vanilla cake with chocolate cheesecake filling and strawberry cheesecake frosting

I love birthdays.  I love celebrating someone.  I love buying thoughtful gifts.  I love how excited people get when you do nice things for them. I love to think about that person, and what they would like most on their one day that's about them.

Usually, that's in baked good form.

This year, I returned the favor. To myself.

Hello, pretty.  You are my ultimate dessert.  You take everything that I love in sweets and package it up quite nicely.  You're easy on the eyes.  And my taste buds.


You are...a vanilla cake, filled with a chocolate cheesecake frosting. And topped with fresh strawberry cheesecake frosting.


I love you.

I had so much fun baking this cake.  It took me days to figure out exactly what I wanted.  


It had to be cake.  Duh.


It had to be vanilla cake.  No other form of cake is superior in my opinion.


I wanted something kind of fruity and not too rich.  It's summer.  Enter strawberry.

But then I had a serious problem: how do I incorporate chocolate?  I like a little chocolate, but not a lot.  Buttercream?  Too boring.  Then I saw this.  A gift from the heavens Jessica.

So call it a neapolitan cake.  Call it whatever you like.  Regardless, this cake was in.cred.i.ble.

Yeah.

Oh, and I can't forget to give huuuuge credit to my blog's biggest fan, Morgan Morrone, for all of the awesome photos! She's a sneaky talent who snapped all of those action and close-ups while I'm wrist-deep in frosting. Thanks, bud.

Vanilla cake with chocolate cheesecake filling and strawberry cheesecake frosting
cake recipe from Baked; chocolate filling from How Sweet It Is; strawberry frosting from yours truly


for the cake:
2 1/2 cups of cake flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups ice cold water
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1. Preheat the over the 325 degrees F. 
2. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust pans with flour and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening on medium speed until creamy, about 3 to 4 minutes. 
5. Once creamy, keep beating and gently pour in sugar and vanilla and continue to beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl to ensure all sugar is mixed.
6. Continue beating and add the egg until well incorporated. Turn the mixer to low. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the ice water, in three separate additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl, then mix on low speed for a few more seconds.
7. Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form in a medium bowl, careful not to overbeat. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
8. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, rotating the pans about 20 minutes into the baking time. Once a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, remove and transfer cakes to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the rack, remove the pans, and let cool completely. Remove the parchment.

for the chocolate cheesecake filling:
1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together on medium speed until smooth. 
2. Turn the mixer to low speed, and gently pour in vanilla.  Slowly add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, scraping sides of bowl to ensure all ingredients are fully incorporated.

for the strawberry cheesecake frosting:

1 quart strawberries

5 1/2 cups powdered sugar

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Place strawberries in food processor and puree until smooth.  Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together on medium speed until smooth.
3. Turn the mixer to low, and gently pour in vanilla and strawberry puree and mix until well incorporated.
4. Keeping mixer on low, gently pour in powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until frosting becomes creamy and somewhat thick, or until desired consistency is attained.

oatmeal chocolate chip cookies cups

I like following a schedule.  I am glued to my iPhone.  Google Calendar is like my right hand.  They even make refrigerators now with screens that have google in them so that you can keep your calendar, write notes, make grocery lists, and make your life infinitely better.  I don't know who makes it, but I will have this in my house.  Someday.

Sometimes routines are good.  Sometimes, you just cannot bake another. chocolate. chip. cookie.

So after my test batch of these oatmeal chocolate chip little fellas, I just couldn't do it.  I was bored.  So I whipped out my cupcake pan, filled them with fun little wrappers, and pressed that dough right in those things.  I wasn't sure they'd turn out well, but I was pleasantly surprised to yield this:

They're gooey, chewy, and the perfect portion.  Plus they're cute.  And that's all I ever want in my baked goods, anyways.  You know I love oatmeal, and these really aren't overly oat-y, but just add a nice chewy texture to an otherwise so-very-regular-it-makes-your-soul-die kind of cookie.

This is actually a recipe that I've been working on for a long time.  I saw shortening in a chocolate chip cookie recipe a while ago, (thanks, Chrissy!) and I was so intrigued.  I must have stared at this post for days before I tried it.  Shortening!  So bad it should be outlawed.  But it makes the softest, chewiest cookies.   My love for all things brown butter has found its match.  But I just can't choose.  Call me Sophie.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

from yours truly

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, unsalted, softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for topping
1 cup old-fashioned oats
2 cups chocolate chips

1. Cream together butter, shortening, and sugars in large bowl until smooth.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition.
3. Stir in vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder.  Add flour mixture to butter in three parts, mixing together until just incorporated each time.  Do not overmix.
5. Add oats and chocolate chips and mix to combine.
6. Let dough chill for about an hour (or up to 24) before preheating oven to 350 degrees.
7. Once chilled, line cupcake pans with liners and press about 1 1/2" ball of dough into cupcake mold, or enough to fill the entire cup. (Dough will not rise much.)  Lightly sprinkle tops of cookies with just a bit of kosher salt.
8. Bake for about 12-14 minutes until outer edges are golden brown and inside no longer looks shiny and doughy.

red velvet chocolate chip cookies

Red velvet.  Yeah, that's right.  Red velvet cookies.  I have to admit, I'm not a chocolate cookie fan, but these exceeded my expectations.  Just chocolate-y enough, and semi-cake-like for just the right texture.  I first saw these on my favorite blog, How Sweet It Is, a while ago, but just had the guts to try them last week.  If you're in the mood for a new take on the classic CCC recipe, I'd highly recommend this recipe.

