Strawberry Shortcake

Source: glorioustreats.blogspot.com via Sunny on Pinterest

We love the abundance of fresh fruits and veggies during the summer. Heading to the farmers market or having our Dad supply us with delicious veggies from his garden is one of our favorite things about this time of year. Strawberries are at their best when they are locally grown so we have been on the look out for a great way to serve up some berries and this wonderful recipe for Strawberry Shortcake has caught our eyes. We can't wait to get in the kitchen and bake this wonderful Summer time treat.

Sunny & Star

Mississippi Mud Cake

This cake may not be the prettiest dessert you will ever eat but taking a slice and microwave it for a few seconds before you eat it and you have a gooey, warm, delicious treat. Although it is called cake in it's title we think it is more like brownies. Yum!

Ingreidents: 1 & 1/4 cups butter, softened
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 & 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme
1/2 cup milk
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 9x13 inch cake pan.
2. In a large sauce pan over low heat, melt 1 cup of the butter or margarine and the cocoa. Stir often. 3. Remove from heat and add white sugar, beat well. Beat in eggs one at a time. 4. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt and stir into the egg mixture. 5. Stir in the chopped nut and teaspoon of the vanilla. Pour batter into the prepared pan. 6. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 to 45 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, to make your icing: Beat together the remaining 1/4 cup butter or margarine, 1/3 cup cocoa, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the milk and the confectioner's sugar. 8. Remove cake from oven. 9. Immediately spread the marshmallow cream over the cake. 10. Then spoon the chocolate icing over the marshmellow creme while the cake is still hot. Everyone at work loved this cake.

Happy Baking,
Sunny & Star

Coffee Cake

Even if you are not a coffee drinker this cake is great. Not only did it turn out pretty and very moist it had a nice spicy and nutty flavor. Since we love sweets we think next time we will double the glaze recipe.

Ingredients: For the cake:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks)butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sour cream
2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the streusel:
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional

For the glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons real maple syrup

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.
2. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Add the eggs 1 at a time. 3. Add the vanilla and sour cream. 4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed. 5. For the streusel, place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble. Mix in the walnuts, if desired. 6. Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it out with a knife. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup streusel. Spoon the rest of the batter in the pan, spread it out, and scatter the remaining streusel on top. 7. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. 8. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Carefully transfer the cake onto a serving plate.
9. Whisk the confectioners' sugar and maple syrup together, adding a few drops of water if necessary, to make the glaze runny. 10. Drizzle as much as you like over the cake with a fork or spoon. Happy baking,
Sunny & Star

Red Velvet Cake

After making red velvet whoopie pies. We decided to give a red velvet cake a try. This cake had a beautiful red color and a delicious taste.

Ingredients: 1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ounces red food coloring
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon white vinegar

Directions:
1. Grease two 9 inch round pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine the buttermilk, salt, vanilla, and red food coloring. Set aside. 3. In a large bowl, cream together the vegetable oil and sugar. 4. Beat in the eggs one at a time. 5. Stir in the cocoa. 6. Mix in the flour until just incorporated. 7. Add in the buttermilk mixture. 8. Stire together baking soda and vinegar, then gently fold into the cake batter.
9. Pour batter into prepared pans. 10. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the ceter of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting Ingredients: 2 8oz. cream cheeses (at room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 cups confectioner's sugar

Directions for Frosting:
1. Cream the cream cheese and confectioner's sugar together. Beat in the the vanilla and heavy whipping cream.
2. Frost the cake.

Happy baking,
Sunny & Star

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

One of the things we like about Carrot Cake is that you can play around with the yummy things you decide to add to it. You can add coconut, raisins, crushed pineapples, and nuts or any combination. With this recipe that we made last weekend it is kept fairly simple with just some crushed walnuts added. The cake is moist and delicious and the frosting is wonderful.

Cake Ingredients: 2c. flour
2c. sugar
2t. cinnamon
2t. baking soda
1t. salt
1&1/2c. oil
4 eggs
4T. applesauce (a single serving cup contains just the right amount)
3c. finely grated carrots
1/2c. finely chopped walnuts

Directions for Cake:
1. Mix the first 5 ingredients together. 2. Add oil and stir. 3. Add 4 eggs and stir. 4. Add applesauce and stir. 5. Add grated carrots and stir. 6. Add walnuts and stir. 7. Divide batter into two 9" greased pans.
8. Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes.

Frosting Ingredients:
8oz. cream cheese; softened
1/2c. unsalted butter; room temp.
16oz. confectioners sugar
1t. vanilla
1t. cinnamon

Directions for Frosting:
1. Cream together cream cheese & butter.
2. Add confectioners sugar in smal increments until all is combined.
3. Stir in vanilla & then stir in cinnamon.

Assembly:
1. Place one layer on a cake stand. Put frosting on it.
2. Place other layer on top.
3. Frost the top and sides.

This would be a wonderful cake to serve for Thanksgiving Dinner.

Happy baking,
Sunny & Star

Thunder Cake

We did a variation of this cake here, which was totally delicious and this cake didn't let us down either. We have no idea why this version is called Thunder Cake but when something is this good and simple to make who cares what it is called.

Ingredients: Box of chocolate cake mix
1 jar hot fudge sauce
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 small container of cool whip
3 Milkway candy bars, cut into small pieces

Directions:

1. Bake the box of cake mix according to the directions on the back of the box and bake in a 13 x 9 pan. 2. Once the cake is finished baking punch holes in it with a spoon. 3. Poor the sweetened condensed milk and fudge sauce of the cake. 4. Cool cake completely.
5. Spread cool whip on cake and then sprinkle candy on top. 6. Refridgerate cake for several hours.

This cake is even better the next day. So delicious.

Happy baking,
Sunny & Star