Banana Bars with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

These are to die for, that's all I have to say. Thanks Becky for sharing your amazing banana cake recipe with me! This browned butter frosting just puts these over the top. They are good freshly made, but I prefer them cold from the refrigerator the next day.

Banana Cake

2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. sour cream, room temp
3 eggs, room temp
½ c. (1 stick) Butter, softened
6 overripe bananas mashed well
1 Tbs vanilla extract
3 c. flour
¾ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350, use cooking spray to grease a half sheet (bar) pan.

Cream together sugar, sour cream, eggs, and softened butter. Add mashed banana and vanilla. Add flour, salt, and baking soda; mix well.
Pour into pan and bake for 15-18 minutes. Top should be lightly browned.

Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 c. unsalted butter, divided
1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese, cut into 6 chunks
about 4 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

In Kitchenaid or mixing bowl place cream cheese and 4 Tbs of cold unsalted butter. In small saucepan, melt remaining 4 Tbs butter over medium heat. Continue to cook, watching carefully, until butter is a brown nutty color, this usually takes about 5 minutes. Pour hot browned butter over cream cheese and cold butter. Beat together for 1 minute. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Correct consistency with more powdered sugar or milk if necessary.

When cake is cool, frost. If not eaten immediately, refrigerate.

Carrot Cupcakes

Thanks King Arthur for another great recipe! This was a very simple, very good carrot cake recipe that I made into cupcakes.

Carrot Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
3 cups finely grated carrots
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 c. butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tsp vanilla
3 Tbs milk
about 3 cups powdered sugar (more depending on if you want a thicker consistency)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease one 9 x 13-inch pan, or makes 22 cupcakes.

Beat together the oil, sugar, eggs and spices. Mix the flour with the baking soda, and stir in. Add the carrots and nuts, and mix until just blended.

Pour the prepared pan(s). Bake the cake(s) for 35 to 40 minutes (15 minutes for cupcakes), or until the cake tests done. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting it. (If you're using two 9-inch round pans, remove the cake from the pans after about 15 minutes, and place it in a rack to cool.

For frosting beat together all ingredients, adjust the consistency with more milk or powdered sugar if needed. Frost and sprinkle with cinnamon!

Luscious Lemonade Cupcakes

Mmmm, mmmm! These cupcakes are perfect for spring! The lemon cream frosting really makes these delicious, and ta da! This recipe is actually from the Cooking Light magazine, who would have thought I would bake anything low fat? :) This recipe makes a two layer 9 inch round cake or about 20 cupcakes.

Luscious Lemonade Cupcakes

1 1/3 c. sugar
6 Tbs. softened butter
1 Tbs. grated lemon rind
3 Tbs thawed lemonade concentrate (I used MinuteMaid)
2 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
2 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 c. lowfat buttermilk

Frosting:
2 Tbs butter, softened
1 Tbs grated lemon rind
2 tsp thawed lemonade concentrate
1/2 tsp vanilla
8 oz. 1/3 less fate cream cheese
3 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat sugar, butter, lemon rind, lemonade concentrate, and vanilla together for 2 minutes. Add eggs and egg whites one at a time, beat well after each addition.
Combine baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to batter, beginning and ending with flour. Pour batter into two greased 9 inch round cake pans (or makes 20 cupcakes). Bake for 20 minutes (15 for cupcakes), let cool for 10 minutes in pan and invert onto a wire rack.

For frosting combine first five ingredients. Add in enough powdered sugar to reach the consistency you like. I did add in a little yellow food coloring to make them look lemony. Frost cake and store in refrigerator. Cupcakes are best eaten the same day.

Texas Sheet Cake

I think there are lots of names this cake goes by and I've had a couple of different versions, but this one is the best! The texture of the cake and frosting is so delicious. This is great served with ice cream and I like to make it when friends are over for dinner, that takes out the danger of me eating it all by myself!

Texas Sheet Cake

1 c. butter
1 c. water
1/4 c. baking cocoa (I use Hershey's)
2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. sour cream

Glaze:
1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. plus 2 Tbs milk
3 Tbs cocoa
3 to 3 3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.
In large saucepan bring to boil butter, water, and baking cocoa (whisk to remove lumps). Remove from heat.
Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Beat in cocoa mixture. Gently blend in sour cream until smooth. Pour into a greased bar pan (1/2 sheet pan).
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, do not overbake!

