Peach Upside-Down Cake with Blueberry Sauce

My oldest son, Hayden, turned 9 today. According to the library's summer reading program, he's in the "tween" category. Tweens make me thinks of little girls in braces fawning over One Direction but I'm not quite sure what to make of a tween boy. What do they do? As far as I can tell in my limited experience of being a mom of a tween (one whole day), tween boys love video games, playing soccer, and bugging their younger siblings. At least that's how it is at my house.

 

Hayden's also a little bit of a foodie, at least in my mind he is. For his birthday dinner he didn't ask for pizza or burgers or anything else a typical child might ask for. Instead he asked for black bean soup and a salad. Fine with me, I love black bean soup. He's also a fan of Nutella, a sure sign he has a great palate (right?).

 

As for dessert, I'd considered half-price shakes at Sonic. Easy peasy and no clean up. But of course he didn't want shakes (at this point I'm not sure he's my child...who turns down Sonic shakes?!). He wanted an upside-down cake. We'd had one from the grocery store a month or so ago, and he was fascinated that when you turn the cake over you have a surprise. Luckily I had peaches in the fridge, as I wasn't sure what else I could use for a last minute request like this. It turned out beautifully. I added butter and brown sugar to the bottom of the pan to help caramelize the peaches, and reduced the eggs I normally use in a cake mix to 2 eggs and then 2 egg yolks to make the cake just slightly denser. The blueberry topping was also a last minute idea as I wasn't quite sure how to top an upside down cake. Powdered sugar? Whipped cream? The blueberries bring the cake over the top. The cake is so easy to make yet everyone will think you are a baking genius!

 

 

 

 

Peach Upside-Down Cake with Blueberry Sauce

by Girls in Aprons

 

For the cake:

 

1 package yellow cake mix

1/2 cup water

2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks, at room temperature

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 3.4-oz package vanilla instant pudding

1 cup (8 oz) sour cream

2-3 peaches, cored and sliced

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp brown sugar, packed

 

For the sauce

 

1 pint blueberries, picked through for stems

1 Tbsp sugar

 

Mix together the cake mix, water, eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, 1/2 cup melted butter, pudding mix, and sour cream. Set aside.

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add 2 Tbsp butter to a 9-inch pan and set inside oven as it heats up, watching for the butter to melt. As soon as the butter is melted, sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter, stirring with a spoon to help dissolve the sugar into butter. Add the peach slices to the butter, filling around the pan as much as possible without overlapping. Top carefully with the cake mix, making sure not to move the peaches around.

 

Bake for 25 minutes or until cake is lightly browned and a toothpick stuck in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

 

Cool slightly, then place a plate on top of the cake pan and flip the plate and pan over, allowing the cake to land on the plate. The peaches should be on the top.

 

To make the blueberry topping, add 1 pint blueberries to a small saucepan, using a wooden spoon to slightly squish the berries. The berries will naturally release their juices as they warm up. As the juice starts to simmer, add the sugar and stir. Allow to simmer for 2-3 more minutes.

 

Serve the cake with the blueberry sauce at room temperature.



Jodi's Infamous Peanut Butter Crunch Cake

I always know a recipe is a keeper when my husband asks for it specifically. However, I have to say, I have recipe envy. My husband likes other people's food more than mine! He will deny this, but when I ask him what he wants for dinner next week, he will say "so and so made a really good curry - can we have that?" or "I wish you knew how to make so and so's ribs - they are soooo good." And even though I have recipe envy, it makes me strive to make yummy food so one day he will say he wants MY food!

Anyway, for Father's Day I asked Bryan what he wanted to for his dessert after dinner. I thought maybe cheesecake, or my caramel brownies...but he insisted on my Aunt Jodi's Peanut Butter Crunch Cake. Now seriously, this cake is amazing. Jodi is known for trying new things, and whenever we go to her house to celebrate a birthday she always has a yummy cake to share with us all! However, the Peanut Butter Crunch Cake has made an appearance several times.

It is sort of like a coffee cake because of the moist cake topped with a crumb topping, but the flavors are not cinnamon - they are made with the "holy trinity" of flavors: Peanut butter, Chocolate, and Love.

Nice.

So whip up this cake for your next celebration or gathering, and people will be asking for YOUR cake the next time they get together!

Combine cake mix, brown sugar, and peanut butter on low until it looks like crumbs.

Remove 1/2 cup. Save for later (and feel free to taste - this would be yummy over ice cream!)

To the remaining cake mixture add eggs, water, and oil. Fold in 1/4 cup peanut butter chips and 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.

