Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Pound cake is one of those desserts that's often overlooked, but I don't think it should be. It's a cinch to throw together and the ingredients are basic, but when a pound cake is done right, it's absolutely delicious. This is my go-to pound cake recipe. It turns out every time, and we absolutely love it. It's great on its own but this time of year we also like to top it with fresh strawberries.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake
1 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, at room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.

Beat butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating 5-7 minutes or until mixture is light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating only until yellow yolk disappears after each addition. Quickly beat in vanilla.

Whisk together flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add to butter mixture in thirds, beating at low speed only until blended after each addition. Pour batter into pan. Gently tap pan on counter to remove air bubbles.

Fill a 2-cup ovenproof measuring cup or small baking pan with water, and place it in the oven on the rack below the tube pan.

Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour and 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.

source: recipe from The Southern Living Community Cookbook

Peanut Butter Cookies with Peanut Butter Cups

It's Monday, and we're back to the daily grind. Let's make cookies, shall we? These peanut butter cookies are loaded with even more peanut butter in the form of chopped up peanut butter cups. In this household we go through peanut butter (and peanut butter m&ms, peanut butter cups, etc.) like nobody's business, so these cookies were right up our alley. Have a great week!

Peanut Butter Cookies 

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

2/3 cup peanut butter

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

12 oz bag Reese's peanut butter cups, chopped into small pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

In a mixer, cream butter and sugars until fluffy, about two minutes. Mix in peanut butter, egg, and vanilla until combined. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture and mix on low until combined.

Stir in chopped peanut butter cups. Use a cookie scoop to place dough on baking sheet a couple of inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove, cool, and enjoy. 

source: recipe barely adapted from bakerella

Cinderella Cheesecake

One of my favorite parts of having weekend houseguests is planning the menu and making delicious food. We hosted Caleb's parents this past weekend, and as I was figuring out what all I was going to make ahead of time, I was stumped on the dessert. I was browsing through recipes and asked Caleb if he had any ideas. At the exact moment I was reading a cheesecake recipe, he suggested cheesecake; so cheesecake it was! All peanut butter + chocolate lovers rejoice (um hello isn't that everyone?!): this Cinderella cheesecake is a peanut butter cheesecake inside of a brownie crust. Like most cheesecakes, making this recipe is a bit of a time commitment. As long as you plan accordingly and follow the recipe, the end result is definitely worth the time and effort.

Cinderella Cheesecake

for the brownie crust

3 (1 oz) unsweetened chocolate baking squares

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup flour

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 (1 oz) bittersweet chocolate baking square, finely chopped

for the cheesecake filling

12 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/3 cups creamy peanut butter

for the topping

3/4 cup sour cream

2 tsp granulated sugar

To prepare crust, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan. Microwave 3 baking squares and butter in a small microwave-safe bowl at medium (50% power) 1 1/2 minutes or until melted, stirring at 30-second intervals.

Stir together flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Beat eggs and brown sugar in a separate large bowl at medium-high speed with an electric mixer 3-4 minutes or until batter forms thin ribbons when beaters are lifted. Add vanilla, bittersweet chocolate, and melted chocolate mixture. Beat only until blended. Stir in flour mixture just until combined. Spread 1 cup crust mixture on bottom of prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees on center oven rack 13-15 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes; freeze 15 minutes. Remove from freezer; spread remaining batter up sides of pan to 1/4 inch from top, sealing batter to bottom crust.

To prepare filling, beat cream cheese and brown sugar at medium speed with a heavy duty electric stand mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating only until yellow yolk disappears after each addition. Beat in sour cream only until blended. Beat in peanut butter until blended.

Pour filling into prepared crust. (Mixture will not completely fill crust.) Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until center is almost set. A 2-inch circle in center of filling should jiggle slightly when pan is shaken gently. Meanwhile, prepare topping. Stir together sour cream an sugar in a small bowl until smooth.

Remove cheesecake from oven. Spread topping over center of cheesecake, leaving a 2-inch border around edge. Bake for 1 minute more.