The only modifications I made were replacing most of the flour with cake flour in order to make the cookies a bit more cake-like and soft.  I'm a big fan of soft, chewy cookies, and these seemed to compliment its cake ancestor nicely.  I love the cracks that all of the baking soda makes in them, too!

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies

recipe adapted from Jessica at How Sweet It Is

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup cake flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon red food coloring
1/2 cup Ghirardelli 60% cacao chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Cream butter and sugars together until fluffy. 
3. Add egg and vanilla and combine until smooth. 
4. Beat in red food coloring. 
5. Stir in cocoa, flour, baking soda and salt until just combined. 
6. Fold in chocolate chips. 
7. Scoop out dough into 1-2 tablespoon balls and set on baking sheet. 
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes until middle begins to crack a little.

chocolate iced christmas sugar cookies

You know that song in The Hangover that plays once the guys start trying to figure out what happened the night before?  The super catchy one that makes you just want to bob your head left to right?  Yeah, the one that's super vulgar and nasty, but nonetheless, catchy.  Well, it was stuck in my head the whole time I was making these cookies.  And I couldn't help but come up with my own little tune.

What do you say when your friend asks for cookies?

You say thank you. Thank you for giving me a way to update my blog.

What do you do when you actually don't have the white chocolate you thought you had to make the frosting that you're-so-proud-you-thought-of-yourself-and-can't-wait-to-share? (I took some syllabic liberties here with that verse.)

Make milk chocolate frosting instead and dip those suckers in it.

What do you do when you get tired of making the cookies the same way?

You make little cookie sandwiches. And tell yourself you're a genius for creating homemade Milanos.

What's your friend say when you bring her the cookies in the morning?

...well, stay tuned.

Chocolate Iced Christmas Sugar Cookies

Adapted from Bake at 350

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 c sugar

2 sticks unsalted butter, cold

1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon pure almond extract

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside. 
3. Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg and extracts and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined.  The dough will be crumbly, so knead it together with your hands as you scoop it out of the bowl for rolling.
4. Roll onto a floured surface and cut into shapes. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets (I recommend freezing the cut out shape on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before baking) and bake for 10-12 minutes.Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Chocolate frosting:

from yours truly

1/4 cup milk chocolate chips (I used Guittard)

2 tablespoons milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1. Place chocolate, milk, and vanilla in microwave safe bowl or over a double boiler and melt, careful not to burn.  Stir until no lumps remain.
2. Add powdered sugar until frosting becomes less runny but still pliable.
3. Frost cookies once cooled, and let cookies set overnight before packaging.

mint condition brownie cookies

It's Thanksgiving!  Time to give thanks, and how better than to bake an extraordinary amount of goodies with your sister?  Inspired by one of mine and my sister's old favorite spots, Caribou Coffee, these cookies combine dark chocolate and peppermint for a perfectly moist and fulfilling cookie.  I believe Erin's exact words were that next to her favorite flour-less chocolate cake, "these are the best things to come out of this kitchen."

Score one for team Melissa and Erin.

Want to know another great thing?  These are really easy and fun to make.  First, you combine dark chocolate chips, brown sugar, butter, and a teeny bit of water, and melt this over a double boiler.

You may or may not decide to make a little snack out of what yields from this.  I'll let you decide if you can resist.

Next, you just combine this with the egg, peppermint extract, and then gradually add in the flour mixture.  The dough becomes quite thick, but not to worry - they won't be dense or dry in the least.  Let the dough chill for an hour in the fridge before baking, and then roll them into even-sized golf balls.  Look how beautifully cracked the cookies become!

Then, top them with whole Andes mints.  We bought the chopped baking pieces, but this became a little messy.  I think just cutting the regular sized mints in half would be perfect.  But these were still so pretty.  Festive, if you will.

Mint Condition Brownie Cookies 
Adapted from Lovin' From the Oven

3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
12 ounces dark chocolate chips, or whole bar coarsely chopped
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
Andes candies

1. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl and set aside.
2. In a double boiler, combine butter, sugar, chocolate, and water - heat until melted and smooth.
3. Pour into a large mixing bowl and let stand until cool (about 10 minutes).
4. After your chocolate mixture has cooled, add the eggs (one at a time) and beat with an electric mixture on high speed. Mix in your extract. Finally, slowly mix in the flour mixture and stir until well-blended.
5. Chill batter for at least one hour.
6. After chilled, heat oven to 350°F.   Roll the dough into walnut/golf ball-sized balls. Place two inches apart on baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes.
7. Right after you've taken your baked cookies out of the oven, place a mint chocolate candy. Allow to melt slightly and spread with a spoon.