Farewell My Friend

My bestie is moving to Tennessee (very sad face : (  ) so it meant I needed to make her a cake to celebrate her new job and life. She requested what any awesome southern girl would a Pound Cake. This was my first time making one without the assistance of my mother and it actually turned out great below is the frosting recipe courtesy of the famous Magnolia bakery and directions on how to make a rose cake. I will miss you soo much Nik, can’t wait to come out to Tennessee and see you! : )

Rose cake tutorial
http://iammommy.typepad.com/i_am_baker/2011/02/rose-cake-tutorial.html

Icing recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
• 6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, 4 cups sugar, milk, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating for about 2 minutes after each addition, until icing reaches desired consistency; you may not need to add all the sugar. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

For my brothers 40th birthday

He has requested banana pudding, so I decided to make them in cupcake form, after I told him I would do this I decided it sounds kind of hard, keep your fingers crossed it works haha@

My new favorite song

Azalea Festival Cake Challenge 2011

Check out these awesome cakes from the Azalea Festival Cake Challenge.

Easter Cake

Can't wait until Easter so I can make this!

The Chewy Brownie Cookie

I was going through one of my Granny's recipe books and found a recipe that sounded like two of my favorite things browines and cookies!!! I happened to have all the ingredients which never happens, especially on a Monday. Let me just say I can make almost any cake, but I am the worst at making cookies. They always come out flat and burnt its just not my thing. Finally I found a cookie that I can get to rise, doesnt burn and it really taste like a brownie and a cookie! Enjoy!!

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup shortening
• 1-1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup Cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Chocolate Chips

Directions

1. 1 Heat oven to 375°F.
2. 2 Beat shortening, brown sugar, water and vanilla in large bowl on medium speed of mixer until well blended. Add eggs; beat well.
3.  Stir together flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating on low speed just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. 
4.  Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are set. Cookies will appear soft and moist. Do not overbake. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

This is so true and what I learned in Italy on my honeymoon

Divine 8 minute frosting with spice cupcakes

Divine 8 minute frosting with spice cupcakes

One of my favorite cooks is Paula Deen tonight I renovated one of her recipes to make it my own.  She has a recipe called 7 minute frosting, since I didn’t have all the ingredients called for I used what I had and tried to make it a little healthier.  Note- make sure you use real maple syrup it has many health benefits http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20464527,00.html. This is a gooey frosting that goes great with pumpkin, spice or even cinnamon rolls.

Divine 8 minute frosting

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups raw sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon of maple syrup
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 egg whites
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

Place  raw sugar, maple syrup, salt, water, and egg whites in the top of a double boiler.(Note if you don’t know what double boiler means watch this video you don’t need anything special just put a glass bowl over a boiling pot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oErvsmSxWU) Beat with a handheld electric mixer for 1 minute. Place pan over boiling water, being sure that boiling water does not touch the bottom of the top pan. (If this happens, it could cause your frosting to become grainy). Beat constantly on high speed with electric mixer for 8 minutes. Beat in vanilla.

For the cupcakes I found this recipe on http://www.astheforestegrows.com/

Ingredients

1 box of Spice cake mix

15 oz can of pumpkin

Directions

Mix with spatula use an ice cream scooper to fill up paper liners bake for18-22 minutes at 350 degrees. This makes 18 cupcakes.

Sweet Sundays!

The shirt says it all Carolina babies sweeter than the tea!

Red Velvet Rose Cupcakes

Red Velvet is a delicious southern favorite.  In order to make these cupcakes buy a red velvet cake mix if you don’t have enough time to make from scratch, which I didn’t. You can buy Wilton butter cream icing or make your own.  Because I had limited time to make these I went to Harris Teeter and bought a container of red icing and white icing. I first made the red roses using a piping bag and tip 1M. You start by putting a dollop in the middle and then lift up and go around rest of the cupcake.  In order to make the pink and white roses I used the rest of my red icing and added white to the bag which makes for a tie dye effect.  It’s very simple to do and makes for a beautiful center piece for a party, shower or a romantic evening. I used strawberries as fillers, but you could use: grapes blueberries, or raspberries depending on which fruits you like and your flowers colors.