Painter's Splash Oreos

I just love how my assistant creativity came out on these oreos.  We call them Painter's Splash Oreo's. 

It cannot get no better than this White and Milk Chocolate all on one oreo.  Srumptious I must say!

Vintage Barbie Party

This past weekend I had the pleasure of doing desserts for a wonderful friend daughter Barbie party. Tamiya turned seven and adores Barbie.

Here are my wonderful creations.  Hope you enjoy!

Croissants

The Daring Bakers go retro this month! Thanks to one of our very talented non-blogging members, Sarah, the Daring Bakers were challenged to make Croissants using a recipe from the Queen of French Cooking, none other than Julia Child!

This was my first time making croissants from scratch and it is a long process and tedious process.  But I must say I enjoyed it of course because it involves baking.  At first I thought these would not come out well, but oh boy these taste scrumptious and so soft inside.  I will definately be making them again.  No more buying croissants from the bakery. 

What do you think of my croissants?

Checking Out The Competition

At the food courtyard where I work, a cupcake shop just opened up about a month ago.  I rather not say the name of the business.  When I first heard about the shop I felt uneasy because everyone who bakes always dreams about their own store front.  But the feeling passed.  I heard co-workers indicate that their cupcake is not as good as mine.  I felt they were just being nice to me.  But I decided to go against my standards and purchase a cupcake. 

First off the ladies were very nice.  Inside was clean, pleasant, and not too much going on.  This store is not a production-based location where they bake the cupcakes on-site.  My issue is since you do not bake cupcakes on-site you need to make sure you have enough cupcakes on display. Unfortunately they did not.   Maybe they had a lot of purchases in and that’s why. But I always feel you should not have just two cupcakes of a flavor in your display and showing empty circle slots where the cupcakes are to be displayed.  But then again, that’s just my opinion. 

Second when I bake and package my cupcakes when I open the container I can smell that cupcake aroma.  I did not get that smell.  Even when they package my cupcake and I open I could not tell if I have a chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry cupcake.  Hmmm!

Third, the cupcakes are $2.95 each not including tax.  Now $2.95 for a cupcake and it have no fondant or some off the chain sugar work?  But they are located in downtown, and as a baker I know your quality ingredients can be expensive.  On the other hand, I feel they are throwing away money because they do not have single serve cupcake boxes or the clamshell containers for those who want one cupcake.  The package is cool but it is a 2 cavity brown box.

Now how did it taste?  I ordered a hummingbird cupcake.  It was moist, tasted like a muffin but the cream cheese was way too sweet for my liking. It was not like OMG this is so good! It was ok!

So I stepped out my box and tasted another competitor cupcake.  Did I waste my $2.95 for the cupcake?  Hell yeah! Because I know I could do ten times better.  I am just kidding.  I am not some master pastry chef, or cupcake connoisseur (not too far from it, thoughJ), I just giving my two cents by checking out the competition.

Guess Who?

My friend wanted cupcakes for her son birthday class party who turns two years old today.  Her son name is Picard Washington. She picked the name Picard from Star Trek series – Captain Jean-Luc Picard played by Patrick Stewart.  Yeah she and her husband are Star Trek fans.  I think that is so totally cool.

She wanted Elmo cupcakes but no fondant.  So I had to be creative.  I used Smitten Kitchen Birthday Cake recipe.  It is really good and made a whipped buttercream frosting colored red.

For the design on the cupcake I used star tip #32. I had some edible eyes but I wanted to use marshmallows but I refused to go back to the store, so I think they came out perfect.  They might be smaller than the real Elmo eyes, but kids don’t care about that.   

Now due to my laziness for not going to the store I had to improvise on the nose and mouth.  I remember buying some Jelly beans on Saturday to keep my daughter quiet while we went shopping at Target.  But that did not work because she did not like them at all.  I should have picked up the M&M’s.  But lesson learned.

So I went digging for 12 orange jelly beans. Yes, I score!  Now for the mouth I could of colored icing black.  But black icing doesn’t taste too great.  I went through my pantry for candy and yes I have Oreo’s. I always have Oreos in stock since I make chocolate covered Oreos with edible cocoa designs.

What you think of Elmo?  I think he is too darn cute.  Happy Birthday Picard!

