Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Okay I know I already busted out the pumpkin muffins, but I'm not COMPLETELY done with summer yet in the kitchen. 

I have been waiting for an excuse all summer to make this chocolate zucchini cake and I finally got it last weekend when Mark and Eli came over to watch the Ole Miss game with Josh and Knox.

Bingo!  My excuse to make chocolate zucchini cake!!

(Football = Excuse to make yummy food of any kind.)

I only wish Eli was old enough to try a piece of cake.  Check out this cutie!  I think he likes me. :)

My mom has been making this recipe in the summer for as long as I can remember.  I think this may be another one that originated with my Aunt Monica but I am not sure.  All I know is that it's AWESOME. 

And dangerous.  It's really hard to just eat one piece.  We love, love, LOVE this cake!

If you don't want anyone to know there is zucchini in your chocolate cake, just peel the zucchini before you shred it up.  Everyone will rave about how moist the cake is and you can just smile and nod and keep that secret ingredient to yourself.

But if you want to show it off, like I do (or if you are just plain lazy, also like me) feel free to leave the green peel ON. :)

Enjoy!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

1/2 cup sour milk*

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

4 Tbl. cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

2 cups shredded zucchini

1 cup chocolate chips, divided

*Just add a little lemon juice or vinegar to the milk to sour it.

Preheat oven to 325.  Cream butter, oil and sugar.  Add eggs, vanilla and sour milk.  Beat till well blended.  Mix all dry ingredients together in a separate bowl and add to creamed mixture.  Beat well.  Stir in zucchini and half cup chocolate chips.  Pour batter into greased 13x9 pan.  Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over the top.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Italian Creme (Birthday) Cake by Josh

Whose husband would make them an Italian Creme Cake from scratch for their birthday?!

Umm, MINE!!!

I wish I could have shared a slice of my birthday cake with each of you, because it was SOOOO GOOOOD.

Beyond words.

Thank you, Josh, for making my birthday so special.

We originally fell in love with Italian Creme Cakes after trying the mini ones from our little neighborhood Italian deli, Jimmy's.  We love their cakes.

But let me tell you, Josh's cake left Jimmy's cake in the DUST.

I'm not joking. 

This was one of the moistest cakes I've ever eaten.  It's flavored with buttermilk and real vanilla, studded with shredded coconut and glazed pecans, and spiked with LOVE. :)

And the frosting?  Think cream cheese and more chopped glazed pecans.

Are you hungry yet?

I am!

Happy Birthday to me!!

It's a good thing I got new running shoes for my birthday. :)

Italian Creme (Birthday) Cake by Josh

Cake

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 egg whites
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (3.5 ounce) package flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped glazed pecans

Frosting

• 1 1/2 packages cream cheese (12 oz total), softened
•  3/4 cup butter, softened
•  6 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped glazed pecans

1. Preheat oven to 325. Grease (well) three 9 inch, round cake pans. Combine soda and buttermilk, and let stand a few minutes.
2. In a large bowl, cream sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup oil and shortening. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix buttermilk mixture alternately with flour into creamed mixture. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
3. In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain. Gently stir in 1 cup pecans and coconut.
4. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
5. To make the Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat together cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar. Stir in pecans. Frost and fill cooled cake with cream cheese frosting.

Note:  The glazed pecans really make this cake extra special, but they did create a little problem when Josh was removing the cakes from their pans.  You can use plain pecans if this worries you...otherwise just grease your pans extra diligently, work carefully when removing the cakes, and don't worry if a little piece of the cake sticks to the pan.  Just glue it back on with frosting. :)

BIG fan of Daddy's cake!

Chocolate Cupcakes with a Salted Caramel Filling

Several months ago, when I realized I was going to be on cupcake duty for two very special baby showers this spring, I set out to find a very special cupcake recipe that would live up to these occasions.

It was harder than I thought.

Do you have any idea how difficult it can be to create a chocolate cupcake that stays moist?  I didn't!  If you only knew how many practice batches of cupcakes I have baked and eaten and given to neighbors and sent to work with Josh this spring...!

After multiple disappointments with chocolate cupcake recipes, several batches of scorched and runny caramel, and one instance of over-salting the caramel (leaving it nearly inedible for these dear friends), I finally ended up with a rich, delicious, and fool-proof recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes with a Salted Caramel Filling.

