Pineapple Upside-down Rum Cake

For my birthday cake this year I created a recipe that combines two delicious cakes: Pineapple upside-down cake and a traditional Caribbean rum cake.

Ingredients:
Cake:
2 1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. softened butter
1 pkg. (3.4 oz) vanilla pudding mix
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. milk
4 eggs
1/2 c. dark rum
2 tsp vanilla
2/3 c. pineapple juice (from can)

Topping:
4 Tbsp melted butter
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 can pineapple, crushed or tidbits, drained
2 Tbsp rum

Glaze:
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. rum
1/4 c. water

1 c. coconut

Recipe:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
For the topping, mix pineapple, butter, sugar and rum together and place in the bottom a fluted pan that has been sprayed and floured. Reserve 2/3 c. pineapple juice for the cake batter.

For the cake, cream butter and sugar. Add the rest of the liquids and beat until well combined. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the liquids and beat until smooth. Pour the batter over the pineapple topping.

Bake 55-60 minutes.

Meanwhile spread the coconut onto a cookie sheet and toast in the oven for around 5-8 minutes. Keep an eye on it so they don't burn.

For the glaze, mix the butter, water, and sugar together and microwave until boiling. Stir in the rum. When the cake has finished baking, poke holes all the way through the cake. Drizzle 3/4 of the glaze over the cake, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Add the toasted coconut to the rest of the glaze. Flip the cake out onto a plate. Top with the glazed coconut.

Cararmel Pecan Carrot Cupcakes

I made these gems for Father's Day. They were absolutely decadent.

Ingredients:
Cakes
1 c. sugar
1c. flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cinnamon
3/4 c. oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 c. shredded carrots
1/2 c. crushed pineapple, drained
1/2c pecans

Frosting
1 stick butter
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese
1/4 c. caramel sauce
sprinkling of chopped pecans

Recipe:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a pan with paper liners.
Mix the sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together. Make a well in the middle then add the oil, eggs, and vanilla. Combine until well incorporated. Stir in the carrots, pineapple, and nuts.

Fill the cups 3/4 full and bake for 15-16 minutes. Cool cupcakes before frosting.

To make frosting, cream butter, sugar and salt for 2 minutes on low speed. When fluffy add the cream cheese and mix until smooth. Frost cupcakes, drizzle with caramel, and sprinkle with chopped pecans.

Margarita Cupcakes

Makes 1 dozen cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcakes
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick of butter, room temp.
1 c. sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 limes zested and juiced (3 T juice)
1/4 tsp vanilla
2/3 c. plain yogurt
1/3 c. milk

Frosting
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 stick of butter, softened
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. Tequila
1 Tbsp. Triple sec

Recipe:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. and line a cupcake pan with paper liners. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together. In a separate bowl combine the butter and sugar and mix on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time blending between each egg. Next, add the lime zest, juice, and vanilla. Mix in half of the dry ingredients with the butter mixture. Then pour in the milk and yogurt mixing the whole time. End with the other half of the dry ingredients until the batter is well combined.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Brush the tops with tequila and triple sec, and let cool before frosting.

To make the frosting, whisk the butter for one minute. Add the sugar then the liquid, and beat for 3-5 more minutes until smooth. Keep beating if the frosting looks too soupy. Use right away or keep at room temperature. If you need to refrigerate it, let it come to room temp. when ready to use, and use your mixer to beat it until it becomes smooth again. Otherwise it will look like a curdled mess. I added a couple drops of food coloring to make it light green.

Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake

This is a triple tart pound cake. It has lemon, blueberries, and a hint of rhubarb. 

Ingredients:
1/3 c butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese
1 3/4 c sugar
3 eggs
1 Tbsp lemon peel
1/4 c lemon juice
2 tps vanilla
2 c fresh blueberries
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c plain Greek yogurt
optional: 1/2 c fresh rhubarb, chopped.

For the glaze:
1/2 c powdered sugar
4 tsp lemon juice

Recipe:

Cream the sugar, butter and cream cheese on medium speed. Add the eggs one at a time until well blended. Add the lemon zest, juice, and vanilla.

