Homemade Funfetti Cake Batter Marshmallows

Homemade Funfetti Cake Batter Marshmallows

Y'all, Summer is leaving us... Let's all take a collective sigh of sadness. But there's good news still because I have a recipe for homemade funfetti cake batter marshmallows. I mean, that screams Summer, don't it? These literally taste like a slice of cake, it'll blow your mind. So what do you do with these... well you make cake batter s'mores (YES SUMMER) and really-super-awesome toasted marshmallow cake batter milkshakes (to be posted next, yipee). I'm sure they would make pretty bomb-ass rice krispies treats, #amirite. Now, let's get down to the nitty-gritty. How do these taste like cake batter WITHOUT any cake mix? Epic (mind-blowing happening again). Well it starts with a special concoction of clear vanilla extract, butter extract, and almond extract... and one special SECRET ingredient. Iced Cake Vodka, y'all. Liquor in homemade marshmallows is amazing. Bourbon rocks, so does beer, but this takes the cake (quite literally). You have to have this vodka to make them what they are, so find it and keep it close to ya heart. Next on tha list, you gotta load it up with sprinkles, rainbow sprinkles. I made sure to say a HEAPING cup because I like a little extra on the side, and by a little I mean a lot. Get that straight. After the marshmallows are made, I tossed them in a mixture of sifted confectioners' sugar & white cake mix to dust 'em off. Then just devour. Immediately. Before Summer is over. GO HURRY. NOW!! Enjoy y'all :)

whipping 'em up + sprinkles are ready

Oh, they are gonna be so good!!

For the Marshmallows:

3 ½ Envelopes of Unflavored Gelatin

½C Cold Water

2C Sugar

¼t Salt

½C Iced Cake Vodka  

½C Light Corn Syrup

1 Vanilla Bean, Split & Scraped for Seeds

2 Large Egg Whites

1T Clear Vanilla Extract

1t Butter Extract & 1t Almond Extract

1C Rainbow Sprinkles (heaping)

For the Dusting:

1C Confectioners’ Sugar

½C White Cake Mix

Directions:

1. For the Marshmallows: Oil bottom and sides of a 13x9 rectangular metal baking pan and dust bottom and sides with some confectioners’ sugar. In bowl of a standing electric mixer or in a large bowl sprinkle gelatin over ½C cold water, and let stand to soften. In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, ½C of cold iced cake vodka, vanilla bean seeds, and salt over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240°F, about 12 minutes.

2. Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved. With standing or a hand-held electric mixer beat mixture on high speed until fluffy, thick, and nearly tripled in volume, about six minutes if using standing mixer or about 10 minutes if using hand-held mixer. In separate medium bowl with cleaned beaters beat egg whites (or reconstituted powdered whites) until they just hold stiff peaks. Beat whites and clear vanilla extract, butter extract, and almond extract into sugar mixture until just combined. Add in the rainbow sprinkles until mixed evenly throughout. Pour mixture into baking pan and don’t fret if you don’t get it all out (learning from my mess of a first round).

3. For Dusting: Sift together the confectioners’ sugar and cake mix evenly over top. Chill marshmallow, uncovered, until firm, at least three hours.

4. Finishing the Marshmallows: Run a thin knife around edges of pan and invert pan onto a large cutting board. Lifting up one corner of inverted pan, with fingers loosen marshmallow and ease onto cutting board. With a large knife trim edges of marshmallow and cut marshmallow into roughly one-inch cubes. (An oiled pizza cutter works well here too.) Sift remaining cake mix-confectioners’ sugar back into your now-empty baking pan, and roll the marshmallows through it, on all six sides, before shaking off the excess and packing them away.

