Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake

Aside from chocolate, I think lemon is my most favorite flavor of any dessert.

I was making desserts not only for my house this past weekend, for Easter, but making two of them for my In-Law's Easter dinner.  Everyone in my husband's family loves my Chocolate Macaroon Bundt Cake, so I volunteered to bring it, and then I wanted to make another bundt cake to take along with it.

I didn't want it to be chocolate, so I thought something "fruity."  Of course, my mind instantly went to LEMON!!

My sweet friend, Candi, from The Devilish Dish, shared a few of her favorite bundt cake recipes with me, and of course, when I saw the Lemon one, I knew that was the ticket.

I didn't change much from her recipe, other than I added raspberries to it, and glazed it, because in my own little humble opinion, the bundt cake begs to be glazed.  I mean it has that little hole in the middle that the glaze puddles in, and just sits there waiting for your finger to drag through it ...errrr.... I mean, the spatula to serve it properly on a plate for your guests.

Look at that puddle!!

Swoon!

So, If you just want a nice, moist lemon cake, that is super easy to make, then make the recipe and omit the raspberries, and don't use the glaze.  You'll still be delighted!

Or put raspberries inside the cake when it bakes and fill that hole full of fresh ones on the outside to make it look 'perty!

Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake

adapted from Lemon Cake Recipe - Candi ~ The Devilish Dish

Cake:

1 -15.25 ounce lemon cake mix

1 -3.4 ounce package instant lemon pudding

1/3 cup oil

4 eggs

1 cup lemon lime soda, (7Up)

1 cup raspberries dusted in 2 Tablespoons flour

Glaze:

1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries, for garnish

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Mix cake ingredients, minus raspberries,  in mixing bowl until moistened.

Mix on medium for 2 minutes.

Fold raspberries in.

Pour into bundt pan and bake for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick in cake comes out clean.

Cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool the rest of the way.

When cake is cool, glaze and garnish with raspberries.  Store in the refrigerator.




Shared at:

Treasure Tuesday's at Yesterfood
Tasty Tuesdays at Life Currents

Strawberry Lemonade Cake

I just couldn't decide what to make for Easter dessert this year.

You know me, typically, I lean more toward the pies... but it's sort of hard to make some things, because typically I need to make at least part of it a day and a half ahead of time, since we spend the Saturday before Easter at my husband's parents.

When the strawberries start getting crazy good in the spring, like they are right now, I always want to make something with them.  Of course, it's no secret that I love anything lemon, so when I happened upon this, I knew it would be the best of all good worlds uniting for one pretty little Easter dessert. 

I was browsing through Pinterest, in search of something new, and was pinning away when I came across the picture for this cake on a blog called Jam Hands.

I followed her recipe exactly, then at the last minute, I ended up making more of the cream cheesy frosting, I'm not sure if I just used "too much" (too much...HA!) in between the layers, or what, but I didn't think I had quite enough on the outside of my cake. So, I will post her recipe for you to see,

 but I will type it how I made it., with the "EXTRA" frosting.  

This frosting is AMAZING and perfectly complements the cake.

Strawberry Lemonade Cake

adapted from Jam Hands

1 box Strawberry Cake mix, plus ingredients to make as instructed on package (oil, eggs and water)

12 ounces Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 package (.23 oz size) of Kool-Aid Lemonade OR about 2 teaspoons of lemon juice

yellow food coloring gel, a couple of drops, to get to your desired yellow color

1- 13 ounce and 1- 3 ounce jar Marshmallow Fluff

12 ounces Cool Whip Whipped topping

fresh strawberries for garnish

Bake cake in two 9" layer pans according to package instructions.

Cool on wire racks.

In your mixer, cream with a paddle attachment, cream cheese, kool-aid (or lemon juice) and food coloring.

Stir in Marshmallow Fluff until creamy, making sure to scrape the sides of the mixer bowl.

Fold in Cool Whip, place in the refrigerator until ready to frost.

Slice cake layers in half once.  You will now have four layers.

Spread frosting in between each layer of the cake,  stacking the layers.  

Do a "crumb coat" over the top and sides of the cake.  Place cake and remaining frosting the the refrigerator for about an hour.

Frost with remaining frosting and garnish with sliced strawberries.

