Sugar Cookies with Buttercream Frosting

**UPDATED 12/30/2013**
Every year in my family we have a tradition.  A sugar cookie tradition.  We will get together one Sunday in December and make a TON of cookies...frosted and decorated, too.  This year, I perfected my recipe. Seriously.  It turned out UH-MAZing!  I've always felt um, snobbish towards sugar cookies....and this is why!

{sugar cookies}
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 c. flour
 1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. almond extract (you can sub. vanilla here if you have to)
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Sift together first three dry ingredients.  Set aside.  Combine the butter and sugar and beat until fluffy.  Add Almond extract. Combine.  Beat in one egg at a time until just combined.  Add dry ingredients.  Mixture will be slightly crumbly.  Form into one large disc or two smaller discs.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 20 min.

Roll out dough, cut out.  Bake 8-10 min. Cookies will be done when it no longer has a shinny look to it.

*I prefer mine more chewy so I bake for about 8 min.  If you prefer yours more crunchy, bake for 10 min or more...but NOT until golden. Just until they don't have a glossy shine anymore and don't slide when you hold your cookie sheet at an angle.

{buttercream frosting}
1 1/2c. salted butter, at room temperature
5-6 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
1/4 c. whipping cream

Whip butter until light and airy.  Combine remaining ingredients in a large mixer and whip until thoroughly combined.  Spoon frosting amounts into bowls for food coloring separation.  I use the Wilton food coloring in the jars.  You can find them at most craft stores in the baking/cakes isle.  They will give you a deeper more true color than the grocery store tubes.

 Be sure to have ample sprinkles and decorations to top your cookies with.  As you can see, in my family there is no such thing as too many red hots.  They're the FAVORITE!!!!

Tie-dyed Birthday Cake

Last year just about this time, I found a recipe in the Family Fun magazine that I really wanted to make for Taste-A-Rainbow Cupcakes.  I tore it out of the magazine before I threw it away just so I could file it away in my to-do recipes folder.  Super cute, huh!?

Well, as we approached my daughter's 7th birthday this past January, she INSISTED we make her these cupcakes.  Originally I had wanted to make them for her class and stay true to the recipe.  Then remembered that homemade treats are no longer allowed in schools.  We were sad.  So, instead we opted to make one giant cake for home.  I had envisioned this cake being perfect rainbow stripes.  

I measured the batter out equally into six bowls (I used white cake mix but you could also use yellow without problem).  Then added our Wilton food coloring for even more intense colors. If you've never tried the Wilton food coloring, I HIGHLY recommend it.  They're going to cost you a bit more, but you will be so much happier with the outcome and a little goes a LONG way!  I get mine at a local craft store.  

As you can see, the cake didn't end up with perfect stripes, but more of a tie-dyed look.   Which still looked pretty darn awesome!  I used vanilla pudding between the cake layers and a homemade buttercream frosting with a touch of cream cheese in it.  FABULOUS!!!  

{buttercream frosting}

1/2 c. butter, softened
6-7 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1-8oz. pkg cream cheese, softened

Whip butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy.  Add extracts.  Slowly add powdered sugar until you get the desired consistency/flavor.  You might add a little more or less powdered sugar depending on how you like it.  

Enjoy!

If you want the directions on how to make this cake/cupcakes using store-bought food coloring drops, go HERE.  Otherwise, head on over to your favorite craft store and pickup the colors you like best to go into your cake!

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This is not your typical cake. It's leaps and bounds better. It's a delicious cross between banana bread and the most deliciously moist cake. You'll definitely want to make this yourself. Especially if you have any bananas turning a shade or two darker than yellow. Yes. This is one of those incredible ways to use them up...that is IF you have bananas going bad. We don't very often, so when I get to use them in something, I prefer making this cake instead of bread.

BANANA CAKE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift the following together:
2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 2/3 c. sugar
1 1/4 tsp. soda

Then Add:
2/3 c. butter, at room temperature
4 mashed bananas, large

Beat thoroughly, then add:
2 large eggs
2/3 c. buttermilk or plain yogurt
2/3 c. chopped nuts (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix until well combined. Pour into a greased & floured 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. When cooled, top with Cream Cheese frosting. Recipe below.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

8oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
2 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. butter

Combine all ingredients until smooth.

Devil's Food White-Out Cake

I'm sure you noticed on the previous post I concockted a "cake" out of some random supplies and fashioned myself a train cake for my 2 year-old son for his birthday. (If you didn't look at my Train Cake post.) Well, if you're familiar with the Hostess Zingers, you also know they're pretty small. And, well, his party was mainly for grandparents and cousins and aunts and uncles. Nothing too fancy there except for what I wanted to BAKE!

