🍰 Recipe Collections: Delicious Desserts (Part 3)

[Amethyst]

Easy Camping Cake (With Real Campfire)

Yield: 15 servings

Ingredients:

2 Coca Cola Cake, 8x2 each
4 cups Chocolate Buttercream Icing
½ cup green buttercream icing
½ cup Blue buttercream icing
2 Graham crackers
5-6 Soft caramel candies
¼ cup Whoppers or your choice of round chocolate candy balls
¼ cup Red candy balls
1 cup Oreos, roughly chopped up
2 Kit Kats broken up into rough-shaped sticks

Directions:

Bake cakes and allow them to cool fully.

While cakes are baking and cooling, prepare the chocolate icing plus green and blue frosting.

Place one cake on cake stand.

Use a spatula to spread icing on top.

Place the second cake on top of the icing.

Use a spatula to frost the entire cake in a rustic design. You don’t have to ice smoothly at all.

Arrange the 2 graham crackers to make a tent.

Buy or make trees and a camping sign out of cardstock paper. Stick a lollipop stick behind them. Push the base of the lollipop stick into a chewy caramel candy and place it on top of the cake and around the cake board, using a dab of icing.

Arrange some Whopper candy balls around the trees and sign.

Fill a piping bag with green icing and attach Wilton star tip # 21 and pipe grass around the base of the trees. This will also hide the caramel candy. Also toss some crushed Oreos and crushed Kit Kats to create the illusion of dirt and stones.

Stick a few red candy balls randomly on the green buttercream for a pop of color.

To make the fire pit, arrange the broken Kit Kat pieces in a small circle. Leave it hollow inside. Push 3 small stick candles in the middle. I had to trim the candles with scissors to make them the same height as the fire pit.

Use a spatula and blue icing to create lakes on the cake board.

Arrange some Whopper candy balls around the lake and sprinkle some crushed Oreos and crushed Kit Kats.

If you have fish and duck candies/ sprinkles, push those partially into the blue icing.

Buy or make a small boat out of thick brown paper and place that on the blue frosting.

Sprinkle crushed Oreos around the base of the cake and enjoy.

Notes:

Don’t decorate a warm cake:

Make sure to extend the decoration to the cake board to complete the overall scene.

I didn’t add a cake filling, but you can add ganache or jam if you like.

I made the cardboard decorations like the trees and camp sign, but you can also buy them online or
make them with fondant.

Read additional tips and variations above.

Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Variations:

Use my Homemade Marshmallow Fondant - To make edible decorations like the trees, boat, and fish.

Buy little toys, like bears, birds, trees, boats, ducks, and more, to add around the cake and board. You can even add a little person, a mini sleeping bag in the tent, a hunting rifle if the person you are making the cake for is a hunter, and more.

Use different dirt options- Instead of using Oreos or Kit Kats, you can also use chocolate and/or regular graham crackers, crunchy Chips Ahoy!, chocolate Animal Crackers, chopped nuts, or various other chocolate candies that are easily crumbled.

Try different frostings- You may want to try Chocolate Ganache Frosting, , or Healthy Coconut Cream Chocolate Frosting.

Make a winter scene- not everyone likes to go winter camping in the snow…but some do! You can switch things up by using white icing like this American Buttercream Frosting, Cream Cheese Frosting, White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, or Marshmallow Frosting. You could even dust the chocolate frosting with powdered sugar. Be sure to add a pit of white frosting to the edges of the trees and tent. The cookie dirt can be replaced with something like coconut flakes. You can make the pond look like ice with melted Jolly Ranchers or other rock candies like I did in these Window Cookies. Adding snowflake sprinkles, “trees” that look more bare, and more. Be creative!

Add a filling- Such as Chocolate Ganache, Homemade Vanilla Pudding, Chocolate Whipped Cream, Whipped Cream, or Strawberry Jam.

Make another cake flavor- Like Red Velvet Cake, Best Vanilla Cake, Moist Lemon Cake, or get fancy with something like Pink Champagne Cake or Easy Spice Cake.

Keep it simple- and use a 9x13 baking pan, then decorate it as much or as little as you’d like.

Take it up a notch by adding on more tiers for a taller cake. Simply repeat the steps of adding frosting, then a cake on top of it until you reach the last layer.

Make cupcakes- and decorate each one with various camping decorations. You can even make a “cupcake cake” by putting all the cupcakes together, frosting them as one, and making the full picture as I did for this Football Cupcake Cake.

