Saturday, October 30, 2010

The Best Carrot Cake Recipe on Earth


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Growing up, friends and family always raved about my mom's delicious carrot cake. As a child, the idea of eating a cake made from carrots seemed a little odd, but once I got past the initial apprehension, I too found her carrot cake to be one of my favorite desserts.

Below is the exact recipe. I hope you enjoy it!

Mom's Delicious Carrot Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

(Cake)

2.0 Cups of Sugar

1.5 Cups of Vegetable Oil

2.5 Cups of Self-Rising Flour

3.0 Cups of Grated Carrots

4 Eggs

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla

1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

2 Teaspoons of Cinnamon

(Icing)

8 Ounces of Original Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese

1 Stick of Margarine

1 Box of Powdered Sugar

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla

1 Cup of Chopped Peacans

Instructions:

Mix the sugar and vegetable oil in a large bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla, along with self-rising flour and cinnamon. Using a Kitched Aid or other mixing device, add the baking soda and carrots and mix until the batter is uniform. Pour batter into 3 round cake pans (makes 3 layers). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Once done, put on racks to cool.

To create the icing, combine the cream cheese, margarine, powdered sugar, and vanilla, and mix until consistent. Add the chopped peacans and stir. Apply the icing in between layers and on the top and sides of the cake once the layers have cooled.

Finally, enjoy one of the finest tasting desserts ever created!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Chocoholics, Rejoice! Two Easy Recipes for Chocolate Sheet Cakes


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Here are a couple of recipes that are perfect for busy chocoholics. The Chocolate Fudge Sheet Cake makes the average 9 x 13-inch size cake better known as 1/4 sheet cake. The Easy German Chocolate Sheet Cake makes a large cake that serves 48. It is perfect for parties or taking to church socials, family reunions, workplace luncheons, etc where there will be a large crowd. It is simple as it uses a cake mix.

EASY GERMAN CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE
1 pkg German Chocolate Cake Mix
1 large egg
2 egg whites
1 3/4 cup water
nonstick cooking spray
1 can (14-oz) fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/3 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 lb powdered sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 to 4 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixer bowl combine cake mix, egg, egg whites, and water. Beat mixture at medium speed of electric mixer 3 to 4 minutes or until creamy. Spray a 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan with the nonstick cooking spray. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

In a small bowl combine the sweetened condensed milk, coconut, and pecans. Spread the mixture over the warm cake. Broil on lowest oven rack about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

In a medium mixer bowl, beat together the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla using medium speed. Beat mixture until blended; gradually adding milk, beating until smooth and spreadable. Spread over the cake.

Yield: 48 servings.

CHOCOLATE FUDGE SHEET CAKE
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter
4 oz semisweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, and milk together. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and mix until well blended.

Melt the butter and chocolate in the top of a double boiler set over gently simmering, not boiling water. Cool slightly. Blend chocolate mixture into the batter. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. After cake is cooled, spread with your favorite frosting.

Enjoy!

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Hassle-Free Diabetic Dessert Recipes


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It all comes down to being a matter of habit - once you begin to anxiously scan every possible edible thing set before you for its possible effects on your diabetes, once great recipes no longer appear to be what they are (and instead take the form of multicolored 3-D graphs and charts that plot sugar, proteins, fats and carbohydrates) you know that great food is a thing of the past to you. This is what it means to live life as a Type I diabetic - always aware of how much insulin courses through your body. Most people wouldn't mind being diabetic if they didn't have to give up so much in their diet that they prized. Nothing can matter more to the health of a diabetic then, than inventive recipes that will take the sting out of the kind of sacrifices that are called for. When people are no longer called upon to sacrifice the taste in their food for their health, they will no longer take the risk of trying something tempting. Here are a couple of diabetic dessert recipes that should go a long way in making this possible.

Chocolate cake has to be the most difficult food give up for any diabetic. Let's get started with the first of our diabetic dessert recipes - a method for chocolate cake. To begin with, place three-quarters of a cup of Fudged Sweet Topping in warm water to help loosen it up. Beat two eggs until fluffy, and add in a cup of strawberry apple butter and a teaspoon of vanilla. Add in the fudge sweet topping, a quarter cup of milk, a quarter cup of Fruit Sweet, 2 cups of flour and mix thoroughly. Once done, all you need to do is to pour it into a greased cake tin, and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Next on our list of diabetic dessert recipes comes a delicious low-calorie cheesecake and that should really make up for all that you have had to give up for your condition. Get 12 ounces of ricotta cheese (low-fat), and mix it in with 4 egg yolks, three quarters of a cup of Fruit Sweet, and beat thoroughly. Add in two-thirds of the cup of milk powder, and beat in a blender until everything is properly mixed in. Throw in 2 teaspoons of vanilla, and squeeze in half a lemon (and throw in the rind as well). At this point, you can throw in the egg whites that you separated to begin with, and press the whipper button until everything's nice and frothy. Get a cake pan and butter it all up - the bottom and the sides too. Crush up some graham crackers and coat the bottom of the pan evenly through. Now, you can pour in the mixture you just made and bake it at 350 degrees for about three-quarters of an hour. To make sure that the cake doesn't dry out too much, leave a pan of water in the oven for moisture. You could make this with any kind of cheese of course. And it should transport you to a time when you never had to watch what you ate.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Caramel Crunch Fudge Dessert Cake Recipe


