Christmas Stripes Cake

As far as Holiday Baking goes, this is as simple and as light as it gets. I used a reduced sugar cake mix, sugar free Jello, and Light Sugar Free Cool Whip. The kids loved it.

Christmas Jello Cake

1 pkg. white cake mix, prepared as directed on box.
1 small pkg. red jello
1 small pkg. green jello
1 cup water
1 large container of Lite Cool Whip

1. Pour cake batter into two 8" or 9" pans sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Cool cakes completely on a wire rack.

3. Put cakes back into pan.

4. Poke holes in cake layers with a large fork at 1/2" intervals.

5. Dissolve red jello in 1/2 cup boiling water.

6. Pour over one of the cake layers.

7. Dissolve green jello in 1/2 cup boiling water.

8. Pour over the other cake layer.

9. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

10. Dip bottom of 1 pan in warm water, and invert onto a serving dish.

11. Frost top of that layer with Cool Whip.

12. Dip second pan and invert onto the top of the cake.

13. Frost with Cool Whip!

Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake

No kidding. . . BEST CAKE EVER!!! I know, everyone says that, but this is the real deal. No faking. Dense, moist, chocolatey, perfection. I made it for myself for mothers day. It was a huge hit with everyone. The frosting was silky, velvety, chocolate insanity! The recipe for the frosting actually came from one of my favorite blogs, www.ourbestbites.com. I have made MANY chocolate cakes, and none even come close to this recipe. The coffee is mandatory! It will not taste the same without it. You don't taste the coffee at all though. It just REALLY intensifies the chocolate. Also, I use dark chocolate cocoa powder. Makes a huge difference. This one's a keeper. . .unless I find something better, which I highly doubt I will!

Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake

Cake:
1 cup softened butter
3 cups packed brown sugar
4 eggs
3 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups flour
3/4 cup dark chocolate cocoa
3 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups strongly brewed coffee, cool
1 1/3 cups sour cream

1. Cream together butter and brown sugar and vanilla.

2. Add in eggs, one at a time.

3. Stir in vanilla.

4. In a separate bowl combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda.

5. Add dry ingredients to creamed ingredients alternately with coffee and sour cream.

6. Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9" pans.

7. Bake at 350 for about 20 to 30 minutes or until set.

8. Cool and Frost!

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Frosting:
16 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
8 Tbs unsalted butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbs corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp table salt
1 1/4 cups cold heavy cream

1. Melt Chocolate in microwave until smooth.

2. Meanwhile, heat butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat until melted.

3. Increase heat to medium; add sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt and stir with heatproof rubber spatula until sugar is dissolved, 4-5 minutes.

4. Add melted chocolate, butter mixture, and cream to clean bowl of stand mixer and stir to thoroughly combine.

5. Place bowl in refrigerator and cool until thickened.

6. Place bowl on stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until frosting is light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.

Chocolate Malt Cake

My Dad is a HUGE chocolate cake fan. So naturally, I had to bake a chocolate cake for Fathers Day. He's also a big fan of Whoppers, hence the Chocolate Malt Cake. Enjoy!

Chocolate Malt Cake:

2 1/4 c. flour

1 1/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. milk

1 c. malted milk powder

1 c. vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 c. sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Malt icing (see recipe below)

Chocolate ganache (see recipe below)

Malted milk balls (Whoppers)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter & flour 2, 9-inch baking pans (you may have a little leftover to make a cupcake or two if you want).

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

3. In a small bowl, combine milk and malted milk powder, stirring to dissolve.

4. Add milk mixture, oil and eggs to flour mixture, beating at a medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.

5. Add sour cream and vanilla, beating just until combined.

6. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans and bake for 20 minutes.

7. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and let cool completely on racks.

8. Frost cakes, pour on ganache (after you pour the ganache over the cake.

9. Place the entire cake in the refrigerator and let cool for at least an hour), and garnish with malted milk balls.

Chocolate Malt Icing:

(this makes a lot of frosting... the original recipe makes a little less but I made extra for the layers. The frosting is so good!)