Martha Stewart gave me the idea for these cupcakes, but I ended up using a different cupcake recipe and my own caramel filling.  I did stick with Martha's chocolate frosting, with only a couple of modifications.

All I can say, after making, filling, and frosting more of these cupcakes than I count, is that I really hope someone else has a baby SOON because I want to make MORE CUPCAKES!!!  :)

With the combination of sweet and salty they are a little addictive.

I am in love. :)

Chocolate Cupcakes with a 
Salted Caramel Filling

Makes 20 Delicious Cupcakes

STEP ONE:  Make the frosting.

FROSTING

• ½ cup plus 1 Tbl. cocoa powder
• ½ cup plus 1 Tbl. boiling water
• 4 ½ sticks (2 ¼ cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 bag Bittersweet Ghiradelli chocolate chips, melted then cooled 30 minutes

Combine cocoa and boiling water, stirring until cocoa has dissolved.  Set aside. 

With an electric mixer on med-high, beat butter, confectioner’s sugar and salt till pale and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low.  Add melted and cooled chocolate, beating until combined and scraping sides of bowl as needed.  Beat in cocoa mixture.

If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 5 days, or frozen up to 1 month, in an airtight container.  Before using, bring to room temperature (takes about 6 hours to bring to room temperature) and beat until smooth again.

STEP TWO: Bake the cupcakes.

CUPCAKES

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 ounces melted unsweetened baking chocolate
• 1 package instant chocolate pudding

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
Combine all ingredients into large mixing bowl.  Mix at low speed for 30 seconds, and scrape bowl.  Mix at high speed for 3 minutes.

Fill liners 1/2 to 2/3 full of batter.  Bake 18-20 minutes.  It’s okay if they are slightly soft in the middle.

Cool 10 minutes in pans then remove from pan, and place on wire racks to cool completely and then wrap tightly to store overnight.

STEP THREE: Hollow out middles of cupcakes with knife in a cone shape.

STEP FOUR: Make salted caramel filling.

SALTED CARAMEL FILLING

• 4 egg yolks
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup water
• ½ stick (¼ cup) unsalted butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla

• Pinch of sea salt
• 1/2 to 1 1/2 more of sea salt

• Cornstarch
 

Whisk egg yolks in saucepan, adding remaining ingredients except 1 tsp sea salt and cornstarch.

Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly until it becomes steamy and starts to thicken.   Add sea salt starting with 1/2 tsp, then adding more 1/4 tsp at a time and tasting after each addition.  You want to be able to taste the salt in the filling but you don't want it to be overpowering.  

Whisk in cornstarch (approx. 3 Tbl or enough to thicken) along with several drops of cold water to reduce lumps.

Immediately fill cupcakes.   

STEP FIVE: Frost the cupcakes!

Best enjoyed eaten on same day as filling and frosting.  

 

Rocket Cookies

I already told you about the shower we had for my sister-in-law Vanessa this past weekend.  

What I didn't tell you is how much FUN I had all last week getting ready for it!!

I wasn't able to share these photos last week, of course.  (That would have ruined the surprise.)  

But this week I can! :)

When I first saw the adorable bedding Mark & Vanessa picked out several months ago for their nursery the first thing I thought was, "Oh my goodness this is SOOOOO CUTE!"

And the second thing I thought was: 

"ROCKET COOKIES!!!!"

So I went to work.

Sweet view from the rocket-making factory :)

Making these cookies was a BLAST. 

(hehe.)


We just hope they encourage Eli to come SOON!

We love you, Eli!

Sweetheart Cinna-Buns

It's Valentine's Day!♥

...A whole day filled with hearts and flowers and smiles and candy and kisses.  A day for writing love letters.  A day for romance.  A day when it's okay to make pink frosting for your husband.

And a whole day off from "no sugar" resolutions!
(But not from working out!)

I love Valentine's Day.

Usually, in our home, it is a day set aside to eat some special form of chocolate for breakfast.  Chocolate waffles, chocolate scones, chocolate-filled crepes...you get the idea. 

But for some reason this year I veered away from the traditional chocolate breakfast and went with cinnamon instead.

