Halloween Cake Pops: Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting #Halloween #Cake

I have always wanted to make Cake Pops. For as long as I have been baking and making candy, I oddly have not attempted cake pops. I say attempted because these were a bit harder to do than I had expected! A big round of applause from me for the bakers that have perfected these. 

I started out with the idea of making some ghost cake pops for my family and coworkers. (My photo above, we call him the Forkey Cake Pop) My coworkers have been my taste testers for years and always give me good honest feedback. I thought mine turned out too moist, but they all agreed that the cake pops were delicious and better a moist cake than the cake pops being dry. 

I started with a basic box cake mix. I selected Betty Crocker Spice Cake Mix; I bought the super moist one that had pudding in the mix. Now I think it might be why the consistency was off. Next time I will buy a different one for cake pops. It was a delicious cake and the house smelled amazing like pumpkin pie. Follow directions on your cake mix. Mine required eggs, oil and water to be added to the box cake mix. Allow the cake to cool for 30 min to an hour after baking.

When cake is cooled you can begin the process of crumbling the cake. I started with a small container and quickly realized I needed a bigger container. (I yelled "We're gonna need a bigger boat!" my husband rolled his eyes at my ever-present movie references to all life situations LOL) Let me know if you know the movie.

After crumbling the cake into tiny pieces, I added 3 heaping dollops of cream cheese frosting to the cake crumbles. Stir in the frosting to make an even mixture of cake and frosting with a wet sand like consistency. Roll cake into 1 inch size balls. Set in fridge for 4 hours or freezer for 30 minutes. 

I opted to freeze mine for 30 min to get the Cake Pops set for dipping. I prefer to use melting wafers when dipping items for treats since it is easier to use than other chocolates. I purchased a cake pop kit from Amazon for the sticks, bags and twist ties. I also bought Candy eyeballs and Halloween sprinkles at Walmart.

I did say I like to use melting wafers since it is easier BUT that is not to say you still can't ruin them! HA! I accidently burnt the chocolate in the bowl on the right and wanted to share how it can be burned in the difference of a few seconds in the microwave. Follow the instructions for melting on the bag you purchase. Mine did not look melted but if I had stirred them while in wafer form after the set time for melting, I would have realized they were ready. Trial and error are expected when learning to make something new.

I poured out my toppings of eyeballs and Halloween sprinkles onto a plate to be ready to place on the cake pops once dipped in chocolate.

Dip the tip of your cake pop stick into your melted chocolate and insert it about halfway into the cake ball. Dip the cake ball into the chocolate. Remove and gently tap on the side of the bowl to allow excess coating to drip off. I did have some cake balls fall off into the chocolate, but I spooned them out and put them back on the stick.

So, I am going to definitely point out that I forgot a crucial item in my Cake Pop adventure. A cake pop stand to allow the chocolate coating to dry! I improvised with an oatmeal box that I poked holes in with a pencil. If using this method, I suggest removing the oatmeal packets from the box before poking holes with a pencil. How I know this, well again trial and error. HA!!

My first handsome Halloween Cake Pop made with Spice Cake and Cream Cheese frosting. Delicious!

None of my cake pops look the same but I think it made them each more special.

Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Recipe

I am not a vegan but I do enjoy trying different styles of cooking and trying new ways to eat delicious food. Last month my son and I had a "lets eat cake" kinda day to celebrate it just being a generally awesome day of life. We looked at our ingredients and realized we did not have any eggs or butter on hand. We did have olive oil and coco powder. I went on a Google mission to see what recipes I could come up with to make my own spin on Vegan Chocolate Cake.

I found a great recipe on Veg Recipes of India and gave it my own flare adding the peanut butter powder and using olive oil. Dassana explains the key to the eggless cake is the way the acidity of lemon juice interacts with the baking soda. I used white vinegar because I did not have lemon juice, her recipe is very adaptable.

Stir all dry ingredients together in one bowl.

In a separate bowl from dry ingredients dissolve the sugar in cold water before adding the olive oil, vinegar and vanilla. It is important to the finished cake that you dissolve the sugar completely.

Mix your favorite brand of powdered peanut butter with water for 1/4 cup of peanut butter.

