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!

Red Velvet Pancakes

Ah! This last installation in Pancake Week is a little bit late but I've been overcome with heat and sickness. That's me being dramatic but I have been spending my last days in bed with nothing but my laptop and occasionally my super cute dog!

A while back ago, a reader suggested that I make red velvet pancakes. She said that they would be the perfect fit for my blog, and as soon as I read her comment, I wholeheartedly agreed. I love kitschy food! Most people are sick of red velvet now, but I could never get sick of something so lovely. I mean anything that gives me excuse to eat buttermilk and cream cheese frosting is okay by me.

These pancakes are just plain fun. The red color is stunning and immediately evokes a giggle out of me. These would have been extremely lovely with a light cream cheese glaze but unfortunately I didn't have any cream cheese on me. I made a buttermilk syrup instead and it was equally as lovely. I just love buttermilk syrup because I can never find a way to use up all the excess buttermilk I have in my refrigerator! Plus, it sure is tasty.

Red Velvet Pancakes

Yields: 2 servings

Original recipe here.

1 cup flour

1 tbsn. cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tbsn. sugar

1 large egg

1 tbsn. melted butter or vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 tsp. red food coloring
buttermilk syrup, for serving

Preheat a lightly greased or nonstick skillet on the stovetop. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add the egg, melted butter, buttermilk, vanilla and food coloring and whisk well until the better is smooth and few lumps remain. Drop the batter into the hot skillet and cook until the edges are just starting to set and the bottom is lightly browned, about 2 - 3 minutes. Flip and cook again until the bottom is lightly browned, about 1 - 2 minutes. Serve immediately with syrup, berries, or whipped cream.

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:

Red Velvet Hot Cocoa with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream

It seems like recently, my diet has consisted wholly of hot chocolate, soups and my any type of salad topped with my favorite new green apple vinaigrette (recipe soon)! Seriously though, I've been sipping on hot chocolate or some kind of homemade latte every other day, if not every day. This is probably because of my innate need for all things holiday to consume me. 

I'm the kind of girl who loves her winter weather. Although, you and I might have awful different ideas about what 'winter weather' means. As a born and raised Southern California girl, winter to me means: intermittent rains, 2 -3 layers of clothing tops, no sight of snow whatsoever and teeth chattering at the 70 degree mark. I know, I know, it's not much of a winter but it's what we've got!

Anyways, along with Christmas music, this red velvet hot chocolate is all I need to keep me warm on these cold Californian nights. The thing that makes this hot chocolate "red velvet" is merely coloring but the thought is cheerful in itself! You'd be surprised by how a little bit of color can make a cup of hot cocoa seem all the more merrier. The addition of cream cheese frosting though... purely decadent and the perfect pairing. I was always a firm believer that real red velvet deserves cream cheese frosting and not that vanilla buttercream nonsense. 

Red Velvet Hot Cocoa with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream

Yields: 4 servings

Original recipe here.

4 cups whole milk

1 dash water

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. red food coloring

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 - 4 tbsn. whipped cream cheese, room temperature

In a stand mixer, combine the heavy cream and sugar. Whip on medium speed with the whisk attachment for 2 - 3 minutes. Just before peaks form, add the cream cheese and whisk for another 2 minutes. Taste and add more cream cheese to taste. Be careful not to over whip though, or else you'll have butter! In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat. Add a splash of water and the chocolate chips, constantly stirring gently. When almost melted, add the red food coloring and stir. When the chocolate chips are thoroughly melted, pour the hot chocolate into mugs and top with the whipped cream.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake

When I heard about such an existence of a red velvet layered cheesecake cake, I knew that it was a special present sent from the baking angels of Heaven. Red velvet is one of the finest creations man has ever made, but then to smoosh a big creamy layer of cheesecake in the center too? Genius, pure genius.

I'm still having trouble with making layered cakes look pretty. This one was no exception - it was uneven and the frosting was so hard to keep pristine from the red velvet crumbs. I covered the outside of the cake with some crushed nuts to hide my messy frosting job, but despite all that, nothing could beat how this cake looked cut! Seriously people, perfection! Taste wise, I can say no less. How could it not be good?!!

