White Texas Sheet Cake

I know the majority of my blog is filled with everything chocolate..and I don't apologize for it!  But I was feeling a little bad for my man who is a lover of white/yellow cake.  I discovered this recipe on Life as a Lofthouse and it has become the white cake base for everything I bake.  I love the almond flavor in this one.  I have to warn you though, the frosting it very sweet!  I will use a cup less of confectioners sugar the next time.  But if you love the sweet then by all means, have at it!

Moist and delicious!

A sheet cake feeds an army!

For the cake

1 cup of butter

1 cup of water

2 cup of flour

2 cups of sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup of sour cream

1 teaspoon of almond extract

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of salt

For the frosting 

1/2 cup of butter

1/4 cup of milk

4 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon of almond extract 

Food coloring if desired

Sprinkles 

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a 15x10x1 baking sheet with nonstick spray.

In a small/medium sauce pan bring butter and water to a boil.

In a large mixing bowl combine flour and sugar. Whisk to combine.

Add eggs, sour cream, almond extract, baking soda and salt.  Stir until combined.  

Slowly pour in the butter/water mixture.  Stir with a  spatula until smooth.

Pour into prepared baking sheet and cook for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool on a wire rack for 10-20 minutes before frosting. 

For the frosting

In a large saucepan bring the butter and water to a boil.

Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar and extract.  Stir until smooth.

Add food coloring if desired.

Pour over warm cake.  

Decorate with sprinkles for a little sparkle! 

Blondie Brownie Truffles

Have you ever went to bake something you've made a dozen times only to have a serious failure on your hands?...ya well, that was me this week.  I made (or should I say "attempted" to make) my Blondie Brownies.  Something I've done many times before.....but something happened this time around and when they came out of the oven they were extra gooey.  So much so you couldn't even cut them to have a bite!  I just couldn't justify throwing the whole batch away so I set off trying to find a recipe what I could repurpose them in.  Then it hit me.....Truffles!  I love cake pops and the concept is the same so I proceeded to take a go at it.  It worked!

Top with sprinkles, coconut, toffee, cookie crumbs or anything else you can come up with!

Ingredients 

Any brownie recipe, or you can use my Blondie Brownie recipe

Almond bark, candy coating, or chocolate chips

Toppings

Bake brownies about 5 minutes less than the recipe calls for, or when you can tell they are almost done but still gooey.

Cool completely

Break apart and place in a large bowl.  

Mix together by hand just until combined.  Don't over mix.

Using a spoon or a cookie scoop,  make 1 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet.

Melt almond bark/chocolate/candy coating in the microwave until melted. Stir often.

Using a fork, lower a brownie ball into the bark and use a spoon to cover in bark/chocolate/candy coating.

Sprinkle with any topping you desire and place on cookies sheet.

Refrigerate to harden.

Chocolate espresso cupcakes w/ peanut butter filling & chocolate ganache topping

I love peanut butter and chocolate together.  There is something about the creaminess of a peanut butter filling paired with the moist chocolate cake that makes me happy.  Now add a chocolate ganache to that and you have a winner in my book!  I made some of these with the peanut butter filling on on the inside and some with it on top.  You really can't lose either way!

The cake

2 cups of sugar
1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
3/4 cup of cocoa

1 tablespoon of espresso powder
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
2 eggs

1 cup of milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract 

1 cup of boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  

Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla.  Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes.  

Stir in boiling water.  Batter will be thin.

Pour into cupcake liners. Fill about 2/3rds of the way.

Bake 14 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes then remove cupcakes from pan and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

For the filling 

1 1/4 cups of peanut butter

1/2 cup of butter, softened

1 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar

3 tablespoons of heavy cream or as much as needed

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the peanut butter and butter until completely mixed. It will be creamy.  Gradually add the confectioners sugar while beating on slow speed. After confectioners sugar is incorporated start adding the heavy cream until desired consistency is achieved. 

Ganache Topping

2 cups of chocolate chips

1/2 cup of shortening

6 tablespoons of corn syrup

4 1/2 tablespoons of water

Combine the chocolate chips, shortening, corn syrup and water in the top of a double broiler. Heat, stirring frequently until melted and smooth.  Remove from heat and let cool and thicken slightly before topping cupcakes.

Assemble 

With a paring knife, cut out the center of the cupcakes and set the removed piece aside.  Put the peanut butter filling in a piping bag or a ziplock with the corner snipped off.  Pipe the filling into the cupcake until just about full and replace the removed piece of cake.  Dip the filled cupcake in the ganache. If it is too difficult to dip, use a wooden spoon to scoop the ganache on top of the cupcake and spread until covered and smooth.

Top with sprinkles if desired.

Alternate way.

Pipe peanut butter filling on top of cupcake and spoon ganache on top of peanut butter.

Makes approximately  24-30 cupcakes

Moist Chocolate Cake with Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Frosting

Ok, I am fully aware that it has been over a month since I have posted a darn thing on here...but wait!...I do have a valid excuse!   Our family just got back from DisneyLand in California and have been sick ever since.  A great vacation, but so glad to be back on my island!

I made this cake before we left, but ran out of time to post it

.........so here we go.    

I love chocolate anything, and I have found the chocolate cake base that I use for all the chocolate cakes that I make.  It is the same chocolate cake base as my Ding Dong Cake

 My husband loves pumpkin so I made a cream cheese frosting and added pumpkin spice to kick it up a notch.  You could also add a little pumpkin puree to the frosting if you have that on hand.

For the cake
2 cups of sugar
1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
3/4 cup of cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
2 eggs

1 cup of milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract 

1 cup of boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans, or grease and cut parchment paper to fit bottom of pans for easy removal.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  

Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla.  Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes.  

Stir in boiling water.  Batter will be thin.

Pour into prepared pans.

Bake 22-28 minutes.  (every oven cooks so differently so keep a close eye the first time you make this one) Cake is ready when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes then remove from pan and transfer to wire rack to cool completely. 

For the frosting

16 oz of cream cheese softened

1/2 cup of butter

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

2 cups of confectioners sugar

1-2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice. Or to taste

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the ingredients until smooth and fluffy.  Refrigerate until ready to frost cake.

Once the cake has completely cooled, start stacking and frosting until all three layers have been covered.   I topped mine with cookie crumbs.  You could also use chocolate sprinkles or cocoa powder.    Store cake in refrigerator.