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Yesterday I made a gorgeous Red Velvet Cake – to celebrate baseball getting back into swing. Sure, it’s pre-season but that’s enough for any baseball fanatic worth his or her salted peanuts to get excited about. Since my family is ALL about the St. Louis Cardinals, the dessert obviously had to be red and white.
Naturally, I went with a homemade Cream Cheese Frosting for my Red Velvet Cake. The Duncan Hines Cream Cheese frosting isn’t bad (at all, in fact), but there’s just something extra special about homemade Cream Cheese frosting. I switched up my favorite recipe a little this time because I was feeling it and I loved the results. I believe it was better than ever this time.
Here’s the recipe. Take note that this is for a huge Red Velvet Cake, so you might want to half the recipe. Then again, it’s so delicious, you might want more than you actually need!
Outstanding Cream Cheese Frosting
2 packages (8 oz) cream cheese, softened (I use Philadelphia Cream Cheese)
1 stick margarine
4 teaspoons half and half (use a little more if you want it creamier)
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 – 8 cups powdered sugar
Beat the cream cheese, stick of margarine, half and half, and vanilla in a large bowl on low until creamy. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time and blend until it’s has a glorious spreadable consistency.
After I frosted the cake, I covered the top with chopped walnuts and it was almost too beautiful to cut into. Almost.
I always make a little extra frosting than I’ll need for one reason and that reason is a beautiful girl named Brittany. My dear, lovely daughter wasn’t born with “a” sweet tooth – every single one in her head is a sweet tooth. She has her own little system for serving herself a piece of cake as a result. She inserts the cake knife, cuts out her piece of cake… then at the last minute, returns to the cake for an extra helping of icing. This, of course, leaves exposed parts of the cake, so I’ve learned to keep extra frosting on hand in the refrigerator for patching up what has become known as “Brittany’s Barrens.”
Sometimes I use the leftover frosting to frost cookies. My resident cookie monsters love that. It’s also wonderful on store-bought muffins.
This morning, I was in the process of making some of those remarkable Pillsbury Toaster Strudels (the Strawberry and Cream Cheese variety) when I got a yummy idea. Instead of using the little packet of icing, I broke out my Cream Cheese frosting and… voila!…. something Heavenly was even more so.
This is a truly delicious frosting and makes cakes, cupcakes, and cookies better than they have a right to be.
The Pillsbury Dough Boy would squeal with delight for this Cream Cheese Frosting recipe on his Pillsbury Toaster Strudels!
Coca-Cola Bathing Beauty Replica Metal Sign
Cocoa-Cola Cake Recipe
STEP 1
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup butter
1 cup Coca-Cola
3 Tbs cocoa
Mix the sugar and flour in a large bowl. Combine the oil, butter, Coca-Cola and cocoa and add to the dry ingredients.
STEP 2
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
Add and mix well.
STEP 3
1-1/2 cup miniature marshmallows
Fold the marshmallows into the delicious mixture and bake in a greased and dusted with cocoa 9×13 inch pan for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
STEP 4
1/2 cup butter
3 Tbs cocoa
5 Tbs Coca-Cola
Bring to a boil.
STEP 5
1 box powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Add to the boiled cocoa and Coca-Cola. Combine and pour over the hot cake. Delicious!
by Joi on February 5, 2010
The recipe below is from recipe from New York Times Bestselling novelist and avid baker Mary Burton.
Just over a year ago, author Mary Burton was quoted in the Richmond Times-Dispatch talking about how her passions—writing and baking—both contribute to her creativity. The article shared a recipe along with Mary’s view that, for her, they are intertwined, most probably because she experiences each as requiring creativity as well as expertise.
So, when the going gets tough, Mary heads to the kitchen where the stress level immediately ratchets down a few notches and she finds herself busy working out dialogue and untangling plot lines before the oven has even preheated. As she told the Times-Dispatch, “…you can tell how the writing’s going by the number of cupcakes on the counter.”
I love that! I find a similar solace in my kitchen as well. In fact, I’m pretty sure there’d be a lot more empty therapist couches is more people took up cooking. What a stress reliever!