1 1/2 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/4 c. heavy whipping cream

3/4 c. milted milk powder

7 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1. In a large bowl, beat butter and cocoa powder at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.

2. In a small bowl, combine cream and malted milk powder, stirring to dissolve.

3. Add cream mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed to combine.

4. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until smooth.

Chocolate Ganache:

16 oz. bittersweet (or semi-sweet) chocolate (we used chocolate chips)

2 c. heavy whipping cream

1. Place the chopped chocolate into a medium-sized bowl.

2. Heat the heavy cream in a microwavable container and microwave for 3 to 4 minutes on high, or until it just begins to simmer; be careful not to allow cream to boil over.

3. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds or so.

4. Stir until mixture is smooth.

5. Use as is for glazing.

Lemon Orange Bundt Cake

It's Friday! It's the end of the week, we have a great weekend coming up, and I feel the urge to bake. So. . .Today I'm baking, and freezing. I like to bake in bulk, and fill up the freezer with goodies. Today Ava requested this cake, so that's the first thing on the agenda. I'm also baking some scones, and some cookies. That way I get all work done in a day, and have goodies to last weeks.

Lemon Orange Bundt Cake

LEMON ORANGE CAKE:
1 box of Lemon Supreme cake mix
1 3oz box of orange Jello
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup oil
4 eggs

ORANGE GLAZE:
2 cups powder sugar
3 to 4 Tbsp orange juice

1. Whisk together the cake mix and Jello

2. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, water, and oil.

3. Slowly mix together the wet ingredients with the dry.

4. Pour into a Bundt pan sprayed with nonstick baking spray.

5. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes.

6. Glaze with orange glaze.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
6 cups powdered sugar 1/4 cup milk

1. Beat together butter and shortening.

2. Add in about half of the powdered sugar.

3. Mix in vanilla extract and half the milk.

4. Add in the rest of the powdered sugar, followed by the rest of the milk.

5. Beat buttercream to desired consistency. At this point you can add more sugar or milk if too thick or thin.

6. Tint with color if desired, and frost cake or cupcakes!

Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes

It's Paula Deen Ya'll! Ava and I watched her make these cupcakes and decided we had to try them. Paula made such a big deal about how good the batter was that we were dying to dive in!

Let me tell you, when it comes to baking, Paula Deen knows her stuff! These are so good. Not kidding. Good luck getting the cupcakes into the oven. . .because she was so right about the cake batter!

Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes

3 cups cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 sticks butter, room temperature
2 1/3 cup sugar
3 large egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine all the dry ingredients into a large bowl and set aside.

3. In a large bowl add the butter and the sugar. Mix until light and fluffy

4. Add the egg whites and vanilla and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute.

5. Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the batter and beat until incorporated.

6. Add about half of the buttermilk and continue to beat on medium speed until well mixed.

7. Continue adding dry and wet ingredients, scraping the bowl and beating until incorporated after each addition. End with the dry ingredients.

8. The batter will be thick and glossy.

9. Line muffin tin with papers and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.

10. Frost as desired.

Peanut Butter Snack Cake

Peanut Butter Snack Cake

2 1/4 cups flour
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup Jif Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 cup of butter, softened
1 cup milk
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (16 oz.) package semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 350ºF.

2. Stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda in large bowl.
3. Add peanut butter and butter; blend at low speed with mixer until crumbly.
4. Remove 1 cup of crumbs and set aside.
5. Add milk, eggs and vanilla to crumbs left in bowl.

6. Blend at low speed until moistened. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed.
7. Pour batter into an ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

8. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over top of batter.
9. Sprinkle 1 cup of reserved crumbs over top.
10. Bake 40 to 45 minutes. Cool before serving.

