Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Layer Cake

February 23, 2022

Get ready for a show stopping layer cake recipe! My Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Layer Cake has 3 tall layers of chocolate chip layer cake, that's filled with chocolate chip cookie filling, frosted with vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream and topped with edible chocolate chip cookie dough. Where are my chocolate chip cookie lovers at? Because this one is for you!

No eggs are used for this cookie dough but flour is. Flour is a raw ingredient so it must be cooked before using in this cookie dough to kill any bacteria.

Adjust an oven rack to the center position and heat your oven to 350 degrees.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the flour in an even layer.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until the flour starts to turn ivory in color.
Let cool to room temperature then sift the flour to remove the clumps before using.

These vanilla cake layers are light and buttery, thanks to the addition of cake flour and egg whites. The sour cream gives it extra richness. And the addition of mini chocolate chips makes it the perfect base for our Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Layer Cake.

Cake flour: has a low protein content which helps deliver a cake with a delicate fine crumb.

Baking powder: is an alkali which must be used in conjunction with an acidic ingredient, such as sour cream, buttermilk, molasses or brown sugar to produce carbon dioxide. This happens right after mixing so you should bake the cake right away.

Baking soda: is a mixture of baking soda and cornstarch. Baking soda works twice, when it first comes into contact with liquid and again while it's baking.

Salt: enhances the flavor of your baked goods.

Whole milk: thins out the batter and contributes to a cakey crumb as the liquid creates steam while baking. Milk also helps with gluten development when it interacts with the flour. Opt for whole milk since the fat helps to tenderize the cake crumb and can weaken gluten development.

Sour cream: lends a tangy flavor and helps moisten the cake. It can also be substituted for buttermilk or yogurt. Be sure to use full fat sour cream in baking recipes unless the recipe specifically says otherwise.

Unsalted butter: should be soft enough for creaming but malleable enough to be whipped firm to retain air, which provides structure. Softened butter should be around 65 to 67 degrees. The butter should bend without breaking.

Granulated sugar: incorporates easily in cake batters and helps aerate the butter.

Vanilla extract: enhances the cakes flavor.

Egg whites: help give structure to the cake.

To achieve the cookie dough flavor in this filling, be sure to brown the butter until it lets off a nutty aroma and is the color of caramel. You can use mini chocolate chips for the filling or coarsely chop regular chocolate chips instead.

Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream Tips

Be sure your mixer bowl is clean. There should be no grease in the bowl and there should be no traces of egg yolk in your egg whites.
Whisk the egg whites and sugar together well before heating, or the egg whites could start cooking on their own.
Make sure your water stays at a simmer in your double boiler.
Add in the butter to the egg whites a tablespoon at a time.
Reduce the mixer speed to low during the last minute to reduce the air bubbles in the buttercream.

Chocolate Drip Tips

Chill the frosted cake before applying chocolate drips.
Make sure your chocolate drip is the correct temperature before dripping. The chocolate should be fluid but not warm or hot.
Test the drip by making a practice drip on the sides of the cake before adding the drips to the entire cake. The drip should flow slowly and smoothly.
Instead of pouring the chocolate drip on top of the cake and spreading it out, add drips individually to the sides of the cake with a spoon or squeeze bottle.
Tap the cake on the counter to release any air bubbles.

Day 1: Prepare the edible cookie dough and bake the cake layers.
Day 2: Prepare the cookie dough filling, buttercream and chocolate drip. Assemble cake and serve.

Lets Connect

The Cake Chica is on Facebook sharing sneak peeks of recipes to come, Instagram for your food porn desires and Pinterest for your board pinning needs.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Layer Cake

Name: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Layer Cake
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 5 h 15 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 8-inch round cake pans; Stand mixer; Fine mesh sieve; 8-inch round cake board; 8-inch round acrylic disc; Cake turntable; Cake scraper; Piping bag; Ateco piping tip #827; Small spring loaded ice cream scoop; 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) packed light brown sugar; 1/4 cup (1.75 ounces) granulated sugar; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 tablespoons whole milk; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup (3 ounces) mini chocolate chips; 4 1/3 cups (17.3 ounces) cake flour; 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 3/4 cups whole milk; 2/3 cup sour cream; 1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 2 1/2 cups (17.7 ounces) granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 6 large egg whites; 1 cup mini chocolate chips; 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes

Three tall layers of chocolate chip layer cake, filled with chocolate chip cookie dough filling, frosted with vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream, topped with chocolate drip and edible chocolate chip cookie dough.

Ingredients

SPECIAL TOOLS

3 8-inch round cake pans
Stand mixer
Fine mesh sieve
8-inch round cake board
8-inch round acrylic disc
Cake turntable
Cake scraper
Piping bag
Ateco piping tip #827
Small spring loaded ice cream scoop

EDIBLE COOKIE DOUGH

1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (1.75 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (3 ounces) mini chocolate chips

CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE

4 1/3 cups (17.3 ounces) cake flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups whole milk
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups (17.7 ounces) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
6 large egg whites
1 cup mini chocolate chips

COOKIE DOUGH FILLING

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fancy molasses
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon milk (more as needed)
1/2 cup (3 ounces) mini chocolate chips

VANILLA SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

1 cup egg whites, from about 8 large eggs
2 cups (14 ounces) granulated sugar
3 cups (6 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon sized pieces, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

CHOCOLATE DRIP

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup (6 fluid ounces) heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 cubes

Instructions

EDIBLE COOKIE DOUGH

Adjust an oven rack to the center position and heat to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread flour evenly over the lined baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the flour start to turn ivory in color. Let the flour cool to room temperature and sift to remove any clumps. Store in an air tight container at room temperature until ready to use.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugars on high speed for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and milk and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the heat-treated flour and salt to the wet ingredients and mix on medium speed until combined. Add mini chocolate chips and mix for 30 seconds. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Remove from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature for 1 hour before using.

CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE

Adjust an oven rack to the center of the oven and heat to 325 degrees. Spray 3 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick baking spray and set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and set aside.
In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk and sour cream until no lumps remain.
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
On medium speed, slowly add the egg whites in a little at a time. Mix until the egg whites are just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture in 2 additions. Mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Stir in the mini chocolate chips.
Evenly divide the cake batter between the prepared pans and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes come out with a few moist crumbs attached.
Let cakes cool in their pan for 30 minutes, then invert on to a wire rack to cool completely.

COOKIE DOUGH FILLING

In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Increase the heat to medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly to keep the butter from sticking and burning on the bottom of the saucepan. Continue to cook for 8 minutes or until the butter is fragrant and it amber in color. Strain the butter through a fine mesh strainer over a heat proof bowl to catch any browned bits that may have formed. Chill the browned butter in the refrigerator for one hour or until it has come to room temperature, about 70 degrees.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached, beat the cooled browned butter on low speed until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar, vanilla, molasses and salt. Once combined, increase the mixer speed to medium and mix until the filling is smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. The filling should be a spreadable consistency. You may need to add additional milk by 1 teaspoon increments if the filling is too thick. Fold in the mini chocolate chips by hand with a rubber spatula.

VANILLA SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, pour in the egg whites and sugar and whisk by hand until combined. Fill a medium saucepan with about 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer. Place mixer bowl on top, being sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water and attach a candy thermometer.
Whisking occasionally, heat the egg mixture until the temperature reaches 160 degrees. Once the mixture reaches 160 degrees, transfer to a stand mixer and beat the mixture on high speed for 10 minutes or until medium-stiff peaks form. At this point the outside of the mixer bowl should be room temperature. Switch out the whisk attachment with the paddle attachment and with the mixer on low speed, add the butter one tablespoon at a time, and then add the vanilla extract. Once combined, turn up the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until the buttercream is smooth about 5 minutes.

