Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting

             Growing up, my mom always made homemade cakes for every birthday, party, or random event held at my house. Her specialty: devils food chocolate cake with homemade cream cheese frosting. Delicious! Raising two kids who are 11 months apart (Michelle and I were born in the same year, and yes, we are Irish twins), my mom never had time to fully bake a cake from scratch, so she used a box of Duncan Hines Devil’s Food Cake, and made her own cream cheese frosting (the recipe is here). Even though she doesn’t have to deal with two whining, complaining children anymore, she still has trouble finding time to bake anything from scratch, between work and cleaning up after four messy people and a dog. While I love eating and baking homemade goods, I grew up on this cake, so I really have no complaints and I love when my mom makes it. Like the rest of my family, I am a huge chocolate fan, so this cake has never disappointed anyone, and it continues to be a favorite amongst family and friends to this day. While I love Mom’s special chocolate birthday cake, sometimes I crave the exact opposite: yellow cake with chocolate frosting.

            I don’t know why, but the thought of eating a homemade yellow cake with chocolate frosting makes my mouth water, so I decided it would be a great idea to make a homemade yellow cake for my graduation party. In all of my 18 years of life, I have yet to have a homemade yellow butter cake, yet it is probably my favorite cake in the entire world. With 4 ½ days left of school and graduation coming up soon, I recently embarked on an internet journey to find a great yellow butter cake and chocolate frosting recipe. With many recipes out there, I found a recipe that looks promising, and while I have yet to try it out due to the end of the year craziness, I am excited to try the recipe and hopefully use it to make my graduation cake!

Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Time: 1 Hour

Makes: 1 two layer 9x 1 ½ inch cake

Ingredients:

      Cake:

            6 large egg yolks

            1 cup milk

            2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

            3 cups sifted cake flour

            1 ½ cups granulated white sugar

            1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder

            ¾ teaspoon salt

            12 teaspoons unsalted butter, room temp and cut into pieces

      Frosting:

            1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

            ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

            ¼ cup heavy whipping cream

            1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

           

Procedure:

   Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
2. Spray two 9-inch x 1 1/2 inch (23 x 4 cm) cake pans with Pam cooking spray
3. In a medium bowl, lightly combine the egg yolks, ¼ cup milk, and vanilla extract
4. In the bowl of your electric mixer, combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt) and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds or until blended.
5. Add the butter and remaining 3/4 cup (180 ml) milk. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened.  Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for about 2 minutes to aerate and develop the cake's structure.
6. Gradually add the egg mixture, in 3 additions, beating about 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate the egg.
7. Divide the batter and pour into the prepared pans, smoothing the surface with an offset spatula.
8. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in center.
9. Cool completely before frosting on wire racks.

   Frosting:

1. In double boiler melt chips and add heavy cream, mix until smooth take off of heat.
2. In mixing bowl cream together sugar and cream cheese until smooth, slowly add chocolate mixture. Mixture will thicken up as the chocolate cools.

Field Trip to Market Basket

Yesterday, my writing class took a field trip to the local Market Basket, which is conveniently located a little over a mile away from my high school. Throughout my high school career, I think I have been on one or two field trips, so when the news of this field trip was announced, I was stoked. The trip was planned for our long block, which is an 80 minute block, plus a half hour for lunch, place smack-dab in the middle of the school day, leaving us plenty of time to walk to Market Basket and back without missing any of our other classes.

While it was not a very nice day out, it was sprinkling slightly and clouds were completely covering the sky, the walk to and from the store was refreshing. It was not cold out by any means, very comfortable actually, and I always love the chance to get out during school. While the weather was decent enough to take a walk, it was a long walk, especially for someone who is slightly sick and beyond exhausted from the lack of sleep that occurs over a vacation.

            The point of this field trip was to look at products and see how they are marketed. We were to look around the store and view the writing on products, and study how they capture the attention of the buyer, and persuade them to purchase that product. While doing so, we were also to look around for any spelling and/or grammatical mistakes. After this experience, I realized how well done the marketing is for food, since I found not a single mistake (that could also be because I wasn’t looking too hard, oops). However, a few mistakes were found. One of them surprised me, it was on a bag of chips from a pretty decent company; the other mistake was found on a sign printed by Market Basket.

 

            After we left Market Basket, we walked to a chain restaurant called D’Angelo’s to get some lunch. There, I got a bland turkey sub with lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayonnaise. The turkey had pretty much no flavor at all, and all I could taste was over-bearing amounts of mayonnaise. I only ate half of the small sub I paid a little less than $6 for, so I was still a little hungry after. I didn’t pack a full lunch for that day since I knew that I would not be eating at school, and I was really hoping to stop at Panera for a nice, healthy, delicious sandwich, but that didn’t happen. Needless to say, I was delighted when I returned to school and found out that my mom had slipped cut up oranges and crackers in my bag, just in case.

