6 Common Cake Baking Mistakes

Here is a rundown of some common mishaps that happen when making a cake from scratch and how you can avoid them:


1.  If your cake is too heavy
       
       This is sometimes caused by the oven's heat being a little too low or by using too much sugar, butter or shortening.


2.  Coarse-grained cakes
       
       If you're cake is very coarse and grainy, this could be the result of too much leavening ingredients, such as baking powder being used.  It can also be caused be insufficient beating of butter and sugar or because the butter wasn't beaten enough before the addition of eggs.  Basically, a coarse, grainy cake is the bi-product of not mixing them ingredients together well.  The ingredients won't be incorporated while baking so this will leave dry spots.



3.  Cake Falls Flat

       When a cake falls flat, this is the result of using too little flour or rising ingredients.  The temperature in the oven could have also been too high.  If you move a cake in the oven after the cake has risen, but before the cell walls have become fixed or firmed by the heat your cake will fall flat, as well.



4.  A "bready", too-solid consistency

       A cake turns out with a solid and bready texture when too much flour has been used.


5.  Cake has an uneven surface

       When an oven is too hot, it can cause a cake to present an uneven surface.  Be sure to put your cake in the middle rack of the oven, to avoid uneven consistency.  When the heat is too hot or uneven, the top of the cake crusts over before the internal mixture has risen to its full height and bursts at its weakest place, which is usually the top.



6.  Streaking on the bottom

       A heavy streak at the bottom of a cake is usually caused by using too many egg yolks in proportion to other ingredients, or by having the heat too low and baking the cake too slowly.




That's my cake baking PSA for the day!           

Restaurant Style Mexican Rice

This stuff is so easy and so good.  I make pretty much anytime I make Mexican food.  This is way better than buying a pre-packaged Mexican or Spanish rice mix.

Here's how to throw this delightful side dish together:


1.  Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan or skillet.  Use the largest saucepan you have, so that the rice has room and isn't piled on top of each other.

2.  Once, the oil is hot add the rice and stir it constantly, until it begins to lightly brown.  It should look like this:

3.  Flavor the rice with minced garlic, salt and cumin and stir to incorporate the flavors.

4.  Add tomato sauce, chicken broth and cilantro to the saucepan and bring it to a boil.  Then, reduce the heat to low.

5.  Cover the saucepan with a lid and let the rice simmer for 20-25 minutes.  That's all there is to it!

Restaurant Style Mexican Rice

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup long grain rice, uncooked
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 cup tomato sauce (8 oz. can)
1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth
3 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro

Heat oil in a large saucepan or skillet over medium heat.  Add the rice and gently stir until rice begins to lightly brown.  Add garlic, salt and cumin and stir until well combined.  Add the tomato sauce, chicken broth and cilantro and turn the heat up to medium high.  Bring the mix to a boil then turn the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid.  Simmer for 20-25 mins.



Hope you liked this recipe!  It makes a perfect side dish for any Mexican dish.  

Beef and Bean Enchilada Casserole

So gooey, so good and easy to put together.  It's a twist on traditional enchiladas.  It's almost like a combination of a burrito and an enchilada.  Let me show you how to make this awesome casserole.


1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  

2.  Brown the ground beef and onion.  When this is done, drain the fat.

3.  Season the meat with chili powder and cumin.  Then, add the a can of pinto beans that have been drained and rinsed and chopped green chiles.  Simmer for a minute or two to incorporate the flavors and, then, set aside.

4.  Whisk together sour cream, flour and garlic powder in a medium bowl, until flavors are incorporated.

5.  Place 4 6 inch in diameter corn tortillas on the bottom of the dish, They will overlap and there will be spaces that won't get covered, but that's okay.

6.  Top this with half of the meat mixture, followed by half od the sour cream mixture.

7.  Drizzle half of the red enchilada sauce on top of the other two layers.

8.  Repeat these layers again, to finish up the casserole.

9.  Cover the dish with foil and bake in the oven for 40 minutes

10. Uncover the dish and sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese on top.  Then, bake for about another 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted.


Here's what it looks like all plated up.  It's very cheesy and gooey!

Here's the recipe:


Beef and Bean Enchilada Casserole

1/2 1b. ground beef
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 4 oz. can diced or chopped green chiles
8 oz. sour cream
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
8 6 in. corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups red enchilada sauce (a large can)
1 1/2- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x 13 in. baking dish with cooking spray.  In a large skillet, cook ground beef and onion together until beef is browned.  Drain fat.  Stir in chili powder, cumin, beans and chiles; set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together sour cream, flour and garlic powder.  Place half of the tortillas on the bottom of the dish.  Top with half of the meat mixture, spoon half of the sour cream mixture on top of the meat mixture and drizzle 3/4 cup of the enchilada sauce on top of that.  Repeat the layers one more time.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake 40 minutes.  Uncover, sprinkle on the cheese and bake 5 minutes more.




