Peach and Blueberry Greek Yogurt Cake

I promised there would be another Blueberry recipe this week, well ladies and gentlemen here it is. This dessert is full of summer flavor with fresh blueberries and peaches. The Greek yogurt makes this cake lighter and still just sweet enough. I will admit this was my first time baking with Greek yogurt and after this recipe turning out so great I will for sure be trying different recipes with Greek yogurt. Go ahead and give this summery recipe a try!

Peach and Blueberry Greek Yogurt Cake:

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 stick butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 peaches, sliced into wedges
• 6 oz blueberries
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Grease the side and the bottom of the pan with butter or cooking spray. Line the bottom of a 9x3-inch springform pan (or 9 inch round cake pan) with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper too.
2. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, together into a medium bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, beat butter, sugar, and 2 eggs until very light in color and fluffy, 2-3 minutes on high speed. Add vanilla and Greek yogurt and continue beating until very creamy and light in color, for about 1 more minute.
4. Keeping the mixer speed low, mix in the flour mix until combined. Do not overmix.
5. Transfer the cake batter to the springform pan. Top with sliced peaches, and scatter blueberries evenly on top in the spaces between the peach slices. Sprinkle the fruit with 1 teaspoon granulated sugar.
6. Bake until cake turns golden, and the tester comes out clean in the center, about 1 hour, depending on your oven. Midway through baking, I like to put some extra peach slices and extra blueberries on top of the cake for prettiness, and return cake to baking.
7. When the cake is done baking, let it cool (still in the baking pan) on a wire rack. After cake has cooled for about 40 minutes, release the cake from the springform pan. At this point, if the cake is cool enough, you can slide your hand under the cake, between the parchment paper and the bottom portion of the springform pan and move the cake with the parchment paper attached to its bottom onto a cake plate easily.
8. If using a 9 inch round cake pan, cook in pan for about 40 minutes or more (up to 1 hour, depending on your oven), then invert onto a plate.

Lots of Love,  Natalie

For the Love of Strawberries Cake Recipe

This cake is bursting with Strawberries and flavor! I love Strawberries and for Easter lunch this year I made this from scratch Strawberry cake with Strawberry Frosting. This cake is so packed with Strawberries that I thought the perfect name has to be "For the love of Strawberries Cake". Anybody who loves fresh strawberries needs to make this cake. This cake turned out so good that it is now a staple for me to make at least once every Spring. I hope you have a wonderful Monday and I will be back here all week!

For the love of Strawberries Cake:

Ingredients:

Approx. 8 oz strawberries, either fresh or frozen

1/4 cup milk, at room temperature

4 eggs, at room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/4 cup cake flour

1 3/4 cup sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

12 Tbsp unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), at room temp

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese

½ cup butter, room temp

3½ cup confectioners' sugar

¾ cup fresh strawberries, mashed or chopped fine

 

Directions:

1. Place strawberries in a food processor or blender and process until completely smooth.  Measure ¾ cups of strawberry puree and return to the blender

2. Add egg, vanilla, and milk to the blender and mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy and set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and mix to combine. Continue beating at slow speed and add butter.

4.  Mix until combined and resembling moist crumbs.

5. Add strawberry mixture and beat at medium speed for about 1 minute.

6. Stop mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl, mix for 30 seconds more.

7. Divide the batter evenly among the pans or cupcake tins.

8. Bake for about 25 minutes for layer cakes or 18 minutes for cupcakes.

9. Let cakes rest in pan for about 10 minutes and turn out onto wire racks.

10. Let cakes cool completely before frosting.
11. Mix 1 1/2 stick butter and cream cheese together until smooth.

12. Mix in the rest of the butter and the confectioner's sugar.

13. Lastly mix in the strawberries until it is smooth and tasty.

14. Frost your cake and top it with any extra strawberries you have left over.

 

See you tomorrow with a tasty recipe to help celebrate Cinco De Mayo!

 

 

Lots of Love,  Natalie

Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

I have been away for awhile and I apologize but I have recently started a new job at a doctor's office. I plan to be posting more regularly now that I am starting to get a handle on the new job. Yesterday was a rainy long day so I decided to bake to pass the time. After looking at what I had on hand I came up with a Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. This was my first time making a buttercream frosting. I think it turned out pretty good for a first time but the next time I have things I would change. I hope you enjoy it! 

Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

Ingredients:

1 box of Duncan Hines Chocolate Cake Mix

3 eggs

water

vegetable oil

2 sticks unsalted butter (softened)

1 pound of confectioner's sugar

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

6 teaspoons milk or cream

Directions:

1. Follow the directions on the back of the box.

2. After baking the cake, let it cool.

3. While the cake is cooling start making the frosting.

4. Whip butter and vanilla extract at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. 

5. Add 3 teaspoons of milk or cream and powdered sugar.

6. Continue mixing on medium speed until well combined and fluffy.

7. Add milk and cream one teaspoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

8. Frost cake and enjoy!

Lots of Love,  Natalie

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Saturday was my father's 59th birthday so I decided to make his favorite cake as a surprise. His favorite cake happens to be Carrot Cake and of course I had never made one before which lead me to researching all different recipes. I found a ton of recipes until I came across one I thought would be perfect with the addition of one more ingredient. The extra ingredient I added was chopped walnut pieces because he loves just about every type of nut and I knew he would love the addition of them here. I have to admit throughout the baking I was worried that it wouldn't taste good but he reassured me in the end by being very surprised and saying he believes it is the best Carrot Cake he has ever had! I apologize for not taking more pictures but I wasn't even thinking about that at the time but if you need a great Carrot Cake recipe and Cream Cheese Frosting here you go!

 

Carrot Cake:

 

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

4 eggs

3/4 cups vegetable oil

1/2 cup applesauce

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups grated carrots

1 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans. Set aside.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Set aside.

3. Mix together the eggs, vegetable oil, applesauce, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla in a large electric mixing bowl.

4. Stir in the small bowl of dry ingredients then fold in carrots and walnuts.

5. Divide between your two 8 inch round pans.

6. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

 

 

Cream Cheese Frosting:

 

Ingredients:

16 oz. of cream cheese, softened

8 oz. of unsalted butter, room temperature

4 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar

 

Directions:

1. In an electric mixing bowl cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.

2. Slowly add 2 cups of powdered sugar and vanilla extract while continuing to mix for 3 minutes.

3. Add last two cups of powdered sugar and mix for another 3 minutes or until smooth.

4. Frost cake and enjoy!

 

 

Lots of Love,  Natalie

 

 

 

Tacky Christmas Party

Sunday night was the Midtown Pilates work Christmas Party. We decided that we would make it tacky themed. I decided that I would go very tacky and of course our dates had to be tacky too so I supplied jay with plenty of things to complete his tacky outfit. I love themed parties because it is always fun to see what everyone ends up wearing. Along with having to dress tacky we were all assigned something different to bring and no surprise here but I was assigned the dessert. Since, the owner and my boss does not like peppermint I was supposed to make anything as long as it does not include peppermint. Well for this time of year Peppermint flavored desserts are everywhere. I decided that I would try something new but still festive for the holiday. The dessert that I ended up making was a Red Velvet Bundt Cake with a Cream Cheese Frosting Glaze. I hope you enjoy all the pictures below and don't worry the recipe for the cake is below also! Happy Tacky Tuesday!

 

 

Red Velvet Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Glaze:

Ingredients:

Duncan Hines Red Velvet Boxed Cake Mix (I was pressed for time so had to use the cake mix)

8 oz. Cream Cheese

1/2 cup Unsalted Butter

4 cups Confectioners' (powdered) Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

 

Directions:

1. Grease and flour your Bundt pan thoroughly. But when flouring use the dry cake mix so that the cake does not have white flour residue when it comes out of the pan.

2. Follow directions on the box to prepare the Bundt cake.

3. Set Cream Cheese and unsalted Butter in your mixing bowl to soften.

4. Once softened add the Confectioners' Sugar and Vanilla Extract. Mix until smooth like a frosting.

5. Once cake cools, warm up your frosting in the microwave so that it is able to be poured over your cake to create the Cream Cheese Frosting Glaze.

 

 

Lots of Love,  Natalie

 

 

 

Pumpkin Spiced Mini Bundt Cakes

Saturday I made these Pumpkin Spiced Mini Bundt Cakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting for a tailgate for the MSU vs. LSU game. These are the perfect fall treat. The smell that flows through the house when you make these is heavenly! Unfortunately, we lost the game but at least these treats were good!

 

Pumpkin Spiced Mini Bundt Cakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:

 

Bundt Cakes:
1 box of Spiced Cake Mix

1 can of Pumpkin Puree

1 mashed Banana

1/2 cup of Applesauce

1 tbsp. of Cinnamon

 

Frosting:

8 oz. bar cream cheese (at room temp.)

1/2 stick unsalted butter (at room temp.)

