90-Second Cake?

Yes.  You heard me right.  Have you ever had a craving for something sweet and chocolatey at a random time and just needed that something to be baked?  I know I do.  I prefer baked treats over candy any day.  So, when my friend gave me this recipe it was LOVE at first bite!

All it takes to conquer that craving bug is a minimum of 2 ingredients, too.  How CRAZY is that!?!  I know.  You're going to love me for sharing this with you.  Consider it my present to you this holiday season.

{90-second cake}

1/4 c. Boxed Cake Mix (whatever flavor your {heart}desires)
2 1/2 Tbsp. Water.
Toppings: (optional)
   caramel syrup (my favorite!!)
   chocolate syrup
   marshmallows
   OR whatever your favorite topping might be!

Combine well, the first two ingredients in a ramekin-sized bowl. Add desired toppings.  Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes.  The top should look slightly dry and most of the toppings will have melted to the bottom.  Let rest for 1 minute before serving.  If desired, top with whipping cream.  Enjoy!

You can thank me later....

TWD::Non-Tarte Noire

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection comes from Dharmagirl of Bliss: Towards a Delicious Life. As you can already tell, I didn't choose to bake the Tarte Noire. I even bought myself a tarte pan recently. I just wasn't in the mood. What was I in the mood to make, you ask? Cheesecake! Mmmm, creamy dreamy silky tall cheesecake. Not just any Cheesecake, though. A turtle cheesecake! I mean really, who doesn't LOVE caramel, chocolate and pecans!? I actually came across the idea on Katrina's blog, baking and boys and thought, why not?

You wanna know the best part? Even though it LOOKED all elegant and fancy it was incredibly easy! Don't you just LOVE desserts like that!?! I know I do! I used the turtle crust, caramel and pecans portion from the Kraft Foods website, while using Dorie Greenspan's Tall and Creamy Cheesecake recipe from the book, "Baking: from My Home to Yours."

{Tall and Creamy Cheesecake: a basic}

As we all took a slice and started devouring, the only change I'd make to this deliciously elegant and incredibly RICH cheesecake....the chocolate drizzle. I'd make it more of a ganache next time. Just melting the chocolate and drizzling on top, did NOT provide the flexibility and gooeyness it needed when we cut into it. No matter, it still tasted FANTASTIC!!!

TWD::Dulce de Leche Duos

Our recipe selection for this weeks' Tuesdays with Dorie comes from Jodie of Beansy Loves Cake. I'm so glad she chose the Dulce de Leche Duos because, Oh boy! When I saw what the main ingredient was in our cookie this week, instantly I started drooling. Dulce de Leche is heavenly!!! I already {HEART} sweetened condensed milk and since Dulce de Leche is so similar, with a caramely taste, what's not to like, right!?


The cookies themselves were extremely easy to whip up and bake. Basic cookie dough, minimal ingredients, maximum flavor and chewiness. They taste fantastic with a single layer of extra dulce de leche, but when you add the bittersweet ganache to the middle, too...oh baby! I'm not a bittersweet chocolate fan but in this cookie the bittersweet ganache is the perfect balance to keep the cookies from getting too sweet. The perfect combination of caramely sweetness with an award-winning supporting role from the chocolate. MMmmmm....delish!!!


Don't forget to see how other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers fared by checking out the TWD Blogroll.

TWD::German Chocolate Bundt Cake

This week for Tuesdays with Dorie, our host Kristin from I'm Right About Everything, chose Milk Chocolate Mini Bundt Cakes from my new favorite book, "Baking From My Home to Yours" by Dorie Greenspan.  I cannot express to you how much I {HEART} this book!  I digress, sorry.  This cake was definitely good and not super super chocolatey which I prefer, too.

Instead of sticking with the written recipe I decided to play with it a bit and make it into a German Chocolate Bundt Cake.  I doubled the batter to fit my bundt pan, and filled the pan with half of the batter.  Then layered caramel (I used the apple dipping caramel since that's what I had lying around), a lot of roughly chopped pecans and coconut (which ended up not being quite enough of).  Then poured the remaining batter over the top and baked for 1 hour.  Once it had cooled, I topped it with a chocolate ganache and more of the caramel, pecans and coconut. 