Sweet Cornbread Cake with Blueberries & Candied Bacon Compound Butter

Sweet Cornbread Cake with Blueberries & Candied Bacon Compound Butter

Have y'all ever tried the combination of blueberries + bacon together? Well I have, and I ain't never missing out on it ever again. I adored it. So much so, that I wanted to create a cake that highlighted this delightful pairing. And I know that many Southerners that are about to read this might shun me forever, but I'm willing to take the backlash. My name is Juliana... and I like my cornbread, sweet. Very very sweet. My momma should whoop me for saying something like that, but it's true and I take full responsibility for it. So, when I make my cornbread, I almost always turn it into a cornbread cake. My recipe is pretty simple, I make my favorite classic yellow cake mix as well as a buttermilk cornbread mix, gently fold together the two, and bake it up. This time, I added fresh blueberries, which is always a welcomed addition in my house. Not only did they liven up the flavor, but brought such a pop of color to the bright yellow batter. But what's the best part of this recipe, you ask? The Candied Bacon Compound Butter that gets slathered on top. Yes, I made a Candied Bacon Butter... my obsession has gone too far now, folks. You've got to trust me though, this butter is heavenly. And the uses for it are endless!! Think about smearing it on pancakes or waffles, a simple piece of toast, a buttery biscuit... or hey, you could substitute it into your next chocolate chip cookie recipe. I sure ain't stopin' ya! Bacon + Blueberries belong together, and my friends, cornbread is the perfect vessel to bring the magic all together. We served it as a side because we're naughty, but please, by all means, enjoy it for dessert as well!! Enjoy :)

CANDIED BACON BUTTER, y'all

Give yourself a big ole' slab of that butta.

For the Candied Bacon Compound Butter:

2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Softened

¼C Dark Brown Sugar

1t Cinnamon

½t Salt

8-10 Slices of Candied Bacon, Finely Chopped

For the Yellow Cake:

2C + 1T Cake Flour

1t Baking Powder

¾t Baking Soda

½t Salt

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Softened

1C Sugar

1t Vanilla

2 Large Eggs, Room Temperature

1C Well Shaken Buttermilk

For the Cornbread:

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Melted

2/3C Sugar

2 Eggs

1C Buttermilk

½t Baking Soda

1C Yellow Cornmeal

1C AP Flour

½t Salt

For the Sweet Cornbread Cake:

¼C Vegetable Oil

¼C Sour Cream 

Prepared Yellow Cake Recipe

Prepared Cornbread Recipe

2-4C Fresh Blueberries (depending on how much you want)

Directions:

1. For the Candied Bacon Compound Butter: Place all of the ingredients into the bowl of a standing mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until whipped and all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Scoop out the butter and place into a dish or roll into a log with some plastic wrap. Refrigerate until it has become firm again.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 13x9inch-baking pan. Set it aside.

3. For the Yellow Cake Batter: In a mixing bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until light & fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in one egg at a time, making sure each one is completely incorporated before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla. Beat in the sifted flour mixture and buttermilk in alternating additions until every ingredients has been added and the cake is completely incorporated and smooth. Set it aside while you make the cornbread mixture.

4. For the Cornbread Batter: In a large mixing bowl, stir together the melted butter and sugar, and then quickly add in the eggs and beat until well blended. Add in the buttermilk. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking soda, and salt. Add this flour mixture to the wet mixture until completely incorporated.

5. Once both batters have been made, gently mix or fold them together to form one cake batter, and then fold in the fresh blueberries. Pour this batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on your oven.

6. Cut the cake into squares and serve with a square of Candied Bacon Compound Butter. Enjoy while it is still warm.

Chewy Red Velvet Cookies with White Chocolate Chips, Birthday Cake Oreo Truffle Pieces, & Cheesecake Filling

Chewy Red Velvet Cookies with White Chocolate Chips, Birthday Cake
Oreo Truffle Pieces, & Cheesecake Filling

I've been wanting to make Red Velvet Cookies for a while now, but homemade... all from scratch. No box mixes. I struggled for a while trying to make a recipe that would yield chewy cookies because all of the other ones I had made were quite cakey. No thank you. Don't y'all worry your little hearts, I finally got one for ya! And trust me, they are worth it. The dough is a bright red color, which is exactly what I wanted, but it also has Birthday Cake Oreo Truffle Pieces and white chocolate studded throughout. Yes, you heard me right... BIRTHDAY CAKE OREO TRUFFLE PIECES in a cookie. This is perfect because it gives the cookie a chocolate flavor (that is known for from red velvet cake) and it also lends a slightly "birthday cake" taste to it. The fun doesn't stop there because when you bite into the center, there is a creamy cheesecake filling. We loved these cookies, even though it took me three previous batches to perfect it, and I can't wait to make them again. And for all y'all Alabama, UGA, and Falcons fans out there, it'd be a perfect tailgatin' dessert. Oh, don't you forget about Christmas either because these will definitely be on the list!! Enjoy :)

Those Dark Areas on the Cookies are Birthday Cake Oreo Truffles  

Don't forget the white chocolate chips...

