops yellow food coloring
96 Cadbury Candy Coated Mini Eggs

1.  Mix together the frosting, Frosting Creations packet, and food coloring until the color is evenly distributed.

2.  Spread the frosting onto the cupcakes.

3.  Place 3 candy eggs in the center of each cupcake.

You can also make any combination of rainbow and bird's eggs cupcakes.  Just make the amount of rainbow cupcakes you want before adding in some yellow food coloring to the frosting and making the rest bird's eggs!

Inspired by: All You

This post contains affiliate links.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake {Flashback Friday}

This Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake is the base for my most popular recipe on this blog, my Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake.  You'll want to check it out if you haven't before!  This cookie cake is basically my mom's Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe baked in a cake pan.  I decided to bake the cookies in cake form for Mike, who doesn't like cake.  It's hard to make a birthday cake for someone who doesn't enjoy cake you know!  Thus, the Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake was born.  It's his favorite, and apparently yours too...

Get the recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Skinny Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake

When you are craving a delicious slice of chocolate cake, but don't want the temptation of an entire cake, this Skinny Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake will be your best friend!

There are just some days when you need a chocolate.  I had a couple of those days this week.  Like most of the country, we've been hit by (yet another!) polar vortex, dumping insane amounts of snow and bringing along frigid temperatures.  After being snowed in for 2 days, I was starting to go stir crazy.  So what did I do?  Headed to the kitchen of course!

I really wanted to make a pan of brownies, they were just calling my name!  But since I'm doing my best to eat healthier, and exercise more frequently, to lose this stubborn baby weight, I knew a pan of brownies was the last thing I needed sitting on my kitchen counter!  So when a friend posted a picture of her afternoon snack, a mug cake, on Facebook, I knew that was the solution to my problem.

I modified the recipe to make it skinny.  Though, I should warn you, skinny is still a bit of a misnomer.  This cake clocks in at 362 calories, but most of those come from the coconut oil and peanut butter.  Both are healthy sources of fat and calories.  Compared to most other mug cakes which contain at least twice as many calories, I'd still count this one as skinny!

This cake uses coconut oil as a source of fat, rather than vegetable oil or eggs, which eliminates that rubbery texture.  I will warn you though, if you're looking for an extremely rich and chocolatey cake, this probably isn't for you. It's not terribly sweet, though you could certainly add in more sugar if you wanted.  However, if you are looking for a fairly healthy and delicious way to indulge your chocolate craving without breaking the calorie bank, this cake is for you!

Skinny Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons sugar (can substitute Splenda)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
dash of salt
1 Tablespoon coconut oil, melted
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon mini chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon natural peanut butter

1.  In your mug, combine the dry ingredients.

2.  Stir in the coconut oil, milk, and mini chocolate chips.

3.  Scoop the peanut butter on top of the cake batter.

4.  Microwave on high for 60 seconds.  (Since microwaves vary, you may need to experiment with the time, adding or subtracting 5-10 seconds.)

Nutrition facts (as calculated by My Fitness Pal): Calories 362; Fat 24.7 g; Cholesterol 1.9 mg; Sodium 208.3 g; Potassium 177.5 g; Carbs 30.6 g; Fiber 1 g;  Sugar 14 g;  Protein 7.1g

Cake Batter Pretzels

It's a cake flavored soft pretzel...complete with sprinkles on top!

Today was supposed to be my day to get back into the daily grind after taking a break for the holidays, however...

It is bitterly cold outside today!  Wind chills are expected to reach 30 below 0!  Snow drifts are so high I can't tell where my driveway is.  Every school in the area is closed, and a lot of businesses are too.  I received a text last night saying that my office was closed today and as I watch the television more business closings are being posted.  We have some friends who plow snow and they are posting on Facebook how bad the roads and visibility are.  Sounds to me like a good day to stay inside and bake!

