Category Archives: Cake & Frosting

Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

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Oh, my. Let me tell you. These pineapple cakes are adorable, delicious, and so easy to make!

Summer is winding down, so I want to get all the fruity baking in before it's too late. I'm the type of person who thinks cinnamon, pumpkin, vanilla and cozy desserts are reserved for the fall and winter. While fruity, flowery, colorful desserts are for the spring and summer. However, chocolate is great for every season and anytime– morning, afternoon, night, midnight. 🙂

I made these. I ate them. I am now dreaming of them.

 

YIELD: 24 cakes PREP TIME: 15 minutes

BAKING TIME: 20-25 minutes TOTAL TIME: 35-40 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1-1/2 20 ounce can of sliced pineapples; reserve pineapple juice
  • 1 yellow cake mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 12 maraschino cherries cut in half

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease muffin pan with spray & flour.
  2. Cut pineapple slices into 4 pieces.
  3. Mix together cake mix, oil, eggs, and pineapple juice.
  4. In another bowl, stir together melted butter and brown sugar. Place 1-1/2 teaspoons of the mixture into each muffin pan cup, then place two pineapple pieces with a cherry in the center.
  5. Add 1/4 cup of batter into each cup.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes (or all the way to 25 minutes) until the toothpick comes out clean.
  7. As soon as the cakes come out of the oven allow to cool for 5 minutes, then run a knife around each cup and slowly remove cake (you can also invert).

NOTES:

  • Slightly adapted from here
  • Make sure to grease the pan thoroughly– these cakes love to stick.

 ❤️,

Hira

 

Chocolate Fudge Bundt Cake

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I have been wanting to post this recipe for 100 2 years.

I can finally eat real food (carefully) after my wisdom teeth procedure. To celebrate I made my favorite flavor cake: chocolate. A dense chocolate cake and luxurious icing. Delightful.

I like to think that I’m a simple girl (my mom, on the other hand, would disagree 😉 ). I love chocolate. I love movies. Chocolate and movies together = the perfect night. I decided to devour this cake while watching The Office (for the thousandth time).

I don’t know if many people know this, but I am a complete homebody. I love staying home. I love sitting in my pajamas and cruising around my house. On Saturday nights, instead of meeting up with people, I’d rather stay home with my parents and blast ABBA  or bake a cake (or both).

I haven’t been able to just come home and bake, so over the weekend I wrote: “BAKE” (in all capital letters) in my planner as something I HAD to complete. Something else you may not know: I live by my planner. I can’t function without my planner. I am extremely dependent on my planner. It’s a problem (the first step is acceptance, right? 😉).

Side note: I love photographing chocolate!

On to the cake!

YIELD: 8-10 PREP TIME: 25 minutes

BAKING TIME: 40-55 TOTAL TIME: 65-80 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

CAKE

  • 1 cup brewed coffee*
  • 16 tablespoons (1 cup) unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder (Dutch cocoa)*
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  •  2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup regular full-fat yogurt*

ICING

  • 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
  • 2/3 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees– do not grease your bundt pan yet.
  2. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine coffee, butter, and cocoa powder. Once butter has melted, whisk everything together until a silky chocolate batter has formed.
  3. Allow the coffee-butter mixture to cool for ten minutes. Mix together sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flour in a large bowl.
  4. Once the coffee-butter mixture has cooled add it to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
  5. Add vanilla, eggs, and yogurt to the forming batter; mix until a luxurious chocolate batter has formed.
  6. Now take bundt pan and grease generously with melted butter; this is vital to ensure that the cake won’t stick.
  7. Pour batter into the pan, and bake for 40-55 minutes– keep a watchful eye, as this batter bakes quickly.
  8. Once the cake is out of the oven, use a butter knife to go around the edges, and then after 5 minutes transfer cake + pan to a wire rack (do not remove pan yet).
  9. After another 5 minutes, remove bundt pan gently (tap the pan to ensure all cake falls through).
  10. Let the cake cool completely before you make the icing.
  11. Make a double boiler (a pot filled with water with a heat proof bowl on top) and add the chocolate and heavy cream. Mix until chocolate and cream have been incorporated.
  12. Spoon chocolate over the cake and enjoy!

NOTES:

  • I used Italian roast coffee, but you can use any kind. If you don’t like/want to use coffee, feel free to substitute with milk; however, coffee does enhance the chocolate flavor.
  • I used Hershey’s special dark cocoa powder.
  • You may use yogurt (Greek or regular) or sour-cream.
  • Recipe adapted from here.

❤ , 

Hira

 

Carrot Cake II

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Hello!

Yes– I’ve posted a carrot cake recipe before. A recipe that I absolutely adore, but this carrot cake recipe is also something special.

This recipe is different from the previous one because it includes brown and white sugar, a creamier frosting base, and a softer texture. If you’re between the two recipes, I’d look at the ingredients to see which recipe accommodates the ingredients that you have on hand.

