Category: Cakes

Berry Cakes with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

When it comes to celebrating July 4th, my first dessert thoughts jump to these yummy, mini, festive cakes out of one of my July editions of Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine. These are quick to make and can be made early in the day, along with the cinnamon whipped cream, so you can be ready for your fun festivities. The edges have the best sugary crunch and the whipped cream adds a cinnamony sparkle…..sparkler…… ha! I can’t wait for the 4th! Happy Birthday, America!

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup plus 1 T. granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 T. plus 1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup flour
1 cup mixed fresh berries, plus more for garnish
2 T. confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a muffin tin. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and 3/4 cup granulated sugar until pale, about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add 2 T. cream, the vanilla and the salt and mix until combined, scraping the bowl as necessary. Beat in the flour until incorporated. Using a spatula, gently stir in the berries.

Spoon the batter into each muffin cup, about three-quarters full. Top each cake with a few berries and sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of granulated sugar over the cakes. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few crumbs, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in the pan, then run a knife around the edges and remove.

In a small bowl, whip the remaining 1 cup cream with the confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon until soft peaks form. Serve with the cakes.

And then light the sparklers!

Easy Chocolate-Cherry Cake

This is another Paula Deen recipe that I love. It satisfies my need for chocolate in the most delicious way, plus, it’s extra speedy! It’s a dump cake in black forest fashion, so that means lots of cherries and chocolate and absolutely no mixing required! Woo hoo!

2 (21 oz.) cans cherry pie filling
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup sugar
1 (18.25) box chocolate fudge cake mix
1 cup finely chopped pecans, I skip the nuts
1 1/2 cups butter (12 T.), cut into teaspoon-pats
fresh whipped cream or ice cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Lightly grease a 13 by 9 baking pan.

Spread cherry pie filling over bottom of prepared baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips and sugar. Spread dry cake mix over sugar, covering pie filling. Sprinkle evenly with chopped pecans, if using. Place butter pats over cake mix, covering cake mix as evenly as possible. Bake 1 hour; let cool 30 minutes before serving. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.

Betsy’s Dr. Pepper Cake

My good friend, Betsy, shared this recipe with me. It is soooo delicious! It’s a doctored up German chocolate cake mix with the yummiest, buttery, chocolate cream cheese icing, slathered all over the most moist cake. Creed was over at her house one day and had a piece of it. The first thing he said to me when he got home was, “Mom, you have to get the recipe and I want this for my birthday cake!”. Sure enough, each year rolls around, and Betsy’s Dr. Pepper Cake is part of the celebration! Happy 13th Birthday, Creed, and thank you Betsy for this awesome recipe!

1 box German chocolate cake mix
1 (3 1/2 oz.) box instant vanilla pudding mix
2/3 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 (12 oz.) can Dr. Pepper
1 tsp. vanilla

Frosting:

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 stick butter
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 cup chopped pecans, optional

Cake: Combine the first 3 ingredients, beating with mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and Dr. Pepper and mix well. Pour batter into a greased 9 by 13 baking pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Frost when cool.

Frosting: Beat first 5 ingredients until light and fluffy. Mix in pecans, if using, and frost cake.

Fresh Strawberry Cake

This strawberry cake is the birthday cake that Fallon requests on her special day. It is so hard for me to believe that yesterday, she turned 11! Pretty in pink, both Fallon and this cake, are layered with sweet surprises and sure to bring smiles. This is the Triple-Decker Strawberry Cake from Southern Living’s 2004 Annual Recipes Cookbook. It keeps best in the refrigerator.

1 (18.25 oz.) pkg. white cake mix
1 (3 oz.) pkg. strawberry gelatin
4 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 milk
Strawberry Butter Cream Frosting, recipe below
Garnish: whole strawberries

Beat first 8 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute. Scrape down sides, and beat at medium speed 2 more minutes, stopping to scrape down sides, if needed. (Chopped strawberries should be well blended into batter.)

Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch cake pans. (I line the bottoms with parchment and spray with Baker’s Joy cooking spray.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 23 minutes or until cakes spring back when lightly pressed with a finger. Rotate your pans, halfway through cooking time.

Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Spread Strawberry Buttercream Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Store in refrigerator. Garnish if desired. Makes 16 servings.

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter, softened
2 (16 oz.) packages powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer 20 seconds or until fluffy. Add sugar and strawberries; beat at low speed until creamy. (Add more sugar if frosting is too thin, or add strawberries if too thick.) Makes 2 1/2 cups.