I wanted to make something that not only looked gourmet but also tasted fabulous. My all-knowing of recipes friend Holly of Phemomenon pointed me in some cake idea direcitons and this one was the winner.

It comes straight from the Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. Can I just say I LOVE this book, too! HOLY COW! I have a long list of to-do recipes just from this book alone!

This recipe was relatively easy to make and really did look fabulous! Now, easy may just be relative since for the marshmallow frosting you need to make a special sugar syrup as though you're making candy. Easy breezy. I've made brittle and licorice...both I'm sure I'll post on closer to the holidays since I can't, just can't get thru a year without making them.

The cake, on the other hand, got rave reviews from all the chocolate lovers in the house. Me, I do like chocolate, but not when it's just too rich. This was too rich for me. It should have been called a triple-chocolate Devil's Food. I think if I had used milk chocolate mini chips instead of semi-sweet, I may have been able to manage the chocolate. Maybe I'll make this recipe again just to try that. Who knows. But if you're any kind of self-proclaimed choco-holic, you're definitely going to want to try this one out!...and YES it is the cover cake. How intimidating, right!


DEVIL'S FOOD WHITE-OUT CAKE
Makes makes 12 servings

For the cake:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1/2 cup buttermilk or whole milk, at room temperature
1/2 cup boiling water
4 ounces semisweet or milk chocolate, finely chopped, or 2/3 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips
For the filling and frosting
1/2 cup egg whites (about 4 large)
1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

GETTING READY: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-x-2-inch round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess and line the bottoms with parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

TO MAKE THE CAKE: Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugars and continue to beat for another 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla; don't be concerned if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the melted chocolate. When it is fully incorporated, add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, adding the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the milk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients); scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter. At this point, the batter will be thick, like frosting. Still working on low speed, mix in the boiling water, which will thin the batter considerably. Switch to a rubber spatula, scrape down the bowl and stir in the chopped chocolate. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops with the rubber spatula.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans at the midway point. When fully baked, the cakes will be springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the centers will come out clean. Don't worry if the tops have a few small cracks. Transfer the cake pans to a rack and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up. (The cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.)

When you are ready to fill and frost the cake, inspect the layers. If the cakes have crowned, use a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to even them. With the same knife, slice each layer horizontally in half. Set 3 layers aside and crumble the fourth layer; set the crumbs aside.

TO MAKE THE FILLING AND FROSTING: Put the egg whites in a clean, dry mixer bowl or in another large bowl. Have a candy thermometer at hand.
Put the sugar, cream of tartar and water in a small saucepan and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, cover the pan and boil for 3 minutes. Uncover and allow the syrup to boil until it reaches 242 degrees F on the candy thermometer. While the syrup is cooking, start beating the egg whites.

When the syrup is at about 235 degrees F, begin beating the egg whites on medium speed with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer. If the whites form firm, shiny peaks before the syrup reaches temperature, reduce the mixer speed to low and keep mixing the whites until the syrup catches up. With the mixer at medium speed, and standing back slightly, carefully pour in the hot syrup, pouring it between the beater(s) and the side of the bowl. Splatters are inevitable -- don't try to scrape them into the whites, just carry on. Add the vanilla extract and keep beating the whites at medium speed until they reach room temperature, about 5 minutes. You should have a smooth, shiny, marshmallowy frosting. Although you could keep it in the fridge in a pinch, it's really better to use it right now.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Put a bottom layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or on a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. Using a long metal icing spatula, cover the layer generously with frosting. Top with a second layer, cut side up, and frost it. Finish with the third layer, cut side down, and frost the sides and top of the cake. Don't worry about smoothing the frosting -- it should be swirly. Now, cover the entire cake with the chocolate cake crumbs, gently pressing the crumbs into the filling with your fingers.

Refrigerate the cake for about 1 hour before serving. (If it's more convenient, you can chill the cake for 8 hours or more; cover it loosely and keep it away from foods with strong odors.)
SERVING: I think the cake is best at room temperature or just cool, but many people prefer it cold (the texture of the cake becomes fudgier after it has been refrigerated). No matter the temperature, the cake is so pretty it should be cut at the table, so bring it out on a platter and cut it into generous wedges using a serrated knife and a sawing motion.

STORING: The frosted cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving, or longer if you have the time.