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Lemon Sheet Cake

OK so I had a bunch of lemons left over after making the Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies that I posted earlier. I was trying to decide what to do with them when I came across this recipe. I modified it slightly, changed the frosting from a simple lemon glaze to a cream cheese/butter frosting. It’s quick and easy to make and serves a lot of people. Enjoy!

 

Lemon Sheet Cake

Cake:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 lemon, juiced and zested
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 tsp real vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup sour cream

Frosting:

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temp
  • 8 oz cream cheese, at room temp
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice (or Limoncello)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350° and spray a cookie sheet with raised sides with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder & soda, salt, and the zest of 1 lemon.

In a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Lower the speed and add the eggs one at a time until combined. You’ll need to scrap down the bowl at least once. Add in the vanilla.

Combine the buttermilk, sour cream, and 2 tbsp. of lemon juice. If you have extra save it, you can use it in the frosting.

Add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, alternating between the two. Beat until smooth. Pour the batter onto your cookie sheet and bake for 22 – 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.

In a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Turn down the speed and slowly add in the lemon juice or Limoncello. You’ll need to scrap down the sides. Beat until smooth again. Turn down the speed and add in the powdered sugar about 1/4 a cup at a time. Once the sugar is incorporated, turn it up and beat it until it’s light and fluffy. Spread it over the top of your cake, cut it, and enjoy!

 

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Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Frosting

So this recipe, and the one that’ll follow it, are basically the same cake. I originally found the one I’ll post after this and was intrigued because it has Kahlua in it. It called for a strawberry frosting as well, which I thought was gross. Strawberry and coffee, which is the flavor of Kahlua, just do not go together as far as I’m concerned. So the next cake, which I make before this one, has a completely different frosting. Then a Facebook friend sent me this recipe, which was great! I made a few modification. The original called for 3 cups of sugar, way to much if you ask me. And I switched up the frosting, again I’m not a huge fan of buttercream frosting.

Now as I was on a cake kick, and this was really the 3rd cake recipe in a row, I decided to mix it up a bit. I made this into mini cupcakes instead. But you can certainly make this as a cake as well, either rounds or a sheet cake. Enjoy!

Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Frosting

Cake:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups Dutch processed cocoa powder (the darker the better)
  • 1 tbsp. baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 4 large eggs, at room temp
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water
  • 1 tsp espresso powder
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp. real vanilla extract

Frosting:

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp*
  • 8 oz cream cheese, at room temp
  • 1 tbsp. real vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup finely dices strawberries
  • 2 tbsp. strawberry syrup (I use DaVinci coffee syrup)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350° and line four 24 mini cupcake pans. If you’re going to make a cake, then you’ll want 3 round 8″ cake pans. Standard spray the non-stick cooking spray, parchment paper, yada yada yada. If cupcakes, use cupcake liners; super easy.

Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder & soda, and salt in a large bowl.

Nuke the water until warm, about 1 minute. Add in the espresso powder (this really enhances the chocolate flavor).

In a large measuring cup, beat together the eggs and sour cream. Add in the buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Pour the warm water mixture and the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to fold all the ingredients together until combined. Like brownies, you don’t want to over mix it or you’ll get a chewy cake.

If making mini cupcakes, about 1 heaping tbsp. per cupcake of batter. Regular cupcakes, fill about 3/4 full. Rounds you’ll divide the batter evenly between 3 pans. Sheet cake, just dump it all in.

  • Mini cupcakes – bake for 15 minutes
  • Rounds – 35 to 40 minutes
  • Sheet – 40 to 45 minutes

Standard: you’ll know they’re done when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean. For cupcakes, pick on in the middle of the pan to test.

For the frosting:

Dice up the strawberries. Put them in a bowl, or I used a ziplock bag, and add in the strawberry syrup. I found that adding the syrup really enhanced the strawberry flavor. This is really helpful if you can’t find good, flavorful strawberries (heyI made this in February, it’s not like they’re going to be great).

Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. *Note: as I mentioned in the previous recipe, for butter cream frostings you want the butter super soft. So while I say at room temp, the softer the better. Otherwise you’ll end up with chunks of butter in your frosting.

Once it’s smooth add in the strawberries and vanilla. Continue beating until smooth again and then turn down the mixer and slowly add in the powdered sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Frost away and then eat!

Posted on by Opie · 1 Comment

Guinness Chocolate Cake with Irish Cream Frosting

Ok I’ve been on a complete chocolate kick of late. This recipe is going to be 1 in a series of 3 that are all pretty close. In fact I realized that the next 2 that I’ll post are basically the same recipe, the only difference is one has Kahlua in it. Now with all three of these it’s all about the cocoa. Use good cocoa, not that Hershey stuff!

