Chocolate Birthday Cake

Today is a very special day in our household!

It’s my dog, Oliver’s 4th birthday. Oliver came into my life at a low point, and he has brought so much joy, love, and laughter into our lives. We really couldn’t imagine life without him. 

 In honor of his birthday, I am sharing my absolute favorite birthday cake recipe. If you have followed me along, you know how much I love cheesecake.

 Cheesecake has always been my choice of cake for my birthday, but last year I decided that it was time to change it up! So I celebrated my 22nd birthday with this amazing chocolate cake!

 This chocolate cake is the only recipe you’ll ever need. If you aren’t a big cream cheese frosting fan, no worries, use your favorite frosting and follow along with the rest of the recipe to assemble it.

 This rich chocolate cake is an oil-based cake which makes it extra moist and the cream cheese frosting helps balance out the sweetness of the cake thanks to the tanginess from the cream cheese. 

Anytime I bake, Oliver always joins me in the kitchen to scope out the situation, and of course to get a little treat. Cream cheese frosting is something he loves and knows that if he looks at me with those beautiful brown puppy eyes, he will get to lick the bowl!

 So Happy Birthday to the best dog in the world, Oliver! 

Come along and celebrate with a slice of this delicious chocolate cake.

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Ingredients 

Chocolate Cake

• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons canola oil

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 1 cup hot water

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Two 8oz. Packages of cream cheese, room temperature 

• 2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature

• 4 ½ cups of confectioners sugar

• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

• 1 pinch of salt

• 1 tablespoon of heavy cream

• Assorted gel/food coloring

• Assorted candies

Recipe

Chocolate Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Grease two 8-inch cake pans and dust with cocoa powder, set aside.

2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat together the oil and both sugars on medium speed for 2 minutes.Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat again. 

4. With  the mixer on low, carefully add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Stop the mixer, and scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl, making sure there aren’t any unmixed pieces. 

5. With the mixer on low, stream in the hot water. Mix on medium-low until combined.

6. Evenly divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Let them cool on a wire rack before removing the cakes from their pans.

7. Once they are cool enough to handle, carefully remove them from the pans and set them on a wire rack while you make the frosting.

Frosting

1. In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. 

2. Add the confectioners’ sugar, cream, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. 

3. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes until completely combined and creamy. 

*Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, more milk if frosting is too thick, or an extra pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet. 

Assemble

1. Take 1 cup of frosting and divided into two small bowls, add your choice of coloring and mix it.

2. Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with non-colored cream cheese frosting. Top with 2nd layer and spread remaining non-colored cream cheese frosting on top and around the cake using a bench scraper or spatula.

3.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Take your cake out of the refrigerator, and apply the colored frosting around the cake using again your icing spatula and bench scraper. Top with your assorted candies, if using. 

Vanilla layered Berry Cake

Unlike most food holidays, the Fourth of July is a day that tends to sneak up on us. People usually resort to their usual BBQ selection with classic potato salads, and ice cream for dessert. This year, on the other hand, I will not let the day go by without preparation; which begins now with some prideful recipes like this Vanilla layered Berry Cake!

Dessert is especially overlooked at BBQ's because it is hot and let's face it, who wants to be indoors when the fun's outside. Over the years I have come to realize that if you go the extra mile to prepare a wonderfully delicious dessert in advance, 9/10 people will eat it and appreciate you for turning on those ovens in 80° weather!

This layered cake is spongy, light, and the perfect canvas for the whipped cream cheese frosting and berries!

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Ingredients 

Vanilla Cake 

• 3 and 2/3 cups cake flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 and 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

• 2 cups granulated sugar

• 3 large eggs, room temperature

• 2 egg whites, room temperature

• 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract 

• 1 and 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature

Heavy Cream Frosting 

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 4 oz. cream cheese

• 2 3/4 cups heavy cream, cold

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 2 cups variety berries, sliced and halved ( such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries)

• 1 cup sliced pineapple, save the juice for soaking cake

Recipe

Vanilla Cake 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease & line three 8-inch cake pans.

2. Whisk the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together. Set aside.

3. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides, beat in the 3 eggs, 2 egg whites, and vanilla extract until combined. (Mixture will look curdled, don’t worry!)

4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients until just combined. With the mixer running on low speed, pour in the buttermilk, and mix just until combined. Using a whisk or rubber spatula, fold the batter, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl, ensuring there are no lumps. 

5. Pour batter evenly into pans. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool.

Heavy Cream Frosting 

1. In a cold mixing bowl, beat the whipping cream, cream cheese, vanilla extract. Add the confectioners' sugar on medium speed until fluffy. 

2. To assemble, place one of the cooled layers on a cake plate. Using a pastry brush, soak the layer with the pineapple juice. Add a ½ cup of the frosting, roughly spread and top with a ½ cup of the berries and pineapples. Repeat until the last layer. For the top, add the remaining frosting and decorate with berries. 

Strawberry Mint Scones

We are a week into Spring and although the weather may have not gotten the memo yet, my kitchen sure has! Spring cooking makes me happy!

The slightly warmer weather and sunshine gives me so much inspiration and motivation to bake with light and bright ingredients.