7 Layer Cookie Bars

This past weekend, I experienced my first 7 layer cookie bar, ever. Surprising, I know, as I am a total dessert girl. Not knowing what it was, I was excited, and a little nervous to try the small cut up bars that were sitting in front of me. Before I discovered the recipe to these delicious little treats, all I noticed about them was layer upon layer of sweet gooey-ness, all topped with coconut, a delicacy I have always been iffy with. I love the flavor of coconut (so much in fact that my car has consistently had a coconut air refresher in it since it was bought this past summer), but I have never liked the gritty texture of it, let alone that when it is shaved it is almost impossible to completely chew and swallow without leaving bits of coconut stuck in between your teeth.

While I never thought my issues with coconut would ever cease, they did, which is truly a miracle. Apparently, the trick to making coconut a completely delicious treat is to toast it, which is not something I had ever thought of before. Toasting the shavings makes them a little less malleable; therefore they can be chewed and swallowed without any difficulty. Coconut is the perfect topping to these scrumptious little treats.

While these cookie bars are probably the most delicious treats I have ever tried, they are terrible for you. Consisting of everything sweet and fattening, including sweetened condensed milk, these are a snack that should only be made on occasion, and should never be eaten days in a row like I ate them when I first had them (I think I ate about 4 to 8 squares a day for around 4 days until they were gone; not good.). To try and find a healthier version of these bars, I searched the internet for around an hour and a half, searching everywhere I could, but to no luck, I didn’t find a cookie bar that promised the same delicious flavors that this recipe does. Each healthy version still included some type of candy that was beyond fattening, or the sweetened condensed milk that promises an unhealthy treat. So, it is safe to say, if you want to enjoy a truly delicious cookie bar, a trip to the gym after is 100% necessary (if you eat them like I did)!

7 Layer Cookie Bars

Time: 45 minutes

Makes: 12 servings

Ingredients:

            ½ cup butter

            1 cup graham cracker crumbs

            1 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

            1 1/3 cup flaked coconut

            ½ cup walnuts, chopped

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Melt butter in a 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan
3. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs evenly over butter
4. Sprinkle in layers, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, nuts, and top with coconut
5. Pour condensed milk over all
6. Bake for 30 minutes
7. Let cool and cut in bars

The Ultimate Oatmeal Cookie

Nothing beats homemade cookies, especially store bought cookies. Yes, they are purchased already cooked for you, saving the precious time and money it takes to make your own cookie dough, heat the oven, and bake them, but are they really worth it? In my opinion, all store bought cookies do not live up to the cookie name, and they are definitely not worth it in any way. Besides the fact that they are relatively dry and flavorless, you never know when these cookies were “baked”, and you don’t know the quality of the ingredients used. On top of that, you never get to experience warm, gooey cookies that just came out of the oven, or scrape the rest of the cookie dough out of the bowl to enjoy raw (I know all of you do that, don’t deny it). You also never get to enjoy the delightful scent that flows through your house after baking a batch of cookies, a scent that could never be recreated by simply burning a cookie-scented candle. While I do enjoy an occasional Chips Ahoy! cookie, nothing beats homemade cookies in my heart.

Homemade cookies never fail to put a smile on my face. Mouth-watering and delicious, they come in a small, rich, and flavorful package, and even better, there are thousands of variations, so you never run out of fresh ideas for a new, tasty cookie. Having always loved traditional chocolate chip cookies, I decided to spice up my cookie life with a new, fresh cookie. Utilizing the internet, I went on a search for something new, different, and maybe even a little crazy; a cookie that had a name longer than necessary because it had so many delicious ingredients in it. The cookie I found: Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Craisin Chocolate Chip cookies, or as I like to call them, The Ultimate Oatmeal Cookies. Scrumptious, I know. Originally, the recipe I came across was a simple and quite boring oatmeal craisin cookie, but thanks to my ever-so-present sweet tooth, I decided to spice them up and add more “toppings” as I like to call them. As a result, these cookies came out better than I could have ever imagined, and were a huge hit with all of my family and friends. In fact, people would not stop asking for more!

