Easy and Delicious Sopapilla Cheesecake

I'm taking Spanish 2 and we had a fiesta this week.

Everyone was required to make something or bring something to class and I (obviously) opted to bake something.

The Best Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Until last year, I had always thought that there was this big secret to red velvet cake.

I didn't think it was chocolate, I thought the flavor was just "red," so when I found out that it is just chocolate and red food coloring, it made red velvet cake a little less magical.  That's when I looked it up to see why anyone would ever just add red food coloring to cake.

Apparently, "the reddish-brown color of the cake originally was from a reaction of the cocoa powder with an acidic ingredient such as buttermilk."  Did you guys know that?  I had no idea.  Now, though, people just add food coloring to make the red tint.  Before food coloring, bakers boiled beets as homemade food coloring.  Cool, huh?

Well, there's my lesson for the day!  Let me just tell you how good this cake is.  SO good!  I love how thick it is and the pieces of chocolate chip are delicious.  The cake isn't super sweet, but the frosting is, so it goes perfectly with it.  The frosting is amaaazzinnng.  I was so proud of myself because I always seem to mess up cream cheese frosting, but this is the first fail-proof cream cheese frosting recipe that I've found.  So creamy, thick, and just plain yummy! I made this for my friend's birthday and she loved it!!!

Red Velvet Cake

From: Cheeky Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 c. olive oil
• 1 package instant chocolate pudding
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder (double if baking at low altitude)
• 2/3 c. cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 c. flour
• 1 c. sour cream
• ½ c. water
• 1 c. mini chocolate chips
• 2 tsp. red gel food coloring

1.  In a large bowl, beat together eggs, brown sugar, and olive oil, and instant pudding mix, creaming until very well mixed. 

2.  Add salt, baking powder, cocoa powder, and flour. Beat just until incorporated. 

3.  Add sour cream and water, and beat again just until incorporated. 

4.  Fold in mini chocolate chips, then scoop batter into a bundt pan which has been generously greased and floured (use cocoa powder, instead of flour, for a nice chocolatey finish to the outside of your cake). 

5.  Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, or just until the center part of the cake ring springs back to the touch. Watch your cake closely! You don’t want to overcook it! Once cooked, wait for the cake to cool to the touch before turning it out onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool, then cover tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight before frosting.

The Best Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks butter
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-2 Tbsp. milk 

Directions:

1.  In a large bowl, beat together butter and cream cheese until very light and fluffy.

2.  Slowly add powdered sugar until well mixed. Add vanilla extract.
3. Tip in a Tablespoon or two of milk, if needed to make frosting piping consistency (soft but not drippy). 4.Spoon into a large plastic zip-top bag. Snip a 1-inch hole in the corner of the bag and pipe giant frosting petals onto cooled cake. Enjoy!

Coconut Cream Cheese Balls (AKA Heaven)

I love my new town!

It's full of Victorian houses, side roads filled with gravel, a cute little downtown of "mom and pop" stores, greenery everywhere, etc.  But, the best part about it is the feeling I get when I drive around the area.  For me, it's a sort of nostalgic feeling.  I couldn't describe it myself, so I looked it up and I think this is perfect: "I think it's the feeling you get when you are overwhelmed with passion and longing for the favorite things from your youth. And the satisfaction you get when you re-live them."

I spent my Saturday exploring and just taking it all in.  Please indulge me and check these out (all via Google... none of these are mine):

To top off all this goodness, I made my moms Coconut Cream Cheese Balls.  They are the best quick and easy dessert ever. I'm not exaggerating.  Unless you don't like cream cheese or coconut, you will agree with me and I guarantee that.  These are heaven in a small bite-sized ball.  Please try them... they won't disappoint you!

What do you guys love about your town?
Give links to your favorite fast and easy desserts!

Coconut Cream Cheese Balls

Ingredients:
1 8 oz. block of cream cheese, room temperature
5 cups powdered sugar (*If you don't want these super sweet, sub 1/2 cup flour for 1 cup powdered sugar)
1-2 cups shredded coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla
*1 cup pecans, optional

Directions:
1. Beat the cream cheese until it's smooth.
2. Slowly, cup by cup, beat in the powdered sugar, until it reaches a semi-doughy consistency.  It will be a bit gooey, but still hold it's shape when formed into a ball.
3. Beat in vanilla.  If using pecans, fold them in now.
4. Roll each ball in the coconut.
5. Chill for about an hour before serving.

Yellow Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Hello, guys!

I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July!  Mine was spent with Kellen, friends, food, and fireworks!  Can't get much better than that. :)

Okay, so I of course wanted to make a festive dessert, and I did, but I just couldn't decide what I wanted to make.

I ended up deciding on cupcakes and I was completely pumped about it and ready.  The recipe looked great and the whole time I was thinking "this had better be the best cupcake I've ever made" because they're pretty labor intensive.

Nope.  I overbaked the first batch and the frosting wasn't so great (If you make these, I recommend turning the temperature down to 350).  But hey, they were still red white and blue!

Anyway, I'm still on the hunt for the best cupcake recipe ever.  What is yours?? And what did you all do for the 4th?
Also, I always mess up cream cheese frosting!  It gets all elastic.  What can I do to fix that?


Yellow Cupcakes
Click here for recipe!

 To make egg whites, it's best to have a cold mixing bowl and room temperature whites!

Overbaked. :(

Honey Strawberry Shortcakes with Honey-Cream Cheese Whipped Cream

I've never seen strawberries from Wal Mart that are as ripe as the ones we've bought this year.  It's crazy!  That never happens. 

Kellen's grandma always talks about how she likes the ones that are handpicked because they aren't "white in the centers like the strawberries from the store."  I completely agree, but this year the centers are pink.  

So, what do you do when life hands you pink-centered strawberries?

Make strawberry shortcakes! These are so light and sweet.  Perfect for a summer treat.

Honey Strawberry Shortcakes with Honey-Cream Cheese Whipped Cream
From:  Green Market Baking Book

Fruit Topping:  

3 cups local organic strawberries, sliced

1/2 cup honey

Shortcakes:

3/4 cups AP flour

2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 Tbsp cold butter
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp buttermilk
3 Tbsp honey


Whipped Cream:

1/2 cup whipped cream
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup honey

Topping:
1. Pour the honey over the sliced berries and mix gently to combine. Let stand until ready to serve – up to 1 hour.

Shortcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
2. Cut the butter in small pieces and mix quickly with a fork or your fingers until the butter is evenly distributed. 
3.Whisk the buttermilk and the honey together in a measuring cup. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing gently to combine.
4. Dust a clean surface with flour and empty the dough from the bowl onto the counter. With floured hands, pat dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Using your favorite biscuit cutter, cut into rounds or fancy shapes.
5. Place on baking sheet and bake for about 9-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside and cool until ready to assemble into cakes and serve.

Whipped Cream:
1. Beat together the whipped cream and cream cheese until combined.
2. Add the honey to the cream and whisk it in.  
3. Cut each piece of shortcake in half horizontally. 
4. Place the bottom half on a plate or shallow bowl.5. Top with a spoonful of berries and a dollop of cream.6. Add the top half of the shortcake and spoon more strawberries over it.
7. Finish with another spoonful of honey-sweetened whipped cream.8. Repeat with the other pieces of shortcake and serve.

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.