Mix the dry and wet ingredients together excluding the peanut butter. I decided to make one cake just chocolate and the other with the peanut butter. I added the peanut butter to only one pan by putting it on top of the batter and swirling with a spoon.

Drizzle with chocolate sauce on top and enjoy!

This cake was a huge hit for my co-workers and family. It is moist and delicious! 

You can find the complete recipe with ingredient list and instructions at Eggless Chocolate Cake by Dassana

German Apple Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting #Recipe #ThrowbackThursday

#Repost of a recipe from 2016 of one of our favorite #cake recipes #ThrowbackThursday

I don't know about you, but Halloween sort of exhausted me this year. Between cooking and baking, and parties and trick-or-treating, I needed a rest. Of course, these are all things I love doing and love spending time with my family, but it's a nice lull right now before the Thanksgiving madness starts.

I've been wanting to make this German Apple Cake for awhile now, ever since I saw the recipe in one of my Taste Of Home magazines. The combination of apples and walnuts are one of my favorites, especially during this time of year. The recipe actually calls for pecans, but since I had just bought a giant 5 pound bag of shelled walnuts, I used them instead and it worked out great.

I like this cake as one you can take on a fall picnic, or tailgating at the game, or to someone's house. It's sturdy and smells and tastes just like fall. The cream cheese frosting is one of my favorites, and absolutely worth the effort to make it. I really don't like the taste of already-made frosting anymore even though it's convenient in a pinch. But honestly, there's nothing like homemade.

Recipe for German Apple Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

3 large eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cups chopped and peeled apples

3/4 cup pecans (or walnuts)

For frosting:

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

2 teaspoons butter, softened

2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; add to egg mixture and mix well. Fold in apples and nuts.

Pour into a greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter. Add confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth. Spread on cooled cake.

Makes 12 servings.



German Apple Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

I don't know about you, but Halloween sort of exhausted me this year. Between cooking and baking, and parties and trick-or-treating, I needed a rest. Of course, these are all things I love doing and love spending time with my family, but it's a nice lull right now before the Thanksgiving madness starts.

I've been wanting to make this German Apple Cake for awhile now, ever since I saw the recipe in one of my Taste Of Home magazines. The combination of apples and walnuts are one of my favorites, especially during this time of year. The recipe actually calls for pecans, but since I had just bought a giant 5 pound bag of shelled walnuts, I used them instead and it worked out great.

I like this cake as one you can take on a fall picnic, or tailgating at the game, or to someone's house. It's sturdy and smells and tastes just like fall. The cream cheese frosting is one of my favorites, and absolutely worth the effort to make it. I really don't like the taste of already-made frosting anymore even though it's convenient in a pinch. But honestly, there's nothing like homemade.

Recipe for German Apple Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

3 large eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cups chopped and peeled apples

3/4 cup pecans (or walnuts)

For frosting:

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

2 teaspoons butter, softened

2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; add to egg mixture and mix well. Fold in apples and nuts.

Pour into a greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter. Add confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth. Spread on cooled cake.

Makes 12 servings.



Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

Did you know it's National Pumpkin Day? I love celebrating all things pumpkin, so I just had to share this super easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake.

I've recently started being a nanny two days a week for the most adorable ten-month old baby boy. His parents are wonderful people, so it's really been a blessing for all of us to meet and start this relationship. I'd forgotten how amazing babies are and how much work they are. But I love doing this and the baby is one of the sweetest little guys I've ever met.

And all this brings me back to this yummy cake. I bake all the time, for blog posts, for family birthdays and all kinds of occasions. I really love baking. But I've been busy this last week and haven't baked anything.

Yesterday before my grandchildren left for school, they asked me if I could bake them a treat. I'm happy to be a Nana that bakes, so of course I said yes. I normally always bake from scratch now, but remembered I had this yummy, time-saving recipe.

It calls for a box of yellow cake mix, canned pumpkin, and a can of ready-made frosting. From start to finish, it only takes about 40 minutes. Bake it in a 13x9 inch baking pan and it makes about 12 servings, depending on the size of your slices.

My grandchildren loved it and so did the rest of my family. It's perfect if you need a quick dessert on short notice, or a great afterschool snack cake.

