Half-Iced Half-Birthday Cake

I know, I know, half birthdays are not a real thing. But with these two monkeys in my life, I really embrace any chance to make a cake and have a party.

We've done some pretty fun Half-Birthday Cakes around here the last couple of years.

See, my guys are twins. They share a birthday and a birthday party, so I don't see anything wrong with making a Half-Birthday Half-Cake and celebrating in the spring.

This year, though, we had a lot going on with a sick kid, Easter, the usual... so I just half-iced it.

The cakes were some leftovers from the freezer, and the icing job took me maybe 30 minutes. So, if you're looking for a simple, silly way to celebrate... give it a chance!!

Click the Links Below to See:
How to Make a Cake Mix Taste Homemade
Buttercream Icing Recipe
Chocolate Buttercream Icing Recipe
How to Ice a Cake without Crumbs

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Triple Chocolate Ice Cream Cake {Recipe}

My sweet little boy got his tonsils and adenoids removed the week before Easter.
So, I decided I would try to make it a little easier for him to enjoy the Easter goodies by making an ice cream cake.
(I did not, however, get great pictures of the finished product because of the recovering child, and a family that was rather eager to dig in!)
 

I'd never made one before, and I have to say, even though it wasn't exactly easy or quick, it wasn't really hard either. It just takes some pre-planning. In order to get everything ready, you need to plan to get the pieces in the freezer at least a day ahead of time.

What You Need:
The recipes for each of these is linked or posted below
Chocolate Cake (homemade or from a mix)
Chocolate Ice Cream (homemade or store bought)
Chocolate Fudge Sauce (homemade or store bought)
Whipped Cream Frosting
Toppings:
 Go nuts! Sprinkles, crushed up candy, mini chocolate chips, crushed Oreos, fresh fruit, etc.

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Chocolate Martini Cupcakes {Recipe}

Cupcakes and Cocktails. They go together perfectly. So, when I agreed to hold a little party to benefit my kids' school, I decided to make these... Chocolate Martinis with Chocolate Martini cupcakes.
(We also made some Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes, if you're interested in that recipe.)

What You Need
For 24-30 Cupcakes:
6 oz. (about ¾ cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
3 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup vanilla-flavored vodka*
1/4 cup chocolate liqueur (like Godiva)
*Note: If you want a “boozier” flavor, add ¼ cup vanilla vodka and ¼ cup plain vodka.

For the Icing:
4 egg whites (at room temperature)
1 cup sugar (not powdered sugar)
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) butter
2-3 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder
1/4 cup vanilla vodka
2-3 Tbsp. Chocolate Liqueur

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Special Easter Treat Ideas

I don't know what we're doing for our Easter treats this year, but what I do know is that it will be very, very CHOCOLATE because my family gave up chocolate for Lent.
Below are my ideas from the last few years.

Easter Basket Cake

The basketweave technique looks really amazing. 

This post includes video of how to make a cake that looks like an Easter Basket.

Easter Egg Cake Truffles

These are just like cake pops, but you make them with toothpicks, instead of lollipop sticks.

Easter Egg Cookie Pops

There's just something better about when you put anything on a stick.

Click the link to see how to make cookies on a stick.

Easter Cookie Bouquet

These Cookie Pops are perfect to make a bouquet.

Click this link to see how to make a cookie bouquet of your own.

The Simple Easter Egg Cake
An oval pan, some pastel colored icing... it's all you need.

Simple Spring Cupcakes

These might be a little more generically spring than Easter, but they fit the color scheme here.

Click the Links Below to See:
Vanilla Sugar Cookie Recipe
Royal Icing Recipe
How To Make Cake Pops
Spring Decorating Ideas

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Orange Cream-sicle Cake {Recipe}

During a recent bout of strep throat in our house, my boys decided that they would live on the ice cream treat, orange creamsicles.

True to form, I decided to try to make a creamsicle cake. One of my boys has since declared it his favorite cake of all time. (Though that may just be because it's what he was eating at the time!)

What You Need:
1 white boxed cake mix
3 (large) eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate
1 cup milk (not pictured)*
1-2 Tbsp. orange zest

Cream Cheese Icing (To decorate with this "petal effect," make a double batch of icing.)

*Note: You could also use 3/4-1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice instead of the concentrate... and add 1/4-1/2 cup milk to that. I didn't have enough oranges to make that happen.

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