Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake Balls

There's nothing more cutesy than a cake pop. On the downside, there's nothing as painful and laborious to make as a cake pop. Yes, they are beautiful, but beauty takes a lot of work; especially these babies. In the center lies a moist red velvet cake crumble mixed with cheese cream frosting, then it's surrounded by a layer of creamy cheesecake, then rolled in some graham cracker crumbs for some crunch, and finally surrounded in white coating chocolate! Whew, that was a lot to get out!

As you can probably tell, there are a lot of steps to these pops, but, what you don't know is that they really are worth it. For a red velvet cheesecake lover, this is pretty much heaven! And for a holiday party, I can't think of any treat more fitting.

Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake Pops

Yields: about 25 - 30 cake pops
Original recipe here.

1 recipe red velvet cake, baked, crumbled (I used my favorite)

1 can of cream cheese frosting

1 baked cheesecake (I used this recipe, or you can use store bought to make it easier)

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

2 cups white chocolate bark, chopped finely
lollipop sticks 

To make the cake center, mix together the red velvet cake crumbs and cream cheese frosting until thoroughly mixed. Using clean hands, form them into 1" balls and set on a foil lined baking sheet. Set in freezer for 30 minutes to harden, to make them easier to work with. Pour the graham cracker crumbs in a shallow bowl and set next to your cheesecake to make a sort of assembly line. Using a spoon, take about 1 - 2 tbsn. of the cheesecake and wrap around the cake center. This will be difficult, but once you mostly have it covered around in the cheesecake, drop the ball into the graham cracker crumbs and roll around. Once covered in graham cracker crumbs, it will now be easier to roll into a uniform ball. Repeat with remaining cheesecake and cake balls and set onto a foil lined baking sheet. Melt your white chocolate bark (either in 30 second increments in the microwave of using a double boiler). Dip a lollipop stick in the melted chocolate, then stick one into each cheesecake-cake ball. Once all cake balls have been sticked, place in the freezer for 30 minutes until set. Re-melt your chocolate until it is smooth again, since by now it might have hardened a bit. Grab a stick and dip the entire ball into the chocolate until covered. Tap lightly to remove excess, then transfer to a clean foil-lined baking sheet. You can either let them harden on the counter or, if you want to speed up the process, you can set them in the freezer again for 20 - 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Chocolate Éclair Cake

I love anything that has to do with custard, as you know well by now. It's just the perfect food; creamy, sweet, so unctuous! I've been wanting to make this Chocolate Éclair Cake for a while, but I was kind of iffy about all of the processed products in it and whether or not it would turn out tasty. Despite my own cautions about the cake, there were numerous glowing reviews about how easy and how incredibly delicious this cake is... so I went ahead and bit the bullet!

This icebox cake is everything everyone says it is. First, it's easy as hell, I mean seriously, all you have to do is assemble the dang thing, then let is rest in the refrigerator overnight. Secondly, and most importantly, it's effing delicious!!! Yes, I had to use multiple exclamation points because it is so yummy. It's custardy and rich and chocolatey all at the same time. 

I went ahead and did myself a favor by using all low-fat or sugar-free products to reduce my caloric intake. Something so luxurious to begin with can get away with shedding a few unneeded indulgences. Magically, this concoction does taste like an eclair, and if you love them, you must try this recipe! Something to note, the chocolate frosting makes the cake extremely sweet, so I suggest using a chocolate ganache instead, unless you like sticky sweet desserts.

Chocolate Éclair Cake

Yields: about 15 - 20 servings

Original recipe here.

1 package low-fat graham crackers

2 packages (3.4 oz.) sugar-free instant French vanilla pudding

8 oz. package fat-free Cool Whip

3 cups nonfat milk

16 oz. can chocolate frosting (or homemade chocolate ganache)

In a large bowl, mix together the milk and pudding mix until well combined, then fold in the Cool Whip. Arrange the graham crackers in a single layer in the bottom of a 9"x13" baking dish (you may need to break some crackers to fit the dish). Top with a layer of the pudding mixture (about 1 cm thick), then top with another layer of graham crackers. Continue this process until you finish the graham crackers. Spread the chocolate frosting or homemade ganache over the top of the last layer of graham crackers. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours and up to overnight before serving.

