Birthday Celebration with *Best Loved* Strawberry Cake Recipe

Happy 6th birthday to our beautiful, fun, creative "gift from God" daughter!!!  Last week we celebrated our baby girl's birthday and what a blessing she is, and I just had to hop back on here to let you all in on her sweet and simple celebration....

Last week was also a very busy week!  I worked a full schedule as secretary at our church along with a couple extra special school activities through the week nights while my husband worked extra long hours the prior weekend and week due to all the sickness the winter tends to bring.  His busyness at work is a blessing, no doubt, but also can leave us feeling like ships passing in the night sometimes.  I know we aren't the only couple to experience this.

I really didn't have much time to prepare for the party at all (and almost completely forgot to about the little party for her at school altogether!) but God helped me make it all happen by His grace. I think there is something about being a mom that really forces you to sort of will yourself to do and accomplish things that sometimes you really have no idea looking back how you pulled it off. How you had the time, energy, or creativity.  How you created all the smiles to warm your kid's heart while on the inside you are just tired.  Nothing is wrong, just weariness.

But that's when I think of my family.  The long-term vision of memories.  The love I want our children to remember and  it's from that place of unselfishness and consideration...  God strengthens me! 

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Phil. 4:13

That's been my struggle lately but thanking the Lord it didn't ruin being able to celebrate one of my favorite people turning 6!  I decided to major on the majors and not worry about what doesn't really matter.  It paid off.

Sweet girl requested a pink cake and got a homemade strawberry cake with strawberry frosting and crowned with fresh strawberries...sweet and girly! It was a treat to make. I don't usually bake cakes, especially layered cakes, unless it's a birthday.  Even though I've been busy, I really wanted to make her cake this year instead buying from our favorite bakery like I did last year.  I'm sure that will happen again, but I was in a baking kind of mood...Maybe it was the warmer weather?  Either way, this cake was a fun one to make for our fun girl! 

Without fail, every year I find our sweet girl at her birthday cake before the party licking the icing. I used to be worried she would mess up the look of it, but it's happened for years, and I think at this point I would be almost disappointed if she didn't do it!  There is something innocent and joyful about taking your finger and running it through frosting that looks too delicious to just look at!  

No inhibitions. That's my girl!

The celebration was intimate with only close family, but those are some of my personal favorite parties that I had growing up! 

I made a big spaghetti supper with our favorite homemade meat sauce full of Italian sausage and good ground beef that slow cooks most of the day!  We ate it with semi-homemade cheesy garlic bread and Italian salad.  We ate dinner on our farm table and the cake and ice cream was consumed at the kitchen table after opening gifts. 

The kitchen was decorated in girly polka dots, butterflies, unicorns, and whimsy! Nothing expensive or elaborate this year, not because she doesn't deserve the best, but sometimes the best looks more simple and homemade.  It certainly allowed mommy to be able to give her best when it was all said and done.

And if these sweet little decorations wouldn't brighten one's day, I don't know what would!  Chocolates sitting around in abundance after Valentines Day made for a great treat to nibble on with coffee as the celebration started. 

And this cake. I'm thinking, why have I never shared this recipe???  It is tried and true and many years old. This has been a family favorite Nana (my husband's grandmother) has made for years, and it dates back to the true cake baking era.  The simpler time when inviting "company" over meant including a cake baked in your own oven, and when time seemed to move a little slower. Well, after eating this several times that Nana made for gathering, Mom and I decided to start making it probably about 10 years ago. 

While it is essentially a foolproof cake, the icing for me always ends up being drippy and wants to make the cake layers slide a bit.  I'm no expert, but I have used wooden skewers to hold it in place while it gets popped into the fridge. There the icing begins to harden back up from all the butter in it, and the cake seems to get even more moist somehow after sitting in the fridge, so I make this cake the day before.

You can't beat the flavor of this tender cake, chock full of strawberries and the strawberry icing that is creamy and divine!  The icing's original recipe only has butter but over the past few years Nana has began to add some cream cheese to it and so have we. It's between a buttercream and cream cheese icing. The only revision I made to her recipe is adding a splash of vanilla extract to both the cake batter and the icing.  It just gives it an extra, something.

