vanilla cupcakes

birthday cakes are fun but birthday cupcakes are more fun. to celebrate my mom's birthday, i baked this vanilla cupcakes for her.

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 c whole wheat flour
• 3/4 c all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3 tsp vanilla
• 6 tbsp milk, room temperature

1. in a bowl, add all the ingredients (except the milk) & beat with a hand mixer.

2. pour milk & continue beating until smooth.

3. place batter in cupcake liners & bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 15-20 minutes.

as always, this recipe was inspired from one of my favorite blogs - baked bree. the original recipe should be topped with royal icing but i opted for vanilla buttercream frosting instead.

blowing the candles before midnight

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MoM!

chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting

i finally did it! my first ever cake & frosting made from scratch. i have to admit that the whole baking process was nerve wracking. [i think any novice at baking will share my sentiment]. but practice makes perfect, so here goes my first attempt.

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cups cocoa powder
• 2 tsps baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup half & half
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee (1 tsp coffee w/ 1 cup water)

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

2 sticks of butter, room temperature  

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar 

1/2 cup cocoa powder 

1 tsp vanilla

5 tbsp half & half 

Instructions:

1. in a bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2. in a separate bowl, mix half & half, oil, eggs & vanilla.

3. add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. then pour the hot coffee. mix well.

4. pour the batter equally in 2 round pans. bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

5. cream the butter & sugar for about 3 minutes until it is light & fluffy. slowly add the cocoa. add vanilla & half & half.

6. completely cool the cake before frosting. 

i got the original recipe from baked bree. i cut down the amount of sugar & made substitutions on some ingredients. i need more practice with frosting for sure. this is certainly a recipe keeper for me.

overall, its a very moist cake. my hubby's family enjoyed it as well. i'm giving myself a good pat on the shoulder. i can't help but smile while eating the cake [because honestly, it was delicious].

chocolate fudge cookies

i was going thru my printed recipe binder yesterday & found this. luckily, i have the exact cake mix on hand so i went ahead & baked.

Ingredients:

• 1 (18.25 oz) package devil's food cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a bowl, stir cake mix, eggs & oil until well blended. Fold in chocolate chips. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls & place 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.
2. Bake for 8-10 minutes in a preheated oven @ 350F. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

after i took the cookies out of the oven, i added more chocolate chips on top.

hmmmm! chocolate rush! chocolate overload! one bite & i'm done. don't get me wrong. it's good [but just too sweet for me]. maybe next time i'll try a different chocolate cake mix [like dark chocolate].

sopapilla cheesecake

i love cheesecake! who doesn't? and then i found this over at pinterest. hmmm? very intriguing but easy to make. so i decided to bake it. but good old me loves a good tweakin. and this is what i came up with....

Ingredients:
* 2 cans crescent rolls
* 2 (8oz) boxes neufchatel cheese (softened)
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1/4 cup butter (melted)
* cinnamon, nutmeg & brown sugar (topping)

bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

smells goody! tastes heavenly! [especially when the cheese melts in your mouth].

the nice thing about this dessert is it can be prepared overnight & left to cool in the fridge. this is definitely a keeper. a fancy dessert on a budget!