German Chocolate Cake

I haven't done a food post in ages! I miss them but recently I haven't had the urge to bake, let alone take photos of it all. Since I was 'forced' to bake for my godfather's birthday, why not at least take a photo of what ended up to be a beautiful cake. Well, forced sounds horrible, I was happy to make the cake but it was however, under deadline... eek! 

To be honest, I'm not the hugest fan of German chocolate cake. I love chocolate cake. I love chocolate cream cheese frosting. I love coconut and I love pecans. But the combination of all of those things together just does not do it for me for some reason.

So when I tell you I didn't like this cake, please don't be discouraged or swayed away from trying this recipe! I made it for my dear Godfather's birthday and he loves German chocolate cake. That being said, he said this was one of the best ones he's ever had. I can't tell you if he was saying that to be sweet to me  or if it was true, but since he's a pretty honest man, I think it's probably true - whew! Let me just say though, the cake alone was fabulously moist and the frosting was deliciously smooth and tangy.

German Chocolate Cake

Yields: 24 cupcakes

Original recipe here.

For the chocolate cake:

1 box Devil's food cake

3 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 cup sour cream

For the German chocolate frosting:

1 cup evaporated milk

1 cup sugar

3 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla 

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

1 1/2 cups flaked coconut

For the chocolate buttercream:

4 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup butter

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tbsn. milk or cream, if needed

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line two muffin tins with liners, set aside. In a large bowl, combine the oil, eggs and vanilla. Sift about 1/3 of the cake mix and mix until combined. Add the buttermilk and stir until combined. Add another 1/3 of the cake mix, stir to combine. Add the sour cream, then the remaining cake mix and stir until combined. Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 18 - 22 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

  

To make the frosting, over medium heat in a saucepan, constantly stir the evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks and butter until thickened (basically until it boils, about 15 minutes). Stir in the vanilla, pecans and coconut. Let cool. To make the chocolate buttercream, beat the cream cheese and butter for 4 minutes, add the cocoa, powdered sugar and vanilla. Let beat for 3 minutes. If it is too thick, add some milk. If it is too thin, add some more powdered sugar. Pipe the chocolate buttercream along the edges of the cooled cupcakes to create a barrier, then add a small scoop of cooled German chocolate frosting into the center. 

Ice Cream Cake Pops

If you're looking to hype up a big party of little kids, look no further. It was my wee little cousin's birthday a while ago and I decided what could be more fun than ice cream cone-shaped cake pops? Nothing!

Cake pops are always fun, no matter the shape, but putting them in an ice cream cone really takes them to the next level. The kids went crazy over them! Maybe not the best idea for the little tots since by the time they finished them... they were screaming all over the place. Oops, sorry parents!

These were so deceptive, one kid even wondered why his ice cream wasn't melting! Cake pops as always take a bit more love and time than anything else and always are a bit tricky mastering. Something about me and melting chocolate does not work. I always burn the stuff or can never get it to the perfect consistency, which led to top heavy cones, oy vey! I definitely recommend these for kids though, since they are really sweet and can lead to cavity formation upon first bite.

Ice Cream Cone Cake Balls

Yields: 24 ice cream cone cake balls

Original recipe here.

1 (18.25 oz.) box red velvet cake mix + ingredients needed for the cake
1 tub of cream cheese frosti
24 sugar ice cream cones
chocolate
candy melts (color of your choice)
sprinkles


Bake the cake according to the directions on the box, then let cool completely. Once cool, use a fork to shred the cake into crumbs. Once fully crumbed, add 3/4 of the cream cheese frosting. Sometimes the cake needs the whole tub to make it moist enough to roll, but sometimes it doesn't. If 3/4 of the tub isn't enough to make it moist, add the rest and mix thoroughly. You have two options with the ice cream cones: you can either leave them as they are and make HUGE ice cream cake pops OR you can shave the cones down to make 'mini-cones.' Either way, shape the cake mix large enough to fit in the tops of your cones, then stuff them into the cones so that they are stable. I melt 2 cups of candy melts, then in 1 cup increments if I need more. Melt your candy melts using a microwave or a double boiler. Once melted, use a spoon to drizzle it over the top of the cake balls, using a spoon to cover the entire ball, drips are welcomed! Let these dry right-side up. Once dried, melt the chocolate (again, I melt 2 cups first, then in 1 cup increments if more is needed). Use a spoon to drizzle it on top of the candy melt layer, then sprinkle with sprinkles and let them dry before eating.

