Jewish Apple Cake

This turned out quite well! The only adjustment I'd make in the future would be to layer the apples in several layers rather than one in the center.

Ingredients

• 2 cups peeled apples, thinly sliced
• 5 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
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• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
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• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 2/3 cup white sugar

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch tube pan.
2. Mix apples, 5 tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon in a bowl and set aside. Beat the oil and 2 cups of sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the sugar mixture before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla and 1/4 cup of orange juice with the last egg. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and stir into the sugar mixture; mixing until just incorporated. Pour half of the batter into the prepared tube pan. Layer the apple mixture on top, then pour the remaining batter over the apples.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 25 minutes. Allow cake to cool completely in the pan before removing.
4. To make glaze: Combine butter, 1/3 cup of orange juice, and 2/3 cup of sugar in a bowl. Pour over the warm cake while still in the pan.

Mint Filled Brownies

Mint Filled Brownie Cupcakes - from Martha Stewart Cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
¾ tsp salt
3 large eggs
½ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
12 small chocolate covered peppermint patties, such as York

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line a standard muffin pan with paper liners. Place chocolate and butter in a heat proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until just melted, 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Whisk in the sugar and salt until mixture is smooth, whisk in eggs to combine. Gently whisk in flour and cocoa just until smooth.

Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of batter into each lined cup. Place 1 peppermint patty on top, gently pressing into batter. Top with two tablespoons batter, covering patty completely. Bake, rotating tin halfway through, until a cake tester inserted halfway into centers (above mint patty) comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes (ALWAYS start checking sooner!). Transfer tin to a wire rack to cool completely before removing cupcakes.

Cheesecake Chocolate Cupcakes

A delicious hint of cheesecake baked over a chocolate cupcake base. Does life get any better?

Chocolate Cupcake

2 cups cake flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
1 cup buttermilk

Cheesecake Filling

1 (8-ounce package) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
Chocolate Frosting:
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 24 muffin cups with liners.

To make the chocolate cake, in a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat oil, butter, granulated sugar and vanilla, until creamy, about 2 minutes.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well combined.  Beat in melted chocolate chips until combined.  Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, until well combined, about 2-3 minutes.

To make the cheesecake filling, in a medium bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and granulated sugar until creamy - about 1-2 minutes; beat in egg and vanilla until well combined.  Stir in graham cracker crumbs until combined.

Divide 1/3 of the batter into muffin cups.  Place a spoonful of cream cheese mixture into the centers; cover with remaining batter.  Bake 17-19 minutes, or until just set, and a toothpick inserted into cake comes out with moist crumbs attached.  Cool for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Cookie Dough Cupcakes

For these I made a basic vanilla cupcake batter. Then I rested a small sized ball of standard chocolate chip cookie dough on top and covered with another dollop of cupcake batter. I made a chocolate ganache with 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Bring to simmer and remove from heat, whisking in 4oz of chocolate chips until smooth. Allow to rest for 15 minutes. Spoon over cupcakes. Top with cookie halves for decoration, made from leftover cookie dough.

 Cookie dough inside.

Rhubarb Cupcakes

I must confess, I'd never eaten anything with rhubarb before. I found these to be delightful! I would totally make them again! I used a whipped cream frosting but you could easily pair it with cream cheese frosting. 


Ingredients:


1  1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature

3/4 pound rhubarb stalks, trimmed and cut into 1/4 inch dice (makes 3 cups)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven at 350ºF. Line standard muffins tins with paper liners.
2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
3. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and 1 cup of sugar until pale and fluffy.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla extract. Reduce speed to low.
5. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, and beating until combined after each.
6. Stir in the diced Rhubarb.
7. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating thins half-way through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
8. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature in airtight containers.
9. Wait until completely cool to frost the cupcakes.

Strawberry Filled Pound Cake

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 5 eggs
• 1 cup milk
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• 1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water
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• 1 cup chilled heavy cream
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 4 strawberries, halved for garnish
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Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an angel food tube pan. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a separate large bowl, beat 2 cups of sugar with the butter and almond extract using an electric mixer on low speed until creamy; beat in the eggs on high speed for 3 minutes, scraping down the side of the bowl a few times. Beat in the flour mixture alternating with about 1/3 cup of milk at a time, and beat until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until the cake is golden brown and set, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean. Allow to cool completely.
4. While cake is cooling, place 1 pint of strawberries and 1 cup of sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the strawberries soften and give up their juice, 5 to 8 minutes. Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl, and stir the slurry into the strawberries; bring the filling to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Set the filling aside and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
5. Remove cake from pan, and cut in half horizontally. Place the bottom half of the cake on a serving platter, and spread the slightly warm strawberry filling over the cake. Place the top half of the cake on top of the filling. Chill the cake in the refrigerator until the filling has set, about 1 hour.
6. Beat the whipped cream in a chilled metal bowl with an electric mixer set on high speed, adding 1/4 cup of sugar gradually, until the cream forms stiff peaks. Spread the whipped cream over the top, sides, and into center hole of the cake; top with halved strawberries for garnish.

Pastry Cream Cheese Squares

Very very simple and very very tasty!

2 pkgs crescent rolls (Pillsbury typically used)

2-8 0z cream cheese

1 egg yolk

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Lay out 1 pkg of crescent rolls in a 9x13 pan.  Pinch seams together.

Beat mixture into creamy white.  Pour onto rolls.

Cover with 2^nd pkg of rolls.  Pinch seams

Bake ½ hour at 350 (crisp brown)

Icing:

1 cup 10X sugar

2 Tablespoons warm milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix & pour onto semi-cool rolls

Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes

1 3 oz. package orange flavored gelatin

1 2 layer size white cake mix

1 small box of cheesecake instant pudding and pie filling mix

1 1/4 C orange juice

4 eggs

1/3 C vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake pan with liners (makes about 24-27 cupcakes).  Set aside 2 tsp of the orange gelatin for frosting.

In a bowl mix together the remaining gelatin, cake mix, pudding mix, orange juice, eggs, oil and vanilla.

Fill muffin cups with batter - about 2/3 full.  Bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.  Cool cupcakes before frosting.

Frosting:

1 8 oz package cream cheese

1/2 C butter

2 tsp vanilla

5-6 C powdered sugar

Reserved orange gelatin

1 tsp finely shredded orange peel

orange food coloring if desired

Soften cream cheese and butter at room temperature for at least 30minutes.  In a large bowl beat butter, cream cheese, reserved gelatin, orange peel and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Add in powdered sugar until desired consistency is achieved. Add in orange food coloring if desired.