ASSEMBLE

(If you premade your Edible Cookie Dough now is a good time to take it out of the refrigerator.)
If you’re using an acrylic disc, place a nonslip mat on top of a cake turntable and place an 8-inch cardboard cake round on top. Center the first cake layer on top of the cake board. Make sure there’s even spacing from all the edges. Spread half of the Cookie Dough Filling on top, spreading all the way to the edge of the cake. Place the second cake layer on top and spread the remaining filling on top in an even layer, spreading out to the edges. Place the last cake layer on top (bottom side up) and apply a thin coat of Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream over the top and sides of the cake to catch the crumbs. Be sure not to add any crumbs to your clean bowl of buttercream in the process. You can also add about 3 cups of clean buttercream in a small bowl as your designated “crumb coat buttercream”. Chill the crumb coated cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Place the 8-inch round acrylic disc on top of the chilled cake making sure it’s straight. Apply buttercream to the sides of the cake. Using a cake scraper, gently press scraper against the sides of the cake and smooth out the buttercream. Fill in any gaps in the buttercream and gently press the scraper against the cake and rotate the cake turntable one more. Continue this process until there are no more gaps and buttercream is smooth. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes.
Gently use a small thin cake spatula to remove the acrylic disc from the chilled cake. Using an off set cake spatula, fill in any gaps on the top of the cake with more buttercream. Pull in the edges carefully with the spatula, cleaning the knife with each swipe. Save remaining buttercream for decorating by placing it in a piping bag that is fitted with piping tip #827. Place the cake in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the Chocolate Drip.

CHOCOLATE DRIP

Place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, bring the cream to a simmer. Pour hot cream over the chopped chocolate and stir until the chocolate has melted and is smooth. Add the butter and stir until melted. Cool on the counter for about 10 to 15 minutes before using.
With a spoon or squeeze bottle, strategically work around the cake edge to apply the chocolate drip, coaxing the drips to drip where you want, then place just enough chocolate over the top center of the cake and push out with a metal cake spatula to spread around, meeting the chocolate that has been spooned on to the edges. Use as much or as little of the chocolate drip as you like. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
With the remaining buttercream in your piping bag, pipe swirls around the edge of the cake. Using a small spring loaded ice cream scoop, scoop out balls of cookie dough and place one on each buttercream swirl. Serve cake immediately or store in an airtight cake container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving (about 2 hours).

Notes

Store cake in an airtight cake container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving (about 2 hours).

Homemade Cosmic Brownies

February 17, 2022

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With school back in session, I started reminiscing about my favorite snacks as a kid. On the top of that list were Cosmic Brownies. As an adult those prepackaged treats just don't taste the same anymore. Not to worry, I now have a Homemade Cosmic Brownie recipe that's going to be a family staple in my house.

Homemade Cosmic Brownies

What I love about these brownies and brownies in general, is that you can bake them and eat them all in the same day, unlike most of my cakes. When I get a sweet tooth I usually want something right away. There's still some cooling time involved for these Homemade Cosmic Brownies, but I can tell you that they are definitely worth the wait.

Overhead shot of baked brownies in baking pan for Homemade Cosmic Brownies. — Nikon D850 ISO 100 50mm f/4.0 1/200

How To Make Chocolate Ganache

Place chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl.
In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a gentle boil, then pour it over the chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes.
Whisk the heavy cream and chocolate together until combined.
Pour the ganache over the cooled brownies, spreading it out to the edges in an even layer. Sprinkle candy coated mini chocolate chips over the top and refrigerate brownies for 2 hours.

Overhead shot of ganache Homemade Cosmic Brownies in baking pan. — *Nikon D850 ISO 500 50mm f/3.5 1/160*

Plan It Out

These brownies are super simple to make, but there's a bit of cooling and chilling time involved.

Once the brownies have baked, they need to sit in the pan until cool, about 2 hours, before moving on to the next step, which is adding the ganache topping.
After the ganache has been added and candy coated chips have been sprinkled on, the brownies need to chill in the refrigerator for 2 more hours.

Close up shot of Homemade Cosmic Brownies stacked. — *Nikon D850 ISO 400 50mm f/4.5 1/160*

Baking Tools Needed

8" x 8" baking pan
Parchment paper
Non stick baking spray
Large mixing bowl
Hand mixer

Close up of stacked Homemade Cosmic Brownies. — *Nikon D850 ISO 250 40mm f/3.5 1/160*

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Close up of Homemade Cosmic Brownies with a bite. — *Nikon D850 ISO 250 40mm f/3.5 1/160*

Suggested Recipes

Cosmic Brownie Layer Cake three quarter angle on cake pedestal. — Cosmic Brownie Layer Cake

Overhead shot of baked Chewy Brownies cut up on cooling rack. — Chewy Brownies

Homemade Cosmic Brownies

Yield: 9

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Additional Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 40 minutes

Fudgy Homemade Cosmic Brownies with rich ganache topping will spark up nostalgia.

Ingredients

SPECIAL TOOLS

8”x 8” baking pan
Parchment paper
Nonstick baking spray
Large mixing bowl
Electric hand mixer

BROWNIES

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup (200 grams/7 ounces) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (67 grams/2.4 ounces) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
2/3 cup (85 grams/3 ounces) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

GANACHE

7 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons candy coated mini chocolate chips

Instructions

BROWNIES

Adjust an oven rack to the center position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with two sheets parchment paper. Being sure to leave excess paper on the sides to create handles to help pull the brownies out of the pan. Lay one sheet horizontally and the second sheet vertically. Spray the paper with nonstick baking spray and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add the melted butter and sugars and mix with the whisk attachment of an electric hand mixer until combined and light in color, about 1 minute.
Add the eggs, egg yolk and continue to mix until the mixture is pale and light.
Add the flour, cocoa and salt, mixing until just combined. Mix in the vanilla extract.
Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let brownies cool in the pan until cool, about 2 hours.

GANACHE

Place chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl.
In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a gentle boil, then pour it over the chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Whisk the heavy cream and chocolate together until combined.
Pour the ganache over the cooled brownies, spreading it out to the edges in an even layer. Sprinkle candy coated mini chocolate chips over the top and refrigerate brownies for 2 hours.
Pull the brownies out of the pan using excess paper as handles. Use a warm knife to cut the brownies, cleaning the knife with each cut. Serve.

Notes

Store brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 463Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 131mgSodium: 95mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 4gSugar: 26gProtein: 7g

*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*

Confetti Cake with Buttercream Frosting

January 17, 2022

Everyone should have this quintessential party cake in their recipe repertoire. Confetti Cake with Buttercream Frosting uses my basic White Cake recipe, just with sprinkles added! I filled and frosted this cake with my favorite buttercream, Swiss meringue with sprinkles added. It's party time!

Confetti Cake Ingredients

Carnival Sprinkles: I love to use multi-colored jimmies for my sprinkles.

Whole Milk: the fat in whole milk tenderizes the cake crumb which weakens the gluten just enough for the cake to have structure.

Egg Whites: helps leaven the cake.

Vanilla Extract: flavor enhancer.

Cake Flour: lower in gluten and is bleached. The bleaching process helps cakes retain a pure white color which is ideal for white cakes and angel food cakes. It also produces a fine-crumbed cake.

Granulated Sugar: it's evenly ground and loose texture incorporates well in cake batter.