A peek inside:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes

I think that a warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie is one of the most comforting things in the world. I didn't have a mother who would bring me a warm tray of cookies and milk whenever I had a bad day or just because I was a good girl - not saying that's a bad thing though! I guess I never knew what I was missing, and I kind of just do that for myself now ;)

These are basically the love child of my obsession with cupcakes + my obsession with chocolate chip cookies. I think my babies are pretty cute, don't you?

I mean visually, these cupcakes are pretty stunning. Audibly, they're pretty stunning too. I mean, come on, if someone said to you, "Would you like a chocolate chip cookie cupcake?," how could you in your right mind say no or even hide the fact that saliva is dripping down your chin? These cupcakes are pretty spectacular taste-wise as well. Anything brown sugar is all kinds of right in my mind! I omitted the original cookie dough center in the recipe since I heard it was too sweet, but the cupcake this way was perfect.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes

Yields: about 12 cupcakes

Original recipe here.

For the brown sugar cupcakes:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs

1 1/3 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)

For the cookie dough frosting:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 + 1/8 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup flour

large pinch of salt

1 1/2 tbsn. milk

2 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mini chocolate chips, for decoration (optional)

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake tin with liners and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl, stir to blend. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake tin, about 2/3 full. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.

To make the cookie dough filling, combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up a bit, about an hour. To fill the cupcakes, cut a cone-shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with a chunk of the chilled dough mixture.

To make the frosting, beat together the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until creamy. Mix in the powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in the flour and salt. Mix in the milk and vanilla until smooth and well blended. Frost the filled cupcakes as desired, sprinkling with mini chocolate chips and topping with mini chocolate chip cookies for decoration.

My Favorite Financiers {2 ways}

These things are quite possibly one of my favorite things to bake ever. They are so deceptive. Look at them, just look at them. Those pretty little cakes above have much more to them then meets the eye. You might just cast them off as your typical tea cake but please, let's not be quite to judge.

These financiers are born from the beauty that is beurre noisette aka brown butter. Brown butter is one of the best things to ever encounter your kitchen. Once you smell the stuff, you're in heaven and once you taste it in sweets, it's a trip! Mixed with the nuttiness of ground almonds and fresh blackberries, it really makes a spectacular treat. 


My favorite part about these cakes are that they are gluten free. Gluten free you say? Heck I'm all for gluten, I love it but, this recipe uses rice flour in place of regular to make it gluten free. If you haven't tried rice flour before, give it a try! It makes delicious things like coconut mochi cake, daifuku and strawberry mochi cupcakes. I love the chewiness of it and it adds to the texture of these financiers in the most spectacular way. I love it so!

Honestly though, these little cakes are good with anything you can imagine. Here, I have them with blackberries and apricots. But I've tried them with rhubarb and with pears + pistachio. Every single time, they've come out spectacular and I can't get enough out of them. I can't wait to try them with tons of other add-ins. I'm dreaming of sweet cherries, earl grey tea, and raspberries!

Blackberry & Vanilla Bean Financiers

Yields: 12 financiers

Adapted from here.

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

1 cup unsifted powdered sugar

1/2 cup ground almonds

1/3 cup sweet rice flour

pinch of salt

4 large egg whites

1 cup blackberries, washed and dried

Preheat the oven to 375 F and position the rack in the center. Lightly spray or butter the inside of 12 financier molds or muffin cups with cooking spray and place them on a baking sheet, set aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, melt the butter until it turns into a rich hazelnut brown color, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes before straining it to remove the little dark butter particles at the bottom of the pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the powdered sugar, ground almonds, flour and salt on low speed until just combined. Add the egg whites and mix until all the ingredients are coming together. Add the brown butter, increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth. Divide the batter among the molds and divide the blackberries evenly among the top. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Sugared Apricot Financiers

Yields: 12 financiers

Adapted from here.

