Category: Cakes

Lemon Blueberry Bread

I’m no baker, like at all! I think I’ve mentioned that a few times before.  Even making this bread, I felt more stressed then I usually do when cooking.  When I cook, I just put ingredients together, I then write them down if I enjoy the dish.  Baking, I feel like need to be much more exact. Lot of measuring or weighing!  I am trying to be more open to baking so maybe eventually I’ll enjoy it more.

Welcome this Lemon Blueberry bread! It actually came out very delicious.  It’s not super sweet.  It’s  perfect recipe for breakfast, not really like a dessert type bread.  You can always use some extra sugar if you like it slightly sweeter.

Lemon Blueberry Bread

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
2 t vanilla extract
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 large lemon, juiced
1 large lemon , zest
3 eggs
1 stick butter, softened
1 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Directions: Preheat oven 350. In a medium bowl add in the butter and sugar.  Using a mixer on medium high cream the butter and sugar together.

Slowly add in the vanilla extract. Slowly add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Continue to use the mixer to beat together.

Next add in the eggs, lemon juice and zest and continue to beat.

Once fully incorporated fold in the fresh blueberries.  Generously spray a 8×4 loaf pan with cooking spray and add batter into the pan.

Bake in the oven 55-60 minutes.  Check the bread after 45 minutes as ovens will vary.  You want a toothpick or a knife to come out completely clean.  Let cool completely before cutting.  This is a very important step.  This cake isn’t one to be eaten warm.

If the bread starts to brown to much but the inside isn’t cooked, cover with foil to cook the inside and prevent the exterior from becoming to dark.

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Cheeseburger Cupcakes

These little cheeseburger cupcakes are so fun to make. This post isn’t going to be recipes for these little cute cupcakes. It’s just going to simply explain how to assemble them.  I made these for my favorite little people.  My niece and nephews a while back, when they were a few years old.  They are 12, 10 and almost 10 now.  These are very sweet, they are more for the look, but the kids didn’t eat much of them back then.

I got such a kick out of making these.  When I put them together I actually bought some of the stuff and made some of the components of this cupcake.  Take a look below how to make/assemble them!  These would be perfect for a BBQ!

Cheeseburger Cupcakes

Bun: Yellow cupcakes (unfrosted) either homemade or store bought
Burger: Brownie Bites
Cheese: Melted Marshmallows with yellow food coloring
Ketchup: Red Frosting ( Just put along the edges, so you can see it)
Lettuce: Coconut flakes with green food coloring
Seeds: Rice Cereal

Directions: To assemble these adorable cupcakes, cut the yellow cupcake in half. Add the brownie bite to the bottom half of the cupcake.  After melting the marshmallows put over top of the brownie bite.  Add a little bit of red frosting (just to the outer area so you can see it.) Next sprinkle on the coconut flakes.  Top with the other half of the cupcake and add a few pieces of rice cereal to act as the seeds on the bun.

 

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3 Fun & Easy Baking Ideas For Kids

I have 1 niece and 2 nephews who are my entire world. My niece, Gianna is 12, my nephew Anthony is 10 and my nephew Michael is 9 and will be 10 in a few months.   I love them so much. I enjoy the time I spend with them.  I’ve been cooking with them since they were young. I’ve been making pizza with them since they were in diapers.  I still remember making a pizza with my niece and nephew and my niece saying ” The more cheese the better.”  I asked her where she got that from and she said, “From you Auntie Julie!” My heart just about erupted.

I try to do fun things with them when I’m with them. I want them to have the experience and to look back when they are older and remember these times.  My niece, Gianna who is the oldest has really been into baking.  Auntie Julie is not really a baker, I can teach her how to make a beef wellington, or a killer taco but baking has never been my forte.  However, we have been trying.

I’ve kept it simple, we’ve used boxed cake mixes (hey don’t knock it, lol) we’ve just done different things.  The first cake we did was a gravity cake.  That was so much fun.  Then the 2nd one we did was a piñata cake.  You know where you stuff candy into the cake and then cut it open and candy comes out.  Most recently we did ice cream cone cupcakes, this time we made homemade buttercream. (Yes, we did make that from scratch.)

My niece loves to bake more then my nephews.  Gianna’s brother, Anthony gets involved sometimes but isn’t as into it as she is.  I’m going to show you the cakes/cupcakes we made and put how we made them below.  Next time I think we may try French macarons. My niece loves them!

Gravity Cake:

1 box cake mix, your choice on flavor
Ingredients for cake mix
2 container frosting, your choice on flavor
1 box of your favorite candy
2 heavy duty straws

Directions: Make cake according to the box, for 2 round cakes.  Let the cakes cool completely.  Stack the cakes and add some frosting in-between the cakes.  Completely frost the cake.  Add candy pieces of your chose on the top of the cake, to make it look like the candy is coming out of the box.  Next, add the straw to the side of the cake and add frosting to the straw and add some candy on the straw.  Add the box of the candy at the angle.  See picture below.