I'm genuinely so excited to share this recipe with you!  Hopefully it can become a new tradition for your own family and friends to enjoy.  It's hard to make this cake with out a little spoon licking and a lot of love! Enjoy the process and the fruit of your labor.  I know watching our sweet girl eat it was worth every minute!

Best Loved Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Butter Icing

The Cake:

1 box white cake mix

1 pkg. strawberry jello

4 extra large eggs

3/4 c. canola oil

1/2 c. water

splash (about 1 tsp.) vanilla

1/2 c. frozen (sweetened) strawberries, thawed--comes in a little tub

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour (I use Pam baking spray) 3 - 8 inch round cake pans.
• Mix ingredients all together very well (using a mixer) and beat on high until well blended and airy.  Divide the batter between the pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when tested.
• Allow the cakes to sit for about 10 minutes before gently going around the sides with a knife and then turning the cakes out onto a cooking rack or parchment/wax paper to cool completely.
• For a layered cake, the cakes must be completely cooled before frosting.  Once cooled put the first cake on the stand and ice  the top completely.  I feel as though it always needs a little more icing between the layers.  Put the next cake layer on and repeat.  Once the third cake is on, I would work quickly as the layers may want to slide. Pour the icing over the top and smooth it all over.  Put the cake in the fridge until it's time to eat.
• I don't worry about precision here too much with the icing.  This isn't an icing that would be suitable for a pastry bag design, but it's beautiful in it's own way and delicious! I added a bunch of fresh strawberries to around the base of the cake just before presenting to everyone. 

The Icing:

1 stick of real butter, softened

1/2-3/4 block cream cheese

3/4c.frozen (sweetened) strawberries, thawed crushed and lightly strained

1/2 tsp. vanilla

4-5 c. powdered sugar

Beat the butter, cream cheese and vanilla together until smooth.  Lower the speed of your mixer and alternately add the crushed strawberries and sugar, ending with the sugar. You may add more of with strawberries or powdered sugar depending on your taste of sweetness and the consistency you desire.

Note: Fresh strawberries do not work well in this cake.  They tend to make the cake fall apart, but these sweetened frozen ones are just perfect! Be sure to thaw the container before beginning to bake this though. I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

Summertime Strawberry Icebox Cake

Summer is officially here!!!  

Our family is so happy about that.

This is the season iconic for it's hot, humid days filled with sunshine and muggy nights lit by stars and twinkling fireflies!

Relaxed schedules with easy-going mornings begin the day and late nights outside with later bed times for kids and parents alike!

Swimming, beach towels, popsicles, the scent of coconut, lemonade, watermelon, baseball, the county fair, and the drive-in movies make their way into our lives like a brand new dress we can't wait to try on!!

The itch for vacation, staycations, long weekends, and road trips, finally come to fruition as we've waited through to the end of the school year.

 

The food gets a little bit lighter, fresher, and healthier as farmer's markets come alive and family gardens over flow with tomatoes and other delectable vegetables and fruit.

Although we love tradition and look forward to the season's favorites, summer seems to whisper, change.  

We are ready to try a new or the latest ... Haircut, paint color, polish color, bathing suites, book series, and recipes!

Speaking of food, this no-bake dessert is a true taste of fresh summer fare!  Strawberries, whipped cream, and graham crackers are layered up and topped with a drizzle of chocolate before getting comfy together in the fridge.  This is a very easy dessert to make, because you basically just layer everything up and it requires no oven.  The texture is obviously different than a regular cake, but more like a pie or trifle.  Best of all, it's really delicious!!  Refreshing strawberries, creamy whipped cream, sweet graham crackers that become soft and of course chocolate that's always a good match with... Anything! 

My family raved over this one and seconds may have been had. :)

Strawberry Icebox Cake with Chocolate Drizzle

Original recipe from: The Actors Diet

1 box graham crackers

2 lbs. strawberries

2 containers Cool Whip or *homemade whipped cream* 

1 c. Bittersweet chocolate chips or 1 bar of chocolate, melted (I used Ghirardelli)

Homemade Whipped Cream (if using):

With a mixer, beat a quart of cold heavy whipping cream with about 1 T. Sugar and 1 t. pure vanilla extract until you achieve a firm whipped cream.  Please don't make butter, just watch it. :) Set this aside until ready to assemble.