Hostess Cupcakes

Hostess Cupcakes
24 chocolate cupcakes (I just made boxed Devil's Food.)
1 recipe Creamy Cupcake Filling
1 recipe Chocolate Ganache

1. Pipe Creamy Cupcake Filling into each cupcake.

2. Dip tops of cupcakes into Chocolate Ganache.

3. Pipe white swirl on top of cupcake with Creamy Cupcake Filling.

CREAMY CUPCAKE FILLING:
3 heaping Tbsp of flour
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar

1. In a saucepan, whisk together flour and milk.

2. Cook over medium heat until thickened.

3. Remove from heat and cool completely.

4. Transfer flour/milk mixture to large mixing bowl.

5. Cream together with it the butter, shortening, and vanilla.

6. This is where it gets to be time comsuming: You have to add the sugar, 1 Tbsp at a time, mixing on high, between each addition. If you do not mix long enough, your icing will have a gritty sugary consistency. If you do mix long enough, your icing will be very fluffy and creamy.

7. To fill cupcakes, I use a the Pampered Chef Easy Accent Decorator. You could cut a hole out of the top of the cupcake, and pipe it in a Ziploc bag. When piping in the filling, only apply pressure until the top of the cupcake begins to crack.
CHOCOLATE GANACHE:
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 to 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
2 Tbsp butter

1. Scald cream over medium heat.

2. In a large glass bowl, pour cream over chocolate chips.

3. Whisk until chocolate chips are melted and creamy.

4. Add in butter, and stir gently until melted.

Ava's Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

I know what you're thinking. . .this idea's been around since the 80's. But my daughter found a picture of these and insisted that we make them to bring to my sister's house for dessert. I think they turned out cute-ish. Could have been better, it was frustrating making them. Every time one was done, and decorated, and cute, it would topple over and I'd have to scrape off the frosting and start over again. Ugh.

I will give you this piece of advice. . .they do not travel well!!! They are extrememly top heavy!!! Don't plan on them looking as cute when they get to there destination!
Ava's Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

24 ice cream cones
1 pkg of cake mix, prepared as directed on box
1 batch of vanilla buttercream tinted pink, reserving about 1/2 cup of it still white
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup chocolate chips
1 Tbsp butter
24 maraschino cherries, patted dry
12 vanilla cream wafers, cut in half at an angle

1. Put ice cream cones in a mini muffin tin. The bottoms of the cone should fit perfectly.

2. Pour cake batter into each cone, filling about 2/3 of the way. DO NOT overfill!

3. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.

4. Cool completely!

5. Pipe pink buttercream on each cupcake.

6. Edge cupcakes with sprinkles of your choice.

7. In a saucepan, heat heavy cream until hot and starting to bubble.

8. Add chocolate chips to a glass bowl, and pour cream over them.

9. Stir butter into cream and chocolate chips. Continue to stir until smooth and creamy.

10. Spoon about a tsp of chocolate ganache onto each cupcake. (This is the "Hot Fudge.")

11. Top with a dollop of white buttercream. (This is the "Whipped Cream.")

12. Top with a cherry, and cookie.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Oh. My. Cookie DOUGH!!! If you like cookie dough, you will go crazy for these cupcakes! Not even kidding. Pure insanity. I found a few different recipes for Cookie Dough Cupcakes, and morphed them together. Creating the most delicious cookie dough concoction ever created. Seriously.

Let's start with the cookie dough. I made the cookie dough first because you have to freeze it before using the dough in the cupcakes. The freezing helps get the cookie dough cold enough that it gets warm in the oven, but not hot enough to bake it. . . Creating heaven in your mouth. The cupcake batter is enough to bake 30 cupcakes, but you'll have enough cookie dough to do about 48 cookies, so use 30 dough balls in your cupcakes, and bake the rest as cookies to garnish your cupcake with.

Now let's chat a little bit about the cake batter. . .which also tastes like cookie dough. Not even kidding, you'll have to slap your own hand for digging in and eating the batter. I couldn't quit. I was seriously embarassing myself. But it's so so good.

