Batman Cake

 BATMAN CAKE

Malakai asked for this for his birthday for about 6 months. He was thrilled when I finally made it.

CAKE

1 (16.5oz) box Duncan Hines Devil's Food cake mix

1/3 C dry instant chocolate pudding and pie filling

1/4 C flour

1 C water

4 eggs

1/4 C mayonnaise

1/3 C vegetable oil

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9 inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray with flour. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Batter will be slightly lumpy. Divide evenly into the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 24-29 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Take out of pan and set face down on wire rack. Once completely cooled, wrap in saran wrap and freeze over night. This just makes it easier to cut and decorate. Next day cut off the top of cake to make a flat even surface.

FROSTING

1 C butter

1 C shortening

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp butter flavoring

1 tsp clear vanilla

1/2 tsp almond extract

1TBSP meringue powder

about 2 lbs powdered sugar

*Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Cream together on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add meringue powder and a little bit of the powdered sugar. Mix together and continue to add powdered sugar. I use almost a full 2 pound bag. Beat on medium high for 3-5 minutes.

I put my cake on a cardboard round. Cut the edges leaving about 1/4 inch of cardboard around the cake. Spread a small, thin amount of frosting on the cardboard to act like glue. Place one of the two cakes face down on the cardboard. Spread that layer with frosting and place the other cake on top, face down also. Spread frosting over entire cake. This time I used a store bought fondant and dyed it yellow to save time. Roll the fondant out and place on top of cake. Slowly smooth fondant over cake and cut off any excess fondant. For the Batman symbol I just printed off a symbol that I liked, placed it over a sugar sheet and cut out the design. the sugar sheet was really easy to use. I highly recommend it for decorating. My friend Amy had some leftover edible paper that we put around the cake. Honestly I wish I would have just used my sugar sheet because the edible paper was so hard to work with and I didn't like the look of it.

I thought the cake was perfect for what Malakai wanted and it wasn't too difficult to make!

Chocolate Chip Caramel Cake

CHOCOLATE CHIP CARAMEL CAKE

This is really moist and yummy. I liked it way better the day after it was made so if you are making it for something I recommend making it a day in advance. Also the second time I made it it turned out a lot better and fluffier.

1 box devil's food cake mix

1 1/3 C sour cream

1/2 C vegetable oil

3 eggs

2 C semisweet chocolate chips

1 C caramel topping

Icing (powdered sugar, milk, vanilla) optional

*Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix cake mix, sour cream, oil and eggs with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds then on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Hand mix in the chocolate chips and pour into prepared pan. Bake 35-43 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes. Spray meat fork, or long tined fork, with cooking spray and poke warm cake all over. Pour caramel topping all over cake and cool completely. If desired mix up a little powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Drizzle over the top of the cake. I did it more fro presentation because the cake itself doesn't need anything more.

The first time I made it, I think I took it out of the oven a little too early and the center fell. Then I didn't want to wait for it to cool all the way before I ate it so the caramel hadn't even soaked in yet. I am not a patient person. It was really good, but even better the next day.

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

 

This isn't the best picture but I waited too long to take a picture and this yummy cake got eaten up so fast. This was my last chance to take a picture of the cake.

 

2 C flour

1 1/2 C sugar

4 TBSP cocoa powder

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 C milk

2 tsp vanilla

4 TBSP butter, melted

2 C chopped nuts (optional)

2 C brown sugar, packed

1/2 C cocoa powder

3 1/2 C HOT water

 

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl combine flour, sugar, 4 TBSP cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add milk, vanilla, butter and nuts if you are including nuts. Mix well and pour into ungreased 9x13 baking dish. In a separate small bowl combine brown sugar and 1/2 C cocoa. Sprinkle Brown sugar mixture on top of cake batter. Pour HOT water over everything. Bake 45 minutes. Serve cake while warm.

 

I think it it is best served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. When you first pull it out of the oven it will be pretty runny under the crust. This is normal. If you like it set up more just let it cool a bit. You can even spoon the hot fudge over the ice cream. This recipe easily cuts in half. Just place it in a small square baking dish.

HOT FUDGE PUDDING CAKE

Pumpkin Angel Food Cake

PUMPKIN ANGEL FOOD CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

I had to make a dessert for our family dinner on Sunday and decided to try a new recipe. New recipes are always a little risky but this one seemed easy enough. The original recipe called for a ginger cream frosting, but when I think of pumpkin I automatically think it needs cream cheese frosting. I followed the cake recipe.

CAKE
1 (1 lb) box white angel food cake mix
1 TBSP all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 C canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 C cold water

*Move oven rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 350. In large bowl, mix all ingredients together with electric mixer on low for 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Pour into ungreased 10-inch angel food cake pan. Bake 35-45 minutes or until crust is dark golden brown and cracks are dry (I baked it for 37). Immediately turn pan upside down on glass jar and let cool completely (about 2 hours). Loosen cake from side and bottom of pan by running a knife between cake and pan. Turn cake upside down on serving plate. Cut in half with serrated knife.

When the cake came out I was surprised that it rise as much as an angel food cake normally does. I should have figured it wouldn't since the pumpkin is dense. Here's the cake just out of the oven.

The cake flipped upside down and cut in half.

Now it's time for the icing. I would totally change this next time. But this is how I made it.

ICING
1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese
2 TBSP butter
2 TBSP shortening
4 1/2 C powdered sugar
3 TBSP milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
*Beat everything together with an electric mixer until it is smooth and creamy.

All mixed up

Then I iced the cake

After I iced the cake I just sprinkled a little pumpkin pie spice to make it look a little more finished. The cake was tasty. It tasted like pumpkin. It tasted like angel food cake. But I have to say the cake was good, but not great. When I taste pumpkin treats I think I just expect them to be more dense and this was really light.

WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENT

First, I would have added a little more pumpkin pie spice to the cake to give it more of a pumpkin flavor. As far as the icing, I was way off. I was trying to make a lot because I was afraid I was going to run out. I would have done less powdered sugar. Like maybe 2 1/2 to 3 cups. Less milk to match the powdered sugar of course. If I wanted to give it a more pumpkin flavor I might have even added some pumpkin pie spice to it. I also think it didn't need that much icing. The icing was really sweet so I probably wouldn't cut it in half and ice the middle. Just ice the outside.

I'd probably make it again, just make it a little different. It just wasn't a must have dessert.