VASILOPITA – GREEK NEW YEAR’S CAKE

I have great news! I have secured good luck for 2009. January 1st was my husband’s ‘Name Day.’ In Greece, everyone celebrates the “Name Day” of the saint that bears the same name. According to the Orthodox Church, every day of the year has been dedicated to the memory of a Saint or a martyr from the Holy Bible and Holy Tradition. In Greece, a person’s name day is even more important than their own birthday and is celebrated with attention from friends and relatives and often gifts.

My husband Vasili’s Name Day lands on the first day of the year and has a historical tradition. It commenced in the fourth century, when Saint Vasili the Great, who was a bishop, wanted to distribute money to the poor in his Diocese. He commissioned some women to bake sweetened bread, in which he arranged to place gold coins. Thus the families in cutting the bread to nourish themselves, were pleasantly surprised to find the coins. I read that the sweetness in the cake symbolizes the hope that the New Year will be filled with the sweetness of life, liberty, health, and happiness for all who participate in the Vasilopita Observance.

Below is a recipe for a traditional Vasilopita cake. One coin is dropped in the batter of a round pan. The person who finds the treasure in his or her slice of cake is said to be blessed and will receive good luck for the coming year. I squealed when my fork found the coin in this light, simple but delicious yellow cake.

Vasilopita – Greek New Year’s Cake
Serves 15-20 people.

4 cups flour, sifted
6 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
Grated lemon rind from 1 lemon
Confectioners Sugar
Silver or gold coin (soak in water and soap to clean. $1 coins are fun!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Cream butter, add sugar gradually; beat together until mixture is light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in alternately until just smooth, flour mixture and milk. Add grated lemon rind from one whole lemon (2-3 teaspoons).

Grease a 12-inch round baking pan and line bottom with parchment paper. You can use a rectangle if you don’t have the large round pan. Put batter into the prepared pan. Drop in a silver or gold coin and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan. Then, sift confectioner’s sugar over the top. Cut out of pan to serve.

* You can halve this recipe in half and use a 9 inch round pan

taken by : http://whippedtheblog.com/2009/01/04/vasilopita-greek-new-years-cake/

THE CARROT CAKE THIEF

I just came across these photos from April, when I made my husband the carrot cake he had requested for his birthday. When I first posted this recipe, I claimed it was my #1 recipe and a few year’s later, I think it has held its ground. I haven’t met a carrot cake I like better.  The unexpected and time consuming trick is cooking and pureeing the carrots before mixing them into the cake. The pureed carrots make the cake so moist and the added coconut , walnuts and pineapple bring just the right amount of texture and sweetness.

The night before his birthday, I whipped the frosting, baked the cake layers and left them to cool. First thing in the morning, before the kids woke up, I snuck down, brewed a pot of coffee, leveled the layers and assembled the cake. Leveling cakes always leaves a nice mound of scraps that I NEVER waste. I put them on a plate for nibbling.

When Baby Whipped woke up that morning, one of the first things she wanted to do was try out the swim cap and goggles we’d recently bought her. She has a fun spirit and it didn’t surprise me to see her running up and down the halls with her footy jammies, Nemo cap and goggles. It did surprise, some minutes later, to find her laughing with a mouthful of cake.

When I asked her where she got the cake, her eyes twinkled as she waved me towards the kitchen. Though I hoped she had discovered the scraps, the frosting on the corner of her mouth suggested worse. When we reached the kitchen she was more than happy to reenact her crime. She dragged her stool to the counter and stretched her full arm’s length to reach the cake that I had pushed to the far corner.

She was quite pleased with herself.

We often call Baby Whipped “the jolly rascal.” Her naughty behavior is usually funny and sometimes quite clever. Most of all, she is proud of it and exudes such joy that it’s hard to get too mad at her. When we give her “time outs” for being naughty, she does her time without complaining, says sorry and jumps right back in the game. Rarely any whining.

When I came across these photos again, I laughed out loud. These are the memories that I know we will cherish for years. The old baking perfectionist in me didn’t mind the hunk out of the side of the cake one bit. Laughter trumps perfect cake.

