Mini Chocolate Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

The addition of pumpkin makes these chocolate whoopie pies extra flavorful and very moist.

There's also a few teaspoons of cinnamon and a good dose of sea salt in the batter which are nice compliments to the dark chocolate. The filling is just a vanilla cream cheese buttercream that's quick to make, light and not too sweet.

I also really like this recipe because there's canola oil instead of butter in the whoopie pie batter and it can be quickly mixed by hand. One batch yields enough cakes to assemble four dozen whoopie pies.

Here's the recipe:

Mini Chocolate Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
(makes enough cakes for four dozen filled pies) 
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup canola
2 eggs
2 (15oz) cans pumpkin
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Line sheetpans with parchment and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the sugars, canola oil, eggs, pumpkin and vanilla.

Put the sugars, pumpkin, eggs, canola oil, and vanilla in a bowl.

Mix it until it is well combined.

In another large bowl whisk together the remaining dry ingredients.

The flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, sea salt, baking soda and baking powder.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.

The batter is fairly thick.

Use a 1-inch scoop to drop mounds of batter onto the baking sheets, spacing them 2-inches apart. Use your fingertips to lightly flatten the mounds.

After dropping the scoops of batter onto the baking sheet, use your fingertips to lightly flatten the mounds.

Bake the cakes for 10 minutes or until done and springy to the touch. Let the baked cakes cool for a bit on the baking sheets before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Sort the cakes into pairs and fill with vanilla cream cheese buttercream.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Buttercream
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whip the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and whip again.

I like to support each whoopie pie with a mini muffin paper. Keep the pies covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve them.

From Scratch "Funfetti" Cake

You don't need to head to the store for a cake mix when you want make a colorful and celebratory "Funfetti" Cake.

Really, all you need is a good homemade cake recipe and a bottle of sprinkles and you are good to go.

I like to use my favorite vanilla buttermilk cake recipe and star sprinkles from Betty Crocker. The stars don't have a shiny coating like some sprinkles and melt nicely into the cake during baking.

My favorite sprinkles.

The result is a cake that's as pretty as it is delicious and trust me, you'll never want to go back to using a box mix. Oh and to make it even better, frost it with my easy to make Vanilla Cream Buttercream, it's not too sweet and very light and creamy.

My  two-tiered frosted "Funfetti" Cake chilling in the fridge.

Here are the recipes:

"Funfetti" Cake
(makes 2 8-inch cakes)

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs plus 2 egg yolks, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour (It's easy to make your own cake flour, click here for the recipe)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
1 (1.25 oz) bottle sprinkles (I like star sprinkles from Betty Crocker)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and line 2 8-inch cake pans. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on high until light and fluffy, about 6 minutes.

Beat in the eggs plus egg yolks, one at a time, until combined. Beat in vanilla.

In another large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. With mixer on low, add a third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating to combine. Beat in 3/4 cup buttermilk, another third of the flour mixture, another 3/4 cup buttermilk, and remaining flour mixture until just combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the sprinkles and stir just until evenly distributed.

Divide the batter among the two prepared pans.  Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool for about 5 minutes in the pan and then invert onto a cooling rack. Let the cakes cool completely before frosting.

Vanilla Cream Buttercream
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla
2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature


In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the milk and half of the sugar until simmering.
In the meantime, in a small bowl combine the cream, the other half of the sugar and cornstarch. Mix well with a whisk.

When the milk is simmering,  pour about half of it into the cream mixture and whisk well. Add it back to the milk in the saucepan and heat, stirring constantly until the mixture becomes very thick.

Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla. Put the mixture into a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the mixture cool completely.


When the buttercream base is cool, transfer it to a mixer and whip until smooth, add the butter a tablespoon at a time and whip until light and fluffy.

Chocolate Sheetcake

I needed to make a super-sized dessert to serve at the Wednesday Community Meal tomorrow and so I created this moist chocolate sheetcake. I love making sheetcakes because they come together quickly and because you serve them right from the pan, they are a breeze to frost since they require just a top coat.

I made a double batch of the recipe for my extra large 13 x 19 -pan and after the cake cooled, frosted it with buttercream that will be very hard to recreate.  I had some raspberry and salted caramel buttercreams in my freezer left over from making macarons, so I added to those to a package of cream cheese, a stick of unsalted butter, vanilla, a cup of cocoa powder and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and whipped it until it was smooth and creamy. My nephew who is my official taste tester said "oh, that's gooood," when he took a taste.