Baking Powder: is a mixture of baking soda, and cornstarch. Baking powder works when it first comes into contact liquid, and again when it hits the heat of the oven. 📌 Baking powder loses its effectiveness after six months. 📌

Salt: enhances the flavor of the ingredients.

Unsalted Butter: helps with flavor and texture. This recipe uses the reverse creaming method where the butter coats the dry ingredients instead of creaming together with the sugar.

What Is Reverse Creaming

If you're looking for a cake with a tender but sturdy crumb, reverse creaming is the way to go. The process starts by combining all the dry ingredients, then adding softened butter to the dry ingredients, followed by any liquid ingredients. Since the butter isn't beaten with the sugar, less air is incorporated, which means a cake with less rise and sturdier cake.

Why Process The Sprinkles

Whole sprinkles created large pockets of color that were a bit too large for this delicate cake. Processing the sprinkles to just the right size helps the sprinkles spread out evenly throughout the batter.

Soaking Syrup

A soaking syrup helps give a cake extra moisture. Plus it adds a touch of extra sweetness and it's easy to add a last shot of extra flavor that compliments your cake.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Tips

Make sure your mixer bowl is clean. Any trace of oil or grease and the egg whites won't whip up properly.
Be sure to whisk together the egg whites and sugar well or your egg whites may start cooking on their own.
Keep the water in your double boiler at a simmer.
Make sure your egg whites are at room temperature before incorporating your room temperature butter.
Be sure your butter is at room temperature.
Once your buttercream has come together, reduce the mixer speed to the lowest setting for about 1 minute to remove as many air bubbles as you can.

Crumb Coating Tips

When crumb coating a cake, be sure you do not return any frosting that contains crumbs to the original bowl of clean buttercream.
Always clean off the spatula and/or icing smoother between buttercream applications.
Use a turntable.
Chill the cake for 30 minutes before adding the final layer of buttercream.

Confetti Cake with Confetti Buttercream Decorating Tips

Start with a chilled crumb coated cake.
Apply a final layer of buttercream over the crumb coated cake.
Tools that help me achieve a smooth finish to my cakes:
1. Icing scraper
2. 8-inch round acrylic disc
3. Cake turntable
I used a piping bag fitted with Ateco piping tip #828 for the buttercream swirls. Keep a tooth pick on hand incase you have any sprinkles that get jammed in the piping tip.
Wash, drain and dry maraschino cherries before adding them on to the buttercream swirls.
Add more sprinkles to the top of the cake and serve.

Confetti Cake with Confetti Buttercream Baking Schedule

Day 1: Make soaking syrup and bake cake layers.
Day 2: Prepare buttercream, assemble cake and serve.

Let's Connect

The Cake Chica is on Facebook sharing sneak peeks of recipes to come, Instagram for your food porn desires and Pinterest for your board pinning needs.

Confetti Cake with Buttercream Frosting

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes

Three layers of confetti cake, soaked in cake flavored soaking syrup, then filled and frosted with a confetti Swiss meringe buttercream.

Ingredients

SPECIAL TOOLS

3 8-inch round cake pans
Food processor
Stand mixer
Candy thermometer
1 8-inch round cake board
Pastry brush
Icing scraper
8-inch round acrylic disc
Cake turntable
Piping bag
Ateco piping tip #828
Maraschino cherries for garnish
Additional sprinkles for garnish

CAKE

Non-stick baking spray
½ cup rainbow sprinkles
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups (9 ounces) cake flour
1 ¾ cups (12 ¼ ounces) granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces, at room temperature

SOAKING SYRUP

½ cup water
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoon cake flavored vodka (optional)

BUTTERCREAM

1 cup egg whites
2 cups granulated sugar
3 cups (6 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon sized pieces, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cake flavored vodka
3/4 cup rainbow sprinkles

Instructions

CAKE

Adjust a rack to the center position in the oven and heat to 350 degrees. Spray 3 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick baking spray and set aside. In a food processor, process the rainbow sprinkles until coarsely ground, about 8 to 10 pulses. Set aside until needed.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the milk, egg whites and vanilla.
Attach the paddle attachment to a stand mixer. On low speed combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add butter one piece at a time. Continue to combine until the butter is the size of peas, about 1 minute. Reserve ½ cup of the milk mixture, and pour remaining into the dry ingredients. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the reserved milk mixture to the batter and beat until combined, about 30 seconds (the batter may look curdled at this point). Give the batter a final stir by hand and stir in ground rainbow sprinkles.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans and smooth the tops with an offset cake spatula or rubber spatula. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, rotating pans halfway through baking. Let cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes on wire racks. Invert cakes onto the wire racks to cool completely, about 2 hours.

SOAKING SYRUP

Add water and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar has dissolved. Turn off the heat and stir in extract and flavored vodka if using.

BUTTERCREAM

Pour egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk them together by hand to combine. Create a double boiler by filling a saucepan with a few inches of water and placing the bowl on top. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water. Heat saucepan over medium heat.
Attach a candy thermometer to the bowl and heat the egg white mixture to 160 degrees, whisking often. Once the mixture reaches 160 degrees, about 10 to 12 minutes. Carefully transfer the bowl to the stand mixer.
With the whisk attachment attached, beat the egg white mixture on high speed for about 8 to 10 minutes until egg whites hold medium-stiff peaks. The mixer bowl should be room temperature with no residual heat coming from the top of the bowl.
Remove the whisk attachment from the mixer and replace it with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the butter a tablespoon at a time, then add the vanilla extract and vodka if using. Once the butter is combined increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until the buttercream is smooth and silky, about 5 minutes. Add in rainbow sprinkles and gently stir in by hand.

ASSEMBLE

Place one cake layer on an 8-inch round cake board and place on a cake turntable. Brush some of the soaking syrup on top of the cake. Spread about 1/2 cup buttercream on top in an even layer all the way to the edge of the cake. Place the second cake layer on top and brush with more soaking syrup. Spread 1/2 cup buttercream over the top in an even layer all the way to the edge of the cake. Place the last cake layer on top (bottom side up) and brush with more soaking syrup.

CRUMB COAT

Top the cake with about 2 cups buttercream and spread a thin coating of buttercream over the top and sides of the cake. This will help keep any crumbs from getting in to your final layer of buttercream as well as seals the cake. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

DECORATING

Apply the final layer of buttercream over the chilled cake in an even layer. Alternatively, you can use an 8-inch round acrylic disc lined with parchment paper, placed on top of the cake. With one hand on the top of the disc, apply the buttercream to the sides of the cake with your other hand. Coat the entire side of the cake with buttercream. Gently press an icing scraper against the acrylic disc and the bottom cake board, and using the turntable, smooth the sides of the cake with each rotation. Fill in any gaps with more buttercream and rotate again until you get a smooth finish. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before removing the acrylic disc on top.
Using a small offset cake spatula or knife, gently remove the acrylic disc and peel off the parchment paper. Apply additional frosting on the top of the cake and gently smooth out.
Place the remaining buttercream in a piping bag fitted with Ateco piping tip #828. Pipe swirls around the top edge of the cake. Top each swirl with a cherry. Add additional sprinkles and serve.

Notes

Cake storage: Cake can be stored in an airtight cake container at room temperature for up to 1 day or up to 3 days stored in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 995Total Fat: 67gSaturated Fat: 37gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 170mgSodium: 473mgCarbohydrates: 88gFiber: 1gSugar: 62gProtein: 8g

*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*

The Cake Chica's Top 10 Recipes for 2021

January 12, 2022

It's that time of year again! Time to share The Cake Chica's Top 10 Recipes for 2021! These are the recipes YOU loved! Let's start with number 10.