Luscious, Moist Carrot Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups canola oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups shelled walnuts, chopped
1 cup shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups pureed cooked carrots
1 small 8 oz. can of crushed pineapple, drained
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below)
1/2 cup walnuts for the top (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease two 9 inch cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper. Peel and cook carrots until a fork easily can be poked in to them. One small bag of full sized carrots should yield about the right amount of pureed, cooked carrots. Drain the carrots and purree while still warm in a blender or food processor until they are smooth. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of the carrot puree and set aside.

Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. Stir dry ingredients together with a whisk to combine well. Add oil, eggs and vanilla. Beat well for about 2 minutes. Fold in walnuts, coconut, carrots and pineapple. Pour equal amounts of batter into each pan. Set in the middle of the oven and bake for about 50 minutes or until edges have pulled away from sides and toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let sit in pans 10 minutes. Turn out onto a rack and cool completely. When cool, level cakes to take humps off the center with a serrated knife. Spread cream cheese frosting between the layers and on top. I leave the sides out in the open because they are a beautiful brown and nice and crunchy. Sprinkle chopped nuts on the top if desired.

Cream Cheese Frosting
(makes enough for middle and top of cake. Double if you want to frost sides)
8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
6 Tablespoons butter at room temperature
3 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

Cream together cheese and butter. Slowly stir in sifted confectioners sugar and continue beating until incorporated and light and fluffy.

taken by : http://whippedtheblog.com/2013/07/30/the-carrot-cake-thief/

peanut butter oat pancakes with coconut cream

 

Pancakes are so super delicious, yet so complicated at the same time. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to share pancake recipes but I ruin every.single.one when I flip them.

I just can’t flip a pancake without popping a hole in it, or tearing it apart, or tossing it on top of another pancake and making to two stick together. Grrr….

All while I love pancakes, I hardly ever enjoy them because of this mess. I like simple and tasty, I don’t care for frustration while waiting, and waiting, and waiting for that perfect time to flip the pancake. That’s what husbands are for.

 

Last weekend I went to the kitchen, started putting the pancake batter together and when it was all done, I kindly said to my husband, “ok, you go ahead and cook the pancakes while I set up to take some pictures when you’re done”.  Here I was thinking I was being sneaky, when actually he was more than happy to help.

What a man I have. We make a great pancake-creating team.

 

What I liked most about these pancakes was that the peanut butter wasn’t too much. There was just a slight taste of peanut while the maple syrup and apple cider vinegar together created a great sweet texture. I even thought to myself that this batter would make some pretty awesome muffins. That I just might have to try. You can’t ever go wrong with peanut butter.

 

The coconut cream was just an extra UMPH to the pancakes. You can toss the cream all over the pancakes before eating them, which is exactly what I did after the photo shoot was done. I wanted you to actually see the pancakes, you know what I mean?

coconut cream

Prep time

12 hours

Total time

12 hours

Author: Karen Lushious || Lushious Eats

Serves: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 14oz. can coconut milk; chilled in fridge overnight
• 2 tsp pure maple syrup or agave
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Add coconut milk into a medium bowl, with maple syrup and vanilla. Beat for about 5 minutes, until mixture becomes thick and creamy. Set in fridge until ready to use.

peanut butter oat pancakes

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

25 mins

Recipe type: Breakfast

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp ground flax
• 1 cup oat flour (gf for gluten free eaters)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup or agave
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 heaping tbsp of all natural peanut butter

Instructions

1. Add flax, flour and baking powder to a medium bowl, mixing together.
2. In another bowl, add egg, almond milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, vinegar and peanut butter. Mix well.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing together with a big wooden spoon. Allow 5 minutes for the batter to set.
4. Heat a non-stick skillet on medium heat, carefully pour batter into the pan, dividing evenly. Flip after 5 minutes and allow other side to cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Remove pancakes and enjoy with coconut cream.

taken by : http://lushiouseats.com/2015/03/01/peanut-butter-oat-pancakes-with-coconut-cream/

TRIPLE PINK CUPCAKES

Pink Power! For Mini Whipped’s third birthday, we pulled out all the stops to create a pink paradise for her special day.

Clearly, nature has beat out nurture in creating my 3-year-old’s desire for all things pink. None of the main caretakers in her life are “pink lovers” and yet, Mini Whipped is drawn to all things rose-colored like a Goth is to black.

