Easter Weekend.

I was supposed to bring a dessert for the family Easter function and since I like making cakes. I did one and some cupcakes.
I got a two piece egg shaped pan and a cupcake decorating set the last time I was in the City and they came in handy this weekend.
The bismark tip was helpful in filling up the cupcakes, hubby did the filling for me. We just used vanilla pudding.

Buttercream Icing.

The flowers turned out alright, I didn't do well with the spiral top because the icing was too thick, not sure what I did there. The dots though take some practice.

I really have to learn to take my time or give myself time when doing cakes because I keep rushing through them and it ends up being sloppy. So I'm not impressed with my cake decorating right now. I need to practice more but honestly I eat the icing and the cake, so it's a no win for me caloriewise.

Dark Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2 1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. cocoa

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 c. soft butter

2 c. sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp. grated orange rind

2 c. coard grated zucchini

1/2 c. milk

Combine first 6 ingredients in bowl; set aside. Combine butter and suagar in bowl. Beat until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to mix well. Stir in vanilla, orange rind and zucchini. Alternately add dry ingredients and milk to butter mixture; mix well between each addition. Pour batter into greased and floured tube pan or bundt pan. Bake 50 to 60 minutes at 350°F. Cool 5 minutes on rake. Remove from pan, cool completely. Dust with icing sugar.

Notes: This recipe does call for 1 cup of nuts which I omit because of allergies. This recipe is awesome and turns out so nice. It has a little bit of a crunchy crust and then once I stored it for a bit it was so moist and good. It's a wonderfully nice chocolate cake.

Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary!!!

Yesterday was my BBF's wedding anniversary, 4 years I think. I made this but haven't given it to her and her hubby yet. I was going to tell her to pick it up on her way home from work but she wasn't in when I was in there, wasn't done at that time anyway because I was going to finish after the kids were in bed. But I ended up in bed pretty early last night anyway.

It was my first try at the basket weave but I think it looks alright. So H, you'll have to pick it up later on your way home, I'll keep it in the fridge until then. Love you, hope you had a wonderful night!

Mother's Day Cake

I made a cake for Mother's Day. My mom was having a party. So I made cake with French Vanilla Cake mix and Buttercream frosting.

1/2 cup butter

3 cups icing cugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2-3 tbs. milk

Cream all together until a nice smooth consistency.

I did this but the peach color I made very airy somehow, too much milk I think and it didn't go on the cake very well and then when I was making little flowers the icing was getting mushy from the heat from my hands, so I was doing a lot of fridge breaks. I tried my had at the top flowers for the first time ever, I definitely have to work with cooler icing to do that part. I also love the Wilton icing colors. I used 3 of the pastel colors.

I also need to practice with my new cake decoating tips I got at a yard sale. I got about 70 tips, some of them are doubles and some are no name brand but there were 3 nails and half dozen coupers so I'm pretty satisfied for the $20 I spent. Now I need to make a list of which tips I have, so I don't buy doubles if I do buy any in the future and figure out what designs they are. I'll have to go to the Wilton site and print what each looks like or something. It was a pretty simple cake but I used some instructions online to make is stable using dowelings and cardboard under each cake. I'm pretty happy with it, keep in mind I feel asleep the night I was going to work on it after the kids were in bed so I started first thing in the morning baking the top and bottom and then decorating with three children in my ear all day and bothering me. They seem to all get so needy when I want to do something. So maybe next time I'll do a better job of icing. I found the blue icing I made a lot nicer in consistency and nicer to work with and I feel it went on much better than the peach.

So here it is.

Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

Pretty in pink - strawberry flavoured cupbakes with strawberry cream cheese frosting- great for Mother's Day, birthdays and more.

1 pkg. light spreadable cream cheese
1 pkg. strawberry flavoured jelly powder
3 eggs
1/3 cup. oil
1 pkg. Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe French Vanilla Cake Mix
1 c. water
24 large Rynolds Baking Cups

Strawberry Frosting:
1 tub Duhcan Hines Creamy Home-STyle Cream Cheese Frosting
3 tbs. strawberry jam

Beat in large bowl with electric mixer, cream cheese and jelly powder, until smooth. Beat in eggs and oil. Add cake mix and water, beat on loiw speed until combined. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Spoon batter 1/4 ful inot pan lined with baking cups.

Bake in 350°F oven about 18 minutes, unti ltester inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool completely on rack. Stir together cream cheese frosting and jam. Spread about a table spoon on each cupcake. Makes 24 frosted cupcakes.

Per cupcake: 238 Cal.

Notes:

I made a cake and in a 9 inch springform pan, it took about 40-45 minutes to cook and I used cream cheese frosting.

8 oz. cream cheese
1/2c. soft margarine
2 tbs. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
powdered sugar

Cream margarine and cream cheese. Add vanilla and milk. Blend in powdered sugar until desired consistency.

Carrot Cake

Ingredients:
4 eggs
2 c. brown sugar
1½ c. Canola oil
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1½ tsp. baking soda
4 ½ tsp. cinnamon
1 ½ tsp. cardamom
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1/16 tsp crushed cloves
1 tsp. salt
2 c. grated carrots
1 c. pineapple pieces
1 c. walnuts (I used soaked raisins instead)
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix eggs and brown sugar together. Add canola oil and mix until light and fluffy. Mix dry ingredients together and add to egg mixture. Add rest of ingredients. Bake in 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish at 350°F for approximately 40 to 50 minutes.
Cake freezes well.

Icing: 2 cups of cream cheese, ½ c. of unsalted butter, 2 cups icing sugar, 2 tbs. lemon juice. Mix together. Icing will keep for a long time in the refrigerator.