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake

Yields: 1 3-layer cake

Original recipe here.

For the cheesecake:

2 oz. white chocolate, chopped

16 oz. cream cheese, room temperature (2 packages)

1/2 cup + 2 tbsn. sugar

1 tbsn. flour

2 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tbsn. heavy cream

For the cake:

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tbsn. cocoa powder

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk

2 tbsn./ 1 oz. red food coloring

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. white distilled vinegar

For the cream cheese frosting:
16 oz. cream cheese/ 2 blocks, room temperature
8 tbsn./ 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 - 3 cups powdered sugar
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350 F. To make the cheesecake, melt the white chocolate, set aside to cool slightly. In a large bowl using an electronic mixer, mix the cream cheese on low speed until creamy. Add the sugar and mix slowly until smooth. On low speed, mix in the flour. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beater with a rubber spatula. Add one egg at a time, mixing well after each addition, scraping the sides of the bowl. Mix in the vanilla and cream until the mixture is smooth. Using a large spoon, stir in the melted white chocolate until incorporated. Pour the batter into a parchment paper lined 9-inch spring form pan. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the center is set when you slightly shake the pan. Allow to cool before removing from the spring form pan. Allow to cool completely before assembling the cake.

For the cake, preheat the oven to 350 F. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa and salt into a medium bowl. Beat the eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla and vinegar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Divide the batter evenly between 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans and bake for 25 - 30 minutes, rotating halfway through, until an inserted toothpick in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cakes cool for 10 minutes, then invert each onto a plate, then invert again onto a cooling rack and let them cool completely, then level.


To make the cream cheese frosting, cream together the cream cheese and butter in a stand mixer until creamy and smooth. Turn the mixer on low and add the vanilla and salt. Then add the powdered sugar slowly. Once mostly incorporated, turn back to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy. To assemble the cake, place your bottom layer of cake on the dish/ plate you will be serving it on with the leveled side facing up. Spread a thin layer of cream cheese frosting on top - it doesn't matter how messy it looks since it will be covered. Transfer the cheesecake to the top of the cake, then spread another thin layer of cream cheese frosting on top of the cheesecake. Top with the remaining layer of cake - leveled side down so that you have a clean surface. Use the rest of the cream cheese frosting to frost the entire cake. Enjoy!

Not the prettiest cake, but sure the tastiest!

Ahhhh sweet, layer-y goodness!

Graduation Celebration!

AH! I just graduated college, like literally a day ago! I'm happy, ecstatic, freaked out but mostly, I feel weird. It's just a weird feeling when you close one chapter of your life and are faced with the next, yet to be written...

These past four years have been filled with much goodness, fun, friends, family, adventures, failures, triumphs and more, and I couldn't have asked for anything else. I am so proud to say that I have finished my undergraduate career and am now on my way to new and exciting endeavors. Of course, I'll miss the time I had at UCI a lot, more than words can say, but for now, YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

My wonderful parents have supported me since the day I came into creation and I am so proud to say that I am their daughter. Even more wonderfully, they threw me a beautiful graduation celebration filled with family and friends! But of course, I had to bake a few things. Correction, by a few, I mean a whole lotta!

My sister & I enjoying our goodies (my dog Baba-ganoush with us on the right):

First on the list: Blue Velvet Cupcakes with Yellow Cream Cheese Frosting. Why blue and yellow you ask? Well UCI's colors are blue and yellow so I thought the choice was obvious :P

I have my tried and true red velvet recipe, but I decided to try a new one for this extravaganza. Although these were yummy, I still prefer my favorite one :)

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Yields: 24 cupcakes

Original recipe here. Frosting recipe here.

For the cake:

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tbsn. cocoa powder

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk

2 tbsn. (1 oz.) red food coloring

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. white distilled vinegar

For the frosting:

16 oz. cream cheese (2 sticks), room temperature

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

pinch of salt

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake tin with liners, set aside. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa and salt into a medium bowl. Beat the eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla and vinegar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tin. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in tin for 5 minutes before cooling completely on a rack.

To make the frosting, with an electric mixture, blend together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Turn mixer to low speed and blend in the powdered sugar, salt and vanilla. Turn mixer on high until light and fluffy. Use immediately or refrigerate, covered, until ready to use. If refrigerated, before use bring back to room temperature.

