The BEST Coffee Cake and My First Vlog

I've got a couple of other recipes I've been wanting to post for you, but I'm not going to do that today.

I'm going to completely put myself out there with my very first ridiculous and corny vlog and hope that you stay tuned in in the future as I (hopefully) get better.

Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

Dear my favorite bloggers ever,

It's finals week... aka death.

I'm stressin' and frettin'... bear with me, I'll be done after this week.

Until then, enjoy some cheesecake. :)

Love,

Katie

Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake
*Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature.  If they aren't, the batter will be lumpy.

Ingredients

• 1 cup crushed graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup crushed nuts, toasted
• 4-6 tablespoons butter, melted
•  
• 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cherry topping (I used storebought... :/)

1/4 cup chocolate mixture (recipe follows)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch springform pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs and nuts with melted butter. Press onto bottom of springform pan.
3. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. 
4. Stir in milk with a wooden spoon (so you don't overmix) and then stir in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. 
5. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. 
7. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours. Chill in refrigerator until serving.

Chocolate mixture:  1/8 cup melted chocolate, 1/8th cup chocolate syrup

TIP:  If you don't want your cheesecake to crack (like mine did), you can wrap your springform pan in foil 

and set it in a water bath.  That'll create steam to keep the cheesecake moist, therefore no cracks.

Texas Sheet Cake with White Chocolate Icing

Although I try my best to lead a healthy lifestyle, I have a few setbacks...duh, who doesn't?

Mine are:

1.  Eating too many sweets.
2.  Spending too much time on the computer.
3.  Laying out when it gets sunny.

The first two are inevitable with this blog, but the last one I have no excuses for.

In high school, I tanned in tanning beds for prom and it's honestly really hard not to anymore.  Not just because I like to get a tan, but because in the winter time I just need a little "sunlight". 

Nowadays, though, I sick solely to the good ol' outdoors.  I can assure you that I was outside the very first day it was sunny and above 60 degrees and loved every minute of it!  It just feels so good.  Sometimes I listen to music, but most of the time I just relax and enjoy the time to myself.

Today, I indulged in all 3 guilty pleasures and I don't feel guilty at all.

Rachel at Dressed to Dish featured me on her blog!! (This is the pic I sent her.  Go check her out!)

P.s. I just thought I'd give my desserts some credibility. These are my friends...just eatin' a few cake balls.

And Kellen being a killjoy. ;)

What are your healthy lifestyle setbacks??

Texas Sheet Cake (Cupcakes)
All Recipes

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup water
• 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

 Icing:

• 6 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup melted white chocolate
• 1/4 cup sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10x15 inch pan.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Beat in the sour cream and eggs. Set aside. Melt the butter on low in a saucepan, add the water and 5 tablespoons cocoa. Bring mixture to a boil then remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly, then stir cocoa mixture into the dry ingredients, mixing until blended.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
4. For the icing: In a large saucepan, combine the milk,  vanilla and 1/2 cup butter. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Stir in the melted white chocolate and stir.  Add the confectioners' sugar slowly, mixing until blended. Spread frosting over warm cake and add sprinkles.

Iced Pumpkin Bundt Cake

So, I love fall, but I froze my butt off today.

I'm a wimp when it comes to "cold" weather.

I don't know how many people came into the store today saying "Oh, isn't it just beautiful outside?"

I'm sorry, Miss, but no, it is 55 degrees outside and unless you have a space heater in your purse, I cannot agree with you.  Thanks for asking, though, have a nice day!
 
I wasn't sure if I would look silly walking out of the house with a winter coat, gloves, a hat, and a scarf on today or not, so I opted for not.  

Luckily, I got to do my favorite thing EVER before it got too cold.  (P.S. it was probably 60 degrees when I did this and I still had a scarf on.  I'm a big baby.)

Any guesses??

Now any guesses?!

Ahh, I love decorating for Halloween.  :)  (Sorry for the crappy photos!)

 Isn't it cute?! :)

After doing that, I figured it was necessary to bake something fall-ish, so I made this delicious, moist, sweet, spice-infused Pumpkin Bundt Cake!  I made it with a powdered sugar glaze, but mom apparently thought it also needed cream cheese frosting, so she made some just for her piece.  (And I wonder why I'm addicted to sugar).