2 cups confectioner's sugar

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon table salt

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Make the cake: Mix all ingredients for the bundt cakes together in a big mixing bowl using an electric mixer until smooth.

3. Bake in the oven for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

4. Make the frosting: Using your electric mixer again, beat all ingredients on high until light and fluffy (3 to 5 minutes).

5. Let cakes cool then frost them.

 

 

P.S. Using the applesauce and mashed banana is a healthier alternative to the oil and eggs that they boxed cake mix calls for.

 

 

Lots of Love,  Natalie

Weekly Favorites

- Saints winning and now being 4-0! WHO DAT BABY!! -

- October finally starting so I can buy pumpkins, mums, and decorate for Halloween. -

 

- Getting all the ingredients to make some Spiced Pumpkin Mini Bundt cakes with a Maple Cream Cheese Icing to bring to Jay's Aunt's tailgate Saturday. I cannot wait to make these tomorrow! Recipe on here Monday! -

 

- Today is Jay and I's 3 year anniversary!! It is also Bulldog Bash which means live bands right outside his apartment complex. I have to say it is a good way to celebrate being together for 3 years. We will also be exchanging small gifts since we will be going to Memphis later this month to really celebrate our anniversary! -

 

 

- I hope you have a wonderful weekend! See you Monday! -

 

 

Lots of Love,  Natalie

Weekly Favorites

-  Finally getting the Fox Run White Marble Pastry Board that I have been wanting over a few months now. Of course I used it the second it came in to make these Protein Bites (see post below) -

 

- The Aspen Bay Tent Sale started yesterday and last until Saturday at 6pm. This only happens twice a year and it is one of the most wonderful things in the world! This really is like Christmas, their candles are usually $20-$30 but at the tent sale they are marked down to $4-$8. I mean how can you not love that! Okay so I may have gotten carried away and bought 18 candles, I mean that is completely normal right? Alright maybe it is not but I bought some of them to give to certain people for Christmas presents. -

 (a whole warehouse full of candles)

- Getting my September Birchbox this week. These are always a little goody because you never know what is inside. This month had eye shadows, hand lotion, nail polish, and a sample of perfume -

 

 

- As you know I am interning at a Physical Therapy Clinic this semester well I love it but there might be one little problem. The small problem is patients like to bring us sweet treats very often, this week alone there were fresh, hot, glazed donuts, cookies (sugar and chocolate chip), and a carrot cake. This is only a problem because it is very hard to not eat all of it and I cannot even imagine how it will be around Christmas time -

 

 

 

Lots of Love,  Natalie

 

Strawberry Cream Cake

As you know my friend Liz's 21st birthday was last week. She asked for a Strawberry Cream Cake so I flipped through some of my Southern Living magazines and came across a Strawberries and Cream Cake (found here). I decided that I would use their recipe for the Strawberry Jam filling but other than that I came up with my own combination of flavors. For the cake I figured a vanilla cake would be wonderful with the Strawberry filling. Lastly, I topped it off with a Cream Cheese icing with two drops of red dye to get a light pink color. Add a few sprinkles and tada a girly Strawberry Cream Cake.

 

Basic Vanilla Cake:

Ingredients:

 

1 1/2 cup(s) sifted cake flour

1 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder

1/4 teaspoon(s) salt

1/2 cup(s) (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup(s) sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature      

1/2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

1/2 cup(s) whole milk

 

Directions:

 

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat an 8-inch cake pan with butter and dust with all-purpose flour. Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl.

2. Beat in the butter one heaping 1/4 teaspoonful at a time, using an electric mixer set on low speed, until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Beat in the sugar a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture resembles fine damp sand. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla and milk, and beat on medium-high, just until blended. Do not over beat.

3. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean 30 to 35 minutes. Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

4. Un-mold and cool completely

Strawberry Jam Filling:

Ingredients:

4 cups mashed strawberries

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 (3 oz.) package of strawberry gelatin

 

Directions:

 

1. Stir together strawberries and sugar in a large saucepan; let stand 30 minutes.

2. Bring strawberry mixture to a boil over medium heat; boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in gelatin until dissolved; cool completely (about 1 hour). Cover and chill 8 hours.

 

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Ingredients:

 

4 ounces unsalted butter, softened

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Directions:

 

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract.

 

 

I know that is a lot of different recipes but remember you could always use a boxed cake mix and store bought frosting. I promise it will still taste amazing either way!

 To make this cake layered I cut my two 8 inch cakes in half and then put three layers of the filling. Finally, I frosted the whole cake. 

Enjoy!

 

 

Lots of Love,  Natalie