Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Cake

Baby Bear wanted to bake a cake for her daddy's birthday, so we baked a cake. Since the hubby loves Reese's Peanut Butter cups, I thought a peanut butter cup chocolate cake would do the trick. It is very decadent and so good. Definitely need to have with a glass of milk. Mmmmm.



Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Cake

For the Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled (optional)

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup smooth peanut butter (chose a peanut butter with no added sugar)
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon heavy cream (or milk)

Directions

For the cake, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°. Butter two 8×2” round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess. Place the pans on a baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until thoroughly blended into the butter. Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk; add the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the buttermilk in 2 (beginning and ending with the dry ingredients). Mix each addition only until it is blended into the batter. Scrape down the bowl and add the melted chocolate, if using, folding it in with a spatula. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to wire racks to cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, invert and cool to room temperature right side up.

For the frosting, beat the butter until smooth. Add the cream cheese, and continue to beat until smooth and fully combined with the butter. Add the peanut butter and beat until well combined. Slowly add the powdered sugar and continue to mix until the frosting is smooth. Add in the cream, and beat another 30 seconds.

To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a cardboard circle covered in foil. Spread peanut butter frosting on top of the cake layer. (If desired, sprinkle with chopped Reese’s cups.) Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting. Frost the top and outside of the cake with remaining peanut butter frosting. Decorate with halved and chopped Reese’s cups as desired.

Chocolate Cake Recipe Source: adapted from Annie's Eats
Frosting Recipe Source: Glorious Treats

Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

I decided to make the hubby a nice dinner for his birthday. Since his birthday fell on a Monday and his mom was already planning to take us to dinner, I made a special birthday dinner for him the Sunday before. I decided to search Pinterest for something good to make. I ran across a Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin that was pretty popular in the Pinterest world and sounded quite good. It was very good and definitely something we will make again. I would make the glaze for other meats as well.



Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

Ingredients:
1 (2 pound) boneless pork tenderloin (or regular pork loin)
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup water

Glaze
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:
Combine sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub over roast. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat and stir until mixture thickens. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from C&C Marriage Factory (bookmarked via Pinterest)

I did make a slight modification: I didn't have any sage, so I used Rosemary instead.

Layered Red Velvet Cheesecake

So for Thanksgiving, I decided to attempt a layered red velvet cheesecake. I hadn't made a layer cake before and ever since I had tried the cake from the Cheesecake Factory, I knew I had to make this cake. Thanksgiving seemed like the perfect occasion to make it. I looked for some recipes and came across the one on Erin's Food Files.

The cake turned out great. I was pretty impressed with myself. It looked really good and tasted amazing. I will definitely be making this cake again! I liked the cream cheese frosting, it wasn't too sweet which was something I worried about. It was the prefect match to it all. I was also thrilled that for the first time, my cheesecake didn't crack! Even though it was the center layer and no one would see the cheesecake itself, I was so happy that it did not crack and it was soooo yummy. My hubby approved and he loves cheesecake. It took a lot of restraint for him not to devour the cake before Thanksgiving. I will be using this cheesecake recipe again.



Layered Red Velvet Cheesecake
From: Erin's Food Files
Cheesecake adapted from Martha Stewart
Red velvet cake and frosting adapted from Apple a Day

For the cheesecake:
1 1/4 pounds bar cream cheese (20 oz), room temperature
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream

For the cake:
2 1/2 c. cake flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 TBSP cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 c. buttermilk
2 TBSP (1 oz.) red food coloring
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. white distilled vinegar

For the frosting:
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
12 oz. butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 c. confectioners' sugar

1 bar white or dark chocolate (Optional for decoration), I used Ghiradelli

Directions:
For cheesecake:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Set a kettle of water to boil. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium until fluffy, scraping down side of bowl. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Beat in lemon zest and juice, and salt. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down side of bowl after each addition. Beat in sour cream.

Cut parchment paper in a circle and line the bottom of the cheesecake pan. Wrap bottom half of pan in foil. Pour in filling; place in a roasting pan. Pour in boiling water to come halfway up side of springform. Bake until just set in center, about 45 minutes. Remove pan from water; let cool 20 minutes. Run a paring knife around edge; let cool completely. Cover; chill overnight, then wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.

For the cake:
Preheat oven to 350°. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa, and salt into a medium bowl.

Beat eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Add dry ingredients and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Divide batter evenly between 2 greased and floured 9" round cake pans and bake 25-30 minutes, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Let cakes cool 5 minutes, then invert each onto a plate, then invert again onto a cooling rack. Let cakes cool completely, then level.

Frosting:
Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined. Add sugar and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, 5–7 minutes.