I tried this recipe on Christmas morning (minus the pink in the frosting).  On Christmas they were a little undercooked (due to me rushing back to the tree so I wouldn't miss any present-opening action), and today they were a little overcooked (due to this little Valentine, who was begging to have his picture taken):

But even undercooked and overcooked, these cinnamon rolls are worth making.  And someday I'll get them just right. 

Have you ever searched for cinnamon roll recipes on the internet?  There are millions.  Seriously millions.  We have tried several good ones...it's hard to pick a favorite.  This one we happened to find on the best baking blog ever, here.  And it's a keeper.  I've only made a couple of minor changes.

These cinna-buns are gooey, rich, and they have cream cheese icing.  They're everything cinnamon rolls ought to be. 

 Sweetheart Cinna-Buns

Dough
1 cup lukewarm milk
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup butter, cut up
4 1/2 cups flour
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

Filling
1 stick butter, softened
1 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
 2-3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Icing 

6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

OR Non-Cream Cheese Icing
4 cups confectioner's sugar
4-5 Tbl. milk  

 

Dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients in a large mixing bowl, stirring till the mixture becomes cohesive. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and knead it for 5 to 8 minutes, till it’s smooth. Or knead it in an electric mixer, using the dough hook, for 4 to 7 minutes at medium speed. Don't be tempted to add extra flour; the dough will be very soft.  Flour your hands to make handling it easier.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to grease all sides, cover the bowl with a proof cover or plastic wrap, and let it rise for 60 minutes, till it’s nearly doubled in bulk.

 
Assembly: Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and roll it into a 16 x 21-inch rectangle.  Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and butter; sprinkle mixture evenly over dough. 

Starting with a short end, roll the dough into a log, and cut it into 12 slices. Place the buns in a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch pan. Cover the pan with a proof cover or plastic wrap,* and let the buns rise until they’re nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake the buns in a preheated 400°F oven until they’re golden brown, about 15 minutes. While the buns are baking, make the icing.

Icing: In a medium bowl, beat together icing ingredients (and two drops red food coloring if you want to make it pink). Spread the icing on the buns while they’re warm. 

Makes 12 big buns.

Note: If buns begin to brown too much before centers are cooked, cover with aluminum foil and continue to bake until centers are firm.

*At this point you can refrigerate overnight.  The next morning just pop them in a cold oven set at 350 and bake for about 30 minutes.

I♥Josh

King Arthur's Crumb Coffeecake

It's another ice day in Dallas! 

After our terrifying trek out to eat last Friday night, when two crazy drivers almost hit us even though by then they had to go out of their way to slip in the slush, we are staying right here. 

Everything is closed and we're wondering when this city will just invest in a couple dozen sand trucks.  One sand truck?  Really, Dallas, this is getting ridiculous.

But we'll take another lazy day.


And today I really mean lazy.  I did do my Insanity workout, but just barely.  And I did do four huge loads of laundry.  But now they're all staring me in the face waiting to be folded...and I just don't know if I can do it.

Here they are:

Under this pile there is, or at least there used to be, an big brown overstuffed chair.  I'm not sure when we'll see it again.

I'm feeling so lazy today that I don't even feel like baking anything.  It's that bad. 

So here is a recipe I made for Saturday morning brunch two weeks ago when Josh's parents were here.  It was the first time I tried this recipe, it's from my King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion Cookbook, and it was GOOD.

Five star, keep-this-recipe-forever kind of good. 

Without further ado:

King Arthur's Crumb Coffeecake

Crumb Topping:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 tsp. almond extract

Cake:

8 Tbl. butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup sour cream

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

Confectioner's Sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350.  Greased 13x9 pan.

To make the crumb topping:

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.  Pour butter and extracts into flour mixture and mix until butter is absorbed and you have a uniformly moistened crumb mixture.  Set aside.

To make cake:
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time and beat in-between additions.  Beat in vanilla and sour cream.  In a medium-sized mixing bowl whisk together flour, soda, salt and powder.  Add to sour cream mixture, mixing until combined.  Pour into greased pan.  Crumble the crumb mixture over top.  

Bake 30-35 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool on a rack; dust with confectioner's sugar.

 

And after looking at all these photos I think I just found the energy to bake something today after all.  :)