Category Archives: Yummies

The Cake is Not a Lie

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Somehow, this blog always come back to food! At least this time I have a legitimate excuse: my hubby’s birthday! I really wanted to do something special and make him a cool cake. It gave me the perfect opportunity to try out this recipe for homemade fondant from marshmallows!

I have never used fondant or made fondant or really made any design cake, so what possessed me to try all three for the first time during the busiest work weekend of the year is beyond me. And here is the design I chose:

The Storage Cube from Portal 2

The Storage Cube from Portal 2

Crazy, right? This is from one of the hubby’s favorite video games: Portal 2. Of course, I planned to simplify the design and just go for a straight up cube, but still — way too ambitious! Needless to say, I have learned a TON.

Making the fondant actually turned out to be the easiest part. Simple recipe, just three ingredients: marshmallows, powdered sugar, and food coloring.

You get the marshmallows moist, pop them in the microwave for 10 second intervals until they are melted, and then add your dye of choice. Stir together with a greased spoon. I used the spoon to mix in the majority of the powdered sugar and finished incorporating with my hands.

Still in the sticky phase!

Still in the sticky phase!

This is a messy, sticky endeavor, but it was fun. And let me tell you, I got a great upper body workout kneading and folding that fondant! I made four colors for the cake: white, gray, blue, and also a small portion of pink. You see, for Portal fans, the Companion Cube is really popular.

Companion Cube

Companion Cube from Portal and Portal 2

But, I really didn’t want to make him a giant pink cake, so I took some liberties with the designs and combined the two cubes. It also saved me from having to replicate the Aperture symbol!

To make this cake, I used 8-inch square pans and two boxed cake mixes: red velvet and confetti, two of the hub’s favorites.

I dyed the confetti cake blue ... or tried to!

I dyed the confetti cake blue … or tried to.

I like to bake from scratch normally, but with all the decorating I had to do and my tight schedule, I went for boxed cake mixes. This was a great chance to try out some boxed cake mix hacks I had read about, and they really helped! I used milk instead of water, melted butter instead of vegetable oil, added one extra egg, and rounded off the butter by a few tablespoons. The cake turned out dense and moist and delicious!

Lesson #1 — Stacking requires the cakes to be level. I had to MacGyver up a solution of hiding caramel squares in the corners under lots of frosting to stop my cake from leaning and sagging because I just stacked them as they were without trimming.

Lesson #2 — Make the fondant the day you make the cake because it is tricky to store and a pain to re-hydrate after it has been stored. When I got ready to use the fondant a few days after I had made it, I basically had to spend 10 minutes on each batch, microwaving for 2-3 second intervals and kneading it back to the original consistency.

Once that was finished, I got my work area prepared:

Parchment paper and cornstarch puff.

Parchment paper and cornstarch puff.

The cornstarch puff is AMAZING. It makes the fondant easier to work with and smooth, and it prevents the fondant from sticking to the rolling pin or board.

Lesson #3 — Having the right utensils is key. All of my knives are serated, and that just doesn’t work well with cutting smooth lines in fondant. It also would have made my life easier to have more cookie cutters in different shapes to help in my design.

So much easier than freehand cutting!

So much easier than freehand cutting!

I did make myself little paper stencils for the many components of the cake design. Even still, it took about four hours to roll out the fondant and cut all 75 pieces.

Each side of the cube had 14 pieces.

Each side of the cube had 14 pieces.

Lesson #4 — Don’t stack fondant when you store it.

After I had slaved over my fondant, I put it up for the night, thinking it was okay to stack them because they seemed dry enough and were dusted with cornstarch. My fatal mistake — forgetting I live in the South. Darn humidity! I had to scrap pretty much all of my white pieces of fondant because they got stuck together. 😦 And many of the thin gray pieces became so brittle that they cracked as I handled them.

If I had planned a little better, I would have had time to roll out more, but sadly I did not. The pieces that did survive looked good, though!

Not bad for my first time writing with icing!

Not bad for my first time writing with icing!

After I iced the cake, it was time to place the fondant!

My Companion/Storage Cube from Portal.