These Cake Batter Pretzels would be the perfect treat for a snow day!  They may look like your basic pretzel with the addition of sprinkles, but one bite will tell you that these pretzels are something special!  A generous portion of cake mix is added to the flour when making these pretzels.  These cake batter pretzels taste like you're eating cake, but the texture and look is that of a pretzel.  It's like two of my favorite snacks in one!

I used a yellow cake mix for my pretzels, but you could use any flavor you'd like.  Devil's food, red velvet, carrot cake...can you imagine the possibilities?

Cake Batter Pretzels

Makes 12 pretzels

Ingredients:

1 package yeast (2-1/4 teaspoons)

1-1/4 warm water

1-3/4 cup yellow cake mix

1/2 teaspoon salt

2-3/4 cups flour

1 Tablespoon baking soda

water

1 egg

sprinkles

1.  Add the yeast to the warm water and stir gently.  Let it sit for about 5 minutes.

2.  In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the cake mix and salt.

3.  Add the yeast mixture to the cake mix and stir with the dough hook attachment.

4.  Add in the flour and mix on low speed until the dough comes together in a ball. 

5.  Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour.

6.  Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead gently to deflate the dough and form a ball. 

7.  Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces.

8.  Roll each piece of dough into a long rope, about 15" long.  Form a pretzel shape by bringing the 2 ends up, crossing them, and bringing them back down to the bottom.

9.  Boil a large pot of water and add the baking soda once the water boils.  (The water can be started while you're forming the pretzels.)

10.  Working in small batches, 2-4 pretzels at a time, boil the pretzels in the baking soda water until they float.  Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

11.  Once all the pretzels are boiled, whisk the egg in a small bowl.  Brush a small amount of the egg on top of each pretzel and top with the sprinkles.

12.  Bake at 350 for 13-15 minutes, until golden brown.  Cool before removing from the pans.

These pretzels are best eaten the day they are baked, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Source: Crazy for Crust

Single Serve Coffee Cake (In a Mug)

This Single Serving Coffee Cake satisfies your desire for a sweet breakfast without the need to make an entire cake!

Are you a black Friday shopper?  I have to admit, I love shopping on the day after Thanksgiving!  While I wouldn't say I'm one of the die-hard bargain shoppers, I do enjoy getting out with all the other "crazies" to snag a good deal!  Mike and I have been known to get up at 3am to be in line at a store by 4.  Usually we spend an hour or two freezing our rears off while waiting for the stores to open.  I just love the atmosphere--everyone out shopping and having a good time!

Honestly, we just go for the fun of it.  Most years, we don't have much on our lists and certainly not anything we'd be really upset over not getting.  Last year, I think we stood in line for an hour just to get a deal on some enormous rawhide bones for Champ! This year, I'll be enjoying black Friday from the comfort of my home, while snuggling with my baby girl.  Mike might go out for one or two things, and we might hit up a couple stores later in the morning, but there's no way I'm taking Summer out in the early morning craziness!

If you're a black Friday shopper, regardless of how intense you are, you'll need to have a delicious breakfast to give you energy for the morning.  This Single Serve Coffee Cake is made in a mug and is the perfect quick breakfast! It is perfect for when you're wanting a warm and delicious breakfast, but don't want an entire cake in the house.  It's also great for portion control; if I had the whole cake in the house I would eat it by myself, with this single serve cake, I avoid that issue!

Single Serve Coffee Cake (In a Mug)

Serves 1

Ingredients:
1-1/2 Tablespoons sugar
2-1/2 Tablespoons flour
pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon milk
splash of vanilla
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon milk

1.  In a small bowl, combine the sugar, flour, salt and baking powder.

2.  Add oil, milk, and vanilla and stir until combined.

3.  Pour into a coffee mug that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

4.  Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on top.

5.  Microwave for 45 seconds, until the center of the cake bounces back when touched (or is no longer runny).  Note: microwaves cook differently, so yours might take more or less time to cook.

6.  Mix the powdered sugar and milk to form a thin icing.  Drizzle over the cake and serve warm.

Source: Crazy For Crust

Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake

I've spent the last two weeks talking about fruit, so today, why don't we talk about something to go with all that fruit.  Something like a Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake?  Sure sounds good to me!  After all, you can't just live on fruit alone--we need a little sugar, flour, and cinnamon in our lives!

