Cookies and Cream Chocolate Cake

Hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Memorial Day weekend. This weekend is extra special for our family because we have 3 wedding anniversaries to celebrate! Since we all were going to be together I couldn't pass up the opportunity to bake something. This is one of the best tasting cakes I've made so far and really isn't that hard.  

Cookies and Cream Chocolate Cake

Cake recipe from Hershey's

Cake:

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray two 9" pans with baking spray and line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper.

Add sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a large mixing bowl or stand mixer and mix together until combined. Add eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and extract and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water on low speed until well incorporated. The batter will be thin. Divide batter evenly among pans and bake 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Run a knife around the edge of the cake and cool about 10 minutes. Invert onto wire racks covered with parchment paper and re-invert to another rack to cool right side up. Cool completely.

Filling:

2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Approximately 20 Oreos

Pour heavy cream into metal mixing bowl and chill in the refrigerator. Crush Oreos in a food processor and set aside. Add vanilla extract to cream beginning on low and gradually increasing speed to medium high as cream thickens. Add powdered sugar slowly while mixing. Beat cream until it holds stiff peaks.

Gently fold in crushed Oreos.

Trim off any rounded tops on the cake layers and cut each layer in half horizontally so you have 4 layers. Brush off excess crumbs. Put a spoonful of frosting on the center of the cake board or platter and top with first layer of cake. Spread about 1/4 of the cream on the first layer and smooth out with a spatula. Add next layer of cake and repeat with next 2 layers, ensuring each layer is level. Once all the layers are stacked, place cake in the freezer for about 15 minutes to set.

Frosting:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Melt butter and pour over cocoa powder. Beat on low speed until well incorporated. Add 1 cup powdered sugar followed by 1/3 of the milk, beating on low speed until incorporated, continue alternating until all the powdered sugar is incorporated. Add vanilla and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add more powdered sugar or milk to reach necessary consistency.

Apply a crumb coat of frosting, chill about 20 minutes and then frost with remaining frosting.

Pipe on remaining filling as desired to decorate and garnish with halved or quartered Oreos.

Not gonna lie, since I couldn't fit everyone's names on the cake and was writing the initals I felt like I was in grade school D+B= love

Happy Anniversary Karl and Mollie, Jordan and Stephanie, and to my husband Dave.

Can't wait to celebrate every year for the next 60+ years!!

Dinner Tonight

It's dinnertime and tonight I made cheeseburgers, fresh corn on the cob and just picked asparagus right from the garden.

Creamy Chicken & Spinach Pasta

I usually try to plan out our meals but tonight I just kind of "winged it" and through together whatever I had on hand which consisted of pasta and spinach. I found a recipes that included the ingredients I wanted to use and then just added whatever else I wanted that I thought would taste good.

Ingredients:

3 skinless, boneless chicken breast, cubed

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 onion, chopped
garlic
lemon juice from 1/2 a lemon
2 handfuls spinach
1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese
1 (16 oz) penne pasta
3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

Directions
1.Bring large pot of water to a boil, and stir in penne pasta.
2.Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat,  saute onions and garlic. Add chicken cubes and cook in broth; simmering until done, about 10 minutes. Stir in cubed cream cheese, spinach and lemon juice. Return to simmer, and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3.In a large bowl, mix together cooked, drained pasta, sauce and Parmesan. Let stand a few minutes before serving.

Ready To Sip!

Happy Derby Day!!

In honor of the Kentucky Derby I made a special treat to take over to our friends BBQ this afternoon, Mint Julep Cupcakes!! The Mint Julep is a Kentucky Derby tradition which consists of fresh mint sprigs, bourbon whiskey, powdered sugar and water. I went to the actual derby two years ago and was able to taste the real thing. I'm not a fan of bourbon or whiskey, but when in Rome! The hostess asked us ladies to wear hats so I found the one I made when I went to the derby and gave it a little makeover. I thought making these cupcakes would be a fun way to serve the traditional Derby favorite, just sweetened up a bit more and garnished with straws and fresh mint!

*Even though there is alcohol in these it's only a very small amount per cupcake but don't worry the majority does cook out of the cupcakes (it may only leave small straces) and only leaves the flavor! Mint Julep Cupcakes

Cupcake

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp mint extract
• 4 eggs
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup bourbon (or whiskey)*
• 1/2 cup Creme de Menthe *

Icing

• 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp mint extract
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 stick butter, melted
• milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease or line 30 cupcake cups ( I got 32 cupcakes). Combine salt, baking powder and 1 3/4 cups of the flour in medium bowl and set aside. In large mixing bowl beat butter, sugar, eggs, and extracts until creamy. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Add the milk and liquors to the batter, then the rest of the flour (1 cup). Mix as little as possible, just until the batter comes together.
Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool.

For the Icing: Combine the powdered sugar, salt extracts, and melted butter and beat until creamy. Gradually add milk until the texture is right for piping. When the cupcakes are completely cool, pipe or spread the icing on top. Garnish with cake sprinkles, a straw (trimmed to size) and mint leaves.

Ready to drink or I should say EAT!

Cupcake Photoshoot!