Apple Cider Spice Cake with Apple Butter Frosting

This yummy cake is full of spiced apple goodness...

And it's super easy too!

You start with a spice cake mix, and add apple cider and applesauce.

No oil or butter involved!

Then you top it with delicious apple butter frosting.

A perfect fall dessert!

Apple Cider Spice Cake with Apple Butter Frosting 

by Bird On A Cake

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Ingredients

Apple Cider Spice Cake

• 1 package spice cake mix
• 1 1/4 cups apple cider
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3 eggs

Apple Butter Frosting

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 6 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup apple butter

Instructions

Apple Cider Spice Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottoms of 3 eight inch round cake pans with wax paper, and spray the sides with cooking oil.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until thoroughly combined. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 18-22 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Apple Butter Frosting

In a large bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar a few cups at a time and mix well. Add vanilla, cinnamon and apple butter; beat until fluffy.

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To make it even better, drizzle caramel topping over each slice before serving.

Enjoy!

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Frankenstein's Monster Cake

Sometimes I get a little obsessive about accuracy.

 This cake is a good example for you...

Would you call this green guy Frankenstein?

Because he is actually Frankenstein's Monster.

Frankenstein is the name of the mad scientist who created him.

Now that we have that perfectly accurate, let's get on to some cake decorating!

What You Will Need:
Cake frosted with green buttercream
Decorating bag filled with chocolate fudge frosting
Wilton tips #47 (basketweave) and #3 (small round)
2 white candy melts
2 brown M&M's
1 green peanut M&M
1 mini Twix bar

My favorite part of this cake is the hair!

I used a tub of pre-made frosting (gasp!) because the consistency is perfect for this.
(I added some black food coloring to make it darker.)
Using tip #47, start piping in the middle of the cake and move outward -
going over the edge and down the side a little. 
Make sure the serrated side of the tip is up.
Continue all the way around the cake, making the hair longer in back.
 
Attach the brown M&M's to the candy melts with a dab of frosting, then press on to the cake.
Attach your green peanut M&M to the cake right under the eyes.
Using tip #3, pipe on a squiggly mouth and a scar.
Cut the Twix bar in half, and press into the sides of the cake to make neck bolts.

 I prefer my Halloween cakes to be more cute than creepy. :0)

Enjoy!

 I share my recipes & tutorials at these fun link parties.

And these holiday link parties:

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Taco Salad w/ Cilantro-Mint Guacamole Sauce

This is my absolute favorite taco salad.  The Cilantro-Mint Guacamole Sauce is unbelievably good.  You might want to double the batch so you have extra to eat with some chips.

Taco Salad w/ Cilantro-Mint Guacamole Sauce

Equipment:Cutting Board, Knife, Food Processor, Large Saucepan

Cilantro-Mint Guacamole Sauce

·      1 cup cilantro

·      1 cup mint leaves

·      1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

·      Zest of 1 lemon

·      1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

·      6 cloves garlic

·      ½ teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

·      ¼ teaspoon kelp granules (See Resources)

·      1 ripe avocado, remove pit, quarter

Taco Meat

·      1 ½ tablespoons pasture butter or coconut oil

·      1 pound grass-fed ground beef (See Resources)

·      3 cloves garlic, grated or minced

·      1 tablespoon chili powder blend

·      1 teaspoon cumin

·      1 teaspoon dried oregano

·      ½ teaspoon coriander

·      ¼ teaspoon kelp granules (See Resources)

·      ¼ teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

Salad & Optional Toppings

·      Mixed greens of choice, I use Red Leaf Lettuce

·      Seasonal chopped veggies – cucumber, red bell pepper, etc.

·      Grated raw cheddar cheese

·      Cultured sour cream

·      Kimchi

·      Hot sauce

1.    Wash produce for the Cilantro-Mint Guacamole Sauce. 

2.   Fit food processor with metal “S” shaped blade – add cilantro, mint, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic, salt, kelp, and avocado.  Pulse until combined and smooth.  Set aside.

3.   Prep garlic for the ground meat – remove skin/peel, grate/mince garlic cloves.

4.   In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt fat of choice.  Add ground beef, garlic, chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, coriander, kelp and salt.  Break up meat with spoon, stir to combine seasonings, cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes.  Remove from heat, set aside.

