Category Archives: Cakes

June 30, 2016 · 12:10 pm

Chocolate Cherry Cake

I have always loved Black Forest Cake, but here is a new twist. The cherries are baked inside! Topped with my favorite chocolate frosting, this cake is delicious.
– Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

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Ingredients

1 can cherry pie filling (Savoie family prefers Comstock)
1 box chocolate cake mix
2 eggs
1 cup mini chocolate chips
Chocolate frosting

Method

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Stir gently, doing your best to break up the cake mix without squishing the cherries too much. Spoon into a greased and floured 9×13 pan. Bake for about 30-35 minutes until a tester comes out clean.  Top with chocolate frosting after it has cooled completely. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Tip: When making frosting, I usually make a double recipe and store leftovers in the freezer. Just let it thaw on the counter.

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January 11, 2015 · 4:17 pm

Frozen Birthday Party

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April 15, 2014 · 9:36 pm

Mandarin Orange Pineapple Cake

Cake

This light and cool cake is perfect for Easter and summer celebrations!

by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

Cake Ingredients

1 pkg. butter cake mix (yellow)
1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges with juice
3/4 c. oil
4 eggs

Icing Ingredients

1 (13 1/2 oz. or 16) Cool Whip
1 (3 oz.) pkg. vanilla instant pudding
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained

Method

Mix cake mix with mandarin orange with juice and oil. Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Grease and flour 2 round cake pans. Divide batter evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. (See cake box for recommended cook times for different pans.) Cool thoroughly.

Mix Cool Whip, pudding and crushed pineapple. Return to refrigerator for 10 minutes. Frost cake and keep in refrigerator.

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November 2, 2013 · 8:16 pm

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

IMG_8419By Pat Savoie  from Half Baked-The Cake Blog

Ingredients

3    cups    flour, all-purpose
1    tsp        baking soda
2    tsp        baking powder
1    tsp        salt
2    tsp        cinnamon
1/2 tsp        ginger
1/2 tsp        nutmeg
2 sticks        butter, room temp
1    cup         sugar
1    cup         brown sugar, light
4                   eggs
1    cup         milk
1 1/2 cups  pumpkin puree

Method

Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin pans with cupcake liners.

Combine dry ingredients:  flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg

In bowl of stand mixer cream butter and sugars until creamy

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition

Start adding dry ingredients a little at a time, alternating with milk and ending with dry ingredients until all is combined.

Stir in pumpkin.

Fill cupcake liners almost to the top and bake 18 minutes

Cool  in pans 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack

Cool completely then ice with cinnamon cream cheese frosting:

Icing Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks    butter, softened
8    oz                 cream cheese, softened
4    cups            powdered sugar
1    tsp                vanilla
1    tsp                cinnamon

Icing Method

Beat butter and cream cheese until creamy.

Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until smooth and fluffy.

Add vanilla and cinnamon and mix until all is combined.

Frost cupcakes

*For Halloween, make witches legs by cutting black and white striped paper straws to size. Draw and cut out little witch’s shoes on black paper. Cut two small slices in the top of the straws to hold the paper shoes and slide them into the slots.

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July 12, 2013 · 10:14 am

Mermaid Birthday

Under the Sea Party Ideas 

by Elizabeth Dronet, who hosted this party for the twins 6th birthday.

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Mermaid shaped cake.

Mermaid shaped cake.

Create a treasure map that leads to shell necklaces.

Create a treasure map that leads to shell necklaces.

Water in the shell relay race.

Let girls compete carrying water in a seashell for a relay race.

Girls create shell wands.

Set up a station for each child to create shell wands. (Begin with this activity so they will dry.)

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Serve Sea Foam Punch (Green Sherbet and Ginger Ale) Serve Sea Foam Punch (Green Sherbet and Ginger Ale)

Cut out fish sandwiches filled with strawberry cream cheese.

Cut out fish sandwiches filled with strawberry cream cheese.

Dip marshmallows in candy coating and top with sprinkles.

Dip marshmallows in candy coating and top with sprinkles.

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Cut a watermelon to look like a shark. Fill it with fruit salad.

Cut a watermelon to look like a shark. Fill it with fruit salad.

Create floating jellyfish from paper plates and ribbon.

Create floating jellyfish from paper plates and ribbon.

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Have kids join hands to form a circle and pass a hula hoop around pretending it's a bubble under the sea.