Tips and techniques:

Don’t ignore the cake board- use it to tell the whole camping story and create a scene. Add edible decorations like trees and lakes and candies there too. I suggest using a large board.

Don’t decorate a warm cake- because the frosting will just melt off and you don’t want that!

Homemade or store-bought decorations- I made the cardboard decorations like the trees and camp sign, but you can also buy them online or make them with fondant.

Use full-fat ingredients- For the best flavor and results when making the cakes and buttercream.

Use room temperature ingredients- for the cake and buttercream recipes so that they each mix well.

Remove the cream from the Oreo- Because you don’t want it to get everything gooey, plus you want a dry mixture that looks more like dirt.

If using toys as decorations- Clean them before using so you don’t get anything unwanted on the cake.

Don’t worry about smooth icing for this cake, because you want that rustic feel like you are out in the woods.

Recipe FAQ’s:

Can this cake be decorated in fondant?

Yes, you can also use fondant to decorate this cake. Be sure to check out my Marshmallow Fondant recipe linked at the top of this post and these Fondant Coloring Tips as well as my New Year’s Cake for help on how to get the best results. Also, I recommend buying red and black fondant, because it is hard to make the color from scratch.

Does this cake require dowel support?

No. This is only necessary when making tall or tiered cakes, or if you are adding heavy decor items on top of the cake. Some great examples to look at include this Teddy Bear Cake and Easy Rustic Cake.

How to make real campfire on cake?

You simply use 3 regular birthday candles and stick them in the center of your Kit Kat stick teepee. Push them down in and make sure the wicks are the same height as the Kit Kats. Then light them and it looks like a real campfire, which is so fun!

Indoor camping party details:

To set up this indoor camping party, I started out by spreading a small carpet in my living room and covering it in a green fleece blanket. I placed the tent in the center and tossed a few pillows inside to make it comfortable. Oh, by the way, this tent is basically an Ikea chalkboard set up in a triangle shape and covered with a bed sheet. Smart! Eh? I even taped some sparkly white stars and a moon on the black wall to give everything the feel of nighttime. Near that tent, I set up some artificial plants, his comfy chair and a basket with books. Next time, I might add some LED light strings too coz they would look like shining stars…hehe.

Storage:

Make-ahead instructions- You can make this cake up to 3 days in advance and place it in a covered box in the fridge.

Room temperature- If there are no perishable or dairy fillings, then this cake can be left covered in a box for 3-5 hours.

Refrigerate- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freeze- An unfrosted cake can be stored in a sealed container for up to 1 month. Store frostings in a separate airtight container for up to 1 month as well. Thaw and decorate as per instructions below when you are ready.

Nutritional Facts:

Calories: 14kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gSodium: 3mgPotassium: 1mgSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 1mgIron: 1mg

Recipe courtesy of Cake Whiz.com

[Amethyst]

Cactus Cake Tutorial

This is a short tutorial on how to make a beautiful Cactus Cake! It doesn’t look that complicated, either! Have fun!

Recipe and tutorial courtesy of Sugar and Sparrow.com

[Amethyst]

Cactus Garden Cake

Prep Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

Cakes:

2 cups (200 g) cake flour
1 cup 200g granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons plus 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup 5.6oz whole milk
3 large egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Buttercream frosting and décors:

2 cups 452g unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 lb. bag confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon lemon extract
Milk or cream to thin frosting
Juniper green gel food color
Yellow gel food color
1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs; Oreos recommended
6 ounces White Candy Wafers
1/4 cup ready-made pink fondant
1/3 cup cacao nibs

Equipment:

10-inch terracotta saucer
Ateco piping tip #825
Wilton piping tip #32

Directions:

Make the cakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 6-cavity mini ball pan (cavity size 3.5 inches each) with flour-based baking spray

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add butter and milk; mix on low speed with an electric mixer. Add vanilla and increase speed to medium; beat for two minutes.

Reduce speed to medium-low and gradually add the egg whites in two additions. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into the cavities of the prepared pan and smooth the surface lightly with a rubber spatula.

Bake the cakes for 20-30 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick tester comes out clean. Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Level the tops of the cakes with a serrated knife.