And now frosting. . .yummy. . .delicous. . .cookie doughy. . .frosting. Make it. Eat it. Love it. It's as simple as that. The unique thing about this frosting, is that it contains flour. Which you don't often find in frostings or buttercreams. But it's the combination of vanilla, brown sugar, and flour, that give this frosting the cookie dough taste you're looking for.

I beg. . .don't take my word for it. Make these cupcakes yourself and see. You won't regret it. You'll thank me. Honestly.

CAKE BATTER:
1½ cups (3 sticks) room temp. unsalted butter
1½ cups packed light brown sugar
4 eggs
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
¼ t. salt
1 cup milk
2 t. vanilla extract
24 frozen cookie dough balls (MUST BE FROZEN!)
1 recipe of Cookie Dough Buttercream (RECIPE BELOW)

1. Cream together butter and brown sugar. Beat on medium speed for about five minutes.

2. Add in eggs one at a time.

3. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

4. Add dry ingredients alternately with the milk.

5. Stir in vanilla extract.

6. Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners.

7. Put 1 Tbsp of batter in each liner.
8. Top with 1 frozen cookie dough ball.
9. Cover with 2 Tbsp of cake batter.

10. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.
COOKIE DOUGH FILLING:
1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cup flour
1 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Cream together butter and sugars.

2. Add in eggs one at a time.

3. Mix in baking soda and vanilla.

4. Stir in flour until combined.

5. Add in chocolate chips.

6. Scoop, by TBSP onto baking sheet and freeze for at least an hour.
COOKIE DOUGH BUTTERCREAM:
3 stickes butter, room temp
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3 1/2 cups powder sugar
1 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp milk
2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Combine butter, brown sugar, and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl.

2. Beat on high speed until whipped and fluffy.

3. Slowly add in flour and salt.

4. Mix in milk and vanilla, and whip a few more minutes.

5. Frost cupcakes, and garnish with chocolate chips and cookie pieces.

Dump Cake

Dump Cake

1 large can of crushed pineapple
1 can of cherry pie filling
1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup melted butter

1. Dump pineapple and cherry pie filling into a 9 x 13 pan. Make sure pan is evenly covered.

2. Sprinkle cake mix over the top of filling.

3. Top cake mix with chopped pecans.

4. Drizzle melted butter over cake mix.

5. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes.

Molten Chocolate Cakes

Molten Chocolate Cakes

4oz bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate.)
4oz milk chocolate (I just used a giant Hershey's bar.)
10 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 large eggs
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Butter muffin tin.

2. Coat buttered muffin tin with granulated sugar.

3. Melt chocolate and butter in microwave.

4. Add the flour and sugar to the chocolate mixture.

5. Stir in eggs and yolks until smooth.

6. Stir in vanilla.

7. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.

8. Bake at 425 for 8 to 10 minutes.

9. Center should look slightly jiggly.

10. Cool a few minutes and invert onto platter.

11. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream. (I also made a strawberry puree. . .it was fantastic!)

Shortcut Banana Cake

Shortcut Banana Cake

1 white cake mix
1 cup water
1/3 cup oil
3 eggs
2 or 3 mashed ripe bananas

1. Mix together cake mix, water, and oil.

2. Add in eggs one at a time.

3. Stir in bananas, and mix until well incorporated.

4. Pour into a 9 x 13 (sprayed with baking spray) and bake at 350 for about 25 to 30 minutes.

5. Top with your favorite flavor frosting. . .we, of course, used chocolate.

NOTE: I made this recipe using 5 bananas. . .which was a bit much. It had a very dense texture. If you stick to 3 or less, you'll get a much lighter texture.

Nancy's Wedding Cake

What exactly is a "Nancy's Wedding Cake?" It's actually a cake that my grandma made when my aunt Nancy was a child. I guess she liked it so much that she said she wanted it to be her wedding cake. But when she actually got married, there was no "Nancy's Wedding Cake" on the menu. However, the name stuck.