10. Blue Lagoon Cocktail

This one has been making the cut since 2018. It's simple to make and so refreshing for the hot summer months sitting by the pool.

9. Pecan Praline Cake

Making it's debut on The Cake Chica's top 10 list is my Pecan Praline Cake. With three fluffy layers of white cake baked with candied pecans it's not hard to see why this one made the list this year. Plus it's filled and frosted with cream cheese frosting and topped with more candied pecans.

8. Weeknight Ground Beef Stroganoff

This recipe is a family favorite of mine. It's been on the blog since 2019 and it's finally making its debut on The Cake Chica's Top 10 Recipes of 2021. As they say better late than never.

7. Hangover Cure

The Hangover Cure made its debut on The Cake Chica's Top 10 List since last year in 2020. This year it's holding strong at number 7!

6. Banana Cream Pie with Vanilla Wafer Crust

I'm so excited to see this recipe making its debut this year on The Cake Chica's Top 10 List! The crust is made with homemade vanilla wafers (not store bought) and filled with homemade banana filling and freshly sliced bananas. For the final touch I piped homemade whipped cream on top. Beautiful and tasty!

5. Topo Chico Cucumber Cocktails

Here is another refreshing cocktail to drink poolside this summer. These Topo Chico Cucumber Cocktails have been making the list since 2018 and is holding strong at number 5 in 2021.

4. Mexican Alphabet Soup

This one is perfect for when you're feeling sick. It's easy to make and instantly makes you feel better even if it's just for a little bit. This Mexican Alphabet Soup has been making the Top 10 List since 2017!

3. Best Big Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

Here's another one that is a family favorite of mine and I am happy to see it's a favorite of yours too! They're big, they're chewy and they're chocolatey and in my opinion that makes the perfect chocolate chip cookie. These cookies have been making The Cake Chica's Top 10 List since 2016! Check them out and you'll see why!

2. White Cake with Strawberry Filling

This is MY favorite cake and I'm happy to see it's yours too! I also use this cake for my Confetti Cake with Buttercream Filling recipe. The filling in this cake uses frozen strawberries but can easily be switched out for frozen blueberries, blackberries, raspberries or mixed berry fruit. Last year this cake was number 1. This year it falls to number 2. Keep scrolling to check out the new number one recipe!

1. Easy Seafood Stew

Last year this soup grabbed the number 3 spot. This year, these last two recipes kept competing with each other for the number one spot, but my Easy Seafood Stew recipe won! It's super easy and light, and served with a slice of crusty bread, it's a well rounded meal you can quickly put together on a weeknight!

Christmas Coconut Cake

December 14, 2021

Some might say this Christmas Coconut Cake is too beautiful to eat, but after one bite I bet they'd be glad they did! Even if you're not a coconut lover, this cake might change your mind.

The coconut is toasted then processed in a food processor to a fine ground. Which is perfect for those that don't like the texture of coconut. Next I soak the processed coconut in the buttermilk for a few minutes to infuse the flavor. This helps the coconut flavor flow throughout the entire cake!

Coconut Cake Ingredients

Sweetened shredded coconut: has been combined with sugar and is best for cookies, cakes and decoration.
Buttermilk: is used for adding acidity and a tangy flavor, and when there is baking soda in the recipe (like this one) the acid reacts as a leavener. Do not substitute regular milk for buttermilk. You can make your own homemade buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 cup milk, letting it sit for about 10 minutes.
Vanilla extract: the most versatile flavoring and helps enhance the flavors of any baked good.
All purpose flour: the most versatile flour there is for baking! All-purpose flour is a great choice for baked goods that require more structure.
Baking soda: a leavener for baked goods. Baking soda requires an acid and a liquid for it's leavening powers to activate, such as the buttermilk in this recipe.
Salt: enhances the flavors of the ingredients in the recipe whether it be sweet or savory.
Granulated sugar: dissolves quickly into batters and creams well with butter.
Unsalted butter: the amount of salt varies from brand to brand so I always opt for unsalted butter. Salted butter also contains more water than unsalted which can affect gluten development.
Canola oil: is an excellent all-purpose cooking and baking oil. It's mild and has a high smoke point.
Eggs: bind, thicken and leaven. I always use large eggs in baking for consistency purposes.
Heavy cream: in this recipe, heavy cream is whipped and then folded into the batter. Do not substitute with sweetened whipped topping or already whipped cream products.

Coconut Swiss Meringue Buttercream Tips

Don't get cream of coconut confused with coconut cream. They are not the same and can't be use interchangeably. I used cream of coconut by Coco Lopez for this recipe. You can find cream of coconut in cans near the mixed beverage section of the grocery store.
Make sure your mixer bowl is clean. There should be no grease or oil in the bowl.
Whisk together the egg whites and sugar before heating or the egg whites might start to cook on their own.
Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the simmering water when heating.
Your butter should be at room temperature and cut into tablespoon sized pieces before adding to the whipped egg whites.

Fondant Snowflake Tools

PME Snowflake Plunger Cutters
Small fondant rolling pin
White fondant mixed with Tylose powder or gumpaste
Mix of cornstarch and powdered sugar in a shaker to help keep fondant/gumpaste from sticking
Luster dust/disco dust
Small food only paint brush
Steamer (optional)

How To Make Fondant Snowflake

Roll out your fondant or gumpaste on a small work surface and press cutters into the fondant or gumpaste. (If you're using fondant I suggest mixing in some tylose powder to help the fondant firm up.)
Press out more snowflakes then you think you'll need to account for breakage.
Use a toothpick to remove excess fondant or gumpaste from the snowflake.
Use a food only small paint brush to gently brush snowflakes with luster dust and/or disco dust. I used luster dust and then added food grade glitter on top.
Let the snowflakes dry overnight.
I used a steamer to help set the luster dust and to give it a shine, but this is optional.

Christmas Coconut Cake Decorating Tips

Start with a crumb coat. When crumb coating the cake, be sure not to return any of that frosting to the original bowl of frosting.
Chill the cake for at least 30 minutes before applying the last layer of buttercream.
Apply an even layer of buttercream over the top and sides of the cake. I use an icing smoother and a cake turntable, and acrylic disc to achieve a smooth application of buttercream. These tools are optional and there is plenty of buttercream to play around with in this recipe.
Smooth out the excess buttercream at the top edge of the cake by gently pulling the buttercream towards the center of the cake with a small offset cake spatula.
Fit a piping bag with Wilton Tip #3 and pipe small dollops of buttercream to the back center of each snowflake before applying to the side of the cake.
Gently place a few snowflakes on the top of the cake and sprinkle shredded coconut on top to hide where the base of the snowflakes dig into the cake. I used flaked unsweetened coconut for decorating.
Sprinkle additional sprinkles and/or dragees over the top of the cake to give it a little more dimension.
Strategically place dragees on the side of the cake between the fondant snowflakes with food-only tweezers.
Switch out piping tip #3 with piping tip # 21 to add a few more elements to the top of the cake and anywhere else you feel it's needed.
Give the cake a final sprinkling of food grade glitter before serving.

Christmas Coconut Cake Baking Schedule

Day 1: Make snowflakes.
Day 2: Bake cake layers.
Day 3: Prepare buttercream, assemble and serve.