The first time I made this coffee cake was when we stayed at my Aunt's house last Christmas.  I always bring along something that we can eat for breakfast on Saturday morning.  This Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake was a hit with everyone, but I didn't get a chance to photograph it before it was devoured.  Oh well, that gave me a good excuse to make it again!

This cake is more than just your average coffee.  It has a crust.  And not just any crust either, this crust is made out of cinnamon rolls.  So not only do you get a delicious coffee cake, you also get a cinnamon roll in each bite.  Breakfast can't get much better!

Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:
1 (8 count) can cinnamon rolls, with frosting
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons butter, melted

1.  Open the can of cinnamon rolls and separate the rolls.

2.  One at a time, press the cinnamon rolls between your palms to flatten.

3.  Place flattened rolls on the bottom and sides of a greased 10" pie plate to form the crust.  Pinch any gaps together to seal the crust.

4.  In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, vegetable oil, egg, milk, and vanilla.

5.  Add the baking powder, salt, and 1-1/2 cups of flour and stir until no lumps remain.

6.  Pour the batter over the prepared crust.

7.  In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, 2 Tablespoons flour, and melted butter.

8.  Sprinkle the topping over the coffee cake.

9.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out mostly clean. (Note: my cake took nearly 45 minutes to bake.  Be aware that ovens cook differently and keep an eye on your cake.)

10.  Allow the cake to cool slightly before drizzling with the icing that came with the cinnamon rolls.

Serve cake warm or at room temperature.  Cover leftovers with plastic wrap and store on the counter.

Source: Crazy for Crust

Speedy Little Devils

Do you ever have recipes that you look at and think there's no way that recipe is going to turn out?  This recipe was definitely one of those for me!  (Come to think of it, I was a little skeptical of the 45 Minute Dinner Rolls I posted last week...)

About a month ago, I posted on my Facebook page, and asked what you would make if you had an hour of free time to spend in the kitchen.  One of my fans responded with this recipe and said it's a simple but crowd pleasing recipe.  (Thanks Rachael!)

The recipe is called Speedy Little Devils--probably because the recipe comes together in a flash!  As I was making it, I thought that there was no way it was going to to turn out correctly.  The "batter" was so dry, I was afraid I was going to end up with a mess on my hands!  Nevertheless, I pressed on and baked the recipe.

Was I ever in for a surprise!  These little bars turned out amazingly!  I brought a plate in to work to celebrate our intern's last day and I had quite a few requests for the recipe.  I absolutely loved the center of these bars--it reminded me of my Peanut Butter Fluff recipe.  I should note, I didn't have a Devil's Food Cake mix in my house, so I used a brownie mix instead and they still turned out great. 

The moral of the story is:  even if something doesn't look good at first glance, keep going, the results may surprise you!

Speedy Little Devils

Makes 20 bars (1 9x9" pan)

Ingredients:
1 box dry brownie mix (or Devil's Food Cake mix)
1 stick of butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow fluff

1.  In a small microwave safe bowl, melt the butter.  Allow it to cool before using.

2.  In a medium bowl, combine the brownie mix and melted butter.  The batter will be very crumb-like and dry.

3.  Reserve 1 cup of the brownie mix and press the rest into a greased 9x9" cake pan.

4.  In another medium bowl, combine the peanut butter and marshmallow fluff.  If the mixture is difficult to mix, microwave for about 20 seconds and try again.

5.  Spread the peanut butter fluff over the brownie mix.

6.  Sprinkle the remaining cup of crumbs on top of the peanut butter fluff.  Gently press the crumbs down.

7.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Cool bars completely before cutting into squares.

It's a.... (Gender Reveal Cupcakes)

...Baby girl!

After 20 weeks of waiting and excited anticipation, Mike and I had our ultrasound on Thursday and found out that in July we will be having a baby girl!  We are so excited to welcome our daughter into the world.  Part of me hopes the next 20 (or fewer) weeks fly by, but I love being pregnant so I'm also hoping it goes slow so I can enjoy every minute.