It was a big BIG hit!  The cake was just a bit chocolatey, but once you bite into the center "treasures" oh!  The yummy gooey caramel coconut pecan taste comes out beautifully.  I definitely recommend trying this twist on Dorie's delicious recipe!

You can get a copy of this recipe by buying Dorie's book, Baking from My Home to Yours or by going to Kristin's blog HERE.  Since I didn't stick with the written recipe, you may want to check out what other TWD bakers whipped up by peeking at the TWD Blogroll.

Caramel-Topped Coconut Flan

I had envisioned something miraculous with this one. I'm a sucker for a good flan. Then again, what DON'T I like to eat, hm, I've recently converted to the dark-side of Oreo loving (Yes, I really did HATE them my first 30 years of life) AND even will eat asparagus now if it's marinated and grilled. Whew! I bet you didn't realize this would be confession time, did ya!?

This was the first time I've ever made a flan. I know! I could hardly believe it either since I really LOVE eating them so much, too. Flan making is surprisingly EASY, well easier than I thought it would be I guess. Did mine turn out perfectly this first time...NO! Sheesh! I can't believe I BURNED the caramel and didn't realize it until we were eating it and ALL of us were scraping the caramel topping off to just enjoy the beauty of the custard alone. Yes it was an ooey-gooey caramel-topped coconut flan. Seriously good coconut-flavored custard, not so good caramel topping. OOps!

I'm definitely going to make this one again because, I really can't let it beat me! I'm going to get that darn caramel part right if it kills me or my waistline!

On a side note: I have to tell you that the recipes I've made from this same book are so elegant, decadent and so easy anyone can do them! My copy is from our local library, but it's killing me that I can't make my typical notes in the margins like I do with all of my cookbooks. Seriously, if you were to look thru my massive collectionk, you'd be hard pressed to find a single book without my notes somewhere in it. This book is definitely one to add to YOUR collection too!


Caramel-Topped Coconut Flan
by Dorie Greenspan in Baking: From My Home to Yours

For the Caramel:
1/3 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. Water
squirt of fresh lemon juice

For the Flan:
1-15 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
1 c. whole milk
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Getting Ready: Center a rack in teh oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a roasting pan or a 9x13 in baking pan with a double thickness of paper towels. Fill a teakettle with water and put it to boil; when the water boils, turn off the heat.

Put a metal 8x2 in round cake pan - NOT a nonstick one - in the oven to heat while you prepare the caramel.

To make the Caramel: Stir the suar, water and lemon juice together in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Put the pan over medium-high heat and cook until the sugar becomes an amber-colored caramel, about 5 minutes - remove the pan from the heat at the first whiff of smoke.

Remove the cake pan from teh oven and, working with oven mitts, pour the caramel into the pan and immediately tilt the pan to spread the caramel evenly over the bottom; set the pan aside.

To make the flan: Bring the coconut milk and whole milk just to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a 2-quart glass measuring cup or ina bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks and sugar. Wisk vigorously for a minute or two, and then stir in the vanilla. Still wisking, drizzle in about one quarter of the hot liquid - this will temper, or warm the eggs so they won't curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour the remainder of the hot coconut milk and whole milk. Using a large spoon, skim off the bubbles and foam that you worked up.

Put the caramel-lined cake pan in the roasting pan. Pour the custard into the cake pan and slide the setup into the oven. Very carefully, pour enough hot water from the kettle into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the cake pan. (Don't worry if this sets the cake pan afloat.) Bake the flan for about 35 minutes, or until the top puffs a bit and is golden here and there. A knife inserted into the center of the flan should come out clean.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven, transfer the cake pan to a cooling rack an drun a knife between the flan and the sides of the pan to loosen it. Let the flan cool to room temperature on the rack, then loosely cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

When ready to serve, once more, run a knife between the flan and the sides of the pan. Choose a rimmed serving platter, place the platter over the cake pan, quickly flip the platter and pan over and remove the cake pan - the flan will shimmy out and the caramel sauce will coat the custard.