Make the buttercream: Combine the butter and confectioners’ sugar in a large bowl. Beat on medium speed until combined. Add the lemon extract and mix well. Add milk or cream 1 tablespoon at a time to thin the mixture to piping consistency. Beat at high speed for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Remove 1 cup of frosting and transfer to a disposable piping bag with a 1/2-inch hole snipped in the end.

Divide the remaining buttercream in half. Tint one portion with the juniper green food color and a little of the yellow gel food color until a deep green cactus color is achieved. Divide green frosting in two portions, and transfer one portion to a piping bag fitted with Ateco piping tip #825 (7/16” open star). Transfer the other portion to a piping bag fitted with Wilton piping tip #32 (open star).

Tint the remaining portion of buttercream with yellow food color and a little juniper green food color until a yellow-green color is achieved. (You should use more yellow food color than green.) Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a Wilton tip #125 (large petal).

Pipe a thin coat of the untinted frosting onto three of the cooled half ball cakes. Sandwich each with another half ball cake. Chill cakes until firm, about 10 minutes.

Using some of the remaining buttercream, place four dots of frosting in the saucer or planter dish. Line the saucer with waxed paper (the frosting will help hold the paper in place). Add another dot of frosting and place a ball cake on top of the dot. Surround the cake with the cookie crumbs, filling the saucer.

Cover the ball with frosting stars using the green frosting fitted with the #825 Ateco tip. Place a second ball cake into the planter, spacing it about 2 inches from the first. Cover the second ball with frosting stars using the green frosting bag fitted with the #32 Wilton tip. Cut the third ball cake in half. Use a 2.5-inch tear-shaped cookie cutter to cut a piece from one of the halves. Place a 4-inch long wooden dowel or skewer into the pointed end. Insert the wooden dowel into the top and slightly off-center into the first cake (piped with #825 tip). Cover with green frosting stars with the bag fitted with the #825 tip.

Pipe overlapping petals on the last ball cake half using the yellow-green frosting fitted with the petal tip. Keep piping petals until a large cabbage shape is achieved. (See blog post for further petal-piping instruction). Refrigerate until firm. When the cake is firm, transfer to the planter dish.

Make the cactus spines: Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Heat the white candy wafers in the microwave at 30-second intervals until the candy can be stirred smooth. Transfer the candy to a disposable piping bag; snip a small hole in the end. Pipe thin lines of candy onto the parchment paper; let dry until firm. When the candy is firm, use a knife or bench scraper to cut the candy into 1-inch pieces for the spines. Press two spines into each of the large stars piped onto the first cactus cake (#825). Press one spine into each piped star on the second cake (#32).

Make the pink cactus flower: Roll the pink fondant to 1/4-inch thickness. Use a small 5-petal flower cutter to stamp 4 pieces from the fondant. Roll a small scrap piece of fondant into a ball. Place a skewer into the ball. Thread one of the flowers onto the skewer and brush the inside of the flower with water. Fold the petals upward to a closed position around the ball. Thread the other flowers onto the skewer, staggering them so the petals do not line up with each other. Cut the skewer to 3-4 inches using scissors, and insert it into the top of the cake piece on the first cactus piped with #825.

Finish the cake by garnishing the cookie crumb ‘dirt’ with cacao nibs.

Recipe courtesy of Sprinkle Bakes.com

[Amethyst]

Today is International Moon Day, which celebrates the anniversary of landing on the moon in 1969. So of course, I have recipes for that!

**********

It’s a bit early for these; it’s not the Harvest Moon yet, but I figured they would work for Moon Day!

Orange and Ginger Harvest Moon Phase Cookies Recipe

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Yield: 30 servings

Ingredients:

Cookies:

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp orange zest, freshly grated
1 tsp fresh ginger peeled and grated
1 large egg, room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for rolling out cookies
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Ganache:

8 oz dark chocolate, roughly chopped
4 oz heavy cream
Pinch of salt

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until fluffy, about one minute. Add in the egg and vanilla and beat again to incorporate. Next, add the orange zest and ginger and mix again to incorporate. After that, pour in the flour and salt and mix again until just combined. Pat the dough into a flat disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least two hours, or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Flour your work surface and rolling pin and roll dough out into ¼ inch thickness. Then, cut out circles using a glass or 2-inch biscuit cutter. Re-roll scraps and repeat until all the dough is gone. Keep half the circles as the bottoms, and for the other half, use a paring knife to cut out various moon phase shapes, being sure to leave about a ¼ inch border around all sides.

