Spring Bouquet For Mother's Day

I bought these tulip cupcake liners about 3 years ago with the thought that I would make some really pretty Mother's Day cupcakes and that just never happened. Life got in the way, there were other recipes requested and then I misplaced the liners until recently when Hayden was pulling my baking supplies out of a cabinet and playing with them in the living room :-). When Pillsbury® sent me some samples of their new bold Funfetti cake and cupcake mixes, I knew the yellow would be perfect for Spring cupcakes. Sometimes, life just works itself out and things fall into place.

My second mom, Olivia, gave me this Pillsbury Poppin' Fresh doll when she came to visit for Easter. He was the perfect little helper and inspiration in the kitchen and he's just so cute, don't you think? I think he'd approve of my use of  bold Pillsbury flower cupcakes. I'm kind of funny about colored mixes and drinks- I want the flavor to reflect the color so I added some bright lemon zest and juice to the batter along with buttermilk for some extra tang and to provide maximum moisture. So not only do they look like Spring, they taste like it too! The neon pink Funfetti icing was the perfect compliment to the pop of yellow underneath. 

These cupcakes are fun and worthy of a celebration, but they're easy enough that you don't have to stress about making them. They can be decorated any way you want, these flowers are just an idea but you can get more inspiration by visiting Pillsbury on Facebook, PillsburyBaking.com and Pillsbury on Pinterest. Any decorative tips, colors or sprinkles will work. Have fun with it and let everyone help and decorate their own for a truly unique experience. 

Lemon Buttermilk Flower Cupcakes

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• 1- 8.25 oz. package Pillsbury Funfetti Neon Yellow Cake Mix
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/4  cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake tin with paper liners and set aside. 

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer until batter is smooth and creamy and no traces of cake mix remain. 

Evenly divide the cake mix between the paper liners, filling them no more than 2/3 full. 

Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Makes 10-12 cupcakes, depending on size. 

Once cupcakes are baked, allow them to cool in pan for five minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely. 

For the Frosting: 

Transfer your favorite colors of Pillsbury Funfetti frosting to a piping bag fitted with your favorite icing tips and decorate the tops of the cooled cupcakes to resemble flowers. Use the sprinkles and colored sugar that come with the frosting to bring your cupcake flowers to life!

I used these Wilton tips for decorating: 

• leaf tip- #67
• round dot tip- #12
• small flower tip- #224
• swirl tip- #21

Store cupcakes at room temperature, in an airtight container. 

*I was provided with product samples and compensation by Pillsbury®, though the opinions I express here are my own. ©/® The J.M. Smucker Company. Pillsbury is a trademark of The Pillsbury Company, LLC, used under license. 

Insanely Great Waffles and Easter Weekend

We had a great Easter weekend. We celebrated a few birthdays, dyed eggs, took some pictures in a field of bluebonnets, I baked and cooked til I fell into bed and we had an Easter egg hunt. This was Hayden's second Easter but the first time he was big enough to get involved. I got him a puppy basket and filled eggs with yogurt raisins and m&m's. He also got a new toothbrush and toothpaste which he LOVES. He could brush his teeth all day long if you let him. He had so much fun hunting eggs and crushing cascarones in the backyard, that my aunt and uncle brought over. 

This year for Easter, my grandparents were in town so the family gathered and we had brunch. I made a lemon tart, a strawberry cake, a breakfast casserole, wrapped up Cowboy cookies as favors and whipped up a quintuple batch of these waffles. I usually make yeasted Belgian waffles but these are much quicker to prepare and just as delicious. I made them the night before, froze them, then reheated them in the oven just as the guests arrived. It saved a ton of time and everyone got piping hot waffles. The only thing missing was the fried chicken!  

Waffles of Insane Greatness from Food Network

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• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk or buttermilk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix well. Add the milk, vegetable oil, egg, sugar and vanilla and mix well. Let the batter sit for 30 minutes.

