Month: April 2011

Citrus Layer Cake

My mom’s birthday was on April 11th. Her favorite desserts always involve lemon, so I decided to make her this adorable lemon poppy seed layer cake. The cake turns out to be relatively small, because each layer is only 3 or 4″. It was the perfect cake for my parents and I to share on her birthday. And for fun, we’ll pretend that she was turning 5… as I couldn’t fit sixty one candles on that little cake!

Citrus Layer Cake
Recipe source: Seasons and Suppers
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Cake:
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon orange zest
3 eggs
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Cream cheese frosting:
3/4 cup butter
8 ounces cream cheese
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 cups icing sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla

Citrus Glaze:
2 cups icing sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Coat a 9 x 12 (or 13)-inch baking spray..
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add juice, vanilla, zest and eggs and continue beating. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In another bowl combine milk and yogurt.
4. Add milk mixture and flour mixture alternately to butter mixture and beat well to combine. Fold in poppy seeds. Pour batter evenly onto pan and bake for 35 minutes. Remove and cool.

Meanwhile, prepare frosting and glaze.
5. For frosting, in a medium bowl cream butter and cream cheese by using a mixer, then add lemon juice and vanilla and incorporate. Sift icing sugar into butter mixture a cup at a time. Mix until smooth.
6. For glaze, simply combine all ingredients and stir until smooth. Cover and set aside.

Assemble cake.
7. Cut 3″ or 4″ rounds out of the 9×13″ cake.
8. Place one cake round on a serving plate, top with a generous layer of cream cheese frosting. Layer each round and leave the top without frosting. Pour glaze over the top of cake until it begins to run down the sides.
9. Garnish with orange or lemon peels — or birthday candles!

Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made these cookies a few weeks ago in celebration of my mom’s birthday. She loves anything having to do with toffee and these cookies were delicious! Chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and toffee bits were incorporated into the dough. What’s not to like?

Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe source: Rebel Without a Sauce
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1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 sticks) butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup toffee bits

1. Preheat oven to 375F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Place sugar, brown sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla in a bowl and beat until smooth.
3. Add baking soda, salt and flour to the sugar mixture and beat until smooth.
4. Fold in chocolate chips and toffee bits.
5. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls (or use a cookie scoop) onto baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart. Bake for 5 minutes, rotate the baking sheet and then bake for another 5 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for 1-2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pistachio Cake


Hmmm… what’s in this delicious-looking Bundt cake covered in sprinkles of powdered sugar?


Pistachio and chocolate cake! This recipe is super easy (thank youuuu, box cake mix) and fast… and of course, it’s delicious. Because pistachios are involved. Though I will say, the pistachio flavor is a little weak.

Pistachio Cake

Recipe source: The Pioneer Woman
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1 box white cake mix
1 package (4 oz) pistachio instant pudding mix
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
3/4 cups chocolate syrup

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour bundt pan.
2. Mix all ingredients but chocolate syrup and beat for two minutes on medium-high. Pour 3/4 of the batter into the bundt pan.
3. Add chocolate syrup to the remaining batter and mix well. Pour chocolate-laced batter on top of the pistachio batter.
4. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter, everyone! Hope you all have a safe and happy holiday.

Easter Ideas 2011

Here’s a collection of Easter-inspired recipes in case you need last-minute ideas! Hope you’re all having a great holiday weekend.

1. Tuxedo Peeps
2. Happy Easter
3. Hot Cross Buns
4. Peeps Sunflower Cake
5. Butterscotch Birds’ Nests
6. Coconut Easter Cupcakes
7. Cadbury Creme Egg Cupcakes
8. Homemade Peanut Butter Eggs
9. Carrot Cake
10. Cadbury Mini Egg Cookies
11. Peep Cupcakes
12. Carrot Cake Cupcakes