~Sundays With Joy~ Birthday Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

So I thought I was a year older, all year I have been saying that I am a year older, so surprise to me that I wasn't turning 50 this year. I actually had a mini panic attack when I thought I was turning 50, that I should at least have a party or something of the sort. Hubs should really be planning something...then it dawned on me, I started counting back, no I am not 50. So then on to the next MAJOR decision, WHAT KIND OF CAKE would I like, or am I going to make? Some of you may know that I am purely obsessed with Carrot Cake, I think I have pinned over 100 Carrot Cakes on Pinterest! But then I started reading about Joy The Baker's Gingerbread Cake and it looked like all of my dreams had come true, I think I have found a cake that I love more than carrot cake! I know, it seemed impossible, but it is true! This cake is so moist and perfectly perfect in it's gingerbready-ness and the cream cheese frosting is so delicious, I had to try 3 tablespoons full to make sure that I didn't poison my family, it's the least that I can do to save the poor souls.

Birthday Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cake Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1 3/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

3/4 cup unsulphered molasses 

1/4 cup honey

2 teaspoons orange zest ( I didn't have any on hand so I omitted this)

3/4 cup warm water

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese frosting, softened

1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 

Method for Cake:

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  I used a 10-inch square baking pan, Grease the pan.  Line with parchment paper ( I wish I had done this part, really helps to get the cake out of the pan.) Grease and flour the parchment paper.  Set pan aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together vegetable oil, sugar, and eggs until thick and pale.  Stir in molasses and honey.

Add all of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.  Stir together until incorporated.  Add the warm water and gently stir until incorporated and the mixture is smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  If you find that the mixture fills the pan more than three-quarters of the way full, you might consider using a larger pan (a 9 or 10-inch pan may serve your better). I used a 10-inch pan and it worked perfectly.

Bake cake for 35-45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Method for Cream Cheese Frosting:

While the cake bakes, make the cream cheese frosting.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, blend the cream cheese on medium speed.  The cream cheese should be soft and smooth. Stop the mixer.  Add the softened butter.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat the two together over medium speed until smooth and incorporated.  Add one cup of powdered sugar.  Blend until incorporated.  Add vanilla extract and remaining cup of powdered sugar.  Beat on medium high speed until frosting is smooth.

Allow cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes.  Remove and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting the cake.  

This cake can be stored, well wrapped in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.  

Recipe Adapted From Joy The Baker

Chocolate Banana Birthday Cake

This is a very special birthday cake for a very special girl who turned 18 years old. It's not every day that you turn 18 years old, so you need to have a very special cake. Most kids that I know request chocolate as a main ingredient in cookies and cakes, but let me tell you this is a double chocolate cake, with extra chocolaty goodness. The birthday girl loved my Chocolate Macadamia Nut Banana Bread so much that she requested it for her birthday cake. Of course I was thrilled and honored to make whatever she requested, but a bread for your birthday? I wasn't sure, so I thought and I thought and I went through every recipe of every blogger that I know looking for the perfect Chocolate Banana Cake, and low and behold, I found Dragon's Kitchen Chocolate Banana Cake! It sounded absolutely delicious and perfect for the Birthday Girl. So on this special day I created an amazing cake, step by step, it came out like perfection. I was swimming in the scent of chocolate aromatherapy.......heavenly. I skipped around the kitchen so pleased with myself that she would love her cake. The Birthday Girl's  Nonna arrived with candles and delivered her cake right to her. The phone rang with a very excited young lady on the other end, exclaiming with glee that it was perfect and lots of thank yous.

One piece of advice: Allow Bundt Cake to cool completely before turning out of bundt pan.

Had a hard time deciding which side to frost.

I chose this side.

Chocolate Glaze dripping everywhere, I mean everywhere.....free tastes!!

I took this incredible picture of Nonna and myself, obviously,  I have to stick with food photos!!

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup best-quality cocoa
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sour cream
4 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted and cooled slightly
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Glaze:
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Generously grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.

2. In a bowl, sift flour with baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa; set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs until light in color and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar. Add butter and vanilla. Beat until well blended.
4. With mixer at low speed, beat in the sifted dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream. Fold bananas and melted chocolate into the cake batter; thoroughly combine.

5. Spoon cake batter into prepared Bundt pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

6. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a cooling rack and allow the cake to cool completely.

7. While the cake is cooling, prepare the chocolate glaze. Heat the cream until it just comes to a boil.

8. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted. Set aside until the cake is completely cooled.

