Easy Baseball Cake

It's the end of the season for my boys' baseball team.
The All-Star Game is in town.
So, I made an easy baseball cake.

Simply cover the cake with white icing. (Click the link to see my tutorial: How to Frost a Cake Smooth.)
I use my Decorator's Butter Cream Icing Recipe. (Although, I did use 1/2 butter and 1/2 shortening instead of all shortening.)
I used the lip of the cake pan to make the marks on the cake for the laces so that I could keep the lines even and straight.

If you don't want to do a cake, I have lots of other ideas for you...

Baseball Cake Pops

Baseball Cookies

Baseball Cupcakes

Click the Links Below to See:

More Summer Decorating Ideas

More Basic Cake Decorating Ideas

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Summer Beach Cookies

School's Out... Finally!

I made these summer beach cookies for my kids' teachers and helpers at school.

Helpful Links:
Vanilla Sugar Cookie Recipe
Royal Icing Recipe
How to Color Icing

But there's something extra cool about these cookies. The backs are imprinted with "Beki Cook's Cakes."

Lots of little projects

So, I haven't posted much lately. I've had a lot of little projects on my plate.
I'm hoping to add the recipe for these Margarita Cupcakes soon.

And I finally made a good use of my checkerboard cake pan(s). A race flag cake for my kids' after school activity - "Ridiculous Racing Club."

Some Gold Medal Cookies for the kids in that activity, as well. (I spoil them, what can I say?!)

And a giant cupcake cake... with no fondant, and lots of hot pink coloring!

Click the Links Below to See:
Lots of great Summer Cupcake Ideas
Fun Summer Cake Pop Ideas
Baseball Cookies, Cupcakes & Cake Pops

Triple Chocolate Ice Cream Cake {Recipe}

My sweet little boy got his tonsils and adenoids removed the week before Easter.
So, I decided I would try to make it a little easier for him to enjoy the Easter goodies by making an ice cream cake.
(I did not, however, get great pictures of the finished product because of the recovering child, and a family that was rather eager to dig in!)
 

I'd never made one before, and I have to say, even though it wasn't exactly easy or quick, it wasn't really hard either. It just takes some pre-planning. In order to get everything ready, you need to plan to get the pieces in the freezer at least a day ahead of time.

What You Need:
The recipes for each of these is linked or posted below
Chocolate Cake (homemade or from a mix)
Chocolate Ice Cream (homemade or store bought)
Chocolate Fudge Sauce (homemade or store bought)
Whipped Cream Frosting
Toppings:
 Go nuts! Sprinkles, crushed up candy, mini chocolate chips, crushed Oreos, fresh fruit, etc.

Special Easter Treat Ideas

I don't know what we're doing for our Easter treats this year, but what I do know is that it will be very, very CHOCOLATE because my family gave up chocolate for Lent.
Below are my ideas from the last few years.

Easter Basket Cake

The basketweave technique looks really amazing. 

This post includes video of how to make a cake that looks like an Easter Basket.

Easter Egg Cake Truffles

These are just like cake pops, but you make them with toothpicks, instead of lollipop sticks.

Easter Egg Cookie Pops

There's just something better about when you put anything on a stick.

Click the link to see how to make cookies on a stick.

Easter Cookie Bouquet

These Cookie Pops are perfect to make a bouquet.

Click this link to see how to make a cookie bouquet of your own.

The Simple Easter Egg Cake
An oval pan, some pastel colored icing... it's all you need.

Simple Spring Cupcakes

These might be a little more generically spring than Easter, but they fit the color scheme here.

Click the Links Below to See:
Vanilla Sugar Cookie Recipe
Royal Icing Recipe
How To Make Cake Pops
Spring Decorating Ideas

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Orange Cream-sicle Cake {Recipe}

During a recent bout of strep throat in our house, my boys decided that they would live on the ice cream treat, orange creamsicles.

True to form, I decided to try to make a creamsicle cake. One of my boys has since declared it his favorite cake of all time. (Though that may just be because it's what he was eating at the time!)

What You Need:
1 white boxed cake mix
3 (large) eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate
1 cup milk (not pictured)*
1-2 Tbsp. orange zest

Cream Cheese Icing (To decorate with this "petal effect," make a double batch of icing.)

*Note: You could also use 3/4-1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice instead of the concentrate... and add 1/4-1/2 cup milk to that. I didn't have enough oranges to make that happen.

Easy Pina Colada Cupcakes {Recipe}

Ahh, yes, drinks as cupcakes, what is better than this?!
Pina Colada Cupcakes. Very sweet. Very tasty!

