S'mores Cheesecake

Don't wait to go camping to enjoy S'mores!  Bake up this rich and delicious cake without a campfire.

Recipe

Have your cake and eat cookies too.

First things first: I did NOT make this cake. The credit goes to Briana's (and Michaela's) mom. She made this cake for Michaela's baby shower. Secondly: This cake is even cooler because it matches the quilt, accessories and decorations that said mom made for the baby's room. Thirdly: A really fun, 3D way to decorate a cake. The cookies on the sticks were not placed into the cake until it arrived at the shower location. Frosting was put around some of the sticks to help stabilize them.

My First Cheesecake

This is the first cheesecake I made that didn't come out of a box. I used the recipe Vanilla Cheesecake from Williams-Sonoma Dessert cookbook. The cinnamon in the graham crust and the vanilla in the filling created a delicious dessert that could stand on it's own without a berry topping, although I did have sliced strawberries on hand. When I first pulled the cheesecake out of the oven, the center was not split like in the picture, but the it was split along the edges. As it cooled, the edges unsplit and the center pulled apart. I should have tried running a knife around the edge when I took it out of the oven so it wouldn't split down the middle I think. I have decided that cheesecakes are not that hard to make and will definitely make one again. Here is a less vanilla variety I am thinking of trying next: S'mores Cheesecake.

This was Gracie's birthday cake when she turned 5. Since it is almost her birthday again, I thought I better get this one posted. I used the Ariel Barbie doll. It was a little hard since her legs were a little bit bigger than the cake. I had to bend her in a little bit. Now I know why they have you use doll picks to put into the cake.

Definite baking inspiration!

Need a new take on your cupcake? The Batch Cupcakery here in Reno (which I so want to go to) has a great site, and this link will take you to 28 really cool ideas for cupcakes, with cool names to go with them:
http://www.batchcupcakery.com/?goto=flavors

For example:
We’re Not in Kansas Anymore. . .
Emerald City Mint frosting with dark chocolate cake. Delicious enough to make Dorothy click her heels two times.

I labeled this under cakes as well, because you could apply the ideas to larger items..

Chocolate Pudding Fudge Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 1/2 cup fat free sour cream
1 cup lowfat milk
1/2 cup water
2 eggs
1/2 cup egg substitutes
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
Glaze:
1/1 cups mini chocolate chips
1 tablespoon canola oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 10-inch bundt pan with canola cooking spray and dust lightly with flour.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, milk, water, eggs and egg substitute. Beat for 4 minutes, then mix in 1 cup of chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
To make the glaze: Add chocolate chips and oil to a 2 cup glass measure and cook in microwave oven until soft ( about 20-30 seconds). Stir until smooth and drizzle over cake.
Per serving: 279 calories, 8.5 g. fat 1.5 g fiber
Weight Watchers POINTS = 6

This is the best chocolate cake I have ever eaten! It is so good. Keep in mind that normal cake has about 12 WW POINTS so this is technically low fat cake ( at least that's what Peggy the maker of the cake said ).

Ice Cream Cake

I made two ice cream cakes for Joseph and Heather's birthday party. I haven't made this type of cake in a few years, so I had to remember what I was doing. However, I also forgot that this cake is a hit in any group because without the frosting it isn't as sweet and I think I got more complements on these cakes than a cake usually inspires. The cake is very easy to make. Bake a cake mix in two square or circle pans, slice each cake in half so that you have 4 layers. Layer ice cream between each layer and top with powdered sugar or drizzle chocolate syrup on top. Some things that make this easier to make are 1) don't add oil to the cake mix- it makes it easier to slice. 2)buy a box of ice cream not a round container - this way you can just open the box and slice the ice cream which is easier than trying to spread ice cream. My letters were done by placing paper letters on the cake, sprinkling with powdered sugar and then removing the paper letters.

Cakes for Decorating

When you are making a cake to decorate if you don't add the oil to the cake mix the cake will be a little more solid. I actually like the texture of a cake without the oil - it is more like a sponge cake and not quite as crumbly. Having it hold together makes it easier to frost. Also, freezing the cake helps to cut down on the crumbliness and makes it easier to cut if you are changing the shape of your cake after you have already cooked it.