Recipe for Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

Ingredients:

1 package of yellow cake mix (about 15 ounces)

1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin

2 eggs

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

3/4 cups mini chocolate chips, divided

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 container ready-made cream cheese frosting

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 inch metal baking pan and line with parchment paper.

Beat cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, water, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl with electric mixer 2 minutes, or until well blended. Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips and pecans. Spread batter in prepared pan.

Bake 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in pan completely, then frost cake with frosting and sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips.

-Post by Patricia



Fresh Peach Cake Recipe From Back In The Day Bakery Made With Love Cookbook

It sort of feels like I should call this cake the "end of summer fun cake". Tomorrow my grandchildren will start a brand new school, in a brand new town, in this brand new to us, state of Nevada.

I think my daughter and son-in-law have prepped them well for this new adventure, emotionally, and with the must have new clothes, backpacks, and shoes. I think, and hope, and pray that the new school will be a great place for them.

When you live with your grandchildren like I do, there isn't really the emotional separation from their lives like other grandparents have. And so I can get caught up in what is happening to them, and just like a parent, I want everything to always go smoothly for them, and life just isn't like that as we all know.

So all I can do is offer them love and support, and cake. Trust me, cake helps. I made this delicious cake for dessert for them last night and they loved it. Who doesn't love yummy cake with peaches and whipped cream, right?

This is actually another cake recipe from the Back In Day Bakery Made With Love Cookbook, by Cheryl and Griffith Day. I absolutely love their southern style way of life and baking. It's become one of my favorite cookbooks.

I found delicious peaches on sale at the grocery store and thought this cake would be a great end of summer dessert for us, and it was. So good!!

Recipe for Fresh Peach Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

10 large peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut in half

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square (or round, like I used) cake pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper and butter it as well. Lightly dust the pan with flour, tapping the pan on the counter to shake out the excess.

Stir together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss the peaches with the lemon juice. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl, using a hand held mixer), cream the butter, 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar, and the brown sugar on medium-high until very light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Add the vanilla and mix until just incorporated.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and use the rubber spatula to incorporate any ingredients hiding at the bottom of the bowl, making sure the batter is completely mixed. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and gently smooth the top with the spatula. Tap the pan firmly on the counter to remove any air bubbles from the batter.

Arrange the peaches on top of the batter, cut side down. Stir together the remaining 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and the cinnamon and sprinkle on top of peaches.

Bake for about 1 hour, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes, then remove from the pan, peel off the parchment, and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

- Post by Patricia













Strawberry Buttermilk Cake Recipe From Back In The Day Bakery Made With Love Cookbook

I'm rarely dazzled by celebrities, or movie stars, but I am a little star-struck when it comes to my favorite cooks and cookbook authors. I have a major couples crush on Cheryl and Griffith Day, who own the Back In The Day Bakery in Savannah, Georgia.

I just love their easygoing Southern style, and the way they produce such gorgeous cookbooks that make me want to bake every single recipe.

Their beloved bakery is a neighborhood hangout for locals, where you can have a cup of coffee or tea and a delicious made from scratch treat. If I ever make it to Georgia, their bakery is on the top of my list to visit.



But back to this fabulous recipe for Strawberry Buttermilk Cake. I love desserts made with fruit, and I love the wonderful depth of flavor that baking with buttermilk provides. There are both in this recipe, and I just know it's going to become one of my family's favorite cake desserts.

The recipe calls for baking it in a deep dish pie plate but I baked it in a 9-inch round cake pan. I wanted to be able to put it on a cake stand, so this worked out well. If you want to do this, just butter the pan and use a round piece of parchment paper in the pan.

The recipe is from the Day's second book, Made With Love. It's packed with more than 100 recipes and projects that is made for cooks of all levels. I can't wait to get into the kitchen and try some more of their recipes, especially the cakes, pies, and cookies.

Recipe for Strawberry Buttermilk Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions:

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer) cream the butter and sugar together on medium high speed for 3-5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla and mix until blended, about 1 minute.

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a rubber spatula, incorporate any ingredients hiding at the bottom of the bowl, making sure the batter is completely mixed. Scrape the batter into the prepared pie plate and gently smooth the top with a spatula. Tap the pan firmly on the counter to remove any air bubbles from the batter. Arrange the strawberries in a concentric rings on top of the batter, cut side down.

