Better Than Sex Cake

My sister requested Better Than Sex Cake for her birthday and due to poor planning and believing in keeping the Sabbath Day holy by not shopping on Sunday I ended up scavenging to make it all from scratch.  And probably to no ones surprise if you like to cook, it was absolutely better.

The basics:
Chocolate Cake mix (and cooked)
1 can sweetened condensed milk (poke holes in warm cooked cake and poor over)
Caramel topping (drizzle over warmed hole-poked cake, then put in refrigerator to cool)
Whipped topping (spread on top of cooled cake, you can use coolwhip)
Health Bar (crunch bars or use health bits and sprinkle on whipped topping, also drizzle more caramel and refrigerate until served)

What I ended up making:

Chocolate Cake 

 

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup hot water

 

 

Stir together dry ingredients. Incorporate in eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla.  Stir in hot water, this will make a very thin mix.  Pour into greased 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until cake bounces back at a touch, or toothpick comes out clean.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then poke holes in cake with a wooden spoon handle.  Pour over can of sweetened condensed milk and some of the caramel and refrigerate.

 

 

Caramel Sauce

 

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup brown sugar


Stir together in pot on medium heat and constantly stir.  Heat until mixture reaches 200 degrees on candy thermometer (bring to boil and boil approximately 2 minutes). 

 

Whipped Topping

 

1 small container whipping cream

1/3 cup powdered sugar

 

Whip cream and powdered sugar with a hand mixer until peaks can form.

 

 

Homemade Toffee

 

(you only need 1/2 of this recipe to top the cake, recipe yields 1 lb toffee)

 



1 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips

 

Combine butter, sugar, and salt in heavy saucepan.  Stir continually over medium heat until butter melts, and mixture turns a dark amber color (285 degrees on a candy thermometer).

 

Pour onto cookie sheet covered in Aluminum Foil and sprayed with cooking spray.  Sprinkle chocolate chips over mixture and spread into a thin layer.  Allow toffee to cool and set (30-60 minutes) and then break into small pieces.  Sprinkle on top of cake.  Drizzle more caramel.

 

 

 



Happy Birthday Harry, Recipies

Yorkshire Pudding

(adapted from simplebites.net)

1 3/4 cup flour

1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 cup water
4 eggs (at room temperature)
1 stick butter at room temperature

Sift together flour and salt.  Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in milk and water.  Whisk until well incorporated.  In a small separate bowl beat eggs until frothy.  Beat into other ingredients.  Refrigerate mixture for at least an hour.  Generously grease two 12-cup muffin tins with softened butter.  Place in oven and preheat to 400 degrees.  While oven is preheating remove mixture from refrigerator and whisk until small bubbles appear on surface.  Remove tins from oven when butter is browning and smoking slightly.  Immediately and quickly fill each tin with approximately 1/4-1/3 cup of batter, fill all cups evenly and not too full as it will puff up while cooking.  Place back in oven as soon as filled and bake for 20 minutes, until puffed and edges are lightly browned.  Serve immediately with roast beef and gravy.

Cauldron Cakes

There are so many amazing versions of cauldron cakes that have been created.  Some are spicy, some chocolate, some have cauldron handles and some have potions spilling forth.  For this party I didn't have a lot of time so I kept it simple.

1 brownie mix

1 vanilla buttercream frosting (recipe below)

Raspberries

Gold Flake sprinkles

Mix and bake brownies according to packaging, except bake them in a well greased mini muffin pan.

Mix up vanilla buttercream as brownies cool completely. 

Vanilla Buttercream:

1/3 stick butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp milk

Mix butter and powdered sugar together until crumbly.  Stir in vanilla and milk and blend until creamy.  Add more powdered sugar or milk to achieve desired consistency. 

Frost brownies, sprinkle with gold flake sprinkles and place a washed raspberry in the center.

Acid Pops:  I made these as directed on The Pastry Affair.  The only change I would make would be to use Karo (corn) syrup rather than honey because I don't like the flavor of honey and thought it was too overwhelming.





Spooky Chex Mix

3 1/2 cups Rice Chex cereal
3 1/2 cups Corn Chex cereal
8 oz  vanilla bark or 1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup chocolate chips
2 cups reeses pieces (10.5 oz bag)
3 oz halloween pretzels
1 1/2 cup salted peanuts

Melt vanilla bark in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until smooth (mine took about 90 seconds).  Pour over rice chex and mix until coated.  Spread rice chex onto a wax paper covered cookie sheet.  Try and spread into a single layer.  Refridgerate for 5 minutes.

Melt chocolate chips in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until smooth (mine took about 90 seconds).  Pour over corn chex and mix until coated.  Spread chex onto a wax paper covered cookie sheet in a single layer.  Refridgerate 15 minutes.

Break apart each chex as needed into a large bowl.  Stir in pretzels, reeses pieces, and peanuts.

Sin-sational treat

These tasty fall treat is wickedly good.  They come from the blog "Our Best Bites" and I keep finding more and more things there I want to make!  Definitely check it out and for very detailed pictures with fantastic step-by-step instructions check out the recipe's link.  I am just posting basics here for my own records.


Cinnamon Caramel Corn

12 cups popped plain popcorn (This is 1 1/2 bags of microwave popcorn or 1/2 cup of traditional popcorn kernals).
1 cup roughly chopped pecans
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup Karo syrup
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
white chocolate chips

Pop popcorn and mix with pecans in LARGE bowl.  In a 2 quart microwave save dish stir together brown sugar and cinnamon.  Chop butter and place on top of brown sugar.  Pour over Karo Syrup.  Microwave on high for 30 seconds and stir together.  Microwave for 2 minutes and stir again.  Then microwave for 2 more minutes until bubbly.  Add in baking soda and vanilla (this will make mixture froth.  If you want to see this, then check out the actual link).  Pour mixture over popcorn and pecans, stirring constantly until all pieces are incorporated. Spread over a foil lined baking sheet (one with sides).  Bake at 250 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.  Remove a piece from oven and allow to cool.  Is it crunchy enough?  If yes then pull out of oven and transfer to a large piece of waxed paper.  If not bake another 5 minutes.  Melt white chocolate (or almond bark) in the microwave or with a double boiler.  I used 3 pieces of almond bark.  Drizzle over popcorn on waxed paper and allow to cool.  Break into pieces and serve.

Valentine's Day 10

Giant kisses

Make rice krispie treats and form in plastic wrap into the size of a giant kiss. Tap on cute paper tag with message. Wrap in aluminum foil. A cute, easy, and tasty surprise.

Christmas treats

2 super easy Christmas treats I have made this week for neighbor gifts.

Ting-a-lings (aka Haystacks)

1 cup butterscotch chips
1-2 cups chowmein noodles
1/2-1 cup peanuts

Melt butterscotch chips in microwave or double-boiler. And pour over chowmein and peanut mix. Spoon onto wax paper for individual "cookies".


Chocolate & Peanut-butter Truffles

1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup evaporated milk

Melt chocolate chips in microwave or double-boiler. Stir in peanut butter, then stir in evaporated milk until smooth. Refridgerate for at least 1 hour (overnight worked best for me). spoon and form into little balls. Roll each ball in powdered sugar, cocoa powder, sprinkles, or coconut.

NTS Candy site

NTS: order from this website.... oldtimecandy.com.

They have everything!!