Confetti Cake Pie (with a graham cracker crust!)

Happy Birthday!...

...to me!! 

Well, unfortunately, my birthday fell on a Monday this year, which is the start of a work week (boo!), but fortunately, this means I get to celebrate both the weekend before and the weekend after (woo!)! 

So to start things off I made a cake.  Or a pie.  It's essentially a confetti cake baked in a graham cracker crust, so I hereby declare this a cake pie.  And it's my birthday, so I make the rules.

Now yes, this is a cake without the frosting, but no frosting needed here, my friends.  The graham crust adds a subtle sweetness to each and every bite, which works out well for me because, quite frankly, I have icing issues (I reattempted the Flag Cake over the weekend and FAIL- it has now been nixed from the newly renamed 26-during-27 list). 

As far as where the idea came from for this crazy combo?  I have no idea*.  But it was so good, I'm tempted to make another as the celebration continues this weekend with a very welcome two-day visit from my parents :)

*Another year older, another year wiser.

Confetti Cake Pie

Makes one 8 or 9-inch pie

Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 9 full-sheet graham crackers)
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar

Cake:

 6 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 + 1/8 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 + 1/8 cup yellow or white boxed cake mix
1/4 cup sprinkles

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  If using graham cracker sheets, using a food processor or blender, pulverize the graham crackers into a fine crumb. Pour crumbs into a medium bowl and mix with melted butter and sugar. Press into an ungreased 8-inch or 9-inch pie dish.  Bake for 8 minutes.  While baking, prepare the cake filling.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars.  Mix in the eggs and vanilla.  Add the flour and cake mix and mix until just combined.  Fold in the sprinkles.  Spread gently into warmed crust. 

Increase oven temperature to 350.  One preheated, bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Let cool to room temperature before cutting into wedges. 

Crust and Cake adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction.




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Strawberry Cake White Chocolate Blondies

Oops! I did it again...


Strawberry style.

My co-workers made me do it.  And they voted these even better than the cake batter version.

After receiving rave review after rave review, I caved and promised to whip up another batch for everyone.  People were actually racing to these.  Some people stayed late awaiting my arrival so they could snag one.  Others told me to hide them.  Others advised me not to tell anyone.  No lie.

This time, though, I thought I'd mix things up a bit and opted for strawberry batter tossed with white chocolate chips.  The sprinkles stayed though because well...I pretty much love sprinkles!  They're happy and fun and that little sugary crunch makes everything better.  (ps if you ever bring me a donut, make sure it has sprinkles on it.  oh, and that it's a yeast donut.  with white glaze.  kthanksbye.)


i'm bringing chocolate cupcakes to work in the morning.  my friends are getting spoiled.

Strawberry Cake White Chocolate Blondies

Makes one 7x11-inch pan

1 box strawberry cake mix

1/4 cup canola oil

1 egg

1/3 -1/2 cup milk (I used almost 1/2 cup-- maybe 6-7 tablespoons total)

1/2 cup sprinkles

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 11x7 baking pan with nonstick spray. Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl, adding the milk slowly. You want to cake batter to be as dense and thick as possible. Mix in the sprinkles and white chocolate chips. Pour into prepared baking pan, sprinkle a few more sprinkles on top and bake for 25-30 minutes until edges are just turning brown (I stopped at 25*). Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes so the center sets, before cutting into squares.

*The blondies will look like they are not fully done because the center will be quite gooey, but that’s what you want! After about 30 minutes of cooling, they will be easy to cut using a serrated knife.

*Do not use black sprinkles swirled into the blondies. It will turn the batter black before baking.

 Adapted from my Cake Batter Blondies which were adapted from here!

Cake Batter Blondies

I'm totally popular.

Like, for real. 

So a girl I work with had a little birthday hoorah this past weekend (at a crazy cool mexican restaurant in Fort Worth- if you're ever in the area and craving fajitas- GO! for the atmosphere if nothing else), and being the baker I am, I refused to show up empty handed.  I initially had something else in mind, but the gorgeous weather had me planting flowers instead and before I knew it, it was 7 o'clock at night and the oven wasn't even preheated.  Shame.  So....Plan B: confetti cake blondies.  Because no birthday is truly complete without chocolate and sprinkles.

As I walked into the restaurant and plopped my tupperware down on the table, the oohs and ahhs began and the fingers started reaching.  These guys were demolished in no time.  Luckily, I planned ahead and saved a few at home for Nathan and me, but when I went in to work on Monday, a coworker mentioned he needed another one...bad.  Well, I'm a sucker for compliments, so I made sure to dive into our stash, wrap one up, and bring it the next day.  Unfortunately for the receiver, two other employees spotted me with it and the three of them had to share.  I think I heard the words "incredible brownie" uttered roughly fourteen times that day.

I'm like, totally serious.

Cake Batter Blondies

Makes one 7x11-inch pan

1 box yellow cake mix

1/4 cup canola oil

1 egg

1/3 -1/2 cup milk (I used almost 1/2 cup-- maybe 7 tablespoons total)

1/2 cup sprinkles

1/2 cup chocolate chips (can use white chocolate too/instead!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 11x7 baking pan with nonstick spray. Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl, adding the milk slowly. You want to cake batter to be as dense and thick as possible. Mix in the sprinkles and chocolate chips. Pour into prepared baking pan, sprinkle a few more sprinkles on top (and chocolate chips, if you desire!), and bake for 25-30 minutes until edges are just turning brown (I stopped at 25*). Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes so the center sets, before cutting into squares.