When she started choosing everything pink and wanted to wear pink clothes every day, I tried to encourage some variety. I would suggest other options offering enticing rewards, “But don’t you want this dolphin to swim around on your blue shirt all day long?!”  I rarely convinced the strong-minded tot. Then one day, I heard her saying to her grandmother with heartfelt emotion, “Grammy, it just makes me SO happy to wear pink.”  After that, I gave up my quest to make her a more well-rounded rainbow and gave in full fledged to the pink power.

Someone gave us colored pellets that turn the bath water blue, yellow or pink. The first time she got in the pink bath she hovered to a new elevation of excitement. She splished and splashed singing about her love for the pink water and even carefully leaned down to touch her cheek to the water professing, “I love you pink tub tub.” At that point, I became a proponent of pink love. If something so simple could bring such joy, I figured I better embrace it. Warnings of losing the priveledge of a pink bath have proved to be my strongest disciplinary force yet.

As we planned for Mini Whipped’s third birthday celebration, we decided to do everything we could to create a pink paradise for her. Her Daddy wore his pink shirt to work, Mommy searched her closet for the only pink she could find (in the underwear drawer), her babysitter wore all pink and we bought pink balloons. The birthday girl was thrilled with the idea of red velvet (dark pink) cupcakes with pink frosting and pink sprinkles.  She requested a special pancake and sausage dinner and Mommy even surprised her with pink pancake batter. They didn’t look very appetizing to us but the guest of honor claimed they were the best tasting pancakes she had ever had.

Parenting involves constant learning. My daughter loves many of the things that I do:  swimming, baking, reading and eating. As she continues to develop and grow into herself, I have realized she is going to find pleasure in some things that I don’t. If those things are healthy, I have learned that I must respect them and help her be her own individual.

There are many things a parent will do to give their child happiness on her birthday like go to two stores to find enough pink food coloring, wear pink underwear and even choke down pepto-bismal colored pancakes while smiling. Happy third birthday my little pink princess. May you continue to find as much easy joy in simple pleasures.

Triple Pink Cupcakes
(red velvet cake with pink cream cheese frosting and sprinkles)
Makes about 18 cupcakes.

2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs
2 Tablespoons red food coloring
1 t white distilled vinegar
1 t vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put paper cupcake cupcakes in a cupcake pan. Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa. In another bowl whisk oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla together until combined. Mix wet and dry ingredients together in a stand mixer with paddle attachment just until combined. Fill cupcake cups 2/3 full and bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a rack completely before frosting.

Pink Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon red food coloring
Pink sprinkles (optional)

Mix softened butter and cream cheese together until fluffy. Add powdered sugar little by little. Mix in food coloring to desired color. Put frosting in refrigerator until stiff enough to frost the cakes. Be sure cupcakes are cool before frosting. To make a piping bag, cut just a small tip off the corner of a plastic ziplock bag. Fill with frosting and squeeze out in a circular, pinwheel onto the cupcakes started on the outside and circling inward. Decorate with sprinkles.

taken by : http://whippedtheblog.com/2011/04/10/triple-pink-cupcakes/

THE BEST RUM BUNDT CAKE IS THE EASIEST TOO

After a silly turn of events and a third annual holiday party, it’s been determined that THIS is the winning rum cake.

Two years ago, I was 8 months pregnant when I first attended a friend’s holiday party. It is an annual gathering that includes a competitive white gift exchange and plenty of festive cocktails. Though I stayed tucked in the corner with my big belly for most of the evening, it was a memorably fun evening.

Last year, we were invited to return. I declared that I would make up for the previous year and drink my share of cocktails and whoop it up with the crowd. The hostess asked me to bring the same rum, bundt cake that I had made the previous year. She recounted that after many of the guests had left, she and her houseguests dug into that cake and devoured it before dawn.

This is where the story gets a little hard to understand, unless perhaps you have been pregnant or live such an overly busy life that details fall through the cracks. I had no memory of making the rum cake BUT I did not doubt that I had made the delicious cake in question. So, I searched my recipes and surfed the web for the recipe to see if something rang a bell.

I never landed on any cake that felt familiar but decided to make a rum cake from scratch that looked good and had decent reviews. When I showed up with the cake last year, I admitted to not remembering what I had brought the year before. When we sampled my offering, it was okay but not quite as moist as I like. Luckily, our analysis was in progress when another friend approached. “Did you use the box cake and pudding recipe? Oh, I always do,” she admitted. “That’s the one that I brought last year.” Case: solved!

This year, the original baker of the boxed cake mix based rum cake couldn’t attend the festivities. A quick online searched surfaced many versions of this simple recipe. So again, I brought a rum cake and this time, it was the RIGHT rum cake. Indeed, it is delicious and super simple. Unless you are averse to using boxed mixes, don’t even fool around with another recipe. I did and though it took two years to solve the mystery, we have all agreed that THIS is the crowd pleaser. Case: Closed.

Golden Rum Cake
from Allrecipes.com

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1 package yellow cake mix
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup dark rum
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup dark rum

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sprinkle chopped nuts evenly over the bottom of the pan.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix and pudding mix. Mix in the eggs, 1/2 cup water, oil and 1/2 cup rum. Blend well. Pour batter over chopped nuts in the pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let sit for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto serving plate. Brush glaze over top and sides. Allow cake to absorb glaze and repeat until all glaze is used.

To make the glaze: in a saucepan, combine butter, 1/4 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup rum.

taken by : http://whippedtheblog.com/2012/12/17/the-best-rum-bundt-cake-is-the-easiest-too/

THE BEST CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE CUPCAKES

Now and then, I settle on a recipe that I feel needs no improvement. This one is joining that privileged club.

It was thanks to an unexpected snow day this winter that we discovered this chocolate cream cheese cupcake recipe. I have long been a fan of baked good with cream cheese and crafted these browniesa few years back but had never found the cupcake version that I felt was perfect. Until now.

When I say that this is a “perfect” recipe, I mean that it is perfect for me. Each of us has a unique palate and preferences. My favorite desserts are a little less sweet and usually include cream cheese, sour cream or buttermilk. Though I love butter in cookies, many of my favorite cake recipes call for oil. And, as a red velvet cake lover, a touch of vinegar in chocolate cake is often a good sign.

If you were nodding your head in agreement as you read the previous paragraph, we may be dessert-compatible. Looking back at my recipe archive of baked goods, I was inspired to make a list of my all-time, never fail, favorite desserts. These are the cream of my crop. No tweaking necessary.

1. Luscious, Moist Carrot Cake
2. White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
3. My sister’s Apple Crunch Cake
4. These Red Velvet Cupcakes
5. Heavenly Banana Cake
6. Chocolate Cake with my Secretest Ingredient
7. My sister’s Buttermilk Cake with Lemon Frosting
8. Kathy’s Almond Tea Cake
9. This Amazing Pumpkin Bread
10. Stephanie’s Banana Bread

Well, that should keep you baking for awhile!

During our cooped up snow day a few weeks ago,  an unused bar of cream cheese in the fridge inspired this cupcake recipe.  Everyone in the family agreed that these are winners. Not only was the cake moist, the cream cheese filling delectable, but it was nice to skip frosting for a change.

As part of our “keep warm, survive the rest of winter” plan, we are baking regularly. Send me your favorite, never fail favorites to try!

The Best Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Yeild: 20 cupakes
For the cream cheese filling:
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, room temperature
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips

For the chocolate cake:
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder (use Valrohna – it’s worth it!)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup oil
1 tablespoon vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Prepare muffin tins by lining with paper liners or greasing them thoroughly.

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer for a minute. Then add egg, sugar and salt and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips and set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine all of the chocolate cake ingredients together at once and mix on medium speed until combined, about 2 minutes.

Fill muffin cups 1/3 full with chocolate cake mixture. Drop a heaping spoonful of cream cheese mixture onto each cupcake.

Bake at 350 degrees for 22-24 minutes until the cakes are just set. Let cool on a rack.

taken by: http://whippedtheblog.com/2015/02/24/the-best-chocolate-cream-cheese-cupcakes/

SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE

I hope that good intentions are worth something because my initial plan to bring a warm coffee cake to a new neighbor really was a good idea.

It went a little something like this…  A month or so ago, my visiting mom picked up some new neighbors in front of our house.  The neighbor lady and her mother were out for a walk and were equally as open to communicate with friendly strangers as my mother always is.    Within the first five minutes, we knew that they had just moved back into the city from the suburbs with their three kids and that our parents were both from Michigan. (Hailing from Michigan is common for Chicagoans. Discovery of this common geographic origin often results in a showing of “the hand” and occasionally the name game to find connections.)

I was reminded that when I moved into the neighborhood, I was welcomed with a warm apple, rhubarb cake by my next door neighbor.  It made my week and softened the blow of unpacking all the boxes.  So, I decided to pass along the good will to our neighbor and bake her a coffee cake.

