Pumpkin Dump Cake

Hey Ya'll with fall just around the corner I wanted to share with you this super duper easy recipe I found online. I am a huge fan of pumpkin desserts- HUGE! So when I was surfing pinterest and found this recipe, I knew I had to make it. Of course I changed it a little bit :) how could I resist?!

When I was younger my mom used to make dump cake and I would always sneak extra bites from the pan... guilty! I remember she made one with pineapple and coconut - ahh makes my mouth water just thinking about it. If you have never made dump cake, you have been missing out, it's super easy and way delish!

RJ isn't a huge fan of pumpkin so I was surprised when he said he was down for this dessert. I didn't ask twice, I didn't want him to change his mind. This dessert should be served room temperature, but we had it the first night a little warm with home made whipped cream (love homemade whipped cream) and he went for seconds! So I may have made a pumpkin lover out of him!

This is a great dish for your next potluck or family get together or holiday party!

15oz can Pumpkin
10 3/4oz can Evaporated Milk
1 C. Brown Sugar
3 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
3 Eggs
1 Box white cake mix
1 C. Melted Butter
1 C. Crushed Graham Crackers

Preheat oven to 350*

In a mixing bowl combine first 5 ingredients: pumpkin, evaporated milk, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and eggs. Pour into a lightly greased 9x13 pan.
In another mixing bowl combine the next 3 ingredients: cake mix, crushed grahams and melted butter. This is going to make a gloppy mess... drop (dump) mixture by the spoon full over pumpkin until the pumpkin is mostly covered. This step in the first picture.
Bake 35-40 minutes until a knife comes clean.

Serve with homemade whipped cream :)

Piece.

S'mores Cake balls

Gosh, I love this movie! I was just talking to RJ about it yesterday. He has never seen this movie... I know, CRAZY! This is a a perfect summer time movie.

I made these cake balls last month for my sisters birthday- yay, Happy Birthday! We all went to the beach, ate subs, drank beer and had s'more cake balls. I adore cake balls, because they are popable little bites. You don't have to worry about slicing a cake, just take a ball and 2 bites later it's on to the next one. Or you can wait to have another one. Maybe I like them more because I feel like a heifer when I keep slicing two-bite slices of cake.

Don't act like you don't know what I'm taking about... we all go back to the pan at some point and just slice a sliver because we want something sweet, but not a whole slice and then you go back like five minutes later and do it again, then again then you realize you've had the equivalence of a whole slice so all those trips were no pointless... okay maybe you don't do that - maybe I do - either, either, I don't judge. Any who, cake balls are rockin'.

I used a box of white cake mix, my toasted marshmallow frosting, chocolate melting candy, and crushed graham crackers. I prefer my grahams to be a chunky crushed. I think when you crush them too fine they loose the graham flavor, but that's just a personal choice. Feel free to crush them however you see fit.

If you've never made cake balls, they are kinda tricky. I suggest you go to bakerella's website and check out her tutorials. She will give you a much better explanation than I can. But a helpful hint: the stickier your marshmallow frosting, the better the cake balls hold together. I probably used close to 20 marshmallows to 3 cups of powdered sugar.

Directions:

Follow directions on cake box. Allow cake to completely cool before crumbling.

 

Frosting Recipe

 

Make frosting. Add frosting, very carefully not to add too much frosting, if you do, the balls will not hold up. I suggest adding a dollop or two at a time. When the cake starts to mush together and stay together without a lot of crumble, roll cake into balls. I roll mine about 1- 1.5 inches.

Place balls on a lined cooking sheet, cover and place in the fridge for a few hours. This allows the cake and frosting to make  a stronger bond, which you need since you are dipping them in warm chocolate.

Crush the grahams into a bowl. Melt the chocolate according to the package. Take the balls out of the fridge. One at a time, cover the balls in chocolate, shake off the excess then drop them into the graham. Once they have grahams on them, transfer them back to the cookie sheet so the chocolate can harden. When all the balls are covered and rested transfer them to a seal able container. If it is hot where you are living I suggest keeping them in the refrigerator.

These really are delicious! Make them for your next summer bash, they will be a hit.

Piece!

Tiramisu Cupcakes

I am super sleepy today. I have not been sleeping well lately but today I finally slept in. *Phew* I was feeling so rested I went for a 6 mile run. About 4 miles in I was wishing I had only done a 4 mile run, but I toughened up and trucked through the final two. Then I went  to vote, doing my civic duty! Then I meet up with some friends for lunch, then came home and went on a two mile walk. So now, I'm sleepy. My New Years resolution was to run at least 30 miles a month, so far I'm ahead of schedule :) But let's face it, you don't want to know about my day. You want to know about these delicious cupcakes.

Turns out, I had no idea that tiramisu marscapone  was already coffee flavored. I thought marscapone was unflavored, just creamy dreamy cheese like cream cheese. But I'm glad that I was wrong, because this made making these cupcakes easier. These lovies are definitely in my top 5 favorites and I'm guessing they will be in yours too, if you make them.

