Cinnamon Bun Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 4 eggs
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 8 oz sour cream
• 5 oz vanilla pudding mix
• 2/3 cup water
• 3/4 cup vegetable (or canola) oil
• 2 oz orange juice (optional)

Cinnamon Swirl:

• 1 cup brown sugar 
• 3 tsp cinnamon

Glaze:

• 2 cups powdered sugar 
• 4 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp orange zest (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. 
2. With a hand mixer, mix all cake ingredients together. 
3. Spray 9x13" cake pan or cast iron skillet. 
4. Pour 1/2 cake mixture into pan
5. In a separate bowl, mix the cinnamon swirl ingredients together.
6. Pour the cinnamon swirl over the batter in pan.
7. Pour the remaining cake batter over cinnamon swirl and run a knife through the cake and swirl mixture.
8. Bake about 50-55 minutes at 350 or until knife comes out clean
9. A few minutes before cake is done, mix together the glaze ingredients until a smooth consistency. Pour glaze over cake as soon as it is removed from the oven. 
10. Sprinkle orange zest over the icing (optional). 
11. Serve cake either hot or cold. 
    

Like what your reading? Share it!

Tweet

The Best Chocolate Cake Ever with Pudding Frosting

Sorry the picture isn't up to my usual standards but I decided to take this in a hurry and after the cake was half gone. This was the moistest, most wonderful chocolate cake I have ever tasted! I was a little skeptical when I put it in the oven because the batter was so runny but it turned out great! I had also never tried pudding frosting before and I am sold on it now. I was curious about the coffee and buttermilk addition, but no worries, you can't taste either at all. They just enrich the chocolate flavor. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake

• 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 
• 2 cups sugar 
• 3/4 cup baking cocoa 
• 2 tsp baking soda 
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil 
• 1 cup black strong coffee (1 Tbsp coffee with 8 oz boiling water brewed then cooled to room temp) 
• 1 cup buttermilk OR 1 cup equivalent of buttermilk powder & water 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 

Pudding Frosting

• 1 cup milk 
• 1 3.4 oz box instant vanilla pudding 
• 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature, leave out for at least an hour or two) 
• 12 oz Cool Whip (thawed, leave out for at least 10-15 minutes)

Directions:

Cake Directions:

1. Coffee Prep: Brew your coffee and let it cool. You want it to room temp by the time you need to mix it in the cake. 
2. Pan Prep: Grease and flour either a 13x9 inch cake pan or 2 9" round cake pans. Cut either wax paper or parchment paper to size and line bottom of pan(s). 
3. Oven Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Mix all dry ingredients into one mixing bowl. Sift flour and cocoa together.Whisk together to ensure an even mixture.
5. Mix all wet ingredients into another mixing bowl. Mix well.
6. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix. Use an electric mixer until well blended but do not over mix.
7. Pour evenly into pan(s).
8. Bake at 350 for 28-30 minutes. When a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, your cake is done.
9. Allow cakes to cool in pans for at least 15-20 minutes before removing onto cooling racks. Allow cakes to cool completely before attempting to frost.
10. Frost cake using rubber spatula and enjoy!

Frosting Directions:

1. While cake is baking, mix milk and pudding in a small bowl using an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes, then allow pudding to set. 
2. Using an electric mixer, whip cream cheese until fluffy. 
3. Add Cool Whip to cream cheese and continue to mix until well blended.
4. Add pudding to cream cheese mixture and continue to mix until well blended.
5. Place frosting in refrigerator until needed. 

Store cake in refrigerator after frosting. 

Recipe Courtesy of The Little Kitchen

Like what your reading? Share it!

Tweet

Mint Chocolate Cake Balls

Secret Ingredient - Andes' Creme De Menthe Baking Chips

Ok, I admit, I may have a problem with Cake Balls, but they are just so yummy, bite-size, and hard to resist. I came across this idea for Mint Chocolate Cupcakes and thought this would be a great idea for cake balls, especially with the holidays approaching. If you love Thin Mints, this is the Cake Ball for you.

• Refer to Red Velvet Cake Balls for complete recipe directions.

Before dipping

What I used this time:

• Dark Fudge Chocolate Cake Mix
• Follow normal cake directions and add 1/4 tsp Peppermint Extract to mix before baking
• Allow to cool completely and crumble cake as usual 
• Mix 1 pkg Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips before adding 1/2 can Cream Cheese Frosting 
• Roll into balls and dip in chocolate almond bark

Green decors to finish!