This one is my favorite of the 3 that I’ll be posting. It’s super moist and the frosting, which has Bailey’s in it, is super flavorful. The original recipe had the frosting as a buttercream, which I am not a fan of. So I cut it down by adding a little cream cheese and reducing the sugar dramatically. I mean really, do you need 6 cups of powdered sugar in your frosting? Enjoy!

 

Guinness Chocolate Cake with Irish Cream Frosting

Cake:

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder (darker the better)
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup sour cream of plain full fat yogurt (I used sour cream)
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs, at room temp
  • 1 tsp real vanilla extract
  • 1 cup Guinness beer

Frosting:

  • 4 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp*
  • 8 oz cream cheese, at room temp
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 6 tbsp. Bailey’s Irish cream liqueur

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350°. Spray two 8″ cake rounds, or one 9″x13″ cake pan, with non-stick cooking spray. Line with parchment paper and spray again.

Sift together, in a large bowl, the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda & powder, and salt. In a large measuring cup, beat the eggs and sour cream until smooth. Add in the vegetable oil, vanilla and bear.

Add the liquid to the sifted dry ingredients and fold together with a spatula until just combined. Like brownies, you don’t want to over mix it or you’ll have a chewy cake. Pour into your cake pan or pans and bake for 40 to 45 minutes; or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean. Allow to cool completely.

In a stand mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. *Note: buttercream based frostings can be a real bitch. You want the butter soft, and I do mean soft! So while I put “at room temp” the warmer the better. But DO NOT MICROWAVE IT! Doing so has a tendency to make the butter melt in pockets and that won’t work for your frosting. Once it’s smooth Alternate the Bailey’s with the powdered sugar until it’s all incorporated and smooth. Then frost your cake.

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Bourbon Eggnog Cake

Sometimes you come across a recipe that sounds amazing but when you go to make it, it falls short of your expectations. This is one of those recipes for me. The original had 4 layers, and nice Bourbon custard filling, and an eggnog buttercream frosting.

First, there was no way it could ever make 4 layers. I barely got 3 out of the original recipe. The custard came out so thick I had a hard time spreading it on the cake without tearing the layers to pieces. And I’m not a fan of buttercream so I went with a cream cheese frosting instead. So I turned to Google, looked up a couple of other eggnog cake recipes, and cobbled this one together. Had to make it a couple of times until it came out the way I wanted. Enjoy!

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Bourbon Eggnog Cake

Bourbon Custard:

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/8 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 cups half-and-half
  • 4 large egg yolks (keep the whites)
  • 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp. Bourbon

Bourbon Eggnog Cake:

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
  • 1 tsp real vanilla
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 6 egg whites (4 from the custard)
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 3/4 cup eggnog
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 tbsp. Bourbon
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Eggnog Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 1 lbs cream cheese (16 oz), at room temp
  • 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temp
  • 3 tbsp. eggnog
  • 3 tbsp. bourbon
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

In a medium pot, I like to use my Le Creuset Dutch oven, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add in the half-and-half and egg yokes. Whisk to combine. Cook over medium heat (whisking constantly) until it starts to bubble, about 7 or 8 minutes. Cook for another minute or two. It will get thick but keep cooking until it seem impossibly thick. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, 1 tbsp. at a time until melted and smooth. Whisk in the Bourbon. Transfer to a medium bowl and place plastic wrap directly on top of the custard. This will prevent a skin from forming. Allow to cool for about 30 minutes and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat your oven to 350°. Spray 3 round cake pans with non-stick spray, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and spray the parchment paper with the non-stick spray as well.*

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add in the sour cream and beat until light and fluffy again.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt.

Combine the eggnog, milk, Bourbon, and vanilla in a measuring cup.

On medium-low, add in the egg whites one at a time. Beat until combined and the batter is smooth. Add in half of the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Add in half the eggnog mixture and beat until just combined. Repeat.

Divide the batter evenly between the 3 cake pans. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean. Allow to cool completely.

In a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy. Turn down the mixer to low and slowly add in the eggnog and bourbon, beat until well combined. Add in the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and beat until smooth and all of the powdered sugar is well incorporated. Then turn up to high and beat until smooth and fluffy. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Assemble the cake. Take 1 cake and put it on a cake plate. Evenly smear the top with 1/2 the Bourbon custard. This is easier if you take it out of the refrigerator about 20 minutes before had to allow it to warm up slightly. Place the 2nd cake on top and smear it with the rest of the custard. Now frost it with the cream cheese frosting. I grated some fresh nutmeg on top of mine to make it look nice. Eat it.