Preheat a waffle iron. Do not use non-stick spray on the waffle iron; the oil in the batter will allow the waffle to release easily. Follow the directions on your waffle iron to cook the waffles. Serve immediately.

Serves 3-4 

NOTE: The waffles will vary in size depending on your waffle maker. I have a Belgian waffle maker that produces thick waffles. This recipe makes 6 squares of waffles. I often double or triple the recipe and freeze the leftovers for a quick breakfast during the week. 

Buttered Pecan Syrup from Monica H

• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a small saucepan, combine pecans, butter and syrup. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes on low heat. Just before serving, stir in vanilla extract. Pour over waffles, pancakes, or ice cream. 

Serves 4

Happy Spring!

Tall, Dark, Rich and Handsome

This past Sunday was Father's Day. And there's nothing better than a tall luscious chocolate cake to celebrate with so I was thrilled when The Cake Slice Bakers chose this cake to bake for the month of June. Mr. H is a true chocolate lover and this cake hit the spot on so many levels. There's light and fluffy cake loaded with cocoa, a fudgy chocolate pudding to fill the layers and then it's lovingly swathed in dreamy chocolate buttercream. And just to gild the lily, you take some of the cake, crumble it up and pat it into the frosting. This is a true man's cake. 

We celebrated Father's Day with my family at my mom's house this year. My aunt, uncle and cousin were there as well as my in-law's. In total there were about 12 of us and 5 dogs- it was a full house! We had 4 different kinds of quiche (because real men eat quiche), a fresh fruit salad, Parmesan roasted tomatoes, fresh squeezed orange juice, coffee, this Brooklyn Blackout Cake (click the link to read the history) and a cheesecake that my MIL made. I'll share that one later on! There was so much food and I ate a big honkin' piece of cheesecake that I filled up and didn't get to taste the cake until the next day. But the slice pictured in this post, was all mine :-)

It just dawned on me as I was thinking of past Father's Day celebrations and June 20th, that this day in 2004 is when Mr. H asked me to marry him. I had been working that day and was tired, my feet hurt and I was hungry. Mr. H picked me up from work to take me back to his parent's house for Father's Day dinner. I remember calling my Dad on the way over there to wish him a happy day when I realized that we weren't going to his parents house. Mr. H made a detour and we were headed to Mount Bonnell (click the link to read about it)- one of my favorite places and also the place where we went on our first date 13 years ago. Mr. H was very nervous and I had an idea of what he was going to do but I wasn't totally sure. Shortly there after, overlooking the lake and a beautiful sunset, he asked me to marry him. All these years later, we have a sweet boy named Hayden Bonnell. 

Mr. H, Hayden and GrandBob

Brooklyn Blackout Cake from The Cake Book 

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For the Chocolate Blackout Cake:

• 1½ cups (6.4 oz/181 g) all purpose flour
• 1 cup (2.9 oz/85 g) natural (not Dutch-processed) cocoa powder
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (14 oz/400 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
• ½ cup (1 stick/4 oz/113 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup (240 ml) hot brewed coffee

For the Chocolate Pudding Filling:

• 4 large egg yolks
• 2/3 cup (4.6 oz/132 g) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (240 ml) water
• 2/3 cup (160 ml) heavy cream
• 3 ounces (85 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Fudgy Chocolate Frosting:

• 4 ounces (113 g) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 11 tablespoons (5.5 oz/156 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 2/3 cups (6.7 oz/191 g) confectioners sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

MAKE THE CAKE

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and sides of two 9" round cake pans. (see me NOTE below.) Dust the pans with flour.

2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the granulated sugar and, using the paddle attachment, mix at low speed until blended.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla extract. At low speed, add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients in a steady steam. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then beat at medium speed until well blended, about 1 minute. Add the hot coffee, mixing just until blended. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and stir the batter up from the bottom of the bowl a few times to thoroughly blend it. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly and smoothing the tops.

4. Bake the cakes for 30 to 35 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.

5. Invert the cakes onto the racks and cool completely.

MAKE THE FILLING

6. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt at medium speed until pale, about 1 minute.