Tequila Sunrise & Strawberry Daiquiri Cupcakes

It’s Tipsy Friday at Never Dessert You.   On Tipsy Friday’s you will be delighted with an alcohol infused dessert.  It’s the end of the week and you are looking forward to the weekend but you need a cocktail for that long week.  Well today you can get rid of that guilty pleasure you desire and have your cocktail and a sweet treat all in one. 

So why not start your Friday off with Tequila Sunrise Cupcakes.   What you say it’s too early for some tequila.  Of course not, I know you want your Friday to start off right.

These cupcakes have a powerful taste and don’t they remind you of a good ol' tequila sunrise.  This is a regular moist vanilla cake with orange zest, infused with orange juice a ½ cup of tequila (not a lot right) and divided with red and orange batter.  The glaze is incorporated with lime juice and tequila with some powdered sugar and little lime zest for decoration.

Rise and shine it’s a beautiful morning for some moist Tequila Sunrise Cupcakes.

But wait there is one more.  You can’t just have one drink.  You should not mix up your drinks buts its cupcakes so why not.

Even though strawberry season is over, I still think you can’t ever go wrong  with some Strawberry Daiquiri Cupcakes.

For these cupcakes I heated up some fresh strawberries, dark rum and sugar until the liquid is absorbed into a strawberry mixture and mixed it into the batter.  The frosting is a whipped cream.  Then I made a strawberry rum syrup glaze to pour over the frosting.

Cheers!

Courvoisier & Coke Cupcakes

It’s the end of the week and a nice long weekend for me since the Labor Day holiday is coming up. Since Labor Day is right around the corner what better way to kick off your weekend than a nice alcoholic drink.  I know I will be partying this weekend so let’s get the party started.  There is no good party that doesn’t have alcohol.   But instead let’s have that alcohol in a cupcake.  Oh yeah. 

I present to you Courvoisier and Coke Cupcakes.  This is a chocolate cake infused with coke and cognac and a whipped frosting with cognac.

Happy Labor Day everyone and be safe!

Cherry Rose Frill Cake

Over at Miso Bakes the challenge for August was to make a 6 or 8-inch cake iced with white or off white buttercream decorated with green piping using the Ateco / Wilton #352 or #68 leaf tip. But it cannot be leaves, and a repeating pattern.  I baked a Cherry Cake and frosted with #352 tip. 

What do you guys think of my masterpiece?

Chocolate Peanut Pie for Mikey

Two Weeks ago, a fellow food blogger unexpectedly lost her husband.  I was not familiar with Jennifer Perrillo blogger of In Jennies Kitchen. before then, but as the news traveled, I found myself watching this video.  It brought tears, warmth, and loves to see a father and his daughter.

Jennifer husband Mikey died of a heart attack.  I could not imagine what Jennie is going through at this time.  My prayers go out to her family.

The food blogging community has showed love and has honored Jennifer wish of making a peanut butter pie for Mikey. 

To keep the food blog keep going I decided to contribute and make a pie also.  Even though its’ two weeks late, I think its better late than never to honor her wish.

After the pie has been baked and cooled I took a moment of silence before I covered it with marshmallow frosting and chocolate shavings.

So here it is.  Chocolate peanut pie for Mikey.

Mini Baileys Strawberry Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Today sweet treat contains alcohol, strawberries, cream cheese, and chocolate. A friend of mines asked is it even legal to combine all those flavors. Hell yeah. I had this craving for something sweet, a little kick to it, and some cheesecake. As you know I not a die hard fan of chocolate, but these flavors made me changed mine. David Lebovitz has these too die for cheesecake swirl brownies. The only thing I changed to his recipe is add ¼ cup of Baileys and strawberries and ooh la la.