My Companion/Storage Cube from Portal.

I never know when to stop, so I ended up adding black icing to the edges. In hindsight, I think it looks better and more like the Portal cubes without, but it was a good exercise in icing.

Straight lines are hard.

Straight lines are hard.

This cake was a trial, for sure, but I learned SO MUCH, and bottom line — Bryan loved it! 🙂

Happy Birthday, baby!

Happy Birthday, baby!

Chocolate and Salted Caramel Mug Cake

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Back from my burnout! And it’s time to resume my 7-Day Microwave Mug Challenge! I am putting off Meatloaf in a Cup, once again. Let’s have dessert: Chocolate and Salted Caramel Mug Cake!

I have high hopes that the salted caramel aspect will set this mug cake apart. To be honest, the Brownie in a Mug and Nutella Mug Cake ended up tasting pretty similar. Delicious — but similar.

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg – beaten
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 salted caramels

1) In a small bowl, beat the egg. Add the milk and vegetable oil. Whisk until combined.

2) In a regular sized mug, combine the  flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt.

3) Pour the wet ingredients into the mug. Stir until smooth.

4) Drop the caramels into center of the mug, one at a time. I didn’t have salted caramels, just plain old Kraft caramels, so I simply sprinkled a pinch of sea salt on top of the caramels as I added them.

3) Microwave on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds.

Here is the original from The Family Kitchen at Babble.com.

TheFamilyKitchen

TheFamilyKitchen

And, here is how mine turned out:

ShinyHappyPeebles

ShinyHappyPeebles

Salted Caramel Chocolate Mug Cake

Chocolate and Salted Caramel Mug Cake

The best part is the caramel. I would actually recommend adding 3 caramels to the mix.

Unfortunately, this recipe did not stand out as I had hoped. It was good, but not different enough. I must admit I am bored with mug cakes for now. Oh, well. It’s probably for the best. I’m going through flour and cocoa powder much too quickly!

Caramel Apple Chunk Cake

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Some recipes carry memories better than others. From the taste and smell to all the little steps and directions, this Caramel Apple Chunk Cake recipe reminds me of time spent in the kitchen with my mother — and learning how to make caramel roses.

As I scooted around in my own kitchen this Easter, listening to music and hoping my cake would turn out, I could see the story of this recipe making another loop. This time, it was just me cutting the apples and sifting the flour. I worked alone but confidently through the directions, with no second guessing or uncertainty.

Even so, as I softened the caramels and rolled them out into petals I could see my mother’s hands, beautiful and strong, showing me how to do it that very first time. I felt connected to her and grateful that she had taken the time to make those memories with me, because the most wonderful gift you can give to your children is your time.

I will always have that day and carry that piece of her with me. And it makes my heart so happy to think that in 10 years or so the story will come full circle, and I will be teaching my own daughter (or son) how to make caramel roses.

IMG_0726

ShinyHappyPeebles

Caramel Apple Chunk Cake

Let me begin by saying that this is a decadent and rich cake — a destroyer of diets! However, in my own curvy opinion, it doesn’t hurt to indulge in some homemade goodness once in a while. 🙂

Ingredients:

  • 2 and ½ cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 and ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 tablespoons orange juice
  • 3 tart apples
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup whipping cream

1) Preheat oven to 350º and make sure the rack is in the center of the oven.

2) Peel and cut the apples into ½ inch chunks. You should get about 3 and ½ cups of apples.

3) Generously grease a 12 cup sponge cake pan. Coat with flour, tapping out any excess. I like to use a Bundt pan that I inherited from my grandmother. I love the shape and the weight of it!

IMG_0735

Just think of all the cakes this baby has seen!

4) In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.

5) In a separate large bowl, combine the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until thick and smooth — about 3 minutes.

6) Add orange juice to the large bowl, followed by the sifted dry ingredients. Mix completely.

7) Toss the apples and chopped pecans in 1 tablespoon of flour, then add into the batter.

The batter will be very thick.

The batter will be very thick.

8) Transfer the cake batter to your pan and smooth out the top. Cook about 1 hour. Let cool 5 minutes before glazing.