What You Need:
1 box white cake mix
4 eggs
3 sticks butter, softened (1 1/2 cups)
1 14-oz can coconut milk (Do not shake it up!)
1 4-oz can crushed pineapple
1 cup sugar
2-3 Tbsp. Rum (optional)

*Yield: 18-24 standard-sized cupcakes

The Great Minnesota Get-Together

photo courtesy: twincities.com

If you're in Minnesota, and heading to the State Fair this weekend, come visit me Saturday, August 24.
I will be baking with kids in the "Creative Activities Building" from about noon to about 4:00. It's just a hop, a skip and a jump from the Main Fair Entrance.

We're going to be making these 'Minion' Cupcakes...

And some Sunny Sunshine Cake Pops...

And my own kiddos will make an appearance, helping me with their favorite, Marshmallow Flower Cupcakes.

See you at the Fair!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Cream Cheese Bars {Recipe}

 

Rhubarb season is wrapping up in my backyard this week. Getting the last of the good stalks. I thought I'd try a cream cheese rhubarb bar after seeing the recipe for one on another Minnesotan's baking blog, A Farmgirl's Dabbles. These are super, duper good. And not really all that much work.

What You Need:
For the Crust/Topping:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped, toasted pecans
1 cup Butter, chilled

For the Filling:
4 cups chopped rhubarb
1- 3 oz. pkg. strawberry jello*
2- 8 oz. brick cream cheese (at room temperature)
2 cups sugar (divided)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

*Note: If you wanted to substitute fresh strawberries for the jello, I would take out the jello, decrease the rhubarb to 3 cups, add 1-2 cups of chopped fresh strawberries, and add 3 Tbsp. of corn starch in place of the jello. Coat the rhubarb-strawberry mixture with the corn starch and the sugar before layering it on.

Yield: 24-30 bars

Click here for the printable version of this recipe.

Banana Split Dessert Bars {Recipe}

It's official... I have a problem with banana split-styled desserts. But they're just sooooo good!

I brought these cake/bars to my National Night Out block party, and they got rave reviews all around.

What You Need:
For the Bars:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter (at room temperature)
2 eggs (at room temperature)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. Baking powder
3/4 tsp. Baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium)

For the Chocolate Layer (and drizzle):
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 1 cup)

For the Strawberry-Pineapple Layer:
1 cup frozen strawberries (defrosted--reserve the juice!)
1/2 cup crushed pineapple (optional)
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. corn starch

For the Vanilla Pudding Layer:
1 3.5oz. (small) box instant vanilla pudding
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup whole milk

For the Whipped Cream Layer:
2 cup heavy whipping cream
3 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1/4 cup powdered sugar
(or just use Cool Whip or another pre-made whipped topping)

Toppings (optional):
Maraschino Cherries
Chopped nuts (any kind)
Chocolate sauce (from above)
Shredded Coconut
Sprinkles
Mini Chocolate Chips

Yield: About 24-36 bars

Click this link to purchase a printable version of this recipe for $1!

Cool Summer Cupcake Ideas

We're hitting the long, hot dog days of summer around here... so I thought I'd round up some of my favorite "cool" summer cupcake ideas for you today.

Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes

Banana Pina Colada Cupcakes

Hawaiian / Beach Theme Cupcakes

(Pina Colada Cupcake Recipe)

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Beach Ball Cupcakes

Banana Split Cupcakes

 

Baseball Cupcakes

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Fresh Strawberry Donuts {Recipe}

The strawberry season in Minnesota has been amazing this year! We are knee-deep in berries here, because I love to take my boys to pick strawberries every summer.

We're all about Cakes with Strawberry Icing, Strawberry Shortcake, Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce, and this weekend... these Strawberry Donuts.

What You Need:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. melted unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup pureed strawberries

-- 2-3 cups powdered sugar for coating after baking
*Note: This recipe makes about 18 standard donuts, and a few dozen mini donuts. If you don't want that many, the recipe can easily be cut in half.

Red, White and Blue Cake - [Banana Split Cake]

The Fourth of July isn't just a national holiday, it's also the birthday of one of my closest friends. Because my birthday often falls on or near Memorial Day, we share the childhood memory of no one coming to our birthday parties because they were all out of town! (sniff, sniff)

So, I made this special patriotic birthday cake to serve double duty for our July Fourth celebration with her and her family.

I know from past discussions that she loves the Strawberry Buttercream Icing as much as I do, so I wanted to have that for the cake.

And with three colors, and three flavors, I thought why not go for a Banana Split Cake, and just color the icing to make it red, white and blue?

What You Need:
Banana Cake
Swiss Meringue Buttercream*
Red and Blue Icing Coloring
Piping Bag with large round tip (Tip #12 or 1A)
Icing Spatula or butter knife

*Note: You will need to divide the icing into thirds to flavor it (vanilla, chocolate and strawberry). I would recommend a double batch, even though you will end up with some leftovers. Too much icing is always better than too little! 

Fireworks Cookies - (If you squint)

You know, sometimes, things turn out great. Just like you plan. Perfect...

And sometimes they don't.

I don't hate the cookies, they just didn't turn out quite as well as the last time I made firework cookies: