Chocolate Orange Cake

One of my best friends ordered a cake for her boyfriend, who LOVES chocolate orange. I mean, who doesn’t?!

So for his cake, I created a 6″ round, three layered chocolate fudge cake with orange buttercream in-between the layers. Covered in chocolate buttercream, and garnished with chocolate dollops, orange peels, and Terry’s chocolate orange.

I just have to say that while making this cake… I wanted to eat it so bad. SO bad.

orange buttercream 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 to 3 tablespoons orange juice

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar, orange peel and vanilla. Add enough orange juice to achieve frosting consistency.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup cocoa or three 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares, melted
• 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
• 4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
• 3-4 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add cocoa and vanilla.
2. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

BUTTERCREAM

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened
• 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
• 4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
• 2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. In large bowl, beat shortening and butter with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla.
2. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry.
3. Gradually add milk; beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

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Chocolate Layer Rose Cake

This is for my cousin-in-law’s mother to celebrate her retirement this year! Happy retirement, Karen!

Karen is a huge chocolate lover, so I thought this cake would be perfect for her. It is a  4 layered chocolate fudge cake, with buttercream in-between the layers and vanilla and chocolate buttercream around the outside. Truly a chocolate lover’s perfect cake, I mean you honestly cannot go wrong.

These rose cakes are seirously the easiest things to make, once you have the cake stacked, all you do is make the buttercream, and fill a piping bag fitted with a rose piping tip and pip consecutive roses all around the cake.

If I were to make this cake again, I would love to make the white buttercream part (the top of the cake) a white chocolate buttercream. Melt some white bakers chocolate in there….mmhmmm.

I hope everyone had a lovely Easter and that you ate your weight in chocolate because you KNOW that’s what I did. #butseriously #stillinmystretchypants #andistillkeepeating

P.s. I don’t know how I feel about the fact I just used hashtags… but I’m rolling with it.

P.p.s. Also don’t know how I feel about the fact that I just said “I’m rolling with it” but I’m still gonna roll with it.

chocolate fudge cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring.
2. Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk through to combine or, using your paddle attachment, stir through flour mixture until combined well.
3. Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water to the cake batter. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute to add air to the batter.
4. Distribute cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cool completely.

chocolate fudge BUTTERCREAM

(bottom row of roses)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup chocolate syrup (I used the Smuckers brand)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Cream together the butter or margarine with the shortening.
2. Sift the cocoa with the confectioners’ sugar and add to the creamed mixture. Mix together adding 1 tablespoon at a time of milk to keep mixture smooth. Don’t add more than 1/4 cup of milk.
3. Add the hot fudge topping and the vanilla extract. Blend until smooth and creamy.

chocolate BUTTERCREAM

(middle row of roses)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup cocoa or three 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares, melted
• 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
• 4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
• 3-4 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add cocoa and vanilla.
2. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

buttercream

(top row of roses)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened
• 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
• 4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
• 2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. In large bowl, beat shortening and butter with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla.
2. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry.
3. Gradually add milk; beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

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Sources: All Recipes, Wilton and Add a Pinch

Copycat Starbucks Oatmeal Fudge Bars

If there’s one bar/brownie I’ve made most in my life it is these oatmeal fudge bars (I actually made them not too long ago in this post here!) They are so delicious and so easy to make, and call for ingredients that you most likely have in your cupboards (with the exception of sweetened condensed milk. I’m not sure how many of you have sweetened condensed milk just sitting in your cupboards waiting to be used, but who knows!)

I’m a huuuuuge sucker for carbs… anything that is doughy and bready – I am all in. And these bars do just that. They are so oatmealy and chocolatey and thick and delicious, they are seriously like the perfect treat to munch on.

And what’s great about this recipe is how many they make. They make a 13×9 inch pan, so at least 18 depending on how big/small you cut. I like to make these and freeze half the batch, so you can save them for later.

Hope everyone had a great week, and is looking forward to the weekend.

