Vacation Bundt

It's finally September, one of my favorite months because it's the best of both seasonal worlds. Things get cozy fast in September, but there are still days when it feels like lazy summer. More September forever! 

Today we have a bundt cake recipe that is more geared toward those lazy summer-feeling days (or days where you wish it was a lazy summer day), and it is LOADED with pineapple, coconut, macadamia nuts, and banana. This cake is sweetly spiced and cozy so it can suffice for any fall cravings, too. 

P.S. I stole the cake styling and recipe idea from Liv for Cake. I couldn't pass up the pineapple top inside this bundt! 

Vacation Bundt

recipe & styling inspiration from Liv for Cake

For the Cake

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 eggs

2 cups mashed banana (I used 4 large bananas)

1 cup crushed pineapple, drained (keep the juice for the glaze)

1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut

For the Glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

4 teaspoons pineapple juice

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare a bundt pan with nonstick spray. Set aside. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer cream together sugar, vanilla, and oil until creamy. 

Add in eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. 

Add in banana, pineapple, macadamia nuts, and coconut and mix until just combined. 

Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. 

Pour batter into prepared bundt pan, and bake until a tester comes out clean. (about 70 minutes)

Allow cake to cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes then turn out of the pan.

Once the cake has cooled completely cover with glaze. 

To make the glaze:

In a measuring cup combine powdered sugar and pineapple juice and whisk until smooth. 

Pour over cooled cake. 

Rainy Day Cake

Today I'm sharing a chocolate cake! Not just any cake though. A cake with lavender honey tea in it. It's simple, but delicious and perfect for this rainy, gray, cold weather we've been having. 

Have you been having uncharacteristically cold weather where you live this spring? We certainly have! However, even though it's been rainy and cool, the light has been so beautiful lately! I love the way these gray days make the green of the trees look extra pretty. 

Anyway, back to CAKE. This cake in particular turned out much better than I expected. It's dense, moist (sorry about that word), and very chocolatey but the addition of tea pushes this cake over the edge. It's got a simple but extra special flavor. So, so good!

The original recipe for this cake (found on Shutterbean) calls for the addition of Earl Grey tea. I've made this cake multiple times with Earl Grey and it's perfection. However, on this particular day, I didn't have enough Earl Grey so I used Lavender Honey tea and found it to be a perfect addition as well. This recipe is so simple that you could easily sub out different teas depending on your specific tastes. Don't be afraid to experiment! 

Rainy Day Cake

adapted from Shutterbean

8 Honey Lavender Tea Bags (I used these)

1 cup boiling water

1 stick unsalted butter, softened 

3/4 cup egg whites

2 cups sugar

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (not Greek)

For Topping

Powdered sugar

Freshly Whipped Cream

Raspberries

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bundt pan with nonstick spray, set aside. 

In a large glass measuring cup steep tea bags in water for 5 - 7 minutes. Once steeped, remove tea bags. Set brewed tea aside. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter, egg whites, and sugar until fluffy. Blend in melted, cooled chocolate. 

Add in flour, baking soda and powder, salt, and yogurt. Slowly pour brewed tea into the cake batter mixture on low speed until incorporated. 

Spoon batter into prepared bundt pan and bake for 45 - 50 minutes.

Let cake completely cool before removing from pan and sprinkling with powdered sugar. 

I hope you enjoy this cake along with conversation with family and friends!

Meredith

Triple Layer Funfetti Cake

Boy do I have a doozy of a creation for you today! Three layers of funfetti flavor stacked together and frosted with a sweetened whipped cream. Buckle your seat belts because here we go!

OK, so this cake has three layers. The first layer is a funfetti cheesecake, the second layer is a moist funfetti yellow cake, and the top layer is an airy funfetti mousse. That's right...cheesecake, regular cake, mousse, and it all gets finished off with sweetened whipped cream. It's impressive and delicious. So delicious in fact that we cut into this delight and I forgot to take photos of the inside. Just use your imagination. :)

This cake was a birthday treat made for my sister, Elyse, who is the funfetti-est person I know. She sent me a picture of a journal entry from middle school where she confessed that the hardest decision in her life was deciding what kind of birthday cake she wanted. Luckily this year, she didn't have to decide because I saw this creation and new it was perfect for her!