Like what your reading? Share it!

Tweet

Raspberry Lemonade Cake Balls

Here's a modification of the Red Velvet Cake Balls and Pink Lemonade Cake recipes that I tried tonight that came out pretty tasty, if I don't say so myself. Click on the above links for those recipes.

Final Product

My Modifications:

• Primarily follow the Red Velvet Cake Ball recipe 
• Use raspberry lemonade frozen (thawed) concentrate instead of water in cake mix. 
• Use prepared cream cheese frosting instead of pink lemonade butter cream frosting
• Use vanilla (white) almond bark instead of chocolate  

Cake after going thru the food processor

After being mixed with frosting and rolled into balls

Like what your reading? Share it!

Tweet

Red Velvet Cake Balls

Ingredients:

• 1 box Red Velvet Cake Mix
• 1/2 can cream cheese frosting (not whipped)
• 1 package chocolate almond bark
• 1/4 package white almond bark
• wax paper

 Directions:

1. Bake cake mix to box directions in a greased and floured 13x9" cake pan.
2. Allow to cool completely then place in food processor to crumble to a fine consistency.
3. In a large mixing bowl, use your clean hands to blend in 1/2 can cream cheese frosting (enough frosting to "wet" the cake mix completely - this will determine how cakey/gooey the inside of the cake balls will remain)
4. Roll mixture into 1" balls and place on wax papered cookie sheets
5. Chill in freezer for ~15 min or the refrigerator for a few hours
6. Place ~1/2 package of chocolate in a large measuring cup and melt chocolate in microwave per package directions.
7. Dip cake balls in melted chocolate (I use a fork to scoop them out of the chocolate) and place on fresh wax paper-covered cookie sheets. Add and reheat chocolate as needed to complete all of the cake balls.
8. Allow cake balls to cool/set up completely.
9. Check the bottom of the cake balls to make sure they haven't sprung a leak. If so, redip only the bottom of the cake ball and allow to setup again.
10. Use the melted white almond bark and a fork to drizzle a decorative white flourish over the top.

Inspired from Bakerella's Red Velvet Cake Balls 

Modifications to Make It Your Own

• Use any number of flavor combinations - combine any cake flavor with any frosting flavor of your choice.
• With lighter cakes (white/yellow) add food coloring before baking to get wacky & bright combinations.
• Use candy melts instead of almond bark to change the outer coating color.
• Add sprinkles/cake decors before the cake balls set up.



Raspberry Lemonade Cake Balls

 Pin

• Use Wilton's Mini Cookie Cutters to gently press cake mixture thru to make shapes other than balls. This can be very time consuming and the simpler the shape, the easier it is to press.

Mint Chocolate Cake Balls
Pin It 

Like what your reading? Share it!

Tweet

Pink Lemonade Cake

Grocery List

• 1 box white cake mix
• 1 can frozen pink lemonade concentrate 
• vegetable oil
• 3 eggs 
• red food coloring
• confectioner's sugar
• 1 stick salted butter

Pink Lemonade Cake

• 1 box white cake mix
• 3/4 cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 1/2 cup water 
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs 
• 4 drops red food coloring

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease and flour one 13"x9" cakepan 
3. Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix using an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds, then increase the speed to medium for another minute. 
4. Pour into cake pan and bake to package directions (usually around 35 minutes - until toothpick comes out clean)
5. Allow to cool completely 

Pink Lemonade Buttercream Frosting

• 3 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 stick salted butter (room temperature)
• 3 tbsp frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 2 drops red food coloring
• 4-5 drops vanilla extract

1. Combine all ingredients using a electric mixer - start slow until combined then increase speed and beat frosting until it s light 
2. You may need to make more/adjust fluidity of frosting depending on how you like it. This is the "doin' it 'til it looks right" that I have trouble with. To make more I suggest adding in this ratio: 1 cup confectioners sugar to 1 tbsp pink lemonade concentrate to 1/3 stick of butter.   

Assembly - for a 2 layer cake

1. Cut cake in half. Carefully place one half on plate of choice.
2. Apply frosting blending outwards with a wide spatula to all sides. 
3. Place 2nd half of cake on top.
4. Apply frosting blending outward and down the sides. Viola!

I will probably attempt cake balls with this combination in the future!

Inspired from Erica's Sweet Tooth - Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

Like what your reading? Share it!

Tweet