Talk soon!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons real vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 14-ounce can (1-1/4 cups) sweetened condensed milk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the butter. Beat the remaining butter with mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and beat until well mixed. Beat in eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla. In another large bowl stir together flour and baking soda then stir in oats. Gradually stir dry mixture into beaten mixture. Set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan combine the 2 tablespoons butter, the sweetened condensed milk, and chocolate . Cook over low heat until chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
4. Press three quarters of the oat mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 15×10x1inch baking pan (or something close to it). Spread chocolate mixture over the oat mixture. Use your fingers and dot the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate. Tip: Wet your fingers slightly to help prevent sticking.
5. Bake for about 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned (chocolate mixture will still look moist). Cool on a wire rack. Cut into 2×2 inch inch bars.

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Brown Sugar Fudge

I came to realize the other night that I’ve never made fudge! And fudge is sooooo good. I love the classic maple fudge… or something crazy like Oreo fudge… but I deicided I’d go with brown sugar fudge, with some walnuts for some added crunch!

This recipe was super easy, and took very little time. The only thing I’ll add is that if you want nice clean cuts, I’d probably let the fudge sit for 12 hours (or overnight) to let it really harden up.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (150 ml) evaporated milk
• 2 cups (425 grams) brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cup (198 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
• 3/4 cup (85 grams) toasted walnuts, chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine the evaporated milk, brown sugar, butter, and salt in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring until smooth. Continue to simmer, stirring frequently, until a candy thermometer reaches 238°F.
2. Remove from heat and pour into a heat-proof bowl. Add the vanilla and combine with a hand-held mixer. Add the powdered sugar in small additions while continuing to beat with the mixer. Mix until smooth. Add the walnuts and mix until just combined.
3. Spread the fudge into an ungreased 8-inch square pan. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or until firm. Slice with a sharp knife. Store fudge in an air-tight container for several days.

Source: Completely Delicious

Copycat Starbucks Oatmeal Fudge Bars

This is my third time making this recipe because I just love it so dang much. I think anything with oatmeal is absolutely delicious, and when you combine fudge with it…well you’re pretty much set.

Thank god somebody on this magical internet thing found the recipe/made up the recipe for the Starbucks Oatmeal Fudge Bars because I don’t know how I could have lived without these.

Also, this recipe makes SO many so these would be perfect for a party or a holiday get together!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons real vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 14-ounce can (1-1/4 cups) sweetened condensed milk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Set aside 2 tablespoons of the butter. Beat the remaining butter with mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and beat until well mixed. Beat in eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla. In another large bowl stir together flour and baking soda then stir in oats. Gradually stir dry mixture into beaten mixture. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine the 2 tablespoons butter, the sweetened condensed milk, and chocolate . Cook over low heat until chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Press three quarters of the oat mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 15×10x1inch baking pan (or something close to it). Spread chocolate mixture over the oat mixture. Use your fingers and dot the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate. Tip: Wet your fingers slightly to help prevent sticking.

Bake for about 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned (chocolate mixture will still look moist). Cool on a wire rack. Cut into 2×2 inch inch bars.

Source: food.com

Copycat Starbucks Oatmeal Fudge Bars

I’ve never even had these bars from Starbucks, but as soon as I saw the recipe I knew I had to make these. These are so good, and I think it’s mostly because the chocolate in them is so creamy and “fudgy”. Plus the oatmeal throughout it also makes it delicious. Must give these a go!!

Also this recipe makes SO many, so you’ll have tons to share with your friends/family! (Or eat them all yourself!)

Copycat Starbucks Oatmeal Fudge Bars 
(Makes 36 bars)

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons real vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 14-ounce can (1-1/4 cups) sweetened condensed milk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Set aside 2 tablespoons of the butter. Beat the remaining butter with mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and beat until well mixed. Beat in eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla. In another large bowl stir together flour and baking soda then stir in oats. Gradually stir dry mixture into beaten mixture. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine the 2 tablespoons butter, the sweetened condensed milk, and chocolate . Cook over low heat until chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Press three quarters of the oat mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 15×10x1inch baking pan (or something close to it). Spread chocolate mixture over the oat mixture. Use your fingers and dot the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate. Tip: Wet your fingers slightly to help prevent sticking.

Bake for about 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned (chocolate mixture will still look moist). Cool on a wire rack. Cut into 2×2 inch inch bars.