Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

We have a busy Sunday so I made an early dinner and this Banana Cake for dessert.  This cake is moist and delicious and the homemade frosting is the “icing on the cake”!!

Banana Cake

2 eggs

2/14 cups flour (all purpose)

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup mashed bananas

3/4 cup milk mixed with 1 TBSP. lemon juice

1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil (I used coconut oil)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Grease well a 13×9 cake pan or 2 round pans. Preheat oven to 350

Let eggs sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.  Add the bananas, milk/lemon juice, oil and vanilla.  Beat with an electric mixer until combined.

Add eggs and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Pour into the pan.

Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes (checking after 25 minutes or so for doneness by inserting a tooth pick in the center and if it comes out clean it’s done).

Remove and let cool.

Frost with homemade Cream Cheese Frosting!  This cake deserves the homemade instead of store bought because it’s so good!!

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8 oz brick cream cheese softened

1/2 cup butter

2 TBSP. vanilla extract

5 1/2 – 6 cups sifted powdered sugar

Beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Gradually add the powdered sugar until it’s spreadable and smooth.

**This makes a large container of frosting which you can store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.  Or cut the recipe in half for the perfect amount for this cake**

 

Avocado Chia Seed Chocolate Pudding

 

This is a delicious healthy way to indulge a little!  The benefits from the avocado and chia seed are plentiful and good for your body!  So go ahead and enjoy!

2 ripe avocados peeled and chopped
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3 TBSP Chia Seeds
1/4 cup honey or agave (I use our homemade maple syrup too)
2/3 cup almond milk, coconut milk, or regular milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Place all in a blender and blend until somewhat smooth. (you may have to scrape the sides of the blender here and there).

**this will not be as smooth as a regular pudding with the Chia Seeds. If you want a smooth pudding omit the seeds and reduce the milk to 1/2 cup

 

 

 

 

Cake Balls

These are a fun dessert to take to a party or make and have at home for school lunch desserts, after dinner desserts or small treat!

While these are all over Pinterest now, years ago my aunt made these after she baked a cake to long.  She actually made them with the frosting mixed into the cake mix and then warmed the rest of the frosting in a pot and rolled them in it.   Needless to say, they didn’t hold up well so she tried some with making her own melting chocolate.  Boy I wish she had patented the idea 🙂

You can see how we make them on my Facebook page here:  Cake Balls

 

 

Grandma Ruth’s Preserve Thumbprint cookies

These cookies are delicious!  Rich buttery flavor with the touch of fruity sweetness from the preserves.

The man’s mother makes a cookie tray for each of her children.  These are one of her cookies and my favorite by far!  This year she turned 80 and has realized it’s too much work to make so many cookies.  She made a 3 ring binder for each of her grandchildren with all of her recipes and a beautiful handwritten not to each of them.  What a special gift!!

Last night we made her thumbprint cookies.  This was my first shot at making these and while not as pretty as hers (which are always perfectly round), they taste the same!  We are bringing them to a family party tonight.

These are ridiculously simple with easy ingredients and dough that is perfect to work with!

2 Cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup butter softened

2 eggs, separated

1/8 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

finely chopped pecans (or walnuts) to roll cookies in

Any flavor fruit preserves (I used apricot and raspberry)

Preheat the oven to 350F.  In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, butter, egg yolks, salt and vanilla.  Beat at low speed scraping the bowl often until smooth (about 2 minutes).

Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls.

In  small bowl whisk the egg whites until foamy (this is clear with many bubbles)

Dip each ball into the whites and then into the finely chopped nuts.

Place about 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheets (or parchment/silpat)

Make a depression in the center of each cookie with the back of the teaspoon.

Bake for 8 minutes, remove carefully and place a small teaspoon of preserves in the center.  Return to oven and bake for approximately 7-9 more minutes (or until lightly browned on the edges).

Makes about 36 cookies!

 

Dulce de leche

What to do with those out of season apples you can only get at this time of year?  Make a quick batch of Dulce de leche to dip them in.

You can see how I make it on my Facebook page here:  Dulce de leche

Honey Candy

Whenever we go to a farmers market or a craft show there is always a “honey” stand where they sell fresh honey, honey sticks, and honey candy.  The candy is very expensive.  A piece like the above picture is usually around $3.00 USD.  My daughter loves it and always buys some.  So this afternoon she decided to google how to make her own and she made it with a friend.

This is such a simple procedure and it made quite a few pieces.  The flavor is awesome!!  I am sure you could cut back on the sugar if you wanted but the amount of pieces this made, I don’t feel too bad letting the kids eat it.

Honey Candy:

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup water

1 cup sugar

Put all in a pan and bring to a rolling boil.  Continue to boil for 5 minutes and 30 seconds.  Carefully ladle into molds.

You can add cinnamon also for a twist on the flavor.  We are going to try it with lemon also so the next time anyone gets a sore throat we will try our own lozenges.

Carrot Cake

It’s Fathers Day tomorrow and the man of the house loves Carrot Cake.  I have a quick easy recipe for when I make it.  As always I was multi-task cooking making the cake and our Italian Pasta Salad for tomorrow’s dinner.

This recipe is so easy.  The part that takes the longest is trying to frost it pretty.

You can make this adding raisins, pecans, walnuts, and instead of carrots, zucchini.  But the man likes it basic.  Also it’s so much better for you to make your own frosting.  You know what’s in it and there are no preservatives.  If you don’t use it all store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Here is the recipe I use for our family Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting:

**this will make a three layer cake or I make a 2 layer and a square to leave unfrosted for the “Tween Queen” of this house who does not like frosting!!!

Preheat oven to 350

Grease and flour 3 round pans or two and an 8×8 square pan

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 cups grated carrots (6 large that I run through my food processor instead of grating by hand)
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, raisins, walnuts, pineapple, or anything you want optional

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add eggs and vegetable oil. Using a mixer, blend until combined. Add carrots and pecans, if using.

Pour into pans. Bake for approximately 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Remove from pans and allow to cool completely before frosting.
Frosting:

2 – 8oz bricks of cream cheese (room temperature)

1 stick of butter (room temperature)

2 cups of powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Add all ingredients into a medium bowl and beat until fluffy using a mixer. Spread frosting on top of each cake layer. Stack the cakes on a serving plate and serve.