Combine the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips and chopped peanuts with the reserved 1/2 cup cake mixture. Sprinkle over the cake batter and bake. AFTER it's baked sprinkle with 1/4 cup (I may have used more) peanut butter chips. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Crunch Cake

by Girls in Aprons

1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 C brown sugar
1 C peanut butter, crunchy or smooth
 1 C water
1/4 C oil
3 eggs
1/2 C chocolate chips, divided
1/2 C peanut butter chips, divided
1/2 C chopped peanuts

Combine the yellow cake mix, brown sugar, and peanut butter in mixer at low speed until it looks like crumbs. Remove 1/2 cup.

To the remaining mixture add the water, oil, and eggs. Mix until combined and then at high speed for 2 minutes.

Fold in 1/4 C chocolate chips and 1/4 C peanut butter chips.

Pour into greased 9x13 pan.

Combine the remaining 1/4 C chocolate chips, the 1/2 C chopped peanuts, and the reserved 1/2 C crumb mixture. Sprinkle over the top of cake and bake ABOUT 40 minutes at 350.

Immediately sprinkle with 1/4 C peanut butter chips when you take it out of oven.
Do not sprinkle the peanut butter chips on top before. They burn too easily.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

I love myself some pound cake. My family went on a cruise a few years ago and one of my fondest memories is walking through one of the "free" cafes and getting a slice of their vanilla pound cake. Like, almost every time I walked by. It was so good. And I never put anything on it. I liked it plain, just the cake and me. It was seriously divine. My waistline didn't love it so much, but it was so worth it.

Afterwards I tried to recreate it without much luck. I fell in love with a Paula Deen recipe, though, and that was my go-to pound cake recipe for a while. I love how versatile pound cake is. You can add anything to the top and it's still good. Like shortcake. But waaay less healthy. Hey, every once in a while you have to splurge, right? And this is a great way to get rid of some fruit that needs using up. And whipped cream. And chocolate sauce. You don't want them to go to waste.

This recipe is just as delicious, and the fact that it's a pound cake with cream cheese in it just sealed the deal for me. It was absolutely delicious with some strawberries and chocolate on top. I found it on Pinterest (of course) on a website called Elizabeth's Edible Experience and the recipe hails from a 2001 edition of Southern Living magazine. That was a long time ago, folks. And it's still a great recipe.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

recipe from Southern Living magazine

1 1/2 cups butter, softened at room temp
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened at room temp
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy (do not over beat).  Gradually add sugar, beating well.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. (Elizabeth's site suggests cracking the eggs into a bowl first before adding to the mixture to make sure you don't get shells in the batter. I've also always done this- a Paula Deen trick I learned- and highly recommend it!)

Sift 3 cups of flour. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch Bundt pan. Smooth the top with a spatula to even it out.

Bake for 1 hour and 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan, and let cool completely on wire rack.

(Both Elizabeth and I had a sweet, crunchy layer on the bottom once it had cooked. We both took it off once it had cooled down so the cake would sit evenly. You can do that or keep it on. It's delicious, my kids ended up snacking on it all morning long!)

Tres Leches Cake

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo! My favorite (okay, one of my favorite) Mexican desserts! I mean, really, can one person narrow down their favorite?? Churros and sopapillas and cake...I can't choose!

I first had Tres Leches Cake at Cafe Rio in Provo, UT. My brother had a coupon for a free one, and I can't refuse cake or free, so I ate at least half of it. It was so stinking delicious! Ever since then I've wanted to make my own, mostly because (and this part is sad) there is no Cafe Rio remotely close to where I live. Depressing. This version is super easy! It's a simple homemade cake, cooked, cooled, and topped with three different milks (hence the tres leches). Those milks soak into the cake overnight. And then it's topped with homemade whipped cream.

Shut the front door...it's so good. And so rich, so invite over your neighbors and friends and such so you can share! Because that is what baking is all about - making and sharing with those you love!!

Cream butter and sugar. Add your eggs and vanilla until mixed well and then add your baking powder (NOT baking soda, not that I've ever mixed those two up...) and flour.

Bake for 30-ish minutes and let cool. Then pierce with a fork. Like stab the cake to death. Or let your kids do it - they think it's fun!

Mix your whole mix, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk together well. Pour over cake.

This is what mine looked like. You can see how uneven my cake was. Hopefully yours is more even!

Over night in the fridge - see most of my milk is soaked up? I did pour out the excess, but it's really up to you.

Whip together your whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla. Whip whip whip...but not too long. You don't want butter!

Spread the whipped cream on your cake. And lick the bowl to clean it. It is sooo good.

Serve with fresh strawberries, drizzle with caramel or chocolate, or eat plain. Refrigerate leftovers!

Tres Leches Cake
by Girls in Aprons, adapted from allrecipes

For the cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup white sugar

5 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

The three milks and whipped topping:

2 cups whole milk

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with cooking spray.               

Mix flour and baking powder together and set aside.               