Cake Storage

Cake layers can be stored wrapped in plastic wrap in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Assembled cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, or stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Let's Connect

The Cake Chica is on Facebook sharing sneak peeks of recipes to come, Instagram from your food porn desires to Pinterest for your board pinning needs.

Christmas Coconut Cake

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes

Three layers of homemade toasted coconut cake filled and frosted with coconut Swiss meringue buttercream, decorated with fondant snowflakes and edible glitter.

Ingredients

SPECIAL TOOLS

3 8-inch round cake pans
Nonstick baking spray
Stand mixer
Hand mixer
Candy thermometer
8-inch round cake board
Cake turntable
Metal icing smoother
Small offset cake spatula
Snowflake plunger cutters
Luster dust
Small food only paint brush
Fondant/Gumpaste snow flakes
Steamer (optional)
Festive sprinkles and dragees
Food only tweezers
Piping bag
Wilton piping tips #3, #21
Flaked coconut, for decorating

COCONUT CAKE

1 1/2 cups lightly packed sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups (10 ounces) all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 ½ cups (10.5 ounces) granulated sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup canola oil
4 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup heavy cream, cold

COCONUT SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

1 cup egg whites
2 cups (14 ounces) granulated sugar
3 cups (6 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon sized pieces, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
2/3 cup cream of coconut, such as Coco Lopez

Instructions

COCONUT CAKE

Adjust an oven rack the center position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cake pans with nonstick baking spray and set aside.
In a food processor, add 1 ½ cups toasted coconut (save the remaining for decorating) and process until finely ground, about 1 minute. In a 2 cup liquid measuring cup, combine processed coconut, buttermilk and vanilla and let sit until softened, about 10 minutes and set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the sugar and butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 7 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the oil and mix until combined. Add eggs one at a time mixing on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the coconut-buttermilk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Stop the mixer before the last of the flour mixture has been combined and mix with a rubber spatula by hand to be sure not to over mix the batter.
In a large bowl, add the heavy cream and beat with a hand mixer, until soft peaks form. Gently fold in the cream to the cake batter.
Divide the batter among the prepared cake pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake testers inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, rotating pans halfway through baking.
Remove cakes from the oven and let cool in their pans for 10 minutes on cooling racks. Invert cakes onto cooling racks and let cool completely.

COCONUT SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, pour in the egg whites and sugar and whisk by hand until combined. Fill a medium saucepan with about 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer. Place mixer bowl on top, being sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water and attach a candy thermometer.
Whisking occasionally, heat the egg mixture until the temperature reaches 160 degrees. Once the mixture reaches 160 degrees, transfer to a stand mixer and beat the mixture on high speed for 10 minutes or until medium-stiff peaks form. At this point the outside of the mixer bowl should be room temperature. Switch out the whisk attachment with the paddle attachment and with the mixer on low speed, add the butter one tablespoon at a time. Add the extracts and cream of coconut. Once combined, turn the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until the buttercream is smooth about 5 minutes.

ASSEMBLE

Place one cake layer on an 8-inch round cake board, place on a cake turntable and spread about 2/3 cup buttercream over the top in an even layer, spreading all the way to the edge of the cake. Place the second cake layer on top, and spread 2/3 cup buttercream on top in an even layer, spreading all the way to the edge of the cake. Place the last cake layer on top (bottom side up) and cover with a thin coat of buttercream, creating a crumb coat and chill the cake for 30 minutes.
Apply a generous layer of buttercream over the top and sides of the cake, saving remaining buttercream for decorating. Using your cake turntable and icing smoother, gently press the scraper against the side of the cake scrape around the sides to give it a smooth finish. Place excess buttercream back into the bowl. Fill in any holes with additional buttercream and repeat. Set cake in the refrigerator to chill for at least 15 minutes.
Attach Wilton piping tip #3 to a piping bag and fill with buttercream. Strategically place snowflakes on the side of the cake by piping a small dollop of buttercream on the back, and gently attaching it to the cake.
Pick a few of your favorite snowflakes to place on top and gently press into the top of the cake. Sprinkle some flaked coconut over the top and sprinkle with festive sprinkles and dragees on top.
With tweezers, carefully place dragees on the sides of the cake between the snowflakes.
Switch out piping tip #3 with tip #21 and decorate the top with a few more dollops of buttercream.
Carefully transfer cake to a serving platter and serve.

Fondant Snowflakes

See blog post for instructions and tips on making fondant snowflakes.

Notes

CAKE STORAGE: Cake layers can be stored wrapped in plastic wrap in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Assembled cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, or stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 588Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 123mgSodium: 464mgCarbohydrates: 56gFiber: 3gSugar: 31gProtein: 10g

*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*

Christmas Confetti Cupcakes

December 1, 2021

These Christmas Confetti Cupcakes are fluffy and festive and make a great center piece to your Christmas table. You'll love these fluffy white cupcakes baked with sprinkles inside. Next, I topped them off with a classic bakery style buttercream with sprinkles mixed in and a peppermint candy!

White Confetti Cake

I used the same cake batter for my White Cake with Strawberry Filling to make these cupcakes, and added in sprinkles to the recipe. Processing the sprinkles in a food processor before adding them to the batter helps keep the cupcakes tender crumb.

American Buttercream

I decided to top these cupcakes with a sweet and fluffy American buttercream or sometimes called Decorators buttercream. American buttercream can be made with all shortening for more humid climates or a mix of shortening and butter. This style of buttercream crusts once air is exposed to it, creating a crispy crust on the outside but a fluffy and sweet buttercream on the inside. American buttercream is much sweeter than Swiss meringue buttercream or Italian meringue buttercream since it consists of mostly powdered sugar.

For these Christmas Confetti Cupcakes I decided to add a touch of peppermint extract to the buttercream, but you can use vanilla extract if you prefer.

How To Decorate Christmas Confetti Cupcakes

Fit a piping bag with Ateco piping tip #827
Fill piping bag with buttercream.
Hold the piping bag at 90 degrees and pipe a swirl of buttercream on top of each cupcake.
Add a few more festive sprinkles on top.
Add a peppermint candy on top for the finishing touch.

Christmas Confetti Cupcake Baking Schedule

Day 1: Prepare the cupcakes.

Day 2: Make the buttercream, decorate and serve!

Let's Connect

The Cake Chica is on Facebook sharing sneak peeks of recipes to come, Instagram for your food porn desires or Pinterest for your board pinning needs.

Christmas Confetti Cupcakes

Yield: 24

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

An ultra tender white cake baked with Christmas themed sprinkles and topped with Christmas confetti American buttercream.

Ingredients

SPECIAL TOOLS

2 12-cup cupcake pans
Cupcake liners
Stand mixer
Food processor
Spring loaded ice cream scoop, 3 tablespoons in size
Ateco 827 piping tip
Piping bag

CUPCAKES

1/2 cup Christmas sprinkles
1 cup whole milk
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ¼ cup (9 ounces) cake flour
1 3/4 cups (12.25 ounces) granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces, at room temperature

BUTTERCREAM

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
6 tablespoons water
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 pounds (12 cups) powdered sugar
¾ cup Christmas sprinkles, plus extra for garnish
24 peppermints

Instructions

CUPCAKE

Adjust and oven racks to the upper third and lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with cupcake liners and set aside. In a food processor, pulse sprinkles until coarsely ground, about 8 pulses and set aside.
In a 4 cup liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk, egg whites and vanilla.
With a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt on low speed until combined. Add butter one piece at a time and mix until the mixture forms pea sized pieces, about 1 minute. Reserve ½ cup of the milk mixture. Pour remaining milk mixture into the batter and increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add reserved ½ cup milk mixture and beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Give the batter a final stir by hand and stir in ground sprinkles.
Divide batter among prepared cupcake pans filling each cup about two-thirds full. Bake until a cake tester inserted on the top comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 15 to 20 minutes, switching and rotating pans twice during baking. Let cupcakes cool in their pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes then invert on a wire rack to cool completely, about 2 hours.