7. In a medium heavy saucepan, combine the water and cream and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk about half of the hot cream mixture into the yolk mixture. Whisk this mixture back into the remaining cream mixture in the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue to boil, whisking, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the chocolate until completely melted.

8. Pass the filling through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract. Cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until chilled.

MAKE THE FROSTING

9. Put the chocolate in a medium stainless steel bowl and place over a pot of barely simmering water. Heat, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove the bowl from the pot and set the chocolate aside to cool until tepid.

10. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat at medium-high speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the vanilla extract and melted chocolate, then beat until well-blended and creamy, about 1 minute.

ASSEMBLE THE CAKE

11. Using a long serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half horizontally, to make 4 layers. Reserve one layer. Place another cake layer, cut side up, on a serving plate. Whisk the chilled filling until smooth. Using a small offset metal spatula, spread half of the filling over the layer. Top with another cake layer and spread it with the remaining filling. Top with a third cake layer, smooth side up. (See my NOTE below.)

12. Break half of the reserved cake layer into large pieces and place them in the bowl of a food processor (save the remainder of the cake layer for snacking). Process the cake to fine crumbs, and set aside.

13. Using a narrow metal spatula, frost the top and sides of the cake with the frosting. Pat a generous amount of cake crumbs onto the sides of the cake, pressing them lightly into the frosting. Sprinkle the remaining cake crumbs over the top of the cake. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

STORE in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for up to 2 days.

Yield : Makes one 9-inch cake, serving 10 to 12

NOTE: This recipe had you bake a cake in 2 9-inch layer then once baked and cooled, you slice them in half to make 4 equal layers. The cake uses 3 of those layers then half of the remaining cake layer is crumbled and patted into the frosting. Instead of having to cut the cake into equal layers and worrying about all the crumbs, I simply baked the cake into 3 layers and used about 1 cup of batter to make cupcakes for the crumbs on the outside of the cake. You can make it however you want, this was just simpler and less messy in my opinion and there wasn't any cake wasted. 

Hope you all had a delicious Father's Day!

An All Occasion Cake & A Winner

Last month for The Cake Slice Bakers we made individual warm chocolate cakes and they were delicious. You might be saying to yourself, "I don't remember seeing individual warm chocolate cakes. Where are they?" And rightfully so. I never blogged them because they looked like wrinkled old men and I didn't like any of the pictures. They didn't look good but they sure were tasty. Who knew "wrinkled old men" cakes could be so good? haha! You can click over to Becca's blog, Cookie Jar Treats, for the recipe if you're interested. I'm also linking to her blog because she is the lucky winner of Baking Basics & Beyond. Congrats Becca- email me with your address!

This month we baked a Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Pound Cake Bundt. Yes, that's a mouthful but there's not one part of that title that I don't like. This cake has winner written all over it and it was a nice addition to our Easter dinner. I made the cake the day before we needed it and when it came down to serving it Sunday evening I was too full to eat dessert. So I didn't get a slice until the following day and I have to tell you- even on day three, this cake was not the least bit dry! I tend to shy away from pound cakes because they can be too dense and heavy and sometimes dry, but this one has changed my mind.

I only had one slice of this cake and when I was done, I was wishing I had another. It was so light and fluffy with just the faintest taste of orange zest speckled through the cake. The star of the cake was the cinnamon swirl running throughout the cake, which made it sweet and spicy. Mr. H said it reminded him a lot of a breakfast coffee cake because it was so lightly sweetened. He's right, this cake would be nice at breakfast or for dessert any time of year.

On a side note, this is what Hayden gets to go while Mommy takes pictures of food. (He's going to have so many questions someday.) He loves sitting in his highchair and "playing drums" on the arm rests or looking at the trees through the kitchen windows. On this particular day he was enjoying a snack. He is quite the curious eater and wants to try everything I eat. He follows my fork and watches me pick my food up and put it in my mouth. Just the other day at dinner while he was sitting on my lap, he reached out for my fork and put it in his mouth. I was eating gnocchi with tomato cream sauce and he loved it. :-)

Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Pound Cake from The Cake Book
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Cinnamon Streusel Swirl:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Buttermilk Pound Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom (1/4 ground teaspoon nutmeg may be substituted)
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• 1 cup buttermilk

Garnish:

• powdered sugar for dusting

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease the inside of a 10-inch Bundt pan. Dust the pan with flour and shake out the excess.

