Chocolate Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Spiced Pumpkin Buttercream

This past weekend I spent a ridiculous amount of time in my kitchen testing out new recipes for the upcoming Fall holidays.  To say I am super ridiculously over-the-top excited about the holidays doesn't even scratch the surface.  I have been Pinning, printing and ripping out magazine pages galore with all kinds of ideas!  

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Do you ever find that one special recipe that is just so darn good you wanna call your mom up and thank her for teaching you how to use an oven?  And in the same breath reach through the phone and smack her all at the same time because now that you KNOW how to bake the best cake like EVER, your butt continues to grow because you can not work-out hard enough to stop the effects of a slowing metabolism (due to age...not that I'm old) and your lack of self-control to NOT eat half of the cake with a fork straight out of the skillet you cooked it in?

No? 

Well then, you haven't made this cake yet.

This cake is the perfect blend of spicy and sweet...and its totally healthy too. 

It has pineapples in it!  How can that not be healthy? 

Don't ruin it for me...were gonna call it healthy and leave it at that, Em' Kay Pumpkin?

Em' Kay!

This is by far the BEST pineapple upside down cake recipe that I have ever come across. 

My husband asks for it every year for his birthday...and then at least once a month for the next 6 months after his birthday because the half eaten one cake isn't enough for him.

Yup, its just THAT good!

So forget that bikini season is just around the corner, go work-out super hard this week and then bake yourself this cake.

I promise that you won't be dissappointed.

Oh, and mom, don't answer the phone when I call you.  I'm just sayin :)

Skillet Pineapple Upside Down Cake

by Angi McCarthy (adapted from Taste of Home)

Keywords: pineapple cake

6025627

Ingredients

• 1-1/3 cups butter, softened, divided
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 can (20 ounces) pineapple slices, drained
• 10 to 12 maraschino cherries
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup buttermilk

Instructions

In a saucepan, melt 2/3 cup of butter; stir in brown sugar. Spread in the bottom of an ungreased heavy 12-in skillet or a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Arrange pineapple in a single layer over sugar mixture; place a cherry in the center of each slice.

Sprinkle with pecans and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream sugar and remaining butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; add alternately to batter with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.

Carefully pour over the pineapple. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes in an iron skillet skillet (50-60 minutes for baking pan) or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Immediately invert onto a serving platter. Serve warm with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream!

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So what is the ONE recipe that you can not seem to make enough of?  I'd love to try it out!

Bake Me Happy...Red Velvet White Chocolate Cheesecake (for two)

I’m just going to say it…I’ve never been a huge fan of Red Velvet Cake.

There, I said it.  It’s out there and now I can’t take it back.

Whew!  It feels so much better to just let it out.

I’ve been feeling weird or like something is off with me with all the Red Velvet recipes blowing up the Internet on blogs and Pinterest and me NOT wanting to take part in the hoop-la.  I mean EVERYONE seems to LOVE this Red Velvet craze.

Except me.

Then, I came across this recipe at Angie's Sweet Natured Things for Red Velvet White Chocolate Cheesecakes for two.  Ummm…I totally love cheesecake…AND white chocolate.  And these are just so stinking cute.  How could I NOT want to make them???  I showed the recipe to Mr. AKM all excited to make it for the two of us to have after a romantic dinner for TWO.  I’m thinking candle light…a bottle of wine…me an my man dining al fresco on our patio surrounded by twinkle lights…maybe some Chris Issak or David Gray playing in the background the smell of fresh roses in the air (hint, hint babe)…are you with me here ladies?

Like I said, I showed him the recipe thinking he’d be all like “Yea babe, that’s awesome…everything you make tastes like heaven in my mouth”.  That would be the appropriate thing to say in my opinion.

That’s not how it happened.

Instead he says (and I quote) “sure, make it but I HATE Red Velvet…it tastes like CRAP!”  Whah?  My entire romantic setting just flew off the table and smashed on the floor.

