Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Dear Sis,

Aunt Angel recently brought chocolate zucchini cake during a sewing overnight with cousin Charity. William, Charlotte, and I enjoyed it so much we used our garden zucchini to make one of our own.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Cream together 1/2 c soft salted butter, 1/2 c avocado oil, and 1 3/4 c granulated sugar. Beat in 2 eggs, one at a time. Stir in 1/2 c plain yogurt, 1/4 c whole milk, and 1 t vanilla until smooth. Mix in 1/2 t each baking powder, cinnamon, and cloves, 1 t baking soda, 1/4 c cocoa powder, and 2 1/2 c unbleached all-purpose flour. Fold in 2 c grated zucchini. Pour into a greased and floured 9×13 inch baking pan. Sprinkle with 1 c milk chocolate chips. Bake at 325 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Serves 12.

This recipe includes my personal substitutions, but the original recipe from Aunt Angel is from The Hoosier Cookbook on page 194.

Love,

Dinosaur Fifth Birthday

Dear Sis,

It’s hard to believe William is five! We enjoyed celebrating with a nice collection of family and friends. Our decor was simple:

The banner and plates are from Target. We found the piñata at Hobby Lobby. The foam dinosaurs are from a Michaels craft kit.

We enjoyed a simple lunch of chicken tenders, macaroni and cheese, carrots, corn on the cob, and grapes. Our meal concluded with ice cream cake.

The kids made quick work of opening cards and gifts. We spent the second half of the party busily crafting.

Crafts & Activities

Dinosaur Masks
Wooden Dinosaurs to Paint
Dinosaur Egg Excavation Kit
Dinosaur Piñata

It was a wonderful day!

Love,

Baked Perfection

Dear Sis,

Baking for your brother and new-sister in-law was quite an adventure! I knew it was going to be a big project, but I didn’t realize exactly how BIG! The bride and groom were happy… mission accomplished. You know I aim to please!!!

Before the big reveal, here are the inspiration photos the bride send me during the planning phase:

After a week in the kitchen, it was amazing to see it all complete. It wasn’t ready a moment too soon! I literally took these pictures at 4:30 PM just before folks started flowing into the reception hall!!!

Recipes

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes

Funfetti Cupcakes

Spice Cupcakes

Swiss Buttercream Frosting

Swiss Meringue Cream Cheese Frosting

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes and Cutting Cake

Baking Schedule and Notes

Day 1: Swiss Buttercream Frosting

A single batch frosts approximately, two dozen cupcakes, or one cake. I made three double batches: two batches for the fifty funfetti cupcakes, two batches for the fifty and vanilla bean cupcakes, and two batches for two cakes. Cake one was a double layer six inch round cake, flash frozen and wrapped to store as an anniversary cake. Cake two was a triple layer eight inch round cake, pictured above… the cutting cake.

Day 2: Swiss Meringue Cream Cheese Frosting and Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes

A single batch frosts approximately, three dozen cupcakes, or two small cakes, or one larger cake. I made three batches to frosting fifty chocolate and fifty spice cupcakes.

The chocolate cupcakes need to be hand mixed one batch at a time, so that the leavening works properly. I made two batches.

Day 3: Spice Cupcakes and Shaved Chocolate

The spice cupcakes can be prepared in a stand mixer. Although I made two batches, I made them separately so that the leavening didn’t sit too long before baking.

Day 4: Vanilla Cupcakes and Cakes

Eight hand mixed batches made fifty cupcakes, two six-inch round cakes, and three eight-inch cakes. I used vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla for a deeper vanilla taste, smell, and visual effect.

For perfect cakes, I line the bottom of the cake tins with parchment, cut to shape and size of the pan, and greased the sides. Then, I place a wet bake-even cake strips around the pan to assure that the cake bakes evenly without dry edges! The cakes baked 25-28 minutes varying by size.

Day 5: Funfetti Cake

I prepared two hand mixed batches the morning of the wedding because this recipe is not particularly shelf stable and begins to dry out quickly!

We arrived on site at noon. It took the better part of half an hour to locate the reception hall and haul everything inside. It was my goal to begin decorating at 1:00 PM, and I did, but my childcare was delayed a bit, so the first hour was slow going.

Additionally, the large containers of frosting, although left out of the fridge overnight to soften, were so large that the frosting was still effectively chilled! I had to warm each batch in the frosting bag, deal with soft and hard spots and squeeze much harder than usual. I only had two tips, one for each flavor, and not hot soapy water, so my bags got progressively more slippery with each filling. It was adventure!!! Rookie mistakes! I know for next time, if there is a next time… lol.

The manager had a cupcake and then requested business cards:) Apparently, many clients need a baker. I declined. I’m still just backing for family and friends at the moment!

