posted by Melanie on April 11, 2012 category : Food, Recipes

Super Easy Chocolate Cake

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I’m not kidding, this is the easiest recipe for a cake ever, and everyone loves it. I should keep it to myself, but I won’t because you are wonderful and deserve to be able to make great chocolate cake for those you love.

You’ll notice this calls for vegetable oil and not butter. You know I love me some butter, but for cakes I’m a fan of oil. I find cakes made with butter tend to be crumbly with a stale texture.  (Of course, my frosting is always and forever made with all butter. )

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 Cup flour (all purpose)
  • 3/4 Cup cocoa, whatever brand you prefer
  • 2 Cups Sugar
  • 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1.5 Cup vegetable oil
  • 1 Cup milk
  • 1 Cup boiling water

 

Directions

  1. Prep your ingredients! Measure, make sure you have enough cocoa etc…
  2. Pull out the butter you’ll need for the frosting, it takes awhile to soften
  3. Pre-heat oven to 350
  4. Grease and flour your pan*
  5. Mix all dry ingredients into large bowl
  6. Add all wet ingredients EXCEPT boiling water (I told you it’s easy, you only need one bowl!!)
  7. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stop at 30 seconds and scrape bowl (Start 1 C water boiling at this point)
  8. Gently and slowly pour in water, mix. It will be really runny, don’t worry, it’s supposed to be.
  9. Pour into pan(s) and bake for 35 minutes. It is done when toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean.
  10. Let cool for a few minutes, then remove from pan(s) and cool on rack.
  11. Frost and get ready to be loved and adored.

* Pan info:   Two 9″ pans: 35 minutes     One 13″x9″x2″: 35 minutes     Cupcakes: 22-26 minutes

Super easy chocolate Cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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posted by Melanie on September 26, 2011 category : Photos

Fancy cupcakes!

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This is what I did this weekend:

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posted by Melanie on February 17, 2011 category : Recipes

Easy blackberry cobbler

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Today it hit 70 degrees for the first time in months. I felt like crying with relief that my teeth didn’t chatter as I walked to my car from work. I wanted to bust out into synchronized dance, but my hands were full so I contained myself. Anyway, in honor of this pre-warm weather spell I wanted to make a quick cobbler. I had never had cobbler until I moved to the south, but now it is synonymous with summer in my mind. Cobbler goes along with sweet tea, lightning bugs, kudsu and watermelon. I know I sound like some feel good southern movie, but it’s true.

You may have noticed that my recipes have been getting simpler as time goes on. I think its because I’m cooking in a restaurant all day, and when I get home I really don’t feel like spending hours on dinner. So this recipe reflects that. Here goes…

Ingredients:

  • 6 cups frozen blackberries
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk baking mix (like a Bisquick mix)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
  • 1/2 cup cold heavy whipping cream
  • Vanilla ice cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

  1. Toss berries, 1/3 cup sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice in big bowl. Let stand 10 minutes, stirring every so often.
  2. Pour into a 9-inch deep-dish glass pie plate or any glass dish about that size. Bake until berries soften, about 15 minutes.
  3. While thats cooking, combine baking mix and lemon peel in bowl. Add cream, tossing until soft dough forms.
  4. Scoop dough a tablespoon at a time on top of filling.
  5. Sprinkle a couple tablespoons sugar over it all and cook for about 25 minutes. You’ll know its done when a toothpick inserted into the biscuit part comes out clean and the mix is all bubbly.
  6. Scoop into to bowls, smother it with vanilla ice cream and serve it to someone you love.

Super easy, right? Don’t forget, fresh is best so grab fresh berries in the summer. It’s even better!

Xoxo

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posted by Melanie on August 10, 2010 category : Food, Recipes, Videos

Video – Easy Lemon Cake

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Ingredients

  • lemon (or yellow) box cake
  • 3 oz regular lemon jello
  • 3/4 Cup vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 Cup water
  • 1/4 Cup lemon juice

Tools needed:

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Spatula
  • Measuring cup
  • 9″x13″ pan
  • Flour
  • Crisco or something like it
  • Hand mixer

Directions

  1. Grease and flour a 9″x13″ pan, set aside
  2. Preheat oven to whatever temp it says on the box cake.
  3. In large mixing bowl combine cake mix and jello
  4. Add all wet ingredients and stir until all mix is wet (batter will be all lumpy)
  5. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds. (Stop half way through to scrape bottom and sides of bowl)
  6. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. (Stop half way through to scrape bottom and sides of bowl)
  7. Pour into greased pan, make sure batter is even and toss in the oven. Set time for the time listed on the box
  8. While it cooks, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice. When cake comes out of oven, poke it all over with a fork and pour glaze all over cake.
  9. Let cool until it’s cool enough to cut a huge piece out of and eat it like a greedy little kid. :)

This is not a recipe I would normally post, being that it involves jello and a box cake. In fact, I can’t bake a regular box cake without it falling. From scratch I have down, but those damn boxes always screw me up. But I digress…. So I’m posting this video and recipe because it’s super easy, light and summery and I love it. It could be a nostalgia thing, but I think it’s just a super good cake. I give all the credit to my Mom, as this is her recipe that I tweaked a little to make it more lemony.

Enjoy!

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posted by Melanie on April 24, 2010 category : Food, Photos, Uncategorized

Food Porn – Toffee Caramel Cheesecake

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posted by Melanie on April 16, 2010 category : Food, Videos

Video: Apple Dumplings

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First video on Location! (Very fancy….)

Ingredients:

  • Pie crust for double crust (or two pre-made 9″ crusts)
  • 6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9×13 inch pan.
  2. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl and set aside.
  3. Make your crust, or roll out pre-made crust. (I’ll post a video on making pie crust soon, so if you don’t know how, feel free to buy pre-made. It’s not the best, but it makes for a stupidly simple preparation.)
  4. Cut crust into 6 squares, or cut so that each piece can wrap around your apples.
  5. Peel and core your apples. (If you don’t have an apple corer you can cut the apples in half to make it easier to core. Like it shows in the video, it may split if you do that, but it will still be amazing!)
  6. Put a piece of butter in, then some of the brown sugar and spices. More butter and some more brown sugar. Sprinkle some cinnamon and brown sugar on the outside of the apple (but inside the crust, duh.)
  7. Wet your fingertips and bring one corner of pastry to the top. Repeat with all the corners and smoosh it together until it’s totally covered. (You may need to pinch the top together a bit to make sure it sticks.)
  8. Place apples in greased glass baking dish and set aside.
  9. In a small saucepan, combine water, white sugar, vanilla extract and rest of butter. (About 1/2 the stick.) Place over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved. Carefully pour over dumplings.
  10. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Place each apple dumpling in a dessert bowl, and spoon some sauce over the top. Don’t forget vanilla ice cream, it’s the best!

So for real, this is such an easy recipe!! It’s pretty heavy and rich, so I’d recommend serving with a lighter dinner. That being said, it’s one of my favorite desserts for summer. I’ve had two boys propose to me after eating this, so be careful who you make it for. :)

xoxo,

Mel

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posted by Melanie on February 28, 2010 category : Food, Photos

Hedonist pic of the Day… Fudge Brownie

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fudge brownie, chocolate frostingThis thing tastes as good as it looks. Amazing!

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posted by Melanie on January 29, 2010 category : Inspiration, Links, Photos, Recipes

Caramel Apple Sticky Buns

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So, thanks to my dear Ellyn I am actually salivating. Whoever took this picture is an effing artist….

Follow the link for the Caramel Apple Sticky Buns recipe.

Thanks to The Pioneer Woman!

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