For the Cinnamon Swirl: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt, breaking up any large lumps of brown sugar. Add the melted butter and stir until blended and crumbly.

For the Pound Cake: Sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom (or nutmeg) into a medium bowl. Whisk to combine, and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at a medium speed until very creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat at medium-high speed until well blended and light, about 4 minutes. At medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the vanilla extract and orange zest. At low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk in two additions and mixing just until well combined.

Scrape half of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer. Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over the batter. Scrape the remaining batter on top and smooth it into an even layer.

Bake the cake for 65 to 75 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

Invert the cake onto the rack and let cool completely.

Dust the cake lightly with powdered sugar right before serving.

M-I-C-K-E-Y

For the past 3 years, I have made the birthday cake for the boys I was a nanny for. I made a sea themed cake, a Wonder Pets cake, a Dinosaur cake and this year the theme was Pirate Mickey! In the past, I've spent countless hours thinking of the cake, drawing it out, then finally baking and decorating. Time was never as issue for me until this year. My mom came over to help out with Hayden, but a child needs his momma and I had to take frequent breaks to coo with him. Speaking of Hayden, my friend got mad at me for not sharing a picture of him a couple posts back, so here he is. This is one of my favorites.

The boys wanted a pirate ship cake complete with a flag, treasure chest, dolphin and sea turtle cupcakes. They wanted Donald Duck, Minnie and Pluto there too. Well I just couldn't commit to doing that this year so I did a dessert table instead. Yes, that's still a lot of work but it was broken up over the course of two days and I wasn't spending the bulk of my day decorating with mouse ears. I made a 9-inch Mickey Mouse cake as well as Oreo cupcakes, sugar cookie bars, a Giant m&m cookie and rice krispy treats. Today I will share the recipes for the cake and the cupcakes.

The main birthday cake was vanilla buttermilk cake with strawberry jam between the layers and iced in cream cheese frosting. The Micky decoration is made up of fondant. This is the same recipe I've made every year and the kids' mother just loves it and requests it every time. I've shared this recipe before but there's now a printable link below. The cupcakes start off with Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" cake recipe. I intended to put chopped up Oreos in the batter but forgot about it until I had already stuck them in the oven. Perhaps you can give that a try. The frosting was a basic buttercream with finely chopped Oreos in it. I used a mixture of shortening and butter for the frosting for flavor and stability. It was light and creamy, wasn't too sweet and really did taste like an Oreo. I'll be making these again!

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cupcakes

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• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350°F. Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups and set aside.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).

Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Makes about 24-30 cupcakes.

Oreo Buttercream from Monica H

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup shortening or butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar
• 14 Oreos, finely crushed in food processor

In a large bowl, cream butter, shortening, vanilla, and milk.

Add powdered sugar until desired sweetness is achieved, anywhere between 3 and 4 cups. Mix in crushed Oreos until well combined.

If your frosting is too thick, add a tad more milk to thin. If it's too thin to pipe with, add more sugar until it's the texture you want.

This is enough buttercream to frost a layer cake or about 30 cupcakes.

Vanilla Buttermilk Cake from Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes

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Makes an 8-inch triple-layer cake

• 4 whole eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 3 cups cake flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cake pans or spray to coat with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and grease the paper.

Put the eggs and yolks in a medium mixing bowl, add the vanilla and ¼ cup of the buttermilk. Whisk to blend well.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixer bowl; whisk to blend. Add the butter and the remaining 1 cup buttermilk to these dry ingredients, and with the mixer on low, blend together. Raise the mixer speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Add the egg mixture in 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl and mixing only until thoroughly incorporated. Divide the batter among the three prepared pan.