Blue & Yellow Rice Krispies because well, we had rice krispies and marshmallows on hand and they are incredibly cute, if I do say so myself. Plus, who doesn't love rice krispies?

Smores Cookies. I will never, ever find a replacement for you. You are by far my favorite cookies on this planet earth and I had to, just HAD to make you! Mmmm graham based cookie dough filled with chocolate and topped with chewy, toasty marshmallows!

Baba & I with our wondrous spread:

My absolute favorite, or let me correct myself, EVERYONE's favorite were the mini fruit tarts. These are so incredibly easy: just bake some puff pastry dough, whisk up some easy-peasy custard and top with some fresh fruit. And though it takes you a second, it looks like a million bucks!

Mini Fruit Tarts

Yields: 18 mini tarts

Original recipe here.

1 package puff pastry, thawed

1 egg + 1 tbsn. water, beaten

1 bow of strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced

1 box of blueberries, washed

1 box of blackberries, washed

1 bow of raspberries, washed

2 kiwis, peeled and sliced

1 pomegranate, seeded

For the custard:

1 large box of vanilla pudding

1 1/4 cups WHOLE milk

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. vanilla or 1 vanilla bean, scraped

To make the custard, beat everything together until it starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Refrigerate until cool and thickens some more, about 1 hour. Remove the puff pastry from the package and place onto a lightly floured surface. Use a knife to cut each piece of puff pastry into 9 squares, yielding 18 in total. Use a fork to prick the surface all over each piece. Place the squares onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush each square with the egg wash and bake according to directions on the package, let cool completely. To assemble, spread about 2 - 3 tbsn. of custard onto each pastry and top with the fruit in however manner you wish. Enjoy!

For all of my family, and me especially, I asked my mom to make Che Thai which is a Vietnamese dessert that is filled with all kinds of Vietnamese canned fruits, jellies and such and served as a cold soup in a coconut milk-syrup mixture. It's my absolute favorite of Vietnamese desserts!

Che Thai/ Vietnamese Fruit in Coconut Milk

Yields: 10 - 15 servings

1 can grass jelly, cut into 1/2 inch dices

1 can mint jelly, cut into 1/2 inch dices

2 cans jackfruit, sliced and water reserved

1 can longan, roughly chopped and water reserved

1 can lychee, roughly chopped and water reserved

1 pomegranate, seeds removed and washed

1 jar toddy palm seed

1 jar coconut gel

1/2 can coconut milk, more or less

In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients, including their liquids from the cans. Add about half of the coconut milk and mix everything together. Add more according to your taste. Chill in the refrigerator until thoroughly chilled, about 3 hours. Serve cold and with ice if too sweet.

Sangria's always a good choice for parties. Not too overbearingly alcoholic and perfect for the summer, especially with all of that great fruit coming into season. This one is Bobby Flay's recipe and boy did it hit the spot. Sweet with a nice punch.

Bobby Flay's White Peach Sangria

Yields: 4 - 6 servings

Original recipe here.

1 bottle white wine (Spanish table wine)

3 oz. brandy

2 oz. triple sec

1 cup orange juice

1 cup pineapple juice

2 oz. simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar heated until dissolved, then cooled)

3 oz. white peach puree

fresh peaches, oranges and apples, sliced (I used peaches and blackberries)

Place all of the ingredients into a pitcher to mix. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 48 hours. Serve over ice.

For the kiddies we had Orange Rainbow Punch. Basically just orange juice, ginger ale and all of the fruit you can imagine dumped in! I used sliced oranges, blueberries, kiwi, strawberries and blackberries. It was like a fruit fiesta and so uberly refreshing.

And of course, had to have some of PW's Corn & Avocado salsa! It's perfect for summer and absolutely perfect for parties, so freaking delicious!

Of course, we had a bunch more food than that! My mom is the master at parties and provided a whole spread of delights which included crab stuffed mushrooms, Korean BBQ, rice pilaf with almonds, penne with feta and garlic shrimp and more. Mmmmm my stomach is grumbling from just thinking about it!