Beer Mug Cake

The 21st birthday cake I made for my brother!! It was super easy! Just baked a 9x13 cake and rounded the top edges a little!

Caramel Filled Brownies

Prior to making these brownies, peanut butter and chocolate had always been my favorite dynamic desert duo. But that all changed after one bite of these brownies! Caramel and chocolate snuck up from behind and is now in the runnings for my favorite duo.

Warm brownies, gooey caramel, and a scoop of ice cream! Need I say more? Off to heaven I go!

Caramel Filled Brownies
1 cup unsalted butter
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips

filling:
14 ounces candied caramels, unwrapped
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Grease 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Combine the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until completely melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat. Whisk in the sugar, eggs and vanilla until incorporated. Stir in the flour until combined. Spread about half of the brownie batter in the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes.

To make the caramel filling, combine the caramel candies and cream in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth. Immediately spread the caramel mixture over the bottom brownie layer. Pour the remaining brownie batter over the caramel layer, taking care to pour and spread it evenly otherwise it will be difficult to spread evenly over the caramel layer. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the final brownie layer. Bake for 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing and serving.

Source: Annie's Eats

Zucchini Bread

Yes, another zucchini recipe! This bread is one of the main reasons that I made zucchini a part of our garden this year! It was the first thing I made after picking our first two zucchini.

Zach isn't a huge zucchini fan and won't eat any kind of baked good that has zucchini in it. So ya know what that means, I had all three loaves to myself! And I didn't mind a bit!

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs

1 cup oil

2 cups sugar (1 1/2 cups for muffins)

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup raisins ( I don't put them in)

1 cup walnuts. chopped

2 cup zucchini, grated or shredded

1 can (8 1/4 oz) crushed pineapple, well drained

3 cups flour

Beat eggs with electric mixer. Add oil, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking powder, baking soda; beat all together. Stir in raisins, walnuts, zucchini, pineapple and flour. Mix well. Spray 2 loaf bread pans with non stick spray. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. For variety you can add diced dates, prunes, grated chocolate or apricots.

To make muffins use less sugar and bake at higher temperature. 375-400 for 15 minutes.

Easy Chocolate Zucchini Cake

If you love chocolate cake, you must try this recipe. If you don't love chocolate cake, this recipe may just have you changing your mind. No lie. I tried this recipe a few years ago and bring it out ever summer when my garden starts to produce an abundance of zucchini. It is so moist and delicious.

1/2 cup butter, softened

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp almond extract

1 cup sour cream

1 chocolate fudge cake mix with pudding in the box, approx 18.25oz.

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 medium zucchini, about 1.5 cups shredded

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Grease and flour a 12 cup Bundt cake pan. Heat oven to 325 degrees.

With an electric mixer, beat the butter until light; beat in eggs and flavorings. Beat in the sour cream and cinnamon; then slowly beat in the cake mix. Stir in the zucchini, chocolate chips, and pecans.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a serving plate to cool completely. Frost the cake or dust with powered sugar.

I add a whole bag of chocolate chips and omit the nuts when I bake this cake. I drizzle a few ounces of melted chocolate over the cake after it has cooled. Mmmm, good.

Source: Easy Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Bake on!

M

In Honor of Dave Ramsey

I created these cupcakes using the same technique I used on Katie's bridal shower cupcakes, to celebrate the final class of Financial Peace University. My husband and I attended this 13 week course this summer which emphasizes saving your money! If you haven't heard of Dave Ramsey or FPU...check it out!!!

Kathryn E.'s Bridal Shower

Here is an array of cupcakes that I made for my best friend's wedding. My instructions were to include red velvet and a variety of colors. I end up with red velvet, lemon and chocolate cupcakes with a variety of colored frostings. I created the decorative words by piping dark chocolate candy melt. I piped a heart, "love", "I do" and "A" as a monogram.

Bake on!

M

Miami Heat Cake

This cake was made for my nephew's 13th birthday party. He requested a Lebron James jersey from the Miami Heat. I created the cake using a cookie sheet as my baking pan. I made 2 cakes using the cookie sheet and filled the chocolate cakes with an oreo filling. I cut out the neckline of the cake and then covered it in white frondant. I have to give my husband credit for creating a template of the letters and number for me which I then cut out of red fondant. I traced the edges of the letters using a black edible marker. My husband also created the NBA logo found in the upper left hand corner of the jersey. He took a white piece of fondant and drew it freehand using the edible markers. I think the birthday boy was quite pleased.
Bake on!
Michele