Boston Cream Poke Cake

For an easy, pretty light, yummy  dessert..this is an ultimate crowd pleaser....  And as usual..NO BOX MIX REQUIRED.....

For added serving, top with a scoop of fresh whipped sweetened cream!

CAKE RECIPE

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened

4 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 cup milk

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour  9 x 13 pan.
Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Set aside.
Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until creamy. Add 1 egg at a time; beat well after each addition. Add vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition just until mixed.
Pour batter into pan.   Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. When cake is finished, while still warm, poke holes all over cake (about 1-inch) intervals using a wooden spoon handle or other similar size object.   

PUDDING

4-cups of milk

2/3 cup of sugar

6 egg yolks

3 tablespoons of corn starch

1/4-teaspoon of salt

4-tablespoons of butter

2 teaspoon real vanilla

Stir the egg yolks with a whisk to break them up. Whisk with 1/4-cup of the milk to help them strain through a fine-mesh strainer to get any bits of egg white. Mix this strained egg mixture into the remaining milk in a sauce pan. Add the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Cook, whisking constantly, over medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Let simmer 1 minute.  Remove from heat.  Whisk in the butter and vanilla just until the butter is completely incorporated, about 30-seconds.  Let cool about 10 minutes. While cake is still warm, pour warm pudding on top of warm cake.  Using a spatula, gently spread over cake and press into holes.   Gently tap pan on counter to allow pudding to fall deeper into holes.  Place cake in refrigerator to cool completely before adding the frosting. When cake is cooled, top with glaze.

GLAZE

Bring to simmer:

1/2 stick butter

3 TB  milk

2 TB cocoa powder

Add and whisk until smooth:

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

Immediately pour over cake.  Spread gently over entire top of cake.  Refrigerate until set. This cake needs to be refrigerated.

NOTE:  This is best made a day in advance!

Birthday Time AGAIN....

Double Chocolate Cookie Dough Filled Cake with White Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

Cake 
(You need to make 1 1/2 batches to get a 3 tiered cake)

Bring to boil:

          1 stick butter

          ½ cup Crisco or omit and replace with 1/2 cup butter

          4 heaping TB cocoa powder

          1 cup water

Add and stir until dissolved:

          2 cups sugar

Add:

          2 eggs, mix well after each

          1 tsp vanilla

Mix together:

          2 cups flour

          1 tsp  baking soda

          1 tsp  cinnamon

In a large bowl mix dry with wet ingredients, then add:

          ½ cup buttermilk or sour cream

Add in after all other ingredients are mixed, fold in: 

          2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Bake:  350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes in a greased & floured 3 round 8".

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Filling

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

3/4 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips (if you don't have mini..then pulse regular chips in a blender)

In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the brown sugar over medium heat. Stir continuously, until the brown sugar dissolves.

Remove from heat, whisk in the vanilla and set in refrigerator to cool.

Beat the cream cheese and confectioner  sugar for 1 minute.

Slowly beat in the cooled butter mixture and beat again for another minute.

Stir in the chocolate chips. Refrigerate until cooled and spreading consistency.

Spread 1/2 the filling on top of bottom layer of cake.  Place next layer on top, spread remaining filling on top of layer.  Place final layer on top.  Frost....

PLEASE do a crumb coating first!  It will save a lot of frustration!


White Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

1/2 cup Crisco shortening 

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)

1 box White Chocolate instant pudding mix

2 tablespoons milk

Makes: About 3 cups of icing.

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. With the first cup, add the dry pudding mix.  Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. 


Because my daughter wants a ZEBRA cake..I am just going to use the white chocolate butter cream frosting.  Then decorate with zebra sugar sheets.  BUT..and I mean BUT..I would definitely frost with a fudge frosting had it not been for the zebra thing:

CHOCOLATE FUDGE FROSTING

1/3 c. butter
1/3 c. Ghiradelli's unsweetened cocoa
2 2/3 c. confectioners' sugar
1/3 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla (or 1 TB coffee creamer)

Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture just begins to boil. Remove from heat. Pour into small mixer bowl; cool completely. Add confectioners' sugar alternately with milk, beating to spreading consistency. Blend in vanilla. Makes 2 cups.

Cheesecake..Expanding My Horizons..(and maybe my hips)

OK!  So Birthdays are pretty special in my home.  I grew up that way and I do the same for my kids. On the other hand, my husband and his family are the complete opposite.  Anyway, I try to make it as special as I can.  In doing that...I try to let them pick what kind of "Birthday Cake" they would like.  Last month was Julia's 11th birthday - and she wanted Red Velvet Cupcakes with whipped cream cheese frosting.  I messed up, but I did finally make them a week later for her.  Mark....well..he wants the cheesecake I made him a few years ago.  HECK!  I can't even remember YESTERDAY half the time.  So he will get cheesecake.  I am thinking this one (please note it is an adaptation of A LOT of recipes!):

Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake 

CRUST

1-1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs (about 27 wafers) or chocolate animal crackers

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

FILLING:

3 packages (8 ounces each) Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup baking cocoa

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

Cooled Brownies

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups bite size brownies (* see recipes below)

TOPPING: OPTIONAL

1-1/2 cups (9 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Getting ready to cut them up

GARNISH (all, some or none - your choice)

Chocolate syrup

Caramel syrup

Whipped cream

Mini semi sweet morsels or even chopped candy bar

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the wafer crumbs, confectioners' sugar and cocoa; stir in the butter. Press onto the bottom of a greased
 9-in. springform pan; set aside.

Small bit size pieces - PERFECT!

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in cocoa. Add eggs; beat on low just until combined. Gradually stir in milk and vanilla just until combined. Fold in brownies. Spoon filling onto crust. Place pan on a baking sheet.

Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until center is almost set. 

For topping, melt chocolate chips in a heavy saucepan or microwave, stir until smooth. Stir in cream and vanilla; mix well. Spread over filling. Cool pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.

Remove sides of pan. Just before serving, garnish, if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

The crust

*Brownie Recipe(s):
Chocolate

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels (I only use Ghiradelli brand), divided (can sub other flavors for the 1 cup  mix in)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, cut into pieces

2 large eggs

There is NO other coca to
bake with..this is IT!

2/3 cups all-purpose flour

Cream Cheese & Butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beating in the cocoa

MELT:  1/2 cup morsels and butter in large, heavy-duty saucepan over low heat; stir until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in eggs. Stir in flour, sugar, vanilla extract. Stir in remaining morsels and nuts. Spread into prepared baking pan.
BAKE for 17 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bit size pieces.

Adding the lightly beaten eggs

Or try this twist:

BLONDIE:

1 cup(s) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

8 ounce(s) White Chocolate Baking Bar

1/2 cup(s) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

2 large eggs

1/3 cup(s) granulated white sugar

Ohh..the silkiness...

1 tablespoon(s) pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon(s) salt

PREHEAT oven to 350ºF. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Grease the paper.

MELT: In the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, melt the white chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally until smooth.

MIX:  In a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed, beat the eggs until foamy. With the mixer running, add the sugar in a slow, steady stream. Add the vanilla. Add the melted chocolate and butter in a thin stream. With a rubber spatula, fold in the flour, salt, and chocolate chips until well combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan.

Finally..adding those brownie bits.

BAKE:  25 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean when inserted into the center. Let the brownies cool completely, then cut into bit size pieces.

NOTE: both these recipes make more than enough brownies for the cheesecake.  So eat the rest!. 

Now for the Ganache topping...
Again, Ghiradelli chocolate

Preparing for spreading..

Whooooo..almost

OK! Ganache topping..oh
but there will be more.

Completed

With candles

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G
I think this should be renamed
Death By Decadent Chocolate

As always - Happy Baking....