Tag Archive | easy recipe

Pucker Up Buttercup-cakes

two cupcakesLove is in the air…or is that just the smell of cupcakes in the oven? Either way, these cupcakes will have you channeling St. Valentine in no time. A classic vanilla cupcake combined with the tartness of pink lemonade is just the incentive needed to pucker up and smooch somebody. This lemony tart concoction is perfectly complimented by a sweet butter cream frosting and packs a deliciously sweet and sour punch. Oh and they’re super easy! They’re perfect for a Valentine’s party or for making for your sweetheart.

Pucker Up Buttercup-cakes
Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients: 

Cupcakes

  • 1 box of vanilla cake mix
  • 3 Tablespoons powdered pink lemonade mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 1/4 cup water
  • red or pink food coloring

Frosting

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 4-5 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • yellow food coloring
  • sprinkles and edible Valentine’s decorations, optional

Directions: 

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F. Line your cupcake pans with paper baking cups.

2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pink lemonade mix, eggs, oil, and water and beat for several minutes, until combined. Add a few drops of food coloring, until batter is the desired shade of pink.

3. Scoop batter into lined cupcake pans and bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

4. Frosting: In a large bowl, cream together the butter and shortening. Gradually add in the cups of powdered sugar and salt. Beat in the milk and add more powdered sugar if necessary. Add a few drops of yellow food coloring until it’s your desired shade of yellow.

5. Frost the cooled cupcakes with a piping bag or with a spatula. Decorate with optional sprinkles and edible Valentine’s decorations.

It’s time to pucker up! Have a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Plated Cupcakes

Cherry Pie Bars

Plated Cherry BarsFirst off, these cherry pie bars are seriously good and super easy to make! When I whip up a batch of them I’m immediately transported into one of my favorite kitchens in the world—my dear friend Rosel’s in Haßloch Pfalz, Germany. She lived in my neighborhood growing up and was my Mom’s best friend so became like a second mom to me. She loved cooking and baking and nurtured those passions in me.
Ironically, this recipe is American and was featured in Taste of Home magazine. I brought several cooking magazines with me when I visited several years ago and I made these cherry bars for Rosel and her family. They all hailed it a great culinary triumph and begged for me to make them again and again while I was there.
So what makes these cherry pie bars so special? These bars are cakey and rich and spiked with delicious cherries and almonds. They really are heavenly! After telling Tom the story behind this recipe, I whipped up a batch for him and he said he totally understood what all the fuss was about. 🙂

Cherry Pie Bars

Ingredients: 

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cans (21 ounces each) cherry pie filling
  • 1/2 cup sliced toasted almonds

Glaze: 

  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2-3 tablespoons milk

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and salt until fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Add extracts and lemon juice. Add the flour in gradually, mixing well.

Batter in bowl

2. Grease a bar or jelly roll pan or, if you prefer thicker cherry bars, use a 9×13. Spread 3 cups of the batter onto the bottom of the pan, reserving the rest for spooning on top.

Batter in pan

Cover batter with the cherry pie filling.

Cherry on top of batter

Sprinkle almonds over the top and then drop spoonfuls of the remaining batter on top of the of the filling and almonds.

spoonfuls of batter over the top

3. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cake part is golden brown. Note: If using a 9×13 the baking time will be longer. 

Baked cherry bars

4. While bars are cooling, prepare the icing. Mix the ingredients for the icing in a small bowl and drizzle over the cooled cherry bars.

Cherry Bars

Enjoy!