*I have always had issues with my cakes being domed, meaning the middle of the cake was always higher than the sides. A total pain when frosting as the top was never even. Then it came to my attention that you can actually prevent this by using bake-even strips. They’re basically oven proof strips of material that you soak in water before using and then they wrap around the outside of the cake pan. Works like a charm! You can find them on Amazon, of course: Wilton Bake-Even cake strips.

Posted on by Opie · 1 Comment

Vodka Cranberry Cake

So one of my coworkers challenged me to make a vodka cranberry dessert. I was like, game on! So I found a recipe for a basic cranberry cake and proceeded to modify it to meet my needs. So here it is, the Stefanico (as I’m going to call it). Instead of fresh cranberries I used dried but I re-hydrated them in a bit of cranberry vodka. Used the left over vodka to flavor the cream cheese frosting. I think it turned out pretty well. Enjoy!

Vodka Cranberry Cake

Cake:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup vodka (I used cranberry vodka)

Frosting:

  • 2 8oz packages of cream cheese, at room temp
  • 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temp
  • 2 tbsp. vodka

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350°.  Spray a 9″ x 13″ cake pan, or 2 round 9″ cake pans, and line the bottom(s) with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, soak the cranberries in the vodka for at least 30 minutes. Overnight is best.

Shift together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Add in the sugar and stir to combine.  Beat the eggs until smooth. Add in the milk and melted butter. Fold into the flour mixture until just combined. Don’t over stir!

Strain the cranberries making sure to save the vodka that’s left over. Fold them into the cake batter. Pour into your cake pan(s) and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes our of the center clean. Allow to cool.

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and continue beating until smooth. Add in 2 tbsp. of the reserved vodka and beat until smooth. If it’s too loose add in more sugar until it’s the right consistency. Spoon over the top of your cake and smooth out. Then eat!

Posted on by Opie · 3 Comments

Lemon Polenta Cake with Almonds

The inspiration for this recipe came from Jamie Oliver’s show on PBS. I liked it because it’s 1) quick and 2) gluten free. He made his with blood oranges, which I may try sometime in the future, but I had lemons handy and coworkers who love them. So I mixed it up a bit and changed out the syrup that goes along with it. Enjoy!

Lemon Polenta Cake with Almonds

Cake:

  • 14 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temp
  • 1 cup sugar, brown or sugar in the raw if you have it
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tsp real vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups almonds, finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup polenta
  • 2 lemons, zested
  • 1 tsp lemon extract
  • 1 tsp baking powder

Syrup:

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup honey
  • 1 lemon, juiced and zested
  • 1/2 cup sugar

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 325° and line a 8″ springform pan with parchment paper, spraying it with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, or stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add in the vanilla and lemon extract.

In a small bowl combine the polenta, lemon zest, almonds, and baking powder. Fold this into the butter/egg mixture. Pour into the springform pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the surface is light brown and a toothpick comes our clean when inserted into the middle of the cake.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

In a small pan, heat together the honey, water, lemon zest & juice, and sugar. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Let it simmer until it’s reduced by half, about 15 minutes.

Take a skewer and poke a bunch of holes in the cake. Pour the syrup over the top, it will soak in. Allow the cake to completely cook before removing from the pan. Flip it over carefully, as it’s a bit fragile, and remove the paper from the bottom. Slice and enjoy!

Posted on by Opie · 3 Comments

Bourbon Pumpkin cake

A few years ago I got a cookbook called Booze Cakes and this recipe is based off one from that book with a few modifications, of course. It’s perfect for the fall. It’s like a pumpkin pie, super moist. I was lucky enough to find a great Bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup at Costco. It enhanced the subtle Bourbon flavor. Enjoy!

Bourbon Pumpkin Cake

Cake:

  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
  • 1 tsp real vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup bourbon
  • 2 tbsp Grand Marnier

Glaze:

  • 1/2 cup good maple syrup
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 3 tbsp pumpkin butter
  • pinch of kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup Bourbon
  • 2 tbsp Grand Marnier

Frosting:

  • 16 oz cream cheese, at room temp
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temp
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp Bourbon

Direction:

Preheat your oven to 350°. Spray 2 round cake pans or 1 rectangle 9″x13″ pan with non-stick cooking spray. I line mine with parchment paper and spray the paper. It really makes getting the cake(s) out super easy.

In a stand mixer cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 mins. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating until well combined.