Assembly:
Place bottom layer on cake stand. Remove cheesecake from freezer, unwrap, and remove from metal bottom, then peel off parchment paper. Place cheesecake layer on top of the bottom layer of the red velvet cake. If the cheesecake is wider than the cake, and it is necessary to to trim it, wait approximately 10 minutes for the cheesecake to soften, then trim it with a knife. Place top layer of cake on top of the cheesecake, and coat with a generous layer of the cream cheese frosting to act as the crumb coat. Be careful not to get any red velvet crumbs in the bowl of frosting! Refrigerate approximately 30 minutes, then frost with as much of the remaining frosting as necessary. Top with shaved white chocolate and/or shaved dark chocolate. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (This cake doesn't have to stay in the fridge until IMMEDIATELY before serving, so don't worry if you have a 30 minute lapse between the refrigerator and serving.)

Egg in a hole

Growing up, Papa Bear's grandma made him an egg in the hole for breakfast. He showed me how to make it for Baby Bear. It is really quite simple and very good.

First, butter both sides of a slice of bread.



Take a shot glass to cut a hole out of the middle.





Place the buttered bread in the pan.



Crack an egg and place it in the middle of the hole (hence, the egg in a hole).





Cook on one side a minute or so. Carefully flip the bread and egg over.



Cook until egg is done. Serve with syrup and enjoy.



Mmmm, yummy

Cinco de Mayo Margarita Cupcakes

I decided to make cupcakes for the end of the year meeting with my students. Since it was Cinco de Mayo, I whipped up Margarita cupcakes (a recipe I had been dying to try) and red velvet cupcakes. The Margarita cupcakes are really easy since it starts off with a boxed cake base. It was pretty good. All my students loved them. The cupcakes were devoured. There are recipes out there with tequila, but since they were for students, though they are college student, I thought I would be a responsible adult and keep that out for this run.



Margarita Cupcake + Lime Cream Cheese Frosting
From: Hostess with the Mostess

Cupcakes:
1 box white cake mix
8 oz margarita mix (liquid)
2 oz tequila
1 oz Grand Marnier
3 egg whites
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp grated lime zest

Lime Buttercream Icing:
8 Tbsp butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp lime juice (approx 2 fresh limes)
1 Tbsp margarita mix
1 tsp lime zest
4-5 cups powdered (confectioners’) sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350º and prepare muffin pans.

2. Combine margarita mix, tequila, and Grand Marnier in a large glass and stir well. (I did not use tequila or Grand Marnier, I increased the margarita mix to 10 oz)

3. In large bowl, combine cake mix, egg whites, lime zest, vegetable oil, and margarita mixture from step one. Stir ingredients together, then beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for approximately 2-3 minutes.

4. Spoon the batter into prepared muffin pans. Fill each cup/liner about 2/3 full.

5. Bake at recommended temperature on cake mix box (usually 325º – 350º) for 20 – 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Icing:
6. In a large bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, lime juice, margarita mix, and lime zest. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

7. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and continue beating until smooth. If icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar, a couple tablespoons at a time.

8. Spread icing generously on each cooled cupcake* or use a pastry bag to frost.

Holiday treats 2010: Peppermint Bark

I had always wanted to try making peppermint bark. I love peppermint and chocolate, it is such a great combination. The recipe looked easy enough. It has been quite busy this holiday season and I needed an easy treat to make and give as gifts. Now was a great time to give it a try.

Peppermint Bark

Ingredients
12 ounce milk chocolate melts
12 ounce white chocolate melts
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
10 peppermint candy canes, crushed, divided

Directions

1. Line a 9X14 inch cookie pan with aluminum foil.
2. Melt the milk chocolate in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each melting, for 1 to 5 minutes. Do not overheat or chocolate will scorch.
3. Stir in the peppermint extract. Spread the chocolate evenly in the prepared pan; chill for about 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each melting, for 1 to 5 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup of the crushed candy canes.
   
5. Spread the white chocolate mixture evenly over the milk chocolate. Sprinkle the remaining candy cane pieces evenly over the white chocolate layer. Chill until set, about 1 hour. Break into small pieces to serve.

Thanksgiving 2010

I never made cranberry sauce before and actually never really liked cranberry sauce. But others like it and it is a staple for Thanksgiving so I thought I would give it a shot for Thanksgiving. I figured it would be a nice alternative to the canned stuff. It was incredibly easy and actually quite yummy. I may actually like cranberry sauce now.

Cranberry Sauce
From: Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
¾ cup water
1 small orange, zested and juiced
2/3 cup sugar, plus more to taste
12-16 oz. fresh or frozen cranberries

Directions:

1. Combine the water, orange zest and juice, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved.
   
2. Stir in the cranberries and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and let simmer uncovered, about 15 minutes, until the cranberries have popped and the sauce is thickened.
   
3. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Sauce will thicken as it cools. Store in the refrigerator and let come to room temperature before serving.