9) To make the glaze, mix the butter, brown sugar, and whipping cream in a small saucepan and bring to a boil – about three minutes. This is honestly the best part of the whole, darn cake!

You could put this stuff on Wonderbread and it would taste like heaven!

You could put this on cardboard and it would taste like heaven!

10) Drizzle the glaze onto cake after it cools, reapplying as it drips down. Best served warm!

Caramel Apple Chunk Cake

Caramel Apple Chunk Cake

The caramel roses are just a garnish, so if you don’t have the time or the patience, the cake will still taste fabulous without them!

Caramel Roses:

I use the individually wrapped Kraft Caramels, the same kind I use to make Caramel Apples at Halloween.

1) Unwrap one caramel and knead it between your fingers and palms until it gets soft. Roll the softened caramel into a small ball.

2) Coat the ball lightly in granulated sugar and use a rolling pin to shape it into a petal. Press the petal in the sugar and set aside. It usually takes 4-5 caramels to make enough petals to create a rose.

3) Jelly roll one petal into a spiral to create the center of your rose. Wrap the other petals around the center, pinching at the bottom to secure them. Adjust and open the petals as needed.

4) Use a knife to cut off the excess at the bottom and create a flat surface for placing the flowers on and/or around the cake.

5) Chill them before adding to the cake — and make sure to add them at the last minute or they will literally wilt!

Caramel Roses

Caramel Roses

Birds’ Nests

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Happy Easter! To celebrate, here’s another Pinterest Challenge I’ve been saving: Birds’ Nests. Check out the original recipe by The Curvy Carrot here. Her version makes 12 servings, so I just doubled the recipe since I have several family functions to attend!

Ingredients:

  • 6 ounces (1/2 bag) of semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 6 ounces (1/2 bag) of butterscotch chips
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 6 ounces (1/2 of a large bag) of chow mein noodles
  • 36 mini Cadbury eggs

1) Grease the wells of a muffin pan with butter or shortening.

2) In a large pot, melt the peanut butter and the chocolate and butterscotch chips. The original recipe says to microwave, but I’m always wary of burning chocolate. Stir on low heat until smooth and completely combined.

It's like the opening scene to Willy Wonka!

It’s like the opening scene to Willy Wonka!

3) Add the chow mein noodles, stirring carefully until completely coated.

4) Using a large spoon, fill the wells of your muffin tin, indenting the tops slightly with the back of the spoon. Press in three cadbury eggs on each nest. The original recipe says to add the eggs at the very end once the nests are chilled, but I prefer them to be slightly secured to the chocolate coating.

5) Chill the nests for 1 hour, or until hardened.

Relatively easy instructions, but I will say this is definitely a messy recipe — though I didn’t really mind having to lick chocolate or peanut butter off my fingers!

TheCurvyCarrot's Birds' Nests

TheCurvyCarrot’s Birds’ Nests

After tasting them, I think these are more appropriately catergorized as a candy versus a cookie.

ShinyHappyPeebles's Birds' Nests

ShinyHappyPeebles’s Birds’ Nests

ShinyHappyPeebles' Birds' Nests

ShinyHappyPeebles’ Birds’ Nests

Now, halfway through making these I realized I only have one muffin tin … so the last half of the batch looks more like nests for baby pterodactyls.

It's the Easter pterodactyl!

It’s the Easter pterodactyl!

It's the Easter Pterodactyl!

Actually, these look even more like real nests.

Pinterest WIN on this one, for sure! I think this is the closest I’ve come to making something that actually looks like the beautiful picture with the original recipe. An Easter miracle, indeed!

Nutella Mug Cake

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It is Day 5 of my 7-Day Microwave Mug Challenge. And today, I have a major sweet tooth. So, I skipped ahead to Nutella Mug Cake!

Sorry, meatloaf. Maybe you’ll get made on Sunday.

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons self-rising flour
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tablespoons Nutella

1) Combine all ingredients in a LARGE mug. Mix the dry ingredients first and add the Nutella last.

I used my ginormous cat lady mug, which is usually reserved for ramen noodles.