Hate is a pretty strong word here peeps.  I mean, I don’t love it, but hate????  WOW!

And in that instant I knew…I had to make it my personal mission to “change” him.  I had to…no I needed to prove him wrong!   Sure that’s not the mature thing to do but after 14 ½ years of marriage I feel that I’m entitled to proving him wrong occasionally.

And guess what???

I DID!  In fact, I even got my little cheesecake "hating" son to fall in love with this minature piece of Red Velvet and White Chocolate Heaven on earth!

I'm just THAT awesome!

I won't lie...making this was a bit time consuming. I was fooled into thinking that making 2 "small" cheesecakes would equal less time in kitchen...not that case.

But so completely worth the effort. 

Red Velvet White Chocolate Cheesecake - For 2

by Angi McCarthy at AKM designs and delights

Keywords: White Chocolate Cream Cheese Red Velvet cake

Ingredients (2 - 4/12" Cheesecakes)

White Chocolate Cheesecake Layer

• 1 ounce white chocolate
• 1 ounce heavy cream
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Red Velvet Cake

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon red food coloring
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 ounce white chocolate
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/8 teaspoon white vinegar

Instructions

White Chocolate Cheesecake Layer

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Butter two wells of a small cheesecake pan. (I recommend this one).

Melt white chocolate with heavy cream either in a double boiler or in the microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool.

Beat together cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until smooth. Add egg, lemon juice, and vanilla, mixing on medium-low speed until well blended. Finally, add melted white chocolate and mix on low until incorporated.

Divide batter between the two cheesecake wells. Bake until set, approximately 15 minutes.

Allow cheesecake to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least two hours

Red Velvet Cake

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two wells of a mini cheesecake pan.

Cream together butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy. Add egg white and continue beating until thoroughly combined.

With mixer off, add food coloring and cocoa powder. Mix on low until incorporated, then beat on medium-high for two minutes.

Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix together vanilla extract and buttermilk. Alternate adding half of dry ingredients with half of buttermilk/vanilla mixture to the butter mixture, beating on medium until combined after each addition. Mix in sour cream and vinegar on low speed until combined.

Divide batter between the two prepared wells. Bake until cakes test done with a toothpick, 20-25 minutes. Allow cakes to cool for about five minutes in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack to complete cooling.

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Melt white chocolate together with heavy cream in either a double boiler or in the microwave in 15 second increments. Set aside to cool.

Beat together cream cheese and butter until thoroughly combined. Beat in melted white chocolate. Add powdered sugar in batches, beating with each addition. If a stiffer frosting is desired, add additional powdered sugar.

Assembly

white chocolate shavings

powdered red food coloring (optional)

cocoa powder (optional)

If necessary, level mini-red velvet cakes, then cut each cake into two halves using a serrated knife.

Place one chilled cheesecake layer between two layers of cake.

Cover each cake with a thin crumb coat of frosting to lock in any loose crumbs, then chill for at least 30 minutes. Apply a final coat of frosting and garnish with white chocolate shavings. If desired, sprinkle with powdered red food coloring or cocoa powder.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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In the spirit of love, go forth and make this cheesecake for someone you love.  You will be glad you did!

Bake Me Happy...Butter Vanilla Cake

Butter Vanilla Cake

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(with Semi-sweet chocolate frosting)

So Mr. AKM ditched the fam and went out of town this past weekend to help my dad move his deer camp from one lease to another.  From what I understand, they both worked their butts off to get it done in two short days. (snort).  Um, yea….ok.  Thats why 2 cases of beer disappeared.  I’m sure their right bicep was extremely sore from lifting those bottles of beer.   Soooo….exhausting.    