Anyway, now let’s talk. June has flown by. It’s almost over, and I’m sad. Sad because as the summer goes, so does this unwavering freedom. I’m being dramatic, but the future scares me. There are so many “what ifs” and uncertainties in my life. I don’t know exactly what I want to be, where I want to go, and what will happen; this is incredibly frustrating because I’m a planner. I like to know exactly what’s going on.

This cake, however, is the answer in times of uncertainty. It inundates even the most lost soul with some serenity. I love being overly-dramatic with my writing. All of this translated: make this cake, you won’t regret it.






YIELD: 8-10 PREP TIME: 15 minutes

BAKING TIME: 30-35 TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 cups AP flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1-1/4 cup oil
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs (5 small eggs)
  • 3 cups grated carrots
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1-1/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup nuts (or any other desired decorations/topping)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 and apply parchment paper and grease cake pans.
  2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
  3. In another bowl, combine oil, sugars, and vanilla.
  4. Then, add eggs one at a time to the oil-sugar mixture.
  5. Add dry ingredients in three parts to the wet ingredients until batter forms.
  6. Fold in carrots and place batter equally in both cake pans.
  7. Allow cake to bake until center springs, which should take about 30 to 45 minutes
  8. Once done baking, allow cakes to cool for 15 minutes then remove cakes and parchment paper and allow to cool some more.
  9. To make frosting: beat cream cheese until fluffy batter forms, add in powdered sugar until fluffy, and then add whipped cream on medium speed for one minute.
  10. Frost cake (once cool), decorate, and enjoy!

NOTES:

  • If you don’t have both sugars– substitute the one you have for the other.
  • You can cover the whole cake with frosting. I didn’t, however, because I made this for some who likes naked cakes.
  • Slightly Adapted From: here

I hope you guys are having a wonderful June– that isn’t too hot! I know the oven isn’t everyone’s go to in the summer, but I’m insane and use the oven year round.

❤️,

Hira

Red Velvet Poke Cake

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SUMMER. TIME. It is finally that time of the year. Books, movies, board games, friends, popsicles, barbeque, free time. Oh, how I love this time.

It is the beginning of my summer break, and I am beyond excited. After some reflecting, I have decided that I really want this summer to count.

I want to explore, I want to cook, I want to spend time with those who matter most, I want to soak up every sun ray. I usually spend summer dawdling around wasting precious time sitting at home (which is not a bad thing), but this year I want to explore more of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I want to visit restaurants, explore nature (even though I am scared of everything), and appreciate the things that surround my life.

Speaking of appreciation, you must appreciate this cake. Red velvet. Cream cheese. Sweetened condensed milk. All the best things life has to offer wrapped up in one cake is the only way I can put it.


YIELD: 16-20 PREP TIME: 15 minutes

COOKING TIME: 23-27 TOTAL TIME: 38 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

  • 8 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 4 tablespoons red food coloring
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2-1/4 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
  • 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 3-1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Start by greasing a 9×13 cake pan and preheating the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Next cream together the butter and sugar, for about 3 minutes. Once combined add in eggs and mix until well incorporated.
  3. In another bowl, combine cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and red food coloring until a thick paste is formed. Add this cocoa-color mixture to the butter-sugar mixture and mix until combined.
  4. Slowly add buttermilk and flour to this mixture. Starting with half buttermilk and then half flour– until all buttermilk and flour are used.
  5. To finish the cake batter, add salt, baking soda, and vinegar. Mix for about 2 minutes or until well-combined.
  6. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake for about 23-27 minutes or until center comes out clean.
  7. Once cake is baked immediately poke holes into the cake with a fork. Then slowly evenly pour the can of condensed milk. Use a spoon to even distribute the condensed milk into the holes.
  8. Allow the cake to cool and then make the frosting by whipping together butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar until incorporated and then add vanilla.
  9. Spread frosting over cooled cake and decorate as desired. Store in a container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Recipe from

❤ ,

Hira

 

Red Velvet Lava Cakes 

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Hi, friends!

I am currently in the middle of my last high school spring break! Ahhh, time is flying so fast. When I was younger I always dreamed of going to college and furthering my education, but I never thought the time would really come. Now I am just a couple of months away– I just have to survive AP tests. 😉

I decided the best way to celebrate the occasion with Red Velvet Lava Cakes. These cakes are so cute! The red velvet color with the cream cheese lava center is different from any dessert I’ve ever made, which definitely isn’t a bad thing.

Also I finally decided to invest in a real camera! I am still getting the hang of all the different settings and buttons that come with a fancy camera, so please bear with my photography skills. 😉 Stay tuned for a more in-depth post regarding the camera and the things I weighed when looking at different types (P.S. I am the queen of pros-and-cons lists).