For the recently published novel DYING SCREAM, Mary Burton shared her gift with protagonist Adrianna Barrington. Figuring that when Adrianna wasn’t helping track down a serial killer she would welcome a chance to chill, Mary gave her a great kitchen along with a penchant for pastry and other baked delicacies. 
And, as long as it’s coming up on St. Valentine’s Day and Adrianna is carrying a torch for Homicide Detective Gage Hudson, Mary also decided it was time for her have her own recipe for readers to bake and enjoy ― Adrianna’s Carrot Cake Love Muffins.
The rest of us get to benefit from her creativity, how cool is that? What’s say, as a thank you (we cooks are nothing if not gracious) to Mary Burton, we all buy her newest novel, Dying Scream
? After all, we bakers have to stick together!
For more about Mary Burton and her novels visit www.maryburton.com.
To see last year’s Valentine’s Day recipe for Mary Burton’s Buns— CLICK HERE.
Finally, to see the Richmond Times-Dispatch article— CLICK HERE.
Adrianna’s Carrot Cake Love Muffins Recipe
3 cups of shredded carrots
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
To the shredded carrots add eggs, sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil and vanilla. Mix well. Shift flour, salt, cinnamon, baking power and baking soda into carrot mixture. Gently mix and scoop into muffin cups. Makes about 12. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
(If possible, hand shred the carrots. It takes a bit longer to shred by hand but the carrots hold more moisture and this really enhances the texture of the muffins.)
Muffins can be dusted with powdered sugar or topped with a cream cheese icing. Both are delicious.
Cream Cheese Icing
1/2 cup cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups of powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons of milk
Cream all together until fluffy. When the muffins have cooled ice with frosting.
by Joi on February 4, 2010
Check out this recipe from Dave Lieberman and Del Monte for Beet Mash Chocolate Cupcakes, just in time for Valentine’s Day! Everyone knows that chocolate is an aphrodisiac, but did you know that beets are too?? (Yes, beets!)
Did you know?: Not only are beets nature’s multivitamin but beets are also rich in boron, a mineral thought to get the love juices flowing.
Dave recommends using canned sliced beets (he suggests Del Monte® Fresh Cut® Sliced Beets)—with canned beets you get all the flavor and nutrition for a lot less money, plus they are easier to mash!
Check out www.Delmonte.com/Solutions for a $1.00 off coupon on any 4 Del Monte® Brand Products to use in your recipe. I heart coupons, so I’ll see you there.
Beet Mash Chocolate Cupcakes (or Cake) with Beet Frosting
Recipe courtesy of: Dave Lieberman, campaign spokesperson for the Del Monte “Value without Sacrifice,” Chef and Author of The 10 Things You Need To Eat
FOR THE CUPCAKES:
One 14.5 oz. can Del Monte® Fresh Cut® Sliced Beets, drained
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2-1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup warm water
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
FOR THE ICING:
2 sticks unsalted butter
Approx. 1/2 can of Del Monte® Fresh Cut® Sliced Beets, drained
1 pound confectioners sugar
For Cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
For Cake: Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
In a small bowl, mash the drained can of beets finely with a potato masher and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, oil, eggs, and water. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet. Fold in the mashed beets and mix well.
For Cupcakes: Pour the batter into greased cupcake tins. Bake about 15-20 minutes, until set but moist. (Or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean)
For Cake: Pour the batter into a greased 10-inch Bundt pan. Bake about 70 minutes, until set but moist. Let cool, and turn out onto a large serving plate.
Make the Icing: Mash the ½ can of beets finely with a potato masher. Melt 1 stick of butter in a saucepan and add mashed beets. Simmer on very low heat for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cream the second stick of butter with a mixer in a bowl. Mix in the melted butter and beet mixture until fully incorporated. Gradually beat in the confectioners sugar.
Ice the cupcakes with a thick layer of icing.
The cupcakes and cake serve 12-15.