Ain't that red color purdy??

For the Birthday Cake Oreo Truffle Pieces:

21 Birthday Cake Oreos, Finely Crushed

4oz Cream Cheese, Softened

For the Cheesecake Filling:

4oz Cream Cheese, Softened

2C Confectioners’ Sugar, Sifted

2T Powdered Buttermilk (optional, this can be left and the texture is still great)

1t Vanilla

For the Chewy Red Velvet Cookies:

2 ¼C AP Flour

1T Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

½t Baking Soda

1t Vanilla Bean Fleur de Sel (scant)

1 ½ Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Softened

1C Light Brown Sugar

½C Sugar

1 Large Egg + 1 Egg Yolk

2t Vanilla

1oz Red Dye (to the color of your preference)

12oz White Chocolate, Roughly Chopped into Chunks

Prepared Birthday Cake Oreo Truffle Pieces

Prepared Cheesecake Filling, Chilled

Directions:

1. For the Birthday Cake Oreo Truffle Pieces: Line a small baking dish with foil and set it aside. Crush Oreo cookies in a food processor or blender until finely ground, and then in a medium bowl, mix with softened cream cheese until truffle forms. Press into foil-lined baking dish and flatten with hands. Place in freezer for 30 minutes. Once chilled, remove the Oreo truffles from the freezer and cut into small pieces. Keep chilled until you are ready to fold into the cookie batter.   

2. To Make the Cheesecake Filling: Using a mixer, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, powdered buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Using a teaspoon, scoop out cheesecake filling and place on a plate. Continue scooping out cheesecake filling into teaspoon balls until you have as many as you need for the cookies (I made about 25). Place plate in the freezer and freeze for at least two hours. After they have chilled, I rolled them with my hands, so that they were a smooth, round shape.  

3. For the Red Velvet Cookies:In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until smooth. Add in the egg and egg yolk, one at a time, making sure each one has been blended completely before adding the next. Add in the vanilla and the red dye and blend until everything is incorporated. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Blend in this sifted flour mixture into the red batter until just incorporated. Fold in the white chocolate chips, followed by gently folding in the Oreo Truffle pieces (make sure not to blend too much or they will mix into the cookie dough). Chill the cookie dough into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.

5. To Assemble the Cookies: Take about 1 scoop of the red velvet cookie dough and flatten it in your hands. Place one of the cheesecake filling balls in the center and wrap the cookie dough around the filling. Gently roll into a ball and place onto the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Bake for 10-14 minutes (depending on the size of your cookie dough balls) or until the cookies have started to set in the center, but are crisp on the outsides.
6. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, and then remove them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Let the cookies set before enjoying.

source: chewy cookies. oreo truffle-swirled chocolate chip cookies.cheesecake filling.

Birthday Cake Batter Cookies n' Cream Ice Cream

Birthday Cake Batter Cookies n' Cream Ice Cream

Another day... another ice cream recipe. Sadly, Summer is officially coming to a close. Yes, it's going to start to get cold, but with Autumn comes football games, Soup Sunday, movie nights & date nights, bonfires, pumpkin, apple cider, etc. So, in celebration of this hot weather, this will probably be one of the last ice cream recipes I make for a while... well, besides the occasional fall-themed custard. Anyway, I used to hate anything cake batter flavored, but suddenly it has intrigued me, and now I love it. At the beginning of the Summer, we actually make a cake batter ice cream that we just fell in love with. Well, when I saw the new Birthday Cake Oreo's at the grocery store, I need I just had to make a birthday cake flavored-cookies n' cream ice cream. It's a homemade birthday cake base, yep... you heard me right, no cake box mix here. And then it is filled with big ole' chunks of Birthday Cake Oreo's and lots of rainbow sprinkles. And why is it pink you ask? Well because I just felt like it. I mean, pink makes every thing better. But, feel free to discard the food dye and leave it plain... or you could dye it your favorite color. This ice cream is thick, smooth, and utterly creamy. And I put a whole bunch of Oreo's in there for good measure. Also, I personally like to wait a day or so before I eat the ice cream, so that the Oreo's soften a touch. But, that's really up to you!! Enjoy :)

That's one crazy concoction...