In a medium bowl; sift together the flour, baking powder & soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add to the butter mixture with the milk in alternating additions until well combined. Add in the pumpkin, vanilla, bourbon and Grand Marnier. Pour into your cake pan(s) and cake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.

For the glaze; bring the maple syrup, butter, pumpkin butter, and salt to a boil. Lower and simmer for about 3 minutes. Add in the bourbon and Grand Marnier and simmer for 1 more minute. Allow to cool.

One the cake(s) have cooled slightly, take a skewer and poke a ton of holes in the top. Pour the glaze over the cake and allow it to soak in. Finish cooling the cake all the way.

For the frosting, in a medium bowl beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Add in the bourbon and beat until combined and smooth. Frost your cake and eat.

Posted on by Opie · 2 Comments

Tres Leches Cake

So this recipe was a request, no more like a demand, from someone I know. I decided, even though they were being a pain, to make it for them anyway. For once I didn’t really modify the recipe other than changing the frosting. The original called for a simple powdered sugar frosting. I figured, this being a Mexican cake, that it deserved a Dulce de Leche frosting instead. Turned out really good, according to those who got to eat it. Be warned, this cake is moist! Enjoy!

Tres Leches Cake

Cake:

  • 9 eggs, separated
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp real vanilla, divided equally
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 12 oz can evaporated milk
  • 1 cup whole milk

Frosting:

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temp
  • 1 cup Dulce de leche
  • 1 tsp real vanilla
  • 1/8 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350°. Spray a 9×13″ pan with non-stick cooking spray, line with parchment paper and spay the paper. This makes taking the cake out super easy.

Take the separated eggs and using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment beat the egg whites on medium-high for 4 to 5 minutes, or until they form soft peaks. Turn the speed down to low and slowly add the sugar until combined. Turn it back up to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks form.

In another bowl, use your hand mixer to beat the egg yolks until light yellow and the consistency of mayo (about 5 minutes). Stir in 1 tbsp vanilla and mix to combine. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites and with a spatula gently fold in to combine. You don’t want to deflate the egg whites too much.

Shift together the flour and salt. Gently fold in the flour a little at a time, mixing until just combined. Again you don’t want to deflate the eggs too much, this is what is going to give your cake lift and make it light.

Pour the batter into the lined pan and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out moist but not wet. Allow it to cool. Using a platter or cutting board turn the cake out by placing it on top of the pan and flipping it over. Thanks to the parchment it should come right out but you may need a knife to loosen the sides. Remove the parchment and flip it back onto the baking pan. Use a skewer or fork and poke a lot of holes all over the cake. This will help it absorb the milk mixture.

In a bowl whisk together the sweetened condensed, evaporated, and whole milk with 1 tbsp of vanilla. Pour it all over the cake. It’s best to let it sit overnight to soak up all the milk.

In another bowl, beat together the butter and Dulce de Leche until smooth. Add in the vanilla and pinch of salt. Beat for another minute. With the mixer on low add the powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time, beating until smooth. Frost the cake once all the sugar is added and enjoy!

 

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Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

I came across this recipe on the internet, like a lot of recipes I make, and thought it sounded good. Like most recipes, I’ve changed it up a bit; added some lemon and fresh raspberries (the original only called for jam). It’s still a work in progress, I’m not totally happy with the crumble topping. But all and all it turned out pretty tasty. I also liked that is wasn’t super sweet. Enjoy!

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar, divided 3/4 and 1/4
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter plus 2 Tbsp
  • 1/2 Tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 Tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 Tsp kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 8oz package cream cheese, at room temp
  • 1 Tsp lemon extract
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 1 cup raspberry jam
  • 1 pint fresh raspberries

Directions

Pre-heat your oven to 350°. In a food processor; pulse the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, lemon zest, and butter until it’s crumbly. Sort of like making pie dough. Set aside 1 cup for the crumble topping. Combine the remaining mixture with the baking powder, baking soda, salt, sour cream, 1 egg and lemon extract. You’ll probably want to switch to a bowl and use a hand beater for this. The batter will be really thick! Spread it evenly into a lightly greased 9″x13″ baking pan. It’ll be a challenge because it’s thick. Don’t worry if it isn’t super even.

In another bowl beat together the cream cheese, 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 egg until smooth. I recommend beating the cream cheese and sugar first, then add the egg. Pour this mixture over the batter and smooth out. Dollop the jam into the cream cheese mixture and sprinkle the fresh raspberries across the top as well. I don’t recommend using frozen raspberries and they tend to be too “wet”.

Take the 1 cup of flour mixture that you set aside and combine with 2 Tbsp of room temp butter. Crumble this across the top of the cake. Bake for 1 hour or until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.