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Let It Snow! Coconut Cream Layer Cake

Slice Coconut Cream Layer Cake

I'm officially in utter disbelief. Here it is now January 2012 and we have yet to get more than a dusting of snow that didn't melt the second it hit the ground. In my nearly 29 years, I've never lived in central Illinois and gone a winter without snow. Is it possible this will be the year? I sure hope not. I can't stand the thought of my kids missing out on the fun of snow angels, snowmen, sledding and snowball … [Read more...]

Happy 2012 – White Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

2012 White chocolate cupcakes

It's hard to say the words two-thousand twelve out loud and believe that it really is 2012. Seems like it was yesterday when I had to force myself to adjust to the switch from 19xx to 20xx. Never the less, it really is 2012 and soon enough it'll be 2013, 14, 15 and so on. Not wanting to get ahead of myself too much, I'd like to look forward to just 2012 for now. In 2012 ... - I'll turn 29 years old. - I want to … [Read more...]

How to Make a NFL Football Helmet Cake | Packers vs Cowboys

NFL Green Bay Packers Helmet Cake

November is a big month for birthdays in our family. We have birthdays for my mom, dad and husband all within a two week time frame. This year I wanted to surprise the men in my life with some manly birthday cakes in the shape of a helmet with their favorite NFL teams decorated on top. It just so happens my dad is the biggest Green Bay Packers fan you'll ever know and my husband is a (stinky) Dallas Cowboys … [Read more...]

Mississippi Mud Brownies Recipe from The Pampered Chef

Mississippi Mud Cake Brownies

I think the title pretty much sums this one up. Mississippi Mud Brownies. aka Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate ... with a few nuts and marshmallows thrown in. I may not be from Mississippi but I can tell you I could surely fall in love with the people that state just for this dessert alone. It's rich, gooey and oh so yummy!   Recently I received a copy of Chocolate, a recipe booklet from The Pampered … [Read more...]

Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake Recipe

apple upside down cake

It may be in the low 70's outside but it's like 60 something degrees in my house. So basically, it's cold in here and I've been looking for any possible excuse to turn on the oven. I also just happened to have a basket full of Granny Smith apples which we always have for some reason, and needed to put these to go use. Que the cake! We've all heard of pineapple upside cake right? Well, we've taken that classic cake … [Read more...]

Tackling a Football Cake with a Grass Football Field Cookie

Football Cookie Cake

Last week my son celebrated his 10th birthday, a pretty big one if you ask me. It may not be quite as special as your first birthday or even your golden birthday, but hitting double digits feels pretty momentous to me. To celebrate, I decided to let our son have the "cookie cake" he's been begging for with a few additions. The plan was to create a giant cookie football field with a football shaped cake in the … [Read more...]

4th of July Red, White & Blue Pound Cake Dessert

4th of July Pound Cake

Of all the cakes I've ever baked, pound cake has never been one of them. My first introduction to this style of cake was the Sara Lee frozen pound cakes, which I find to be quite tasty. Until I tasted a real pound cake. Like made from scratch, warm and buttery fresh out of the oven. Boy was I missing out! And you are too if you've never bothered to bake one! Just in time for 4th of July celebrations, I decided to … [Read more...]

Sugar Cookie Cupcakes Accidentally Delicious #Recipe

Sugar Cookie Cupcake

Here I am in my kitchen with this gorgeous hot pink mixer prepped and ready to stir the heck out of my cake batter masterpiece. I've got my bag of flour, sugar, eggs, butter and miscellaneous ingredients ready to go. In my mind I'm envisioning this fluffy cupcake richly flavored with white chocolate and topped with a mound of white chocolate buttercream. The reality is, there's not a drop of white chocolate in … [Read more...]

Cook for the Cure Mason Jar Cupcakes

Cupcakes for the Cure Mason Jar

June is quickly coming to an end and that means we're less than four weeks away from the annual 1,000 Cooks for the Cure event. This fundraising event is hosted in homes all across the country in an effort to raise money for Susan G Komen for the Cure, a non-profit organization dedicated to education and research about causes, treatment, and the search for a cure for breast cancer. And you can help too! Host a pot … [Read more...]

5 Irresistible Chocolate Cakes for Father’s Day

Hazelnut Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake

For most men, the most irresistible sweet eat you can offer them is chocolate cake. In our family, it's a tradition to give dad his chocolate cake for Father's Day and it's often more appreciated than any store bought gift. This Father's Day is no different which is why I spent most of my Saturday whipping up cake batter and baking cakes. So today, on this very special day, a day to celebrate all the dads of the … [Read more...]

Cook for the Cure, Strawberries n Cream Layer Cake

strawberries n cream cake slice

This past weekend I had a lot of baking on my to-do list and one thing that was not part of that list was a strawberries 'n cream cake. This particular cake was more like a personal challenge when a blogging friend shared her Ugly Cake (her name, not mine) and suggested one of her baking friends, like myself, recreate this cake and make it prettier. It also happened to come at a perfect time because not only did I … [Read more...]