Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

June 11, 2008 | Posted by Lorena as Cake Recipes, Chocolate, Dessert Recipes at 1:15 pm | (1) Comment »

peanut

Peanut Butter layer

1 cup peanut butter (crunchy)
1- 8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Chocolate layer

1/2 cup crushed salted peanuts
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
3 eggs
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups plain flour
2/3 cup powdered cocoa
1/4 cup water
2 tsp vanilla

What’s Next

Directions: Preheat oven to 350°. Thoroughly grease bottom of 9X13 pan. Mix ingredients for chocolate layer in large bowl with wooden spoon and pour half of mixture into prepared pan. Set aside. With electric mixer, beat cream cheese till smooth. Add peanut butter and beat till well incorporated. Add all other ingredients for peanut butter layer. Spoon peanut butter mixture over chocolate layer and spread to edges of pan. Carefully spoon the last half of chocolate mixture over peanut butter layer, making sure that the entire second layer is covered. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes or till inserted knife comes out clean. Remove from oven and pour one cup each of peanut butter and semisweet chocolate morsels over hot cake. Let melt and then spread with spoon to cover top of cake.

Serving suggestions: Cool completely and cut into bars OR cut while still warm and serve with ice cream.

Easter Lamb cake

March 17, 2008 | Posted by Lorena as Cake Recipes, Holiday Fun at 11:03 am | (1) Comment »

Make this with your kids, or serve as the centerpiece of an elaborate Easter meal. To find this lamb cake mold (or other cute ones for bunnies, eggs and religious images) go to
this baking tools site.

Ingredients
1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
1 (16 ounce) can white frosting
3 cups flaked coconut
2 black jellybeans
1 black shoestring licorice
2 drops green food coloring

Directions
Prepare cake mix according to package directions and bake in two halves of a stand-up lamb cake pan. Cool completely. Stick the two halves of the lamb together using white frosting. Sit the lamb up and frost the entire lamb. Coat the entire lamb with coconut. Decorate with jelly beans for eyes, and licorice for whiskers. Tint any remaining coconut with green food color and use as grass.

Gingerbread House

November 28, 2007 | Posted by Lorena as Cake Recipes, Holiday Fun at 10:57 am | (1) Comment »

Here’s a fun (and yummy!) activity you can do with your kids — a gingerbread house! You can even make your creation the centerpiece of your family holiday celebrations. Try not to eat all the candy, though — it’s for the house, remember? Get decorating ideas and the original recipe.

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter
7/8 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground allspice
6 egg whites
4 (16 ounce) packages confectioners’ sugar, sifted

What’s Next:

1. Shape the frame of the house out of cardboard. Measurements are: a side wall, 4 1/2 x 8 inches; an end wall, 4 1/2×5 inches; a triangular gable, 4 1/2×3x3 inches; and a roof rectangle, 4 1/2×9 inches.
2. Tape the rectangular end wall piece to the triangular gable piece.
3. Match the long side of the triangle, 4 1/2 inches, to one of the 4 1/2 inch sides of the end wall.
4. Now comes the baking. Get a large bowl and cream the butter and sugar until it becomes fluffy and light.
5. Throw in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and molasses.
6. Slowly beat in the two eggs.
7. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and spices together.
8. Stir the powdered ingredients above into the creamed mixture.
9. Wrap dough in parchment paper, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
10. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface.
11. Divide the dough into into 6. Two of the pieces must be larger.
12. Dust flour over a table. Roll out the 4 smaller pieces to approximately the size of the side wall and the end wall with gable templates; cut out two of each.
13. Roll out remaining dough, and cut into two rectangular roof pieces.
14. Transfer gingerbread onto greased baking trays.
15. In a preheated 375 degree F (190 degrees C) oven, bake gingerbread for 10 minutes, or until crisp. When removing from the oven, leave the gingerbread on the baking trays for a few minutes to set, then transfer to wire racks. Leave out overnight to harden.
16. In a large bowl, lightly whisk 2 egg whites. Gradually beat in approximately 5 cups confectioners’ sugar. The icing should be smooth and stand in firm peaks.
17. Spread or pipe a 9 inch line of icing onto a cake board, and press in one of the side walls so that it sticks firmly and stands upright. If necessary, spread or pipe a little extra icing along either side to help support it.
18. Take an end wall and ice both the side edges. Spread or pipe a line of icing on the board at a right angle to the first wall, and press the end wall into position. Repeat this process with the other two walls until they are all in position. Leave the walls to harden together for at least two hours before putting on the roof. Spread or pipe a thick layer of icing on top of all the walls, and fix the roof pieces in position; the roof should overlap the walls to make the eaves. Pipe or spread a little icing along the crest of the roof to hold the two pieces firmly together. Leave overnight to set firmly.
19. When ready to decorate, make the remaining icing. In a large bowl, lightly whisk 4 egg whites, and mix in remaining confectioners’ sugar as before. Use this to make snow on the roof, and to stick various candies for decoration. Finish with a fine dusting of sifted confectioners’ sugar.

Pumpkin Roll

November 13, 2007 | Posted by Lorena as Cake Recipes, Dessert Recipes at 2:04 pm | (1) Comment »

Pumpkin roll

Pumpkin pie may be a classic — but you can add a modern twist to an old favorite with this light and elegant Pumpkin Roll

Ingredients

3 eggs, beaten
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
confectioners’ sugar for dusting

What’s next

Set the oven to 375 degrees F. Then, take a brush and spread butter or grease to a 10×15 inch jelly roll pan.

Mix eggs, pumpkin, sugar and cinammon. Then, mix the flour and baking soda in another bowl. Once you’ve blended the “dry’ ingredients, toss into the pumpkin mix and blend.

All you have to do is to take your trusty spatula and spread the mixture on the jelly roll plan. Bake for 15 minutes. Once you’re done (hmmm, can you smell the spice already?) put frostin made from butter, confectionary sugar, vanilla and cream cheese.

Makes about 10 servings.

Reinvent Leftover Halloween Candy

October 30, 2007 | Posted by Lorena as Cake Recipes, Chocolate at 10:10 am | (1) Comment »

candy Halloween’s fun, but really, how many lollipops can you eat without feeling sick? Turn the Halloween loot into quick, easy and unique dessert (yes, even your toddler can help — if you can get him to let go of the candy bag).

For a super “fruit salad” chop up chocolate covered nougat bars. Combine with apple slices and 12 ounces of Cool Whip. You get that play of sweet and fudgy and tangy and juicy. Yum.

The butterfinger banana cake requires more work, but it’s worth it. You’ll need an 18 and 1/4 ounce package of yellow cake mix, 2 ripe bananas (mashed), 3 chopped Nestle Butterfinger bars, and white frosting. Preheat oven to 350 F, grease a 13 x 0 inch baking pan, and mix the batter, bananas, and butterfingers. Pour into the pan and bake for 40 minutes.

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