December Birthday Cake

When your friend has a milestone December birthday, and she's a pro cake decorator but you're just trying your best...

1 - 2 layer devil's food cake

1 icing recipe that I got from this friend:
1  1/2 cups shortening
1/2 cup vegetable oil-based margarine
1 lb icing sugar
1/2 tsp each vanilla, almond and lemon extract
1/3 cup carnation evaporated milk or regular milk

Store bought (Ssshh!) cookies
sprinkles

1/3 cup chocolate ganache (optional)

Bake the cake in 2 - 8" round pans as directed on package and cool completely. I had time to freeze them to make it easier to frost.

Beat the icing ingredients together.

Set the bottom layer on a plate then spread a layer of ganache on if using. I had this leftover from my Tiramisu Yule Log.
You can find the recipe here:
http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2017/12/tiramisu-yule-log.html

Set in fridge 5 minutes then add a layer of frosting. Top with second cake layer and spread a thin crumb coat of icing over all.

Finish up with  a nice smooth(ish) coat and top with sprinkles. If you want add M & M candies to decorate the cookies then smear some icing on the back of each cookie and place along the side of the cake.

I was worried that the cookies might get soft after being on the cake so I put them on only a couple of hours before serving. But they were still ok on the leftover cake 24 hours later!

It may not be the prettiest cake but it was made with love.

Whole Orange Chocolate Mini Cakes

Easier than falling off a log... I've never fallen off a log but I imagine it's pretty easy. So are these...

1 whole orange
1 chocolate cake mix
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
2/3 cup water

Start by pulverizing the orange in a food processor.  Place unpeeled quarters in the processor and chop or purée until consistency that you like. I ended up with 3/4 cup.

Add the orange purée to the cake mix in a large mixer bowl along with the ingredients called for in the cake mix.  I added 3 eggs and 1/2 cup oil. My Betty Crocker mix called for 1 1/4 cups water, so I used 3/4 cup orange purée as part of the water but decided instead of the the remaining 1/2 cup I would add 2/3 cup water as orange purée was more solid than water.  It worked out very well.

Pour the batter into cupcake or mini loaf paper lined pans and bake at 325 F for 25-30 minutes.

These cakes are very moist and don't even need frosting.  You could dust them with icing sugar for appearance sake.

Easy Butter Pecan Banana Carrot Muffins

A little like a cupcake but the oats makes it a little more muffinie (or muffiny? Is this even a word? You know what I mean)

Sometimes it's ok to cheat and start with a cake mix.
Instead of the usual 24 cupcakes the mix would make, this recipe makes 16 medium muffins.

1 - 432g butter pecan cake mix
3 ripe bananas
2 eggs
1/2 cup finely shredded carrot
1/2 cup oats

Mix bananas, carrot and eggs in mixer bowl, then add the oats and cake mix and beat until smooth.

Scoop into prepared muffin tins.

Bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes. A cake tester should come out clean.

Drizzle:
1 tbsp cream cheese
1/4 tsp vanilla
pinch nutmeg
1/4 cup icing sugar
1/4 tsp milk

Blend the cream cheese, vanilla and nutmeg together and add the icing sugar. Add the milk to the consistency you like.

Drizzle on top of almost cooled muffins.

I wonder what other cake mixes and combinations could be used to make muffins?