Chocolate Chip Cake and Starlight Cake with Fall Candy Decorations

The Fall Festival  at church is tomorrow and I promised to bake 6 cakes for the cake walk. Besides cakes for church, I need to bake mini-cupcakes for the Halloween party at work, too.

In most of my cake/cupcake posts, I choose to use boxes of cake mix. Today is different. Instead of cake mix cakes, I chose to use two recipes from my 1985 Betty Crocker cookbook, chocolate chip cake and starlight cake.

Starlight cake is a yellow cake that is made with vanilla extract. The chocolate chip cake uses brown sugar and granulated sugar. The batter does smell like chocolate chip cookie dough!

Maybe because of my cake mix ways, I did not use the shortening called for in the recipes. Instead, I substituted 1/2 cup of canola oil for the shortening, and reduced the amount of milk from 1 1/4 cup to 3/4 of a cup. Personally, I was happy with the batter and my cakes were nice and moist.

Starlight mini-cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting. Each cupcake is topped with black and orange sprinkles and two pieces of candy corn. 

Starlight cake with peanut butter buttercream frosting.  The cake is decorated with a candy pumpkin, candy corn, orange/black sprinkles mix, and mini-flower decors. 

Chocolate chip cake with peanut butter buttercream frosting. See the frosting recipe below.

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting - This recipe will frost about five single-layer 8" cakes. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 2 lbs. of powdered sugar
• about 3/4 cup of milk
• 3 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

• Put butter and peanut butter into a large mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed until the butter and peanut butter is light and creamy. 
• Add one third of the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until the powdered sugar is blended with the butter mixture.
• Add half of the remaining sugar, and 1/2 cup of milk. Beat on low speed until the powdered sugar is about mixed into the frosting. 
• Add last of sugar and remaining 1/4 cup of milk. Beat on low speed until sugar is incorporated. If frosting is too stiff, add another Tbsp. of milk and blend at low speed. Then, beat on high speed until frosting is smooth and creamy. 

Chocolate Chip Cake

Yield: 1 - 13x9 cake, or 2 - 8" cakes

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed firmly
• 1/2 cup granulated, white sugar
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. 
• Grease and flour your pans. I used disposable pans and skipped this step.
• Put the flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large mixer bowl. Stir until well blended.
• Add all of the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients. 
• Mix on low speed, scraping bowl constantly for 30 seconds. Then beat on high speed for 3 minutes.
• Add chocolate chips and stir into batter.
• Pour batter into cake pan(s).
• Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until a wooden tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean. 
• Gently remove  the cake from the oven and place on a cooling rack until cool. 
• Frost with desired frosting. 

Starlight Cake

Yield: 1-13x9 cake, or 2-8" cakes

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cup granulated, white sugar
• 3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 large eggs

Directions

• Heat oven to 325 degrees.
• Grease and flour cake pans. If using disposable pans, you can skip this step.
• Place flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir until well blended.
• Add oil, milk, vanilla, and eggs to the bowl of dry ingredients. 
• Beat at low speed for 30 seconds. 
• Beat on high speed for 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. 
• Pour batter into cake pan(s).
• Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until a wooden tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean. 
• Gently remove the cake from the oven and place on a cooling rack until cool. 
• Frost with desired frosting. 

Note: For mini-cupcakes put about 1 Tbsp. of batter into each liner and bake for about 12 minutes. I made 24 mini-cupcakes and 1-8" layer cake from one batch of cake batter. 

A Heavy Duty Cake Board for a Half Sheet Cake.

Constructing a Heavy Duty Cake Board for under $4

I bought 3 sheets of foam core board at the local dollar store for $3. This will make two  cake boards that cost $1.50 each. I used a metal ruler and a razor knife to cut each sheet of foam core board in half. 

Three half sheets of foam core board ,covered with heavy duty aluminum foil,  make a sturdy cake board for a half sheet cake. 

A half sheet of foam core board is the perfect size for a half sheet cake cake board. The narrow sides will be slightly narrower than the long sides.

•  Bill helped me cut the foam core boards in half,on the thirty inch side. 
• I stacked three pieces of foam core board
• wrapped them in heavy duty aluminum foil
•  and used clear packing tape to tape down the aluminum foil on the bottom of the cake board. 

Voila! A heavy duty cake board that will stand up to a two inch thick, 12 x 18 inch cake.

Tropical Strawberry Banana Crispy Treats

This is my third original recipe for crispy treats. My family ate the initial test batch and declared them to be good. I hope you enjoy your first batch of Tropical Strawberry Banana Crispy Treats, too!

If you enjoy the Tropical Strawberry Banana recipe, try my  Strawberry Chocolate Cereal Hearts recipe, or Crispy Chocolate Mint Shamrock Treats recipe.

Enjoy some homemade happiness on a plate today!

