Cake

Carrot Cake – Seriously will become your favorite

Carrot Cake! The best carrot cake! Cream Cheese Icing, Walnuts, Raisins, Coconut, Pineapple – sweet, tangy, delicious, heavenly, the best!

Everyone has a favorite carrot cake. Try this one and you’ll have a new favorite!

Ingredients

– Carrots – finely grated – 2 1/2 C
– Walnuts – chopped (peanut size or smaller) – 1 1/2C – 175g
– Raisins – golden – 1 C – 150g – plump them, pat dry
– Coconut – shredded – 1 C – 75g
– Pineapple – canned crushed – drained – 1 C
– Cake Flour – 1/2 C for tossing with goodies – 60 g
– Cake Flour – 1 1/2 C for the cake – 180g
– Cinnamon – 2 tsp
– baking soda – 2 tsp
– salt – 1/2 tsp
– Eggs – 4 large
– Sugar – 1 1/2 C – 300 g
– Oil – vegetable – 1 C

Icing Ingredients

– Butter – unsalted, room temp – 1/2 lb or 8 oz
– Cream Cheese, room temp – 12 oz
– Confectioners Sugar
– 1 lb – Vanilla – the good stuff – 1 tsp

Decorative carrots of your making

Action Plan
– Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
– Grease / parchment 2 10″ pans
– Toss Carrots, Nuts, Raisins, Coconut and, of course, pineapple with 1/2 C of the flour
– Stir remaining flour 1 1/2 C flour with cinnamon and baking soda
– Whisk the eggs and sugar together until sugar begins to dissolve, drizzle in oil while mixing continuously
– Fold in the flour mixture
– Fold in the carrot mixture
– Bake 45 to 60 minutes until cakes are firm
– Cool
– Make icing by whipping butter and cream cheese. Stir in confectioners sugar and vanilla
– ice and decorate

#carrotcake #creamcheeseicing #carrots

Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake

Caramel and apples top this upside down cake. Cinnamon spice, a tender cake and sticky sweet caramel are just a magical combination with apples. The cake is gorgeous and perfect for a fall dessert, could be a great alternative for Thanksgiving.

#caramel #apple #upsidedowncake #sweetspotkitchen

Ingredients:

  • – Caramel Top – Brown Sugar – 1/2 C (100g)
    • – Unsalted Butter – 1/4 C ( g)
    • – Honey – 1 Tbl
    • – Cinnamon – 1/2 tsp
    • – Sliced Apples – 1 or two depending on their size
  • – Cake
    • – Unsalted Butter – 1/2 C ( g)
    • – Sugar – 2/3 C ( g)
    • – Eggs – 2 –
    • Vanilla – 1 tsp
    • – Milk – 1/2 C
    • – AP Flour – 1 1/2 C (180g)
    • – Cinnamon – 1/2 tsp
    • – Baking Powder – 1 tsp
    • – Salt – 1/4 tsp

9″ pan Bake in preheated 350 degree oven, 35 – 40 minutes until top springs back.

 

French Strawberry Cake

Beautiful fresh Strawberries are the essence of this French Strawberry Cake. This simple cake recipe produces a very light and refreshing cake. Accompanied by homemade strawberry whipped cream, a slice of this cake is sure to brighten anyone’s day. Perfect for a brunch dessert, a snack cake or just about anytime.

*your strawberries don’t have to be French*

#frenchstrawberrycake #strawberrycake #sweetspotkitchen

 Ingredients

  • Strawberries (fresh) -1  quart more or less (1 liter)
  • Butter (unsalted, room temp) – 1/2 C (112g)
  • Sugar – 1 Cup (200g)
  • Eggs – 2 large
  • vanilla – 1 tsp (add in after the eggs, missed it in the video)
  • AP flour – 1 Cup (120g)
  • Baking Powder – 1 tsp
  • salt – just a pinch
  • Sugar – 1 Tbl (for sprinkling on top)

Steps –

  • Pre-heat over 350
  • Cream Butter and Sugar (well creamed)
  • Add the eggs 1 at a time
  • Add the vanilla
  • Sift the dry ingredients into the batter – DO NOT overmix, finish with a spatula
  • Pour into prepared pan – place strawberries on top then sprinkle with sugar
  • Bake for 45 – 50 minutes, top will be golden
  • Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes, run spatula around edge of pan, turn out onto a cooling rack, topside up
  • Let cool completely, place on serving platter

Strawberry Whipped Cream

  • melt a couple tablespoons of strawberry preserves and a splash of water on the stovetop or microwave
  • Let it cool
  • whip just enough whipped cream until it’s soft and fluffy (think cloud)
  • – whip in the cooled preserves

Almond Boterkoek (Dutch Almond Butter Cake) Recipe

This upgrade of a Boterkoek, a Dutch favorite, is rich, moist and loaded with almond flavor. The simple set of ingredients and simplicity of the recipe will put this on your go-to list. Perfect as a fancy dessert but works as a coffee cake, too. Call it a Boterkoek or call it a Butter Cake, oh my, this is a winner!

As a bonus in the video, a more traditional Boterkoek (butter cake) is shown, too. Even easier to bake and is wonderfully delicious, too!

#almondpaste #buttercake #boterkoek

Almond BoterKoek (Almond Butter Cake) Ingredients
– almond paste – 4 oz (114g)
– unsalted butter – 8 oz (230g)
– white sugar – 3/4 C (150g)
– brown sugar – 1/4 C (55g)
– egg – 1
– vanilla – 1 tsp
– almond extract – 1/2 tsp
– salt – a pinch
– AP flour – 1 3/4 C (210g)
Topping
— egg yolk and water (for brushing top)
— egg white
— sugar – 2 T (25g)
— sliced almonds – 1 C (85g)

Bake 350° 40 – 45 minutes until the top is golden brown. Cake will be soft but will solidify somewhat as it cools.

Traditional Boterkoek (Butter Cake) Ingredients
– Unsalted Butter – 8 oz + 1Tbl (250g)
– Brown Sugar (or White/Brown combo) – 1 1/4 C (250g)
– Egg – 1
– Vanilla – 1 tsp
– salt – a pinch
– AP flour – 2 C (250g)
– Topping
— egg wash (yolk with water or whole egg with water)

Bake 350° 20 – 25 minutes until the top is golden brown. Cake will be soft but will solidify somewhat as it cools.

 

Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

 

The trick to making these heavenly delicious chocolate lava cakes is to make and freeze chocolate truffles, which will end up being the molten centers.

Truffles

¼ C Cream
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate (coursely chopped)
½ T unsalted butter
1/2 t instant coffee granules (or espresso powder if you can find it)
1 t grated orange zest (optional)

  • Bring the cream almost to a boil, remove from heat and stir in chocolate, butter and coffee.
  • Stir until smooth.
  • Stir in the orange zest.
  • Put into a metal bowl and place in the freezer for 20 minutes or so.  Mixture will be firm when it’s ready to roll the truffles.
  • You’ll want 1” round balls.  You may want to clean your hands every truffle or so since the mixture will melt in warm hands.
  •  With the extra truffles, if desired, roll them in cocoa powder, powdered sugar, coconut, ground nuts.
  • Place the truffles for the lava cakes in the freezer until they’re needed.

Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes

Heat oven to 425, position a rack in the upper third.

  • 1 C sugar
  • ½ C milk
  • 2 t instant coffee granules (or espresso powder if you can find it)
  • 1 T flour
  • 4 oz bittersweet chocolate (coarsely chopped)
  • 4 oz unsweetened chocolate (coarsely chopped)
  • 1 T unsalted butter
  • 4 eggs, separated, at room temperature
  • 6 truffles from recipe above

Using 4 or 5 oz ramekins or glass baking dishes, generously grease them with butter.  Coat the butter with sugar, removing extra sugar.

Line the bottom of the ramekin with a round parchment circle.  Make sure the circle only covers the bottom and not the sides.  Butter the circle if you can.

In a medium, heavy sauce pan, mix and bring the following ingredients to a rolling boil:  Sugar, milk, coffee granules.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and whisk in the flour.  Continue whisking for 1 minute.  Remove the pan from the heat.

Stir in the chocolates (bittersweet and unsweetened).

When melted, add the butter until melted in.

One by one, stir in the egg yolks, whisking until completely incorporated.

In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks, but not dry.

Mix a generous spoonful of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, fully incorporating it.

Scrape the chocolate into the egg whites and fold in.  Scoop from the bottom, turn the bowl.  Do not overmix.

Put the mixture into the prepared ramekins.  Insert a truffle into the center, then cover the truffle with a little batter.

Place them on a baking sheet.  Bake for about 12 minutes.  The tops should be dry to the touch.

Remove from the oven, and loosen the sides with a small spatula or knife.  Flip onto an individual serving dish.  Remove the parchment.