The wonderful thing about edible gifts for Valentine’s Day is that you can impress the socks off of your sweetheart without spending a fortune. Gifts you make, yourself, are somehow more meaningful.
by Joi on December 16, 2009
Baked Alaska Recipe
Courtesy of the Millennium Alaskan Hotel Anchorage
Cake:
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
4 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled
Filling:
2 quarts ice cream, softened (flavor of your choice)
1 quart sorbet, softened (flavor of your choice)
Meringue:
6 large egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Cake:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray 9-inch-diameter springform pan with nonstick spray. Whisk eggs, sugar, and vanilla in large metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bowl to touch water); whisk constantly just until mixture is warm, about 2 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until very thick and ribbons form when beaters are lifted, about 7 minutes. Add flour in 3 additions, gently folding just to combine after each. Fold in poppy seeds, then quickly fold in butter in 2 additions (do not overfold). Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake cake until top is golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 28 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack. Remove pan sides.
For Filling:
Line 4-quart 10-inch-diameter bowl with plastic wrap, leaving 8-inch overhang. Spread sorbet in even layer over bottom (not sides) of bowl. Spread ice cream over sorbet. Place cake atop ice cream, pressing slightly to compact. Cover with plastic wrap overhang; freeze at least 4 hours or overnight.
For Meringue:
Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time; beat until thick and glossy. Beat in vanilla.
Unfold plastic wrap from over cake at top of bowl. Invert dessert onto 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom; remove plastic wrap. Working quickly, spread meringue over dessert, swirling to form peaks and covering completely. Freeze at least 30 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead; keep frozen.)
Preheat oven to 500°F. Place dessert on its tart pan bottom on heavy large baking sheet. Bake just until meringue is light golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to platter. Serve immediately.
yield: 12 servings
by Joi on December 5, 2009
Read on to see how you can help as the Apple Baking Company allows delicious proceeds to benefit families of children with life-threatening diseases.
SALISBURY, NC (December 2, 2009) – Apple Baking Company has produced a collectible holiday tin containing a variety of its cake slices to help raise funds for Camp New Hope, a non-profit, private camp free to families who have children with life-threatening illnesses.
The silver tins contain a selection of cakes made by the Apple Banking Company and can be used for corporate gifts or other gifts this holiday season. Apple Baking donates $5 of the $20 retail price from each sale to the camp. According to the company’s president, if sales go well this year it may become an annual activity.
“The holiday tins are a great addition to our work for Camp New Hope,” said Matt DeBoer, president of Apple Baking Company. “This camp for children is so important. We completely support the camp’s mission for children to experience a new appreciation for nature and a renewed hope for the future.”
Camp New Hope (www.campnewhopenc.org) consists of 160 acres in West Jefferson, NC, much of it woods and mountains along the New River. Visiting families enjoy spectacular views, either from comfortable rocking chairs on the front porch of the rustic five-bedroom lodge, or from walks along the river. Families also have access to canoes, kayaks, tubes, volleyball, baseball, soccer, fishing rods, and “the swimming hole.”
Randy Brown, camp director, said that Apple Baking is a great corporate partner. “They really understand our purpose,” she said. “It’s heart-warming to have this support.”
Each tin contains two slices of Cheerwine Cake, two slices of Lemon Crème Cake, two slices of Chocolate Crème Cake, one Pineapple Crush Mini Bundt Cake, one Vanilla Crème Mini Bundt Cake, and one Orange Crush Mini Bundt Cake.
Each tin also contains a card about Camp New Hope and Batten’s Disease, since the camp has many campers with this fatal illness. Batten’s Disease (www.bdsra.org) is an inherited disorder of the nervous system that affects children. Currently there is no cure.
In Salisbury, the Faith Civitan Club will sell the holiday tins at various street and store locations on Saturday, Dec. 12, from 9-11 a.m. If other civic clubs or schools are interested in participating in the sale on Dec. 12, contact Pat Pearson at Miller Davis, 704.314.4723 or patp@millerdavisagency.com.
The tins also may be purchased at Apple Baking Company, 380 Apple Road, Salisbury, NC, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays.
