Baking Frenzy

I was on a baking frenzy last week - we don't have kids (yet), so baking is something I keep to a minimum or else Kevin insists I am trying to make him fat... he says he can't not eat baked goods because they are so tasty so if I don't make them then he doesn't have a dilemma... Last week I had 2 really good excuses to bake!

1. We had a work potluck so I got to bake a billion cupcakes:

The yellow ones are  Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme Cake mix with Lemon Buttercream Frosting

The pink ones are Duncan Hines Confetti Cake Mix with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, I used the same recipe as the Lemon Frosting, but omitted the lemony things and added vanilla instead.

They were a hit at work!

2. Kevin's parents came over for "Tea and Cake" - being of English background I am VERY familiar with both tea and cake... I made Kevin's favorite, Banana nut muffins:

I have the recipe hand written on a piece of paper, and I have used it since I moved from home, so don't ask me where it came from originally... Here it is:

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Banana Nut Muffins

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs

2 large crushed old bananas

1/2 cup buttermilk or heavy whip cream

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 cup quick oats

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (if desired)

1 cup chocolate chips (if desired)

Instructions: Mix first 6 ingredients then add in remaining ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60mins if in cake form or  20-30mins for 12 muffins.

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I also made a Lemon Cake

mmmmm... who doesn't love a nice cup of tea with a side of Lemon cake? This cake is a little dryer than expected, but it goes great with tea or coffee.

Happy Baking!

-Courtney Soleil

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

I found a post at I Still Love You for these delicious looking cupcakes and thought I should share it here. I will for sure give these yummies a whirl and let you know how it went! (pictures will be provided of course!)
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Strawberry Lemon Icing
from the kitchen of Melissa Esplin
makes enough to frost about 1 1/2 dozen cupcakes
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4-6 fresh strawberries
1 cube or 1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
Puree strawberries & lemon juice in a blender. Allow strawberries to macerate for about 10 minutes; it helps with the flavor. With a hand mixer beat strawberry mixture, butter and sugar until consistency is smooth. You may want to add more sugar or more lemon juice to get your preferred consistency. Frosting is perfect for sugar cookies, cupcakes, cakes, etc.
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It seems to me I have seen other fellow bloggers attempt this recipe also, I have read nothing but stellar reviews - let's see if we can win Kevin over - he likes his baked goods, but not too far to the sweet side.

Happy Baking!
-Courtney Soleil