BUTTERCREAM

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter, shortening and extract on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes.
Add the water, salt and half of the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
On low speed, slowly add the remaining powdered sugar and more water if needed to achieve the desired consistency. Use frosting immediately or cover with a damp cloth, as the frosting will start to harden as it sits.

ASSEMBLE

Using an Ateco 827 piping tip, pipe frosting on top of each cupcake and garnish with a peppermint candy.

Notes

STORAGE: Frosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight cake container at room temperature for up to 1 day or stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1202Total Fat: 71gSaturated Fat: 24gTrans Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 40gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 1093mgCarbohydrates: 141gFiber: 5gSugar: 104gProtein: 10g

*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*

Family Favorite Cakes and Bakes Cookbook Tour

November 28, 2021

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by CreateMyCookbook; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Cake Chica's Family Favorite Cakes and Bakes Cookbook has arrived and I couldn't be more excited to share a few peeks with you! Don't forget to check out my previous post on How To Create A Family Cookbook where I share more details of how I created this cookbook, along with some tips and tricks for acing your food photography with just your smart phone!

CreateMyCookbook Campaign Book Tour Front Cover

My Favorite Features From CreateMyCookbook

Arrange Pages Feature: This feature allows you to easily move pages around in any order you like.
Table of Contents Page: This feature works alongside the Arrange Pages feature by automatically updating the page number when you arrange pages in your cookbook. Hello timesaver!

Available Book Style and Paper Options

Book Style Options: Wire-O Soft Cover (260 page max.), Hardback Casebound(260 page max.), Ringed Binder (200 page max.), Hardback Wire-O (200 page max.) eCookbook (999 page max.).
Paper Options: Standard Matte, Premium Gloss Finish, and Rite in the Rain Matte with water resistance.

My Experience Using CreateMyCookbook

Anything that allows me to create something unique is a fun one! It's easy to upload your recipes and photos using their cookbook designer.

If you have handwritten recipes, CreateMyCookbook has a feature called WeTypeIt where they will type the recipe for you, and in 1 to 2 days the recipe will be in your account, ready to place into your cookbook.

You'll have the chance to choose binding styles, paper type, review your proofs and then order your cookbook.

The Cookbook

When I received my cookbook I posted a picture of it on my Facebook page and many people assumed I published a cookbook for sale! It does look pretty professional and it's kind of a dream of mine to one day have a published cookbook. But I'm not there yet.

I chose the Hardback Wire-O book option with Rite in the Rain paper option.

As a cookbook collector I had a lot of fun making this personalized cookbook. I will proudly display this cookbook in my cookbook library for years to come. Plus, CreateMyCookbook saves your cookbooks in your account so you can easily order more copies later to give as gifts or make updates to it in the future. And speaking of gifts...

The Gifting

I purchased an additional copy to give as a gift to my mother for Christmas. She is probably my number 2 fan, coming in second to my husband of course. ☺️ For her book I selected the Hardback Casebound book with the Premium Glossy Paper.

But this cookbook isn't just a gift for her but a gift for me as well. These recipes are family favorites and I know I'll be grabbing this cookbook off the shelf for years to come.

Don't forget to check out my post on How To Create A Family Cookbook to see how this cookbook came together!

Giveaway Time!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winner will be chosen randomly and will be announced on this post.

Hot Cocoa Cake

November 18, 2021

This is one of my favorite cakes during the holiday season. My Hot Cocoa Cake has 3 layers of dark chocolate cake that's filled with marshmallow filling and frosted with hot cocoa flavored whipped cream. Heavenly! Since I had more than enough marshmallow filling, I piped dollops of marshmallow filling on top.

Dark Chocolate Cake

If you're looking for a chocolate cake that delivers in flavor and in color, then look no further!

Brown sugar: helps develop a deep chocolate flavor.
Espresso powder/instant coffee powder: in combination with the brown sugar help deepen the chocolate flavor.
Dutch-processed cocoa powder: is less acidic than natural cocoa powder and enhances browning.
Eggs: help bind, thicken, emulsify and leaven a cake.
Sour cream: is an acidic ingredient and helps tenderize the cake. Yogurt can also be used as a substitution.

Marshmallow Filling Tips

You will need a candy thermometer for this recipe.
Make sure your egg whites are free of yolk. If there's even a small amount they will not whip up.
Your mixer bowl must also be clean. If there's any oil residue left in your bowl, the egg whites will not whip up.
When pouring the sugar syrup in the mixer bowl with the egg whites, be sure to pour it down the inside of the mixer bowl, making sure not to hit the whisk attachment.
The Marshmallow Filling is best used the day it's prepared.

Hot Cocoa Whipped Cream

This hot cocoa flavored whipped cream is what brings this cake all together! It'a a basic whipped cream recipe with Dutch-processed cocoa added to it. Plus this recipe has a bit more sugar than a typical whipped cream recipe, which helps it become shelf stable for a few hours longer.

Hot Cocoa Cake Assembly Tips

Be sure to use a frosting dam to keep your filling inside the cake and not falling out of the sides.
Don't over fill your cakes. I usually keep my filling from 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup between each layer.
Use a crumb coat even if you think you don't need it. A crumb coat not only helps catch loose crumbs but also seals in any gaps in the cake and gives you a solid base to work with when it comes time to apply the final layer of frosting.

How To Add Cake Topping Decoration

Fit a piping bag with Ateco piping tip #808.
Place remaining Marshmallow Filling in the prepared piping bag.
Hold your piping bag at 90 degrees and pipe concentric circles starting from the outside edge of the cake, moving all the way in the center.
Dust cake with cocoa powder right before serving.

Hot Cocoa Cake Baking Schedule

Day 1: Bake cake layers.
Day 2: Prepare filling, frosting, assemble and serve.

Cake Storage

Cake layers can be stored wrapped in plastic wrap in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or wrapped in plastic wrap, then wrapped in foil and stored in the freezer for up to one month. Defrost cakes in their wrapping at room temperature.

Assembled cake can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one day.

Let's Connect

The Cake Chica is on Facebook sharing sneak peeks of recipes to come, Instagram for your food porn desires and Pinterest for your board pinning needs!

How To Create A Family Cookbook

November 9, 2021

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by CreateMyCookbook; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Why Create A Family Cookbook?

As a food blogger I have tons of recipes typed up on my computer over the years. I started blogging in 2010 as a way for my friends and family to access my recipes. Before blogging, I used to use a computer program that I had to type my recipes into and then email the recipe to anyone that wanted one. But, my how times have changed!

Over the years while blogging I collected a library of cookbooks that have inspired me to create new recipes and piqued my interest into food photography. And surprisingly, I think I love food photography just a smidge more than baking, just a smidge though. ☺️

The Cake Chica's Cookbook Library — Smart phone image edited with a photo app.

With all that said, I think it was about time to create my very own cookbook that showcases some of my families favorite baking recipes that I’ve made, as well as a few of theirs.

I hope that my family cookbook will inspire you to create a family cookbook of your own to give as gifts, or to pass down through generations.

How To Gather Recipes For Your Family Cookbook

Gather recipes from within your household.
Request recipes from your extended family.
Don’t forget your friends. They also make appearances at family functions as well.
For me it made sense to also include my most popular recipes from my blog.