I was having a tough- gotta be an adult day- yesterday and desperately needed to retreat to my sanctuary of baking. So I did a quick check in my fridge for inspiration and realized I had marscapone from when I thought about about making cupcakes earlier. Naturally the only thing I think of when I see marscapone is tiramisu and then ta-da tiramisu cupcakes. Trust me, this cake will get you out of any funk. I was literally jumping up in down in my kitchen I was so pleased.

Luckily RJ loves tiramisu and I love cupcakes, so we love this dessert. Do you have a favorite dessert you want to convert into a cupcake?  I also want to say and quick chat with some of my favorites really boosted my mood too :)  But if nothing else, make this frosting-oh who am I kidding, make these babies.

Cupcake:

Preheat one 350 line  24 muffin wells 

3 C. Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 C Butter (12 Tbs)
1 1/2 C. Sugar
4 Eggs
1 C. Buttermilk
3 tsp Vanilla

In a bowl combine and sift flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In mixer beat butter until light then add sugar, combine until fluffed. Add eggs one at a time until combined and then add vanilla. Alternately add milk and flour mixture to butter mixture, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined. Fill muffin wells to 2/3 full and bake for 18-20 minutes or until and inserted knife comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Let cupcakes completely before adding filling.
Filling:
8oz Tiramisu Marscapone cheese
1 C. Powdered Sugar
3 Tbs Cream

Put ingredients into bowl and blend until smooth. Cut out a hole in the top of the cupcake, about the size of a dime. Insert knife at and angle and cut a circle. Do not throw away  this piece!  Fill the hole with the filling and press the cut out cake back into the hole. Top cake with Frosting. Dust with Cocoa Powder

Frosting:
1 Tbs Instant Espresso
3/4 C. Butter
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Rum
2 Tbs Cream
3 C. Powdered Sugar
Blend Instant espresso and butter. Add vanilla, rum and 1 cup sugar, mix well. Add cream and 1 cup powdered sugar, blend then add last cup of sugar. Add more powdered sugar or cream if needed.

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. I love these.

Piece!

Orange Chocolate Chip Cake

I love, love, love the combination of orange and chocolate. It rocks my world. As it so happens, oranges are super cheap here right now.(weird considering winter is their prime growing season) but hey I'm not complaining. I also happened to have a spare bag of mini chocolate chips hanging around- so my wheels went a-turning. Think Meghann, think. So I thought, "duh- Moms toll house cake"but add orange zest and orange glaze.

I perused my recipe box and found what I was looking for. I cannot guarantee my mom invented this recipe but then again I do not know where she found it. I adapted this recipe since her original one didn't call for oranges. But my changes aren't too much different, just a bit.

Let me start by telling you, this recipe is super simple, but I screwed it up. Whomp.. whomp...whamp. Every chef aspiring baker goes awry once in a while, this week was my turn. First  a little back story: While I was out getting some brown sugar for the cake, I decided to pick up a box of butterscotch pudding because I love that too.  When I got home from the store I followed the directions on the box, add 2 cups of cold milk, stir and put in the fridge. People this is probably the most simple recipe ever and I messed it up. Aye de me. Turns out if you use soy milk to make instant pudding you need to use less milk (awesome! I didn't know this) So my pudding never set up.

Next failure was my cake. I was super excited because the batter tasted amazing before I popped it in the oven. I had high hopes. I even told RJ, this is going to be awesome. 40 minutes later, the baking gods had set me up for disaster. It was U-G-L-Y it had no alibi. Depressed I swore off baking. Only to be reminded by RJ, if at first you don't succeed, try again. I rolled my eyes, gave a heavy sigh and walked out the door... to the grocery store. I needed more supplies, I wasn't going to let the cake get the best of me.

My second go round was a cinch (just like I thought the first one was) only I remembered to add all of the flour into my mix and not just part of it. PEOPLE - remember to put in the correct amount of ingredients if you want a happy product.

So the moral of this story is: sometimes you have bad cooking weeks, get over it and get back into it.

Chocolate Chip Cake:
2 1/4 C flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2c butter, softened
1 C firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 C milk
1 12oz pkg MINI (not the regular size!!) chocolate chips
Zest of 1 orange

Preheat oven to 350. Combine dry ingredients; set aside. Save a little of the flour mixture to dust the chocolate chips with.  Mix butter and sugar until fluffy; add vanilla, eggs and zest, beating well. Alternately blend in flour mixture and milk to creamed mixture. Stir in chips. Bake in greased and floured Bundt pan for 45-50 minutes. Allow to cool before removing from pan

Orange Glaze:
2 C. Powdered Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla
Juice of half and Orange
Zest of half and orange

Stir ingredients together until smooth and set aside until cake is almost cooled. Once you flip the cake onto it's final resting place, drizzle half the glaze over the top, add more glaze if you like it sweet or add on to each individual slice as you go.