Get out a 9x13 inch dish.

Slice the strawberries.  

Spread a layer of whipped cream on the bottom of the dish, next a layer of graham crackers; then more whipped cream, strawberries, and so on with the layers so you end with strawberries on the top.  Drizzle on the melted chocolate all over. 

Refrigerate for 4-12 hours. 

Eat up soon, but that's the really easy part!

**The original recipe calls for Cool Whip, but I whipped homemade cream.  This way it tastes best to be eaten over the next 12 hours or so after assembling, but it's oh-so good.  Also, I didn't have to use quite an entire box of crackers.  Lastly, use whatever kind of chocolate is your favorite, to drizzle over top.  (You can't go wrong with chocolate.)

Overnight Cinnamon- Pecan French Toast

What a beautiful May morning to round out the wonderful month it has been!  Mr. Cozy has been on vacation for almost 2 weeks now, and he's about finished with his second year of residency!  Can I get an AMEN and praise my sweet Jesus for this??!  We've had so much fun together as a family this month.  I celebrated Mother's Day officially as a first-time mom to our two precious kids, but all of that is for another blog post!

This morning we ate this scrumptious overnight French toast bake topped with farm fresh strawberries and real Pennsylvania maple syrup!  What a dreamy breakfast to eat on the patio with the family.  

This French toast bake is a great idea for a special breakfast to make ahead of time so your morning can be spent being with the people you love instead of just being in the kitchen.  It comes together quickly the night before and rests in the fridge.  All the bread pieces soak up the brown sugar and butter on the bottom of the pan and the vanilla-cinnamon  custard poured overtop!  It's sprinkled with chopped pecans for the crunchy finish I love, but you can leave those out if you like.  In the morning it bakes until puffed and golden, and it's ready to eat with your favorite syrup or fruit and whipped cream... Or a little of it all!

We enjoyed it with sliced cantaloupe and a mug of dark roast coffee while the kids had cold milk.  I hope this is a breakfast you will find the time to make on one of these lovely summer mornings! 

Overnight Cinnamon-Pecan French Toast Bake

Adapted: Virginia Willis, Bon Appetite Y'all

1 loaf Italian, French, Challah, or Brioche 

3/4 c. Brown sugar

4 Tbsp. Butter, melted

8 Eggs

1 c. Milk (I used skim)

1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1/4 tsp. Apple Pie Spice

Pinch of Salt

1/2 c. Chopped Pecans

Topping (Optional): Maple Syrup, Fruit, Whipped Cream 

Cube the bread into 1 inch pieces.  Set aside.  Combine the melted butter and sugar and pour into butter 9x13 in. pan and spread out.  Put the cubed bread on top.

Combine the eggs and remaining custard ingredients and whisk together until well combined.   Pour this all over the bread and lightly push down bread to soak into egg mixture.  Sprinkle pecans over the top.

Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for 3-13 hours.  Take out of fridge and sit for 20 minutes before baking in a 350 degrees oven for 30-45 minutes. (I baked 45 minutes.)

Cut into squares and enjoy warm with your favorite topping.

** I like to put my cold French toast bake in the oven as it preheats to prevent the dish from cracking.  Therefore I bake it the full time, and it saves time letting it come to room temp first!

The creator of this recipe, Virginia Willis is the real deal!  She is classically French trained Southern style chef!  So take it from me, this is yummy!!!

Summer Sweet Strawberry Poke Cake

 

Hello Dear Strangers.

 

For those of you who don't know me personally, so much has happened since we last talked!!  We've had a very excited turn of events in our adoption journey that has lead to me being way too busy to even catch up with you or share any new recipes at all.!

 

Unfortunately, this particular blog post isn't about this wonderful blessing the Lord has done.  Not this particular post...  that will take a little bit to write and will be at my other blog Bringing Home Baby Cates very soon!!!  Please don't think I haven't missed visiting with you all, but you'll shortly understand why I haven't really been able to.  So sorry, but today that has to be for another blog.  I simply don't have enough time to write much, and forgive these pictures for being dark, but a storm was rolling through yesterday evening when I baked this cake.