Put 2 Tbsp of flour over the blueberries and toss them to coat.

Mix all your dry ingredients together and add it to your creamed mixture a little at a time. Blend in the yogurt making sure not to over mix. Fold in the fruit.

Pour batter into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a plate.

Once it has completely cooled, whip up the glaze and drizzle over the cake.

Right out of the oven

It came out perfectly!

Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake

Ingredients:
Cake-
Red velvet cake box mix plus ingredients on package (eggs, oil, etc.)

Cheesecake-
2 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
2/3 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs

Cream cheese frosting-
1 pkg cream cheese
1 c powdered sugar
1/2 tub of cool whip

Set oven at 325 degrees F.

For cheesecake, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in sour cream, salt, and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time blending after each addition.

Pour mixture into a 9-inch springform pan bake for 45 minutes until cream cheese is set. Cool for one hour then freeze for several hours. This makes the cheesecake easy to handle

For the cake, prepare as directed according to the box to make two round cakes.

To assemble the cake, put the frozen cheesecake on the bottom layer of the red velvet cake, and place the top of the red velvet cake on the cheesecake. There is no need to frost inbetween layers. You may need to trim the cheesecake to make it even with the other cake.

Apply a thin lair of frosting to act as a crumb coat and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Then apply the rest of the frosting and decorate as you wish.

This was my graduation cake so I decorated it with UWM colors, black and yellow.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte

Crust:

25 Oreos, crushed

5 Tbsp butter, melted

small pinch of salt

Filling:

3/4 c salted peanuts, finely chopped 

1/2 c mini chocolate chips

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp espresso powder (instant coffee)

1/4 tsp cinnamon

dash of ground nutmeg

2 c heavy cream

1 1/4 c powdered sugar

12 oz cream cheese

1 1/2 c peanut butter

2 Tbsp milk

Topping:

1/2 c heavy cream

4 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 c salted peanuts, finely chopped

Recipe:

Butter a 9 in. springform pan and place it on a baking sheet. Combine the oreo crumbs and melted butter in a bowl and toss to moisten all of the crumbs. Press into the pan and slightly up the sides. Freeze the crust for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. 

In another small bowl combine 1/2 c. chopped peanuts, mini chocolate chips, sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

Whisk 2 c. of heavy cream until it holds medium peaks. Beat in 1/4 c. powdered sugar. Refrigerate cream mixture until needed.

Beat cream cheese with the remaining 1 c. of powdered sugar on medium speed until the cheese is smooth. Beat in peanut butter, milk, and 1/4 c. chopped peanuts until well combined. Gently stir in 1/4 of the whipped cream to lighten the mousse. Stir in the crunchy peanut/chocolate chip mixture, then gingerly fold in the remaining whipped cream. Scrape the mousse into the crust. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Cover with plastic wrap once mousse has thickened. 

For the ganache, put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Leave the bowl over the water until the chocolate starts to melt. Remove bowl from water. Bring 1/2 c. of cream to a boil, and pour over chocolate. Stir together until blended and smooth. 

Pour the ganache over the torte and scatter chopped peanuts over the top. Chill to set, at least 20 minutes.

Berry Almond Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh berries (I used blackberries)
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Icing:
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla

Recipe:

Mix berries and brown sugar then set aside. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl whisk egg, sour cream, butter and vanilla. Stir this mixture into the dry ingredients. The batter will be dense.

Grease an 8 inch cake pan and spoon half the mixtue into the pan. Top with the berry mixture, spoon the remaining batter, and swirl gently. Sprinkle with almonds and bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.
Cool on rack for 15 minutes before removing the cake from the pan. 

In a small bowl combine the icing ingredients and drizzle over the coffee cake.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Raspberry Curd Filling

Cake:
2 1/3 c. cake flour
2 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds
5 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 c.sugar
2 Tbsp lemon zest
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c. milk

Raspberry curd:
8 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 12-oz. package frozen raspberries, thawed
5 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
3/4 c. sugar
Pinch of salt
2-3 tsp lemon juice

Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese
2 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Preheat to 350 degrees. Grease and flower your cake pans. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds.

