cheetah/zebra cake

When my daughter showed me what she wanted her birthday cake to look like... I hoped that I could live up to the task. I had never made large fondant flowers before. OF COURSE, the cake she liked had a huge flower on top. I've always wanted to know how-so this was the perfect opportunity!(in true fashion-my kids are always somehow or another teaching me new things!) I tried a few different types out- Here are some pictures of the peony roses:

This was my first "practice" one!

This is the one that was suppose to go on top of her cake...

BUT, the morning of her party...she looked at the cake and wanted the blue flower! SO, I added a little turquoise ribbon around the each tier-- (she's got a good eye for color...I think she gets that from me? jk)

Marble cake with chocolate buttercream filling, chocolate ganache and decorated with fondant.

YUM!!

Happy birthday sweety. <3

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Reese's Cake

I was searching for a new, fun, delicious peanut butter/chocolate cake recipe to make for my husband's birthday. He LOVES Reese's... so when I stumbled upon a picture of a Reese's cake on Pinterest...I just knew that I had to try it out!
Yeah, it was kind of risky trying out a new recipe for his birthday...especially when we were having family over-luckily it was delicious.
I was a little worried while I was making the cake because the batter was extremely thick. But the texture of the cake is brownie like and dense..and matches perfectly with my homemade peanut butter  buttercream frosting. Sometimes I use a creamcheese/peanut butter frosting..either way will work.
The recipe is from the Annie's Eats website, but was posted to pinterest. If you haven't checked out Annie's Eats.. you should stop by.. there are some Pretty AMAZING recipes there. Oh, and if you haven't been on pinterest...holy cow, check it out (click here to see my boards and follow)- I promise you are going to LOVE love love it!!!

Ok, back to the cake...here's what ya need:

2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of salt
2 stick of unsalted butter (softened)
1 1/2 cups of regular sugar
2 large eggs (room temp)
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 cup of buttermilk (all I had was regular and it worked out fine)
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled (optional) (oh and I used 3 oz of semi-sweet because it was all that I had)
1 1/2 - 2 batches of your FAVORITE peanut butter frosting
miniature reese's cups, halved and some chopped

Here's what ya need to do for the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, butter or spray two 9x2 pans, dust the inside with flour...tap out the excess. (Annie's says to line the bottoms with round parchment paper, go for it if you usually do- I didn't and it worked out just fine)

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and soda, and salt. ( I actually sifted mine because sometimes my cocoa powder gets a little clumpy)
Set aside.

In your mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until thoroughly blended into the butter. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately w/ the buttermilk/milk; add the ingredients in 3 additions and the buttermilk in 2 (beginning and ending w/ the dry ingredients) Make sense?
Mix each addition until it is blended into the batter. Scrape down the bowl and add the melted chocolate- fold in with a spatula. Divide batter between the prepared pans. THE BATTER IS really thick.

Bake for about 26-30 minutes. (mine took closer to 30)
Or until springy to touch and cake starts to pull away from the sides of the pans. Transfer to cooling rack to cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes and unmold them (if you used parchment peel off the liners) Invert and cool to room temp right side up.

To put the cake together:
Place on cake on your cake board. Frost first layer with the peanut butter frosting. Sprinkle some Reese's if desired. Place second layer on cake and frost the top and outside of the cake with the remaining pb frosting. Decorate the cake with the chopped and halved Reese's!! The more the better!! :)

YUMMY!!!
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90th birthday party cake

When my Uncle asked me to make the cake for a surprise party that was going to be given for my grandparents...of course I was very excited. They are two of the kindest, most real, honest-loving...live life to the fullest people I know. They have travelled around the world...been everywhere you could ever imagine wanting to go- had 7 children, started a huge family which consists of more aunts, uncles, and cousins than any one person could dream of having. They created simple family traditions (such as Friday night homemade pizza, family dinners, zeppoli on Christmas eve, initial cookies at Easter, Vermont..just to name a few) that we will all carry with us and share with our children. They have strong beliefs in their faith as well as  education. They have given all of us opportunities such as a college education and many many memories of huge family gatherings & good times at the lake---
They are perfect examples of living the American dream.
They both are Italian Americans. My grandfather came over to America as a young boy and my grandmother was born here.  They both spoke Italian first and are both brilliant, loving, good people.
Most time spent with my grandparents involve some type of food!! Whether it be a weekly visit, a holiday or shared dinner or even a quick trip to Friendly's for an ice cream sunday- time spent with each of them is always a gift.

This year they are both turning 90! An amazing number.
Here's to many more years of good health, (possibly from juicing..or maybe good genes) and MUCH happiness!
I love you both.
HAPPY 90th BIRTHDAY MEMA and POPPOP!! xo

(vanilla cake top layer has chocolate ganache filling, bottom has chocolate buttercream)

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VANILLA CUPCAKE RECIPE...yup another one!

Ok, So I've change my mind AGAIN about my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe...the other recipe I was using has not really been working out for me lately! Not sure why!
BUT I've found another- Usually I like to use butter in my cakes, but the canola oil really worked in this one and it's not greasy at all.
I hope you like it as much as I do. The cake is delicious!!!! And the recipe is super duper easy!