Once you have all the recipes together, it’s time to let the fun begin.

Create An Account with Create My Cookbook

Create an account with CreateMyCookbook by either registering with your email or by connecting with Facebook.
Click on the “Create a Cookbook” button.

Get Started Making Your Own Cookbook

Here are a few things to think about when getting started with your cookbook.

Choose a book title.
Decide what type of cookbook you’re making: Personal or family, Fundraiser, Corporate, For sale in stores, Ebook, Other
Select your theme. (Themes can be changed later.)

I chose to use the “Blank” theme. I prefer to have as much control as possible when I’m creating something but CreateMyCookbook has a few options to select from if you want a theme already set for you.

Blank
Country
Modern
Elegant
Kid friendly
Heirloom

Add Recipes

As a blogger I have most of my recipes all typed up so it was easy to copy and paste into the cookbook designer. However, you may have some recipes that are handwritten. Luckily, CreateMyCookbook has a cool function called WeTypeIt, where you just snap a picture of the handwritten recipe and they will type it into the cookbook designer for you.

As I mentioned above I have all my recipes all typed up, but I wanted to try out the WeTypeIt feature. So I wrote a recipe by hand and snapped a picture of each page of my recipe and uploaded the pictures using the WeTypeIt feature.

After a day or so, you’ll receive an email confirmation that your recipe has been added to your Recipe Box and it’s ready for you to place into your cookbook.

You can upload all your recipes at once or add them in one by one as you create your cookbook. I chose to load them up one by one.

Create My Cookbook also has the option to set up Contributors to your cookbook. I personally reached out to my family members for their recipes so I didn’t get the chance to use this feature but it is there to use if you would like.

How To Format Longer Recipes With Spacing Between Paragraphs

You can skip this section entirely if most of your recipes are short and only about 2 pages long. Mine on the other hand involve a lot of from-scratch-baking so my recipes run about 3 to 4 pages on average.

To make my recipes easier on the eyes I like to space out the steps as much as possible. Here is a quick run down of what I did.

Screen Shot Long Recipe Page with Numbered Steps

When choosing the layout, select Long Recipe Page With Numbered Steps

Once you have your recipe entered, you’ll want to select Hide the Direction Step Number. This will get rid of the numbers but will keep the paragraph spacing. If you want numbers you can manually add them afterwards.

I wanted this format on all my recipe pages so I chose All Pages on the Edit Styling selector. If you want this format on only certain pages, then be sure to select This Page Only in the drop down menu.

Add Pictures

The cookbook designer has some stock images you’re free to use for your cookbook; however, I love the personal touch that an original photo brings, so I made sure to use all of my images for my cookbook.

It was’t until I started cooking and baking that I found my passion for food photography. I typically shoot with a DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex) camera, but you don’t have to have a big or fancy camera to take mouthwatering food photographs.

Tips And Tools For Taking Food Photos With Your Smart Phone or DSLR

I think everyone has access to a smart phone so with a few tips and tools I can show you how to use your smart phone (or DSLR) to take some great pictures of your recipes.

Smart Phone Image of Cinnamon Roll Layer Cake — Smart phone image edited with a photo app.

Lighting

TIP 1: My number one tip I can give to someone who doesn’t have a lot of photography equipment is to pick a window in your home that gives great natural lighting. Keep in mind that the location of the window (North, South, East, West) will have an effect on the type of natural lighting you’ll get.

Smart phone image of Chocolate Raspberry Cake — Smart phone image edited with a photo app.

TIP 2: Remember the time of day you take your pictures. This will also effect the lighting in your pictures. I try to take my food photos at the same time everyday to get the most similar lighting as possible. This also sometimes means if it’s a stormy day, I might hold off on taking photos until the next day.

Smart phone image of Bubble Gum Layer Cake — Smart phone image edited with a photo app.

TIP 3: Once you’ve picked your window and the best time of day to shoot, next is choosing the direction of your natural lighting. There are a few types you can choose from: side lighting, back lighting or corner lighting. Side lighting is the easiest and most forgiving in my opinion and that’s what I use.

Food Photography Props And Tools

I have a few favorite food props that consistently make it in my food photos:

Antique marble cake stand
White cake/salad plates (Tip: smaller dishes are easier to photograph.)
Small handmade pottery plates
Small milk glass
Small white dish for showing off sprinkles or any garnish used in the recipe
Antique silverware (the tarnished silverware not only gives the pictures some character but it helps with keeping reflections away.
A few cotton and linen napkins.

The Set Up

My set up is pretty simple. Just a couple of wood photography boards and a reflector set up on my dinning table. That’s where I get the best natural light. If you don’t have photography boards you can check out your local hardware store for some wood boards and paint to create your own.

If your don’t have a reflector you can use a white poster board instead. I use the reflector to bounce light back into the scene to soften some of the shadows.

My photography set up. — Smart phone image edited with a photo app.

Food Styling

I like to use some of the garnish of whatever recipe I’m shooting and sprinkle some over the photography board. Whatever makes sense for your subject. Examples can include:

Sprinkles
Cocoa powder
Candy
Marshmallows
Fresh parsley
Fresh veggies
Fresh fruit

Cotton and linen napkins are also a great way to add texture to your subject. I prefer to keep my scene pretty simple so the food is the star.

Smart phone image of Cosmic Brownies — Smart phone image edited with a photo app.

Editing Smart Phone Images

I use a photo app on my smart phone to edit my phone pics. This way I can adjust lighting and white balance, which also helps keep my photos looking similar. You can use whichever photo app you like but I suggest using one to make improvements on white balance and lighting. The goal is to have your image look like it does in real life.

A Short List of Do’s And Don'ts Of Food Photography

Do take your time looking for lighting.
Do analyze the lighting in your photos.
Do practice.
Don’t shoot with your kitchen lights on.❗️
Don’t shoot in direct sunlight. ❗️

Arrange Your Cookbook Pages

Once I uploaded all of my recipes and photos I wanted to include in my cookbook I went to the Arrange Pages screen and arranged the recipes and pictures exactly how I wanted them. Since I didn’t upload the recipes in the exact order I wanted them to appear in the book, this page is very helpful.

The cookbook designer also automatically updates the Table of Contents page as you arrange the pages which is a huge time saver! After you have triple checked your cookbook for errors and formatting, it’s now time to Preview and Order.

Preview and Order

Choose Binding Style: Wire-O Soft Cover, Hardback Casebound, eCookbook, Ringed Binder, Hardback Wire-O. I chose the Hardback Wire-O.
Choose Paper Type: Matte Finish (standard), Gloss (premium), Matte Rite in the Rain (water resistant.)I chose Rite in the Rain paper option.
Choose Options for Your Book: eCookbook, Remove CreateMyCookbook Branding
Review Proofs
Order Cookbook

Shipping Information

CreateMyCookbook has a detailed list of shipping estimates according to the style of cookbook selected as well as transit times and a shipping estimate calculator. I’m looking forward to receiving my cookbook very soon!

The Cookbook Tour!

Update! My cookbook has arrived! Check out the preview of my cookbook and don't forget to enter the giveaway while you're there for an $80.00 gift certificate from CreateMyCookbook!

Chocolate Orange Spice Cake

November 3, 2021

Recipe updated 10/2021. Same great recipe with just a little more frosting to play with!

This Chocolate Orange Spice Cake is the perfect holiday recipe. It's sweet and warm at the same time thanks to the almond flour, ground cinnamon, cloves and orange zest baked inside!

