Gabes Chocolate Almond Birthday Cake

* Posted on honey whats cooking.com /adapted from smitten kitchen
INGREDIENTS: 

• All Purpose Flour – 2 cups
• Sugar – 2 1/2 cups
• Rademaker Dutch Processed Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – 3/4 cup  (else use Unsweetened Cocoa Powder)
• Baking Soda – 2 tsp
• Salt – 1 tsp
• Canola Oil – 1 cup
• Sour Cream – 1 cup
• Water – 1 1/2 cups
• Distilled White Vinegar – 2 tbsp
• Vanilla Extract – 1 tsp
• Eggs - 2

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2.wisk together dry ingredients
3. add oil and sour cream, mix well
4. add the water in 3 batches, mixing well in between
5. dump into 2 greased round cake pans
6. bake 35 mins at 350

Almond Buttercream frosting:
INGREDIENTS:

• Unsalted Butter – 2 sticks (room temperature)
• Confectioners Sugar – 4
• Milk 1% Low Fat – 3 to 4 tbsp (start with 3 and use more as need be)
• Almond Extract – 1 tsp  (if you aren’t a huge fan of Amaretto, use 1 or 2 tsp of vanilla extract instead)

Garnish cake with toasted sliced almonds

pumpkin brownies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Tis the season - for Pumpkin.

These little "brownies" are super moist and cakey. Not chewy as I had hoped - but made them for friends and everyone agreed they were DELICIOUS nonetheless. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup melted butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup cooked pumpkin
1 1/2 cup flour
2  teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Beat eggs well. Beat in sugar, butter, pumpkin and vanilla. Add flour, mixing well; then add spices. Spread brownie mixture into a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Bake 30-35 minutes.

Let cool completely.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter (one stick), softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 – 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins + Optional Chocolate Add In

So, you can see that we are on a muffin kick. Well, actually its not so much muffins - as it is ZUCCHINI! As usual we have piles and piles of zucchini coming out our ears (and no end in sight!) stay tuned for a barrage of recipes trying to use all of it up!!!

Todays post:Pumpkin Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

Makes 15 muffins - courtesy of the Baking Barrister

2 cups all-purpose flour 

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. sal

t1.5 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

1.5 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. freshly ground ginger

1 stick softened butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs, beaten

8 oz. pure pumpkin puree

1 cup grated zucchini, drained

1 cup milk choc. chips

cream together eggs, sugar, and butter. Add in pumpkin and spices. Sift together dry ingredients and add to wet until just mixed. Fold in zucchini and chocolate chips.  Bake for 20 minutes!

****** I adapted this recipe into chocolate muffins by adding in 1/2 cup of cocoa powder ********

THEY WERE DELICIOUS. Spencer thinks they are cupcakes. (image from google image search) 

Zucchini Muffins

This recipe FREEZES BEAUTIFULLY! I also like it because its a small recipe (12 muffins) and only requires 1 egg! My kids have been eating these for breakfast for a week now.

Courtesy of Taste Of Home

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

• In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Combine the egg, oil, milk, lemon juice and vanilla; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in zucchini, chocolate chips and walnuts. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until muffins test done. Yield: about 1 dozen.

Killer Carrot Cake + Frosting

(Image: bestcarrotrecipe.com)

This recipe is from my mother in law Shelley, who just so happens to arguably be the BEST cake maker I know. This Carrot cake is KILLER. I could spread the frosting on spencer and lick him to death. oh wait, thats what Brigitte did.

Cake:

1-1/4 tea. vanilla

1 tea. soda

1 tea. salt

1 tea. commanding

3/4 C. of oil

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 can drained 20 oz. crushed pineapple

3 cups flour

1 C. raisins

2 C. nuts(I put in tons of nuts)

2 C. grated carrots

 

Bake at 350 for 40 to 50 minutes

Frosting:

8 oz. softened cream cheese

2 tea. vanilla

3/4 cube butter(more is good)

dash of salt

2- 1/3 powdered sugar

 

Pumpkin Roll

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
• FILLING:
• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)photo coming soon

Directions

FOR CAKE:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Grease cookie sheet; line with tin foil.
COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.
BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes.) Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel (heavily sprinkled with powdered sugar). Carefully peel off foil. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.
FOR FILLING:
BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.
COOKING TIP:Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick. 

Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

(image: hellyaitsvegan.com)

Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

Now mind you, I am sending you the recipe straight up as it is.  Vegan.  Make any adjustments you need.  I don't have special graham crackers and I just use regular old chocolate chips. 

1/2 cup Earth Balance butter

3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 10 squares)

1/4 cup maple sugar or other granulated sweetener (sometimes I use brown rice syrup)

1 cup grain-sweetened, nondairy chocolate or carob chips

1/4 cup soy, rice, or nut milk

1/4 cup chipped pecans, almonds, or peanuts

Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in the pb, graham cracker crumbs, and maple sugar and mix well.  Remove the mixture from the heat.  Evenly devide the mixture, approximately 2 Tbsp per cup, among the muffin cups.

Combine the chocolate and milk in another pan.  Stir over medium heat until the chocolate has melted.  Spoon the chocolate evenly over the pb mixture.  Top with chopped nuts.  Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 2 hours before serving.

Jamilla's Banana Cookies

These are served best while dancing in "black ho night" gear around your living room. I also recommend cutting off all your hair and shoving the clippings into an old Dominos pizza box while you are waiting for them to finish baking. Its the little details that make these Jamilla's specialty. Ah, the good ol days. It has also been rumored that serving these to men will most assuredly snag you a husband (or two). So be careful who you give them to. 


Cookie Ingredients:

3/4		cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
3/4		cup firmly packed brown sugar
2		medium (1 cup) ripe bananas, mashed
1		LAND O LAKES™ All-Natural Farm-Fresh Egg
2		teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
1/2		teaspoon vanilla
2		cups all-purpose flour
1/2		teaspoon baking powder
1/2		teaspoon baking soda
1/4		teaspoon salt

Glaze Ingredients:

2		tablespoons LAND O LAKES® Butter
3		tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
3		tablespoons LAND O LAKES™ Half & Half or milk
1 1/4		cups powdered sugar
1/2		teaspoon vanilla Grated orange zest, if desired

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine 3/4 cup butter and 3/4 cup brown sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add bananas, egg, orange zest and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat until well mixed.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool completely.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons brown sugar and half & half. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil (1 to 2 minutes). Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; beat until well mixed; cool slightly.

Frost cooled cookies. Garnish with grated orange zest, if desired.