I don't ever remember my own mom making this when I was a kid, but I do remember going to stay at my Grandma's house and seeing this big, white, domed, cake in her refrigerator. She said it was one of her favorites, and at Grandma's house, the serving size was always extra large. I can honestly say, that some of my best and most cherished childhood memories are of my Grandma. I spent a lot of time with her, and every time I make this cake, I think of her.

Nancy's Wedding Cake

1 white cake of your liking, prepared in two 8" pans.
Lemon Curd Filling
Whipped Icing

LEMON CURD FILLING:
3 egg yolks
4 Tbsp lemon juice
6 Tbsp orange juice
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 heaping Tbsp of flour

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a sauce pan.

2. Cook over medium heat until bubbly and thickened.

3. Cool completely.

WHIPPED ICING:
3 heaping Tbsp of flour
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar

1. In a saucepan, whisk together flour and milk.

2. Cook over medium heat until thickened.

3. Remove from heat and cool completely.

4. Transfer flour/milk mixture to large mixing bowl.

5. Cream together with it the butter, shortening, and vanilla.

6. This is where it gets to be time comsuming: You have to add the sugar, 1 Tbsp at a time, mixing on high, between each addition. If you do not mix long enough, your icing will have a gritty sugary consistency. If you do mix long enough, your icing will be very fluffy and creamy.

CAKE ASSEMBLY:

1. Cut both cake layers horizontally creating a total of four cake layers.

2. Place first layer on your cake plate, spread with 1/3 of the Lemon Curd Filling.

3. Repeat with the rest of the cake and filling.

4. Frost entire cake with whipped icing.

NOTE: Cake must be refrigerated. Let set out for a bit before serving to allow the frosting to soften up.

Tessa's Birthday Cupcakes

So all of my kids LOVE getting their birthday cakes. They usually tell me a theme they want, and then they let me surprise them with the cake. I do not decorate cakes. So I always order them.

Tessa surprised me this year though. She asked me to make her cupcakes. Not buy them. She requested chocolate cake, with chocolate frosting. I added the white filling.

They are SO GOOD! And this recipe makes about 40 cupcakes.

CUPCAKE BATTER:
1 cup softened butter
3 cups packed brown sugar
4 eggs
3 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups flour
3/4 cup dark chocolate cocoa
3 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups strongly brewed coffee, cool
1 1/3 cups sour cream

1. Cream together butter and brown sugar and vanilla.

2. Add in eggs, one at a time.

3. Stir in vanilla.

4. In a separate bowl combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda.

5. Add dry ingredients to creamed ingredients alternately with coffee and sour cream.

6. Scoop into a muffin pan lined with cupcake papers, mostly full.

7. Bake at 350 for about 18 to 20 minutes or until set.

8. Cool and fill with Creamy Filling.

CREAMY CUPCAKE FILLING:
3 heaping Tbsp of flour
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar

1. In a saucepan, whisk together flour and milk.

2. Cook over medium heat until thickened.

3. Remove from heat and cool completely.

4. Transfer flour/milk mixture to large mixing bowl.

5. Cream together with it the butter, shortening, and vanilla.

6. This is where it gets to be time comsuming: You have to add the sugar, 1 Tbsp at a time, mixing on high, between each addition. If you do not mix long enough, your icing will have a gritty sugary consistency. If you do mix long enough, your icing will be very fluffy and creamy.

7. To fill cupcakes, I use a the Pampered Chef Easy Accent Decorator. You could cut a hole out of the top of the cupcake, and pipe it in a Ziploc bag. When piping in the filling, only apply pressure until the top of the cupcake begins to crack.
8. Frost!