We wanted a creative way to tell our parents the gender of our baby.  After surprising them with the big news on Thanksgiving day and our fun announcements in January, we knew we couldn't just tell them "it's a girl".  I'd seen the idea of gender reveal cupcakes many times and so we decided that was the route we would take.  I had some leftover pink frosting from my Strawberries and Cream Cake, so that was really handy to have to fill these cupcakes.

 

Gender Reveal Cupcakes

 

Ingredients:

24 cupcakes (I used a white cake mix and the ingredients on the box)

1 jar of frosting

pink (strawberry) or blue (blue raspberry) Jello

sprinkles

 

1. Scoop about 1/3 of the frosting out of the container and into a small bowl.  Add 2 Tablespoons of the Jello mix and stir until the color is evenly distributed.

 

2.  Scoop the colored frosting into a pastry bag with a large tip (the bigger the hole in the tip, the easier to fill the cupcake). 

 

3.  Insert the tip into the top center of the cupcake and squeeze the frosting into the cupcake.  Repeat with each cupcake and the pink frosting.

 

4.  Scoop the white frosting into a pastry bag and decorate the top of the cupcakes as desired. 

 

5.  Top with sprinkles or other garnishes, if desired.

 

Enjoy sharing your happy news with friends and family!



3-2-1 Cake

Do you have just one minute?  Good news!  Then you have enough time to make this cake!  When I first saw this recipe, I was a little bit reluctant to try it.  It seemed too simple and too good to be true.  I really doubted that this cake would taste good.

Thankfully, I was wrong!  This cake is incredibly simple, but it's also very good.  Just look at this picture, see how light and fluffy the cake is? 

I love single serving desserts, especially when it comes to cakes because even if Mike doesn't want any, it doesn't stop me from enjoying it!

This cake is perfect for the times when you're craving something sweet, but don't have the time or desire to bake an entire cake.  I created the mix and I have it stored in a container in my pantry.  Then, when the craving strikes, it takes less than two minutes to fulfill my desire.  I found that the cake was not sweet enough on its own for me, so I typically will add some frosting to the top.  If I don't have frosting in the house, I'll make a thin icing with powdered sugar and milk and drizzle that over the cake.  I actually prefer the icing because it seeps into the cake and down the sides, giving every bite the perfect amount of sweetness.

3-2-1 Cake

For the mix:
1 box Angel Food Cake mix
1 box "any flavor" Cake mix (I chose Funfetti)

Mix the two cake mixes together and store in a Ziploc bag or airtight container.

When you're ready to make your cake:

Measure out 3 Tablespoons of the cake mix and place it in a mug.

Add in 2 Tablespoons of water and stir.

Microwave on high for 1 minute.  (Keep in mind that microwaves vary, so you may need more or less time for your cake to cook.)

Top with frosting, if desired, and enjoy your cake right out of the mug!

*Note: The cakes shown above are made as a double recipe, so they fill the whole mug.  I used 6 Tablespoons cake mix and 4 Tablespoons water.  I still microwaved for 1 minute and they were done.

Source: The Better Baker

Strawberries and Cream Cake

Baby girls are so much fun!  As I mentioned on Monday, I know quite a few pregnant women, and my best friend is having a baby girl soon.  On Saturday we had a baby shower for her, and it was so much fun to see all the adorable baby girl clothing.  All the pinks and purples....

Of course, we had plenty of food for the baby shower.  (Another friend took care of the decorations--aren't they adorable?)  For me, the highlight of the food table was this incredible bundt cake.  When I saw the recipe on Joan's blog last month, I knew I had to make it for the baby shower.  The colors were just too perfect not to.

Because this cake is made from a boxed cake mix, it's so simple to put together.  Even the icing is from a can, so it can't get much easier than this.  I didn't mind at all because I had plenty of other things to keep me busy preparing for the baby shower.  It was nice to make such an impressive looking cake in a minimal amount of time. 