 

Strawberry cake has to be one of my all-time favorite cakes! 

 

I made this fresh strawberry cake last night with the intention of making a regular homemade strawberry cake with strawberry butter cream icing. The poke part of the cake is a twist this family-favorite strawberry cake recipe.  I know how unpredictable this icing can be for me, and although delicious no matter what, it can turn out runny and even curdled if I don't add cream cheese--which I didn't this time. 

 

When the icing did in fact turn out too runny, I decided to turn this delish cake into a really delicious poke cake!  The icing the the perfect consistency for me to pour onto the hot cake after poking holes in it with a wooden spoon.  The cake soaked up the strawberry frosting and also created some pockets of icing (yummo!).  Then I slathered the cooled and frosted cake with homemade vanilla whipped cream and refrigerated it.

 

My hubby and I think this cake is scrumptious!  The whipped cream really makes it light, cool and refreshing for the hot days of summer and the cake itself it really moist.  It would be perfect for your 4th of July cookout!  I hope you enjoy baking it as much as you will eating this strawberry poke cake with your family!

 

Sweet Strawberry Poke Cake

 

For the Cake:

 

 1 box of White Cake Mix

1(3 oz.) box of Strawberry Jello mix

4 Eggs

1/4 c. Water

1 c. Canola Oil

1 c. fresh crushed Strawberries

 

For the Icing:

1 stick Butter

1 lb. Powdered Sugar

(I only had 3/4 lb this time, which probably contributed to the runny icing.)

3/4 c. Fresh Strawberries, chopped finely

(My mistake was not straining the juice, but for the poke cake you want the juice!)

1/4 Heavy Whipping Cream

 

Homemade Whipped Cream:

1 quart Heavy Whipping Cream

1 Tbsp. Sugar or Stevia

1 tsp. Vanilla Bean Paste or Vanilla Extract

 

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 in. baking pan with baking spray which I use, or oil and flour.

 



Hull and dice strawberries.  Please in a bowl and crush with a potato masher until strawberries are mostly all crushed.  Set aside.

In a large bowl or in your stand mixer, dump the box cake, strawberry jello, and water.  Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the oil and eggs.  Turn up the mixer on medium high and beat the batter for a good minute or until fluffy.  The the mixer on low and stir in the crushed strawberries.

 

Pour the batter in the pan and bake for about 33-35 minutes.  Check with a toothpick and remove from oven when it comes out clean.  If it doesn't put back into the oven for 3 minute intervals until your tooth pick is clean.

 

 

While the cake is baking in the oven, mix up the icing.  In a large bowl, cream the butter and heavy whipping cream together.  Add powdered sugar and chopped strawberries in intervals ending with the sugar.  Beat until the frosting is as creamy as it can be.  This time, mine flopped and was curdled but that is completely fine for a poke cake...  it still taste delicious and is covered with whipped cream anyways!

 

 

When the cake comes out of the oven let it cool for just a few minutes before poking several holes around the cake and about halfway down.  Then, pour in the strawberry frosting all over the cake and spread out evenly. The icing will seep down into the cake and the holes, and this is a very good thing! 

 

 

 Allow the cake to cool completely and you can even put in the fridge to speed up this process.

 

 

While cooling, make the whipped cream by beating heavy whipping cream on low until it begins to get creamy.  Add the vanilla bean paste and sugar and turn up the speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form.  You want a fluffy but firm whipped cream for this cake since it's used as a frosting.

 

 

When the cake is completely cooled, slather the cake with the homemade whipped cream and garnish with strawberries.  

 

 

Store in the fridge until ready to devour! Will keep for 3 days, but is best eaten within 12 hours.

At the Children's Hospital Mr. Cozy works at, his co worker/friends threw us a shower.  Friends, I've waited 7 years for a baby shower!!! 

There will be more news very soon so please keep in touch...

 

 ... but in the meantime, make this cake!  ;)  

Romantic Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberries & My Roses

 

 

For Valentines Day I wanted to make dark chocolate covered strawberries as a treat for the love in my life, my amazing husband!!!  He loves them and I do, too!  This is probably only the second time I've made a batch of them, because I think they're more of a special thing to make.  I find something about chocolate and strawberries quite romantic and perfect for Valentines Day or wedding anniversary.  Mom has made a large batch for a cousin's wedding shower, and they weren't only a huge hit but looked so pretty on the table.