YIELD: 12 PREP TIME: 40 minutes

COOKING TIME: 12 TOTAL TIME: 52 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 3 teaspoons cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 3 teaspoons red food coloring
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 10 Oreo cookies
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease muffin tin
  2. Separate Oreo cookie cream and cookie components in separate bowls
  3. Cream together Oreo cookie cream and cream cheese
  4. Once the cookie cream cheese mixture has combined place table spoons of the mixture on a greased parchment paper and freeze for 30 minutes (make 12)
  5. While the mixture freezes combine all the dry ingredients and mix together
  6. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients until a batter forms
  7. Scoop the red velvet mixture evenly into the muffin tin (make 12)
  8. Push the frozen cookie cream cheese mixture into the red velvet mixture (covering the cookie cream cheese mixture after each placement)
  9. Place the remaining cookie tops on the red velvet batter
  10. Bake for 12 minutes (to remain lava cake consistency strictly follow this time)
  11. Once baked flip out of pan, dust powdered sugar, and enjoy

NOTES:

  • Step 8: make sure to cover the frozen cookie cream cheese mixture with the batter in the batter– when baking you do not want to the cookie cream mixture exposed
  • These can also be frozen if you do not want all of them! Just place in an air tight bag and reheat for 10-15 second when desired
  • Recipe from

❤ ,

Hira

Vanilla Naked Cake with Berries

Posted in Cake & Frosting by

Hello, friends!

How are you guys? Are you ready for a recipe?

This was the week of Valentine’s Day, which happens to be one of my favorite holidays because it’s my dad’s birthday! This year, I wanted to bake a cake that was fresh, appealing, and easy to make on a week night. This cake definitely met (exceeded) all expectations.

I did accidently over bake the cake, which ended up making it a tad bit dry– but nothing a little extra whipped cream couldn’t fix.

Life update: I wanted to talk a little bit of what’s going on in my life! As you know, I am a senior in high school, which means college is around the corner! Well, keep your eyes open because I am going to be posting a college announcement soon. 🙂 So far senior year has been bittersweet. I hate it at times, but I know in a couple of months I will be finished– which is terrifying.

YIELD: 8 PREP TIME: 10 minutes

COOKING TIME: 20-25  TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS: *this is for one layer. Double or triple recipe for the amount of layers you desire.

  • 1-1/2 sticks butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs
  • 1-1/4 cups flour
  • 1-3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • I pint whipping cream
  • 1 cup powered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (separate from cake)
  • 3 cups strawberries, sliced
  • 1/2 cup blueberries

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease cake pans.
  2. Combine butter, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy.
  3. Add eggs one at a time.
  4. In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients.
  5. Gradually combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mix until combined.
  6. Place batter into pans and bake for 22-27 minutes or until the cake has set (keep an eye, this cake bakes fast).
  7. Allow cake to cool completely.
  8. While cooling make frosting by whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla until a frosting like consistency forms.
  9. Frost first layer, then place sliced strawberries, then place next layer, frost layer, place sliced strawberries
  10. On the top place blueberries and strawberries

 ❤ ,

Hira

Cherry Chip Cake

Posted in Cake & Frosting by

Hi, friends!

Welcome to the first recipe of 2017! I wanted to start off with a cake because cake makes life better, right?

This week was incredibly stressful. My school prefers to make finals after break, which makes no sense. How am I suppose to remember so much information after two weeks?

I survived.

To celebrate one more semester of high school and the completion of finals I decided to bake a cake. Not any cake, though. A cherry chip cake. A cake with chocolate, cherries, fluffy whip cream, and cups of happiness.

I honestly cannot believe I am almost done with high school. I remember being in 4th grade eager to enter the world of college– and now I am almost there. In just a couple of months I will no longer be living with my parents, no longer be depending on my parents for every little thing, no longer be a daily presence in my parent’s lives. I will miss them so much!

Aside from that, I am totally excited to start a new chapter of my life. Stay tuned for my college announcement in just a couple of months! Now let them eat cake (channeling my inner Marie-Antoinette).

YIELD: 6 PREP TIME: 30 minutes

COOKING TIME: 30-35  TOTAL TIME: 1  hour

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 box of white cake mix
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 4 egg white
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 jars (10 ounce) maraschino cherries, chopped and pat dry
  • I pint whipping cream
  • 1 cup powered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (separate from cake)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and a cake pan.
  2. Mix one teaspoon of the cake mix with the chocolate chips.
  3. Next in a separate bowl mx the cake mix, sour cream, egg whites, water, vegetable oil, and vanilla.
  4. Once combined add chopped and dried cherries and chocolate chips.
  5. Place batter into the cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cake has set.
  6. Once the cake has finished baking whip cream,  sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixture.
  7. Frost and enjoy!

❤ ,

Hira