The Ultimate Oatmeal Cookie

Time: 30-45 minutes

Makes: 4 Dozen

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups quick cooking oats

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup raisins

2/3 cup craisins

2/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Procedure:

1. Beat butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla for 5 minutes in Kitchen Aid
2. In another bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
3. Add to butter mixture 1 cup at a time
4. Mix in raisins, craisins, and chocolate chips
5. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 11-14 minutes at 350 degrees F. Enjoy!

Chicken Caesar Salad on Pesto Pizza

            I have discovered one of the most delicious pizzas in the entire universe; so delicious, in fact, I thought it would be worth going off topic for. This pizza: chicken caesar salad on top of pesto pizza. Now, I fully understand that a salad on top of a pizza sounds quite unappetizing, and downright revolting, and you are probably picturing warm, cooked, wilted, greasy lettuce atop of a green pizza, but it is nothing like that. No, this pizza is a true masterpiece, and if you have never experienced one before, you are in for a surprise.

While this pizza is a new discovery for me, it is actually slightly popular meal, and often appears on the specials menu at David's Tavern, a restaurant I have worked at for a few years now. Pesto pizza is one of David’s Tavern’s specialty pizzas on the menu, and it is absolutely delicious. There is a perfect blend of fresh pesto sauce and cheese, all on top of delectable homemade pizza crust that is freshly made by the wonderful, talented kitchen staff. To make the pizza with chicken caesar salad on top, the pesto pizza is first cooked alone in the oven, like any pizza would be. Then once the pizza finishes cooking and is taken out of the oven, it is topped with lettuce dressed David’s Tavern’s homemade caesar dressing and strips of grilled chicken breasts.

To say the least, this pizza is absolutely delicious, and obviously messy. To eat it, it requires much more effort than it takes to eat any normal pizza, but I think it is completely worth it. So what if you have to use a fork and your hands simultaneously to pick up a slice of salad covered pizza? I mean, once you get the pizza slice up and off the plate, it is not that hard to scoop some salad onto the pizza, or even right into your mouth. There is really no wrong way to eat this delectable duo, and trust me all of the work it takes to simply take a bite is well worth it in the end. This pizza is extravagant.

Pita Bread Pizza

            As of lately, I have been on a seriously healthy path. Choosing anything green over a mound of meat on my plate, I have been eating broccoli and string beans like they are never going to appear in my house ever again. On top of that, I have been trying to stay away from unhealthy foods, like my macaroni and cheese I blogged about a few weeks ago. With my new healthy take on food, I no longer enjoy the Friday night tradition of ordering greasy, expensive pizza from a local pizza place that has been a part of my life ever since I can remember.

Now, I understand that ordering a pizza from a pizza place is a quick and easy solution to dinner, it really isn’t worth it. To buy one pizza, it costs on average around 15 dollars, and that’s before toppings! On top of that, the pizzas are quickly made with little to no thought or effort, and are often made with artificial cheeses and other toppings. These pizzas are almost always topped with more than enough fake cheese, and covered in ridiculous amounts of grease. While the pizza may be warm and inviting when it is fresh out of the oven, having it delivered promises you a half an hour, or longer, wait, only for you to receive a pizza that is barely warm and dripping with grease. So, in the end, you pay the $15 for the pizza, and around $5 extra to get it delivered, just to receive a pizza that is barely appetizing, and not worth the money at all.

To satisfy my craving for pizza, I have discovered the pita pizza. Delicious, nutritious, and super easy to make, pita pizzas are a delectable alternative to the standard pizza. They are made with pita bread, real cheese, real sauce, and any other toppings that you could imagine, so they are healthier than a standard pizza, and they taste amazing! Best of all, they have little to no oil, so they are not nearly as greasy as a standard pizza is. One circle of pita bread makes a perfect dinner for one, but it is easy enough to make multiple pizzas to satisfy a group.

Pita Bread Pizza

Time: 10-15 minutes

Makes: 4-6 pita pizzas, depending on how many you decide to make

Ingredients:

            4-6 pita rounds (white or whole wheat)

            1 cup pizza sauce

            2 cups mozzarella cheese

            Toppings of your choice (veggies, cooked meats, cheeses, etc)

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Spoon pizza sauce over the pita rounds
3. Top with mozzarella and any desired toppings
4. Place on a baking sheet and cook for 7-10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted
5. Serve immediately after cooking, enjoy!

