Sopapilla Cheesecake Pie

This was my Superbowl contribution to the potluck spread. It was delicious! So easy to make. Put this together quickly in the morning, let it cool all day, and took it to the party at 3ish. It was even better at a cooler room temperature after it sat for awhile. Big hit!

Sopapilla Cheesecake Pie via All Recipes:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sopapilla-cheesecake-pie/

Red Velvet Sheet Cake

I really should call this my Pink Velvet Sheet Cake... because that is what happens when you are running low on food coloring. The taste was all the same, but I really do love that deep, red color that normally comes along with a decent red velvet. This was also the first time I have tried a red velvet sans cream cheese frosting. This one is a little less traditional in that it uses more of a classic buttercream. But that's what Ree told me to do, so I tried it out! It does work. I have yet to be disappointed by the Pioneer Woman! 

Red Velvet Sheet Cake via the Pioneer Woman:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/04/red-velvet-sheet-cake/

7-Up Cupcakes

7-Up cake... a classic. You know I had to switch it up a little and make it into cupcakes. Never can just go by the right recipe! Plus you know my cupcake theory: helps with portion control! So I didn't change any of the ingredients, I just made the bundt cake into cupcake form. This recipe is actually pretty big. It made a dozen regular size cupcakes plus 6 more jumbo cupcakes for me, even a little extra to spare. I would up the ingredients in the glaze recipe, maybe even double it. It seemed kind of scarce. And please, please! DO NOT substitute some other lemon-lime soda for 7-Up. This is 7-Up cake folks! Cheers!

7-Up Cupcakes via Food.com:

http://www.food.com/recipe/7-up-bundt-cake-31500

Golden Crunch Cupcakes

Let's just start off with with a note to myself that not ALL cake recipes should be turned into cupcakes. I thought I could pull this one off, but it turned into the mess of all messes under the broiler in my beautiful muffin pan. It is currently soaking, but may be permanently ruined. Do not make my same mistake! I'm sure this would have been devine as a cake. The topping probably would have been nice and thick too. Some day I will learn. Despite my pan disaster, the taste was all there. The cake portion of this recipe is also near perfect, delightfully light and fluffy. Let me know how it goes as a cake!

Golden Crunch Cupcakes via Not Without Salt:

http://notwithoutsalt.com/2009/06/25/golden-crunch-cake/

Molten Chocolate-Nutella Pudding Cakes

This is decadent and definitely celebration-worthy. It was completely delicious without being too rich. This was the dessert follow-up for my "most perfect meal ever!" ...and what a perfect accompaniment it was. The taste is great the next day, but as a word of caution: the center will collapse it you let it sit. (I.E.: molten) This is best served hot out of the oven. Bon appetit!

Molten Chocolate-Nutella Pudding Cakes via Noble Pig:

http://noblepig.com/2011/01/22/molten-chocolate-nutella-pudding-cakes.aspx?ref=rss

Best Birthday Cake

Today was my Daddy's big 5-4 so you know I had to do it up. I made sure I had the day off of work and have been making preparations since last night. On the menu: Braised beef short ribs over creamy goat cheese polenta, ratatouille, & the best birthday cake EVER! (Recipes to follow.) Sometimes you just have to keep it simple, and that is just the way my Dad likes it. So yellow cake with chocolate frosting it is, can't go wrong with that. And I am happy to report that my layered cake skills are much improved with this cake attempt. It only took how many?! So Happy Birthday Daddy! Hope you enjoyed your dinner... now if only I could get you to read my blog. :-)

Best Birthday Cake via Smitten Kitchen:

http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/07/best-birthday-cake/

Icebox Cake

I've been wanting to make this cake since the very first day that I discovered the Smitten Kitchen, but I just got around to it yesterday! I don't know what I was waiting for. Nothing could possibly go wrong with the simplicity of this recipe combined with the concept of a giant Oreo cake. The only thing is you do need to plan ahead a little because it has to sit in the fridge overnight to soften up the wafers. Definitely try this out if you are an Oreo lover, it is SO easy!

Icebox Cake via Smitten Kitchen:

http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/01/wafer-wonderland/

Cake Pops

Yesterday was my sister Abbey's baby shower for my soon to be first nephew, Connor. I thought it would be nice to make these cake pops as little party favors for the guests on their way out. The idea was definitely cute, but it was a much more difficult task than I had originally anticipated. Once you get the hang of it they get a little easier, but the first couple were a rough go around! I used a devil's food cake mix with cream cheese frosting and white chocolate candy melts with baby boy blue sprinkles. Can't wait to meet you Connor!

Cake Pops via Little Miss Momma:

http://littlemissmomma.blogspot.com/2010/07/cake-pop-recipe.html

Pink Lady Cake

This was the celebration cake for a work baby shower for my educator Julie's first little girl! It was definitely tasty, but I for sure need some cake making practice because it was no easy feat. This one was a triple layer, real strawberry cake, separated by a delectable cream cheese frosting. Quite pleasing to the palate! I stuck closely to the recipe, aside from the addition of even more red food coloring. Pink is a necessary hue for a girly baby shower. I probably could've actually used even more than I did to make that pink really pop. My only warning on this one is this is one TALL cake. The lid for my cake stand wouldn't even fit over the cake! It certainly wasn't easy trying to transport this cake by myself across town. One hand on the cake, one hand for the steering wheel! Congrats Julie! Can't wait to meet the little one. 

Pink Lady Cake via Smitten Kitchen:

http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/10/pink-lady-cake/

Sour Cream Coffee Cake 3

I made this coffee cake to take to work on my last morning of a long 6 day work stretch. After working 72 hours in a week, you need a little cake in your life. I baked this in the morning before work, so it was still warm for consumption, SO good! I'm pretty picky about coffee cake because I was spoiled with my Mom's secret recipe coffee cake growing up. This wasn't my Mom's coffee cake, but it was very good, and quite different. Don't let the sour cream scare you. I know that sounds weird, but it's mostly just to add moisture to the cake. It really does work well. Just a quick note on the recipe: anticipate a bit longer baking time than the recipe indicates. Mine seemed to take a bit longer to pass the clean toothpick test. I would recommend serving warm if possible.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake 3 via All Recipes:

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/sour-cream-coffee-cake-iii/Detail.aspx

Sock it to Me Cupcakes

These tasty little treats were made for my sister Amy's 20th birthday this past June by her personal request, big hit! I'd been hearing about "Sock it to Me Cake" for awhile and had to find out what all the fuss was about. They are definitely tasty. Only change I made to this one was to make them as cupcakes instead of a whole cake. (I try to convince myself that cupcakes help with my portion control.) Just bake in a muffin pan for 16-18 minutes if you also prefer this route. Same temperature.

Sock it to Me Cake via the Neely's:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/neelys/mama-neelys-sock-it-to-me-cake-recipe/index.html

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Made this for a work potluck for one of the other nurse's birthdays, went over really well! Smooth, moist chocolate cake with a creamy peanut butter frosting, what could be bad about that?! The only thing I left out of the recipe was the chocolate ganache OVER the frosting, I thought that was a bit much. Still great without it. My only dilemma was at the the time I only owned two round cake pans, where as the recipe asks for three. Fret no more... Cornell got me a third round cake pan for our anniversary. I can now bake on a tri-level basis!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake via Smitten Kitchen:

http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/08/chocolate-peanut-butter-cake/