*The blondies will look like they are not fully done because the center will be quite gooey, but that’s what you want! After about 30 minutes of cooling, they will be easy to cut using a serrated knife.

*Do not use black sprinkles swirled into the blondies. It will turn the batter black before baking.

Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction.

Junk Food Cookies

There's cookie batter underneath all that goodness.

And yes those are chips in there.  Salt and vinegar chips.  No lie.

I'm sure potato chips would work just fine, but you know you secretly want to invest in a bag of the S&V goodness.  If not just for these cookies, to casually eat the entire bag in one sitting. 

What is it with salt and vinegar chips?  I remember when I was younger my mom would occasionally purchase a bag and I swear, they were the most addicting chip on the planet.  I could not stop eating those things.  COULD NOT STOP.  Open the bag and -poof!- all gone. 

But then I grew up, I moved on, and I matured into a Doritos fan.  During college I couldn't live without them.  A new flavor would come out and I'd buy it and text everyone I knew that "holy crap there's a new doritos flavor!!"  So after eating these insanely incredible soft and chewy chock-full-of-goodness cookies, I'm envisioning a version involving doritos.  The nacho cheese ones of course. 

And while you're reading all of this crazy talk and thinking I'm out of my mind I will have you know that someone else is on the cheese and cookies bandwagon as well, so ha!

Junk Food Cookies

Makes 16 cookies

6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup crushed salt and vinegar potato chips
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup crushed salted pretzels
2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons flaked coconut
3 tablespoons butterscotch chips
2 tablespoons assorted sprinkles

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt, then set aside.

In another bowl, whisk the cooled butter and sugars until they are combined. Add the egg and vanilla and stir until mixed and smooth. Gradually add in dry ingredients and mix with a spoon until mixed.  Fold in all of your add-in’s.

Scoop into 1 1/2-inch balls and place on a nonstick baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-12 minutes, or until the middles are just set. Don’t over bake! Let cool almost completely.

Adapted from How Sweet It Is.

Benjamin's Yellow Birthday Cake with Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting

See this cutie:

This is Benjamin. 

He's my nephew.

And he's so stinkin cute.  Isn't his face is just begging to be covered in kisses?  Look at those pudgy little cheeks.  Gotta love his OK State tee too. 

Two years ago today he was born.  And I had officially experienced love at first sight.  Never felt it before until this little bugger was born.  Yep, he's a cutie.  I think he'd be the perfect Baby Gap model.  I said that two years ago and I'll still say it today:  Baby.  Gap.  Model. 

So in honor of the big T-W-O, I made him a cake.

A classic yellow cake covered in chocolate.  And topped with sprinkles.  And two candles.  It's his birthday, afterall.

So make it, bake it, have a slice and celebrate!

Happy Birthday Benjamin!! 

Benjamin's Yellow Birthday Cake

Makes a two-layer 6-inch cake.  Double the recipe for a two-layer 8-inch cake.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortening or butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

In medium bowl, with wire wisk, blend together flour, baking powder, and salt.  In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in vanilla.  Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture alternatively with milk.  Beat just until smooth.

Divide batter between two greased 6-inch round cake pans.  Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Let cool and frost with Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting.

Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting

This makes quite a bit of frosting but leftovers can easily be stored in the fridge.

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sour cream
6 cups powdered sugar

Melt chocolate and butter in microwave-safe bowl in 30 second intervals until combined and smooth. 

Place sour cream in large mixer bowl.  Pour in chocolate mixture and beat at medium speed until blended.  Add in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition until desired consistency is reached.  Spread over cake. 

Yellow Cake adapted from The Good Housekeeping Cookbook.



Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

I'm 26 today!  Yay!

Over lunch Saturday, Nathan and I decided we should celebrate at Six Flags so that is where we are headed today (this means I can already cross one thing off my 26-by-27 list!)

But I'm here to talk cake.  When I was young, I loooooooved cookie cake.  For several years I would request one for my birthday party.  A big slice of a giant, soft chocolate chip cookie topped with frosting from the local supermarket.  Oh how I loved them.  This year I decided it would be nice to revisit my childhood except with a homemade version and it did not let me down.  Soft and chewy and chocolate-chippy (I am allowed to make up words today), just like I remembered. 

So after a day a rollercoasters and rides, I plan on coming home and relaxing with a slice of this cake. 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

This made one 6-inch cake plus a handful of cookies- I used half of the dough for the cake, half for the cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Cream the butter and sugars until fluffy.  Add in the vanilla and eggs and mix.  Add in flour, soda and salt and mix until combined.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Divide dough in half, press half into a greased 6-inch round cake pan using a wet spatula.  Make cookies with remaining dough.

Bake cake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until edges are slightly browned and center is slightly set.  Once cool, top with frosting and sprinkles, if desired.

Bake cookies at 350 for 10 minutes.