Pineapple Bundt Cake

OMG ... this cake is heavenly. If you like Pineapple upside down cake, you will SO love this cake even more. Holy Cow, to quote Harry Carey. (Cubs announcer).

And It is EASY.. A level one baker could wipe this up. You would be so proud of yourself. An accomplished baker would appreciate a delicious and easy recipe. NO one would even know how easy this cake is. I am so glad I found this recipe.

Pineapple Bundt Cake
recipe adapted from Dole.com
Ingredients
1 can (20 oz) Crushed Pineapple
1 box Yellow Cake mix
1 pkg Jello Pudding mix
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon butter, melted
GLAZE
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bundt with cooking spray. Set aside

Drain pineapple in a bowl. Measure out 3/4 cup juice to use for the cake. Set aside remaining pineapple juice. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the cake mix, pineapple juice, pudding mix eggs, oil, yogurt and vanilla extract. Beat on high for 2 minutes.

Fold in crushed pineapple into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place in oven. This is a VERY moist cake. I bake this cake for 40 minutes. It really needs to be that long. Your cake will be slightly brown on top.

While the cake is baking, combine the remaining pineapple juice, 1 cup powdered sugar and melted butter together. Remove cake from the oven. Poke holes into the cake with a skewer. all around the cake. Gently pour the soaking mixture over the warm cake. Allow the cake to totally cool before removing from the pan.

Once totally cooled, with a serving platter, flip your cake upside down. Remove pan. Cool for another 20 minutes. Make your glaze. And drizzle over the cake.

Basic ingredients for an amazing cake

Totally drain the pineapple. You will need all of the juice

Fold in the Pineapple into the batter

This bundt pan is completely full

Remaining Pineapple Juice, Powdered Sugar, and melted Butter 

This will send your cake over the top

Poked and Pouring on the filling

The finished product BEFORE the glaze

This puppy was glazed. 

If you want less, glaze, make half as much. 

An Easter treat for a customer

A cake treat for my Husband. HE LOVED it.

Easter Centerpiece

OK .... I robbed this idea from Pinterest. Not totally original. But it has been sitting on my kitchen table for over two weeks, and it still looks great. I am going to incorporated into my theme events throughout the year. This was fun to make and eat.... and I used a few creative juices.

This year, besides the centerpiece, I did a new wreath. There is "almost" always a wreath on my front door. It changes throughout the year. I think I like Spring the most, because of the bright colors. This winter has lasted FOREVER... I have White and Yellow Tulips and Daffodils in my front flower beds. I thought the combination of outside and my front door would be cool. Due to the crappy weather, my flowers still have not bloomed. Just ridiculous. 

This my centerpiece. 

It probably took longer to pick out the flowers

Just a vase inside of a vase. 

Three bags of Starburst Jelly Beans. or any type you want

A package of 12 peeps. I did not need 2, so... they were consumed

Cut the fake flowers to the length I wanted. 

Placed them inside the inner vase

Finished project. I like it when things pop together quickly.

These were fun to work with. They just stick together

This arrangement is by my front door. 

I used colored beads for inside of this vase. 

Adds some fun color

Happy Easter and/or Happy Spring

April Fooling

Welcome to April. I hope everyone had a great Easter. Mine was wonderful. It was a VERY low key holiday. My Mother is still in Florida. My sister and her daughters went down to see my Mom and my Florida sister. My youngest sister was just happy doing nothing. MY Husband was all for a stress less day. And I was in total agreement. I did make a delicious ham with a fabulous glaze. It was wonderful new recipe.

Over the weekend, my friend and I did some retail and lunch therapy. One of our first stops was Trader Joe's. Always a wealth of fun and delicious items. My cat Black Cherry also likes Trader Joe's (bag).

totally hanging out

My Sweets and Treats business has been taking off. I have had a job every weekend. I am still catering, and working a day job. Life has been a bit crazy. But I am loving it. My business cards look fantastic. The web site is under construction, and with the help of many friends and family, we are marketing the crap out of this business adventure.

I have been making cakes, cupcakes, cookies and bars. And I have done several seasonal items. For Easter, I made a few Carrot Cakes. Pretty Easter Cupcakes and delicious Banana breads. There are so many special occasions coming up. I look forward to trying new recipes that will make these events more memorable.

I have been invited to a Healthy Eating Event. I found some Gluten Free Recipes and Lighter and Healthier Recipes. The challenges we face everyday trying to eat healthy. So many people have dietary restrictions.

Someday's I feel like crawling into a bag, and not coming out. But I realize the challenges we are faced with and try to move forward.  I am so excited about the launching of my Sweets business. I know it will be loads of hard work, but this is something I really want to do. And Life is to short for bad Pastry.

Carrot Cake

Have you ever made a Carrot Cake that turned out DRY. NO way, it cannot happen. The beauty of carrot cake is that is it loaded with moist loving goodness. It is a bit of a dump cake, NO Mixer needed. You need to follow a recipe, but if you want to add raisins, or coconut or nuts, you can. It always turns out delicious. Carrot Cake has two seasons. Spring and Fall. It always reminds me of Easter in the Spring. In the Fall, it is the harvesting of carrots from the earth

Carrot Cake is a full bodied cake. It should not be a heavy lump of stuff, but it is loaded with carrots and other treasures. Furthermore, who does not love Cream Cheese frosting. I have also had Carrot Cake for breakfast. And I wonder why I run every morning.

Carrot Cake

adapted from loveveggiesandyoga.com  

Ingredients

Cake

1/2 cup butter, melted (1 stick)

1/2 cup oil

2 large eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 full cups coarsely grated carrots

1 cup raisins (optional)

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Frosting

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter 

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

For the CAKE ~ Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray one 9 x 13 pan, or one 10 x 10 pan or two loaf pans. The size of the pan will affect the thickness of the Cake, and your cooking time.

In a large microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Add the oil, eggs, buttermilk, both sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and whisk vigorously until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and stir to incorporated. Stir in carrots. Add optional raisins and nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place in the oven. If using 9 x 13 or 10 x 10 pans, start checking at 30 minutes. If using two loaf pans, bake for 40-50 minutes. You will need to check if it is done with a toothpick. Cool on a wire rack

For the FROSTING ~ In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add cream cheese and butter. Beat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add vanilla and mix. Add powder sugar slowly until combined. Mix on medium speed to 2 more minutes. Spread frosting over cooled cake. Store in refrigerator.

My Husband loved this cake.