Cheesecake Brownies
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (80g) chocolate chips
1/4 cup Baileys Irish cream


8 ounces (200g) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
5 tablespoons (75g) sugar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract


1/2 cup strawberries
2 tablespoons sugar


Directions
1. Line a 9-inch (23cm) or 8-inch (20cm) square pan with foil, making sure it goes up all four sides. Use two sheets if necessary. Mist with non-stick spray or grease lightly. For those of you, who like higher brownies, use an 8-inch pan.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180C).
3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and beat in the 2/3 cup (130g) sugar, then the eggs.
4. Mix in the flour, cocoa powder and salt, then the vanilla and chocolate chips. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.
5. In a separate bowl, beat together the cream cheese, the yolk, 5 tablespoons of sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
6. Puree your strawberries and sugar in a blender or food processor.
7. Distribute the cream cheese mixture in eight dollops across the top of the brownie mixture, add the same amounts of dollops on the brownie mixture then take a spatula and swirl the cream cheese mixture with the chocolate batter.
8. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the batter in the center of the pan feels just set.
Let cool, then lift out the foil and peel it away. Cut the brownies into squares.
Storage: These will keep in an airtight container for a couple of days. They also freeze well, too.


Slightly adapted from David Lebovitz Ready for Dessert

S'mores Cheesecake Cupcakes

This post was supposed to be for yesterday for National S'mores Day. But hey it’s better late than never when it come to a sweet treat. I originally wanted to do a Smore’s cupcake recipe that has been floated over the web from Trophy Cupcakes. But instead I felt in the mood for cheesecake. So I did a Smore’s Cheesecake cupcakes with a marshmallow frosting.

I am not a die hard fan of chocolate so I was skeptical if it even tasted good. I was so hard on myself I did not even get to use my torch that I have bee dying to use. But apparently it did taste great. I brought a batch to work 9:00 am and put them ins the café at 9:02 am when I got up to my desk to get a cup of tea not one of the dozen was left. Everyone loved it. Now I feel so much better that I have not lost my baking mojo. When you get a chance make a batch, hope you liked as much as my co-workers.


S’mores Cheesecake Cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the crust:
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
3 tbsp. sugar
For the cheesecake:
4 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup sour cream
½ cup marshmallow cream
2 tsp. cocoa powder
¾ tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
For the frosting:
8 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
½ tsp. cream of tartar
2 tsp. vanilla extract


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. In a small mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter; mix well with a fork. Drop about 1 tablespoon of the graham cracker mixture in the bottom of each cupcake liner and press down to line the bottom. (Note: I found the bottom of my squeeze bottle to be the perfect size to do this job neatly and quickly.) Sprinkle a small amount of the chopped chocolate on top of the graham cracker crusts. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, and maintain the oven temperature.

To make the filling, place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Heat until melted and smooth, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, sour cream and marshmallow cream. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and well combined, 1-2 minutes. Blend in the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and eggs until incorporated. Stir in the melted chocolate until well blended. Pour the filling over the graham cracker crust and smooth the top with a spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ of the way full. Return the pans to the oven and bake about 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, combine the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in the top of a double boiler. Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it reaches 160° F with an instant-read thermometer. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk starting at low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form. Mix in the vanilla until combined. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired. Brown with a kitchen torch and garnish with chocolate and graham cracker segments (optional).

Source: adapted from http://annies-eats.net/2010/06/11/smores-cheesecake-bars/

Pink Ruffle Cake

Hi everyone. Over at Miso Bakes for the July challenge you had to design a 6 inch or 10 inch cake with a Wilton Tip #104. When I thought about the challenge I thought about Martha Stewart Ruffle Cake. So I put myself to the challenge and did a ruffle cake. The cake is a six inch three tier coconut cream cake with a Swiss Meringue buttercream.

Hope you like!

When you get a chance check out the other submissions at Miso Bakes. Some beautiful work presented!

Strawberry Fraisier Cake with Mango Glaze

Jana of Cherry Tea Cakes was our July Daring Bakers’ host and she challenges us to make Fresh Frasier’s inspired by recipes written by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson in the beautiful cookbook Tartine.

This is my first challenge at Daring Bakers. The challenge is to make a cake with exposed fruits, edible flowers, etc. around the sides of the center layer. All the components (cake, Bavarian cream, syrup, and glaze) were all made from scratch by myself.

This is the first time I ever made a frasier cake. I must say it was an experience but because I had to bake and come up with creativity this was so much fun for me. I am my worst critic so next time, oh yes I will be making this again, I will make some changes to the presentation.

I decided to do an orange sponge cake, layered with strawberries, infused with a Bavarian cream and finished with a mango glaze.

It tastes great. I feel like I am back home in the islands again with the different tropical flavors in this cake.

I hope you like!