For the Cake Batter Cookies & Cream Ice Cream:

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Melted & Cooled Slightly

2 ½C Heavy Cream

½C Milk

6 Egg Yolks

1C Sugar

2T Dry Milk Powder & AP Flour, Sifted

½t Salt (heaping… or just a tad bit more to taste)

1 ½t Vanilla

¼t Almond Extract (scant… or a little less)

1T Vanilla Bean Rum (or any kind of infused booze, preferably clear)

25 Birthday Cake Oreos, Roughly Chopped

½C Rainbow Sprinkles

Any Food Coloring, Optional (I chose pink because it’s pretty)

Directions:

1. For the Custard Base: In a saucepan, bring the cream and milk to a simmer. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, sifted dry milk powder & AP Flour, and salt until fluffy. Slowly whisk in the melted butter. Once combined, gradually and slowly into the simmering heavy cream-milk mixture. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, until thickened (it should coat the back of a spoon). Strain the custard into a bowl that is placed into an ice bath. Stir in the vanilla extract, almond extract, and vanilla bean rum. Cool the custard base until completely chilled. If you are going to add in food coloring, this is the time. Whisk in as many drops of food coloring into the chilled custard base until you have reached your desired color. Once you have reached your desired color, pour this chilled custard base into the ice cream maker.   

2.  Once the mixture is chilled, freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Chop the Birthday Cake Oreos into small chunks. As soon as the mixture is done churning, transfer to a bowl or airtight container and stir in the chopped Oreos and the rainbow sprinkles (layer some chopped Oreos and sprinkles throughout). Store in the freezer until firm.  

Funfetti Birthday Cake Batter Pancakes with Vanilla Glaze

Happy Birthday to my Mountain Man :) I love that our birthdays are so close because we get to celebrate them together. He's officially an old man... he's turning the big 25 today. Geeze, they just grow up so fast. It's depressing honestly. Anyway, I always make him a big birthday dinner and a delicious cake, but this year, I decided to wake up a little earlier than him, and whip up some birthday cake batter pancakes. I made them extra-festive by adding lots of sprinkles, mini m&m's, and different colored dyes for a tie-dye effect. These rainbow pancakes are then drizzled with a simple vanilla glaze and garnished with even more sprinkles. I can't think of a better way to be woken up in the morning... I mean, getting dessert for breakfast in bed? Perfection. This might have to turn into a birthday tradition. They are just too cute. I'll post the other recipes from this dinner in the next few days!! Enjoy :)

Funfetti Birthday Cake Batter Pancakes with Vanilla Glaze

Lots of Sprinkles... 

So many pancakes :)

For the Pancakes:

1 ½C AP Flour

2/3C Cake Mix

1T Sugar

¾t Baking Powder

Pinch of Salt

2 Eggs

1t Vanilla

1 ½C Milk

Sprinkles & Mini M&M’s

For the Vanilla Glaze:

1C Powdered Sugar

½-1T Milk

½t Vanilla

Sprinkles, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. For the Pancakes: Combine the flour, cake mix, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl and mix. Add the milk, egg, and vanilla and stir until smooth. Preheat a skillet on medium heat. Fold in the desired amount of sprinkles and mini M&M’s into the batter. Pour the batter in ¼C measurements onto a skillet and let it cook until bubbles form on top, about 2-3 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook for another minute.
2. For the Glaze: Mix the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar until a thick glaze forms. You may need a little more sugar or milk to reach the desired consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the pancakes and garnish with more sprinkles.

source: cake batter pancakes.

Birthday Cake Batter Ice Cream with Gooey Butter Cake Bites & Rainbow Buttercream Pieces

As I sit outside in the hot weather, I'm totally hating that I have to be at school all day. It's literally 85 degrees and perfect for a day out at the beach. Instead of focusing on classes, all I can think about is some fruity cocktails and some yummy ice cream. But, unfortunately for me, I'm enjoying a tall glass of a protein smoothie with a side of carrots. Delicious, right? Absolutely not. So, as I sit here and pity myself, I knew that I just had to post my recipe for Birthday Cake Batter Ice Cream with Gooey Butter Cake Bites & Rainbow Buttercream Pieces. I have this ice cream sitting in my freezer at home and I all that's running through my mind is how I can get my hands on some it. But, I can't... or at least not until 6:30. This amazing ice cream is a cake batter custard base, which is usually enough on its own. No no no, that will not work for me, I have to add in wayyyy more stuff. So I baked up a gooey butter cake and cut it into little cubes and tossed those in. Next, I made homemade buttercream and dyed it with all colors of the rainbow and froze them. Once they were solid and slightly hard, I tossed those into the base as well. Lastly, you gotta add some rainbow sprinkles because it would not be birthday cake without some damn sprinkles. This ice cream is a technicolor dream. It's literally the best treat you can have at the end of a long, hot day. If you're a sucker for cake batter, make it. Make it now. And once you make it, put a big scoop on an sugar cone and go at it (before it melts all over your hands). You'll seriously be in heaven!! Enjoy :)

Birthday Cake Batter Ice Cream in a Cone

Starting to melt...

Birthday Cake Batter Ice Cream with Gooey Butter Cake Bites & Rainbow Buttercream Pieces

So excited to dig in to his ice cream after a day at the beach!

For the Gooey Butter Cake Chunks:

1 Box of Golden Butter Cake Mix

1 Egg

1 Stick of Butter, Melted

2T Milk

8oz Cream Cheese, Softened

2 Eggs

1 Box of Confectioners’ Sugar

1t Vanilla

For the Rainbow Buttercream Pieces:

1C Homemade Icing (either Buttercream or cream cheese)

Different Color Dyes (for the rainbow effect)

For the Cake Batter Ice Cream:

4C Heavy Cream, Divided

1C White Cake Mix

1C Sugar

¼t Salt

6 Egg Yolks 

1T Vanilla

3C Whole Milk

2C Prepared Gooey Butter Cake Chunks

Prepared Rainbow Buttercream Pieces

½-1C Rainbow Sprinkles

Directions:

1. For the Gooey Butter Cake Chunks: Preheat the oven to 350 and spray a pan with Pam, then set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the cake mix, egg, melted butter, and milk until combined. Press the dough into the prepared pan, so that there is an even layer. In another mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Pour over the cake. Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes until the middle has barely set (do not over bake). Let the cake completely cool before cutting into bite size chunks. Set the cake chunks aside until you are ready to fold them in to the cake base.
2. For the Rainbow Buttercream Pieces: To prepare your Buttercream to be used in the ice cream, put a small amount in a piping bag and pipe Buttercream lines onto a cutting board covered in cling film. I used different colored dyes to make different batches of rainbow icing; however, you can just chose one color if you like. Put the cutting board in the freezer for an hour or two so the icing can freeze.  Using a sharp knife, cut the Buttercream icing lines into 1/2 inch (approx 1cm) pieces, transfer to a small dish and pop them back in the freezer until you’re ready to fold them into the ice cream base.
3. For the Cake Batter Ice Cream: In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups of the heavy cream with the white cake mix, sugar, and salt.  Heat over medium heat until warmed through.  Meanwhile, place the egg yolks in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.  Combine the remaining heavy cream, vanilla, and whole milk in a large mixing bowl with a fine mesh sieve set over the top. When the mixture in the saucepan is warm, slowly pour a small amount into the bowl with the egg yolks to temper them, whisking constantly.  Continue pouring the cream mixture in a steady stream, whisking continuously until completely combined.  Return the mixture to the saucepan over medium heat.  Continue heating, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the mixture thickens slightly and reads 170-175˚F on an instant-read thermometer. Immediately pour the custard mixture through the mesh sieve into the bowl with the remaining cream and milk and mix to blend.  Cover and chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.  Once the mixture is chilled through, freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. At the end of the freezing process, fold in the gooey butter cake chunks, rainbow Buttercream pieces, and sprinkles until the ingredients are mixed throughout. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for at least 3 hours before enjoying.

source: cake batter ice cream. birthday cake batter ice cream.