Valentines and St. Patty's Day

Showing posts with label Valentines and St. Patty's Day. Show all posts

Pecan Turtle Cake Recipe

June 21, 2018 Add Comment Cake, Cake Pops, Chocolate, How-To, Media, Pie, Valentines and St. Patty's Day Edit

It's all here. Chocolate, Caramel, Pecans. Yummy turtle cake. And the best part for me was that it was all leftovers from other projects!

What You Need:
Chocolate Cake Recipe
Caramel Buttercream Icing Recipe
1 cup Pecans (toasted and chopped)
Caramel Sauce (see Caramel Icing Recipe)
Chocolate (melted)

Bake the Cake:

I recommend my Rich Chocolate Cake, but you could also Doctor a Chocolate Cake Mix.

Make the Icing:

This Caramel Buttercream is quickly becoming my second favorite icing ever. (I don't know if anything can surpass the Strawberry Icing.)
Remember to reserve about 1/4 cup of the caramel sauce for drizzling.

Assemble the Cake:

Level and "torte" the cake (cut it in half horizontally).
Spread about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of icing on the cut cake. Leave a little room at the edge to keep the crumbs out of the icing.
(You could add some extra caramel sauce and nuts here, if you want. I was nervous about doing this, because I was afraid that when I went to coat the sides, it may make the cake more slippery.)

Cover the sides with a relatively thin coating of icing. If it's too thick, when you roll/dip it in the nuts, it will squish out, and make it harder to cover the top without spreading the nuts all over the top as well.

Coat the sides with the chopped pecans. (Always toast pecans for 5-7 minutes in a 350-degree (F) oven before chopping them.)
The easiest way to do this is to hold your cake between your two palms, and gently dip or roll the cake sideways in the nuts. It can be hard if the cake is very fluffy. It will want to crack. So, never do as you see above, and let go with one hand to take a picture. It can be a dangerous idea.

Set the cake - bottom-side-up on the cake plate. Ice with a thick coating of icing. I then made the "rough icing" look by wiggling the spatula back and forth over the top of the icing.

Drizzle with caramel and with chocolate.

You can even drizzle each piece with the caramel and chocolate as you serve, if you wish.

Click the Links Below to See:
Chocolate Cake Recipe
Caramel Icing Recipe
Other Chocolate Recipes and Ideas

And don't forget, if you shop at Amazon.com through my link, you support this blog and its contents. Thank you!

Pecan Turtle Cake Recipe

June 10, 2018 Add Comment Cake, Cake Pops, Chocolate, How-To, Media, Pie, Valentines and St. Patty's Day Edit

It's all here. Chocolate, Caramel, Pecans. Yummy turtle cake. And the best part for me was that it was all leftovers from other projects!

What You Need:
Chocolate Cake Recipe
Caramel Buttercream Icing Recipe
1 cup Pecans (toasted and chopped)
Caramel Sauce (see Caramel Icing Recipe)
Chocolate (melted)

Bake the Cake:

I recommend my Rich Chocolate Cake, but you could also Doctor a Chocolate Cake Mix.

Make the Icing:

Set the cake - bottom-side-up on the cake plate. Ice with a thick coating of icing. I then made the "rough icing" look by wiggling the spatula back and forth over the top of the icing.

Drizzle with caramel and with chocolate.

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

June 02, 2018 Add Comment Chocolate, Cookies, Icing / Frosting, Valentines and St. Patty's Day Edit

Valentine's Day is just around the corner. When it comes to the treats for the kids in class, I tend to go the "non-food" route. But for the teachers, I like to spoil them with something like this chocolate sandwich cookie.

What You Need:
Chocolate Cut-Out Cookies (heart-shaped, of course!)
Valentine Sprinkles
Strawberry Icing:
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) at room temperature
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup pureed strawberries (fresh or frozen)

Make and cool the chocolate cookies. (Click here for my Chocolate Sugar Cookie Recipe.)

Make the Icing:

Combine the butter and one cup of the powdered sugar.

Add the strawberries, and mix well.
*Note: I prefer to use defrosted frozen strawberries for this. You will want to pour off the liquid before pureeing the strawberries to keep the icing from getting too watery.

Add more powdered sugar until the icing is relatively stiff. (Think the consistency of cookie dough. NOT like pudding or the thin icing you would spread on a cake.) I added about 3 1/2 cups total.
You want this icing to be thick or it will squish out when you take a bite.

Spread icing on one cookie, leaving a little space around the edges.
Avoid overloading the cookie with icing, or it will just get really messy when you add the sprinkles, and when you eat it.

Sandwich the icing with another cookie.

Dip the edges in the sprinkles.
*Note: I recommend using a paper plate to make it easier to keep the sprinkles contained, and to be able to move the sprinkles back into a pile.

Store the cookies in the refrigerator. The icing is best if it is a little cold when you eat the cookies... again just to keep it from squishing too much out of the sides.

PS- The cookie at the top of the post actually has mint icing inside. I will share that recipe really soon. Those are super yummy, too!

And don't forget, if you shop at Amazon.com through my link, you support this blog and its contents. Thank you!

Valentine's Day Ideas & Treats

June 02, 2018 Add Comment Valentines and St. Patty's Day Edit

Truthfully, Valentine's Day for me is more of a store-bought treat day. Mostly because I just want really good chocolate truffles. I don't want cookies or cupcakes or cake. But that's just me. I know some people would prefer the homemade stuff, so... here's my collection of Valentine's Treats in one easy-to-find post.

Cakes:

Ruffle Heart Cake

Easy Fondant Valentine's Cake

Easy Buttercream Valentine's Cake

"Wild About You" Monster Cake

Not-At-All-Easy Chocolate Valentine's Cake

A Little Easier Chocolate Lover's Cake

Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cake

Cookies:

Chocolate-Strawberry Sandwich Cookies

Love Letter Sugar Cookies

You're My Little Love Bug Cookies

Bee My Valentine Cookies

Valentine's Day Bouquet of Cookies

Other Ideas:

Cream Cheese Mints (Easy!)

Chocolate-Vanilla Tuxedo Cheesecake

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

Easy Cake Pops

Pink-Pink Cake Pops

And don't forget, if you shop at Amazon.com through my link, you support this blog and its contents. Thank you!

Wild About You - Easy Monster Cake

June 02, 2018 Add Comment Basics, Birthday Cakes, Cake, How-To, Valentines and St. Patty's Day Edit

How about a hairy, purple Monster to say I'm Wild About You, Valentine!?!
This cake is super easy! It took me less than an hour to decorate. It's perfect for Valentine's Day, Birthdays, whatever!

What You Need:
6-9" Round Cake (This was 6"x3")
2-4 cups of Buttercream Icing (depending on the size of your cake)
Colors: Purple, Pink, Black (and white)
Decorating Bags & Tips #5, 12, 233

Ice the cake smooth, and start by adding white dots with Tip #12 for the eyes. (However many eyes you want.) Add the black mouth and eye spots with Tip #5. The tongue is made with another Tip #12 dot- in pink.

Then, it's a lot of repeating... Tip #233 "hair" all over. Always start with the tip touching the cake, and squeeze while you pull straight away from the cake.

I couldn't pass on taking this picture! I thought it was so adorable, the balding monster with mutton chops.

Once he is covered, finish it off with a message on the cake plate.

Click the Links Below to See:
Another Easy Monster Cake (too funny, I thought the last one had 2 eyes.... I guess I'm not very original)
A More Difficult Monster Cake
Other Valentine's Day Ideas

And don't forget, if you shop at Amazon.com through my link, you support this blog and its contents. Thank you!