Bake the cake layers for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let the layers cool in the pans for 10 minutes; then carefully turn out onto wire racks, peel off the paper liners and let cool completely.

NOTE: This can be made in 3 9-inch pans, but the baking times will vary slightly, so keep an eye on them.

Monkey Bread With A Side Of Monkey Toes

A friend of mine, Maranda of Jolts & Jollies, gave birth to a beautiful baby boy last Monday, August the 8th. Mr. H and I went to visit her in the hospital the very next day when her little man, Baby N, was just one day old (go here to see Baby N). I was so excited to meet him. I got there, smelled him and and held that little bundle of deliciousness in my arms. Then I was told to check out his feet because his toes were incredibly long and "monkey" like. They were and I teased that when he got older he was going to pick things up with his feet. ha ha! Just 3 days later, I went to the doctor and got an ultrasound. We didn't get any clear pictures of his face, but we got a good one of his foot. As soon as the ultrasound tech saw them, she said, "he's got monkey toes!"

This month, for The Cake Slice Bakers, we baked a Hungarian Coffee Cake, also known as Monkey Bread. Because of this months selection, I thought it was perfect timing to share those stinky toes with you all. This Monkey Bread also marks the end of baking from Cake Keeper Cakes from Lauren Chattman. We've been baking from this book for nearly a year already and soon we will bake from a new cake cookbook. It's a secret for now, but I hope to share it with you all next month. I hope it's a good one!

On to this cake...it's Monkey Bread. You've all had it right? Little cakey or yeasty balls of dough, coated in butter and cinnamon sugar all baked together into a Bundt. The end result is a delicious smelling and tasting cake perfect for lazy weekend mornings. I especially liked this cake because it sat out on the counter all day and it was just to easy to walk by and pull a piece off. On the other hand, maybe that's not such a good thing. I halved the recipe and baked it into a 6-cup Bundt rather than making the entire cake, after all it is just the two of us eating for now. My only complaint is that is wasn't so fresh tasting on day two, but that's okay because we ate most of it anyway while it was still warm and gooey straight out of the oven. This version incorporates chopped nuts and raisins into the cake, but it would be equally delicious without them.

Monkey Bread from Cake Keeper Cakes

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For The Topping:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar

For The Cake:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 9 Tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled
• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. buttermilk, plus more if necessary
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
• 1/4 cup raisins, optional

For The Topping: Whisk together the melted butter and light brown sugar. Set aside.

For The Cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a nonstick 12-cup Bundt pan and dust with flour.

Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a sipper-top bag. Cut the butter into a 1/4-inch dice. Place the butter in a small bowl and set it in the freezer while you gather the rest of the baking ingredients.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the chilled butter pieces and, with an electric mixer , mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse meal. (I incorporated my butter into the flour using a pastry cutter.)

Stir in the buttermilk until the mixture just comes together, adding an extra tablespoon or two if the mixture is too dry.

Use a small ice cream scoop or spoon to scoop up balls of dough and transfer them to the zipper top bag. Shake the bag to coat the balls with cinnamon sugar. (I only did about 3 balls of dough at a time, otherwise they stuck together.)

Place the coated balls of dough in the prepared pans, sprinkling nuts and raisins (if using) over them as you go. Pour the melted butter/sugar mixture over the cake.

Bake until the cake is firm and well risen and the caramel is melted, 35 to 40 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan, on a wire rack, for 10 minutes. Invert onto a serving platter and serve immediately.

Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to a day.

NOTE: If halving this recipe, bake in a 6-cup Bundt pan for 35-40 minutes.

Like The Ones From San Francisco

These are the Mother's Day pancakes I promised you. Yes, I'm a week late, but you can save this recipe for next year. Or for brunch this weekend, or a special birthday breakfast or just because. Just be sure to make them because they really are delicious and they're a twist on the typical pancake. They're not big and heavy, they're light and mini (which means you can have more) and go perfectly with the tart lingonberries on top.

