Chocolate Birthday Cake

A couple weeks ago, my sister turned 29. She wanted a chocolate birthday cake with a sea turtle frosted on it, so that's what we made her. I can't take credit for the turtle (my mom did most of the decorating), but I did help make the cake and today I'm sharing the recipe. It was so good! 

We used the best chocolate cake recipe from from Betty Crocker's Cookbook and the Buttercream icing recipe from The Wilton School's Decorating Cakes.

Ingredients:

• Chocolate Cake
• 2 cups cake flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
• Buttercream Frosting
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup butter
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 8 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 4 tbsp. milk
• food coloring

You'll probably end up with extra frosting, but it's easier to have too much than too little when you're in the middle of frosting the cake.

Melt the unsweetened chocolate in a double boiler over low heat.

Measure all the ingredients into a large mixer bowl.

Blend for 1/2 minute on low speed, scraping the bowl constantly. Then beat for 3 minutes on high speed, scraping the bowl occasionally.

Grease and flour two 9-inch round layer pans.

Pour the mixture evenly into the two pans.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350ºF or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool.

Next you need to make the buttercream frosting to decorate the cake.

Cream the butter and shortening in a mixer.  Add the vanilla.

Gradually add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well on medium speed.

Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl when needed. The frosting should appear dry. Add the milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Divide the frosting and add food coloring.  We use Wilton's food coloring. Then decorate the cake however you want!

This chocolate cake was so good - it makes me wish we had a birthday in October to make a cake for!

Peach Pussycat Cocktail Recipe

Today I've got another drink recipe for you. This one was inspired by and named after my cat, Travis.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz peach vodka
• 1 oz orange juice
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 1/2 oz lime juice
• 1/2 oz Raspberry Peach Gran Marnier
• 1 cup crushed ice  

Combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously.

Pour into a tiki mug and enjoy!

Miehana Cocktail Recipe

Today I'm sharing the recipe another tasty drink, the Miehana.  This cocktail recipe is from Beach Bum Berry Remixed and was named to honor Anaheim (just look at it backwards).

Ingredients:

• 1 oz gold Puerto Rican rum
• 1 oz coconut rum
• 1 oz Gran Mariner
• 1 oz pineapple juice
• 1 oz orange juice
• 1 oz lime juice
• 1 cup crushed ice

Combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously.

Pour into a tiki mug and enjoy!

German's Sweet Chocolate Cake

A couple of weeks ago, it was my dad's birthday. His favorite cake is a German's Sweet Chocolate cake, so my mom and I made him one. This recipe is not German - German's Sweet Chocolate is the kind of chocolate you use. And the cake was actually invented in Dallas - where we live! If you love coconut, chocolate, and pecans, this cake is definitely for you!

Ingredients:

• Cake
• 4 oz. package German's Sweet Chocolate baking squares
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 cup buttermilk
• Coconut-Pecan Frosting
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/3 cups Baker's Angel Flake Coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• Pecan halves

Melt the chocolate in the boiling water.

Cool.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add egg yolks, one at a time.

Beat well after each.

Add the melted chocolate and vanilla. 

Mix well.

Sift together salt, baking soda, and flour.

Alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk.

Beat well until smooth.

Beat the egg whites.

Stiff peaks should form.

Fold in beaten egg whites. 

Line the bottom of three 9-inch layer cake pans with parchment paper or wax paper.

Pour the batter into the cake pans.

Bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes.

Allow cake to cool.

To make the Coconut-Pecan frosting, combine the evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, butter and vanilla in a saucepan.

Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture thickens.

It should take about 12 minutes.

Add the pecans and the coconut flakes.

Stir the mixture until it is thick enough to spread.

Frost the top of each layer with the frosting. 

Arrange the layers to that the the tops and bottoms meet (which means your middle layer will be upside down and your bottom and top layers will be right-side up).

Frost the top of the cake and decorate it with extra pecan halves.

Enjoy!

Summer Sunshine Cocktail

It may be September, but in Texas, it's still feeling like summer. So I'm sharing this summer-inspired cocktail I created today - it's called the Summer Sunshine and it's a sour and tasty treat. 

Ingredients:

• 2 oz grapefruit vodka
• 1 oz lime juice
• 1 1/2 oz grapefruit juice
• 1/2 oz orange curaçao  
• 1/4 oz grenadine
• 1 cup crushed ice

Combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. Pour the mixture into a tiki mug or your glass of choice.

Enjoy!