White Vanilla Cupcakes

My inspiration for my cupcakes is the color white.

I believe white is a classy and sexy look. Now I still feel black is hot but white just looks peaceful and sweet. If I did not have kids my whole house would be in white. When I look at design magazines and see a white room I just dream that is my house. White in fashion is also hot. Now I know why LisaRaye McCoy loves white. This woman can wear a white outfit and look hot. When I was younger before I got kids, I wore a lot of white, my fiancé aunt use to tease me saying you trying to convince my nephew to marry you in all this white. But I did not care I felt sexy in white.

But this weekend all I could think about is some vanilla cupcakes. I just wanted some plain sweet and moist cupcakes. But I did not want a normal cupcake with no fancy swirl frosting. It has to be upscale, something that you would love to see at a wedding.

So I got out my fondant, and embossed some fondant. These are the creations I made. I think they are hot and sweet of course. Now tell me would you not love to see these at your wedding?

Butterbeer Whoopie Pies

Hi everyone. Today is Whoopie Friday. I know I have been deserting you guys for a while but Never Dessert you is back on track. Today Whoopie Friday is for the Harry Potter series movie that premiers today. I am not a Harry Potter fan but I will bake anything just for an occasion. Over the past few days the sweet tea is butterbeer. If you was like me at first I was like I am not sure about this. But I never had a butterbeer so I can’t judge. I saw a lot of recipes like butterbeer cakepops from Amybites and Butterbeer cookies from Bake at 350. So I said why not try a whoopie pie. First of I never made a whoopie pie, and never had a whoopie pie. But the idea came to me when I went into Starbuck and saw their mini sweets selection. So I thought to myself hell yeah I am going to make some whoopie pies. And they came out GREAT. Next time I would add a marshmallow creme to give it that puff look.

For those die hard Harry Potter fans, these are the perfect treats for you. It’s has the perfect butter flavoring, and a sweet butterscotch filling.

Butterbeer Whoopie Pies

Makes 24

For the Pies:
2 1/4 cups all- purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon butter flavoring
1/2 cup buttermilk at room temperature
1/2 cup cream soda

Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat baking liner.

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

2. Place your butter in the bowl of your stand mixer with a paddle attachment and cream light and fluffy. Add your sugars and beat until well-combined about 4-5 minutes.

3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then mix in your vanilla and butter flavoring.

4. Starting with the flour mixture, alternate with the buttermilk and cream soda, adding mixtures to the batter in three additions. Mix well until all are well incorporated.

5. Place batter in pastry bag fitted with a round tip and pipe onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. To flatten the peaks you can wet your fingertips and just firmly hit the tip or use the back of a spoon. Bake (one sheet at a time) for about 10 minutes, or until the cookies spring back when gently pressed.

6. Let cookies cool for about 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool.


For the pastry cream:
1 package butterscotch chips
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon butter flavoring
pinch of salt teaspoon salt
4 cups confectioner’s sugar
Splash of cream (as needed)

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Combine butterscotch chips and heavy cream in a double boiler (heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water on the stove), and stir until combined and smooth. Set aside and cool to room temperature.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in 1/3 cup of the butterscotch mixture, vanilla, butter flavoring until well combined. Add in confectioner’s sugar ½ cups at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl in between additions. Add in cream as needed to reach your desired consistency. With mixer on medium speed, beat for another minute or so, until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.

3. Transfer the filling to a piping bag and pipe a small amount on the flat side of one cookie for each pair. Sandwich the cookies together, and press the filling to the edges.

Recipe slightly adapted from Amibites.

Ice Cream Liquor Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

I am so excited to share with you all my first competition entry for the Ice cream Cupcake Contest. Cupcake Project and Scoopalicious is hosting their annual Ice Cream Cupcake Contest. The competition requirement is the ice cream cupcakes must contain cake and ice cream (or frozen yogurt, gelato, or something ice cream-like).

This was harder than I expected because coming up with a recipe to incorporate ice cream was not an easy task. I know I wanted a cocktail cupcake but could not figure what flavor would go best with ice cream.

While shopping at Publix I went down the frozen aisle and saw the Mayfield’s Vanilla Bean Ice cream. At that instance I knew the perfect cupcake.
This cupcake is a chocolate chip cupcake with cream liquor, layered with vanilla bean ice cream, and frosted with a whipped buttercream cream liquor frosting.
This ice cream cupcake is definitely a keeper. Perfect for the summer time to cool down and relax with a cocktail flavor.


Chocolate Chip- Cream Cupcakes w/ Liquor Buttercream
Yield: 24 cupcakes
Prep Time: 45 min
Cook Time: 20 min

Ingredients:
CUPCAKES:
3/4 cup miniature chocolate chips
1/2 Tablespoon cake flour
2 3/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
10 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup Cruzan Cream Liquor (Bailey's can be used)

BUTTERCREAM:
1 cup butters (2 sticks), at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
4 Tablespoons Cream Liquor (Cruzan Cream or Baileys)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake tins with 24 cupcake liners.
2. In a small bowl, toss together chocolate chips and 1/2 Tablespoon flour.
3. Sift together dry ingredients- flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
4. In a large bowl, use electric mixer to combine cream cheese and butter. Add sugars and vanilla; beat until blended. Add eggs and beat until incorporated. With mixer on low, add flour mixture and liqueur alternately to the wet mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Gently stir in chocolate chips.
5. Spoon batter into cupcake liners, filling them almost to the top (they shouldn't raise much. Bake cupcakes 18 to 22 minutes, or until centers of cupcakes are set.
6. To make buttercream: Place all ingredients in an electric mixer bowl. It’s best to chill the bowl to help whip with volume. I include ½ cup of heavy cream for a whip effect. Blend together until smooth and creamy.

Assemble cupcakes:

Remove the ice cream from the freeze and lit it defrosts for a while. Remove the cupcake from the wrapper and cut the cupcake horizontally. Spoon a semi-melted ice cream on the bottom half of the cupcake and put the top on the ice cream half. Place cupcake back in freezer for thirty minutes.

Make frosting a pipe with a large start tip onto the ice cream cupcake and drizzle with Hershey's syrup.

I took it a step farther and created a dessert cup. I melted dark, milk, and white chocolate and poured them in a bowl. Taking a toothpick I made a swirl in the chocolates to get a marble effect. I took it old school and blew a balloon up and dipped it in the marble chocolate rotating left and right. Place the balloon on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and freeze for thirty minutes.
Store in the freezer.

Cupcake & Buttercream Source: (Adapted from Recipe Girl).

AppleTini Cupcakes - Time To Get Wasted

Today is my dear friend Mrs. Rochelle Washington birthday. Rochelle is such a sweet dear friend. Mrs. Washington and I work at the same company HDR. Rochelle is our company receptionist. But she is not any normal receptionist she basically is holding the company down. And that voice of hers she sounds like need to have her own radio station. I can’t describe in words, but do call HDR Atlanta office just to say hi and you will know what I mean. Mrs. Washington is also a crafty person. She is the star behind RosignedIt that specializes in handmade cards. Check out her blog Two Tears In My Bucket for some wonderful masterpieces. Father Day is right around the corner and it’s not too late to place an order with her.

So I knew she like red velvet, cheesecake, and chocolate. But she already tasted my recipes before and I wanted to impress her for birthday. Now today she turn 29 years old hope she don’t mind telling her age, and she keep saying for her birthday she want to get wasted. Keep in mind a Smirnoff to her will get her drunk. This woman can’t handle any liquor even if it is 5%. When I heard her say she want to get wasted I laughed because the movie Grownups came to my mind when the little girl said I want to get chocolate wasted.

Now back to the cupcake. She loves Apple Martini. I think that’s the only drink she orders. I tease her so much because I think its pure juice, well the ones I had. So I knew one of my favorite blogs Bakers Royale has an AppleTini recipe and felt this would be perfect for her. Now keep in my mind I did not follow the directions for the Apple Tini recipe. I used everything for that recipe but I did not measure the vodka or the Schnapps I just poured. Hey she wanted to get wasted.

I brought the cupcakes to work today for her. She only had TWO and she is totally wasted. She trying her best to look sane but her eyes she is so out of it. She better not mess up answering the phones.

Here is the Juices and Berries (Her Favorite quote) go check out Bakers Royale page to make these Awesome Totally Wasted AppleTini Cupcakes.

I'm linking up with these parties.......please visit them!