 

For Valentines I originally wanted to make a dessert ridiculously rich, insanely decadent and inevitably calorie-laden, but I decided since we had an indulgent dinner that these beautiful strawberries dipped in bittersweet chocolate would be a better idea.  I'm so glad I went with my instincts, because they were perfectly delicious and Mr. Cozy loved them!

 

I'm not a chocolate covered strawberry expert, but I do have know a couple of things that seem to make them a little better.   (Please remember they're very easy to make!) 

 

1. Be sure to thoroughly rinse the fresh strawberries off really well if you're not using organic strawberries, because berries really hold pesticides and dirt well.  You don't want those things on your dessert...not very romantic! 

 

2. Wash the strawberries just before using them.  It's not a good idea to wash them ahead of time, like the day before.  They can mold easily!  Which brings me to the next point.

 

3.  Gently dry them off very well!   You don't want to dip damp or wet strawberries in chocolate if want the chocolate to adhere well. 

 

4. Do not make these days in advance, but make the day you are eating them.  Also do not store for longer than 15 minutes in the fridge.  When they stay in the fridge long at all they'll develop annoying condensation that makes them seem slimy and appear not fresh.

 

These are all little tips I've learned from myself and other's trial and error, but above all, have so much fun with this!  It's great when you're working with yummy melted chocolate and can plop a couple of fresh ones in your mouth as you make them! 

 

Treat someone special in your life to some beautiful homemade chocolate covered strawberries and enjoy the chocolate covered fruit of your labor!!!

 

 

Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberries

 

8-10 Medium- Large Fresh Strawberries

3 oz. 60% Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped (I used Ghiradelli)

1 oz. White Chocolate, chopped (I used Ghiradelli)

1/2 tsp. Coconut Oil or Canola Oil

 

 

Rinse off and dry unblemished strawberries.

 

Pull up the leaves from the strawberries so they won't get coated.

 

In a small glass bowl, put about about 2/3 of the chopped bittersweet chocolate and oil.  Microwave for about 30 seconds, take out and stir with a whisk. 

 

Place back in the microwave for about 15 second intervals until the chocolate is almost smooth when whisked.  You do this to not burn the chocolate at all.

 

Add remaining 1/3 of chocolate and allow to sit in the melted chocolate about 1 minute.  Then vigorously stir with a whisk until very smooth and shiny. 

 

Congratulations, you've accomplished tempering the chocolate! This is the best way to melt chocolate and will keep it from turning a dull gray.

 

Hold each strawberry and carfully dip the the chocolate but leave a little of the red strawberry at the top.  You'll probably want to tilt the bowl to make it easier.  Let the excess drip over the bowl.

 

Place on a aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.  I don't mind if the chocolate pools a little, it's just tastier that way!

 

In a very small bowl, melt the white chocolate and once melted place in a Ziploc bag.  Snip the very end and carefully pipe the strawberries with white chocolate.

I was having trouble taking the photo and piping at the same time...sorry for the blur!

 

You can pop this sheet pan in the fridge-- if you want-- for just 5-10 minutes to flash harden these.  The dark chocolate doesn't take long to set and the white takes a little longer.

 

There are always those ugly ducklings, right?

 

Meet "Baldy".

 

This is "Spiky" or "Sloppy".  :/

 

Good thing, despite what they look like they're all Yummy!

Enjoy.

 

Mr. Cozy was gave me a few of my favorite things on this extra special day of love, but I wanted to show you the gorgeous deep pink-orange hue roses he gave me!   Flowers are a thoughtful gift from my husband, because he always makes the best decision on which ones to buy and often comes home with the bouquet and arranges them for me himself.  Doesn't he do a fabulous job!?  I love this man!!

 

 

I love beautiful things in life, and these sure look lovely in our home. 

 

 

 

 

Finally I'll leave you with a glowing snapshot of the romantic table setting I created for our Valentines Day dinner ..... 

 

 

 

I'm linking up with: