Zebra Cake

recipe from: annies-eats

My lovely sister Holly shares my crazy love for baking. She loves baking cakes and trying new cake recipes. Both of us jump at any chance to get to bake. When we found out that her boyfriends roommate's birthday was in the near future, we decided we had to make him a cake. Well we had a few weeks from when we found this out until we actually made it, and I admit I look at food blogs daily. So when I found this cake on annies-eats, I knew we had to try it! So we decided to try out this totally awesome zebra cake for this birthday. We were a little worried that it wouldn't turn out, but it turned out awesome!





Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 c sugar
1 c milk
1 c vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
2 ½ tbsp cocoa powder

How to put it all together:

Set the oven to 350. Generously grease a 9-in round cake pan.

In a large bowl, mix eggs and sugar until mixture is light and creamy and the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the mile, vegetable oil, and vanilla. In a med bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to wet ingredients and whisk to combine. Measure just over 2c vanilla batter and put it back into the other bowl. Add cocoa powder to the bowl and whisk until Incorporated.

Put 3 tbsp of vanilla batter into the center of the pan and let it spread on its own. Put 3 tbsp chocolate batter in the center of the vanilla and let spread. Continue alternating adding batter until all the batter is used.




Bake 38-42min, until the cake is light gold and a tester comes out clean.




Let cool in the pan for 10-15min then turn out and let cool completely on a wire rack. Frost if desired.

And of course...ENJOY!

Cupcakes can be cookies if you squish em real flat

recipe from: annies-eats

Or you can put cookies in cupcakes! It is the new solution to the Davis Children's Nutcracker dilemma (a few of you know what I mean). For Kirstin's birthday, this year Holly and I made her cupcakes for her party. We wanted to do something fun and out of the ordinary, and of course delicious. So when we found these cupcakes we had to make them! Kirstin (as most people) loves cookies n' cream/Oreos, so it was even more appropriate. They were a big hit at the party and they were fun to make!




Ingredients:
Cupcakes:
24 Oreo halves, with cream filling attached
2¼ c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
8 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 2/3 c sugar
3 egg whites, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c milk
20 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped (I quarter them)

For the frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp vanilla extract
4 c confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tbsp heavy cream

For garnish:
Oreo cookie crumbs
24 Oreo cookie halves

How to put it all together:
Set the oven at 350. Line cupcake tin with paper liners. Put an Oreo half in the bottom of each liner with the cream facing up. In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir together with a fork to blend and set aside. In a bowl for an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat together on med-high until mixture is light and fluffy (about 2min). Add the egg white and blend in one at a time. Blend int he vanilla. Set the mixer on low and beat in half of the dry ingredients until just combined. Add milk and beat just until combined, then add the remaining dry ingredients.Fold in the chopped Oreos with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated. Do not over mix.

Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 min. Rotate the pan halfway through baking. Remove when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for 5-10min then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting:
Combine cream cheese and butter in bowl of electric mixer and beat on med-high until smooth. Blend in vanilla then beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Add the heavy cream and beat on med-low until just incorporated. Increase speed to med-high and whip for 4 min until light and fluffy.

Frost cooled cupcakes, sprinkle with Oreo crumbs and top with Oreo halves.

And of course...ENJOY!