Ingredients

Sugar Free Strawberry Banana Jello                  
10 oz. bag Tropical Trail Mix        
10-16 oz. bag marshmallows                
4 Tbsp.of salted butter  
1 Tbsp. corn syrup                    
6 cups rice cereal

Tropical Trail Mix can be found at your local dollar store.
 The mix contains raisins, banana chips, papaya, pineapple,
cashews, and apricot.

Directions

• Place butter and 1 Tbsp. corn syrup in a large, microwaveable bowl and microwave for 30 second. 
• Stir once or twice.
• Microwave for an additional 15 seconds, or until the butter is melted.
• Remove bowl from the microwave. Add marshmallows to the bowl and stir until the marshmallows are coated with the butter and corn syrup mixture.
• Place the bowl of coated marshmallows in the microwave.
• Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir mixture once or twice.
• Repeat this step twice, or until the marshmallows are melted.

Marshmallows coated with corn syrup and butter.



• Add the packet of dry jello. Stir until mixed well and the mixture is uniformly pink. You will still see very small flecks of pink jello, but that is okay.

Melted marshmallow/strawberry banana jello mixture. Add rice cereal and tropical fruit mix.

  Stir until marshmallow mixture is well blended with cereal and 

tropical fruit. I would recommend breaking the banana chips into

 smaller pieces, or use a dried fruit mix without the chips.

• Place the blended mixture into a buttered, rectangular, casserole dish.
• Press the mixture lightly into the pan with buttered hands.
• Butter a knife and slice into 12 large, or 24 small portions.
• Let the treats sit for about an hour, or until the marshmallow mixture is no longer sticky.
• Your treats are ready to eat!

Place mixture in a buttered casserole pan.
I used a 2 quart baking pan (8 x 11.5 x 2) and sliced the treats into
12 large portions. You can also slice into 24 small portions.
The mixture is sticky so I buttered my knife before slicing.

Low Fat Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

 Unsweetened applesauce is the secret ingredient that makes my muffins moist and low in fat. For healthier muffins and cakes, you can substitute unsweetened applesauce for up to half of the oil that most recipes call for. Canola oil is a heart healthy oil. Canola oil  is what I keep on the pantry shelf for baking up some homemade,and heart healthy, happiness on a plate.

   

Low Fat Oatmeal Raisin Muffins Recipe

Yield - one dozen muffins

Ingredients

• 1 egg    
• 3/4 cup of milk  
• 1/2 cup raisins   
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce    
• 1/4 cup canola oil 
• 1 cup flour  
• 1 cup quick oatmeal     
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg  
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon  
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 cupcake liners

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit Using an oven thermometer is a great idea for knowing the exact temperature of your oven. My oven does not regulate well. It is usually twenty-five degrees hotter than the temperature I set it for!
• Place cupcake liners in the cups of a regular size cupcake pan.
• Crack egg into a medium size bowl and beat until white and yolk is combined.
• Add milk, applesauce, and canola oil to the beaten egg and stir.
• Add remaining ingredients and stir just until all ingredients are blended. Lumps are okay.
• Place about one and a half tablespoons of batter into each cupcake liner. 
• Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Remove pan of muffins from the oven.
• Put the pan on a cooling rack and cool the muffins.

Your muffins are ready to enjoy!

Cake Walk Cupcakes

Spring bake sales and fundraisers have arrived! Last night I baked cupcakes for the school carnival after working all day. Working all day and making cupcakes by night means I used store bought cake mix and frosting. Sometimes, it is just easier to open a box.

To create my quick and easy cupcakes I used the following items:

• one box of white cake mix
• one box of devil's food chocolate cake mix
• one container of lemon frosting
• one container of strawberry cream frosting
• Silver foil cupcake liners will also add extra eye appeal.

Directions

Note: I only made two dozen cupcakes, but I had enough extra batter that I made an 8", marbled cake that I put into the freezer for another day.

• Place foil liners into two, one dozen, cupcake pans.
• Follow cake mix package directions and make one bowl of white cake batter and one bowl of chocolate cake batter. I use two whole eggs with white cake mixes.  
• Place about 1/3 cup of batter into each cupcake liner.
• Bake as directed on the package.
• Cool and frost as desired. 

White cupcakes with lemon frosting. Notice the plastic clamshell package? No, I did not buy it. The package was recycled by washing it in hot, soapy water and drying by hand. The packaging looks as good as new! After all, it only held cupcakes one time before.

I filled a pastry bag with frosting, snipped the end off, and piped coils around the cupcakes.
Then, I applied sprinkles! See the foil liners? Using silver foil liners is an EASY way to
create extra eye appeal.

Devil's food chocolate with strawberry frosting. I piped the frosting on using a #194 tip. I love the hydrangea effect.