If you've never had lingonberries, they're similar to a cranberry but not quite as tart and just the slightest bit bitter. They're also smaller berries and usually come sweetened and jarred like preserves. I've purchased them from IKEA as well the local grocery store in the canned fruit aisle at the top of the shelf, near the canned cherries. Now I've eaten Swedish Pancakes from IHOP before and they're served with lingonberry jam and butter, in a crepe style pancake but these are a little different. I got the recipe from a NordicWare silver dollar pan, I purchased a while back. The pan was a little difficult to use but it was a good recipe, so I decided to follow through with the same concept and just make them on a non-stick griddle.

I made these to resemble the pancakes we ate in San Francisco last November. The ones we ordered at Sears Fine Food were much thinner and came a whopping 18 (!) pancakes per order. Granted they were very thin and mine are thicker but they still have that same appeal and tanginess thanks to the buttermilk. Mr. H gladly had 2 helpings and said "mmm, those were good". Then had them again the very next day. I'd call that a success. Now that I think of it, these would be great for Father's Day breakfast too. Just be sure to leave the pink flowers and lace napkin off the breakfast-in-bed tray, unless that's his thing :-)

Swedish Pancakes adapted from NordicWare

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• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp. granulated sugar
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 Tbsp. melted butter
• Lingonberries, for serving

Preheat griddle over medium heat.

Stir together dry ingredients. Beat egg until lighter in color and slightly foamy, then stir into dry mixture, along with buttermilk and butter. Mix until just blended, but do not over mix or you'll have tough pancakes. It's okay if there are a few small lumps.

Spoon 2 Tbsp. of batter onto a lightly buttered (or nonstick) griddle. Once edges are slightly dry, flip pancakes over til golden. Serve with fruit, syrup or lingonberry jam.

Makes 12-15 mini pancakes.

400th Post!

Today is my 400th post and I have a special cake for you today! I made this for the boys I nanny. They both have birthdays one week apart so for the last couple years they've shared a birthday party and cake. The oldest turned 4 years old and the youngest turned 2. Last year I made them a Wonder Pets Cake and this year they wanted to go with a dinosaur theme. raaar!

When I'm trying to design a cake, I google what I'm looking for then gather ideas I like or I sketch it out and let my imagination run wild. I was more concerned with the cake and how it tasted than the actual dinosaurs so I used toy dinosaurs the boys already had for decoration. The client requested vanilla buttermilk cake with instant fudge icing (from Sky High Cakes) for one tier and I chose chocolate cake with vanilla cream cheese icing for the other. The vanilla cake had a nice tight crumb and was firm but tender and the chocolate is my favorite go-to recipe. These are both of my favorite frostings too.

I didn't slice the cake so it's a little sloppy, but I wanted you to see the insides.

I made the palm trees by trial and error. I hope I never have to make them again. ha! I made the leaves out of fondant and for the trunks I used pretzel rods. Royal icing held it all together. I made enough leaves for 5 palm trees, many broke so I only had enough to make 4. Then as they dried overnight, I had 2 catastrophes and only 2 survived. I was hoping for 3, but I think it turned out fine. The border around the cake was done with chocolate rocks. They're chocolate chunks that are textured and colored to look like rocks. Fun stuff and the kids loved them!

The bottom tier is fudge frosting and the top tier was tinted with green coloring. It's also the same icing I used to pipe the "grass" border and the lettering on the bottom layer. And lastly the cake board was wrapped in white cake board paper, then I painted it with white royal icing and dusted it with a mixture of graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar to create the appearance of sandy soil. I wanted to wrap the edge of the cake board with ribbon but I didn't have enough to wrap all the sides and I ran out of time to go out and get some. Oh well, I'm pretty sure it would have wound up in the trash anyway :-) Hope you enjoy it and thank you for being here through all 400 posts!

Front of cake

I'm too lazy to type out the recipes, so here are the links:

• Vanilla Buttermilk Cake
• Instant Fudge Frosting
• One Bowl Chocolate Cake
• Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Icing

Back of cake