My favorite ingredients around this time are fruit! From citrus fruit to berries, I love to incorporate them in any way I can. And for my first bake of Spring 2019, I chose scones! To tell you the truth, scones always looked very heavy and dense and I have never had the desire to eat one, not until I tried this recipe. With one bite, I was hooked! From the light and buttery dough to the strawberry and mint filling, they scream spring!

This recipe was taken and adapted from one of my absolute favorite magazines, Bake from Scratch where they use basil instead of mint. What's great about this recipe is how versatile it is, so if mint or basil aren't your favorite herbs, you can easily substitute with thyme, or rosemary, or leave it out entirely.

Bake up a batch and enjoy them with a lovely cup of coffee or tea.

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Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

• ¾ cup cold unsalted butter, grated

• 1 cup diced fresh strawberries

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

• ¾ cup whole milk

• 2 large eggs, divided

• 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

• Garnish: sanding sugar

Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add cold butter, tossing to coat. Cover and freeze for 15 minutes. Stir in strawberries and mint.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together milk and 1 egg. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring and folding just until moistened. Turn out dough onto a heavily floured surface. Using well-floured hands, knead dough 5 to 10 times, about 1 minute. Roll dough to ¾- to 1-inch thickness. Using a bench scraper, cut the dough into triangles or use 2¾-inch round cutter, cut dough, rerolling scraps only once. Place on prepared pan.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together cream and remaining 1 egg. Brush egg wash onto scones. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, if desired.

5. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

6. Let cool slightly; serve warm.

   Recipe by Bake from Scratch

Mickey Mouse Vanilla Cupcakes

I made these adorable cupcakes for my friend nephew’s birthday! 

 From the fluffy texture of the cupcake to the cute decorations, this cupcake was a hit! And because the cupcake is not to sweet, this fluffy vanilla frosting is the perfect pairing!

 Vanilla mix, especially boxed ones, are usually overly sweet and full of artificial flavors. I'm not completely against boxed mixes; however, when it comes to baking for someone you love, I think it is essential to go that extra mile and make it from scratch. Not only they will taste good but your loved one will taste the love and care you have put into them.

 To make these Mickey Mouse themed cupcakes, I topped the frosting with two mini Oreos. And to complete Mickey’s outfit, I took a step further and added little yellow buttons (tiny pieces of paper) to the red cupcake liners.

For any other occasion, leave the Oreos out, and you will have the perfect Vanilla frosted cupcake!

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Ingredients

Vanilla Cupcake

• 1/4 cup salted butter, softened

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• 2 tsps vanilla extract

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tsps of baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Vanilla Frosting

• 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 4 cups powdered sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 to 4 tbsp heavy cream

• Mini Oreos

Recipe

Vanilla Cupcake

1. Preheat to 350 degrees F.  Prepare a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the baking powder, salt and flour. Set aside.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Beat in oil and vanilla. Turning the mixer on low, beat in the dry ingredients. Add the buttermilk, and beat again until the mixture is just combined.

4. Using a small ice cream scoop, fill the liners half full.

5. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool  in the pans on a wire rack.

Vanilla Frosting

1. In an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat butter and powdered sugar. Add the vanilla extract and heavy cream, mix until light and fluffy.

2. Frost the cupcakes. Using Mini Oreos, place two on the frosting, side by side, to make it look like Mickey Mouse ears.

Raspberry Macarons

Pucker up, its Valentines day and these Raspberry Macarons are both tart and sweet!

Macarons are a classic French pastry, they are made from almond flour, confectioner sugar, and egg whites.

They are such a treat but usually difficult to make.

However, this recipe is foolproof!

I've made this recipe several times, and each one comes out perfect!

One of the things that I love most about Macarons is how versatile they are.

Because today is Valentines Day, I made a Pink macaron with a delicious cream cheese raspberry filing!

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Ingredients 

 Macarons

• 3/4 cup almond flour

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

• 2 large egg whites, at room temperature

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• Red food coloring

 Raspberry Filling

• 1 stick butter, softened

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened

• 3 1/2 to 4 cups powdered sugar

• ½ fresh raspberries

Recipe

  Macarons

1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 325 F.

2. Combine almond flour and confectioners’ sugar in a bowl and whisk together. Pass mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing down on clumps.

3. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites using a hand-mixer or stand-mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes until soft peaks form. Add the granulated sugar and beat on high for 2 more minutes until stiff, glossy peaks form.

4. Add red food coloring and beat on high for another 30 seconds.

5. Gently fold in dry ingredients and repeat until the batter falls into ribbons when spatula is lifted.

6. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch round tip.

7. Pipe batter into 3/4-inch round circles, 1 inch apart.

8. Tap the baking sheet firmly against the counter to release any air bubbles. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes until they form a skin.

9. Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating halfway, until cookies have risen and just set. Let cool for 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack and let cool completely.

Raspberry Filling

1. Puree the 1/2 cup raspberries in a food process, or blender. If you don't want seeds in your frosting, press the puree through a strainer. ( I left the seeds in)

2. In an electric mixer, beat butter, cream cheese until all combined. Turning mixer on low, add in the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

3. Add in the pureed raspberries and beat until all combined and smooth.

4. Transfer the filling into a piping bag with a stared tip.

5. Pipe a swirl on one half the macarons and sandwich them together.