Recycled Bake Sale Labels

Recycling Greeting Cards into Bake Sale Labels

This morning I was packaging cocoa crispy treats and oatmeal no bake cookies into sandwich bags for a fundraiser. After placing all the goodies were sealed into the bags, I wanted to make them more attractive. My hunt for labels, stickers, or colored paper was unsuccessful. Then I happened to see the box of leftover greeting cards laying the drawer of my desk. They looked to be about the same width as the sandwich bags so I took them with me back into the kitchen. Happily, the cards were exactly the same width as the sandwich bags. Listed below are the steps I took to change my greeting cards into bake sale labels.

1.       Take leftover greeting cards and cut them along the fold line.        

     2.       Fold the front cover in half, white side out.

     3.       Trim the bottom edge with craft scissors.

4.       Write the name of your goodies and the price on your label.

5.       Place the label over the top of your sealed, sandwich size goodie bag and staple the label into place.

You now have attractively packaged bake sale goodies and you have successfully recycled left over greeting cards.

A Pet Themed Bake Sale Idea

A Great Approach

The text message from my friend,Donna, read "Hi ole friend of mine!!! I was thinking about how talented you are in the kitchen and I was wondering if you would support the Protect Every Pet bake sale. Let me know if you have time since this is short notice.” How could I turn down an appeal like that?

Pet Themed Cookie Idea

Making rolled sugar cookies and cutting them into assorted shapes make me happy and since I like to be happy, I own a cookie cutter collection. My newest addition to this collection is a 2.5-inch cookie cutter shaped like a bone. I bought this cookie cutter because the shape reminds me of the dog biscuits that I feed to my furry, four-legged children. I decided that I wanted to make sugar cookies shaped like dog treats and frosted with white icing. I whipped up a batch of my favorite sugar cookie dough and began to bake trays of yummy cookies.

 

Sugar Cookie Recipe

Equipment: two large mixing bowls, measuring cup for dry ingredients, measuring spoons, electric mixer, flour sifter, wooden spoon, rolling pin, waxed paper, spatula, baking sheet(s), cooling rack(s).

Makes about 3 dozen 2.5” – 3” cookies  

Note: Do not substitute margarine for the butter. It makes a big difference in how your cookies taste!

1/2 cup salted butter, softened              1 cup sugar                               1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract                      3 cups flour, sifted                   

1 teaspoon baking powder                    1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large missing bowl, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until well blended. In a separate bowl, stir together sifted flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture, in small amounts, and beat until dough is mixed well, but not forming a ball. Now you will use your hands and start kneading the dough in the bowl until it comes together and forms a smooth ball. Be patient. Divide the dough into 2-3 portions and shape each portion into a flat circle. Cover and chill for 20-30 minutes before rolling out.

Preheat oven to 325°F (softer cookies) - 350°F (harder cookies). Roll one portion of dough out on waxed paper to ¼ inch thickness. If dough tries to stick to your rolling pin or hands, put a very small amount of flour (dusting of flour) on the rolling pin. Cut your cookies and space evenly them evenly on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 – 12 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 1-2 minutes before removing to cooling rack. Cool cookies completely before frosting.

Notes:

·         Do not use dark baking sheets; they will over brown the bottoms of your cookies.

·         Make sure your baking sheets are cool before you put another batch of cut cookies on them to bake. Hot cookie sheets will affect the baking time.  

Frosting Recipe

The frosting will be smooth and shiny when dry; it will be completely dry in about 30 minutes.

Equipment: medium bowl, dry ingredient measuring cup, measuring spoons, sifter, cooling rack(s), and waxed paper.

Note: Before starting, place cooling racks on top of waxed paper.

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted               ½ teaspoon clear, or brown vanilla         3 Tablespoons milk

In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk, a little at a time. Stir until all ingredients are mixed well. Apply icing to cookies with a small spatula, spoon, or butter knife. Place icing in center of your cooking and spread to the edge of the cookie. Place the cookie on a cooling rack. (This can be messy, so a damp cloth will be useful.) Allow frosted cookies to dry for at least 30 minutes before packaging.

 

Pretty Packaging

 As I placed the freshly baked cookies on the cooling rack, my thoughts went to packaging. Hmmmm... How could I pack the cookies attractively so that they would sell better? Mentally I sorted through 5 or 6 ideas that I had seen online recently, but the final idea was to wrap the iced cookies into individual packages of 4 with plastic wrap.  After packaging the cookies, I cut 18" lengths of black, curling ribbon, tied pairs of ribbon around each package, and curled the ends of ribbon.  I was completely happy with the product of my baking, frosting, and packaging!

 

Protect Every Pet

Protect Every Pet (PEP) is a 501c3 non-profit corporation that was formed to provide affordable spaying and neutering services for companion cats and dogs. PEP is also working on funding to provide TNR (trap neuter/release) services for feral cat populations in their area of rural Missouri.  http://www.protecteverypet.org