Bake the cake for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees and bake for 50-60 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Before serving, dust the top of the cake with confectioners' sugar. The cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Serves 8.

-Post by Patricia   

Birthday Celebration and Recipe For Birthday Cake

It was my birthday at the end of June, and I had a great day celebrating with my family. We had a delicious barbeque dinner out on the deck, and then enjoyed this three-layer yellow cake with classic buttercream frosting.

My granddaughter Ashley and I made my birthday cake. Maybe it's odd to make your own cake, but since I love baking, it was the perfect opportunity to try out a recipe I've been wanting to make for awhile now.

The recipe comes from the cookbook Homemade Decadence, by blogger Joy The Baker. It's perfect for a birthday cake, and I've never baked a cake that got more compliments.

It's just so moist and delicious, and has a tender, buttery flavor. And the buttercream frosting, which I tinted pink, is pure heaven.

It's hard to get a picture with these little monkeys where everyone is smiling, and looking at the camera at the same time. They were being silly, and I loved it, of course.

One of the things I am more and more grateful for as each birthday passes is my children and grandchildren. I love being a mom and grandmother, and my family is at the center of my world.



I almost didn't put the sprinkles on the cake but it was a unanimous vote by the grandkids that they go on, and that they put them on themselves!!

They did a great job, and I love how the cake turned out. Since it was three layers, the cake was big enough that we had some leftover, and I ate a big piece for breakfast the next morning. It's my birthday so I had fun indulging myself, yum!!

This cake really is the perfect birthday cake, and whoever is lucky enough to have one baked for them will be extremely happy.

Recipe for Basic Three-Layer Yellow Cake from Homemade Decadence

Ingredients:

For cake:

4 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 cups buttermilk

For buttercream frosting:

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

5 to 6 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

About 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Put oven racks in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 9-inch round baking pans.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute between each addition.

Beat in the vanilla extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add half of the flour mixture, and beat well. Add the buttermilk in a slow stream and beat well. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until just combined. Finish stirring with a spatula. Divide the batter among the 3 prepared pans.

4. Bake until golden brown on top and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pans for 20 minutes before inverting onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting.

5. If you're not using right away, double-wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 7 days. When ready to frost, remove from the freezer, unwrap, and frost frozen.

To make the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until soft, about 1 minute. Add 2 cups of the confectioners' sugar, the salt, and the vanilla. Beat on low speed until the sugar is well incorporated. Add another 2 cups sugar and the cream. Add remaining 2 cups of sugar as needed to thicken the frosting. Beat on medium speed until the frosting is smooth and fluffy, about 4 minutes.

Frost and put together layers of cake, sprinkle with colored sprinkles if desired.

Makes one 3-layer 9-inch cake.

-Post written by Patricia 

Plum Butter Cake Recipe

Fruit desserts have always been one of my favorites, whether I'm baking them or eating them. The arrival of spring and summer means that I'll have plenty of different kinds of fruits to pick from, and plums are always on my shopping list.

I made this delicious Plum Butter Cake the other day because I got so excited to see plums in my local grocery store. The recipe is quite easy, and the batter is a basic yellow cake batter, scented with cinnamon. The plums also give a lovely flavor to the cake, too.

Last year a friend of one of my daughter's let us pick all the yellow plums that we could carry from her trees. We turned them into tarts, muffins, and topping for French toast and waffles. And we ate plums for days, it was heaven.

I could have let the plums I bought ripen more, but I was too excited to bake the cake. Apricots, nectarines, and peaches can be substituted for the plums if you like.

Recipe for Plum Butter Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
2 large eggs
6 plums, pitted and thickly sliced
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter a 9-inch round or 8-inch square cake or deep dish pie plate. Line the bottom with parchment paper, and butter the paper.
Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a bowl. In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well. Add the dry ingredients and mix well, about 2 minutes.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Poke the plum slices into the batter, placing them close together. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and 1 tablespoon sugar and sprinkle evenly over batter.
Bake 45-50 minutes, until the cake is golden on top, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack 30 minutes before serving.

Serves 6.