Hope you enjoyed this recipe!  I'm going to have a follow-up recipe to this one on tomorrow's post.  So tune in tomorrow for a side dish recipe to accompany this casserole.  

Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookie Bars

This awesome dessert is so sweet and gooey.  It takes a little time to put together, but it's totally worth it.  I'm a big fan of toffee, and if you are I guarantee that you will love these.

 This picture is right out of the oven, the sweetened condensed milk does tend to bubble over the top.  It's easy to make it prettier if you need to, though.  Just take a butter knife and smooth over the top.


Here's how to make this recipe:


1.  First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a large 13 x 9 inch baking pan.

2.  To start making the crust and topping, mix the flour and brown sugar together in a large mixing bowl.

3.  Take a stick and a half of butter and cut it into 1/4 inch squares.  Drop these squares into the flour and brown sugar mix. 

4.  Then, you'll need to cut the butter in to make the crust.  You can do this with a pastry blender, a fork, or use your fingers.  I think it turns out better when I just do it the good old fashioned way and cut it in with my fingers.  After you're done cutting in the butter, the mixture should be flaky and crumbly but, also, a little coarse.  If you would like a more cake-like crust and topping you may add one slightly beaten egg to the mix at this point and blend it in with a mixer.  I prefer to leave the egg out because I like a crispier, more cookie-like crust and topping.

5.  Now you can stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips into the crust and topping mixture.  You can also add nuts too.  I've used almonds with this recipe in the past and it turned out really good.  My family and I just aren't real big fans of nuts so I leave them out.

6.  Get out a smaller bowl and set aside 1 1/2 cups of the crumb and topping mixture in the other bowl.  This will be the crumb topping.

7.  Now, you can go ahead and make your crust.  Press the crust mixture onto the bottom of your baking dish and make sure you form some of the crust to cover about 1/2 in of the sides of the pan, as well.

8.  Bake the crust for about 10 minutes.  You'll want to take it out of the oven when it's starting to brown.

9.  Immediately pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the crust while it's still really hot.  Top the sweetened condensed milk with the toffee bits.

10.  Top that with the remaining crumb mixture and 1 cup of chocolate chips.

11.  Bake it for 20-25 minutes or until really bubbly.  Cut into bars and enjoy.

Here's the recipe:


Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookie Bars

2 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 egg, lightly beaten (optional)
2 cups chocolate chips, divided  (I use Hershey's)
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 3/4 cups English toffee bits (I use Heath's) 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 13 x 9 in. baking dish.  Combine flour and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. ( If you would like a cake-like crust, add egg and blend well with a mixer).  Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips.  Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the mixture.  Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of prepared pan.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and immediately pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over hot crust.  Top with toffee bits.  Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture and remaining cup of chocolate chips over the top.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool completely and cut into bars.




Hope you liked this recipe!  Bye, for now!
  

Cornbread Muffins

These are my daughter's absolute favorite thing (besides chocolate).  I always make them when I make ham and beans for dinner.  They are so much softer and fluffier than regular cornbread, and they're buttery enough on their own without having to break out the butter knife.  This recipe makes 12 big cornbread muffins.

Here's how to make these cornbread muffins:


1.  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and grease a regular 12 cup muffin tin. 

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

 
3.  In a second medium bowl, whisk the eggs until the yolks and whites are well combined.  This mixture will turn out to be pretty thick.

4.  Then, add melted butter in three equal additions, whisking after each addition.  Your mixture should look like this after step 4:

5.  Add sour cream and milk to the egg mixture.  You do this in two separate groupings of equal amounts of each ingredient.  Add 6 Tablespoons of sour cream and 1/4 cup of milk and whisk to combine.  Then, repeat this step all over again.  After doing this step, your mixture should look like this:

6.  Finally, add your wet ingredients to your dry ingredients and mix until everything is just combined and there are no dry parts.  You need the mixture to be thick and pasty.

7.  Fill your muffin cups.  Fill each cup until it is nearly full.

8.  Bake for about 15-18 minutes.  Test to see if they're done with a toothpick.  They should be nice and golden colored.

