Lately....

I've been pretty busy lately (busy in the sense, that I've done a little bit of traveling and a lot of "hanging out"). That is what I currently consider busy.

This past week, I went to visit my family in Wisconsin. I went there for a few reasons, one of my great friends from high school recently got married and had a reception on the 4th. I was so happy to be invited and incredibly excited that I was able to go. In high school, there were three girls and myself that literally did practically everything together; we were merely inseparable. Then high school ended, I went to St. Louis, one girl went to Arizona, another to South Carolina, and one stayed in Wisconsin. Although we all had talked at one point or another in the past 10 years, we hadn't all be together for a long time. It was our own little 10 year high school reunion, since none of us are probably attending that.

Jess, Kelly (Sam's friend from college), Sam, me, and Swaps

I also was able to spend quite a bit of time with my two little nieces, who I miss terribly. They are so fun to hang out with, especially the three year old (my other niece is one and still pretty little). She has such a personality and says literally all the darnedest things. Bill Cosby's show used to be a big hit, and now I understand why. She just turned three, and my brother and sister-in-law had a princess themed birthday party; it was adorable, aside from my pink eye that kept me from really getting down and dirty in the castle bounce house.

Princess Maddie

I have, also, been doing quite a bit of baking. My mom's birthday cake, my father-in-law's dessert for Father's Day, and a couple of other things thrown in there for good measure. Summer is sort of winding down, and I need to get some more baking done before I don't have the time anymore. I have a few other things I want to bake/make before summer is dunzo.

First came Father's Day. My father-in-law really likes carrot cake, the only issue is that he is the only one to really likes carrot cake. So I decided instead of cake, to make cupcakes. That way he could share with his coworkers or other people who enjoy the taste of carrot cake. I tested a bit of the batter, that will not be a cake that I will ever have a liking for. I used this recipe and just modified it for cupcakes, instead of a cake.

Carrot (Cup)Cake

Ingredients

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. allspice

1 cup applesauce

1/2 cup vegetable oil

6 egg whites

3 cups peeled, grated carrots

1 cup finely grated nuts (optional)--I did not use nuts

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 stick butter, softened

powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

Mix dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and beat on medium speed for two minutes. Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full OR spread in two greased 8" round pants. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes (for cake) or 15 minutes (for cupcakes)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Blend cream cheese and butter well. Add vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar until desired thickness. Beat until smooth. 

I added cinnamon on the top of the cupcakes for a little color. They were apparently very delicious.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

My parents made a trip down to St. Louis the weekend after Father's Day. The day before they got here it was my mom's birthday; she turned 54. I wanted to make her a birthday cake so I was off to find a recipe. I found a few, but this one sounded the most delicious. Little did I know, how much of a hassle it was going to be to make it. But it was well worth it in the end, because it turned out really well. And honestly, if you don't like Oreos there is something wrong with you.

Chocolate Oreo Cake

Ingredients:

For Cake

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cups Hershey's Cocoa

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs 

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

10-15 Oreos twisted to separate cookies and reveal cream center

15 Oreos, chopping directly in half through cookie

For Filling: (I doubled this portion, because it didn't look like enough when I first made it)

1/3 cup whipping cream

2 tsp. powdered sugar

small dash vanilla extract

1/8 cup Oreo cookie crumbs, make from reserved Oreo sides

For Icing:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

2/3 cup Hershey's Cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two 9-inch round baking pans. (It said to line with parchment, but I didn't--and I could still get the cakes out of the pans.) On one layer of the cake pan, place cookie halves that have been separated into the bottom of one pan, cream side up.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl.

Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer about two minutes.

Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).

Pour batter very carefully into prepared pans.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans and place onto wire racks. Cool completely. 

Make frosting...

Stir melted butter into cocoa. 

Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. 

Add small amount of additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. Makes about 2 cups of frosting. 

Make filling...

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla until stiff.

Gently fold in the cookie crumbs. Scoop mixture into a piping bag (or gallon sized Ziploc bag). 

When cake is completely cooled, make icing dam (an icing dam is a line all the around the cake to prevent the filling from coming through the layers).  Fill the icing dam with a layer of cream filling.

Place other cake layer on top, and frost with chocolate frosting. Place Oreo halves around the bottom edge of the cake.

Serve or store in refrigerator.  

ENJOY. It's incredibly delicious.

Happy Birthday, Mom

I have been dying to buy some mini-muffin pans; I know a strange thing to be longing for. I asked my mom if she had any she'd like to loan me and lucky for me she did.  It's a little sentimental considering they were my grandma's; hopefully they bring good luck in the kitchen.  I was really excited to have them since I had this recipe for Blueberry Mini Cupcakes that I've been wanting to try for quite a few months.

Happy Monday in the Michael household, Blueberry Cupcakes.  My husband will probably end up taking the majority of these to work, since we more than likely can't finish 66 cupcakes; albeit mini.

I love blueberries.

Blueberry Mini Cupcakes:

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1 tbls. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups milk, room temperature

2 cups fresh blueberries, plus more for garnish

Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

12 ounces (1 and 1/2) of cream cheese, room temperature

1 pound (4 cups) powdered sugar

3/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Cupcakes...

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line mini muffin pan with cupcake liners. 

In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, the cake flour, the baking powder, and the salt.

In the stand mixer, combine the butter and the sugar, mixing on medium-high speed for about two minutes. 

Reduce the mixer speed to medium and add the eggs, one at a time, thoroughly mixing after each one and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and mix until combined.

Reduce the mixer speed to low, alternately add the flour mixture (in three batches) and the milk, starting with and ending with the flour mixture.

Using a rubber spatula, gently add the blueberries and mix until just incorporated.  Divide the cupcake batter evenly among your prepared liners, filling each liner about 3/4 full.

Bake the cupcakes about 12-15 minutes, until the tops are springy and a cake tested inserted comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.

Frosting...

In the bowl of the stand mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth and light, about two minutes.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until combined scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  

Add the vanilla and mix until combined and smooth.  Pipe on cooled cupcakes as desired.  Garnish each cupcake with fresh blueberries.

I'll do some more posting before I have to go back to school......until then enjoy these, because I did.