This cake is a bit labor intensive so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to make it. Also, you will need a springform pan. You can try to make this in a regular round cake pan, but I don't recommend it. :)

Triple Layer Funfetti Cake

From Life Love and Sugar

For the Cheesecake

24 oz cream cheese

1 cup sugar

3 tbsp flour

1 cup sour cream

4 eggs

3-4 tbsp sprinkles

1 1/4 tsp almond extract

1 1/4 tsp butter extract

For the Funfetti Yellow Cake

2 cups Pillsbury Funfetti Cake Mix

4 tbsp vegetable oil

2 eggs

2/3 cup water

For the Mousse

1 tsp + 1/8 tsp powdered gelatin

1 1/2  tablespoon water

9 ounces white chocolate chips

2 1/4 cups cold heavy cream

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp butter extract

4 tbsp sprinkles

For the Whipped Cream Frosting

2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

To make the Funfetti Cheesecake:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper and grease the sides.

2. In a large bowl, blend the cream cheese, sugar and flour. Use low speed to keep less air from getting into the batter.

3. Add the sour cream and 2 eggs. Beat until just combined.

4. Add other 2 eggs, sprinkles and almond and butter extracts. Beat until combined.

5. Pour the filling into the pan. Drop onto the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.

6. Wrap bottom of pan in aluminum foil and prepare it for a water bath.

7. Place foil wrapped pan in a another pan large enough for a water bath. Fill water pan with warm water about half way up the sides of the springform pan.

8. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

9. Turn off heat and leave in oven with door closed for 20 minutes or until set. Center of cheesecake will not look fully cooked, but will continue to cook in the oven.

10. Open oven door halfway and let cool for about 10 minutes. Cheesecake will be very tall, almost over the edge of the pan, but will begin to fall as it cools.

11. Refrigerate until firm 5-6 hours.

12. Remove cheesecake from springform pan to use later.

To make the Funfetti Cake:

1. Line the bottom of the same sized 9 inch springform pan used for the cheesecake with parchment paper and grease the sides.

2. Mix cake mix, oil and eggs together until well combined.

3. Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs.

4. Allow cake to cool for 5-8 minutes, then remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

5. When cool, remove cake dome from top of cake.

To make the Funfetti Mousse:

1. In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water, let stand for about 5 minutes. Place mixer bowl and whisk attachment into the freezer for about 10 minutes.

2. Place the white chocolate chips in a medium bowl

3. Microwave 3/4 cup of heavy cream until it begins to boil.

4. Add gelatin mixture to the heavy cream and whisk until dissolved.

5. Pour cream over the white chocolate chips and let sit for about a minute.

6. Whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Set aside, cooling for about 5-8 minutes.

7. Take bowl out and whisk out of freezer and whisk remaining 1 1/2 cups heavy cream at high speed until it begins to thicken.

8. Add almond and butter extracts and continue whisking on high until soft peaks form.

9. Add about a third of the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture and mix well.

10. Add remaining whipped cream and sprinkles and mix until well combined. Set aside and move on to next steps.

To begin putting the cake together:

1. Prepare the same springform pan you used to make the cheesecake and cake. Put parchment paper on the bottom and around the edges, sticking up above the top edge of the pan.

2. Place the funfetti cake into the cake pan.

3. Pour the funfetti mousse on top of the funfetti cake and spread evenly.

4. Refrigerate until set, about 2 1/2 hours.

Once the mousse has set, make the Whipped Vanilla Icing:

1. Put mixing bowl and whisk attachment in freezer for about 10 minutes.

2. Remove bowl and whisk from freezer and whip cream on high until it begins to thicken.

3. Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar and whip on high until thick and creamy.