Cream butter and the 1 cup sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs and the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; beat well. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture a little at a time; mix until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (I baked mine for only like 26 minutes - just watch it). When cooled pierce cake several times with a fork.

Combine the whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk together. Pour over the top of the cooled cake. Put in fridge and let sit 6-8 hours or overnight, letting the milks soak into the cake.

Whip whipping cream, the remaining 1 cup of the sugar, and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla together until thick, about ten minutes or so. (Don't over mix or you'll make butter!) Spread over the top of cake. Be sure and keep cake refrigerated.

**NOTE: If you think there is too much milk still in the pan after it has soaked into the cake you can pour out the excess or keep it in. It's a preference thing and completely up to you!

Boston Cream Cake

My latest obsession is Pinterest. And I know I'm not alone in this addiction seeing that I mostly just repin things others have already pinned. I think of those people as my enablers :) Seriously, though, my family is eating way more exciting food recently thanks to my newfound obsession. I just scroll through my recipes board and find something that looks yummy. It's completely broadened my search spectrum of things I want to make for dinner. You'll be seeing lots of the yummy recipes I've found on here soon!

One of those recipes was for Boston Cream Cake. The pinner touted this as tasting like a Boston Cream Donut (aka heaven on earth). I am a sucker for cream filled donuts so I had to try this out. Plus, it was super easy. I mean suuuuuuper easy. Make a cake. Stick holes in it. Top with pudding. Done. Like magic. Easy peasy dessert that your family will definitely love!

Boston Cream Cake

by Girls in Aprons (from lilluna.com)

Yellow cake mix (and cake ingredients- I also added about 2/3 cup sour cream to mine)

French Vanilla instant pudding mix (5.9 oz box)

Chocoalte instant pudding mix (5.9 oz box)

Milk

Bake cake as directed in a 9x13 pan. While cake is still semi-warm, poke holes in it with the end of a wooden spoon (note: next time I make this I will definitely add more holes. Don't be afraid to add lots. The more you add, the more pudding will incorporate into the cake). Make the vanilla and chocolate puddings with the amount of milk directed on the boxes. After they have thickened, spread the French vanilla pudding over the cake, making sure it gets cozy in the holes you just made. Carefully spread the chocolate pudding over the vanilla. Chill at least 30 minutes and serve!



Ice Cream Sundae 4-Layer Chocolate Cake

My daughter turned seven a little over a month ago and I searched for the perfect cake for her. She's definitely a spawn of her mother when it comes to desserts (not so much in her awesome tanning abilities or her beautiful big brown eyes, though. Seriously, as soon as the sun starts to shine around May or so, she suddenly has this awesome tan while I remain the shade of Elmer's glue). Anyway, her ideal cake had to be chocolate and it had to be amazing. No problem, right?

So I found this amazing concoction on Picky Palate and knew it was a winner. The name has it all- ice cream sundae, chocolate, and four layers! Now, we all know I am a food blog stalker. I've stayed up many a night perusing through food blogs and just salivating. My bookmarks on my computer are ridiculously long and filled with things I need to try someday when I have the time. But Picky Palate was one of the first blogs that I found a while back when I lived in Cleveland (we were there for my husband's dental school). I was in a rut and couldn't find anything fun to make, until I stumbled on Picky Palate's site. Her food is always delicious and family friendly, my kids always love her recipes, and they are always easy. I've never been disappointed with her and now she has a cookbook coming out soon! Yay!

Anyway, I didn't take any "in the process" photos, mostly because I was super stressed out about my daughter's party that night. But you can click here to see Picky Palate's photos. Did I mention she's an amazing photographer too? I did get some of the finished product, and everyone loved the cake. It was rich and moist and went so well with some ice cream on the side! 

Ice Cream Sundae 4-Layer Chocolate Cake
from Picky Palate

1 box Devils Food Cake Mix
1 small box instant chocolate pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 Cup water
1/2 Cup canola or vegetable oil
1 heaping Cup of Vanilla Ice Cream (or whatever ice cream flavor you choose)
1/4 Cup Hot Fudge Sauce
Chocolate Frosting of Choice
Chocolate Bloc (for shavings)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Place cake mix, pudding, eggs, water oil, ice cream and hot fudge sauce into stand or electric mixer.  Beat on low then medium for about 1 minute 30 seconds or until well combined and thick.  Divide evenly into 4 (9 inch) cake pans that have been generously sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick comes mostly clean from center.  Let cool completely, loosen sides with a plastic knife then remove from pans.  Place bottom layer onto a cake stand, spread with your favorite chocolate frosting….repeat until 3 layers are frosted leaving 4th layer on top.  Frost remaining top and sides of cake with frosting.

2.  Take a vegetable peeler and peel chocolate bloc to get curls, about 2 cups worth.  Press curls onto sides of cake and serve room temperature or refrigerate to chill.
12 servings

Mmm... enjoy!