While cake is baking, melt butter in saucepan. Whisk in milk and cocoa, bring to a boil and remove from heat. Whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Consistency should be slightly runny, not too thick. Pour over hot cake and spread to edges. Cool completely.

Homemade Butter Pound Cake

This cake was absolutely to die for, it was so good, the best pound cake recipe I have ever made! So much better than any store bought cake. I made it in two loaf pans, but next time I think I will make it in a tube or bundt pan, the loaves weren't quite high enough. It is important to follow these directions precisely, sift the flour three times and beat batter for the amount of time indicated. Delicious served with strawberries and fresh cream!

Butter Pound Cake

1 c. butter, softened at room temp
3 c. cake flour, sifted before measuring(not self rising)
3/4 tsp salt
3 c. sugar
6 large eggs, room temp
2 tsp vanilla
1 c. heavy whipping cream

Place oven rack in middle position but do not turn on oven yet.
Generously butter pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess flour.
Sift together salt and cake flour, then sift together again into another bowl (flour will have been sifted 3 times)
Beat together butter and sugar for 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after reach addition, scrape down bowl when needed. Add vanilla. Add half of flour mixture, beat, and then add all of whipping cream. Add remaining flour and beat at medium speed for 4 minutes, batter will become smooth and satiny (and it will smell delicious!)

Spoon batter into pan (or pans if making loaves) and rap against counter to remove any air bubbles. Place in cold oven and turn on temp to 350. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. I made two loaves and it took about 50 minutes, but if you're using a bundt pan it will take longer, probably about an hour.
Let cakes cool on rack for 30 minutes. Run knife along edge and invert onto plate to cool completely.

Strawberry Cupcakes!

These cupcakes are amazing! My friend Stefany said they tasted just like Belgian waffles with fresh strawberries and cream. These are very moist and chewy. This recipe makes 12 regular cupcakes or 44 mini. The strawberries are so cheap right now, so it's a great time to make them!

Strawberry Cupcakes

1/2 c. pureed strawberries
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp coarse salt
1/2 c. sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c. butter, room temp
1 c. sugar
2 eggs, room temp

Preheat oven to 350.
Line a 12 cup muffin tin with liners, or 2 mini muffin pans with 44 liners; set aside

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In a small bowl mix together sour cream, vanilla, and strawberry puree; set aside.

In bowl of electric mixer beat butter until fluffy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Slowly add sugar and cream together for 2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and eggs one at a time until just blended.

With mixer on low add half of flour mixture, scraping down sides of bowl.
Add in strawberry puree mixture.
Add in remaining flour mixture, scraping sides, until just combined.

Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full. (I made the mini version and I used my Pampered Chef mini scoop and it was perfect)

Bake for approximately 12 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Let cool on wire rack.

Strawberries and Cream Frosting

1/3 c. strawberry puree
4 Tbs. butter, room temp
6 oz. cream cheese, room temp
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of coarse salt
4-5 c. powdered sugar (depending on how thick you want it)

Combine first five ingredients, gradually add in powdered sugar until you reach the right consistency.

Frost cupcakes and store in refrigerator.
These are so delicious and perfect for a summer treat!

Cupcake Pops! Yay!

Aren't these the cutest things you've ever seen? They do take time to make but it's fairly easy. Such a cute idea for kid's birthdays or holiday parties. A lady called Bakerella invented these, click here http://bakerella.blogspot.com/search/label/cupcake%20pops to see the many different cake pops she's come up with. I love the ghosts and reindeers!

For cupcake pops you will need:

1 13X9 cake, any flavor you want, baked (I've done chocolate and strawberry)
1 tub frosting, regular, not whipped (again any flavor, I put chocolate with the chocolate cake and vanilla with the strawberry)
Lollipop sticks found at craft store
1 small scalloped cookie/fondant cutter (I found mine at Michaels, it's made by Wilton, it's a little over an inch across)
1 bag chocolate candy melts (again I found at Michaels)
1 bad pink candy melts
pink M&M's and a variety of sprinkles for toppings

Once your cake is cool crumble in a large bowl, add about 3/4 of the tub of frosting and mush together thoroughly with hands (this is quite fun!)
Form into small balls, about 1 1/2".
Place on waxed paper and put in freezer for 5 minutes.
Roll balls into an oblong shape. Place in scalloped cutter and push from the top and bottom so that the cake fills in the scalloped shape. Push out bottom to remove. Continue with remaining balls. Place in freezer for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt chocolate candy melts until smooth, you can do this on a double broiler and in 30 second intervals in the microwave.
Dip your lollipop stick in the chocolate, just so the tip is covered. Take one cupcake and dip bottom half in chocolate, wiping off bottom on side of bowl as you remove.
Place lollipop stick in the bottom, a little less than halfway through. Repeat with remaining cupcakes. You can place these in a piece of floral foam to harden up or a glass, you just don't want them touching.
When chocolate is hardened up, melt pink candy melts.
Dip top half of cupcake in pink candy melts, try to make the pink touch the chocolate so that you don't have cake showing through. Decorate immediately and place in foam to harden.
At the craft store they also have lollipop bags that you can put over the pops and tie with cute ribbon if you're taking them somewhere.

I would highly recommend going here: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/cupcake-pops?video_id=0&autonomy_kw=cupcake%20pops
to watch the how to video on Martha Stewart's show!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

So I'm convinced that any baked good with sour cream or buttermilk in it is going to be delicious! I made this coffee cake for brunch today and everyone loved it. It was super moist (yet still chewy, which I love). It was pretty easy too, and when you're done, it's going to look beautiful! Almost too good to eat (wait a minute, nothing ever looks too good to eat! :) My four year old chowed down on it.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Brown Sugar Filling:
1/2 c. light brown sugar
1/2 c. finely chopped pecans
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Coffee Cake:
3 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 large eggs
2 1/2 c. sour cream

Glaze:
1 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbs. milk

Heat oven to 350. Grease bottom and sides of a fluted tube (Bundt) cake pan.
In small bowl combine all filling ingredients, stir until combined and set aside.
In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
In large bowl beat sugar, butter, vanilla, and eggs together for 2 minutes on medium speed. (Don't try to save time by only beating a little bit, there was a big difference in the batter after beating for two minutes) On low speed, beat 1/3 of flour mixture into batter. Beat in 1/3 of sour cream. Repeat adding flour and sour cream alternately until well blended.
Spread 1/3 of batter into bottom of pan. Sprinkle half of filling mixture over batter. Cover with another third of the batter, then the last half of the filling, and last third of the batter.
Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto plate. Let cool completely.
Beat together glaze ingredients, I added 1/2 tsp of cinnamon to glaze and it turned out great. The glaze should be thick, but still thin enough to "fall" over cake. Pour glaze over cake by spoonfulls, let set for at least 1/2 hour and serve!

Fabulous Fudge Chocolate Cupcakes

So I'm finally putting cupcakes on my blog! Yay! This is what I named my blog after. This recipe is awesome! I found it on allrecipes.com. It is a dense, chewy, chocolatey cake recipe. I try to get away with making this at every family birthday party (except for my husband's, he likes yellow cake, whatever Ben!) My mom loves German chocolate cake, so I used this recipe and just made a homemade german chocolate cake frosting with coconut to go on top. This time I made my son these cupcakes for his "Pirate" Birthday party. Once you make this, you won't want to make another boxed chocolate cake mix!
This recipe will make 36 cupcakes, or 1 13X9 cake.

Fabulous Fudge Chocolate Cupcakes

2 1/4 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 oz. semi sweet baking chocolate
3/4 c. chocolate chips
1 c. sour cream
1 c. boiling water


Preheat oven to 350.
Place baking chocolate in a plastic bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, return to microwave for additional 30 seconds, stir. Add chocolate chips and stir. Microwave for additional 20 seconds and stir until chocolate is melted. Set aside to cool.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in bowl. Set aside.
In large bowl beat butter and sugar for 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beat in vanilla and melted chocolate. Add 1/2 the sour cream, beat, and then add 1/2 flour mixture. Repeat with remaining sour cream and flour mixture. Stir in boiling water.
Pour in greased or lined muffin tins, or greased cake pan.
For cupcakes bake approximately 15 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE, that is the worst thing you can do to a cake recipe! Makes about 36 cupcakes.
For 13X9 cake, bake approximately 25-30 minutes.