Funfetti Birthday Cake

357cb023-4ec2-42e5-8b5b-588357cc9642

I’m 36! Happy birthday to me 🙂 Ever since I can remember, I’ve always had funfetti cake for my birthday. I’m not sure if my mom made it from scratch or the box cake from pillsbury, but it has always been my favorite! And here I am, a grown adult, baking my own birthday cake. Why not, right?! It’s what I do. For this cake I did a 3 tiers but I’m not sure of the sizes. If you are curious, please let me know and I’ll go measure but this recipe will be perfect for 2 (8) inch cake pans.

If you are in the mood for some birthday cake or celebrating a birthday of a loved one, here you go! Homemade funfetti with buttercream, sure to please ages 1-100 🙂 Let’s bake a cake!

What you will need:

2 (8) inch cake pans, greased and lined with parchment paper

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
3 egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup sprinkles (plus more for decorating)

For the buttercream:

1/2 cup butter at room temp
2 (+) cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 340 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, powder and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until creamy. Add in egg whites, vanilla, sour cream and milk and beat until combined. Slowly beat in flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the sprinkles.

Divide batter evenly into cake pans. Bake for 20-30 minutes depending on size. Allow to cool slightly before inverting onto a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting and decorating.

To make the buttercream, beat all ingredients until desired consistency. Add more powdered sugar or milk as needed. Decorate cake!

Store covered at room temp or in the fridge.

Quarantine Cookies

4f56046b-dbc5-428a-a539-711408af64bc

Since we are all inside at home (except those amazing people who are out there keeping us safe. I’m talking about you nurses, doctors, police officers, firefighters, etc etc etc), let’s bake! These cookies are oatmeal chocolate chip, however the dough is so versatile that you can add whatever you have on hand! No need to make an extra trip to the grocery store because let’s face it, that’s a scary place to be right now. I mean, it’s like the only place open, everyone is all masked up just getting food and other essentials trying to survive!

I can’t wait for life to get back to normal even though I know it’s going to be a while so…. I bake. I’ve already made about 5 batches of banana bread and banana muffins and my family is OVER that. So, cookies it is! Go ahead and start your ovens and let’s bake.

The recipe below is what I used. However, you can add walnuts, pecans, cranberries, raisins, different kinds of chocolate. The list goes on and on so just add what you like. Also, you can easily double it if you are sharing with family and friends 🙂

What you will need:

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, cornstarch, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a separate large bowl, beat together butter and both sugars until soft and creamy. Add in egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Slowly add in flour mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips and other add-ins. 

Scoop onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 9-10 minutes. Allow to cool a bit on cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Store covered at room temperature. 

Easy Lemon Squares

96c78c44-afab-4b2e-9751-7ebfc2ef6f84

How is everyone doing? Really. Hanging in there as best you can I hope! I am ok. Some days are rough and I just want to run away somewhere! Other days are great and I’m so thankful and blessed with everything in my life. So all we can do is be there for each other, stay positive and bake 🙂 If you are reading this post in the future, I’m talking about the crap that’s going on in the world, otherwise known as Covid-19. Ugh. Quarantined and missing our friends and family. Kids are out of school for the rest of the year. It’s absolute craziness. For now, let’s just focus on these lemon squares.

Oh, quick side note that will make you laugh. I have no pictures of these bad boys in actual squares because, well when I tried to cut them even after they were refrigerated all day, they still completely fell apart. Total mess, just not worth getting mad over because they are still so freaking good, so… sorry. Just know to freeze them for a bit before you cut with an extremely sharp knife 😉

These lemon bars or squares are delicious and tart and the perfect dessert for spring! So go start your ovens and let’s bake!

What you will need:

8 x 8 inch square bake dish sprayed with non-stick spray

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (14 oz.) can of unsweetened condensed milk
1-2 tablespoons lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 large egg yolks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, salt and baking soda. Whisk in both sugars. Whisk in melted butter and vanilla until combined. Press half the mixture onto the bottom of your prepared dish and bake for 15 minutes.

