My latest action is not too sweet...

I hate to admit it... but taking something you loved doing for fun.. and making it a requirement for your class not only makes it a chore, but its ruined my cooking skills! I really tried to make a fresh batch of brownies to share with you guys.. and I was sure they would be scrumptious... but the whole thing was a complete disaster. I would have loved to share my recipe for turtle brownies but something went horribly wrong. It could have been that I'm completely stressed lately, lacking a good amount of sleep, or it might just be that cooking is not cooking to me anymore. I hate to break it to you but I have lost my touch. It's just not the way it was before. But I'll be back in the kitchen shortly.. I'm just going to take a short hiatus to hopefully get my stuff together.. and spatula in hand make some greatness that I can share with all of you!

I promised you a Mexican inspired dessert so I came to deliver. This cake is called Dulce De Leche cake. It's easy and really fun to make. It's sweet and covered in molten caramel. I found my sister and son licking the bowls clean after I finished making each individual part. It's not easy to find a cake recipe that is this easy, this beautiful and this delicious. I was definitely shocked when the final product came out as pretty as I had hoped. It looked almost as good as it tasted. I'm not the best cake frost-er (It might be because I get so anxious wanting to try and share my concoction) but it still turned out looking fabulous and a little on the fancier side for me. I enjoy that it's two tiers so you get a little ribbon of gooey caramel throughout and the lightness of the white whipped frosting adds just the right amount of sweet to this amazing cake! Enjoy guys!

 Ingredients:

1 White Cake Mix 
3/4 cup softened salted butter
5 large eggs
1/2 cup water
1 jar white cream frosting (I used whipped)
1 can sweetened condensed milk (about 14 oz.)
1 can Dulce De Leche (you can find this in the ethnic cooking section.) (about 14 oz)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray two round cake pans with a nonstick cooking spray. 
2. In a large bowl combine your white cake mix, softened butter, eggs and water. Mix on low speed and slowly increase until combined. Pour into nonstick round pans and bake for 35 minutes. Watch carefully so that they don't burn! 
3. In a sauce pan over low heat combine sweetened condensed milk and dulce de leche until thick, well-combined, and slightly bubbling. 

4. Take one of the round cakes and pour the dulce/cream combo over the top. It should be really thick and spread nicely. Layer the other round cake on top and pour more dulce/cream over the top. 

5. Put the cake in the freezer until the dulce/cream has cooled and is hard. 
6. Frost the cake with the white frosting and drizzle some leftover dulce/cream over the top. Voila!

Simple as that you've got a delectable dessert that is finger-licking good. A coworker of mine told me he could easily sit down and finish the whole cake but I don't suggest chowing down on something this rich... but it could happen! Grab a cup of milk and enjoy! 

Thanks again guys!
-Sarah 

Next time I have some snicker doodle muffins you can't miss!

Billy Vanilly!

Boy do they have amazing cupcakes! Come check it out!
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Hopefully this podcast will answer some of you guys' questions! Sorry I sound pretty nasally, the weather lately has given me a fabulous sinus infection and cold! Let me know if anybody has any more questions they would like answered! Thanks everybody!

If you're anything like me, you love anything sweet and apple flavored. It doesn't matter if it is apple crumb cake, apple strudel, or a caramel apple.. I'm interested! It's hard to find a good recipe, even harder when you're trying to match your grandmothers homemade recipe. That one special recipe that had the whole family gathered, the smell of apples, cinnamon and warm vanilla frosting seeping through the air. 

My grandmother baked her apple fritter pie each Thanksgiving for us. Most kids look forward to some juicy turkey, fluffy stuffing, or sweet cranberry sauce, but not with us! We hurried through dinner and waited patiently for the smell of the apples baking in a nutmeg, cinnamon sauce that can't even be explained. If you aren't already drooling, then just wait for the smell of this delicious dessert to hit your nostril. If you're dying for a look at this down-home, backwoods, apple fritter pie, than look no further! Enjoy readers and keep on baking! 

For Filling: 

1 huge cup of sliced apples (I peeled, cored and sliced)

1/3 cup granulated sugar 

1 teaspoon cinnamon  (split into two 1/2 teaspoons)

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 

2 tablespoons cornstarch 

2 teaspoons water 

1/2 cup brown sugar (light)

For Cake: 

1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup cinnamon applesauce 

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

2 1/4 cups flour 

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

2 large eggs

1 1/4 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 cup Greek yogurt (plain)

For Glaze:

3 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla 

6 tablespoons milk

Instructions:

For filling: 

Make your filling by combining apples, sugar, water, cinnamon (1 part) and cornstarch in a small saucepan.  Cook on low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly until the sauce is thickened and the apples are a bit soft (not mushy).  Set aside to cool.  In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together until well combined and set aside.

For Cake: 

Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease and flour a 9×13 baking dish.  Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.  Add applesauce and vanilla and mix till combined.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift the dry ingredients together.  Add the dry ingredients to the batter in three parts alternating with the yogurt in two parts, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Beat until just combined.

Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan.  Spoon the cooled apple mixture over the batter carefully and spread as evenly as possible.  Sprinkle 2/3 of brown sugar cinnamon mixture over apples and cover with the rest of the batter.  Sprinkle the rest of the brown sugar cinnamon mixture over the top.

Bake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

For Glaze: 

While the cake is baking, make the glaze.  In a bowl, mix the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until the glaze is desired consistency.  When the cake comes out of the oven, immediately but carefully pour onto hot cake.  Try to pour as evenly as possible.  You might have to pick up the cake and tilt it to spread the glaze evenly.  I even poured some out that pooled at the corners and re-poured that over the top.  Let the cake sit for awhile for the glaze to set.

To anyone trying this recipe, I hope that you enjoy it as much as my family has. I can't wait to pass this recipe onto my children and I'm sure my grandmother would love to see her recipe in such a great light. Cooking isn't always easy, but she always said that if you are patient and you love the people you are feeding, you can't go wrong. It takes more than love to make a cake, but to make a cake, you need love. 

Adios Amigos! Come back for some Authentic Mexican Sweets!

-Sarah E. Seuell