I chose a new recipe from my Grand Central Baking Book.  My plan was to split the recipe usually intended for a 9 x 13 pan into two smaller square pans so I could keep one at home and bring one to her.  But, the day I started baking I discovered that my ingredients were short and I was forced to halve the recipe.  The list of ingredients, fresh blueberries and soft, thick crumble atop the cake seemed to promise a sure thing.  But, as the cake was cooling and the aroma filled the house, I gained a sliver of doubt.

What if is was dry?  What if it isn’t a very good recipe?  I would hate to welcome the new neighbors with a subpar performance.  I better sample… just a nibble.  Oh wait, I can’t bring over a cake with a piece cut out.  I might as well just eat a small square.  Wow.  This is good cake.  I bet it would taste even more perfect alongside a cup of hot coffee. [brew coffee]  Why yes… yes it does taste unbelievable.  This must be the best sour cream coffee cake recipe I have ever made.

Not a morsel of that cake made it past my threshold.  In my head it felt wrong but for my taste buds and tummy it felt oh so right.  She will never miss what she didn’t know she was getting? *Sigh*

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
from The Grand Central Bakery

Streusel
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (7 ounces) packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of slat
3/4 cup rolled oats

Coffee Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sour cream

2 cups diced fresh fruit, berries or rhubarb

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

Make the streusel: Dice the butter into 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes, then combine it with the granulated and brown sugars, flour and salt. Use two knives, a pastry blender, or your fingers to mix the ingredients until crumbly, then mix in the oats. If you’re making the streusel ahead of time, cover and store in fridge until ready to proceed.

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a bowl with high sides. Make a well in the center. In another bowl, lightly whisk the eggs, butter and vanilla together. Pour the mixture into the well, then add the sour cream by evenly distributing large spoonfuls around the edges of the dry ingredients. Gently mix the batter using a large spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Use big, slow, circular strokes that scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with each motion. Don’t worry if the batter appears slightly lumpy, or if there are streaks of sour cream. The delicate texture of this batter is achieved through minimal mixing. (Some small patches of flour may still be visible, that is okay. It will be absorbed during the baking process.)

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Distribute the fruit in an even layer over the batter, then sprinkle evenly with the streusel. Bake for 45 minutes rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. The streusel should be crunchy and brown and a skewer inserted in the center should come out clean. Serve straight from the oven with plenty of fresh, piping hot coffee.

taken by : http://whippedtheblog.com/2010/08/03/sour-cream-coffee-cake/

RED VELVET CAKE + WHIPPED = TRUE LOVE FOREVER

I have been dancing the tango with Red Velvet Cake for some years now.  Just when I think I can turn my face away and retire my quest for the perfect recipe, the scarlet vixen has me pressed to her cheek striding across the dance floor once again.

Our love affair is always reignited in the month of February.  The marketing machines of the world are pressing Valentine’s Day upon us and my palate cannot resist cupid’s arrow.  Festive, moist, red cake topped with classic cream cheese frosting… I am dazed with desire.

What is it about Red Velvet Cake that has captured my heart?  Well, even more than most cakes, there is an element of chemistry that makes this cake right.  That magical mixture of baking soda and vinegar gives me a mad-scientist high.  Second, this cake plays hard to get.  Recipes vary greatly and have often disappointed only fueling my longing to test, try, bake and separate the good from the bad.

This year’s Red Velvet Cake recipe comes from my sister.  If you have been reading my blog long, you will know she is the source of many of my winners.  I don’t usually favor the use of shortening and full bottles of food coloring in my baking.  But, as with everyone that we love, we make exceptions for the smallest incompatibilities.

Red Velvet Cake

Makes about 24 cupcakes or one 9-inch layer cake.

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ounces red food coloring
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon white vinegar

Grease two 9 inch round pans or line muffin pans with paper liners for cupcakes (makes approx. 2 doz.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make a paste of cocoa and food coloring. Set aside.