9. When the cake is completely cooled, cover the top of the cake and sides with the glaze. Refrigerate the cake for at least an hour to set the glaze.   This recipe has been linked up to these wonderful blogs!
       

• 

Strawberry Shortcake Birthday Cake

This is a very special cake for one of the most special people in my life. Just a little pressure that I put on myself. But anyway, when I asked my very special person what she would like for a cake for her 14th birthday, she replied, " Um mm, chocolate cake, No.......chocolate cupcakes, No... can I have a Strawberry Shortcake?"  I responded, "Okay, so would you like a Strawberry Shortcake Cake?"  She exclaimed with much glee, "Yes please!!" Well that settles that. I have made strawberry shortcake ump-teen times ( it just so happens to be my husband's favorite dessert- go figure?), but a Strawberry Shortcake Cake.....not a one. I checked out what the Internet would have to say about that and up popped The Pioneer Woman's recipe----Strawberry Shortcake Cake! I am really excited now because I keep up with the famous food blogger and I have made a couple recipes of The PW's and they have been really delicious. The PW gets her shortcake recipe from The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, another one of my favorite chefs...I am starting to get goosebumps, I know, it really is the little things.

It really is a pretty cake.

I think I took more pictures of the cake than my daughter. Yes, I am sure of it.

This is a delicious fun cake to eat, since there is a pound of strawberries in one cake, it really is a healthy cake!

I like the look of the cake, no one cake has the same look with strawberries mixed in the icing.

Refrigerate cake to keep frosting from being soft.

My daughter said her cake tasted like, " Strawberry Deliciousness".

Stop for Cake Candles- It's true- we all should, stop for cake, that is.

This is one of my favorite cakes now. I knew it would be great, but I didn't know it would be this great!

Ingredients:


Cake

1-1/2 cups Flour
3 Tablespoons Corn Starch
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
9 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, softened
1-1/2 cup Sugar
3 Large Eggs
1/2 cup Sour Cream, Room Temperature
1 teaspoon Vanilla


__________


Icing


8 ounces Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
2 sticks Unsalted Butter
24 ounces Powdered Sugar, Sifted
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 pound Strawberries


Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two- 8" pans.
• Sift together flour, salt , baking soda, and corn starch.
• Cream 9 tablespoons butter with sugar until fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time, mixing well each time. 
• Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until combined. 
• Add sifted dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just barely combined. Pour into cake pans. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until no longer jiggly. Remove cake from pan immediately and place on cooling rack, allow cake to cool completely. Cake will be golden brown on the outside.
• Stem strawberries and slice in half from top to bottom. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar. Stir together and let sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, mash the strawberries wit a fork into two batches. Sprinkle each half with 1 tablespoon sugar and allow to sit another 30 minutes.
• Make icing: combine cream cheese, 2 sticks softened butter, sifted powdered sugar, vanilla and a dash of salt. Mix until light and fluffy.
• Spread strawberries evenly over each cake. Then place cake topped with strawberries in the freezer for 5-10 minutes, just to make icing easier.
•  Remove from freezer. Use a little less than 1/3 of the icing to spread over the top of the strawberries of the bottom layer. Place the second layer on top. Add half of the remaining icing to the top spreading evenly, then spread the remaining icing around the sides.
• IMPORTANT:Cake is best when served slightly cool. The butter content in the icing will cause it to soften at room temperature. For best results store in fridge.

Recipe Adapted from The Pioneer Woman and The Barefoot Contessa
  Serves 10

This recipe may be linked with:

Monday: Mingle Monday (Add a Pinch), Joy of Desserts. Tuesday: 2 Maids a Baking (2 Maids a Milking), Tea Party Tuesdays (Sweetology), Mushki Loves My Stuff (Mushki Loves), Totally Tasty Tuesdays (Mandy's Recipe Box). Wednesday: Cast Party Wednesday, Made It On Monday (Lark's Country Heart), This Chick Cooks.  Thursday: Sweet Treats Thursday (Something Swanky), Chic-and-Crafty (Frugal Girls), Turning the Table Thursdays (Around My Family Table), Tasty Thursday (The How-To Mommy). Friday: Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), I'm Lovin' it Fridays (TidyMom), Friday Favorites (Simply Sweet Home). Saturday: Sweets for a Saturday (Sweet as Sugar Cookies), Seasonal Inspiration (Crumbs and Chaos). Sunday: A Well-Seasoned Life,Sharing Sundays (Everyday Sisters)