Remove from oven; gently run a knife around edge of cheesecake to loose. Cool completely on wire rack. Cover and chill 8-12 hours. Remove sides of pan. Top with chocolate curls, if desired.

source: recipe from The Southern Living Community Cookbook

Yellow Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Every now and then I get a very real craving for cake. I usually steer this craving toward cupcakes, since there's no need to make an entire cake for two people. Earlier this year I made classic yellow cupcakes with a rich chocolate frosting: that combo was my go-to birthday cake request for about 5 years in a row when I was a kid, so I know I just can't go wrong with it. I actually even halved both of the below recipes, which made for a more manageable number of cupcakes for two people to consume. Both recipes were delicious classics that everyone needs in their cupcake repertoire. 

Classic Yellow Cupcakes

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 cups sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 eggs plus 4 egg yolks, at room temperature

1 cup sour cream

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar and butter. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.

Blend in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, scraping down the sides of bowl as needed. In a small bowl or measuring cup, blend together the sour cream and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and mixing each addition just until incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners. Bake until the cupcakes are just set and pale golden, about 20-22 minutes. Let cool in the pan about 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, frost as desired.

Chocolate Frosting

9.5 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

6 oz cream cheese, at room temperature

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

4 Tbsp unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

pinch of salt

2/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp sour cream

To make the frosting, melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Set aside to cool until just barely warm. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Gradually mix in the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Beat in the melted and cooled chocolate and then the sour cream. Continue beating until the mixture is smooth and well blended. Frost cupcakes immediately before the chocolate hardens and the frosting sets.

source: cupcake recipe from annie's eats, adapted from Baking Illustrated; frosting recipe from annie's eats, slightly adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

Peanut Butter Cake Bars

Peanut butter + chocolate is one of the best combinations, amiright? I'm not picky when it comes to the duo, I'll take it in any form: peanut butter cups, milkshakes, m&m's, you name it. I particularly like these bars. Although they're called cake bars, the texture is really more like that of a blondie. They're a cinch to throw together, and it's hard to eat just one!

Peanut Butter Cake Bars
2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 package (11.5 oz) milk chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt ;gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spread into greased 9x13-inch baking pan. Bake 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Cut into bars. Yield: 2 dozen.

source: recipe from taste of home

Mini Fruit Tarts

On Saturday I had the best time with one of my oldest and dearest friends. She made the trip to come down for the day, and we sat and had lunch and just talked for several hours. There's something that just feels so good about spending time with a friend you've known for most of your life (in this case, about 23 years). We had a simple lunch of quiche and Caesar salad, and we finished it off with these mini fruit tarts. These are relatively simple to make and are a great, lighter dessert option for any brunch or lunch.

Mini Fruit Tarts
for the crust:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 Tbsp cold water

for the custard:
2 cups milk
1 1/2 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 Tbsp unsalted butter

to top:
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 pint fresh raspberries

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

For the crust, add flour, powdered sugar, and salt to a food processor and process to blend. Add 1/2 cup cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cold water and process just until the dough starts to stick together. Add more water by teaspoonfuls if the dough is dry.

Scoop about a tablespoon of dough into the cups of a mini muffin pan and press onto bottom and partially up sides. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pans 5 minutes. Use a knife to pop out the crust cups and cool completely on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, for the custard, put milk and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the cornstarch to the bowl and whisk until no lumps remain. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture until incorporated. Whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, reserving the empty saucepan.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and slowly boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Spoon into the cool crust cups and let sit at room temperature about 20 minutes. Top with berries and refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes about 48 mini tarts (but I easily halved the recipe).

source: recipe from i heart naptime

Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake

Having company for dinner is a good excuse for me to try new recipes. Caleb has never understood why I would want to try out a new recipe on dinner guests, but I think that's half the fun. I try to stick to just one or two new recipes per meal, since I'd like to think at least half the meal will turn out as expected. We had company for dinner this past weekend, and I made this chocolate cake for dessert. It was the cover recipe on this month's Southern Living, and as soon as I got my copy in the mail I knew I had to try it. For as many ingredients as it calls for, it was a relatively simple cake to make. I let the cake cool for most of the afternoon, and whipped up the glazes right before our company arrived. For chocolate lovers like myself, this cake is definitely a winner.

Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake
for the cake:
2 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups butter, softened at room temperature
3 cups sugar
5 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
2 tsp instant espresso
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate morsels

for the chocolate glaze:
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp light corn syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

for the buttermilk glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp buttermilk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Beat 1 1/2 cups butter in a medium bowl at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yolk disappears. Combine 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, instant espresso, and vanilla extract. Add flour mixture to egg mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed after each addition. Fold in bittersweet chocolate morsels. Pour batter into a well-greased and floured 12-cup Bundt pan. Sharply tap pan on counter to remove air bubbles.

Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 25 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 20 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on rack.

Prepare chocolate glaze: combine semisweet chocolate morsels, butter, and corn syrup in a microwave-safe glass bowl. Microwave at medium (50% power) 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until morsels begin to melt, stirring after 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Stir in vanilla.

Prepare buttermilk glaze: whisk together powdered sugar, buttermilk, and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle glazes over cooled cake. Serves 10-12.

source: Southern Living, February 2015

REESE'S Dessert Bars

Continuing my recent obsession with all things chocolate + peanut butter, I made these REESE'S bars a couple of weekends ago. We had friends over for dinner at the last minute since bad weather canceled our beach trip plans, and I didn't have time to make a time-consuming dessert. Enter these bars, and a confession: they are from a box . Yes, I prefer to make many things from scratch, but I am not above a Betty Crocker box mix. These bars were so good our friends asked me for the recipe.... and then I had to admit I served them dessert from a box. Thankfully they are good friends and totally didn't care :) These bars are really quite delicious and all it takes is mixing up each of the three layers with butter, egg, and milk (only the bottom layer has to be baked!). Next time I need a quick and easy dessert, I'm going to try the HERSHEY'S S'mores bars. 

Disclosure: I received the information and prize pack from General Mills through Platefull Co-Op. All opinions are 100% my own.

Banana Pudding Parfaits

The last weekend in June we had some friends as well as Caleb's sister and her husband visit us. We had a great weekend, spending the day strolling the farmer's market and lounging by the pool, and spending the evenings chatting and watching our friend Jonathan do magic tricks (he's really good!). Our brother-in-law seriously loves pudding, and since I wanted to serve a good Southern dessert, I knew I had to make banana pudding. Banana pudding is one of those desserts that I absolutely love, but never think to make. I had seen this recipe on one of my favorite foodie blogs so I knew it would be a trusty recipe, and I wasn't disappointed.  

Banana Pudding
1/3 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 1/2 cups milk
3 Tbsp butter, at room temperature, divided
2 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 ripe bananas, sliced
vanilla wafers

for the topping:
3/4 cup heavy cream
3-4 Tbsp confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Whisk in the egg yolks, then the milk. Place the saucepan over medium heat. Add in 2 Tbsp of the butter. Cook, whisking frequently, until the mixture bubbles and thickens significantly. Remove from the heat. (You can strain through a mesh sieve if you are at all concerned about having overcooked it to remove any lumps.) Whisk in the vanilla and remaining 1 Tbsp of butter.

Layer a serving dish or individual serving dishes with vanilla wafers and banana slices. Fill each dish with some of the pudding and continue layering with vanilla wafers and banana slices as desired until the serving dishes are mostly filled and the pudding has been used up. Cover with plastic wrap and let chill until well set, at least 2-3 hours.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream and confectioners' sugar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Blend in the vanilla. Transfer the whipped cream to a pastry bag and pipe a dollop of cream onto each serving of pudding. Garnish with additional vanilla wafers, if desired. Serves 8.

source: recipe from annie's eats, originally from Southern Living via my recipes