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When it comes to making a dessert cake that the entire family would enjoy, this is one of my favorites to make. What makes this cake so fantastic is it's chocolate fudge-like consistency with the nutty crunchy topping. If you are a chocolate lover, then this one is for you.

Cake Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 oz. (2 squares) unsweetened chocolate

1 cup water

1 cup quick rolled oats

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup chocolate flavored syrup

1/2 cup cold coffee

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup whipping cream

3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup finely chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13 x 9" baking pan.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate squares; stir in water. Bring chocolate mixture to a boil. Stir in the rolled oats, granulated sugar, brown sugar, chocolate syrup, coffee liquid, vanilla extract and eggs; mix until all ingredients are well combined. Stir in the all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt into the chocolate mixture, mixing well.

Pour the cake batter into your prepared baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until the cake tests done when lightly touched in the center. You can also use a cake tester, if it comes out clean, it's done.

In a medium-sized saucepan, combine all of the topping ingredients in the order that they are given. Bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring the mixture constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for an additional 3 minutes or until the mixture has slightly thickened. Pour this hot mixture over your hot cake.

Place cake back into your oven and bake for an additional 3-4 minutes or until the topping is hot, bubbly and slightly browned. Remove cake from the oven and let it cool before serving.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Cupcake Frosting Recipes


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Cupcakes and cakes are actually made from the same ingredients. If you have a favorite frosting recipe that tastes great on a cake, rest assured it will taste just as great on a cupcake.

Most frostings are Buttercream Frosting, unless it's on a cake from a bakery in one of the major grocery store chains. Buttercream Frosting is one of the easiest to make and as it's a base-type frosting it goes with almost any type of cupcake flavor.

Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening or lard
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
milk - added a tablespoon or two at a time until desired consistency is met

Makes: About 3 cups of icing

In large bowl, cream shortening/lard and butter with electric mixer, first on a low speed to blend then on a high speed to whip. Add vanilla while still blending. Add powdered sugar, slowly and one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. It is important to start on a lower speed and work your way up when using powdered or confectioner's sugar as it tends to go flying when immediately mixed on a high speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often with a spatula. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will seem dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed to blend, then at a high speed until fluffy. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. If using stored frosting, be certain to mix again before use, as the shortening and butter will separate.

As Buttercream Frosting is a base frosting, a variety of additions and variations of this recipe are acceptable on all levels. The most basic change you can make is the color, simply by adding a food coloring. Another suggestion is to add melted baker's chocolate or unsweetened cocoa for a delicious chocolate frosting, though additional sugar or milk may be necessary if the consistency changes due to the addition.

Another popular frosting recipe is Cream Cheese Frosting, well-liked on Carrot Cake, Chocolate and Red Velvet cupcakes and cakes. Chocolate can be added to this recipe as well, to alter the flavor a bit and folding in some walnut crumbles will make this delicious frosting seem almost German in flavor.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Blend the cream cheese, butter and vanilla with a mixer until well combined and smooth. Slowly and a little at a time, add the powdered sugar, sifted after measuring, on a low speed until all sugar is added and there is no danger of flying out of the bowl when the mixer is on a high setting. Additional powdered sugar might be needed to achieve the desired consistency and sweetness level.

With these two basic recipes, the sky's the limit when it comes to icing cupcakes. A small amount of imagination and a desire to create are the only skills you need to make some tasty and attractive cupcakes, whether it's for a party or the family.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

How to Make a Halloween Graveyard Cake


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This cake or cupcakes are perfect for kids halloween parties and make a great presentation for classroom parties as well.

Graveyard Cake Ingredients


1 (18 1/4 oz.) package Devil's Food Cake Mix9 x 12 inch Baking Pan

10 ozs. Chocolate Filled Cookies (Oreos), crushed or Gingersnaps

6-10 Oval shaped Butter Cookies (Pepperidge Farm Milanos)1 can prepared Vanilla FrostingAssorted tubes of Cake Decorating Gel in Halloween colors
(orange, yellow, brown, etc.)

