Valentine's Chocolate Cherry Chip Cupcakes

  
Every time I go to the grocery store, I walk down the baking aisle.

It doesn't matter if I need anything there or not...

I go for inspiration!

Sometimes I will come up with a new recipe right there, standing in the aisle.

Sometimes I will find something new that sparks an idea.

Something like this...

Cherry Baking Morsels!

You can bet I snatched these up in a hurry.

And my mind began furiously coming up with recipes to use them!

The first thing I thought of was melting them to make Valentine's Day cupcake toppers.

So I made these cute little curly hearts.

My hearts aren't perfectly shaped, since I made them freehand.
Just put your melted morsels in a decorating bag or ziploc with the corner snipped off.
Then pipe some hearts on wax paper and wait for them to get hard.

Next, I came up with this recipe for Chocolate Cherry Chip Cupcakes.

The flavor is fantastic...just like a chocolate covered cherry!

Chocolate Cherry Chip Cupcakes

by Bird On A Cake

6040993

Ingredients

Chocolate Cherry Chip Cupcakes

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cherry extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup cherry baking morsels (may substitute semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Chocolate Cherry Buttercream

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon cherry extract
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, melted

Chocolate Cherry Chip Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla and cherry extracts. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the sour cream to the batter until thoroughly combined. Mix the cocoa powder and boiling water in a small bowl until smooth, then add to the batter. Fold in the cherry morsels.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 with batter and bake for 20-22 minutes. Remove from pans and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Chocolate Cherry Buttercream

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar on low speed. Add cherry extract and milk, mix well. Mix in the melted chocolate. Keep covered.

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Want to see the inside?

I found the cherry baking morsels and the cherry extract at Walmart.

It may be hard for some of you to find the cherry morsels, so I did a little research.

You can buy them here and here.

OR, you could substitute chocolate chips in this recipe

...it would still be delicious!

 Enjoy!

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

Split Pea with Ham Soup Recipe

I love split pea soup.  When I was a kid, it was really the only way my mother could get me to willingly eat peas.  This is one of my favorite soups, especially for lunch with a grilled sandwich on a cold winter day.  This is also a great use for left-over ham after the holidays.

Split Pea with Ham Soup Recipe

Olive oil
2 cups of cooked, cubed ham
4 cups water
2 tsp Better Than Bouillon (Kosher or Organic) Chicken Base
1-1/2 cups split peas

Drizzle some olive oil in a large pot over Med High heat and add the cubed ham.  Use a wooden spoon to saute and brown the ham.  Add the water, Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base and split peas.  Give it a good stir and scrape all the brown bits off the bottom of the pot into the soup, then bring it to a boil.  When boiling, cover the pot, and lower the heat to Low.  Simmer the soup for 1 hour, covered, over Low heat.  Serves 4 people.

Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake Cake

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

Cheesecake is awesome,

and strawberries are too!!

 OK, so I'm not a great poet. I'll just stick to baking...

When I came up with this recipe, the combination of flavors just seemed so obvious.

Creamy Cheesecake. Sweet Strawberries. Moist Cake.

It's a match made in heaven!

The cheesecake is swirled with strawberry puree and sandwiched between layers of my favorite strawberry cake. It's all covered with strawberry cream cheese frosting...
very possibly the best frosting EVER!

Doesn't it make a pretty Valentine cake?

Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake Cake

by Bird On A Cake

6039562

Ingredients

Strawberry Cake

• 1 box white cake mix
• 1 (3 oz.) box of strawberry instant gelatin
• 1/2 cup pureed strawberries (frozen or fresh)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup oil
• 4 eggs

Strawberry Swirled Cheesecake

• 3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese (room temperature)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup pureed strawberries
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
• 1/2 cup pureed strawberries
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar

Instructions

Strawberry Cake

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line the bottoms of two 9 inch round cake pans with wax paper, and spray the sides with cooking oil.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix and gelatin. Add water and oil; mix on medium speed until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Add strawberries and beat until blended. Pour into pans and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Strawberry Swirled Cheesecake

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with wax paper; spray the sides with cooking oil.