Now, here's the recipe:

Cornbread Muffins

2 cups flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 tsps. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
8 Tbsps. butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup sour cream, divided
1/2 cup milk, divided

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a 12 cup muffin tin.  Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl.  Whisk eggs in a second medium bowl, until well combined, about 20 seconds.  Add sugar to eggs and whisk vigorously until thick and homogeneous, about 30 seconds.  Add melted butter in 3 additions, whisking to combine after each addition.  Add 6 Tbsp. sour cream and 1/4 cup of milk and whisk to combine, then whisk in remaining 6 Tbsp. sour cream and remaining 1/4 cup milk until combined.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix gently until the batter is just combined and evenly moistened.  Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.  Bake for 15-18 minutes.



Try this out and let me know what you think!  Bye, for now!

Tomato Beef Rotini

Tomato Beef Rotini

Looking for a kid-friendly meal that everyone in the family will love?  Make some Tomato Beef Rotini!  It's quick and easy to make, not to mention easy on the budget.  My kids love it when I make this pasta.  It's my go-to dish to make for my picky eaters..  Break out a big pot and whip this one up for a filling weeknight dinner.

Here's how to make Tomato Beef Rotini:

1.  Get out a large stew pot or stockpot.Brown your meat directly in the pot.  And then drain the grease.  

2.  Next, add finely chopped onions and chopped green bell peppers, then saute for a few minutes, until the veggies begin to soften.

3.  Season your meat with chili powder, brown sugar, salt and pepper.

4.  Stir in the tomato juice and ketchup.  You could also use V8 juice instead of tomato juice, if you'd prefer.  I season the sauce a bit more with salt, pepper, garlic powder and parsley flakes.  You can season the sauce to fit your own preferences.

5.  Pour the dry, uncooked, rotini pasta into the sauce and stir until all the pasta is coated with the sauce.

6.  Bring the mixture to a boil and let it bubble for a little over a minute.  Then, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer, while covered, until the pasta is a ready to eat al dente.  This usually takes about 20 minutes, but it all depends on how cooked you like your pasta to be.  Be sure to stir, from time to time, to make sure that the noodles are being cooked evenly and aren't sticking together or to the bottom of the pot.

7.  Serve topped with Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Here's the recipe:

Tomato Beef Rotini

1 lb. ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium green bell pepper chopped

1 lb. rotini pasta

46 oz. can tomato juice

3 Tbsp. ketchup

2 tsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. chili powder

salt and pepper, to taste

garlic powder and parsley flakes, to taste

In a large pot, brown meat and drain the fat.  Add onions and green pepper and saute for a few minutes, until veggies are tender.  Sprinkle on chili powder, brown sugar, salt and pepper.  Add ketchup and tomato juice and stir.  Pour in dry pasta and stir to coat.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until al dente (about 20 minutes).  Stir occassionally, to make sure that the juice is cooking the noodles evenly.  Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.  

Bye, for now!  Keep checking for more recipes!  

Strawberries and Cream Jello Salad

This is a simple and cheap dessert, and it's packed with all kinds of strawberry goodness!  It only has four ingredients!  This salad would make a great addition to your Easter dinner spread.  I'll go through the steps of how to make this dish first, and then I'll give you the recipe!  So, here goes..

1.  To begin making this dessert, just prepare a 6 oz. package of strawberry Jello, according to package directions.  

2.  Then, you'll want to add your fresh or frozen strawberries.  You can skip this step if you'd like, and you can add as many or as few strawberries as you want.  If you're adding strawberries, make sure to slice the strawberries into 1/4-1/2 inch slices.  If you want to add some extra sweetness, you can sprinkle the strawberries with sugar.  Add the strawberries to the Jello.

3.  Put the Jello with the strawberries mixed in in the fridge to let set and become firm.  The package says to leave it in the fridge for 4 hours, but because of the added strawberries, it may possibly need to set for at least an extra hour.  I let mine set for 5 1/2 hours, just to be sure.  Here's what it should look like after it has set.

4.  After removing Jello from the fridge, Mix softened cream cheese and thawed whipped topping together in a large mixing bowl.  Beat mixture with an electric mixer until it is well incorporated.  You want it to have the consistency of sour cream. It should look like this when you're done mixing:

5.  Spread cream cheese and whipped topping mixture over the top of the Jello.  I had a little bit of the topping left over.  You can put as much or as little of the topping on the Jello as you'd like.  The mixture is all up to you.  

As you serve the Jello salad, the topping with get nice and incorporated with the Jello like this:

Enjoy!

Now that I've showed you the steps, here's the recipe:

Strawberries & Cream Jello Salad

1 (6 oz.) package strawberry Jello

1 large (10 oz.) package of frozen or fresh strawberries

1 package whipped topping, thawed

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

Prepare Jello according to package directions.  Add strawberries.  Mix and chill until set.  Beat cream cheese and whipped topping together until smooth and spread over the Jello mixture.

Keep following this blog for more recipes!