Have kids join hands to form a circle and pass a hula hoop around pretending it’s a bubble under the sea.

Hire a teenager to dress up and run a makeup and hair station.
Hire a teenager to dress up and run a makeup and hair station.

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March 17, 2013 · 10:15 am

Easter Bunny Cake

This is a fun and easy cake to make for Easter. Just bake two cake rounds. Use one round for the face, and cut the other into two ears and a bow tie. Have the kids decorate it with jelly beans and coconut.

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October 21, 2012 · 6:59 pm

Kayla’s Buttercream Icing

Painter’s Palette Cupcakes with Buttercream Icing

Here is our go-to recipe for birthday cake icing. This recipe produces creamy icing that has enough body to hold up throughout the party. 

by Kalya Savoie

Ingredients

1 stick butter
1/2 stick crisco
4 cups powdered sugar
dash vanilla
Milk – no more than 4 Tbsp

Method

Mix butter and crisco until smooth on medium speed. Stop mixing and add sugar. Start out mixing slow then to medium/high. Add vanilla while mixing. Add small amounts of milk to desired creaminess, but don’t exceed 4 Tbsp. Add coloring at the end.

One batch will ice one cake or 24 cupcakes.  Kayla breaks up the white icing into bowls and then colores them in the mixer separately. If you use the same bowl for another color, be sure wash completely first.

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October 17, 2012 · 4:27 pm

Monster Mash Party

For Avery’s 5th birthday party, Emily made creatures out of everything right down to the napkin holders. Check out the pictures of her Monster birthday party and get inspired!

Find the recipe for Kayla’s Buttercream Icing here.

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February 18, 2012 · 7:13 pm

Boston Cream Cupcakes

I’ve always loved Boston cream pie and thought it would be great as a cupcake.  I took my inspiration for the filling from my favorite cream puff recipe. It was easy to serve to a crowd and loved by adults and children alike.

by Pat Savoie

Ingredients

Cake:
Betty Crocker Yellow Cake Mix according to package directions

Filling:
1 small vanilla instant pudding
1 1/4 cup milk
1 cup Cool Whip
1 tsp almond extract (optional)

Ganache:
1 cup chocolate chips
2/3 cup milk or cream

Method

Bake cupcakes according to package directions. Cool completely. Slice in half horizontally by cutting  off the top. 

Make filling by whisking 1 1/4 cups cold milk and instant pudding mix for two minutes.  Fold in Cool Whip and 1 tsp almond extract.  To fold, stir gently from bottom to top.

Add a large dollop to the bottom half of the cupcake and top with other half.

Heat milk or cream in sauce pan until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat, pour over chocolate in a mixing bowl. Stir to mix together. Let cool slightly. Frost cupcakes with ganache.

Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

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February 8, 2012 · 8:30 am

Make-Ahead Cinnamon Sour Cream Coffee Cake

I love a special breakfast on weekend morning.  This recipe is great because you can make it the night before and just pop it in the oven the next morning.  Even better, the recipe makes two cakes, one for now and one for later.  Freeze the second one for a quick dessert or breakfast later that month.

Contributed by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet, based on the book More Best Recipes 

Makes two 9 inch cakes, each serves 6

Streusel

1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
4 Tbsp butter (1/2 stick), chilled and cut into pieces
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 cup pecans, chopped

Cake

3 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups sour cream
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
7 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled

Method

1.  For Streusel:  Using your fingers or a fork, mix the brown sugar, sugar, flour, butter and cinnamon together until it resembles course meal. Set mixture and nuts aside.

2. For Cake: Coat two 9 inch cake pans with vegetable oil spray. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together in a large bowl.  In a smaller bowl, whisk sour cream, sugars, eggs, and melted butter together. Gently whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture until it is smooth and well combined.  Do not over mix.

3. Scrape batter into the two greased pans.  Sprinkle nuts on top followed by streusel.  (Mom like to put the nuts on first to help prevent them from burning.)

To Serve: Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. A cake tester should come out clean when cake is done in the middle and tops are golden brown.

To Store: Wrap the pans tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours or freeze for up to 1 month. Do not thaw before baking. I like to wrap again in foil and write the directions for baking on it with a sharpie. If refrigerated, bake at 350 for around 35 minutes, if frozen around 45 minutes.

If you like coffee cake, you may also like our recipes for Cherry Coffee Cake, Apple Coffee Cake, Jumbo Oatmeal Raisin Coconut Cookies, and Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins.

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