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

1 cup unsifted powdered sugar

1/2 cup ground almonds

1/3 cup sweet rice flour

pinch of salt

4 large egg whites

2 -3 apricots, washed, pitted and sliced into wedges

turbinado sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 F and position the rack in the center. Lightly spray or butter the inside of 12 financier molds or muffin cups with cooking spray and place them on a baking sheet, set aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, melt the butter until it turns into a rich hazelnut brown color, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes before straining it to remove the little dark butter particles at the bottom of the pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the powdered sugar, ground almonds, flour and salt on low speed until just combined. Add the egg whites and mix until all the ingredients are coming together. Add the brown butter, increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth. Divide the batter among the molds and divide the apricot slices evenly among the top. Sprinkle with a generous amount of turbinado sugar and Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Aren't they just stunning?!

A Brunch to Remember

I hope everyone's holiday season has been filled with love, joy and much great food! 

I took a little break from blogging to enjoy some much needed r&r in the form of snow blizzards in Mammoth, family time and overeating. 

Speaking of overeating, for New Years Eve, I decided to throw a little brunch together for some of my friends. The menu was... fantastic. I've never made so many great things in such a small span of time. Let's just say, what a way to bring in the new year!

Cute, little radishes.

Our brunch extravaganza; mimosas are a must!

First, on the menu was the 'Eggs Benedict' salad. This one is the stunner! It's gorgeous, filled with oodles of color and even more flavor. Even though I kind of piled it all together, it still made my eyes water a bit. Please, please make this - it's a wonderful reinvention of the brunch classic and it will be loved by all. Pinky promise.

Eggs Benedict Salad

Yields: 4 servings

Adapted from here.

5 thin proscuitto slices

3 tbsn. extra-virgin olive oil

5 tsp. white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar

10 cups baby mixed greens

8 radishes, trimmed, thinly sliced

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

4 large eggs, poached

For the hollandaise sauce:

2 large egg yolks

3 tbsn. fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup or 1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 tbsn. Dijon mustard

1/8 tsp. coarse kosher sale

pinch of ground white pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Arrange the proscuitto slices in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the proscuitto is crisp, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool, then coarsely crumble. Whisk the oil and vinegar in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper, then toss the baby greens, radishes and red onion in the mixture; set aside.

To make the hollandaise, whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the melted butter, then set the bowl over a medium saucepan of gently simmering water (do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water). Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and an instant-read thermometer registers 140 F for 3 minutes, about 5 minutes total. Remove the bowl from over the water, whisk in the last 3 ingredients. Cover to keep warm. Divide the tossed salad among four plates, sprinkle with the crumbled proscuitto, and top with a poached egg. Drizzle with the hollandaise and enjoy.

Please, let us bask in the gloriousness that is brown sugar-bacon waffles. Really, they are that spectacular. Every bit as spectacular as they sound and as they look. Oh man, they are just all that and a bag of chips! Joy the Baker really has breakfast down to a science. Her pancakes, her waffles, oy vey - all a big hit for me.

But then... it gets better. Yes, it's possible. You know that ever existing problem of a carton full of buttermilk and what to do with it? Yeah, we all have that problem. Buttermilk only comes in huge containers, yet recipes only call for a wee bit of it. Well to use up the remainder of your buttermilk, make buttermilk syrup to go with your waffles. It's a double whammy: finish up your buttermilk and enjoy the best homemade syrup EVER!

Brown Sugar Bacon Waffles

Yields: about 10 waffles (depends on the size of your waffle maker)

Original recipe here.

For the bacon:

10 slices of bacon

1/4 cup brown sugar

For the waffles:

3 cups flour

1 tbsn. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1/4 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup canola or grapeseed oil

4 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 cups buttermilk

To make the bacon, preheat the oven to 375 F. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and line with foil. Arrange the bacon in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with brown sugar. Place in the upper third of the oven and bake until the sugar is caramelized and the bacon is brown and crispy, about 10 - 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately remove the bacon slices using a pair of tongs. Place them on a cutting board, not paper towels (because they will stick) to cool before chopping. Once cool, chop the bacon into bite sized pieces and set aside.

