Homemade Vanilla Cupcakes with a Vanilla Buttercream

So as you can tell from these pictures, I'm a little late posting about this birthday party we had back in August!  Whoops!  Time has definitely gotten the best of me, but I have been wanting to share this delicious cupcake recipe with you all for quite sometime. 

 

So Lily and her cousin just happen to share the same birthday so my sister in law and I wanted to throw a fun birthday party that the theme could be both girly and boyish at the same time.  So since their birthdays are in August and the weather is still HOT I thought a fun nautical party would fit the bill.  We decorated using pinks, turqoise's, and reds fitting both the girl and boy theme.  The day was so much fun that I forgot to take more photos of the decorations but we just hung a bunch of lanterns from the trees and called it good.

 

The cupcakes were definitely the hit of the party.  I got this recipe from my little sister and I think I had 5 different people ask me for the recipe.  They were so good!  We frosted them with a delicious vanilla buttercream and topped them with fondant anchors and stars.  If your looking to throw a party for both a girl and a boy I highly suggest the Nautical theme. 

 

 

 

Vanilla Cupcakes:

1 cup cake flour

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk (I prefer whole)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

 

Preheat the oven to *350.  Mix together all the dry ingredients in mixer for 2-3 minutes.  Add the butter and mix till dough forms small crumb like peices.  Add the eggs one at a time making sure they are completely mixed in before you add the next egg.  Slowly add in the milk and vanilla.  Fill liners 2/3 of the way full.  Bake for 17-20 minutes (checking at 17 min. with a toothpick for doneness)

Cool completely before frosting. 

 

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

1-1/2 stick unsalted butter (softened)

2 cups powdered sugar

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

 

Mix all ingredients until smooth.  Frost cupcakes and enjoy. 

 

 

 (we also served these oreo cookies and s'more pops)

 

I think its safe to say the birthday kiddos loved the cupcakes :)









Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cake

I came across this recipe awhile back and was intrigued by its ingredients. I am a major coconut fan, so when I noticed that it had a broiled coconut topping I was sold!  It called for oatmeal in the cake so I thought, why not give it a try, I mean it's got oatmeal in it, it has to be somewhat healthy, right.

I will be honest, this was not my favorite dessert, but maybe it's because it was slightly healthy? Ha ha no is that sad that I admitted that! And it's even sadder because it's not really that healthy! Anyways, I am posting this because even though it wasn't my favorite dessert, my husband and everyone else that tried it, LOVED IT! So I hope this cake makes one of you out there happy :)

Recipe:

For the Cake:

1-1/2 cup Quick cooking Rolled Oats

1-1/4 cup boiling water

1 cup sugar

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter (softened)

1 tsp. Vanilla

3 whole Eggs

1-1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

For the Broiled Topping:

2/3 cup firmly packed Brown sugar

1/4 cup butter (melted)

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup pecans (chopped)

In a small bowl combine the oats and the boiling water. Remove from heat and and let stand for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile heat the oven to *350 and lightly grease and flour a 9x13 pan.

In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter.  Add in the vanilla and eggs and blend well.  Add in the oatmeal and the remaining cake ingredients; mix well.  Pour the batter into the greased pan. Bake @*350 for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

For the topping, in a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, and whipping cream. Beat at high speed until smooth. Stir in the coconut and the nuts. Spoon over the warm cake. spread to cover. 

Broil for 1-2 minutes, about 4-6 inches from the heat, and let broil till the topping is bubbly and light golden brown.  Cool for 1 hour or until completely cooled. 

(Recipe Source: Tasty Kitchen)

Lemon Cake w/a Lemon Frosting

I made this cake for Easter and it was the perfect dessert to ring in Spring!  It was such a moist cake with the most luscious creamy lemon frosting that you would ever lay your lips on!  I think that this would be the perfect cake to make for all those Mother's out there this Sunday for Mother's Day!  

I am so sad that we are not going to be able to share this Mother's Day with our moms!  I just have to say that I have been truly blessed with the most amazing mom a girl could ask for!  She has taught me so  much throughout the years and has been the best example of what a mom should be!  She is the one who has inspired me to have a love for cooking and baking. She is truly one AMAZING cook.  I have also been blessed with the most kind and loving Mother-in-law.  She too is one of the most AMAZING cooks and has taught me a lot about cooking also.  We love you MOM and hope that you have the most amazing Mother's Day because you guys deserve it!

Happy Mother's day to all you moms out there!!! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Recipe:

For the Cake:

1 Lemon Cake Mix

1 (4oz) package of Instant Lemon Pudding

1 cup Sour Cream

3/4 cup Water

3/4 cup Oil

4 whole Eggs

For the Lemon Buttercream Frosting:

1 cup (2 sticks) Butter (softened)

6-8 cups Powdered Sugar

1/2 cup Fresh Lemon Juice

1 tsp. Lemon Zest

Mix together the cake mix and the pudding packet.  Mix in the sour cream, water, oil, and eggs and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes.  Pour into 2 greased Round cake pans (or a 9x13).