**Notes: I had made this with the Kool Aid for the first go-around.  I threw away the remaining Kool Aid, and only had one package.  When I made the send (half) batch, I used lemon juice, and it tasted perfectly fine.  Next time I will probably just go that way to begin with.  Then there is no waste.

Add more lemon juice if you want to amp up the lemon flavor.  Just go easy, it gets really tart really quickly.

Shared at the Great Parties:

Tasty Tuesdays - Life Currents

Thursday's Favorite Things Blog Hop - Katherine's Corner

Hearth & Soul - 21st Century Housewife

Apple Crostata

This month for our Secret Recipe Club reveal, I was assigned a blog named

Join Us,Pull Up a Chair.

I spent an evening with my iPad in my lap browsing and pinning, trying to decide on what I wanted to make.

My family LOVES apple pie, so when I happened upon Heather's Apple Crostata, I knew I had to try it.

I have seen others post recipes like this, and have always thought they were so pretty.

If you have been with me for a while, you will have heard me say once or thirty times, that I am kind of a pie girl.  I mean, I love to make cakes and cupcakes, but to me, pie is where it's at.

I love the crust... just like pizza, its my favorite part.

I will warn you, if you and I ever find ourselves enjoying our favorite pies of choice over coffee and conversation, and you leave your crust on your plate, I am going to eat it.

Don't say you weren't warned! ;)

Look at those spiced apples ... I bet you can almost smell it, can't you?

Well, what are you waiting for?

Go make one!

They look so pretty and they're so darn easy!

I only changed Heather's recipe a touch, by amping up the spices a little bit, and using a tarter apple.

Apple Crostata

adapted from: Join Us, Pull Up a Chair

1 1/2 pounds of apples, I used Granny Smith, about 3 large 

1/4 cup flour

1/4 sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspooon nutmeg

4 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, sliced into small pieces

1 refrigerated pie crust, or your own homemade

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees, roll your crust on a lightly floured surface, then transfer to you baking sheet.  I used my pizza stone.

Mix flour, sugar, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. 

Peel,  core and slice your apples and lay them in the center of the crust leaving a border about 1 1/2 inch big.

With a pastry blender, or two knives, "cut" the butter pieces into the flour mixture, mix until crumbly.

Sprinkle evenly over apples.

Fold edges up and pleat to hold filling in.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden brown and apples are tender.

Cool slightly. You can serve warm or cold, but may I suggest warm with a scoop of ice cream?

Trust me, I'm a Pie Girl.

To See Other Great Recipes from the Secret Recipe Club Check Out the Links Below!

An InLinkz Link-up

SPRING candy coated POPCORN

Could it be??

From the depths of the cold frozen ground.

Months of gloom and cold, and the promise of spring appears.

It completely changes peoples' disposition, don't you think?

I could never live where sunshine hides for weeks on end.  

I need vitamin D like the cookie monster needs cookies.

Winter is so depressing and dull.

Once you get past the fun of the Fall and the holidays, it's just plain yuck.

I made up a batch of this popcorn to have around for company this past weekend,  it's a new twist on my "Crack Corn" - Candy Coated Popcorn.

We really liked the addition of the marshmallows and those spring white chocolate M&M's.

I think you will, too!

SPRING candy coated POPCORN

2 bags microwave popcorn, popped and unpopped kernels removed

2 Tablespoons Vegetable oil

3 squares almond bark

1/2 cup pink candy melts

1 cup mini marshmallows

1 cup white chocolate M&M's

Pastel colored sugar crystals and sprinkles

Pop your popcorn and remove any unpopped kernels. Place popcorn in a paper grocery bag.

In your microwave, melt almond bark and oil in 30 second intervals, stirring until melted and smooth.

Pour over popcorn, and shake in the bag to coat.

Sprinkle with sugar and sprinkles and continue to shake until coated.

Lay on a piece of waxed paper on the counter, sprinkle marshmallows over the top.

Melt pink candy melts in the microwave and drizzle over the top of all.

Leave on the counter for an hour or so, until it's set and dry.

Add M&M's and enjoy! 

Shared at: 

The Princess and Her Cowboys Wednesday Round Up

Dizzy, Busy and Hungry Wined Down Wednesday

21st Century Housewife Hearth and Soul Blog Hop

Nibbles by Nic Wonderfully Creative Wednesday

Fresh Orange Bars

About a week ago, I made a recipe for Lemon Brownies, and they were awesome!