If you aren't crazy like us, the powdered sugar glaze is plenty.

Whisk together ingredients in separate bowls.

Beat butter and sugar, add the eggs.

Add the two mixtures, alternating between the two.

 Put it in the oven until it looks like this!

 Yummmm!

Iced Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Adapted from: Dinner with Kirsten
(Hers is so pretty! Check it out)

For cake:
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for greasing bundt pan
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin – you’ll need a 15-ounce can (not the whole thing though)
3/4 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
For icing:
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons well-shaken buttermilk (I used regular milk.  I don't like the taste of buttermilk)
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
Special equipment: a 10-inch nonstick bundt pan – but I’d love to try this as cupcakes, also
For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray bundt can with cooking spray, then dust with flour and knock out the excess.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and salt in a bowl.
Stir together pumpkin, 3/4 cup buttermilk, and vanilla in another bowl.
Beat 1 1/2 sticks butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Then add eggs and beat 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and add flour and pumpkin mixtures alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until batter is just smooth.
Spoon batter into pan and smooth top. Then bake  about 45 to 50 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack 15 minutes. Then place rack over cake and flip the cake onto rack. Cool 10 minutes more.
For icing:
While cake is cooling, whisk together milk and powdered sugar.  Wait until the cake is cool and then drizzle icing over cake.

Birthday Cake

I love birthdays.
Whether it's my birthday or not, I love them.
What's not to love?
Everybody is happy on their birthday because it is a celebration of yourself, and who doesn't want to celebrate themselves??  Family usually gathers for birthdays, which always entails a good time.  And, one of my personal favorites-- there's cake!!  There is always cake, for everyone.  Whoever decided to celebrate birthdays with cake is a genius.
Last weekend was full of birthday celebrations in my family, so I was a very happy camper.
My mom's birthday was Saturday and my auntie's birthday was Sunday, and we celebrated all day Friday.
For my mom's celebration, my dad and I had her open the presents we got her (I got her an ice cream maker!)  and we had pizza and cake.  For my auntie's celebration, two of her kids came and surprised her (best surprise ever) and we went and ate dinner with her at my aunt and uncle's house.  My uncle made an amazing seafood pasta and it was just a really nice evening. 
I made my my mom what was supposed to be a 3 layer cake, but I decided we didn't need all 3 layers so I saved the third layer and made it into a mini cake for my auntie.  I thought it was a bit dry, (I should have followed the "adding moisture to the cake" section on Bakerella's blog) but it was a hit with everybody else.

P.S. What flavor of ice cream should we make with my moms new ice cream maker?!

Birthday Cake
Adapted from:  Bakerella

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter (room temperature)
• 2 cups of sugar
• 4 eggs (room temperature)
• 3 cups of sifted self-rising flour (White Lily)
• 1 cup of whole milk (room temperature)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (McCormicks)Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour (3) 8 inch cake pans.
Using a mixer, cream butter until fluffy.

Add sugar and continue to cream for about 7 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time. Beat well after each egg is added.

Add flour and milk (alternating to creamed mixture), beginning and ending with flour.
Add vanilla to mix; until just mixed.

Divide batter equally into three cake pans.

Hold each layer about 3 inches above your counter and carefully drop the pans flat onto counter several times to ensure release of any air bubbles. This will help you have a more level cake.
Bake for 25 – 30 minutes (depending on your oven) until done.

Cool in pans for 5 – 10 minutes.
Remove and immediately wrap each layer in plastic wrap to seal in moisture.

Cool completely on wire racks.
Once cooled, you are ready to assemble your cake.

Easy Buttercream Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) butter (room temperature)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1b. 10X powdered sugar
1-3 teaspoons milk, half and half or cream

• Using a mixer, cream softened butter and vanilla until smooth.
• Add sugar gradually, allowing butter and sugar to cream together before adding more.
• If you want your frosting a little creamier, add a teaspoon of milk at a time and beat on high until you get the right texture.
• Then, just use icing colors to tint the frosting the color of your choice.

 

 For my auntie's cake, I made Chocolate Frosting scaled down to 16. I liked both cakes equally.