Bake @ *350 for 30-40 minutes.  When a toothpick comes out CRUMBLY not CLEAN then the cake is done.  Cool in pans for about 5 minutes, than transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool completely. 

For the frosting, blend together the butter, lemon juice, zest, and 4 cups of powdered sugar till smooth. Slowly add in more sugar till spreading consistency. I used about 6 cups.  Place the 1st layer onto a cake plate and spread a thin layer of frosting over the top.  Place the 2nd layer on top of that and frost the top and all the sides of the cake!  Serve with a strawberry for garnish and a big glass of milk! Enjoy!

(Recipe Source: An old co-worker Keveny)

Everything's Bigger in Texas...

I seriously love Texas Sheet Cake! Love it!!!! And now that we are living here, I felt it was only necessary to enjoy a BIG piece of a Large Texas Sheet Cake, and what better to serve it with than Texas's one and only Blue Bell Ice Cream!  Ok, I know, a little over board on the whole Texas thing, but how else could I justify just making a large sheet cake in the middle of the week for no reason?  I highly suggest you all go make yourselves a large cake, in the middle of the week, for no reason at all, other than to stuff your faces with it!  I swear that's not what I did....

Recipe:

For the Cake:

2 cups Sugar

2 cups Flour

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. Salt

2 whole Eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup Butter (2 sticks)

1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1 cup Water

For the Frosting:

1 stick Butter

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. Milk

1 tsp. Vanilla

6 cups Powdered Sugar

4 heaping Tbsp. Cocoa Powder

Stir together the sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.  With a mixer, mix in your eggs and sour cream and beat on low.  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and add in the cocoa and water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and slowly add the hot mixture into the sugar/flour mixture mixing on low.

Pour the batter into a lightly greased jelly roll pan (12x17).  Bake for 18-20 minutes @*375.  Let the cake cool for about 10-15 minutes before frosting.

For the frosting, melt the butter in a medium pot over med. heat. Add in the milk and bring to a boil. Remove immediately from the heat and add in the vanilla, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar. Beat till smooth. Spread over the sheet cake with a knife.  Served best with Blue Bell Vanilla Ice Cream.

(Recipe Source: Food Nanny)  

Golden Pound Cake

This past weekend with it being General Conference for our church, I wanted to have a really nice Sunday dinner and a dessert that was a little more on the light side (it's sad that I consider any cake to be on the lighter side, I mean who am I kidding, any dessert that I make is most likely NOT going to be Light at all!) Anyways, I had a bunch of strawberries on hand so I thought, what better to make than a pound cake paired with some strawberries and cream.  

Recipe:

1/2 cup butter (softened)

1/2 cup shortening

3 cups sugar

5 eggs

2 3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. almond extract

Cream together the butter, shortening, and sugar.  Add eggs 1 at a time to the sugar mixture, mixing well after each egg.  Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the milk and flavorings to the sugar mixture.  Pour into a 12 cup greased and floured bundt pan.  Bake @ *325 for an hour and 15 minutes.  Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes than finish cooling on a cooling rack.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with strawberries and cream.

(Recipe Source: My lovely Mom)  

Carrot Cupcakes

Oh how I love Carrot Cake. I don't really have much more to 

say about it than I just love it with my whole heart!

I love it just plain too, no raisins or pineapple or nuts.

(well maybe a few nuts sprinkled on top)

Recipe:

For the cake:

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp all-spice

2 tsp cinnamon

3 cups carrots (shredded)

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 (8 oz) Cream cheese

1 stick butter (8 Tbsp)

1 pound powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla

Cream together the sugar, eggs, and oil. Sift together the flour, salt, b. powder, b. soda, and spices and mix into the sugar mixture and stir till batter is slightly lumpy. Do not over mix. Fold in the shredded carrots. Heat oven to *350. Pour into lined cupcake tins and bake for 16-18 minutes checking with a toothpick to make sure they are done. (if you are baking a cake, for a 9x13 bake for 40-45 minutes. For 2 round cake pans bake for 30-35 minutes.) 

For the frosting, soften the butter and cream cheese and cream together till smooth. Mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla. In a pastry bag (or sturdy plastic baggie) pipe frosting onto the cupcakes. Top off cupcakes with either chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or some carrot shavings.

(Recipe Source: My Dear Mother)

Chocolate Chocolate Cake

This cake is the perfect fix for that chocolate craving! Its so moist and chocolatey you will want to eat the whole thing.

Recipe:
For the Cake:
1 Chocolate cake mix
1 (4oz) box of chocolate instant pudding
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup veg. oil
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to *350. Mix all ingredients together.  Lightly grease the bundt pan and then dust it with powdered sugar. Bake for 40-50 minutes. After cake has cooled a couple of minutes remove from pan and immediately drizzle with the chocolate frosting.  Serve with an ice cold glass of milk!

For the Frosting:
4 Tbsp. butter (softened)
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1-2 Tbsp. evaporated or whole milk (I add 1-2 Tbsp at a time till desired consistency)

Soften the butter in microwave (about 30 sec.) Mix in remaining ingredients and beat till no clumps are left. Drizzle over the cake as soon as its out of the pan.
(Recipe Source: My Friend Sharee)