The taste of this cake was fabulous too!  It was the perfect density and so moist.  I certainly didn't complain when there were leftovers because that means I get to enjoy a slice for dessert every day.  Sometimes two slices--I am eating for two, after all! :)

Strawberries and Cream Cake

Makes 1 large bundt cake and 6 cupcakes

Ingredients:
2 boxes white cake mix (I used Pillsbury Classic White)
ingredients called for on the cake mix boxes
1 (3 ounce) box strawberry Jello
1 can white frosting (I used Pillbsury Classic White)

1.  In a large bowl, prepare the cake mixes according to the instructions on the box.

2.  Pour one third of the cake batter into a well greased bundt pan.

3.  Reserve 1 Tablespoon of the Jello and mix the remaining amount into the cake batter.  Stir until the color is evenly distributed.

4.  Pour pink cake batter on top of the white cake batter, being sure not to fill the bundt pan past 2/3 full. 

5.  Scoop any remaining cake batter into greased or lined cupcake tins.

6.  Bake the cake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.  Bake the cupcakes for 20-22 minutes.

7.  Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 20 minutes before inverting it on a plate to cool completely.

8.  After the cake has cooled, frost the cupcakes if desired.  (You will not need all the frosting for the cake, so it's okay to frost the cupcakes first.)

9.  Place the container of remaining frosting in the microwave for 30 seconds to melt the frosting.  You want it to be smooth and flow freely.  (If it melts too much and looks watery, just stir the frosting and let it sit at room temperature until it reaches the desired consistency.)

10.  Spoon half the white frosting into a piping bag.  Drizzle the frosting over the cake in a back and forth motion.

11.  Stir the reserved Jello into the remaining half of the white frosting until the color is evenly distributed.

12.  Spoon the pink frosting into a piping bag.  Drizzle the frosting over the cake in a back and forth motion.

Cover the cake and store it at room temperature.

Source: Chocolate, Chocolate and More

Chocolate Cherry Cake

Happy Valentine's Day!  I made you chocolate!

I am so excited about this new dessert challenge hosted by Sheryl, of Lady Behind the Curtain.  Today is the inaugural posting for the Behind the Curtain Dessert Challenge.  Each month, Sheryl will announce the two must-have ingredients and a group of bloggers will get to work creating recipes featuring those ingredients.

This month's ingredients are chocolate and cherries.  I immediately started brainstorming recipes I could make: Mike's Grandma's Chocolate and Cherry Cookies, Chocolate Waffles with Cherry Sauce (not a dessert...oops!), Chocolate Filled Cream Puffs with Cherry Sauce, Granola with Chocolate  and Cherries (again, not a dessert!), Chocolate and Cherry Ice-Cream...my mind was swirling with great ideas.  Unfortunately, time got the best of me and after procrastinating, I realized I had only a few days to come up with the perfect recipe. 

Then I remembered a cake I'd had at Mike's Grandma's house.  It was a chocolate and cherry cake and I remember it being so moist and just delicious!  Someone had told me it was quite easy to make--just a box of chocolate cake mix and a can of cherry pie filling.  Easy and delicious?  I was sold! 

After a quick stop at the grocery store to pick up my ingredients, I was ready.  This cake was everything I'd hoped for and then some!  Luckily for me, Mike doesn't like cake, so I get to eat it all myself (just another benefit of being pregnant!)

Chocolate Cherry Cake

Makes 1 9x13" cake

Ingredients:
1 box Devil's Food Cake mix
1 (21 oz.) can Cherry Pie Filling

1.  In a medium bowl, mix together the cake mix and the pie filling.  (The cherries will likely break up, this is normal.)

2.  Pour into a greased 9x13" cake pan.

3.  Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow cake to cool before slicing.  Store covered, at room temperature.

Molten Caramel Apple Cakes

How was your Halloween?  Did you (or your kids) bring home a bundle of candy?  We had a surprisingly low amount of trick-or-treaters through our subdivision this year.  I think it was too cold and wet, as we were still dealing with the rain brought on by Hurricane Sandy.  I started handing out just one or two pieces of candy to each child, but about 15 minutes before I turned our light off, I started giving out handfuls!  And, I still have candy leftover!  C'est la vie...