This made about 18 -24 cupcakes depending on the size liner you use.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and fill your cupcake pan with your liners.

Here's what ya need:
3 large eggs (room temp)
2 cups of sugar
1 cup of canola oil
2 teaspoon of madagascar bourbon vanilla
1 cup of milk
2 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Whisk your flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Set aside

In your mixer add sugar, eggs and beat until combined.
Next with your mixer on low add the vanilla and canola oil. Use your spatula and scrape down the sides so you get all that goodness mixed in! 
Add the milk.
Lastly, mix in the the flour until everything is well combine.
Fill your cupcake liners and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let sit for a few minutes (about 10 or so). Frost when completely cool!

YUM!


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I told ya I was busy...

Here are a few things I've been working on in last few months or so...!

How about you??? Any favorite recipe's..pictures of your work?? Let's see!

My Cousin's wedding cake <3

Some fun cuppy's for a black and white galla birthday party!

My son's birthday cake

My daughter's dance teacher's birthday present!

Irish Dance Shoe cookies for my daughter and her friends who competed

at the New England Oireachtas

A special birthday cake for my nephew

other side

A few cookies to go along with it too :)

Chili pepper cake for a friend

Everyone seems to be having babies!!! These are baby shower cookies...so fun.

Cookies for a bake sale my daughter's dance school hosted

And in between all this...CUPCAKECAMP NEW HAVEN took place in October..WOW!!

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Vanilla Cupcakes (another one!)

HI there!I haven't been here in a while..I know.. life has been so busy but I PROMISE to try to get at least one recipe up a week..and hopefully a christmas giveway of some of my favorite holiday cookbooks!!
I've found that finding that perfect vanilla cupcake recipe is really tricky! How about you? Do you have a favorite? If you do post a link from your blog or website in the comment area of this post,so we can all try it out!
Here is the vanilla cc recipe that I have been using lately. I've been playing around with it a bit, fiddling with the amounts of vanilla and sugar. 

This is a picture of the holiday cupcakes that I made last weekend-- for a bake sale that my daughter's dance school hosted.

Here's what ya need:
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1  large egg
2 large egg yolks
1 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract (I like madagascar bourbon vanilla, it's yummy!)
1/2 cup of buttermilk
1 1/2 cups of flour (I use king arthur)
3/4 cups of sugar
1 1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/4 tsp of salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees AND line your cupcake tray.
This made around 12-18 cupcakes for me. Depending on the size of your tray.

*In a seperate bowl whisk together your dry ingredients, flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

In your mixer,cream the butter and sugar together, next add the egg and egg yolks (The eggs should be room temp).
Now, slowly add your dry mixture interchanging with your buttermilk.
Mix until all ingredients are blended.

Fill your cupcake liners  and bake for about 20 minutes (maybe a min or two longer) or until a toothpick inserted to the cupcake comes out clean. The top of the cupcake will have a yellowy-gold-ish color. (Lovely description)

Enjoy!

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Chocolate Chili Frosting or Fillng

One of my sister's friends asked me to make a cake in the shape of  a chili pepper (for a HOT and SPICY 40th Birthday Party)...the flavors she wanted for the cake included: Chocolate Cake with a Chocolate Chili Filling. At first I thought this idea might be rather disgusting..but during one of our trips to Cape Cod my son (the adventurous foody) decided to try out Chocolate Chili Ice Cream and it became his new favorite flavor.
SO I gave it a go and it turned out pretty tastey...lip smacking, fire burning tastey. The combination of the sweet rich chocolate and the chili really works. First you get the chocolatey goodness taste then.. a few seconds later you get that little kick..that spice in the back of your throat. It kind of catches you off guard...and then your lips start burning a little!!! Ha.
Ok so I took a classic chocolate frosting recipe, that I use all the time- from which my mom gave me (It's from one of her very old Bon Appetit Magazine's) and kicked it up a major notch in the heat department.

Here's what ya need:
2 (1 ounce) unsweetnened chocolate baking squares
1 (1 ounce) semisweet chocolate baking squares
1 cup of butter (unsalted)
4 cups of powdered sugar (I use a little more)
1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup of milk
2 teaspoon of vanilla (one will work just fine)
4 tablespoons of Chili Powder (you might want to start off with 2 or 3 tablespoons and work your way up...depending on how hot you would like this to be)

Melt the chocolate squares in the microwave. (I usually put  it in for 25 seconds at a time stirring in between- Be CAREFUL the bowl will get hot) Let it cool for about 5-10 minutes.
Mix the butter (in your mixer) until creamy.
Next add the melted chocolate, sugar, chili powder (*start off small!),cocoa, and vanilla and milk...mix away until you have a nice thick frosting constistancy. *I would start off with the lower amount of chili powder..maybe 2 tablespoons and work your way up until you get the heat you are looking for.
You can then taste your frosting to see if you would like to add more chili powder.

Good Luck..have a glass of milk handy :)

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