I'd like to say this combination is great. It's sweet and goes great with a cup of milk.

Piece!

Birthday Cake Cupcakes

I am in love, sweet-sugary-can't-get-enough love, and it's with these cupcakes. It's almost like I added an addictive substance that I crave...but I didn't! These are pure gotta make them ASAP cupcakes, or at least make the frosting and eat it with a spoon. These babies are vanilla cupcakes with cake batter frosting.

This weekend RJ and I went for  ice cream and I got a cake batter flavor and I was inspired to make this flavor into a cupcake. I mean why not? Practically everyone loves cake batter and if you don't, that's weird...(no offense) or maybe a little :) So I ran with that idea. I had some box cake mix  and a vanilla cupcake recipe I was trying to perfect so why not, it's like the Gods were speaking to me.

There is a tragic story about this recipe too. My hand mixer broke AND my spatula - dun dun dun. It really was an awful experience, but it was lessened by how delicious this frosting is. Which brings me to my next point, always make sure you add ingredients in the proper order and always make sure your ingredients are room temperature. I think these reasons, and the fact that my mixer is super old, is why it broke and my spatula too. Lesson learned people, lesson learned.

Do you have any disastrous baking stories? I look froward to getting out of my baking slump, it's a bit annoying. Do you have a favorite ice cream that you think should be turned into a cupcake? I really want to try converting a tin roof sundae into a cupcake - love that idea-

I don't have a great vanilla recipe for you yet, it's in the works. In the meantime use your favorite cake flavor and top with this frosting. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!

Frosting:

1 C. Cake Mix
2-3 C. Powdered Sugar
1 Stick Butter
4 oz Cream Cheese
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 tsp. Almond extract
3 Tbs Milk

Make sure all ingredients are room temperature :)

Blend together the cream cheese and butter, until smooth. Add cake mix and vanilla. Blend in powdered sugar and milk until desired consistency. This will be a thicker frosting, but not absurdly thick - just delicious.

Piece!

Gluten Free and Fabulous

Oh gluten free, where do I begin? It seems to me that being allergic to gluten has become very prominent our society whether it be by choice or because you have an intolerance/allergy to it. Either way, I'm super glad I can eat it with no issues. For those who are less fortunate, you don't have to leave out dessert! The world has developed umpteen million different gluten free flours that you can make a million different more desserts with.

I was a little scared to try gluten free. I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know if my product would tasted different. I wasn't sure if  I'd have to adjust making baking time -etc etc. You get my drift, I had a lot of doubts and questions. Turns out, I didn't have to be worried, which means you don't need to be either!

All I did was take a cupcake recipe and switched out my regular flour to multipurpose gluten free flour. Then, I took my coconut cupcake recipe and adapted it to one of my favorite flavor combinations - coconut orange. I think I told you about my moms orange-coconut coffee cake that's out of this world before, but if not, it rocks my socks off :) I really wanted to mimic this delicious flavor into a cupcake and I wanted everyone at work to be able to try it. So I'd like to present to you gluten-free orange coconut cupcakes. And just as a heads up to you, if you don't want gluten free- just use regular flour.

Oh and as a disclaimer - I find gluten flour to be a little grainier tasting then regular flour. I haven't done enough experimenting to figure out how to remove that... Have you done gluten free baking? Do you want to make a cupcake using your flavor combination? What flavors would you use?

Cupcake:
3/4 C. Butter
1 1/4 C. Sugar
3 Eggs
1 C. Coconut Milk - minus 2 Tbs
2 Tbs Orange Juice
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp Coconut extract
1 1/4 C. All purpose gluten free flour (King Arthur)
1 C. Coconut Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 C. Shredded Coconut
Rind of 1 Orange

Preheat oven 350 line 12 muffin wells

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Mix together shredded coconut and orange peel,set aside.
Combine orange juice and coconut milk, set aside.
Beat butter till light then add sugar, combine until light a fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Scrape sides and add extracts. Alternately add dry and wet ingredients starting and ending with dry. Fold in coconut/orange mix. Fill wells 3/4 full (if you use gluten free ingredients it won't rise much) Bake 18-20 minutes. Allow cupcakes to cool 5 minutes in pan then transfer to rack to finish cooling.

Frosting -
8oz Cream cheese
1/2 C. Butter
3 Tbs Orange Juice
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp coconut extract
3 C. Powdered Sugar
1 C.Shredded Coconut + 1 Orange rind + 1 Tbs Sugar combine (may need more depending on how much topping you like on your cupcakes)

Blend cream cheese and butter. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and extracts, blend. Alternately add sugar and OJ. Once frosting is to the consistency you like frost your cakes. Then sprinkle with coconut orange topping.

Eat your heart out.

Peace.