While the crust is baking, in a separate bowl, whisk together condensed milk, lemon zest, lemon juice and egg yolks.

Once the crust is done, carefully pour the egg mixture on top of the crust evenly. Crumble the remaining crust on top and bake for another 20-22 minutes.

Allow to cool completely before refrigerating or freezing for several hours before slicing and enjoying.

Store covered in the fridge. 

Peanut Butter Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

dc06651e-ed7a-4e35-98b6-75b0c7f5e239

Quarantined and bored. Anyone else? I’ve been baking a ton of course, but mostly things that I already have a blog post for. I know I have several peanut butter and peanut butter and chocolate recipes but I don’t think I have quite a cookie like this one. These are so good and my husbands favorite combination. Always easy to make and everyone in your family will love! Especially in a time when we are all cooped up at home, and getting sick of each other, why not bake together and then enjoy it together?! So, without further typing, let’s bake!

What you will need:

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (I used half a 12 oz. bag of Nestle semi sweet)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. I another large bowl, beat together the sugar, peanut butter and butter until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla, egg and milk and beat until combined. Slowly beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. 

Drop by  rounded tablespoonfulls onto prepared cookie sheet. Press with the tines of a fork to get that staple peanut butter cookie look. Bake for 9 minutes. Allow to cool a minute or two before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Store covered at room temp.

Brown Sugar Butter Cookies

3d9a442b-f16f-4c4d-a208-4da8dc9d839e

Snowy cold days always call for cookies, right?! These are the perfect cookie on a wintry day. Brown sugar and butter are just so good and even better together, kind of like peanut butter and jelly. This cookie is so easy to make with only 8 ingredients that you probably already have. So, let’s warm up and bake!

What you will need:

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter at room temp
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup granulated sugar (for rolling)

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In another large bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar until smooth and creamy. Add in egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Slowly add in flour mixture until just combined. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

8d957876-6994-446c-af64-a63367647a62

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough, roll into balls and then roll into granulated sugar. Place on prepared cookie sheet and bake for 9-10 minutes. Allow to cool a bit on cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store covered at room temp. 

Enjoy!

White Chocolate Chip Chocolate Cookies

218285aa-8620-4cfa-be7c-9f315394a96b

Wow, happy 2020 everyone! So there’s a reason why I’ve taken so long to make a post and that is….. my oven broke! Ugh, it was awful. Since the summer, my oven just wasn’t acting normal, not holding temperature. None of my bakes were coming out right. And finally it just wouldn’t get hot. It would turn on, but then shut off without getting to the correct temp. So, thanks to YouTube and my amazing husband, he found the problem, bought the part and fixed it! Hooray! Back to normal thank God. It was the ignitor if people are curious and care.

Ok so these cookies are obviously so good and I’ve made them many times. I thought I posted the recipe but apparently not so here we are. White chocolate chips surrounded by brownie-like goodness. So go ahead and start your ovens and let’s bake!

What you will need:

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, beat together the butter and both sugars until soft and creamy. Add in vanilla and eggs and beat until combined. Slowly add in the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the white chocolate chips.

Drop by spoonfulls onto prepared cookie sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes. Allow to cool for a minute on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Store covered at room temp.

Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

163790c5-46fb-42a5-80f2-0a3df39a2d70

Yesterday I made regular, tasty, melt in your mouth shortbread cookies. Today I bring you chocolate shortbread cookies!Just as delicious, still Christmasy and perfect for your holiday cookie exchange. Change it up with sprinkles and a drizzle of chocolate and make someone smile 🙂

So go ahead and start those ovens! Another cookie is ready to be made…

Note: Recipe can easily be doubled if needed

What you will need:

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Sprinkles, chocolate, other decorations of your choice

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and cocoa. In another bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until soft and creamy. Slowly beat in flour mixture until dough is formed.