Set up the waffle iron on a level, clean surface and turn on to preheat. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and brown sugar. Whisk to blend. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold. Once almost fully incorporated, add the bacon bites and stir. Try not to over mix the batter or the waffles will become tough. It's okay if a few lymph remain in the batter. Cook according to your waffle machine instructions. Serve with maple syrup.

Buttermilk Syrup

Yields: about 1 cup

Adapted from here.

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

In a medium sauce pot,  combine the butter, buttermilk and sugar. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil while whisking constantly, then turn off the heat. Add the vanilla and baking soda (watch out, it will bubble vigorously) and whisk to combine. Serve warm with pancakes, waffles, whatever.

Ahhh brunch glory:

Let's dig IN.

Last, but not least, was brunch dessert. Brunch dessert you ask? Yes, I coined that term myself... I think. Brunch must always end with dessert. In fact, all meals should end with dessert in my opinion. This coffeecake was the perfect way to end our lovely, lovely afternoon.


The cake was moist, filled with great flavor and the crumb, oh that crumb. When is crumble topping ever not loved? I think it is quite possibly the most loved thing on this planet we call Earth. Of course, I had to  top it off with a decadent vanilla-bean crème anglaise. Of course, right? Well this crème anglaise tasted like melted vanilla ice cream, and I mean that in the most wonderful way possible!

Cherry Vanilla Coffeecake

Yields: 1 9" round coffee cake, about 8 servings

Adapted from here.

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1 3/4 cup sugar

2 cups fresh or thawed, frozen sweet cherries (6 oz.)

2 cups + 1 tbsn. flour, divided

2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1 stick + 1 tbsn. unsalted butter, softened, divided

2 large eggs

1/2 cup whole milk

Preheat the oven to 375 F, with a rack placed in the middle of the oven. Generously butter a 9x2" round cake pan. Line the bottom with a round of parchment paper, then butter the paper. Scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean into a food processor, add the sugar and pulse to combine. Transfer to a bowl. Pulse the cranberries with 1/2 cup of the vanilla sugar in a food processor until finely chopped (but do not puree), set aside. 

Whisk together 2 cups of flour, the baking soda, and salt, set aside. Beat together 1 stick of butter and 1 cup of vanilla sugar in the bowl of an electric mix at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the flour mixture and milk in alternate batches, beginning and ending with the flour, until just combined. Spread half of the batter in the pan, then spoon the cherries over it, leaving a 1/2" border around the edge. Top with the remaining batter and smooth the top. Blend the remaining 1/4 cup of vanilla sugar with the remaining 1 tbsn. of butter and 1 tbsn. of flour using your fingertips. Crumble over the top of the cake. Bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the sides begin to pull away from the pan, about 45 - 50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely, crumble side up. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired. 

Vanilla Bean Crème Anglaise

Yields: 2 cups

Original recipe here.

4 large egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup milk

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise or 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Fill a large bowl with ice and water, set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until lightened, about 2 minutes. Place the milk and heavy cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Scrape the vanilla seeds into the pan and add the pod. If using extract, hold off and add later. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low. Whisk about 1/3 cup of the milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture to temper it. Return this mixture to the saucepan. Cook the creme anglaise over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of heavy cream. If the sauce is overheated it will start to curdle, so it's important to stir constantly and to keep a close eye on the sauce. Discard the vanilla pod and strain the creme into a medium-sized metal bowl. If using extract, now is the time to add it. Place the bowl over an ice bath to chill until ready to serve. Store in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 4 days. 

I don't know if you guys know this already, but I had a mission this past year to complete a 365 Project and that I did! It was the most rewarding and challenging thing I've ever done, and I am so glad to have lasted it through the year. New years eve was my final day where I had to take a picture to document my day, and here it is:

I think this picture summarizes my year and project perfectly: a bit sweet, a bit sparkly, and wholly wonderful. Hopefully, that's how my next year shall turn up as well.

To see the rest of my 2010 - 365 photos, go here.