WHIPPED GANACHE FROSTING:
1 1/2 cups butter
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
4 cups powdered sugar

1. In a saucepan, melt together the butter and chocolate chips.

2. Whisk in heavy cream.

3. Refrigerate for at least an hour, or until firm and completely cooled.

4. Transfer to a mixing bowl, and whip on high, slowly adding in the powdered sugar.

5. Continue to mix until light and fluffy.

6. Pipe frosting on top of cupcakes.

Pistachio Almond Cake

Pistachio Almond Cake

1 pkg. white cake mix
1 small pkg. sugar free instant pistachio pudding
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup water
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp almond extract
few drops of green food coloring
1 can of chocolate frosting

1. Whisk together white cake mix and pudding mix.

2. Add in eggs one at a time, followed by water, oil, almond extract, and green food coloring.

3. Whisk until well combined.

4. Pour into a Bundt pan sprayed with baking spray.

5. Bake at 350 for 45 to 55 minutes.
6. Let cool for 10 minutes and invert onto a serving plate.
7. Cool completely.

8. Heat frosting in the microwave until creamy and pourable.

9. Pour evenly over cake.
NOTE: This cake looks MUCH different in person. I could not get my camera to capture the color. When you cut into the cake, it's actually quite green in color. Very hard to tell here.

Chocolate Spidey Cakes

Spidey Cakes

Cupcakes prepared as you wish
Frosting
Chocolate Sprinkles
Licorice
Marshmallows
MM's or Dots

1. Frost cupcake with frosting of your choice.

2. Dip frosted cupcake in chocolate sprinkles to coat.

3. Cut licorice to desired length for spider legs and insert legs into frosting.

4. Push a Dot candy onto the tip of a toothpick. Insert toothpick into cupcake.

5. Cut marshmallow in half.

6. Place marshmallows, cut side down, on cupcake to form eyes.

7. Using a small dab of frosting, "glue" an M&M or other colored candy onto the end of each marshmallow half.

Candy Corn Cupcakes

Candy Corn Cupcakes

1 cup milk, room temperature
6 egg whites
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter (6 oz), softened
Food Coloring

1. In a mixing bowl, sift together cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, egg whites, almond extract, and vanilla extract.

3. Add butter to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until the mixture looks like sand.
4. Add in about 1/2 cup of the milk/egg mixture and mix until a "dough" forms.
5. Keeping mixer on low speed, slowly drizzle in the rest of the milk and egg mixture.

6. Divide batter in half. Tint half yellow, and half orange.

7. 2 cupcake pans with cupcake wrappers, totaling 24 cupcakes.

8. Scoop 1 1/2 Tbsp of yellow batter into each cupcake wrapper.

9. Top yellow batter with 1 1/2 Tbsp of orange batter.

10. Bake at 350 for 18 to 20 minutes. Cool and frost!

Upside Down Apple Cinnamon Cake

So, if you don't already know this, I am on the Weight Watchers plan. (6 pounds down!) At times. . .it sucks. SO, last night I was checking out Martha Stewart's website for some slightly less indulgent treats. I came across an Apple Upside Down Cake. It looked SO GOOD! (I was craving something sweet!) When I saw the recipe, I thought I had to make it. However, I wanted a gooey caramel sauce with it too. (I also added a vanilla glaze.) So I took the idea of a caramel roll, and mixed it up with the idea of an Apple Upside Down Cake. And here it is. . .

Upside Down Apple Cinnamon Cake

Caramel:
5 Tbsp butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp milk

Cake:
2 apples, peeled and sliced
8 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 to 3 Tbsp milk

1. Melt together butter, brown sugar, and milk. Pour into the bottom of a 9" round pan.
2. Arrange apples over the caramel mixture in whatever pattern you'd like.

3. In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Add in eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla.

5. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

6. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.

7. Slowly add in milk and sour cream.

8. Spoon cake batter over the top of the apples.
9. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.
10. Cool for about 10 minutes then invert onto a plate. Cool completely.
11. Whisk together the ingredients for the glaze, and glaze the cake!