Monday, June 23, 2014

Easy Cookies & Cream Cake {Recipe}

My boys - and my husband - went away to scout camp for the weekend... I wanted to surprise them with a treat when they got home.
But... as (un)luck would have it, I was also without a car for the weekend while one was in the shop. I needed to make something with what we had at home. And I didn't have the camera, either, so that meant I couldn't take many pictures of the process.

What You Need:
For the Cake:
1 Chocolate Cake Mix* or Chocolate Cake Recipe
1-2 packages Oreo Cookies

For the Icing:
(This recipe is adapted from the Tasty Kitchen blog.)
5 Tbsp. flour
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 cup butter (unsalted) - at room temperature
1 cup sugar (not powdered sugar)

*Note: You need the cake mix and the ingredients to make the batter. I always "doctor up" the cake batter, using milk and melted butter in the place of the water and oil.

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Thursday, June 12, 2014

Summer Beach Cookies

School's Out... Finally!

I made these summer beach cookies for my kids' teachers and helpers at school.

Helpful Links:
Vanilla Sugar Cookie Recipe
Royal Icing Recipe
How to Color Icing

But there's something extra cool about these cookies. The backs are imprinted with "Beki Cook's Cakes."

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Monday, June 9, 2014

Lots of little projects

So, I haven't posted much lately. I've had a lot of little projects on my plate.
I'm hoping to add the recipe for these Margarita Cupcakes soon.

And I finally made a good use of my checkerboard cake pan(s). A race flag cake for my kids' after school activity - "Ridiculous Racing Club."

Some Gold Medal Cookies for the kids in that activity, as well. (I spoil them, what can I say?!)

And a giant cupcake cake... with no fondant, and lots of hot pink coloring!

Click the Links Below to See:
Lots of great Summer Cupcake Ideas
Fun Summer Cake Pop Ideas
Baseball Cookies, Cupcakes & Cake Pops

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Elephant Baby Shower Cake

My good friend, Amanda, is having a baby boy!

Her colors are yellow and gray, so we thought an elephant theme for the shower would be fun.

Even though making the gray icing made me think of a line from the movie Steel Magnolias, I still love the way this cake turned out!

What You Need:
Cake -
   I used two 8" x 2" round layers
    and two 5" x 2" round layers
   I made my favorite Chocolate Cake Recipe (1 1/2 time the recipe)
Icing -
   I made a double batch of Rich Vanilla Buttercream (SMBC)
    I took 3 cups out for the yellow, and dyed the rest gray.
   You will also need a piping bag and tip #104.

Elephant and Letter Decorations -
   Fondant - colored gray (You only need about 4-6 oz. of fondant)
   Rolling pin
   Cut-outs: Elephant, petal or tear-drop & letters
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Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Easy Homemade Piggie Cupcakes

This little piggie went to a birthday party...
These pig cupcakes are very easy, and require only three colors of icing, and two icing tips.

They're so much fun.

What You Need:
2 dozen cupcakes*
1 batch Buttercream Icing
Pink food coloring
Black food coloring

*Note: I made these cupcakes strawberry-flavored by doctoring up a white cake mix.
I used 1 cake mix, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1/2 cup pureed strawberries and 1/4 cup milk.

Click this link to find more about how I make cake mixes taste homemade.

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Monday, April 28, 2014

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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Tuesday, April 22, 2014

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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