It's fun getting creative and using leftovers to make something special. And really, just about any frosting would be great with this easy cake.

Here's the recipe:

Chocolate Sheetcake 
1 1/2 cups boiling water
3/4 cocoa powder
2 teaspoons espresso powder
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 large eggs

Grease and flour a 11 x 17 baking pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the water, cocoa powder and espresso powder until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

In another medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt and set aside.

In a stand mixer, whip together the butter, sugars and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and whip after each addition until the mixture is smooth and well-combined.

Alternately add the flour and cocoa/water mixture in three additions, beating after each on low speed until blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool completely in the pan before frosting. Enjoy!

Sam's Chocolate Coffee Ice Cream Cake

My wonderful nephew Sam just graduated from high school and I couldn't resist creating a special cake for his celebration. Coffee flavored desserts are his favorite so I made him an ice cream cake with two layers of moist Guinness chocolate cake, a center of coffee ice cream and a topping of espresso flavored whipped cream. It was a big hit and I know it's something I will make again and again and always think of Sam when I do.

Here's the recipe:

Sam's Chocolate Coffee Ice Cream Cake
(a celebration cake created for and named after the best nephew in the world)

Cake:
1 cup Guinness
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup sour cream ( or substitute plain yogurt)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease and line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper.

A prepared cake pan. Line the bottom and the sides with greased parchment.

Pour the Guinness into a large saucepan, add the butter in slices and heat until the butter is melted. Turn off the heat and whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and pour into the beer mixture and finally whisk in the flour and baking soda.

Divide the cake batter among the two prepared cake pans and bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until done. Leave the cake to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a cooling rack. Let the cakes cool completely before assembling.

The cakes after baking. Let them cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the pans.

To Assemble:
1 quart premium coffee ice cream, left at room temperature for 10 to 15  minutes to soften
2 pints whipping cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoons espresso powder
chocolate covered espresso beans

Line an 8-inch cake pan that is at least 4-inches deep with plastic wrap.

Drop in one of the Guinness chocolate cake layers.

Top the cake with the quart of softened coffee ice cream.

Use a spreader to evenly distribute the ice cream and press it down. You have to work fast because you don't want the ice cream to melt.

Add the second layer of cake.

Wrap the cake well with plastic wrap and put it in the freezer to set for at least 4 hours.

After the cake has set in the freezer, put the whipping cream, sugar and espresso in a mixing bowl and whip it until it holds a stiff peak.

Unwrap the frozen cake remove it from the cake pan. Place it on a serving platter that will be able to fit back into the freezer.

Spread the whipped cream around the sides of the cake.

Put the remaining whipped cream in a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe a border around the top of the cake.

Inside the border, pipe dollops around the cake and top each of them with a chocolate covered espresso bean.

Place the cake back into the freezer for at least 20 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Strawberry Buttermilk Cake

This Strawberry Buttermilk Cake is one of my all time favorites.

It's so fresh tasting and a breeze to make and serve, making it the perfect cake for potlucks and parties. Just know that you need to make it at least a day in advance since the cake needs to chill for 6 hours before adding the cream cheese icing.

My preference is to make this cake when strawberries are in season but frozen strawberries work well too.

Here's the recipe:

Strawberry Buttermilk Cake
(Serves 16 to 20)

1/2 cup butter, unsalted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 (3 oz.) package strawberry gelatin
2 cups boiling water

1 pound sliced strawberries (I prefer fresh but thawed frozen berries work well too.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a 9x13 pan.

Beat the butter with the vanilla extract. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, buttermilk and sour cream. Mix well.

Add the baking powder and salt and mix again. Finally, add the flour and beat until thoroughly combined.

The finished batter.

Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until done and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

As the cake is baking, dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water and add the sliced strawberries. Set this mixture aside until the cake comes out of the oven.

The strawberry mixture.

Slash the hot, just out of the oven, cake in a diagonal pattern and pour the gelatin strawberry mixture over it. Let the cake cool to room temperature and then put it in the refrigerator to cool for at least 6 hours before icing.

The hot slashed cake is ready for the strawberry mixture.

Let the cake cool at room temperature and then chill it in the fridge for at least 6 hours before icing.

Cream Cheese Icing
2 packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup whipping cream

In a large bowl, whip the cream cheese until it is smooth. Add the powdered sugar and whip again until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Gradually add the cream, whipping after each addition. Don't add to much at once or it will splash. Once all the cream is added, whip the icing on high speed until it is light and spreadable.