Made by You Monday Mingle Monday, Tip Me Tuesday - Tip Junkie

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

This weekend I was in a cake mood. I wanted a cake that melts in my mouth and make me feel sweet and mellow. My daughters keep saying chocolate cake please. But I am not a chocolate fan, and hey this is my treat. I keep going back and forth in my head deciding on what type of cake I want. And then my dear ex-coworker friend came to my mind. She made this delicious cream cheese pound cake for a thanksgiving potluck and from since I had been begging her to do one for me. She keeps teasing me and says I promise I will make you one. Well she left the company I work at and I never got my cake. What a bummer huh. I said to myself you know what I am going to make this cake myself. Hey teach that Ms. Lisa lesson. So I got up and got to work.

Oh boy this cake is so moist, sweet, and damn it’s good.

My daughters was not too happy about it because they wanted chocolate cake. So what? Mommy want her cake and eat it too. My youngest daughter (two years old) is so in love with strawberries. Everyday mommy can I have a strawberry please. So in my household strawberries are a must in the refrigerator. So I handed my youngest daughter her strawberry butwhen I stepped back in the kitchen I found a strawberry in the center of my cake. Now imagine this lovely cake on its platter and then half of a strawberry in the middle of YOUR cake. I was heated. Now my oldest came into the kitchen and said mommy you should make a strawberry glaze and throw it over the cake. Brilliant idea. Wow my kids got taste just like mommy. Mommy is happy again!

I was skeptical about throwing it over the whole cake and then it get too wet and take away that smooth feeling. I let my daughters decorate outside the cake with strawberries and I made a glaze and only cut a slice of my handmade beauty and did a drizzle on the plate.

I must say it was good. So I dipped my cake in the drizzle and boy did I feel good.

You should try it too. It is a perfect pound cake. Trust me its good!
CREAM CHEESE POUND CAKE
INGREDIENTS
2 cups unbleached or bleached all-purpose flour; spoon into measuring cup and level to rim
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter; can be cold from the refrigerator
One 8-ounce package cream cheese; I prefer Philadelphia Brand
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

6 large eggs; can be cold from the refrigerator

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 12-cup tube or Bundt pan.


2. In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until softened and add the sugar at the side of the bowl. Beat until light and fluffy on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
Add in the cream cheese and beat until light and fluffy about 3 minutes more.

NOTE - Cream cheese should not be creamed in with the butter and sugar, for a long time, causing it to be over mixed, because it breaks down the gums in it.
This causes a much runnier batter and the loss of air bubbles. The cake will not has as fine a texture as a result.

Make sure you stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl often with a large rubber spatula.

4. With the mixer on low, beat in the vanilla, and then, four eggs, one at a time, beating for 20 seconds after each addition or until well incorporated and the batter is smooth.

5. With the mixer on low, beat in one-third of the flour mixture, and when absorbed, add in the fifth egg, and beat until smooth. Repeat with one-third of the flour and the sixth egg. Beat in the last one-third of the flour and mix until absorbed.

6. Stop the mixer and give the batter one or two turns with a large rubber spatula. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

7. Bake for 65 to 75 minutes or until the cake is browned, cracked on top, and a long thin wooden skewer inserted in the middle emerges with a few moist crumbs attached but not batter.
When using two 9 x 2-inch pans, bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

Cool the cake in the pan for about 10 minutes on a wire cake rack, and then unmold. Turn upright to cool completely.

Strawberry Coulis (Adapted Smitten Kitchen)
2 cups quartered hulled strawberries (about 12 ounces)
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Combine strawberries, water, and sugar and lemon juice in blender. Purée until very smooth, then press through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Cover and refrigerate until cold.

I am linking up at Add A pinch Mingle Monday

Mother's Day Cake Pop's & Cake Balls

It's been a busy week since Mothers Day is just around the corner. Most of the orders I got are cake pops.

Of course everyone loves a cake pop. Despite the numerous chocolate that is all over my kitchen right now (anyone want to help clean up?) I had fun creating my masterpieces.

So what are your plans for Mother's Day? Anyone having a cake pop, while watching your favorite show? Well I will be getting a pedicure and watching my kids and fiancé clean up. For all the Mom's have a happy and safe Mother's Day!