1 cup Candy Corn or Pumpkin Shaped Candies

1/4 cup Colored Sprinkles or Colored Crystal Sugar in harvest colors
(orange, yellow, brown, etc.)

Ghost shaped marshmallows (Halloween version of Easter peeps)

Click here to view a photo of the finished Graveyard Cake.

Method:

Bake cake according to package directions or recipe. Let cool completely.Spread frosting evenly over finished cake.

Using gel frostings, write silly spooky sayings on the top half of the Milano cookies such as "RIP", "BOO", "B.A. Ghoul", "M.T. Tomb", "Justin Time", and "Yul B. Next".

Press the cookies halfway down into the cake here and there to resemble standing tombstones.

Arrange the ghost marshmallows and candies around the tombstones.

Top with colored sprinkles or sugars.

Serves 8-12.

Options:

You can use other cake flavors, if you pair them with a complementary cookie topping. For example, if you use a pumpkin flavored cake, you might want to use vanilla frosting and crushed gingersnaps.

If you can't find marshmallow ghosts with the Halloween candy in your local store, you could use dollops of whipped cream instead. Remember they should be piped on just before serving, or keep the cake chilled to prevent the ghosts from sagging.

Add a couple of mini chocolate chip eyes to each whipped cream ghost.

Variation:

Make individual ghost or tombstone cupcakes.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes With A Difference


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If you're looking for some delicious yet somewhat different kind of chocolate chip cookie recipes, then you came to the right place. Chocolate chip cookies are probably the best loved of all the cookies. They even put chocolate chip cookie dough in ice cream. There are all kinds of chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, chocolate, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip pecan cookies and lots more.

Store bought chocolate chip cookies are good, but nothing beats hot melt in your mouth chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven. You can find all kinds of chocolate chip cookie recipes that can satisfy your chocolate chip cookie cravings, but maybe you would a chocolate chip cookie recipe that's a little out of the ordinary. The two chocolate chip cookie recipes I have put here are a bit different then what you would usually see and I think you're going to enjoy them both.

Hawaiian Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

This is a chocolate chip cookie with a Hawaiian twist.

Ingredients You Need:

1 cup Shortening (preferably butter flavored variety)

3/4 cup Sugar

3/4 cup Brown sugar

1 Egg

1 tsp Vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups Flour

1 tsp Baking powder

1 tsp Baking soda

1/8 tsp Salt

2 cup Quick oats

1 cup Coconut (shredded)

1 cup Macadamia nuts (chopped coarsely)

1 cup Chocolate chips or chunks

How To Prepare:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In electric mixer, cream together shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, beating well. Sift together flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix flour mixture into creamed mixture. Stir in oats, coconut, nuts and chips. Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place on un-greased cookie sheets and flatten with bottom of a glass dipped in flour. Bake for about 14-16 minutes or until lightly browned.

Double Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Keep your breath smelling fresh with these great tasting mint chocolate chip cookies.

Ingredients You Need:

3/4 cups Margarine

1 1/2 cups Brown sugar firmly packed

2 tbs Water

2 cups Chocolate chips

2 Eggs

2 1/2 cups Flour

1 1/4 tsp Baking soda

1/2 tsp Salt

12 oz Andres mint candy (2 boxes)

How To Prepare:

Melt margarine, add chips and stir until partially melted. Remove from heat and stir until chips are completely melted. Pour into large bowl. Add brown sugar and water and cool slightly. At high speed, beat in eggs one at a time. Reduce to low speed and add dry ingredients. Stir until blended. Chill dough. When ready to bake, line cookie sheets with foil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough into very small balls (about 1/2 teaspoon per ball). Place 2 inches apart and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and while cookies are still on pan, place half a candy piece on each cookie. Remove to waxed paper, wait about a minute and swirl the candy pieces across top of cookie.

These two chocolate chip cookie recipes show that you can do different things with this well loved cookie and make it even better.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Making Cookies With Cake Mix


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Have you ever turned a cake mix into cookies? Did you know it was possible to make homemade cookies from cake mix? As a mostly from scratch baker, recipes for cake mix cookies had escaped my attention. But recently, I began experimenting with them in the name of kitchen science.

And now I am discovering creative cake mix cookie recipes everywhere I look. You can make cookies from any mix flavor you choose. The options are endless. There are hundreds of recipes for bar cookies, drop cookies, rolled cookies, and shaped cookies from which to choose.

When I mentioned to my mother and grandmother that I was having fun trying out cookies with a mix, my grandmother said that one of her neighbors makes all her cookies that way and it was hard to tell them from scratch.

Why Use Cookie Recipes that start with boxed mix? Are cookies made from mixes for everyone? Probably not. If you are an experienced baker who believes in baking only from scratch, they won't be for you.