Ice the top of the cake and that's it. Keep the cake covered in refrigerator until serving. 

Icing the cake.

The finished cake.

Tiered Anniversary Cake

Cake closeup.

I made two large single layer cakes that we could cut into right away so that the stacked cake could stay intact for as long as possible.

 I'm happy to report that Michael and Marc loved their anniversary cake. I'm so pleased and in debt to my wonderful friends Cindy, Cheryl, Anne and Tiffany who helped me set up and serve.  It takes a team to cut hundreds of slices of cake.

Cindy also deserves a special shout out for helping me transport and stack the cake. On the ride to the church she held a cake on her lap, kept the flowers from tipping over and calmed my nerves.

I had to drive so slow and carefully to keep the cakes safe that I'm sure I irritated other drivers. Cindy and I came to the conclusion that I need a "cake on board" sign for my car. 

Cakes in the car. Cindy ended up holding the smallest cake in her lap and I'm so glad she did.  It would have tipped for sure had I left it in the back of the car.

It's such a good feeling when a cake is done and you realized it survived transport and stacking unscathed.

Once at the church, the setup went fairly smoothly and best of all, the cake was a hit. Thank you Michael and Marc for choosing me to be a part of your special day. Making cakes for friends is the best! Happy Anniversary!


Here are the recipes:


Red Velvet Cake
(makes 2 9-inch cakes)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ounce red food coloring
1/2 cup buttermilk
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line two 9-inch cake pans.

Cream butter, add vanilla and mix well. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, sour cream, food coloring and buttermilk. Mix well. Add salt and baking soda. Mix well. Add cocoa powder and flour and mix just until blended. Don't over mix.

Divide batter among the two cake pans and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until done.


Vanilla Cream Cheese Buttercream
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened

In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the milk and half of the sugar until simmering.

In the meantime, in a small bowl combine the cream, the other half of the sugar and cornstarch. Mix well with a whisk.

When the milk is simmering,  pour about half of it into the cream mixture and whisk well. Add it back to the milk in the saucepan and heat, stirring constantly until the mixture becomes very thick.

Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla. Put the mixture into a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the mixture cool completely.

When the buttercream base is cool, transfer it to a mixer and whip until smooth, add the butter and the cream cheese, a tablespoon at a time and whip until light and fluffy.

Irish Spice Cake

Flavorful Irish Spice Cake is just the thing to serve at your St. Patrick's Day celebration. It's spicy, not too sweet and very satisfying. 

A bonus is that it takes just 15 minutes to get the cake ready for the oven. A square of this rich cake that's coated with a tart lemon glaze and spiked with raisins and hearty doses of ginger and allspice is a traditional Irish treat and especially nice served with a dollop of softly whipped cream.

Irish Spice Cake
1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 cup water
1 cup raisins
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 tablespoons boiling water
2 eggs
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 to 10-inch square pan and line the base with a strip of parchment paper that extends over two opposite sides. Also butter the parchment.

The prepared baking dish.

In large sauce pan, combine the butter, sugar, corn syrup and cup of water. Cook over medium heat until the butter is melted, stirring constantly.

Combine the butter, sugar, corn syrup and water in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the butter is melted.

Remove the mixture from the heat and add the raisins. Set this aside to cool slightly.

Remove the butter/sugar mixture from the heat and stir in the raisins.

In medium sized bowl, dissolve the baking soda in the 2 tablespoons of boiling water. Add the eggs, salt, ginger and allspice and whisk well.

Dissolve the baking soda in the 2 tablespoons of boiling water.

To the baking soda mixture, add the eggs, salt, ginger and allspice.

Stir until well combined and add to the butter/sugar/raisin mixture.

Add this mixture to the butter/sugar/raisin mixture.

Finally, add the flour and mix until well combined and smooth.

Finally, add the flour.

Whisk until smooth.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until done and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

The cake before baking.

Let the cake cool a bit in the pan before removing and placing on a cooling rack.

The baked spice cake.

After cooling for a bit, the spice cake lifts easily out of the pan.

While the cake is still warm, drizzle with the lemon glaze.

Lemon Glaze
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2/3 cup powdered sugar

Whisk the lemon juice and sugar together until smooth. Drizzle evenly over the warm cake.

Drizzle the glaze over the cake while it is still warm.