So, when a good friend of mine was talking about them, I decided to make her a batch.

When I was making them, I took my lemons from my fruit bowl, and saw these really yummy oranges and tangelos I have been buying.  They have been really flavorful and juicy and I thought, I bet this would be a good version of the lemon!

Turns out I was RIGHT!

My hubby thinks they are even better than the lemon, which is good, because better on his hips than mine, right? ;)

When I went to type the recipe though, I got to thinking, they needed a different name.

When I found the recipe for the lemon brownies, I had never heard of such a thing?

Lemon BARS yes, brownies, no?

To me brownies were always brown, and blondies weren't right?

So, I decided to call these Fresh Orange Bars, instead.  Even though, it's virtually the same recipe.

Fresh Orange Bars

for the bars:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon

2 eggs

2 Tablespoons orange Zest

2 Tablespoons orange Juice

*You will need to zest and juice 2 large oranges or tangelos (or one of each) *

for the glaze:

4 Tablespoons orange juice

8 Tablespoons orange zest

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8x8 baking dish.

Zest and juice your oranges and set aside.

For the bars: whisk together, eggs, zest and juice and set aside.

In your mixer cream butter, add sugar and flour and salt and combine.

Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Pour into baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until edges are golden brown, do not over bake.

For glaze: combine sugar, zest and juice and whisk until smooth.

Pour over the bars and place in the refrigerator to set.

Store in the refrigerator.

Egg Hunt Snack Cakes

Our parish has a fish fry every Friday during Lent.

They are not only a lot of fun, they generate a good source of income for our church via the Men's Club who does all of the "heavy lifting."

Now, I do my part and stand in line with  a beer and consume yummy fried fish, coleslaw and french fries, shell out money for the kids to get heir faces painted and for raffle tickets, but aside from that my "job" is pretty easy.

The church asks that families donate desserts.

There is one week, based on the first letter of your last name, that you are asked to do so.

I don't abide by that, and usually bring a couple of different things every week.

(I sometimes lose my inhibitions for dessert after consuming keg beer in line for an hour+, and I, for one, wouldn't want dessert lovers to go without a choice.)

So, I whipped up a batch of chocolate mint brownies, and the kids helped me with these little cakes.

If you have never visited partypinching.com you are seriously missing out.

She does the MOST ADORABLE things for parties, and just for plain fun.

My 11 year old daughter LOVES the sight, too, and if forever saying "we should make this!"

Best part is, your kids will have fun helping you do it.

So when I saw these on her page, I fell in love.

My kids love when I have those Little Debbie cakes around anyway... and I thought, how fun they would be to make for the fish fry!

Link to PARTY PINCHING EASTER BASKET SNACK CAKES

I literally didn't do anything!

My 11 year old twins made these.  Our only problem was we couldn't find the Sour Punch candy, and bought licorice (the colored flavored kind) and it was too limp, it kept falling over.

So, my son unwrapped the packages of snack cakes while my daughter squirted on green frosting from the can, then he added the jelly beans.

I plated them on an aluminum pan and off the to the fish fry they went!

Follow the link to Party Pinching's original idea, to make the cute baskets.

Egg Hunt Snack Cakes

Little Debbie Easter Basket Snack Cakes

Jelly Beans 

Can of "squirtable" green frosting

Squirt on green frosting and top with jelly beans.

done.

easy peasy!

Lemon Brownies

My sister lives in southern California.

We try to get the kiddos out to visit once a year, and had the pleasure of doing so last month.

She and her husband have an AMAZING backyard.  It's so tastefully done, and yet it's overwhelming what they have!! Gorgeous flowers, succulents and PALM TREES (swoon!)

Top that off with a beautiful paved patio and fire pit that begs to be seated around, laughing and sipping your drink of choice.

This last year, I literally squealed when I walked out and saw all of the LEMONS!

I hadn't remembered them being there last year, and her trees were FULL of them!!

I said to her ...

"Do you know all of the things I could MAKE with these?"

I rattled off a few ideas, and turned lime green with jealousy; all I had in my backyard was snow.

My Mom was also out in California, thawing out, and on her way back she visited her cousin who lives just north of where I had been oogaling Teresa's lemons.