Use an electric mixer to beat cream cheese and sugar together. Mixing by hand, add the eggs one at time. Blend in vanilla. Pour half of the cheesecake batter into the prepared pan. Mix 2 tablespoons of sugar with the pureed strawberries. Drop puree by spoonfuls on top of the batter. Drag a knife back and forth through the batter to swirl in the puree. Pour the rest of the batter in the pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees and continue baking for 45-50 more minutes. Remove from oven and run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan to release the cheesecake. Cool completely in the pan, then chill in the refrigerator.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until creamy. Beat in strawberries and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, beating until smooth.

Assembling Your Cake

Remove the sides only of the springform pan, level the top of your cheesecake and trim off any brown edges. Level and trim your cake layers. Place one cake layer on a cake stand. Cover with a layer of frosting. Invert the cheesecake on top of the cake layer, remove the bottom of the pan and the wax paper. Cover cheesecake with a layer of frosting. Top with the second layer of cake and spread frosting over the entire cake.

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This cake is absolutely delicious!!

To make it even better, next time I will add frosting between the cheesecake and cake layers.

That would make this recipe perfect.

Try it for a romantic Valentine's Day dinner with your sweetheart!

Enjoy!

  

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

This post was featured!

Homemade Broth Recipe

I've been making stock from meat and poultry bones for years.  Recently, I've come up with the right recipe for making broth.  The great thing about broth is that it is ready to go, already salted and seasoned.  You can make veggie or meat or poultry broth with this recipe.  I divide it and freeze it into two three-cup packages and I'm good to go when I want homemade soup for my family.  Pictured above is pork broth I made with the leftover shoulder bone and fat from the Crock-Pot Shredded Pork for Tacos I made recently.

Beef, Pork, Chicken, or Turkey Broth Recipe

Bones and fat left-over from roasted beef, pork, or poultry
8 cups water
1-1/2 to 2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
4 bay leaves

In a large pot add all of the bones and fat left-over from your roasted beef, pork or poultry. Add 8 cups of water, the salt, pepper, sugar and bay leaves and turn the heat up to High. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and lower the heat to Low. Simmer it for at least four hours, covered, on Low heat. Let cool, then strain the broth with a fine mesh strainer. Divide the broth into freezer bags if you plan to freeze it. Makes 6 to 7 cups of broth, depending on how long you simmer it.

Veggie Broth Recipe

You can use any veggies you want in your broth like carrots, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, cabbage, onions, etc.  Here is what I usually do:

4 carrots
8-10 mushrooms
Some left-over Roasted Yams
Olive oil
8 cups water
1-1/2 to 2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
4 bay leaves

Peel the carrots and cut them into 2 inch pieces.  Wipe the mushrooms clean and quarter them.  Drizzle some olive oil into a large pot over High heat and add the carrots and mushrooms.  Use a wooden spoon and saute the carrots and mushrooms until browned.  Add the left-over yams, water, salt, pepper, sugar and bay leaves.  Use the wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pot and give it a good stir.  Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and lower the heat to Low.  Simmer the veggies for at least four hours, covered, on Low heat.  Let cool, then strain the broth with a fine mesh strainer.  Divide the broth into freezer bags if you plan to freeze it.  Makes 6 to 7 cups of broth, depending on how long you simmer it.  The following is a picture of veggie broth.

Your Favorite Cakes of 2012

Am I the only one that thinks time is speeding up?
Doesn't it feel like every year seems to go by just a little faster? 
  
My personal life has seen some big changes this year, with my return to working full-time
...after being a stay-at-home mom for thirteen years!
Yep, I'm still trying to find the right balance. But there is always time for cake!

Watching the growth of Bird On A Cake has definitely been one my favorite parts of 2012!
It has been amazing to share and connect with all of you wonderful cake lovers. :)
Let's take a look at your Top 3 Favorite Posts from the past year, shall we?

 

 #3 - Perfectly Packaged Rose Cupcakes
Elegant, simple cupcakes that make perfect gifts!