Giant Cat Mug

Giant Cat Mug

I also ran out of Nutella (imagine that) and had to substitute 1 tablespoon of creamy peanut butter.

2) Whisk ingredients with a fork until smooth. Microwave on high for 2 minutes.

3) Top with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, etc. I pulled out my fat-kid card and threw some mini-marshmallows on top during the last 30 seconds of microwaving.

You should definitely check out this blog: livelovepasta. They use normal-sized mugs there.

livelovepasta

livelovepasta

My marshmallows may have been a little white-trash compared to homemade whipped cream, but it was still delicious! Some vanilla ice cream would have been lovely, too.

ShinyHappyPeebles

ShinyHappyPeebles

However, this is definitely a two-person dessert. Or, a very unhealthy lunch for someone with a major sweet tooth. 🙂

Mug o’ Mac & Cheese

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It is Day 4 of my 7-Day Microwave Mug Challenge. I am so glad today’s recipe was simple, because I had zero time to spare!

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup pasta
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup 1% milk
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1) Add pasta and water to a large mug. Even in a large mug, a little water is going to boil over. Microwave on high for two minutes, then stir. Repeat at two minute intervals until water is completely absorbed.

2) Add milk and cheese to cooked pasta. Microwave for another minute. Stir until the pasta is coated in cheesy goodness! Add salt and pepper to taste.

How easy is that? Actually, the microwaving and stirring is a teensy bit tedious.

But look — a normal-sized mug!

TheNapTimeChief at babble.com

TheNapTimeChief at babble.com

I just used regular, shredded cheddar cheese as the recipe directed, but you could really play around using different cheeses. You could also throw in some bits of ham or sausage!

ShinyHappyPeebles

ShinyHappyPeebles

Convenience-wise, I don’t think making this in a mug really works. Next time, I’ll probably just toss these same ingredients in a small saucepan. Still, it’s a great comfort food to keep in your pocket for rainy, lazy days. And either way, this is certainly healthier than neon orange powdered cheese in a pouch!

Banana Bread in a Mug

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Day 3 of my 7-Day Microwave Mug Challenge! Today, we are having Bannana Bread! Check out the original recipe here. It’s a great recipe, but I made a few alterations: some on purpose, others … not.

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 ripe banana, mashed
  • pecan pieces, handful
  • brown sugar, to sprinkle on top

First, I have to ask: does anyone actually own a 1/8 teaspoon measurer? Or am I the only one just eyeballing it with a 1/4 teaspoon measurer?

1) Use a big mug because the banana bread will rise and expand and attempt to do summersaults in your mircowave. I selected this lovely Harry Potter mug. 🙂

I solemnly swear I am up to no good!

I solemnly swear I am up to no good!

2) In a bowl, whisk flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Now, I accidentally forgot to add the brown sugar in the batter when I made it because the original directions just said to add sugar. I missed the implied plural. And so, I have made my directions a smidgen more O.C.D. 🙂

3) Add egg and combine until incorporated with dry ingredients. Don’t over mix!

4) Stir in vanilla, vegetable oil, milk, mashed banana, and pecans. I added the pecans to this recipe, because I like a little crunch! Feel free to use any nut you like, or make yours sans nuts.

5) Pour the mixture into your mug. Pop into the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds.

6) Remove and sprinkle with brown sugar and more pecans. Microwave an additional 1 minute. Let sit for 1-2 minutes because it will be nuclear hot!

You might find someone to help you eat this, because I found the portion to be a little much for one person, at least for breakfast anyway.

Here is PassThe Sushi‘s Banana Bread:

See how it tried to escape her tiny mug?

See how it tried to escape her tiny mug?

And here is mine!

ShinyHappyPeebles' Banana Bread in a Mug

ShinyHappyPeebles

It turned out more like a yummy banana cake — perhaps because I missed the brown sugar in the batter — but I do believe I made up for my error by garnishing with brown sugar and pecans. They make a delicious, caramelized topping!

What I love the most about these microwave recipes, besides the convenience of single servings and fast cook time, is that I have yet to go shopping for supplies. They all use basic ingredients that most people have in their home on an average day.