Love,

Epic Cupcake Test – “Beat the Box Mix”

Dear Sis,

With only a week to go until the wedding, I finally found a day for mass cupcake testing. Making single recipes over the course of weeks hasn’t yielding a winning recipe. I realized I was going to have to declare a baking day, find some taste testers, and hit it with everything I’ve got, if I was going to “Beat the Box Mix!”

It was easy to “Beat the Box Mix!” for our Chocolate and Spice Cake options. Today I focused on Vanilla and Funfetti!

The Recipe Line Up

I began by printing three recipes from Pinterest that promised “Best” vanilla cupcakes. My test subjects:

Recipe One: Best Ever Moist Vanilla Cupcakes by House of Nash Eats

Recipe Two: Moist Vanilla Cupcakes by Life, Love, and Sugar

Recipe Three: Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes by Glorious Treats

Since funfetti is just a vanilla with sprinkles mixed in, I tested both with each recipe except the control… that was just a Pillsbury Funfetti box mix made with 3 whole eggs, 1/2 c vegetable oil, and 1 c buttermilk. The frosting used for all testing is my go to Swiss Buttercream.

Baking and Re-batching

RECIPE ONE: When recipe one was complete, I noted that it had robust flavor and worked well with the sprinkles! However, it was denser and dryer than I was hoping. I also had trouble nailing down the exact baking time. Sixteen minutes was undone and collapsed. Nineteen minutes was over baked! I decided the best course of action was probably just to drop the baking temperature to 325 and try again, but continued with recipes two and three before circling back.

RECIPE TWO: The three teaspoons of baking powder and complete lack of baking soda was a bit was a bit of a head turner for me. Typically a balanced recipe, matching cups of flour for teaspoons of flour, but this one was deliberately pushing the recommendation by a 1/2 teaspoon. However, I was drawn to the use of milk, oil, and water. I have noticed that wetter batters often create a more moist and shelf-stable result. Knowing I can’t bake all 200 cupcakes and two tiered cakes in four flavors all in one day. I need recipes that can sit a few days without affecting taste and texture negatively! I also know that finding a shelf stable vanilla cake is much more challenging than one with other moisture yielding ingredients, like cocoa powder, spices, fruit or vegetable purees, etc. I used a half batch for the test since the recipe has such a large yield.

RECIPE THREE: Like recipe two, I hoped this wetter batter would lend to moisture and shelf-stability. The use of cake flour and more balanced approach to leavening seemed like a winner too.

RECIPE ONE TAKE TWO: After making the other recipes, I decided to alter the fundamental of recipe one to create a lighter and moister result. I swapped all-purpose flour for cake flour and dropped the cornstarch entirely. I increased the baking powder from one to one and a half teaspoons to balance with the flour ratio and create additional lightness. I also melted the butter before creaming it with the sugar and swapped the three egg whites for two whole eggs. After all those changes, the new baking time was just twelve minutes.

RECIPE TWO TAKE TWO: Half batching again, I added two tablespoons of cornstarch hoping that would help keep the texture light while I made additional changes to balance the leavening. I dropped the baking powder quantity to one and a quarter teaspoons and added a half teaspoon of almond extract for additional flavor complexity.

Taste Testing

Next I loaded all the kids, cupcakes, and frosting into the car so we could go to a friends house to borrow their neutral, I-haven’t-eaten-a-cupcake-all-day taste buds. It’s nice to have friends you can call on a whim and say, hey, can I feed your whole family cupcakes for dinner? LOL! Mama Jenn is always game for my crazy ideas:)

My taste-testing team was unaware of which recipe was which and which recipe was the control. Their eyes were open, but they were blind of any information beyond their own taste buds:)

FUNFETTI RESULTS

RECIPE ONE: dense, a bit dry, great flavor!

RECIPE ONE TAKE TWO: they noticed that same great flavor, but moister and lighter!

RECIPE TWO: light, moist, and good, but lacking the flavor profile of recipe one take two.

RECIPE TWO TAKE TWO: got similar marks as it’s first batch.

RECIPE THREE: was reported good, but not a contender.

CONTROL: raised eyebrows again after the previous three taste subjects. Recipe one take two and control were taste tested again back to back to see who would win!

I BEAT THE BOX MIX! I was jumping around my friend’s kitchen, shouting with joy while all our kids coated themselves in frosting and the floor with crumbs:)

VANILLA RESULTS

RECIPE ONE: dry, but flavorful

RECIPE ONE TAKE TWO: flavorful and moister

RECIPE TWO: sweet and moist, rolled out recipe one, takes one and two

RECIPE TWO TAKE TWO: not as sweet, but same level of moisture

The show down was between the two versions of recipe two. Again the two were re-taste tested back to back. Jenn liked recipe two better and Brandon liked recipe two take two better. I let them know they were disagreeing over 1/4 t baking powder and 1/2 t almond extract. We laughed about it, but Jenn said that makes sense, he likes almond flavoring better than I do.