To finish off the cake:

1. Get funfetti cheesecake out of refrigerator, as well as the funfetti cake and mousse that are already layered together.

2. Place funfetti cheesecake on a cake board, or the plate you will service it on.

3. Remove funfetti cake and mousse layers from springform pan.

4. Spread a thin layer of icing on top of the cheesecake.

5. Place the funfetti cake and mousse layers on top of the cheesecake, using the cake to lift it. The cake should end up as the middle layer, with the cheesecake on bottom and the mousse on top.

6. Ice the cake with the remaining whipped icing. Decorate with additional sprinkles, if desired.

7. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

caramel corn cupcakes

I blame these cupcakes on last week's weather. 

Last week was absolutely wonderful. The air was warm, but there was a crisp breeze to cut through all the humidity. Perfection. Plus, it seems like everywhere I went I smelled fried food and I automatically started craving fall. 

I love summer, but I'm definitely ready for football games, crunchy leaves, apple desserts, pumpkin lattes, bath and body works candles, and craft fairs. For me, fall is all about caramel and I always equate the season with caramel corn. I guess it's because the scent is so warm and inviting. All these things inspired me to put the flavors of caramel corn into a cupcake. 

So, these cakes start with boxed white cake mix, but we aren't going to follow the directions on the back of the package. We're adding whole eggs instead of egg whites, salted butter in place of oil, and substituting milk (with a little something extra) for the water. My goal was to make the cake itself taste more salty, buttery, popcorn and top it all off with a sweet puff of caramel-y frosting. Mission accomplished thanks to a few tricks!

 

Caramel Corn Cupcakes

makes at 24 cupcakes

For the Cake

1 16.5 ounce box Duncan Hines Classic White Cake

3 large eggs

1 cup milk

1/4 cup salted butter, melted

2 cups caramel corn plus more for decoration ( I used Cracker Jack but homemade would be good too)

1/8 teaspoon butter extract

Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put caramel corn in a large bowl and set aside.

In a small saucepan on medium-high, heat milk until tiny bubbles appear around the edge and immediately remove from heat. Pour scalded milk over the caramel corn and allow to steep and cool for about 10 minutes.

Once the milk is cool add it to the bowl of a mixer along with the cake mix, eggs, and melted butter.Mix until just combined and the cake mix is fully incorporated. Add in the butter extract and salt. Mix until just combined.

Spoon batter into 24 lined cupcake tins and bake for 13 - 15 minutes. Or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before removing cupcakes from the pan and cooling completely on wire racks.  

For the Frosting

2 sticks butter
3 - 4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup caramel (either store-bought or homemade)
Pinch of salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer cream butter on medium speed. Once the butter is light and fluffy add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing completely before adding more. Add in caramel and salt and mix until well combined. Turn mixer on higher and whip until frosting is light and fluffy. 

Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and top with caramel corn and more caramel if you want!

Bring on the apple pie floats!

plum nectarine buckle

Hi Everyone! Today we're talking a light, summery ,cake-for-breakfast dish. It's a buckle! Interestingly enough, every time I type the word buckle I think of giant belt buckles. Thankfully for you, I'm not sharing an edible belt buckle recipe. You're welcome!

This, friends, is a moist (sorry if you hate that word) cake topped with plums and nectarines and the whole thing is finished off with a buttery brown sugar crumble topping. The cake is sweet with just a hint of spice that is complimented perfectly by the plums and nectarines. I can't get enough stone fruits, and next week I'm sharing my absolute favorite summer recipe. Stay tuned for that!

Plum-Nectarine Buckle

slightly adapted from the Martha Stewart Living Cookbook

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted plus a little extra for prepping the baking dish

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

salt

1 large egg

2/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 pound plums, pitted and cut into wedges

3/4 pound nectarines, pitted cut into wedges

1 tablespoon lime juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a baking dish with melted butter and set aside. 

