ligheter chocolate cake

The original recipe calls for a dusting of sugar on the top which does add additional calories, but typical frosting toppings would double the calories of the cake! For a healthier twist and a protein boost, I will replace the sugar dusting with crushed walnuts.

With only 230 calories and 7 grams of fat, this recipe is perfect for an occasional indulgence.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar (or ½ cup Splenda)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup egg substitute, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup pureed prunes
• 1/2 cup fat-free buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 tablespoons walnuts, crushed to a powder

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a tube pan with non-stick cooking spray and coat with flour, shaking of any excess flour.
2. Cream together the sugar and oil. Add the egg substitute, vanilla, prunes and buttermilk, and continue to mix.
3. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Slowly add the boiling water.
4. Beat in the liquid mixture with an electric mixer until smooth
5. Pour into tube pan and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle powdered walnuts over the top. Bake for another 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Cool on wire racks.

Serves: 12

Nutrition Content (per serving):

230 calories, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 40 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 6 g protein, 230 mg sodium
Note: Using Splenda instead of sugar will reduce the calories to 169 and the carbohydrates to 24 g.

Love cake, but not in the mood for chocolate? Try my Recipe Rehab: Carrot Cake.

fondant

Make-a-Cake Series: Making and Coloring Fondant

from Make It and Love It by Brittany

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I have had many requests to do a post on how to make fondant.

I am happy to fill that request.

I also added how to color your fondant.


Homemade Marshmallow Fondant vs Traditional Fondant (found in stores):

- Marshmallow fondant tastes better than store bought fondant.
- Marshmallow fondant is cheaper: $4.00 a batch vs. $15-25 for traditional fondant.
- Store bought is, however, a bit easier to work with.


One thing I must start with is that I cannot take credit for this marshmallow fondant recipe or how to make marshmallow fondant.
When I first started cake decorating I looked up how to make marshmallow fondant and found that most of the recipes/process were very similar.

Here is the exact recipe I used.

I added pictures below to show you the steps that I take.
I hope this is helpful, but know that this is not my own information.

Supplies:

If you want to know how much you need to cover your cake, check out the Wilton site.

(This recipe will make about 3 lbs of fondant.)

1. Two pound bag of powdered sugar **
2. 16 oz bag of mini marshmallows **
3. 1/2 cup shorting (Crisco brand)-- put this in a container you can get your fingers into....like the measuring cup shown above.
4. 2-4 Tablespoons of water

**Don't buy the "off brand" of these products. Trust me, I have tried all different combinations to be able to use the generic brand and it just doesn't work. You will end up frustrated like I was....trust me on this one! Ha!

Let's get started...

Clean your counter really well and spread 1/2 of your shorting in a thick layer on your counter about the size of a basketball.

Sift your powder sugar into a pile on top of the shorting. I hate sifting when I bake but in this case it is really helpful. If you don't do it you will end up with clumps of sugar in your fondant.

Make a crater in the middle of your sugar, keeping high sides all around and a layer of powder sugar on the bottom.

Place your marshmallows in a microwave safe bowl. Add your water. Start with 2 tablespoons.

**The amount of water you use will depend on where you live. When I lived in southeastern Idaho (where it's more dry) I would add 3 1/2 tablespoons but now that I am in northern Idaho, I only add 2.
If your fondant is dry (cracking) when you knead it later on, you know you need to add more water. Once you figure out how much you need you can add it during this step.

Put your bowl in the microwave. Heat until your marshmallows melt. This takes about 2 1/2-4 minutes. They will look like this:

Fold the marshmallows until it is all incorporated and smooth.

Pour your mixture onto your powdered sugar crater, making sure to scrape and add the excess from the sides of the bowl.

These next steps can be hot, please be careful.
You can let the marshmallows cool a bit if needed.

Coat your hands with shortening. On the front, back, in between fingers, up to your wrists, everywhere. Ha! That which it's not coated will have fondant stuck to it. So take off your rings too.

And I am sure there are many ways to do this.....but this is what works for me.
Start to fold the powdered sugar on top of the marshmallows....

...and keep folding and combining it until it all starts mixing together.

It will start to look like this.

Now I scrape the counter with a pastry scraper or spatula, put the extra sugar on the fondant.
Apply a thin layer of shortening onto the counter to prevent sticking and keep kneading the fondant.

Keep going until everything is worked in and smooth. If it doesn't get smooth right away just keep kneading.

** If you still have some shortening left, work all but 1 tablespoon in.


Now you're done.
Use the fondant right away or coat your finished fondant with a thin layer of shortening and seal tight in a zip lock bag.

This can be left out for a few days without a problem or for several weeks in the refrigerator.

Keep in mind that making your fondant ahead of time is a real timer saver.

......................................................................




Onto coloring your fondant.
Fondant is available at the stores already colored or in white.

When you color it yourself there are benefits:

• it's cheaper
• you have many more color options
• you can match any shade you want.

To color your fondant, you will need:

- White fondant

- Gel paste dye -- I have used the Wilton brand available at Michael's and I like it. Now I use AmeriColor gel paste only because I like the squeeze bottle. I buy that brand from Amazon.com.

- Food safe gloves (optional)-- the food color will stain your hands for a day if you do not wear gloves.

For this batch I needed an aqua color for a cake I was making. I knew I needed a mix of teal and sky blue.

It's best to use a small amount of color at first and get darker of you need.

First, warm up your fondant in the microwave (just a little) to make it easier to knead.