Next, working in batches, place all cookies on parchment-lined cookie sheets about an inch apart. Freeze for about 20 minutes, or until frozen solid. Bake for about 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

When all the cookies have baked, make the ganache. Add a large heat-proof bowl over a small pot filled with a few inches of water set over medium heat. Add the chopped chocolate, cream, and salt to the bowl and stir occasionally until melted, being sure to keep the water just barely simmering, but not boiling. Remove from heat and allow to cool and thicken for about 10-15 minutes.

Using an offset spatula, spread about a teaspoon of ganache onto the bottom of a cookie and top with a top cookie. Repeat until all cookies are assembled.

Recipe courtesy of JoJotastic.com

[Amethyst]

Crumbl Copycat Moonbeam Ice Cream Cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Chill Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 39 minutes
Yield: 16 – 20 cookies, depending on the size

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cookies:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2¼ cups white flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder (can use normal cocoa powder or black cocoa powder, which is more like an Oreo cookie cocoa powder)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Lemon Berry Buttercream Frosting:

6-8 drops lemon extract
5 drops raspberry flavoring
3-4 drops strawberry flavoring
1½ cups unsalted butter (3 sticks), softened
7-8 cups powdered sugar
5-6 tablespoons milk or cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 drops purple gel food coloring
2 drops blue gel food coloring
2 drops yellow gel food coloring

Toppings:

1 cup white chocolate melting wafers (or vanilla Almond Bark) (melted)
1/2 cup crushed up Oreo cookies or chocolate wafer cookies

Directions:

Chocolate Cookies:

Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or with hand beaters), at medium-high speed.

Add eggs and vanilla. Cream until incorporated. Scrape down the edges of the bowl and cream again to make sure it’s well incorporated.

Combine dry ingredients separately. Then, slowly add combined dry ingredients to the stand mixer, set to low speed. Cream the ingredients well, scrape down the bowl, and mix again to make sure it’s all incorporated.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Scoop dough using a large cookie scoop (usually 1/4 cup – 1/3 cup in size).

Place cookie scoops onto a large baking sheet. Place in the freezer for at least 20 minutes to set dough.

Remove from the freezer and bake on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat, in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 9-11 minutes. Look for the top of the cookie to lose its shine.

Look for the tops to be rounded and the bottom to be set – the inside will still be gooey, but if the tops and edges look set, it’s done. You can lightly press down the tops of the rounded cookies with the back of a spatula to spread the cookies into a nice circular shape.

Once out of the oven, leave on the baking sheet for 10-20 minutes until the cookie sets. Chilling the dough means the edges will be well cooked, but the inside will be soft. This tastes great, but you need to be careful to set the cookie before moving it, so it doesn’t break.

Once they’ve set, chill for at least 20 minutes in the fridge (or freezer) on a baking sheet before frosting.

Lemon Berry Buttercream:

Beat butter in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until softened and smooth.

Add in 1 c. of powdered sugar, then a tiny bit of milk; beat on high until smooth. Then add more powdered sugar and continue this process alternating with the milk, until all the powdered sugar is incorporated and the frosting is smooth. Add extracts and continue to beat until smooth.

Divide the frosting into 3 bowls, and add the gel food coloring to each bowl.

Once the cookies are chilled, you can frost them. To each cookie, add a dollop of purple, blue, and yellow frosting. Then use a butter knife to swirl the colors and smooth out the frosting. (Be careful not to overmix the colors.)

Once frosted, melt the white chocolate and drizzle lightly over each cookie. Top with the cookie crumbles.

These cookies taste great to serve when chilled, so keep in the fridge in an airtight container until ready to eat or serve. Enjoy!!

Notes:

These Crumbl Copycat Moonbeam Ice Cream Cookies are just like the viral Benson Boone cookie – lemon & berry frosting over a thick chocolate cookie! Topped off with Oreo cookie crumbles and a drizzle of white chocolate, these Moonbeam Ice Cream Cookies are such a fun treat to enjoy with friends or family.

To achieve the fudgy chocolate cookie, you can either use normal cocoa powder (as I did here) or for a more Oreo-like flavor, you can use Black Cocoa Powder which has that Oreo cookie taste. I’ve bought this brand several times on Amazon and it’s delicious!

This is the food flavoring I use and love – and they are clear! Click HERE for the link.

This food flavoring kit doesn’t have lemon, so I purchase this lemon extract separately.