Cream Cheese Frosting

I am, by no means, a cake decorator. Give me ingredients and a Kitchen Aid and I can make any amazing, moist, decadent cake that my heart desires, but when it comes time to frost it, I struggle immensely. Calling my mom, sister, or various friends for help, I am quick to sit back and watch how they do it, but that doesn’t make a difference, I still cannot frost the cake. My abilities to frost a cake are very limited to frosting the top and sides, slightly destroying the top layer of the two layer cake that is often made, and getting spots of frosting all over the plate the cake is sitting on, instead of the cake itself. On top of that, I am a master at the art of decorative sprinkles, creating a beautiful rainbow with the Easter sprinkles that are somehow always supplied in my house. Honestly, my cakes are hideous, yet delicious creations, and I fully understand that I should stay away from the frosting and focus more on the baking.

While my abilities to frost a cake are pretty much non-existent, I do have some skill when it comes to cupcakes. Being miniature in size, cupcakes pose less of a threat to me than a giant two layer cake, and the fact that you only have to frost the top of them, instead of the whole thing, makes the job a lot easier. Whenever I make cupcakes, I often find myself putting a dollop of cream cheese frosting on top of the cupcake instead of frosting them the traditional way, making sure the frosting covers the entire surface of the cupcake. To do this, I use a large plastic freezer bag, or sandwich bag, to make up for my lack of piping bags. I spoon the frosting into the baggy, making sure the frosting is concentrated to one corner, and then cut a small hole in the corner of the bag where the frosting is. On each cupcake, I put a dollop of frosting on and then usually top with some type of fruit or sprinkles.

When frosting cupcakes, and cakes, I always use homemade cream cheese frosting. While I understand how easy it is to buy a container of pre-made frosting at the store, I believe that if you are going to take the time to bake from scratch, you should take the time to make the frosting from scratch, also. Homemade cream cheese frosting is not hard to make by any means, and it tastes so much better than the processed, repulsive crap that comes in a container at the market.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Time: 5-10 minutes

Makes: Enough for 24 cupcakes or one cake

Ingredients:

            1 package (8 oz) cream cheese (I prefer Philadelphia Cream Cheese)

¼ cup butter or margarine, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

1 package (16 oz) powdered sugar (about 4 cups), sifted

Procedure:

1. Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in large bowl with a mixer until it is well blended
2. Gradually add sifted sugar, beating after each addition until well blended

Decadent Chocolate Cupcakes

When I think of hanging out with friends on a Friday afternoon, my mind automatically drifts towards delicious baked goods. After living through a long week at school and work filled with a complete lack of sleep, tons of work, and lengthy homework, my friends and I are ready to settle down and make ourselves, and our stomachs, delicious treats that could turn any frown upside down. These treats: cupcakes.

Cupcakes are my favorite dessert in the world. Small, decadent, and sweet, these treats deliver a variety of flavors in a little package, and never cease to put a smile on my face. Ever since I was a child, I have been baking cupcakes, mostly with my mom, for various birthday celebrations, parties, etc. While these cupcakes were usually made with the aid of a Betty Crocker chocolate cake mix, I always found them to be delicious any ways. These boxes of cake mix honestly produce really delicious cakes or cupcakes, and I have no complaints towards them. The directions on these boxes are very simple, and they require fewer ingredients, which are most likely stocked in your house—eggs, vegetable oil, and water. When making cupcakes to feed millions, it always helps to have a few boxes of cake mix to aid you, and they cut your prep time by a large amount. While I loved making cupcakes with the aid of a box when I would bake with my mom, I have developed a habit of baking cupcakes as a good pastime, which ended the reign of box cupcakes in my house, and began my new obsession: baking cupcakes from scratch.

Now, I understand that the idea of making cupcakes from scratch may seem like a burden, but honestly it is fun, relaxing, and really simple. I personally always find recipes online, mostly from other blogs or cooking websites that have good reviews promising excellent recipes, and I generally go for recipes that have simple directions, making them easy to follow, and won’t take up numerous hours of my life. There is one specific recipe I found a few months ago amongst the millions of recipes online, and I must say it is the most delicious chocolate cupcake recipe I have ever made. I know that you may be thinking that all chocolate cupcakes taste the same, but these take the standard and simple chocolate cupcakes to another level. Sweet, decadent, mouthwatering, and moist, these chocolate cupcakes are a favorite amongst everyone who try them. Because these cupcakes are so rich and chocolaty, I tend to frost them with standard homemade cream cheese frosting, never chocolate frosting, and add a raspberry on top, but the frosting can be substituted with cool whip, or even homemade whipped cream, and that tastes amazing as well. Trust me, they are worth it!

In this picture, the cupcakes are frosted with dyed cream cheese frosting and topped with m&ms, caramel corn, and pretzels!