But, if you love baking shortcuts and the convenience of boxed mixes, they are worth a closer look.

Cake Mix Cookies are perfect for:

Helping inexperienced bakers build their confidence.
Busy home bakers who like easy cookie recipes with short ingredient lists and minimal equipment.
Baking with kids since there is less mixing and measuring to do.
When the pantry is bare and/or money is short. You can usually pick up cake mix on sale for $1 or less.
When you want homemade cookies in a hurry.

Tips for Cookie Baking Success

Read the recipe all the way before beginning to bake and follow the directions closely.
Don't over mix the cookie dough.
Only drop cookies on cool cookie sheets; never warm.
Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
Don't over bake your cookies. They should be set around the edges, but still a bit soft on top.
Cool your cookies completely, before storing them so they don't get soggy.

Some of the delicious cake mix cookies I've discovered so far include recipes for:

Applesauce Cookies
Banana Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies
German Chocolate Cookies
M&M Cookies

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Cake Recipes - What Are the Best Cake Recipes in the World?


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This text will continue the topic of cakes and cake recipes. In my last two articles I have written about the best cake recipes in Poland. This time I will give you some examples of the best cake recipes from the world. As always I will be writing about cakes that are cheap, tasty and easy to prepare. So read this text to the end and I'm sure that you will like the information included in it.

The first cake that I would like to present comes from Germany. It's chocolate cake that is very tasty. A lot of people adore this cake. The German chocolate cake recipe includes cocoa, hot water, butter or margarine, sugar, eggs, flour, soda, buttermilk or clabber. It's very special, because it tastes like chocolate, but you don't add chocolate to it. You can also add some additions like caramel and other things. As you can see the ingredients are also very cheap and the cake is also very easy to prepare.

The next cake is very popular in the world (especially in Europe). It's French cake. There are lots of French cake recipes. There are lots of opinions that French cake is difficult to prepare. In fact it only takes a lot of time to prepare because you have to wait for 12 hours, but the process is very easy. I think that French cake is a good dessert. Here you can find ingredients that are included in all French cake recipes. These ingredients are cold water, salt, butter and flour. They are also very cheap. In my opinion you should try to prepare this cake. I recommend it.

The next cake recipe that I would like to describe comes from Spain. It's called very simple - Spanish cake. It's very cheap cake and you can prepare it very fast. It's worth it, because its taste is fantastic. You can prepare Spanish cake by using such ingredients as eggs, flour, sugar, baking powder and vinegar. You also have to make a special flock (some kind of cream). You don't need expensive ingredients for flock. You need milk, butter, eggs, tidbits, nuts, chocolate, coffee and spirit. The cake is tasty and there are many different Spanish cake recipes, so you can use other ingredients than these presented in this article.

That's all I wanted to write about the best cake recipes in the world. I hope these facts were interesting for you. I hope you are going to try cakes that I described in this text. Maybe you will look for recipes for other cakes from the world. I hope you have enjoyed this article. Please be very patient and very soon I will write more culinary articles. I hope that you are going to read them. I believe that they will be very interesting for you and they will give you some important culinary information.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Most Perfect Chocolate Cake


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Ingredients for cake:

1-cup Cocoa

2-cups water, boiling

2¾-cups flour

2-teaspoons baking soda

½-teaspoon salt

½-teaspoon baking powder

1-cup butter, softened

2½-cups sugar

4-large eggs

1½-teaspoons vanilla

Ingredients for cake filling:

1-cup heavy cream

¼-cup powdered sugar

1-teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

In medium bowl combine cocoa with boiling water; mix with wire whisk till smooth and cool completely. In a separate bowl mix flour, soda, salt and baking powder; preheat oven to 350°. Grease well and lightly flour 3 (9x1½-inch) layer cake pans. In large bowl of electric mixer at high speed beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla, scraping bowl occasionally, until light, about 5 minutes. At low speed beat in flour mixture and cocoa mixture. Divide evenly into pans; smooth top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until top springs back when pressed with finger. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Carefully loosen sides with spatula and remove cakes to cool on racks.

Filling: Whip cream with sugar and vanilla; refrigerate. To assemble cake, on plate place a layer, spread with half of cream, then second layer and spread with rest of cream. Add 3rd layer then frost. (See frosting on next page)

Serves 8

MOST PERFECT CHOCOLATE CAKE FROSTING

By: Cristie Will

Ingredients:

6-ounces Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

½-cup Light cream

1-cup Butter

2½-cups Sugar, powdered

Instructions:

In medium saucepan, combine chocolate chips, cream, butter; stir over medium heat until smooth and remove from heat. With whisk blend in 2½ cups of powdered sugar over ice; beat until it holds shape.

This is a lot of work, but worth it.

Makes between 3½ to 4 cups of icing