 

#2 - Hummingbird Cake with Petal Tutorial

A delicious recipe + pretty decorating technique = awesomeness!

#1 - Rainbow Tie Dye Cake

 The popularity of this cake just astounds me...it's been viewed almost half a million times!!

Thank you SO much for all your support and sweet comments through the year!

You have made sharing my creations here an awesome experience, 
and I love bringing a little fun & sweetness into your life with my cakes.

Happy New Year!

Are you ready for lots more cakey goodness in 2013? I am!

Chocolate Gingerbread Men Cake

  
"Run, run as fast as you can;
You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!"

Do you remember what happens to the gingerbread man in that classic tale?

Yeah, that fox was pretty sly.

I would have gobbled up that boastful little gingerbread man too...YUM!!

I decided to put a tasty twist on classic gingerbread by making this
Chocolate Gingerbread Cake.

I loved the two flavors together...a fantastic combination!

I also made the cute gingerbread men around the cake out of chocolate.

Chocolate Gingerbread Cake
by Bird On A Cake

6038745

Ingredients

Chocolate Gingerbread Cake

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup boiling water

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz. package cream cheese ( room temperature)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter ( room temperature)
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of two 9 inch cake pans with wax paper; spray cooking oil on the sides of the pans. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and both sugars. Mix in the oil and molasses. Add the eggs, one at a time. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and ginger. In another bowl, mix the boiling water with the cocoa powder. Alternate adding the dry mixture and wet mixture to the batter until well combined. Pour your batter in the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Let the cream cheese and butter sit in mixing bowl until softened. Mix together. Add vanilla. Gradually mix in the confectioners' sugar. Spread frosting over cooled cake.

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 To make the gingerbread men, I used a silicon mold and melted chocolate.
First, I filled in the eyes, mouth and buttons with white chocolate.

Then, I filled in the whole cavity with chocolate.

 After these little guys set up, gently push on the other side of the mold until they pop out.
Then arrange them around your cake.

Enjoy!
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

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

This post was featured!

Bacon Wrapped Cheese Stuffed Dates

These are SO delicious!  They’re probably one of my favorite appetizers ever.    

Perfect appetizers for holiday parties, dinner parties or for a special dinner for two with your honey on Valentine’s Day. 

Equipment: Toothpicks, Large Baking Pan/Sheet (I use Stoneware), Cutting Board, Small Paring Knife, Small Bowl, Tongs

·      16 organic dates – pitted (buy pitted or remove pit during prep)

·      ¼ cup organic cream cheese, softened

·      ¼ teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

·      ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon – optional

·      8 pastured or organic bacon slices, cut in half (See Resources)

·      16 toothpicks

1.    Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2.   Prep dates – open up dates carefully with a paring knife, cut 2 lengthwise slits in the dates, making sure not to cut all the way through the date, remove small piece of date (save to snack on), remove pit if necessary.  See picture.

3.   In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, sea salt and optional cinnamon.  Stuff dates with about ½ teaspoon of the cheese mixture.

4.   Tightly wrap each cheese stuffed date with ½ slice of bacon.  Secure with toothpick.

5.    Place bacon wrapped dates seam side down on baking pan.  Place baking pan in oven, set timer for 10 minutes.  At 10 minutes, use tongs to flip each bacon wrapped date.  PLEASE USE CAUTION, the bacon grease is very hot, use an oven mitt to protect your hand/arm.  Set timer for another 10 minutes.  Bacon is done when it “looks” crispy and is dark golden brown.  Watch the bacon closely, all ovens cook differently, you don’t want the bacon to burn.  You should be able to tell at the 10-minute mark about how much longer you will need to cook the bacon.  If you’re not sure, just keep an eye on them.  You may need a few more minutes after the 20 minute mark to crisp the bacon enough.

6.   Serve warm or at room temperature.  Make sure to wait a couple of minutes before taking a bite, they are super HOT when they come out of the oven.      

    

Yield: Makes 16 bacon wrapped stuffed dates.