Combine the buttermilk, salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the cocoa mixture. Beat in the buttermilk mixture alternately with the flour, mixing just until incorporated. Stir together baking soda and vinegar, then gently fold into the cake batter.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

* For cupcakes, fill each liner approximately 2/3 full. Bake 15 – 20 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 lb. cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix cream cheese and butter and sugar until fluffy; about 5 minutes. Add vanilla

taken by : http://whippedtheblog.com/2010/02/02/red-velvet-cake-whipped-true-love-forever/

POM CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Recently, I was flattered by a gal at POM Wonderful who asked me to try some of the recipes on their website. You know, the pomegranate juice in the funny shaped bottle?

As a child, I remember when pomegranates first came into my life as an extremely rare treat, something like the oranges of much earlier decades. A grade school classmate actually brought a few to show-and-tell one day. We opened them and plucked the “seeds” out one by one.

Fast-forward 25 years and POM Wonderful comes out with a funny bottle filled with beautiful dark red juice that seems to have the benefits of the fountain of youth. Good for your heart, packed with antioxidants and yowzaa… there is even talk of erectile function!

Of all the delicious cocktails and and savory recipe options, I decided on these chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Big surprise. My review? Yum. Moist, chocolate-y, easy to make. If you are looking to sneak something healthy into treats, this is a good option. And, if you are vegan, these cakes have no eggs or butter. Just replace the cream cheese frosting with something like this or this.

Find more POM Recipes here.

POM Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

Cupcakes:
1 cup POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water, heated to boiling
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar (not wine vinegar)
1 tablespoon vanilla

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 8-oz. package cream cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon whole milk

Garnish:
1 cup arils from 12 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates

Preheat oven to 350F with rack in the center. Place a paper baking cup in each of 24 regular sized muffin cups. Whisk together the dry ingredients to combine well. In a large measuring cup, combine pomegranate juice and boiling water. Add oil, vinegar and vanilla to the pomegranate juice mixture. Add to the flour mixture all at once and whisk to combine (batter will be lumpy). Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups (about half full). Bake 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and free of crumbs. Let cool. Frost with pomegranate chocolate or vanilla cream cheese frosting and decorate with arils.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:
With an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese and butter. Add vanilla, powdered sugar and milk, and beat until frosting is of spreading consistency.

taken by: http://whippedtheblog.com/2009/03/11/pom-chocolate-cupcakes-with-cream-cheese-frosting/

BLUEBERRY SWIRL MUFFINS

28 preschoolers + 5 days = 140 snacks. My first “snack week” began yesterday with the presentation of Blueberry Swirl Muffins.

This week is my first stint as the preschool “snack mom.” With a $40 budget, I need to bring 28 servings of a peanut-free snack to school each day. Per usual, I never like to take the easy route, so my initial plans involved some very elaborate recipes. I underestimated the amount of work in preparing 28 snacks for five days in a row while managing Mini Whipped, taking care of a kamikaze, danger-seeking 9-month old, and maintaining my normal work duties.

I also have a bit of learning to do about how picky many children are. We have the good fortune of having two good eaters. Baby Whipped recently put her hand straight into my bowl of chili and gobbled up the beans and ground turkey, which signaled the end of me preparing any special meals for her.  When Mini Whipped and I brainstormed snack week ideas together, I had to delicately shoot down her plans for cup of cold black beans or her favorite molasses bran muffins. Not only was I quite sure that many kids would not like her selections but I figured that the teachers wouldn’t appreciate the extra doses of fiber.

Blueberry muffins seemed like a strong start to win over the tough 28 customers. I didn’t have a standby recipe so I turned to my new favorite cookbook, The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook. I chose the Blueberry Swirl Muffin recipe as I knew that Mini Whipped would have a grand time serving as my “swirl expert.

The muffins were pretty and though a bit more dense than I anticipated, the crumb was good and the flavor heightened by the swirl. On Monday, I stayed at school until mid morning when the debut snack was served. Many children were thrilled to spy the muffins on the tables exclaiming, “muffins are my favorite!” As I approached the 3-year old table, where Mini Whipped had confidently taken the head seat, reviews were mixed. A few boys had pushed it away and one had exclaimed that he wanted pretzels instead.

The teacher thoughtfully brought out ziplock bags for the kids who couldn’t finish their entire muffin so that they could bring them home. I think they were being respectful of my homemade creation.

As I prepared to leave and gave Mini Whipped a kiss goodbye, she hugged me tight and whispered in my ear, “You made a really good snack mom.”

Melt.

Blueberry Swirl Muffins
Makes 12 muffins.