RECIPE THREE: good, but not as good as recipe two or recipe two take two

I’ve decided to use recipe two, with only some of my re-batching changes. There is already almond flavoring in my Swiss Buttercream, so I will be omitting it from the cupcake itself. It is supposed to be a vanilla cupcake after all! Also, for the big day I will use vanilla paste instead of exact for the visual effect and additional aroma.

Meeting the Winners!

Beat-the-Box Mix FUNFETTI CUPCAKES

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 22 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 1/2 c cake flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 c unsalted butter melted
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 T vanilla extract
1/2 t almond extract
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c whole milk
1/4 c sprinkles

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 dozen muffin tins with parchment liners.
Whisk together dry ingredients in a small bowl.
Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and extracts. Beat in sour cream.
Stir in dry ingredients and milk alternately. Fold in sprinkles.
Fill prepared muffin tins. Bake 12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Notes

Letting the batter sit before baking will cause the sprinkles to begin to melt and the colors to bleed more. It is best to get them in the oven right away! If you can only bake one pan at a time, divide the batter into two bowl and stir in the 2 T of sprinkles just before pouring in pan and baking. Also note, each sprinkle brand dissolves at a different rate. I'm working with Betty Crocker brand.

Beat-the-Box Mix VANILLA CUPCAKES

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 18 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 c whole milk
1/4 c vegetable oil
2 t vanilla bean paste
1 egg
1/2 c water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins with parchment liners.
Whisk together dry ingredients, including sugar, in a large bowl.
Whisk together all wet ingredients, except water.
Pour into dry ingredients and partially stir. Add water and stir just until combined.
Pour into prepared pans. Bake 15 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Now all that remains is shopping and baking the real deal! I aim to please!

Love,

Fabulous Fish Party

Dear Sis,

It’s hard to believe that Evelyn is three already! She looks amazing in her Fabulous Fish Party Dress. It was nice that we had a half dozen kids to craft, snack, and play together. A proper big girl birthday party!

Crafts

Paper Plate Fish Bowl Craft

We started with teal colored paper plates. I squeezed out a bit of white school glue on the bottom of each plate and the kids arranged dry beans in it. Then we taped, pipe cleaner, seaweed down with scotch tape. Finally, the kids added foam stickers. I found these particular stickers at Michaels.

Painted Wooden Whale

I found these wooden whale cutouts in the dollar bins at Michaels. I gave each kiddo a squirt of gray and blue acrylic paint and a sponge brush. When they were finished painting, I let them dust it with silver glitter. Here is a picture of our little artists at work:

Sand Art

I purchased kits to make this craft at our local Dollar Tree.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Creamy dreamy homemade macaroni and cheese to bake, slow cook, or freeze for later.

Print Recipe

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

1 pound medium shell pasta cooked al dente
3 c medium cheddar shredded
1 c gouda shredded
1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup
3/4 c mayonnaise
3/4 c sour cream
1 t onion powder
1/2 t dry mustard
1/2 t ground pepper

Instructions

Rinse cooked pasta in cold water. Combine all ingredients.
To bake: place in a large casserole dish, cover with foil, bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 30 minutes more.
To slow cook: place in the crock of a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 1.5-2 hours. Stirring as needed.
To freeze for later: portion in foil pans, cover with wax paper, wrap in foil, and seal in a ziplock bag. Thaw and bake when needed.

I got this recipe last fall from my neighbor Nina. It is now a family staple!

Happy Birthday to a very special niece!

Love,

Cake Testing – Day Three

Dear Sis,

We found another flavor for the wedding this fall! Now I’m halfway done finding the perfect recipes. Only funfetti and vanilla to go!

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes

Fudgy Moist Cupcake that last for days.

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 30 cupcakes

Ingredients

3 c unbleached flour
1 3/4 c granulated sugar
2/3 c cocoa powder
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 t vanilla extract
2 T white vinegar
3/4 c canola oil
2 c water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Line 30 cupcake tins with parchment liners.
Whisk together dry ingredients.
Beat in wet ingredients until smooth.
Fill liners half-way and bake 14 minutes, until cake tester comes out clean.

Source Recipe: Amelia Bedelia’s Chocolate Sheet Cake

We tried it with both Swiss Buttercream and Swiss Meringue Cream Cheese Frosting. We preferred the cream cheese frosting. A dusting of shaved chocolate completes the look!

Love,

Cake Testing – Day Two

Dear Sis,

Today I needed to make birthday cake for Mama Jenn. I decided to multi-task and use the opportunity to test more recipes for the wedding.