Apple Baking Co. is located at 380 Apple Road, Salisbury, NC, 28147; telephone: 704.637.6800. For 25 years, the company has been making pastries, including its trademark Apple Ugly and now Cheerwine cakes and other pound cakes in a variety of fruit and chocolate flavors, cake slices, and mini cakes. The products are sold across the Southeast and in the Mid-West at grocery chains, convenience stores and in vending machines.
For more information, visit www.applebaking.com.
by Joi on December 4, 2009
If you or someone you know is as hooked on Ace of Cakes as I am, here’s something you have to look into: Food Network Ace of Cakes: Seasons 1-3!
Yes, please.
I actually had a major dental procedure yesterday which meant coming home and crashing for the rest of the day. I would have loved to have had a stack of Ace of Cakes episodes to help me recover – watch a few I Love Lucys, then a few Ace of Cakes, then a few Andy Griffiths (oh that Barney)….
From the Website:
If you can dream it, Duff Goldman and his team of artists and bakers Baltimore’s Charm City Cakes can make it into a cake. As Duff says, “this is not your mom’s cake shop.”
Duff’s rock n’ roll spirit and endless creativity makes him one of most wildly inventive culinary artisans you’ll ever meet.
Season 1 Disc One Episode 1: Triple Crown Cake Episode 2: Hell Week Disc Two Episode 3: Wedding Cakes and Headaches Episode 4: Life’s a Zoo Disc Three: Episode 5: Duff Goes to Hollywood Episode 6: Cake Walk
Season 2 Disc One: Episode 1: The Boss is Gone Episode 2: Four Weddings and a Rat Episode 3: Great Scot Episode 4: Monkey Business Disc Two: Episode 5: Tributes and Tribulations Episode 6: Flying High Episode 7: Milestones and Monuments Episode 8: Cake-Tastrophe Disc Three: Episode 9: Shell Shocked Episode 10: Dr. Duff Episode 11: Playing Games Episode 12: The Super Cake
Season 3 Disc One: Get ready for more great cakes from the crew at Charm City Cakes. “Wedding Bells and Shotgun Shells”, “Tattoos and Traditions”, “Mary(Alice) Go Round”, and “Challenge Road Trip” are four great episodes that should satisfy your cake cravings. Disc Two: Go into sugar shock with four more delicious episodes. “Wishes Granted”, “Rock & Roll”, “Stadium Games and Eating Brains”, and “Battleships and Birthdays” feature amazing cakes that highlight the incredible creations of Duff and the Charm City Cakes crew. Disc Three: From classic board game cake, to a tank cake, to holiday traditions, Duff and the gang bake up a storm for the final five episodes of the season. “Charms and Charities”, “Uncle Sam Wants Duff”, “Coach Duff”, “Charm City Christmas”, and “Hairspray Premiere” include many memorable creations from the team. Closed captioned for the hearing impaired. Plus, each disc contains exclusive bonus footage! Join Duff and his team on a behind-the-scenes tour of Charm City Cakes, listen to Duff talk about color, the inspiration behind the cakes, living where you work, and more!
If you’ve never had the pleasure of watching Ace of Cakes – buy these DVDs and find out what all the fuss is about. I don’t know how they make a series about cake decorating so addictive, edgy, and fun – but they most certainly do. It’s like chocolate for your brain and I have no intention of ever missing a bite.
by Joi on December 1, 2009
This will be our special Biggest Loser snack tonight – I know, I know… I should fix healthy snacks to watch with this particular show but I think my daughters will flip a little further for Punch Bowl Cake than they would for salads, tofu, or rice cakes.
Besides, look for yourself, there’s fruit in the cake. Fruit’s healthy, right?
Recipe for: PUNCH BOWL CAKE
1 box white cake mix
6 bananas (sliced)
4 cups crushed pineapple, drained
2 pkgs unsweetened strawberries (thawed)
2 large containers of Cool Whip
1 box vanilla instant pudding
Bake the cake according to the directions on the box – make 2 layers. After the cakes have cooled, divide each layer in half – making 4 layers.