Now that Halloween is over, I can focus on Thanksgiving...and then Christmas!  But how about Thanksgiving first?  Sometimes Thanksgiving seems to get skipped over, but we all have so much to be thankful for.  I think it's important to really set a day aside to be thankful for what we have (we should be thankful every day too!) 

The weather has drastically changed in the past week.  Last week we were setting records by how warm it was.  This week we've returned to fall weather and it's been cold, dreary, and blustery!  Of course, when it feels like fall I want to enjoy the tastes of fall too!  For me, that means lots of apple and pumpkin flavored foods.  I have a few more fall recipes coming up this month, and today I want to share these molten cakes.

I absolutely adore Molten Cakes.  I find it quite entertaining  to stick my fork into a cake and have a deliciously gooey center ooze out.   That was certainly the case for these Molten Caramel Apple Cakes.   Between the caramel and the apples, these cakes just scream fall!  Plus, because Mike and I can never eat an entire cake between the two of us, I was thrilled that this recipe makes just 2 single serving cakes.  Mike opted out of eating his (silly boy!) and so I enjoyed his cake for breakfast one morning!  Shhhh....don't tell!

Molten Caramel Apple Cakes

Serves 2

2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs

2 eggs

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping
3 tablespoons flour
1 small apple peeled and chopped
Powdered Sugar

1.  Spray bottoms and sides of 2 8-ounce ramekins with baking spray. Sprinkle cracker crumbs onto bottom and around side of each cup.

2.  In large bowl, beat eggs with wire whisk until well blended.

3.  Beat in brown sugar.

4.  Beat in caramel topping and flour until well blended.

5.  Stir in apple.

6.  Divide batter evenly among custard cups. Place cups on cookie sheet.

7.  Bake at 450 for 20 minutes or until sides are set and centers are still soft but not liquid (tops will be slightly puffed). Be careful not to over bake the cakes!

8.  Remove the ramekins from the cookie sheet. Let the cakes for stand 3 minutes before running a small knife along sides of cakes to loosen.

9.  Immediately place a plate upside down over top of each cup; turn the plate and cup over. Remove cup. Sprinkle cakes with powdered sugar.

Serve warm.

Source:  A Crafty Cook

Upside Down Banana Cake

I'm the person who gets excited when I see that the bananas on my counter are turning brown.  I know that brown bananas mean I get a chance to make something delicious with them.  Typically I turn to banana bread, which I love.  However, after seeing this recipe when I was searching for the perfect recipe for last month's SRC, I knew I had to make it!

This cake is made from a fantastic banana bread recipe but what really makes it special is the upside down topping.  Bananas are mixed with butter and sugar, resulting in a caramelized banana topping that is delicious! 

Upside Down Banana Cake

Serves 16

Ingredients:
6 Tablespoons butter
1 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 bananas, thinly sliced

1 cup sugar
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
2 eggs
2-1/2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup milk

1.  Cream the butter and brown sugar together until well blended.  Press into the bottom of a cake pan.  (I used a 9x13 and my cake was quite thin, I'd go smaller if possible).

2.  Place sliced bananas on top of the butter/sugar mixture.

3.  In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the sugar and butter.

4.  Add eggs and mix until fully incorporated.

5.  Mix in bananas and vanilla.

6.  In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.

7.  Add dry ingredients to the banana mixture, alternating between the dry ingredients and the milk until everything is mixed together.

8.  Pour batter over the banana slices.

9.  Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes (if using a 9x13" pan, longer if you pan is smaller).  The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

10.  Place a flat plate or platter on top of the cake pan and flip it over.  Remove the cake pan and allow the caramel topping to drip down.  (Be sure to do this while the cake is still hot or your cake will absorb the caramel topping instead {like mine did!})

Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.  Cover any leftovers.

Slightly adapted from: NYCity Eats