Buttermilk Spice Cupcakes

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 3 dozen

Ingredients

2 1/4 c unbleached flour
1 c granulated sugar
1 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
1 t salt
3/4 t baking soda
3/4 t cloves
3/4 c dark brown sugar packed
1/2 c unsalted butter soft
1 c buttermilk
3 eggs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Line 3 dozen cupcake baking tins with parchment liners.
Stir together dry ingredients.
Stir in brown sugar and butter until crumbly. Stir in buttermilk and eggs.
Fill prepared cupake liners 1/2 way. Bake 14-15 minutes. Turn onto wire racks to cool.

Source Recipe: Buttermilk Spice Cake by Betty Crocker

Test Notes: I omitted the orange zest and bumped up the cinnamon. Don’t overfill cupcake tins! Perfect recipe… we have a winner:)

Swiss Meringue Cream Cheese Frosting

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Ingredients

3 egg whites
3/4 c granulated sugar
1 1/2 c salted butter cubed and soft
16 oz whipped cream cheese soft
1 T vanilla bean paste

Instructions

Whisk together eggs whites and sugar in the top portion of a double boil, over simmering water. Stir as mixture heats to 160 degrees. Remove from heat.
Place cooked egg mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with whisk attachment on high speed until stiff peaks form.
Beat in butter a few cubes at a time until smooth. Fold in cream cheese and vanilla bean paste.

Source Recipe: Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream by Food Snob

Test Notes: I opted for whipped cream cheese, so I could skip that step. Also, since this is going on a spice cake, I wanted the richness and look of vanilla bean paste instead of extract. Perfect!

It feels really good to have one of the four flavors for the wedding nailed down!

Love,

Cake Testing – Day One

Dear Sis,

I’m so excited to be baking for your brother-in-law and your future sister-in-law’s wedding. To make sure everything turns out just right for the big day, I am testing recipes.

Confetti Cupcakes

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 3 dozen

Ingredients

1 c unsalted butter soft
1/3 c canola oil
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
5 eggs
1 T vanilla extract
3 c flour
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 c buttermilk
1/4 c rainbow sprinkles

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Line 3 dozen cupcake cups with parchment.
Cream butter, oil, and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla.
Whisk together dry ingredients. Add alternaturely to creamed mixture, with buttermilk. Fold in sprinkles.
Bake approximately 15 minutes. Turn out of baking pans and cool or wire racks.

Source Recipe: Confetti Birthday Cake by Courtney Rich

Taste of Home June/July 2020

Test Notes: Dry!!! Could use additional sweetness. Above recipe includes an additional 1/4 c of sugar, 5 eggs, instead of 3 whites and 3 eggs, and replaces cake flour with regular all-purpose flour. The fine crumb, seemed to exaggerate the dryness further. Additionally, baking temperature was raised 25 degrees so that baking duration can be shortened.

William photo bomb! He has frosting on his lips and everything… lol.

Vanilla Bean Cake

5 from 1 vote

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Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 people

Ingredients

1 1/2 c sour cream
1 T vanilla bean paste
1 T vanilla extract
4 c cake flour
2 1/2 c granulated sugar
4 1/2 t baking powder
2 t salt
1 c unsalted butter soft
1/4 c canola oil
2 eggs
6 egg whites

Instructions

Stir vanilla bean paste and extract into sour cream, set aside.
Preheat oven to 350. Line the bottom of 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with parchement.
Whisk together dry ingredients. Mix in butter and oil until crumbly. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat in sour cream mixture.
Pour batter equally between prepared pans. Bake less than the suggested 30 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans a few minutes before turning out on wire racks to cool completely.

Source Recipe: Best Vanilla Cake and Buttercream by Maggie Knoebel

Taste of Home April/May 2020

Test Notes: Baking time resulted in very overdone cake! I found the cake too dense and the frosting too sweet.

Back to the drawling board for a good vanilla cake recipe!!!

Vanilla Bean Buttercream

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Ingredients

1 c white baking chips
1/4 c heavy cream
1 T vanilla bean paste
1 T vanilla extract
6 egg whites
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 t cream of tartar
1/2 t salt
2 c unsalted butter cubed

Instructions

Melt together baking chips and heavy cream in microwave, stirring every 20 seconds. Stir in vanilla bean paste and extract. Set aside to cool.
In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, whisk together eggs, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt until it reaches 160 degrees. Remove from heat.
Whisk cooked mixture in a stand mixer, on high speed until cooled to the touch. It will look like thick marshmallow cream. Reduce to medium speed, gradually beat in butter, a few tablespoons at a time, until smooth. Beat in cooked white chocolate mixture.

I saved this recipe because I really would love to try it again with semi-sweet chocolate chips!

Love,