Orange Spice Cake

Almond Flour: You'll notice the addition of almond flour in this cake. Nut flours can be pricey, and they also turn rancid quickly so be sure to store nut flours in the freezer and bring to room temperature before using.

Room Temperature/Softened Unsalted Butter: 65 to 67 degrees is the perfect temperature for baking. You can also cut the butter up into pieces to speed up the softening process. To check if your butter is ready you can either stick a thermometer in it or bend it. If it bends without breaking then it's ready!

Buttermilk: Sometimes you might see buttermilk in some cake recipes. Buttermilk helps add a tangy flavor and texture. When used with baking soda and/or baking powder it add fluffiness to the cake. You'll usually just need a cup or 2 of buttermilk per recipe, and you probably don't want to buy a whole carton of buttermilk. There are a couple of options to use:

Buy shelf stable powdered buttermilk
Add one tablespoon of lemon juice or distilled white vinegar to one cup milk and let sit for 10 minutes. Viola, buttermilk!

Chocolate Frosting

Per request I updated this recipe (10/2021) to allow for more frosting to play with. This chocolate frosting is sweet and a little on the thick side. If you need help spreading the frosting over the cake, use a metal offset cake spatula warmed with hot running water and wiped dry. But as long as you apply a crumb coat and your cake is chilled the frosting should go on pretty smoothly.

How To Make Candied Orange Peel

3 oranges, scrubbed
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
¾ cup water
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup (3.5 ounces) granulated sugar

Using a vegetable peeler or sharp paring knife, remove the peel of each orange in vertical strips, being careful not to include any of the bitter white pith. If you do get a little pith on the peel, place the strips on a cutting board and using a paring knife with the blade parallel to the board, carefully slice it off. Cut the zest into julienne strips.
Half fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the zest strips and reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse the zest.
In the same saucepan, combine sugar, water and cream of tartar and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar. Add the zest, cover the saucepan and reduce the heat to low. Let the zest simmer for another 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and drain zest. Toss zest with sugar, breaking up any lumps of sugar with your hands. Spread the zest onto a baking sheet to let dry at room temperature for about 2 hours before using.

Note: The dried orange slices used on the top of this cake were picked up at my local Sprouts grocery store.

Assembly Tips

Applying a crumb coat is helpful in achieving a smooth final coat of frosting. A crumb coat helps catch any loose crumbs as well as fills in any gaps sealing up the cake and keeping it fresh. Plus a chilled cake is easier to work with when apply the final coat of frosting.

I would be lost without my cake turntable. A good cake turntable is a worth while investment. It helps me get my icing on smoothly as well as a bench scraper.

With the remaining frosting I added to a piping bag fitted with my favorite Ateco piping tip #827 and piped a basic shell border around the cake.

Next, I garnished the top center of the cake with dried orange slices and decorated the bottom edge with candied orange peel.

Plan It Out

Day 1: Make candied orange peel and bake cake layers.

Day 2: Prepare frosting, assemble cake and serve.

Let's Connect

The Cake Chica is on Facebook, sharing sneak peeks of recipes to come, Instagram for your food porn desires and Pinterest for your board pinning needs.

Chocolate Orange Spice Cake

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 32 minutes

Three layers of orange spice cake, filled and frosted with chocolate frosting and topped with candied orange peel.

Ingredients

SPECIAL TOOLS

3 8-inch round cake pans
Nonstick baking spray
Stand mixer
Small offset cake spatula
8 inch cardboard cake round
Cake turntable
Cake pedestal
Piping bag
Ateco piping tip #827

CANDIED ORANGE ZEST

3 oranges, scrubbed
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
¾ cup water
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup (3.5 ounces) granulated sugar

ORANGE SPICE CAKE

2 ½ (12.5 ounces) cups all-purpose flour
1 cup almond flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoons ground cloves
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups (14 ounces) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
¼ cup fresh squeezed juice from about 2 oranges

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

16 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups (16 ounces) powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup (1.5 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sour cream, at room temperature

GARNISH

Candied Orange Zest (optional)
Dried orange slices (optional)
Flaked sea salt (optional)

Instructions

CANDIED ORANGE ZEST

Using a vegetable peeler or sharp paring knife, remove the peel of each orange in vertical strips, being careful not to include any of the bitter white pith. If you do get a little pith on the peel, place the strips on a cutting board and using a paring knife with the blade parallel to the board, carefully slice it off. Cut the zest into julienne strips.
Half fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the zest strips and reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse the zest.
In the same saucepan, combine sugar, water and cream of tartar and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar. Add the zest, cover the saucepan and reduce the heat to low. Let the zest simmer for another 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and drain zest. Toss zest with sugar, breaking up any lumps of sugar with your hands. Spread the zest onto a baking sheet to let dry at room temperature for about 2 hours before using.

ORANGE SPICE CAKE

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick baking spray and set aside.
Sift together the flours (Toss out any of the almond flour that does not sift through the sieve.), baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda and salt and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth about 1 minute. Add the sugar and orange zest and mix on medium-high speed until the butter is light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the mixer bowl as needed.
Turn mixer speed to medium-low and add the vanilla extract, almond extract and eggs one at a time. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
With the mixer on low speed, and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk in 2 batches, starting with the flour mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Add the orange juice and mix on low speed for no more than 30 seconds. Give the cake batter a few stirs by hand and divide evenly among the prepared cake pans. Using a small offset cake spatula, smooth the tops of the batter in the pans.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cakes cool in their pans for 15 minutes. Then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler and set aside to cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt and vanilla until combined. Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and mix until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the mixer bowl as necessary.
Once the chocolate is cooled to room temperature, stir the sour cream into the melted chocolate. With the mixer on low speed, add the chocolate mixture to the frosting. Turn the mixer to medium speed and mix until combined and frosting is creamy.

ASSEMBLE

Place one layer of cake on a cake board and place on a cake turntable. Spread about 1/2 cup frosting on top and level with an offset cake spatula to smooth out frosting. Top with the next layer of cake and spread another 1/2 cup chocolate frosting on top in an even layer, spreading frosting all the way out to the edges of the cake. Place the last cake layer on top (bottom side up) and spread a light coating of frosting all over the top and sides of the cake creating a crumb coat. Once the crumb coat has been applied, chill the cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Apply the final layer of frosting over the top and sides of the chilled crumb coated cake. Place remaining frosting in a piping bag fitted with Ateco piping tip #827. Pipe a shell border around the top edge of the cake. Place candied orange peel or dried orange slices in the middle of the cake. Sprinkle cake with a little flaked sea salt if you like. Carefully transfer to a serving platter and serve.

Notes

This cake will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 770Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 456mgCarbohydrates: 129gFiber: 7gSugar: 93gProtein: 12g

*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*

Cinnamon Roll Layer Cake

October 27, 2021

Okay this Cinnamon Roll Layer Cake is going to be a new family tradition for the holidays in my family. With 3 towering layers of fluffy cinnamon cake, filled with cinnamon roll flavored cream cheese frosting, topped with cinnamon ganache and mini cinnamon rolls it's the perfect addition to your Christmas dessert table this year! Keep scrolling to see how YOU can put it all together!

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Pecan Pie Layer Cake

October 20, 2021

I've got a Texas favorite in the form of a cake! The much loved Pecan Pie gets a Cake Chica makeover this week! My Pecan Pie Layer Cake consists of 3 layers of fluffy brown sugar cake, filled with pecan pie filling and frosted with brown sugar Swiss meringue buttercream!

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How To Make Edible Cookie Dough