They have not only lemons and lime trees, but avocado trees, too! She brought me home about 60 of them!

The MOTHER load!!

In addition to that I got a bowl full of lemons and a few limes.

I was so GRATEFUL!  I know that Teresa would have shared with me, but I wasn't going to try and take anything else on the plane... When we all travel together, we are quite a sight to behold in the airport anyway!! 

It's like a PACK.

I made quite a few things with these beauties, but hands down, these were my FAVORITE.

I had seen these posted on facebook from another blogger, My Prairie Window.

Instantly, I knew what I would be doing with a couple of those luscious lemons!

I'd be baking up some of these lemon brownies, and I couldn't be happier that I did!

Flaky brownie, covered in a zesty tart lemon glaze ... heaven in a little bitty bar.

Lemon Brownies

from My Prairie Window

For the Brownies:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 Tablespoons lemon zest

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

(recipe will take the zest of 3 medium sized lemons and the juice of 1 1/2 of them)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8x8 baking dish with butter.

Zest and juice lemons and set aside.

In a small bowl whisk together eggs, zest and juice, set aside.

In your mixer, cream butter with sugar, flour and salt.  Add the egg mixture.

Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes and spread into prepared pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Do not over bake, or bars will be dry.

Cool.

For the Glaze:

4 Tablespoons lemon juice

8 teaspoons lemon zest

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Whisk together and spread on bars.  Place in the refrigerator to set.

Cut to serve.  Store in the refrigerator.

Shared at Wonderfully Creative Wednesday at Nibbles by Nic
Linked at Wined Down Wednesday at Dizzy Busy and Hungry
Linked at Hearth and Soul Hop at The 21st Century Housewife
Shared at the Weekend Social thrown by Kitchen Dreaming and The McCallum's Shamrock Patch

Brownie Bites with Rolos

I am so excited to post my first recipe as a new member of The Secret Recipe Club!

They made my time as a "first timer" an easy one when they gave me a fabulous blog called

Deb's page is one tummy rumbling, lip licking recipe after another.

I have to say, it was hard to choose!

I already have plans to make her Irish Cream Flavored Popcorn as well as Lemon Supreme Desserts,

but of course when it came right down to it, Chocolate was the direction I went in!!

We are BIG fans of brownies around here, and when I saw these with Rolos? I said Oh Yeah!

I'll let you in on a little secret.  I had been wanting one of these pans, and this was the PERFECT reason to treat myself! 

mmmm... the inside

Brownie Bites with Rolos

Cooking on the Front Burner

Brownies:

1 box brownie mix

package of Rolos, I used mini baking ones

Frosting:

3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 Tablespoons melted butter

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

3 Tablespoons warm water

1/2 Teaspoon vanilla

Caramel Sauce for drizzling

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and prepare brownie pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray.

Prepare brownie mix according to box instructions.

Fill sections about 2/3 of the way full, and place a Rolo in the center.

Mine made about 18, so I baked these and then when they cooled made another batch. (yay for me!)

Bake for about 25 minutes or until done.  If you use the toothpick inserted in the center trick, avoid that gooey Rolo! ;)

Cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then on a rack the rest of the way.

Make your frosting, and dip the tops of the brownies into the frosting, and place on a rack or waxed paper to set.

Drizzle with caramel sauce.

Enjoy!

I didn't have any caramel, so I made my own Salted Caramel Sauce and it was perfect on them!

An InLinkz Link-up

Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

I like to think of this recipe as a bonus.

I am going to share a super yummy recipe with you first thing in the morning, You'll have to wait and see what it is, but it needed to be topped with caramel sauce.

Guess what?

Didn't have any.

I seriously am at the grocery 6 days a week it seems, and I wasn't going!

So, I did a google search to look up recipes for caramel sauce.

Looked at a couple then happened upon this one from Sally's Baking Addition -- I love her website, and knew this was the one I wanted to try.

Even better, it was for salted caramel.

Love that sweet and salty combo...and knew this would be perfect!

And it WAS!!

I said it was a bonus?

Well, I hadn't planned on sharing a recipe today, but when I posted the ooey gooey picture on my facebook page and a bunch of people wanted to lick their screen... so I had an unexpected recipe share.

bonus.

 I can add the link to this recipe on the one I am posting tomorrow?

bonus.