Whisk flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl until combined.

In a separate smaller bowl, whisk egg, milk, vanilla extract, and melted butter together. Add to the flour mixture and stir together until combined. 

Spread batter into the prepared baking dish.

Toss plums, nectarines, lime juice, and remaning 2 tablespoons of sugar together until the fruit is evenly coated. 

Spread the fruit evenly over the top of the batter and sprinkle the crumble topping.

Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. 

Let cool for an hour before serving warm.  

For the Crumble Topping

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/8 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

pinch of salt

Place butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until creamy. Add flour and salt and pulse again until the crumble forms. Sprinkle over the top of the buckle before baking.

Triple Lemon Cake

Mother's Day is this weekend, and I have the absolute perfect recipe for you - this triple lemon cake! My momma loves lemon desserts and you better believe I'm taking this cake home to her today! Happy Mother's Day Mom!

This is a loaf cake made with lemon zest and lemon juice and it is truly the most delicious, lemony cake I've ever had. The cake is infused with a lemon soaking syrup after it's removed from the oven, and the whole thing is finished off with a delicious lemony glaze. The cake itself is very light but the flavor of lemon is perfectly balanced by the sweetness of sugar. For the record, lemon and sugar is one of my favorite scent combos. I even googled lemon sugar perfumes after I made this. 

Triple Lemon Cake

Adapted from the Baked Cookbook

makes 2 loaves

For the Lemon Cake

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cups sugar

8 large eggs

1/4 cup grated lemon zest (approximately 4 lemons)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the sides and bottom of 2 loaf pans with baker's  magic spray and set aside.

Sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

Put the sugar, eggs, zest, and lemon juice in a blender and mix. With the blender still running, drizzle the melted butter slowly into the egg mixture. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and whisk in the sour cream and vanilla until well combined. 

Add the dry ingredients into the wet and fold gently until well combined. Do not over-mix.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pans and bake in the center of the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Rotate the pans and reduce oven to 325 degrees, and bake for another 30 - 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Remove pans from the oven and allow to cool on a metal rack over a parchment covered baking sheet for 15 minutes while you make the syrup.


For the Lemon Syrup
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar

In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Once dissolved, cook the syrup for another three minutes to thicken the mixture. Remove from the heat.

Remove loaves from the pans and poke holes into the sides and top of your cake with a fork or toothpick. Gently spoon the lemon syrup over the side and tops of the cakes. Allow the syrup to sink in, and repeat. Allow the cakes to cool completely. 


For the Lemon Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
4 to 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In a small bowl whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice  2 tablespoons at a time until a glaze forms with the consistency that you desire. Add more lemon juice if you want a thinner glaze and more powdered sugar if you want a thicker glaze.

Pour the glaze over the tops of the cake and allow to drip over the sides of the cakes. Allow the glaze to harden for a few minutes before serving.

This recipe makes 2 lemon loaves. The cakes can be soaked in syrup and kept in the freezer, wrapped in two layers of plastic wrap for up to 6 weeks. 

root beer bundt cake with fudge frosting

We're starting the week off right with a chocolate cake that's spiked with root beer and topped with a thick layer of the fudgiest frosting you'll ever have. 

I can hear you all being weirded out that there's root beer in this cake, but everyone hold your horses. The root beer brings out a really rich chocolate flavor, and gives a really interesting spice kick. It's actually really delicious and I may just end up adding root beer to all my chocolate cakes from now on..really! It's that delicious.

Can I also just say how absolutely crazy it is that it's already the third month of 2014?! I hope we move quickly through the rest of the snow and cold temperatures and then slow wayyyy down when the warmer weather arrives. Ahhhh. I've been dreaming of hikes, days spent out on the lake, and flip flops. I bet this cake would be perfect for a picnic too. The icing sets a little so it would be perfect for traveling. Plus, root beer just reminds me of summertime.