Layer in order given in a large glass punch bowl:
- Cake layer
- 1/4 sliced bananas
- 1/4 crushed pineapple
- 1/4 strawberries
- Sprinkle 1/4 of the dry vanilla pudding mix
- 1/4 of the Cool Whip – Spread out evenly, of course.
- Repeat the layers as given above.. Be sure you end with a generous layer of Cool Whip.
I actually like to make homemade whipped topping 95 percent of the time, but if you’re in a hurry – good old Cool Whip is delicious. This recipe would make a gorgeous, unique Christmas Eve or Christmas Day dessert – especially if you decorated the top with red and cherries or even sprinkled a little colored sugar on top.
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From Bake Me A Wish: Save 15% on gift cakes in December – use code: HOL129, expires 123109
by Joi on November 20, 2009
If you’re one of the few who hasn’t jumped on the Cake Boss wagon, where have you been, my friend?! Don’t despair, I’m here to help you out. Catch up on a few essentials below, then grab Cake Boss Season 1 DVD
. Finally, watch the wonderful episodes of Season 2 on TLC (Wednesday nights). Then, you’ll be good to go!
- Cake Boss is on Facebook and Twitter!
- The fast-paced, emotional action of Cake Boss takes place in a bakery in Hoboken, NJ, run by Buddy Valastro and his large, lovable Italian family.
- This team is against the concept of using non-edible parts for their cakes but, if the situation presents itself – they’ll do whatever it takes… and usually loudly!
- In its first season, more than 2 million people tuned in each week to see Buddy’s bunch. Cake Boss has been referred to as a cross between Ace of Cakes and Housewives. Appropriate enough – but how could people overlook the Fear Factor aspect?!?!
- Buddy, who is the “boss” (come on, it’s his shop!) works alongside his mother, four sisters, three brothers-in-law, and other extended family, who don’t always see him as the “boss.” Their expressions are priceless and sometimes our poor hero is totally up against it.
- In its first season, more than 2 million people tuned in each week!
- Cake Boss Season 1 is on DVD! (Cake Boss Season 1 DVD)
- Buddy and his and his cakes have also been featured on The Today’s Show, Good Morning America, The View, and HBO’s hit series, The Sopranos.
- Buddy and his staff turn out thousands of wedding cakes, specialty cakes, and pastries weekly.
- You can get in touch with your inner Buddy with a line of customizable CAKE BOSS Fan Gear, from t-shirts to tote bags. Visit TLCStore.com for more information. I’m thrilled that they accept PayPal – I see shopping in my near future. I must have the dvd, and the customizable t-shirts, mugs, etc? They’re just so me.
“Buddy and his family have captured the hearts of America, and their skills in the bakery are more impressive each week. Buddy is a true artist,” said Nancy Daniels, SVP, Production & Development, TLC. “The new season will not only bring more great cakes and Valastro hijinks, but we’re giving our audience a chance to experience CAKE BOSS across all of our platforms. The great success of the series has also reinforced our commitment to developing more programming that celebrates the connection our viewers have with food.”
>>> Watch a full episode of Cake Boss online right now!
by Joi on October 29, 2009
To all the readers who are here as a result of a recent Woman’s World Magazine, Welcome to Get Cooking! I’ve heard from a lot of fellow bakers and chocoholics who have a few questions about my Chocolate Cake recipe which appeared in the magazine.
Here’s the simple trick: To really jazz up a store-bought cake mix (and to make it taste like a rich homemade cake) I simply follow the directions on the back of the box. Then, after everything is all mixed together, I stir in a can of Sweetened Condensed Milk. After stirring, I pour the batter into the pan(s) and bake as directed.
Heavenly!
If this is your first time on Get Cooking, I hope you’ll bookmark the blog and check in daily for new recipes, kitchen gadgets, articles and more. Better yet, subscribe to e-mail alerts (the form is on the right)! When you subscribe to e-mail alerts, you’ll get a quick little e-mail telling you whenever I’ve added something new to the blog.
If you love coffee, chocolate, tea, homemade bread, desserts of all kinds, and delicious food – you’re in the right place!
- Joi (pronounced Joy)