Lemon-Sugar Topping:
1/3 cup (21/3 ounces) sugar
1½ teaspoons finely grated zest from 1 lemon

Muffins:
2 cups (about 10 ounces) fresh blueberries, picked over
1 1/8 cups (8 ounces) plus 1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/2 cups (12½ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk (see note)
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1. FOR THE TOPPING: Stir together sugar and lemon zest in small bowl until combined; set aside.

2. FOR THE MUFFINS: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Bring 1 cup blueberries and 1 teaspoon sugar to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, mashing berries with spoon several times and stirring frequently, until berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced to ¼ cup, about 6 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk remaining 11/8 cups sugar and eggs together in medium bowl until thick and homogeneous, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in butter and oil until combined. Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla until combined. Using rubber spatula, fold egg mixture and remaining cup blueberries into flour mixture until just moistened. (Batter will be very lumpy with few spots of dry flour; do not overmix.)

4. Use ice cream scoop or large spoon to divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups (batter should completely fill cups and mound slightly). Spoon teaspoon of cooked berry mixture into center of each mound of batter. Using chopstick or skewer, gently swirl berry filling into batter using figure-eight motion. Sprinkle lemon sugar evenly over muffins.

5. Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 17 to 19 minutes, rotating muffin tin from front to back halfway through baking time. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving.

taken by : http://whippedtheblog.com/2011/12/06/blueberry-swirl-muffins/

LUSCIOUS, MOIST CARROT CAKE

This is my Number One. The item that I bring to gatherings with lots of people I don’t know. The cake that my husband and friends request for their birthdays. I have bartered pottery from an artist with this cake. It was the reason I almost started a cake business.

For two years, I have been blogging and baking this cake regularly on the side. A little part of me felt it was the one recipe I shouldn’t share. After all, a “chef” doesn’t want to tell all her secrets. So, why post it now? A few reasons… For one, I didn’t realize I was going to keep blogging this long and I have grown great affection for all of you kind people who stop by Whipped to pay visits. I want to share this cake with you.

Secondly, I have decided that instincts to keep a recipe secret are prideful and weird and I will no longer listen to them! So, I not only want to share the recipe but all the little tips that I have honed over the years to make it just the way I like. For additional general baking tips, click here.

Luscious, Moist Carrot Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups canola oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups shelled walnuts, chopped
1 cup shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups pureed cooked carrots
1 small 8 oz. can of crushed pineapple, drained
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below)
1/2 cup walnuts for the top (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease two 9 inch cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper. Peel and cook carrots until a fork easily can be poked in to them. One small bag of full sized carrots should yield about the right amount of pureed, cooked carrots. Drain the carrots and purree while still warm in a blender or food processor until they are smooth. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of the carrot puree and set aside.

Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. Stir dry ingredients together with a whisk to combine well. Add oil, eggs and vanilla. Beat well for about 2 minutes. Fold in walnuts, coconut, carrots and pineapple. Pour equal amounts of batter into each pan. Set in the middle of the oven and bake for about 50 minutes or until edges have pulled away from sides and toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let sit in pans 10 minutes. Turn out onto a rack and cool completely. When cool, level cakes to take humps off the center with a serrated knife. Spread cream cheese frosting between the layers and on top. I leave the sides out in the open because they are a beautiful brown and nice and crunchy. Sprinkle chopped nuts on the top if desired.

Cream Cheese Frosting
(makes enough for middle and top of cake. Double if you want to frost sides)
8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
6 Tablespoons butter at room temperature
3 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

Cream together cheese and butter. Slowly stir in sifted confectioners sugar and continue beating until incorporated and light and fluffy.

taken by : http://whippedtheblog.com/2009/01/20/my-1-recipe-luscious-moist-carrot-cake/

LOVE GODDESS CAKE MIX FROM VOSGES HAUT-CHOCOLAT

A revolution in baking mixes! I finally tried the Love Goddess cake mix from Vosges Haut-Chocolat. This is no Betty Crocker cake.

Since I went all out with the Triple Pink Cupcakes for Mini Whipped’s toddler birthday bash, I decided to take a shortcut for her family gathering a few days later. I must admit that I have a Duncan Hines marble cake mix in my cupboard. It was the cake of choice for our childhood birthdays and it still tastes good to me due to the heavy helping of nostalgia I gulp down with each bite. But, I have been meaning to try the new Vosges Haut-Chocolat Love Goddess Cake from Katrina‘s line of luxury baking mixes and I decided this was the perfect opportunity.

