White Chocolate Ganache

8 oz cream

8 oz chocolate chips, milk , or white

Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth.

Allow the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over a cake. Start at the center of the cake and work outward. For a fluffy frosting or chocolate filling, allow it to cool until thick, then whip with a whisk until light and fluffy.

Can store overnight in the refrigerator in a glass bowl covered with saran wrap.

BEST Lemon Cream Filling/Frosting

8 oz cream cheese, softened

¼ c butter, soft, not melted

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla

16 oz powder sugar

16 oz cool whip

Cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add lemon juice and vanilla. Add powder sugar 1 cup at a time. Fold in cool whip. Refrigerate overnight to thicken. Fill crepe with ¼ cup and berries. (This also makes an amazing frosting for fruit pizzas!)

Fluffy White Frosting

1/2 c butter
1/2 c Crisco Shortening (cant be off brand)
Cream together until smooth
4 c powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time until blended
1 tsp. vanilla extract or other extract (coconut, almond, etc.)
2+ T milk (1 T at a time)
Whip for 5-10 minutes until light and fluffy.
(This frosting is the front cupcake with the blue flower)

Lemon Layer Cake with Lemon Cream Frosting

If you like lemon, you will love this recipe--very yummy!
by Gourmet Magazine

Makes 1 (8") Layer Cake

Lemon Curd: (needs to be made ahead  of time)

1/2 c fresh lemon juice
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/2 c sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 stick (6 Tbsp) unsalted butted, cut into bits

For Cake Layers:
2 cups cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c whole milk
2 1/2 T fresh lemon juice
1 stick (1/2 c) unsalted butter, softened
1 c sugar
2 large eggs

For frosting:
1 c heavy cream
1/2 cup confections sugar
Lemon curd (following recipe), chilled


TO MAKE LEMON CURD:  Whisk together juice, zest, sugar, and eggs in a 2-quart saucepan. Stir in butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking frequently, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and first bubble appears on surface, about 6 minutes.
Transfer lemon curd to a bowl and chill, its surface covered with plastic wrap, until cold, at least 1 hour.
     Note--Can be chilled up to one week

MAKE CAKE LAYERS: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter 2 (8"x2") round cake pans and line the bottom of each with rounds of wax or parchment paper. Butter paper and dust with flour, knocking out excess.
Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir together milk and lemon juice (mixture will curdle).
Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and milk mixture in batches, beginning and ending with flour, mixing at low speed until just combined.
Divide batter between pans, smoothing tops. Bake in middle of oven until tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes, then invert into racks, remove paper, and cool completely.

MAKE FROSTING: Beat cream and confections sugar with cleaned beaters until it just holds stiff peaks. Fold one third of whipping cream into lemon curd to lighten, then fold in remaining whipping cream.

ASSEMBLE CAKE: Put 1 cake layer, rounded side up, on a cake plate and spread with one fourth of frosting. Top with second layer, rounded side up, and spread top and sides with remaining frosting.
      Note--Can be assembled 1 day ahead and chilled in a cake keeper or loosely covered with plastic wrap (use toothpicks to hold wrap away from frosting). Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.
.

Royal Icing

• 3 + cups confectioners' sugar--sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 egg whites, beaten 
• 2 tsp. extract--lemon, vanilla, etc.

Using electric mixer, beat egg whites for about 5 minutes or until frothy. Mix in cream or tartar then add confections sugar. Mix until desired thickness. For frosting cookies, you want to consistency to be thin enough that the frosting runs, but thick enough that it ribbons onto itself. For piping you'll want to make it much thicker. Thick enough it won't run out of your piping bag, but still soft. Watch this for a good Royal Icing tutorial.

Can add only pure extracts, but only after sugar has been added. 



You can refrigerate frosting and use the next day. Cover with plastic wrap and stir before using. It may have thinned some and you can add more powdered sugar.

We frosted all the cookies with white royal icing and then used cookie spray paint to color the cookies the desired colors. Very fast and easy.  

Blonde Zucchini Brownies

3 cups zucchini, grated (can use frozen, but increase by 1 cup and drain liquid)

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 Tablespoon salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa (optional)

Mix with a wooden spoon until well blended, about 5 minutes. Bake in 9 x 13 pan at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter-softened
1/2 cup Crisco brand shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2-1 teaspoon coconut extract
4 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
2/3 cup shredded coconut
Cream together Crisco and butter. Add vanilla and coconut extract. Add sugar 1 cup at a time until well blended. Add milk and mix until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes.) Add coconut.

Strawberry Swirl Cake

Cake:
1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix
1 ¼ c. Water
1/3 c. Vegetable oil
3 Egg whites
1-3oz Package strawberry gelatin

1. Heat oven to 325°F. Generously grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube cake pan. Make cake batter as directed on box. Pour about 2 cups batter into pan. Into small bowl, pour about 3/4 cup batter; stir in gelatin mix. Carefully pour pink batter over white batter in pan. Carefully pour remaining white batter over pink batter.

2. Bake as directed on box or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Turn pan upside down onto cooling rack or heatproof serving plate; remove pan. Cool cake completely, about 1 hour.

Icing:
¼ pt (4oz) Fresh strawberries sliced
2 T. Sugar
2 T Butter
1 1/2 – 2 c Powdered sugar

3. In small bowl, mix strawberries and sugar. Refrigerate 2-8 hours. Crush strawberries. In another bowl, beat butter, add powdered sugar and strawberry mixture. Slowly beat until sugar blended, then beat on high until fluffy. Add more powdered sugar if necessary. Keep refrigerated.