Then, add a few drops of color to a few different areas of the fondant. This will help it mix in faster.

**Note--if you are coloring your fondant a dark color, like red or black, plan on using a lot of dye. It takes large amounts to get true dark colors.

Knead the fondant until all the color is mixed in. Make sure there are no streaks.

After I mixed in the color, I still needed my fondant to be a shade darker.

So, I added a few more drops of color at a time and kneaded again. Perfect.

And that's it.

Now you're ready to make beautiful edible creations!


Wondering how to use your new fondant?
If you haven't already, make sure and check out the cake preparation tutorial here and the covering your cake with fondant tutorial here.


I hope these steps will make you even more brave to jump into fondant work.
Happy Decorating!

Lime Coconut Cupcakes

Lime Coconut Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting
{adapted from Food Network}
Makes a whole lot.
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp grated key lime zest
1 1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup loosely packed sweetened coconut flakes (3.5 ounces)

The Frosting:
5 ounces good quality white chocolate, chopped into small chucks 1/2 cup
(1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Pinch salt
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp lime juice (bottled or freshly squeezed)
1/4 cup sour cream Fresh lime slices, for garnish

* Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla extract, key lime zest and juice and mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 5 parts total, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold the coconut into the cupcake batter. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and fill each liner almost to the top with batter. A spring loaded 1/4 cup ice cream scoop works great for this and ensures the cupcakes are all the same size. Bake for 25 minutes or until the tops begin to brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer cupcakes to a baking rack to cool completely. While the cupcakes are cooling you can make the frosting. In a small heat proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, carefully and slowly melt the white chocolate. Remove from heat and let cool until just slightly warm. Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar until well combined. Add the salt, vanilla extract, key lime juice, and sour cream and mix until very smooth. Add the melted white chocolate and mix just until incorporated. Frost the cupcakes and garnish with a bit of grated key lime zest. * If you don't want to place fresh lime slices atop, you can always candy your lime slices so they are more edible. Google "candy limes" to find the how-to.

cream filling

Cream Filling Enough to fill and decorate 24 cupcakes

2 tsp very hot water
1/4 tsp salt
1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow cream
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Dissolve the salt in the hot water and allow to cool.

Whip the marshmallow cream, shortening, powdered sugar, and vanilla until it begins to get fluffy. Add the water and whip well.

banana spice cake

Banana Spice Cake (Kissell style)

2 1/4 c Flour

1 2/3 c sugar

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp nutmeg

3/4 tsp cloves

2/3 c shortning

2/3 c buttermilk (I usually just use milk with lemon juice)

1 1/4 c mashed bananas (about 3 med)

2 eggs

1/2 c choc chips (optional)

Heat oven to 350

Grease and flour 2 9x1 1/2 inch round cake pans

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves together.

Add shortning, buttermilk and bananas. Mix for 2 min.

Add eggs, beat 1 min.

Pour into pans and bake for 30 min

Mom usually frosted with chocolate buttercream frosting and it was delicious!

chocolate marshmallow cake

Chocolate Marshmallow Cake from Dana of MADE…

Looking back, it would seem that I simply loved this cake because there were mounds marshmallows on top. Every kid likes a mallow, right? But now as an adult I realize, that’s exactly why I love it. Life really is that simple. Chocolate, marshmallows, cake. YUM. The cake itself is moist, uber chocolatey. and delicious. Then pair that with slightly melted marshmallows? Down right dreamy.

One of my mom’s tried and true recipes, I make this cake for any family celebration. It never disappoints. Just looking at it is delicious. In fact, my blog MADE is a site for sewing and crafts but I once posted a picture of my daughter’s birthday and readers started to ask, “What is that cake?”

Well, I’m happy you asked. Here’s the recipe! Guarantee… You’ll be making this Chocolate Marshmallow Cake for years to come!

Ingredients:
1 cup boiling water
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk (or use 1 cup milk mixed with 1 tablespoon vinegar)
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
Chocolate Satin Frosting (see recipe below)

1. Heat the oven to 350ºF and grease a 13×9 inch pan.
2. Bring some water to boil and keep it simmering while you make the batter.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer for 30 seconds.
4. Add the 1 cup boiling water and carefully stir until the water is mixed in; beat for 1 1/2 minutes.
5. Pour the batter into the 13×9 inch pan (batter will be thin).
6. Bake at 350ºF for 35-38 minutes or just until the top springs back when lightly touched.
7. Make the frosting while the cake is baking. When the cake is done, pour the warm frosting over the hot cake.

Chocolate Satin Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
6 tablespoon buttermilk (or use 6 Tbl milk mixed with 1 tsp vinegar)
4 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 (16 ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups marshmallows (optional)

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, buttermilk and cocoa. Cook, stirring constantly, just until it comes to a boil; remove the pan from the heat.
2. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and beat with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until the frosting is nearly smooth (stir every few minutes while the cake finished baking).
3. Add the marshmallows, then pour the warm frosting over the hot cake, gently spreading until it covers the cake evenly. Cool to room temperature before serving.

Strawberry cake filling

Strawberry Filling

• 2 cups hulled strawberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 3 tablespoons boiling water
• 1/2 cup whipping cream

Crush strawberries; add sugar and let stand.

Soften gelatin in cold water; add boiling water and stir until gelatin is dissolved.

Stir gelatin into strawberries and allow to cool. Whip cream until stiff. When mixture is the consistency of heavy syrup, fold whipped cream into mixture. Allow to set.

Fills two 8" layers.