I like to keep a rule of full disclosure on Whipped so that you never stop trusting me or my opinions on products I recommend. You may have noticed the Vosges Haut-Chocolat ad on the right side of my blog. I have worked with Katrina at Vosges Haut-Chocolat for many years and I actually help manage many of their marketing programs. So, I am a little partial and love to support them:) However, I would not post about any of my clients’ products if I did not truly feel you would love them! And, lucky for me, Katrina is a client but also a friend and a creative genius who makes a darn good chocolate cake.

The Love Goddess Cake Mix is much more expensive than most grocery store mixes at $12 a box but you will taste the difference. As I opened the pouch of cocoa included, an earthy smell of cacao filled the kitchen. Instructions are a bit more complicated than adding a few eggs and water but not too hard for a beginning baker to follow. I have two favorite things about this cake:

1. The suggested whipped cream frosting. It is VERY forgiving. The most time consuming part of a layer cake is usually the assembly and frosting. Sometimes I am a glutton for the tedious task. The whipped cream frosting is so easy to manage that I didn’t level the cakes at all. I just spread the whipped cream between layers and all over the top and sides and it looked amazing! (I tinted my cream pink to please the birthday girl.)

2. This cake is BETTER if you make it ahead. Ever seen how whipped cream gets a little watery if you leave it in the fridge overnight? Well, that liquid soaks into the cake while the outside sets beautifully. Make this cake the night before your party and put it in the fridge. Buy one organic rose, pluck off all the petals and sprinkle them on top before putting this beauty on display.

If you are a novice baker or a pro without much time, I would highly suggest keeping a few of these cake mixes in your pantry. As always, it is up to you whether or not you choose to reveal that you started with a “box.” With this mix, your guests will not suspect it!

taken by : http://whippedtheblog.com/2011/04/14/love-goddess-cake-mix-from-vosges-haut-chocolat/

KATHY’S ORANGE COCONUT COFFEE CAKE

Those of us who love cooking likely have a handful of paragons in our past. From my friend Kathy, I learned dedication to one’s best recipes and the enjoyment of food tradition. (For those who have been reading awhile, this is not the first Kathy I referenced who made these pecan rolls. I have two special Kathys in my life with notable roll recipes!)

This Kathy is the mother of one of my best high school friends. For the past fifteen years, we have visited her house at the holidays. We gather in the kitchen, the heart of their home, and catch up while enjoying her famous taco dip, sugar cookies, brownies, turkey with dressing balls or crumble-topped pumpkin pie.

She was generous enough to share this photograph and recipe with me for Whipped. Her most recent batch of her Orange Coffee Cake was made to bring to the hospital to welcome her newest granddaughter. Thank you Kathy for the years of treats past and the years of treats to come!

Kathy’s Orange Coffee Cake

1 package yeast
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup warm water
½ cup melted butter – Divided
1 cup sugar
2 ¾ – 3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup toasted coconut
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons orange rind (From fresh orange or dried)

Toast coconut by baking it at 350º for 7-10 minutes. Keep a close eye on it, it can burn quickly.
Combine yeast and water, set aside. Blend ¼ C. sugar, salt, eggs, sour cream and 6 TBS melted butter. Add yeast mixture. Add flour (I use 2 ¾ C) to form stiff dough. Dough will be sticky. Let rise in greased covered bowl in a warm place for at least 2 hours.

Combine ¾ C. sugar, ¾ C. coconut and orange rind and set aside. Roll our half of the dough on a floured board into a 12” circle. Brush with 1 TBS melted butter. Sprinkle with half of the sugar/coconut mixture. Cut into 12 wedges. Roll, starting with wide end, rolling to point. Place rolls, point side down, in ½ of a greased 9”x13” pan. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover and let rise till size doubles, at least 1 hour. Bake at 350º for 25-30 minutes. (Bake 20 minutes in convection oven.) Cover with glaze and remaining coconut while still warm, but not hot.

For the Glaze

In saucepan combine:
¼ cup butter
½ cup sour cream
2 Tablespoon orange juice (You can use juice from the fresh orange you bought.)
¾ cup sugar

Boil for 3 minutes.

taken by : http://whippedtheblog.com/2009/03/04/kathys-orange-coconut-coffee-cake/