Simply Cake recipes

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 egg 1/3 cup white sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup white sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup water 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 tablespoon cider vinegar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line muffin tins with paper cups or lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2.	In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, egg, 1/3 cup sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt until light and fluffy. Stir in the chocolate chips and set aside.
3.	In a large bowl, mix together the flour, 1 cup sugar, cocoa, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Make a well in the center and add the water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Stir together until well blended. Fill muffin tins 1/3 full with the batter and top with a dollop of the cream cheese mixture.
4.	Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.	In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.

2 ounces white chocolate 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon orange extract 4 cups confectioners' sugar 2 tablespoons heavy cream 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 1/8 cups white sugar 1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups shredded carrots 1/2 cup crushed pineapple 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1 cup chopped walnuts

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 12 muffin cups.
2.	In small saucepan, melt white chocolate over low heat. Stir until smooth, and allow to cool to room temperature.
3.	In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in white chocolate, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and orange extract. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until the mixture is fluffy. Mix in heavy cream.
4.	Beat together the eggs, white sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl, and mix in the oil and vanilla. Fold in carrots and pineapple. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Mix flour mixture into the carrot mixture until evenly moist. Fold in 1/2 cup walnuts. Transfer to the prepared muffin cups.
5.	Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks before topping with the icing and sprinkling with remaining walnuts.

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/8 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter, softened 1 1/2 cups white sugar 2 eggs 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup milk

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt. Set aside.
2.	In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk; beat well. Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full.
3.	Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Frost with your favorite frosting when cool.

1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix 1 (16 ounce) can prepared vanilla frosting 6 drops green food coloring, or as needed 1/4 cup green decorator sugar

12 large marshmallows 48 semisweet chocolate chips 1 drop red food coloring

1.	Bake cupcakes according to the directions on the package. Allow them to cool completely.
2.	Scoop 2/3 of the frosting into a small bowl and mix with green food coloring. Frost the cupcakes. Sprinkle some of the green sugar over the tops.
3.	Cut the marshmallows in half to make two circles. Dip half of each marshmallow piece into water and dip into the green sugar to make the eyelids. The remaining white will be the eyes. Place on the cupcakes. Use a little bit of white icing to glue a chocolate chip into the center of each eye for the pupil.
4.	Mix the remaining frosting with red food coloring to make pink. Use the pink icing to draw smiling mouths and nostrils or even tongues on the frogs.

3 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups white sugar 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking soda 2/3 cup vegetable oil 2 cups water 2 tablespoons vinegar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 egg 1/2 cup white sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
2.	In a large bowl, mix together flour, 2 cups sugar, cocoa, 1 teaspoon salt and baking soda. Stir in oil, water, vinegar and vanilla until blended. Pour mixture into prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.
3.	To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, egg, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt until light and fluffy. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop a heaping teaspoonful of the cream cheese mixture into each cupcake. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Allow to cool.

INGREDIENTS

• Sweet Basil Cream:
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 bunch fresh basil, washed and dried
• 
  
• Sweet Curry Lemon Curd:
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons mild curry powder
• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 lemons, zested
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 
  
• Coconut Cupcakes:
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons coconut extract
• 
  
• 6 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
• 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
• 
  
• 1 tablespoon silver dragees decorating candy

DIRECTIONS

1. To make the sweet basil cream, heat the whipping cream in a saucepan until hot; do not boil. Turn off the heat and add the basil, stems and all, to the cream and allow it to steep for 1 hour. Refrigerate the cream for 3 hours or overnight. Strain and discard the basil.
2. Meanwhile, make the sweet curry lemon curd. Use a large microwave-safe bowl: the curd will expand to twice its volume as it cooks. Whisk together the white sugar, two eggs, and curry powder until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and butter. Cook in the microwave, stirring at one-minute intervals, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Pour the cooked curd through a sieve and refrigerate for at least three hours or until set. The mixture will have the consistency of soft pudding.
3. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 muffin cups with cupcake liners.
4. Combine the white cake mix and coconut flakes in a mixing bowl. Stir in the water, three eggs, vegetable oil, and coconut extract. (For an extra-light texture, separate the egg whites from the yolks and beat the whites until medium-stiff peaks form. Fold the beaten egg whites into the cake batter.)
5. Scoop the cake batter into the prepared pans, filling the cups 2/3 full. Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool completely.
6. In a chilled bowl, whip the cold basil-infused cream and 3 cups of confectioners' sugar until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate. Beat the cream cheese and remaining 3 cups of confectioners' sugar until smooth and soft. Fold in the whipped cream and mix gently until fully combined.
7. To decorate the cupcakes, spread a tablespoon of the lemon curd on top of each cupcake, followed by a dollop of the basil cream. Sprinkle with dragees.