These will be a little too hot to eat, so let them cool before serving.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar, optionally serve with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

 

 

Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Buttercream Filling

Chocolatey rich Whoopie Pies are a pretty simple dessert, perfect for a party! Yummy cakes sandwich a sweet and soft cream cheese icing that wants to ooze with each bite. These throwbacks are filled with either a vanilla or a peppermint buttercream.

These are so good – they taste like a cupcake sandwich!

Recipes

Cakes

2 C AP Flour
1/2 C Cocoa Powder (sifted after measuring)
3/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 C Sugar
1/2 C Brown Sugar (packed)
1/2 C vegetable oil (canola, soybean, something neutral tasting)
3 Large Eggs
1/2 C Whole Milk
2 tsp White Vinegar
1 tsp Vanilla

Prepare and stir together dry ingredients
Stir milk and vinegar together and let rest for a few minutes
Using a stand mixer, beat together sugars and wet ingredients.
Add dry ingredients and mix for less than a minute until combined
Refrigerate batter to firm it up for 30 to 60 minutes (or longer if desired)
Pipe the batter into 2″ to 3″ circles on to parchment paper  (or any size desired – mini 1″ Whoopie Pies are great party bites!)
Bake in 350 oven for about 9 minutes until Whoopie Pies spring back to a light touch
Cool completely
Gently lift cooled tops and bottom from parchment

Icing

5 Tbl Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
4 oz. Cream Cheese (regular, not whipped – room temperature)
3 C Powdered Sugar
1 tsp flavoring – Video shows half vanilla, half peppermint
1 drop green food coloring (optional, if using mint)
1 pinch salt

Throw all ingredients into a mixer unless you will be dividing to make two icings.
Mix well.
Fill piping bags with either a large round tip or an open star tip (makes a nice frill)
Pipe icing on a bottom, then place on a top, press together lightly

Enjoy!

 

$100,000 Chocolate Coffee Cheesecake & Warm Mocha Sauce

An Award Winner

The basis of this recipe is a $100,000 Grand Prize contest winner. It’s been modified to be a near foolproof amazing dessert. Rich and decadent, this heavenly cheesecake has a blend of chocolate inside the coffee cheesecake. Even better, we’re serving this with a warm mocha sauce spooned on each slice.

The Cake Recipe

3 C – crushed Famous Chocolate Wafers (usually found with the ice cream toppings or cookie aisles in your grocery store)
(substitute chocolate graham crackers if you can’t find the Famous Wafers)
1/2 C – unsalted butter

1 C – sugar
2 lbs – cream cheese, room temperature
4 – large eggs
1 tsp – vanilla
2 0z. – coffee liqueur such as Kahlúa
1 tsp –  powdered instant coffee
4 oz. – bittersweet chocolate

Steps

1 To make the crust, crush Chocolate Wafers in a plastic bag with a rolling pin or use a food processor, then stir in melted butter.  Press into a greased 9 inch springform pan.  For easier removal, cover the bottom with parchment paper.  Bake for 10 minutes in a 350 oven then cool completely.

2 At medium speed, beat the sugar and cream cheese until completely combined.  Mix in the vanilla, instant coffee powder and coffee liqueur.  Beat in the eggs one at a time.

3 Melt the bittersweet chocolate.  Use a microwave, a double boiler or a saucepan at very low temperatures.  Let cool somewhat.

4 Reserve 1 cup of the cheesecake mixture and pour the remaining into the prepared crust.  Stir the melted chocolate into 1 cup of reserved mixture.  Gently swirl the chocolate mixture into the cake.  Don’t overmix.

5 Bake in a 325 oven or about an hour.  The cheesecake should just be set.  With the oven door closed, turn off the oven and let the cake continue to bake for 30 minutes.  Loosen the sides of the cake by running a thin knife around the edge then cool completely.  Do not open the springform pan.  Cover and chill for several hours in the fridge.

6 Remove the cake from the pan and serve with the warm Mocha Sauce

The Mocha Sauce Recipe

12 oz – semisweet chocolate
1 Tbl – unsalted butter
1/2 C – whipping or heavy cream
1/4 C – strong coffee

Steps

1 In a small saucepan, gently heat the chocolate, butter and cream.  Stir frequently.  Then stir in the coffee.

2 Cut and serve the cake, gently spooning the warm sauce over each slice.

3 If the sauce is made ahead of time, it may be gently reheated or microwaved.

 

With guests, I enjoy letting each top their slice with the sauce themselves.  Mmmmm.