In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until frothy then add the cream of tartar. Increases the speed and beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

In another bowl cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the lemon zest and milk. Slowly add the flour and mix until well blended. Fold in half of the beaten egg whites until they are incorporated then add the other half.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and cook until golden brown or 25-30 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool completely before adding the filling or topping.



When the cakes are in the oven, start making the raspberry curd. Melt the butter in a saucepan and then add the raspberries, sugar, egg yolks, lemon juice and salt. Mash the raspberries while cooking. Stir frequently for about 10 minutes. Refrigerate the sauce until ready to use so it can thicken.


For the frosting beat the cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice together.


Layer the cakes with the curd filling and then refrigerate it to help it set up for a while. Otherwise it can get pretty sloppy like this....


After frosting the cake I would refrigerate it again to harden the frosting a bit.

Blueberry Cheese Danish Cake

I saw this recipe on moderncomfortfood.com and I thought that I had to make it someday. I've been saving the recipe all summer, and I finally had an occasion to make this tasty cake. I brought it to a Labor Day cookout and it was a hit.


Cake:
1 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 c. butter at room temp.
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2/3 c. plain yogurt
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla

Topping:
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp flour
1 egg
2 tsp lemon zest
2 c. blueberries
1/2 c. sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.
In a separate bowl cream the butter. Then add brown sugar and the eggs one at a time. Alternately add half of the flour and half of the yogurt. Lastly mix in the lemon juice and vanilla.

Pour the batter into your pan. For the topping combine the cream cheese, sugar, flour, egg, and lemon zest. Pour over the cake batter leaving a one inch margin on all sides.


Then pile the blueberries over your cream cheese mixture, and sprinkle the almonds over the exposed cake batter.


Bake for 50 minutes. Cool the cake to room temperature.

Carrot Cake

I made this carrot cake for Easter. I like the semi-homemade version because you start with a box cake mix and then add some tasty ingredients.

Cake:
1 box (2 layer) Spice cake mix (plus ingredients for mix: eggs, oil, etc.)
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, drained
2 c. shredded carrots

Frosting:
2 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese
2 c. powdered sugar
1 tub (8 oz) whipped cream

Optional: decorate with almonds, pecans, or walnuts.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare the cake mix as directed on the box. Add the shredded carrots and crushed pineapple. Pour into two cake pans (lightly greased and floured) and bake for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Then fold in the whole tub of whipped cream.

Let the cakes cool before frosting. Decorate with nuts, I used almonds.



It turned out very delicious and moist.

Valentine's Treats

Heart-shaped pizza


I got heart shaped cake pans for Christmas this year so of course I'm going to use them for Valentine's Day. But instead of baking a cake I thought it would be cute to make a pizza.

Homemade pizza is super easy to make, especially if you buy pre-made dough or dough mix. I usually get the dough mix that you just add warm water to.

You can use a variety of cheeses and toppings. I used mozzarella cheese with red bell peppers. I always use fresh garlic -that is a must.




Dirt Cake


For dessert I wanted to have something I haven't made in a long time...Dirt Cake!

What you'll need:
1 pkg Oreos
8 oz. pkg cream cheese
1/2 stick of soft butter
2 cups milk
2 (3 oz) pkgs instant vanilla pudding
1 tub of whipped cream
1 cup powdered sugar
Gummy worms

Crush the oreos, a food processor works great but don't do it for too long or else the crumbs will be too fine.
Combine the cream cheese, butter and sugar. In a different bowl mix the milk and pudding until it slightly thickens. Then add the whipped cream. Mix the cream cheese mixture and the pudding mixture together.

Layer the cream and crushed cookies and top with gummy worms.




His and Hers

Since I turned 21 this Valentine's Day I thought I'd share some tasty drinks. A fruity one for her and one that's a bit stronger for him.


Mai Tai
2 oz rum
1 oz orange juice
2 oz pineapple juice
1 oz cherry mix
ice cubes

Manhattan
1 oz Sweet vermouth
2 oz whiskey
optional 1/2 oz cherry syrup
ice cubes