He came home on Sunday all scruffy faced (I guess razors don’t work in a deer cabin???), smelly (uhm, shower please) and grumpy!  It was nice to have him home…really it was.  Well, until the grumpy part really took hold.  He was all snippy and snappy and really REALLY SNARKY!  NOT COOL!  He dumped us for the weekend to fend for ourselves.  It was tough people!  We were forced to dine on pizza and ice cream and to stay up late watching movies.  What else were we supposed to do?  The daddy guy was GONE!  There were no rules.  So we got a little wild, I admit it!  And then he had the gall to come home and be GRUMPY and totally harsh our mellow?  It was wrong I tell you!  I had to put my foot down and let him have it. 

I did what any rational woman would do in this situation to calm her savage beast. 

I made cake.  Not just any cake, but his all time FAVORITE cake. 

Rich, buttery vanilla cake with a semi-sweet chocolate frosting.  OH YUM!  Some people may call it a yellow cake, but it looks more vanilla than yellow to me, plus my man really likes the taste of vanilla so I punched up the cake with an extra tablespoon of vanilla extract to help take the flavor of it over the top.  It worked!

He took one bite of this cake and instantly became a calm, balanced person again. 

End of story.

So the moral of this story is…the truest way to a man’s heart…really IS through his stomach.  True story.  Go try it today, or the next time your man harshes your mellow.

Butter Vanilla Cake:

2 sticks (1 c.) butter, softened

1½ c. all-purpose flour

1½ c. cake flour

1 T. baking powder

½ t.. salt

1¾ c. sugar

4 large eggs

2 T. vanilla extract

1¼ c. milk

Semi-sweet Chocolate Frosting:

1 lb. semisweet chocolate chips

6 T. Dark Chocolate cocoa powder

6 T. boiling water

3 sticks (1½ cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ c. powdered sugar, sifted

Pinch of salt

1.  To make the cakes, preheat oven to 350˚ degrees.  Line the bottoms of two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.  Butter and flour the edges of the pans, tapping out the excess; set aside.  In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt; whisk together to blend well and set aside.

2.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed.  Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Blend in the vanilla.  With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the milk.  Beat each addition just until incorporated.

3.  Divide the batter between the prepared baking pans.  Bake, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until the cakes are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes.  Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool 20 minutes.  Run a knife around the edge of the pans to help remove the cakes.  Invert the cakes onto the rack and peel off the parchment.  Let the cakes cool completely before frosting.  

Frosting Directions:

To make the frosting, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.  Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has melted.  Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, about 25-30 minutes.  Meanwhile, combine the cocoa powder and boiling water in a small bowl; stir until the cocoa is dissolved.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, powdered sugar and salt on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.  Add the melted chocolate; beat on low speed until combined, 1-2 minutes.  Beat in the cocoa mixture until well blended.  (Note: My frosting was still a bit runny for decorating at this point.  I let it cool longer before frosting the cake so it could firm up slightly.)

To assemble the cake, level each cake and then cut each cake in half.  Place one of the cake layers on a serving platter.  Top with 1 cup of the chocolate frosting and smooth over the top of the cake.  Repeat 2 more times, topping with the remaining cake layer.  Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting as desired.  Add sprinkles!  Refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 days.  Let come to room temperature at least 30 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

You may find this post partying in the following places:

Monday:  Debbie Doos - The Girl Creative - Skip to My Lou - Craft O Maniac - Lisa's Craft Blog - The DIY Show Off -Everything Under the Moon

Tuesday:  Not Just A Housewife - My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia - Clean and Scentsible - Crazy For Crust - recipes

Wednesday:  Savvy Southern Style - Blue Cricket Design - Seven Thirty-Three - Someday Crafts - Michele Raven Designs/

Thursday:  Delightful Order - Something Swanky - Recipes - The How To Mommy - A Little Nosh    

Friday:  Finding Fabulous - Chic on a Shoestring Decorating - Fingerprints on the Fridge - Shabby Nest - Whipperberry – Miss Mustard Seed - French Country Cottage - Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), 

I'm Lovin' it Fridays (TidyMom), Friday Favorites (Simply Sweet Home), Latest & Greatest Friday (Days of Chalk and Chocolate), Bacon Time, Fusion Friday (Jane Deere Blog)