I can stir a little of this into a coffee? Bonus.

Top some ice cream with it? Bonus.

Dip apples in it? Bonus.

Share it with you? B-O-N-U-S!!

Here it is!!

Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

sally's baking addiction

1 cup sugar

6 Tablespoons Butter, cut in 6 slices

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 Teaspoon sea salt

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, heat sugar, stirring constantly. Sugar will begin to clump, keep stirring.

Sugar will begin to melt and turn a pretty amber color.

Add the butter, and keep stirring until it's melted and incorporated.

Slowly drizzle the cream into the mixture.  Because of the difference in the temperature of the cream and butter/sugar mixture it will bubble and pop.  Allow to boil for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and stir in sea salt.

Cool before using in recipes.

Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

(if it could seriously last that long!)

Lick your sticky fingers. Bonus!

Pat yourself on the back for staying home from the store!

Enjoy!

Lemonade Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling

My kids go to a Catholic school close to where we live.

When it comes to teachers, I can tell you that we have hit the jack pot.

They work hard, and truly care about our kiddos.

That's apparent when your kids are constantly telling you something about what one of them did that was "so nice" or "SO funny!"

Most of the teachers that my kids have had know that I have this blog, some that love to cook follow it.

I try to incorporate something homemade into my gifts throughout the year, and I hope they like it as much as they seem to.

Last week was Teachers Appreciation week at school, and as a room mom, we help out by watching over their classes while they attend their special staff luncheon. 

I am on a food committee at church and at school, and always sign up for baked goods etc when needed.

I had made my Chocolate Mint Candy Cookies for their luncheon.

The theme of the week was Candy Land, the school was decorated SO DARN CUTE! So, I thought these cookies would go with the theme.

When I was leaving after lunch, one of the teachers told me they asked the moms serving lunch which of the baked goods I had made because that was what she was eating.

That, to me, was one of the biggest compliments I have ever received.

It has continued to make my heart smile every time I think of it.

Ironically, they were going to have some more baked goods of mine the next day, and they didn't even know it.  The school librarian had contacted me about making cupcakes for the computer teacher's birthday.  They were having a staff meeting, and she wanted to surprise her with cupcakes for her birthday the following week.  So, she ordered 60 cupcakes for yesterday.

She wanted Chocolate Cupcakes with Butter Cream.

I mentioned my Lemonade Cake with Blueberry Filling and said we could switch up the filling if she wanted, and she thought raspberry was a good option, that was how these little beauties were born.

Then she let me decide on the third one.

I had been wanting to try a recipe for this Strawberry Cream Cake for a while and so I made these Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes.

All of them were a hit! I have been showered with compliments and love from many of the staff.

Thank you for letting me be a part of the party!

Lemonade Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling

Filling (make 24 hours before the cake)

1 - 12 ounce package frozen raspberries

1/2 cup water

zest and juice of 1 lemon (about 2 T of each)

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons of cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tablespoons of water 

In a saucepan bring water and raspberries to a boil, reduce and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain the seeds out, and return sauce to saucepan, add sugar, lemon juice and zest and simmer for another 5 minutes or so.  Add cornstarch/water mixture and simmer and stir until it thickens.  About 5 minutes more. Place in refrigerator for 24 hours to set.

Cake:

1 - 15.25 ounce box white cake mix

3/4 cup frozen concentrate lemonade

1/2 cup water

4 egg whites

1/3 cup vegetable oil

a couple drops of yellow food coloring, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line cupcake pan with liners.

Stir ingredients together until incorporated and then beat for 2 minutes.  Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool.

Frosting:

6 cups powdered sugar

2 sticks salted butter

3-4 Tablespoons of Lemonade concentrate.

yellow food coloring 

Fresh Raspberries

Beat butter until creamy.  Add half of the powdered sugar and mix in, add the rest and the lemonade, mix until incorporated and beat until fluffy.  Add a couple of drops of yellow food coloring until desired color is achieved.

With a knife make a small hole in the middle of the cupcake, and save those little pieces to munch on later. ;)

Fill that hole with raspberry filling.

Pipe frosting onto cupcakes and top off with a fresh raspberry.

Store in the fridge.

or box them up and deliver them to some Top Notch Teaching Staff!

Makes about 20 cupcakes.

Recipes for the other two cupcakes coming soon!