5.    Prep optional toppings for the taco salad.

6.   Add mixed lettuce greens to a deep bowl, top with taco meat, seasonal chopped veggies, grated cheese, Cilantro-Mint Guacamole Sauce, cultured sour cream, kimchi and hot sauce.  Serve immediately and enjoy every bite.

Taco Salad w/ Cilantro-Mint Guacamole, Cultured Sour Cream, Raw Cheddar Cheese, Cucumbers and Kimchi

Yield: Makes about 3-4 servings.

This post is part of Monday Mania @ The Healthy Home Economist,  Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Fat Tuesday at Real Food Forager, Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Allergy-Free Wednesdays Blog Hop @ Gluten Free Pantry, and Whole Foods Wednesday @ This Chick Cooks.

Perfect Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's the first day of school here in Newfoundland and also the first day of cookie season in the Parsons household. Both of my kids are in Junior High which is right around the corner from our house, so coming home for lunch with several friends tagging along is a daily occurrence here. Both of my kids are excellent cookie bakers and there are almost always freshly baked cookies available in our counter top cookie jar. Wonder why we have so many kids visit, huh?

These soft, crispy edged, chewy cookies will undoubtedly be made many times during the school year. Have a great school year folks!

Ingredients:

1 &1/3 cups flour

1/2 cup large rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray one cookie sheet with spray oil or line with parchment paper.

In a medium sized bowl whisk together flour, rolled oats, salt, and baking soda.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and combine thoroughly.

Add the flour mixture to the sweetened butter. Mix only enough to incorporate flour. Do not over mix. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Chill the dough thoroughly. Form cookies by dropping a rounded teaspoon of dough on the prepared cookie sheet two inches apart. Bake until light brown around the edges, about 12-15 minutes, depending on cookie size.

Singapore Style Noodles

Singapore Style Noodles

One of my favorite take-out Chinese food meals is also one that we now make at home. You can add or modify the vegetables and meats to your own tastes. If you don't like shrimp don't add them. Substitute chopped broccoli for the green onions if you like; the recipe will be good no matter how you modify the ingredients which also goes for the chili pepper, add a little or a lot depending on your heat preference.

This delicious dish has quickly become a go-to quick meal at our house and one we all really enjoy.

Serves 6-8

• 1 pound rice vermicelli noodles, cooked and drained

Meats:

• 1/2 pound lightly sautéed shrimp
• 1/2 pound lightly sautéed boneless chicken breast slices
• 1/2 pound lightly sautéed pork tenderloin slices

Vegetables:

• 1 small red pepper, julienned
• 2 small green onions sliced
• 2 cups fresh bean spouts
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1 cup thinly sliced Chinese or Napa cabbage
• 4 tbsp chopped cilantro (optional)

Start by lightly sautéing the shrimp, chicken and pork and set aside.

To a large wok add:

• 4 tbsp peanut oil
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 small onion, julienned
• 1 minced fresh chili pepper (more or less to taste)

Cook until the onions are softened then add:

• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup Hoisen sauce
• 4 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp Chinese Five Spice Powder
• 2 tbsp yellow curry powder

Simmer until the volume is reduced by about 1/4 then add the meats and vegetables and cook for an additional minute before adding the cooked rice noodles and tossing everything together until the noodles are evenly coated.

Cherry Cream Cheese Blondies

Cherry Cream Cheese Blondies

My kids are very, very fond of a good Blondie and we have made several versions including a version with glace candied cherries. Since we had some ripe fresh cherries on hand, which the kids also love, I decided to try them in a new variation that also includes more chopped cherries in a luscious cream cheese frosting for a very pretty finishing touch. We froze some of these quite successfully too, so no doubt these awesomely delicious blondies will be making it to my Christmas freezer list this year as well.

Sift together

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Melt over low heat

• 3/4 cup butter

Stir in

• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 tsp vanilla extract

Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Pinch the mixture between your fingers to make sure that you cannot feel any sugar granules.

Gradually mix in dry ingredients. Fold in:

• 1 cup chopped fresh cherries (cut in quarters)

Spread the batter into a greased or parchment lined 9x9 baking pan.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees F (325 F for glass bakeware) or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/4 cup cream cheese
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)
• 1 tbsp milk; only enough to bring the frosting to a spreadable consistency.

Mix all the ingredients together and beat very well until smooth and fluffy. Add the milk last to get the frosting to the right consistency. Finally fold in:

• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cherries

Spread evenly on top of the cooled blondies before cutting into squares or bars.