Root Beer Bundt Cake with Fudgy Frosting

recipe from the Baked Cookbook

For the Cake

2 cups root beer (don't use diet!)

1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder

1 stick unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. While the oven heats spray the inside of a bundt pan with nonstick spray and set aside. Also set out an additional stick of butter to soften for the frosting!

Meanwhile, heat the root beer, cocoa powder, and butter over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add both sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove pan from the heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.

In a small bowl beat eggs slightly and then whisk into the cooled root beer mixture. Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour. Gently fold the wet and dry ingredients together into everything has been combined. The batter will be very lumpy - just make sure all the flour has been incorporated.

Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean. Transfer cake to a wire cooling rack and cool completely. Remove cake from the pan and prepare to make the frosting.

For the Frosting

2 ounces dark chocolate, melted and cooled

1 stick unsalted better, softened

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup root beer

2/3 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Put all ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer. Start incorporating the ingredients on low speed so the cocoa powder and powdered sugar don't explode all over your kitchen. Once those two ingredients are incorporated turn your mixer up to high and beat for a minute or so.

Frost your cooled cake in a thick layer and decorate with whatever you want - I used pink gum balls! 

meyer lemon pudding cakes

I'm baaaack! And in my own little world I've decided it's Spring! I've been wearing bright colored pants, opening the windows in the car and in the house, and putting all my winter clothes in the back of my closet. I'm hoping the snowstorm that's coming later this week will take note of my clothing and move right along. 

To kick spring off, today I'm sharing these Meyer Lemon Pudding Cakes. My oh my are these things yummy! They are a light dessert with bright citrus flavor, but they do a magic trick in the oven. The top bakes into the most moist, spongy delicious lemon cake, while the bottom becomes a creamy lemon pudding. Spring! Hurry!

If you're in seasonal denial like I am you're really going to want to try these little cakes, and maybe try a few new Spring things. I've been wearing neon pants, freshening up my makeup drawer, and wearing a sample of a new fragrance! Also, someone told me we only have a few short weeks until the time change…hallelujah for more daylight!

Meyer Lemon Pudding Cakes

makes 6 small ramekins, 3 large ramekins, or 1 8x8 baking dish
Inspired by Simply Scratch

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 eggs, separated

1/3 cup of Meyer lemon juice (I used 1 1/2 lemons)

1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

1-1/2 cups whole milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl mix sugar, flour, and salt with a fork working out any lumps. Set aside

In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, butter, and lemon zest. Once combined, whisk in the lemon juice. Alternate between whisking in the flour mixture and milk until a thick creamy batter is reached.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip egg whites until stiff peeks form. 

Gently fold whipped egg whites into the lemon batter. The mixture will be thick and very foamy.

Pour batter into un-greased, un-floured ramekins or a baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Dust with powered sugar. Enjoy!

chocolate peppermint cupcakes.

I guess we have officially entered the holiday season! While most people are going crazy over the pumpkin spice lattes, my go-to holiday flavors are chocolate and mint. I've always put mint in my hot chocolate and I will be ordering peppermint mocha's for many more months to come.I find the flavor combination so festive and decadent I put them in a cupcake!

I cheated a little bit with these and used boxed cake mix, but the shining star of these little cakes is the peppermint icing. Soft chocolate cupcakes topped with cool peppermint frosting are a perfect sweet treat for this time of year.

If you want to make your cupcakes from scratch I recommend these from Joy the Baker. They are so freaking soft…I think I even made a comment about wanting a mattress made out of those cupcakes once. I still stand by that statement.

Peppermint Buttercream

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
splash of milk or cream, if needed

In the bowl of a stand mixer cream together softened butter and cream cheese. 

Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time with mixer on low speed. When the sugar is incorporated mix on high for a minute or two.

Add in the peppermint extract and mix until combined.

If your frosting is too thick add in a splash of milk until it's creamy. 

Pipe onto your cooled cupcakes, top with crushed candy canes and chocolate syrup.