*Note from Amethyst: The link is weird for that lemon extract, so here’s a link so some other kind:

Amazon Clear Lemon Extract*

Recipe courtesy of Plum Street Collective.com

[Amethyst]

Moon Pie Pie

Prep: 45 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 1 hour 25 minutes
Yield: 18 servings

Ingredients:

For the Cookie Dough Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour, or bread flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 oz unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

For the Chocolate Ganache Layer:

6 oz dark chocolate (1 cup), chopped
6 oz heavy cream

For the Meringue Topping:

4 large egg whites, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Directions:

To make the Cookie Dough Crust:

Spray an 11” pie pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside for now.

Place the butter and both sugars in the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix them together on medium speed until well-combined. Although some cookie dough recipes call for the butter and sugar to be creamed until they’re light and fluffy, you want to stop before that point, and mix them just until they’re well-combined. Beating too much at this stage will incorporate too much air and make the cookie dough soft.

Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, and mix again on medium until they’re combined. Stop the mixer and add the dry ingredients, then mix on low until the dry ingredients are almost entirely incorporated, with just a few streaks of flour remaining.

Add the chocolate chips and stir them in by hand. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula and stir everything well. The dough will be stiff.

Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pie pan. Try to make the bottom thicker than the sides, so it will stay moist and soft while the sides get crispier and more firm. If you have the time, refrigerate it overnight to get the most optimal texture and flavor. If you don’t have time, refrigerate it for at least 2 hours, until firm

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 F and place the pie shell in the freezer to get really cold while the oven preheats. Once preheated, spray the pie lightly with nonstick cooking spray and press foil over the bottom and sides of the pie. Fill the foil-lined shell with beans, rice, or pie weights.

Bake the shell at 375 F for 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through. Bake it until the sides are light golden and look fairly set. Remove the shell from the oven and lower the heat to 350. Carefully take off the foil and beans, and return the pan to the oven. Bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the crust is puffed and light golden in the center. If the sides seem to be getting too dark, cover them with a ring of foil.

Let the crust cool completely before filling.

To make the Chocolate Ganache Layer:

It’s a good idea to make the ganache when you make the cookie dough, so it’s ready as soon as you’re ready to use it. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium heat-safe bowl. Pour the cream into a small saucepan, and heat it over medium-high heat until it simmers and is just under a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for one minute to soften the chocolate. Whisk the cream and chocolate together until the chocolate melts and the ganache is smooth and shiny.

Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for one minute to soften the chocolate. Whisk the cream and chocolate together until the chocolate melts, and the ganache is smooth and shiny.

Press a layer of cling wrap on top of the ganache, and let it sit and thicken at room temperature for several hours. (You can speed the process up by putting it in the refrigerator, but don’t let it get rock hard!) It’s ready when it’s the texture of peanut butter. Scrape most of the ganache into the cooled, baked shell, reserving 1/2 cup to drizzle on top of the pie (optional). Spread it into an even layer.

To make the Meringue Topping:

Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl of a large stand mixer that is completely clean and dry. Begin beating them on medium speed with a whisk attachment, and gradually raise the speed to medium-high. Once the whites are opaque and hold soft peaks, start adding in the sugar, 2 tbsp at a time. Beat well in between each addition, and take your time! Adding the sugar too quickly will make your meringue gritty.

Once all of the sugar has been added, continue to beat on a high speed until the whites are glossy, thick, and hold firm peaks when you stop the mixer and remove the whisk attachment. When you reach the proper stage, add the vanilla extract and quickly stir it in.

Scrape the meringue on top of the ganache in the pie shell, and spread it out evenly. Use a spatula to create beautiful peaks and whirls on top. If you have a kitchen torch, torch the top of the meringue until it is golden brown all over. If not, set the pie on a baking sheet and put it under your oven broiler. Watch it like a hawk! It will be quick to burn, so monitor it carefully and turn the pie as necessary to prevent hot spots. Once the pie is toasted on the outside, let it cool briefly before serving.

If desired, melt the reserved ganache in the microwave and drizzle this as a chocolate sauce over the top of the pie slices. This pie is best enjoyed the day it is made.

Notes:

I used an 11” deep dish pie tin for this recipe. If you don’t have one, good substitutes might be a similarly sized cast iron skillet, a cake pan, or a springform pan, but you might need to adjust the baking times to compensate for the different pan.

Measuring Tips:

Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.

Recipe courtesy of Sugar Hero.com