Devil’s Food Cupcakes

Time: Approximately 20-25 minutes

Makes: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

            2 cups sugar

            ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

            1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

            1 ½ cups milk

            ½ cup butter

            2 teaspoons vanilla

            2 eggs

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Measure out everything but the eggs directly into your mixer bowl (For a mixing bowl, I like to use a Kitchen Aid, but a standard mixing bowl and hand held beater will work just as well)
3. Mix on low speed just until incorporated
4. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes
5. Add eggs, then beat on high speed for 2 minutes

When the cupcake batter is completely made, measure out the batter into cupcake pans that are lined with cupcake papers. To do this, I generally use a large spoon or small ladle, but a small ice cream scoop will work just as well. I suggest that you fill the cups halfway, as I had had some trouble with the cupcake tops not rising very well, and sticking to the pan if the cups are too full. When all of the batter is poured, bake for about 15-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool for a few minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before frosting.



An Alternative to Kraft

            Let’s take a moment to ponder one of life’s best foods: macaroni and cheese. Originally, macaroni and cheese was a delectable meal made from thick, creamy, cheesy white sauce combined with freshly made pasta boiled to perfection. To make it, you would have to dedicate some time, for it is not quick and easy. To begin, you would melt a generous amount of butter in a large saucepan and then stir in flour, making a loose paste. After it is completely cooked together, you whisk hot milk into the paste which creates a thick and creamy sauce. When you add the white cheddar cheese in, you get a sauce that has the power to turn everyone’s frowns upside down. While the sauce is being made, the pasta is added to a pan of boiling water. This water is bubbling uncontrollably, even spilling over the top of the pan into the blue flame that lies underneath, creating a tssss. When the pasta is added, the bubbling subsides which is an expected side effect of mixing anything cold with something warm. Upon the completion of the cheese sauce and the pasta, the two are added together and baked. The result is a thick, creamy, sticky, springy, mouth watering, delectable meal that warms the heart and the stomach.

            Compare this to a box of Kraft macaroni and cheese. Included in a rectangular box are all of the major ingredients you need to make this meal: elbow macaroni and powdered cheese. With this macaroni and cheese, there is nothing to make and prepare before hand. You simply boil the macaroni until it is cooked the way you like, and add the ingredients into the same pot. The cheese sauce is created from a small amount of butter, milk, and the packet of powdered cheese. The powdered cheese is a hideous orange, and smells very processed. The second you open the packet, powder flies up into your face, and for me, makes me sneeze. Without the butter and milk, it clings to the sticky macaroni creating orange, chunky macaroni. Upon adding in the milk and butter, you either have a clumpy outcome that is not smooth or creamy, or macaroni and cheese that is basically cheese soup with some macaroni added in. Unlike the real macaroni and cheese, the outcome is not thick, creamy and delectable. Rather, it is thin, soupy, and nothing special. When you take a forkful of this macaroni and cheese, it does not hold its shape. All of the cheese slides right off of the pasta back into the bowl. Honestly, it is easier using a spoon so you can capture a pool of cheese soup with every bite. This is nothing like eating homemade macaroni and cheese, and makes me wonder why bother shortcutting when the real thing is much better. Sometimes quick and easy is quick and easy, but is it really worth it in the end?

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Time: Approximately 35 minutes

Makes: Enough for a family of 4, with leftovers!

Ingredients:

            1 LB box of your favorite small pasta

            4 tablespoons butter, plus

            4 tablespoons flour

            2 cups milk

            1 1/2 – 2 cups of cheese

            1 ½ cups bread crumbs

Procedure:

1.      Preheat Oven to 400°F

2.      Make Cheesy Cream Sauce

Cheesy Cream Sauce- 10 Minutes

• Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan
• After butter is fully melted, stir in 4 tablespoons of flour with a metal whisk, and blend well over low heat
• Stir in 2 cups of cold milk
• Once cream sauce is mixed together, 1 1/2 – 2 cups of your favorite shredded cheeses to the mixture, and stir in on low heat until all of the clumps are gone, and all that is left is a smooth, thick cheese sauce. (My favorite cheeses to use in this sauce are Cheddar and American.)
• Once the sauce is completed, put on cool burner until pasta is fully cooked

3.      When sauce is completed, boil a pot of water for a 1 LB box of pasta and add the pasta in when water is at a full boil

–        cook for the time allotted on the box

4.      While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in a small pan, small frying pan is easiest, and then add 1 ½ cups bread crumbs into the pan to brown them

5.      When all of the ingredients are completed, mix cheesy cream sauce and pasta in a baking pan, then top with browned bread crumbs

6.      Bake the Macaroni and Cheese for approximately 10 minutes, or until it is browned and bubbling slightly.

7.      Let sit for several minutes. Enjoy!