Place dough in plastic wrap and roll into a log. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using a sharp knife, cut log into 1/4 inch cookies and place on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Allow to cool a bit on cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, dip in chocolate and decorate with sprinkles. Or decorate by melting white chocolate and drizzling that over top. Enjoy!

Store covered at room temp or in the fridge.

Christmas Shortbread Cookies

7af653ae-a81a-4c86-af83-91fa61c2b55a

Happy holidays everyone! Christmas sure did sneak up on us, didn’t it! It’s a week away! To kick off the baking season, I did these super simple, melt in your mouth shortbread cookies. They are so delicious and perfect for a cookie exchange because you can decorate them however you want with sprinkles or dip in chocolate and then they look like different cookies! So quick and easy to make, I hope you like these as much as I do!

So, go start your ovens, blast some Christmas music and let’s bake!

Note: You can easily double this recipe and store the dough in plastic wrap for later use. Also note that you should refrigerate the dough for a bit to make it more manageable so allow that extra time when you start baking.

What you will need:

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter at room temp
3/4 cup powdered sugar
Sprinkles, chocolate or other decorations of your choice.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour and cornstarch. In another large  bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy and smooth. Slowly add in the flour mixture until dough is formed. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Roll dough in hands by tablespoonfull and drop on prepared cookie sheet. Press with fork dipped in powdered sugar so it won’t stick. Add sprinkles if using. Bake for about 20 minutes. Allow to cool a bit on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store covered in the fridge or at room temp. Enjoy!

White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

b47578f1-57a7-4ab5-adf6-ac3063591868

Yum! Pumpkin is so fun and great to bake with! And these muffins do not disappoint. The perfect afternoon snack with tea, or even breakfast, or dessert after dinner. White chocolate has definitely been a staple at my house lately. It just makes things so much tastier! The combination of the white chocolate sweetness and crunch with the smooth taste of pumpkin really make these muffins special. So if you are having guests over for Thanksgiving, (which by the way, is 2 weeks away!!) go ahead and whip up these guys. Super delicious for the season.

So, go put on your aprons, start your ovens and let’s bake!

What you will need:

Muffin tin lined with cupcake liners

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups pure pumpkin puree
1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, beat together oil, both sugars, vanilla, eggs and pumpkin until combined. Slowly beat in flour mixture until just combined. Fold in white chocolate chips.

Spoon into prepared muffin tin about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for about 20-22 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before taking out and serving. Enjoy!

Store covered at room temp.

Apple Cider Doughnut Cake

0f11822e-7ceb-4197-882e-88926888c52a

Happy National Doughnut Day! I was actually going to make this recipe tomorrow but when I found out what today was, duh! I bring you this delicious cake inspired by apples and fall. Oh and of course, doughnuts! This cake is very easy to make and no fancy kitchen gadgets are needed. Just 2 bowls and a bundt pan. And if you follow my Insta stories, you know that I completely butchered the cake flip (face palm). I think I need a new bundt pan because I always struggle with inverting cakes with it. None of my other cake pans have problems, just this one…

But, with the power of photography, you can’t even tell in these pictures! And, it doesn’t matter, the cake is still delicious and it just goes to show that no one is perfect. We all make mistakes and sometimes we fail. I still have dessert for my family 🙂

So go get your aprons on, start your ovens and let’s bake!

What you will need:

Bundt pan greased well

For the cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups oat flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup apple cider
3/4 cup applesauce
3/4 vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the topping:

2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and soda and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients; cider, applesauce, oil, eggs and vanilla.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 40-50 minutes. Allow to cool 15-20 minutes on a wire rack before carefully inverting on a serving plate.

While cake is cooling, melt butter. In a small bowl stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Pour butter over cooling cake and immediately sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar. Slice and serve. Enjoy!

Store covered at room temp.

Look at those pretty crumbs and beautiful cinnamon sugar!