Piñata Cake:

2 boxes of cake mix,your choice on flavor
ingredients for cake mix
3-4 containers of frosting, your choice on flavor
big bag of unwrapped candy
sprinkles for decoration, optional

Directions: Make cakes according to packages. Make 2 round cakes for each box of mix. 4 layers total.  Let cakes cool completely. Using a narrow cup or glass cut a hole in the middle of each layer. Make sure the wholes match up.  Next stack the layers on top of each other making sure to add a layer of frosting to the middle of each.  Next pour the candy into the hole and make sure to fill to the top.  Add a cut out piece of cake to the top of the cake.  Next completely frost the cake.  Decorate how you’d like.

When you cut into the cake the candy will fall out like a piñata.  See picture below.

 

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes:

Ingredients:
1 box of cake mix, your choice of flavor
ingredients for cake mix
24 ice cream cones
1-2 stick butter
1-2 cups powder sugar
1-3 T milk
Food coloring, optional

Toppings: Optional
sprinkles
cherries

Directions: Mix up cake mix according to the box.  Add the cones to a muffin tin.  Fill up the cone 3/4 of the way full. About 2 T per cone.  Bake. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Make the simple buttercream with 1 stick of butter and mix with a mixer slowly adding in the powder sugar.  Add in the amount of sugar you prefer based on how sweet you like it.  Add in milk if you need to thin out the buttercream if it gets to thick.  Note, once you start to work with the buttercream it will soften.

You can separate the buttercream into different bowls to color it with food coloring.

 

 

My favorite little people and I at Christmas 2019!

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Piña Colada Cake

My birthday was over this past weekend and my Mom made a Piña Colada cake that is one of my favorite cakes she makes. It’s not super sweet and is has a refreshing taste. My Mom use to make this all the time for my Dad and over the last few years I’ve had her make it for my birthday. It’s a delicious alternative to a regular frosted cake and is really very simple.

Check out this recipe and give it a try! It’s definitely a favorite of mine!

Piña Colada Cake

Ingredients:
1 yellow cake mix
1 package instant coconut cream pudding
1 15 oz can cream of coconut, (Mix to remove chunks)
½ cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1, 8oz can crushed pineapple (drain pineapple if using rum, if not using rum keep liquid from pineapple)
½ cup flaked coconut
½ cup rum (optional, see note below)
1-2 T flour (For pan)
Cooking spray

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Combine cake mix, ½ cup cream of coconut, vegetable oil, eggs, flaked coconut and rum (if you using.) Mix or beat 2 minutes. Stir in pineapple and liquid if omitting the rum. Mix till full incorporated. Grease with a Bundt pan with cooking spray. Add in flour to lightly coat the pan. Shake off excess flour.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, checking after 45 minutes. Bake until fully cooked and a toothpick comes out clean and the cake bounces back against your finger. (That’s what my Mom says.”

Cool slightly about 15 minutes. Next poke holes all over the top, pushing down almost to the bottom of the cake. Pour remaining cream of coconut over the cake evenly into the holes. Use a spoon if needed to help the liquid get into the holes.

Chill thoroughly before eating.

Note: You can omit the rum from the cake but then just add the liquid from the crushed pineapple for moisture. If using the rum, make sure to remove the liquid from the crushed pineapple. This cake is much better once it’s chilled. If you eat while it’s still warm it will fall apart and not have the same taste.

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After baked

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With coconut cream topping.

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Lemon Lime Cake

Over the weekend I wanted to make a dessert.  I’m not a baker at all.  I’m trying to get more into baking slowly.   My Mom has made so many yummy desserts, cookies and candies over the years and I’m trying to take after her a little bit.  I felt like something sweet this weekend and I decided to make this super easy cake.  I mean it’s very simple.  I figured I’d start with baby steps.  My Mom got this recipe from my Aunt and has been making it for 30+ years.  It’s very light and refreshing and great for the summer.  It’s  not usually something I’d make in September but with this heat wave it was perfect.  This is very similar to a poke cake.  If you like lemon and lime and a simple cake recipe you’ll love this.  It’s very delicious.  Check out the recipe below.

Lemon Lime Cake

Ingredients:
1 package lemon supreme cake
2 packages lime jello
2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
1 1/2 cups cold milk
1 package of instant lemon pudding
5 oz cool whip (little more then half of cool whip container)

Directions: Bake cake according to directions on the box.  In a bowl mix 2 packages of lime jello, 2 cups boiling water, 1/2 cup cold water, mix together.  Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour.  Remove cake from the oven and let cool at least 20 minutes.  Poke holes all over the cake.  Don’t forget the edges.  Pour the lime jello over the top of the cake evenly so the jello mixture gets into the holes.  To make the topping add 1 1/2 cups cold milk, 1 package of instant lemon pudding and cool whip. Mix well till incorporated.  Spread topping over the top of cake and refrigerate for 4 hours before first serving.  Its best the longer it sets.  Note: If you it eat it too soon the cake will be rather wet let it sit longer.

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