The Perfect Spring Birthday Cake

It is Spring, at last! May brings out the windier side of the weather but this Orange Raspberry Cake will have you happy to be inside baking. I made this delicious cake for my sister's 23rd birthday and everybody seemed to adore it! It is light, fluffy, fresh tasting and decadent. What else could you want in a cake? It is made with only 2 tablespoons of oil and the majority of the moistness comes from orange juice (maybe we can get by by saying it's a little bit healthy). Try this recipe, and you will find yourself making it over and over, guaranteed!

Ingredients

Cake:

Butter, for greasing the pan

Flour, for dusting

• 1 (18.25-ounce) box white cake mix (recommended: Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe)
• 1 large orange, zested, about 1/4 cup
• 1 1/3 cups no pulp orange juice
• 3 egg whites
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Frosting:

• 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 pound powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup raspberry jam
• Water, as needed
• 1/4 cup raspberry jam
• 1 (6-ounce) container fresh raspberries

Directions
For the cake: Arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 2 nonstick, 8-inch round, baking pans. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the cake mix and orange zest. Mix for 20 seconds at low speed until the zest is incorporated. Add the orange juice, egg whites, and vegetable oil. Blend at low speed for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula, as needed. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake until golden and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 to 32 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool the pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely, about 1 hour.

For the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sour cream at high speed until smooth, about 10 seconds. With the machine running at medium-low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar until incorporated. Add the raspberry jam and increase the speed to high. Beat until the frosting is smooth and spreadable, adding water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed.

To assemble the cake: Arrange 1 cake layer, flat side up, on a cake stand. Using a spatula, spread a thin layer of frosting on top leaving a 1/2-inch border. Spread 1/4 cup of raspberry jam on top of the frosting. Arrange the other cake layer on top. Using a spatula, frost the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with fresh raspberries. Cut the cake into wedges with a slightly wet knife and serve.

Store the cake in a plastic container in the refrigerator. Allow the refrigerated cake to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from Todd's Orange & Raspberry Cake

The Americanized Cinco De Mayo Treat

We all like churro's, am I right? What if they happen to be right around 70 calories? These will turn that like, into a love. This recipe is so simple (a little too easy) and so tasty. It doesn't need to be Cinco De Mayo for you to bake these up! I just happened to create this recipe on the perfect holiday.

Directions

I begin with these baby's. The popular American dinner biscuit.

Next, I roll them out individually and slice them in half long ways. You should end up having double the amount of biscuits originally.

Now is where the sweetness comes in. Take about 3 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons or cinnamon (or however sugary/cinnamon-y you like it) and put it on a long enough plate to fit the strips. Use a fork to mix together the sugar and cinnamon until well combined. (Should look similar to what brown sugar looks like). Take your strips and press them in the sugar on both sides, make sure they are well coated. On a buttered cookie sheet, twist the strips from both ends like a corkscrew. Press the ends down on to the cookie sheet for the churro to stay in place. Repeat this for all the strips of dough, but don't crowd the cookie sheet, remember they do puff up. Bake the churro's for 6-8 minutes at 400 degrees, or until golden brown. For even more taste, dip the churro's again in the cinnamon sugar right out of the oven.

Share them with your friends, and Enjoy! 

Side Note: For a more warm yummy taste, add Cinnamon Hot Cocoa Mix to the sugar/cinnamon combination to dip the churro's in!

You Can Go Banana's Over This

Yumm yumm yumm. Am I the only one who loves Banana Bread? Well if I am, after this recipe I won't be. Try this delicious recipe when you need to spice up your regular old breakfast routine. I made it for my sister when I left on vacation because she didn't get a Spring Break... sad day. I think the Banana Bread made up for it. Super delicious and moist and it makes an excellent treat or an on-the-go snack.

               Before                       After

Recipe

1 cup granulated sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
3 ripe bananas
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt


Preparation
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.
Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Mix in the milk and cinnamon. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (mine ended up taking the full hour and ten minutes)
Set aside to cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan, invert onto rack and cool completely before slicing. Enjoy!

P.S. To make it a dessert spread slices with honey or serve with ice cream! Yummy!

P.S.S. Find you have extra left over? Make Banana Bread French Toast one morning and have a guaranteed good day!
Recipe adapted from Banana Bread