No Fail Vanilla Cake Recipe

Cakenista's, I've got it! The recipe that many of you have been waiting for. Something so simple yet super anticipated. That's right, a VANILLA CAKE recipe! You'd think I would've done this about ehh maybe 6 years ago - but nope. It's literally taken me years...and years...to come up with a few no fail recipes. Not only do they have to look great and taste great, but they have to be easy to make (with a simple recipe). Hence why both of my base cakes (vanilla and chocolate) are one bowl recipes. Pulling out the heavy Kitchenaid Mixer is always a great time, but I'm not always in the mood for that kind of workout. So below I have my no-fail Vanilla Cake recipe.

Before we move on, let's hit a couple key points. As with any great VANILLA cake, the main ingredient here is VANILLA. So make sure to use a great quality vanilla extract. Now my favorite is Madagascar vanilla, but it can be hard to find. So my cake loves, here are a few awesome vanilla extracts (and beans) to choose from:

Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla
McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract
Tahitian Vanilla Beans
Dark Mexican Vanilla Extract

Watch the Video Tutorial Below! 

NO-FAIL VANILLA CAKE

Vanilla Cake Recipe:
3 Lg Eggs
2 C Buttermilk (Half & Half, 2 T vinegar)
1 C Vegetable Oil
2 C Sugar
3 C Flour
1/2 t Salt
1/2 t Baking Powder
2 t Baking Soda
1 T Vanilla Extract

The Simplest Directions Ever!

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl: Combine all dry ingredients. This includes flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. I like to fluff up the dry ingredients with a whisk. This helps to make the flour light and airy without having to sift. #BakingHacks

2. Next we add all of the wet ingredients to the dry mix. Many prefer to purchase buttermilk, but honestly I find it more cost effective to just make my own. I do this by mixing about 1 tablespoon of vinegar for every 1 cup of milk or half & half.

3. Mix all of the ingredients together for a couple of minutes just until all of the flour has completely incorporated. Be careful as to not over-mix the batter. Line your cake pans with parchment paper and rub the sides with butter or nonstick cooking spray.

4. Lastly, pour the batter into 2 9 inch or 3 8 inch pans and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until springy to the touch. If you're not confident in the touching method, go ahead a stick a toothpick in the center - it should come out clean.

Allow the cake to cool before decorating. Here are a few delicious frostings to choose from.

Drop Dead Delicious Chocolate Cake (Secret Recipe)

Okay Cakenista's. Although I have always slightly feared this day...I knew that it would come. The day that I shared one of my most beloved and treasured secret recipes. My chocolate cake. In the video tutorial I made enough cake batter for three 8 inch cakes and three 10 inch cakes for another big batch baking video. I'll be posting both recipes below.

MARISHA'S SECRET 

CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE

16 Cupcakes or Two 8 inch Cakes

1 Egg

1 C Sugar

1/2 C Water

1/2 C Brewed Coffee

1/2 C Oil

1 1/2 C Flour

1/2 C Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)

2 t vinegar

1 t Salt

1 t Baking Soda

1/2 t Vanilla

Three 8 inch & Three 10 inch cakes

5 Eggs

5 C Sugar

2 1/2 C Water

2 1/2 C Oil

7 1/2 C Flour

2 1/2 C Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)

3 T Vinegar

5 T Baking Soda

2 t Vanilla

2 1/2 C Brewed Coffee

In a large bowl: Combine all dry ingredients (sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda). Combine all dry ingredients with a whisk. Whisk until everything is fully incorporated. Next, add all wet ingredients (eggs, water, oil, vinegar, vanilla, and coffee). Mix for about 2 minutes or until the cake batter is completely combine. Divvy up the batter equally between your cake pans. I prefer to spray the sides of my cake pans with nonstick spray and then lay a piece of parchment on the bottom. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about ten minutes then remove onto a cooling rack. 

Decorate with my chocolate frosting (or vanilla frosting) and enjoy! Head over to my channel to tell me what you think of this amazing chocolate cake. 

Six Dorm Room Desserts | Back To School

Hey Cakenista's! It's back to school time and I am here once again to share some delicious quick and easy desserts. You guys loved my Five Dorm Room Desserts video from a couple years ago. So, I decided to do another video on desserts that you can make in a pinch with little equipment! For me, living on campus or away from home made me crave snacks or warm desserts that weren't accessible being in a dorm. My classmates and I made the best of the situation by loading up on snacks and candy. And as culinary students we got a little innovative at times with our food. 

With  just a few staples (and a dorm room dessert recipe or two) you can make sure you'll always have what you need when craving something sweet. These recipes aren't just for the dorm. They're great for lazy days when you want to whip something up without spending all day in the kitchen. 

Watch this video tutorial and also check out my previous 5 Dorm Room Desserts video for more fun ideas. 

Six Dorm Room Desserts

Quick Peach Crisp

1 lg peach (or fruit cup)

2 packets of sugar (or 2 tsp)

1 packet cinnamon oatmeal or 1/3 C quick oats

-Microwave for two minutes.

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Peanut Butter Banana No Bake Energy Bites

1/2 Banana

2 packets of sugar (or 2 tsp)
2 tbsp of peanut butter
Chocolate chips
2-3 oz nuts
2 packs of oatmeal or 3/4 C quick oats

-Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Roll into small bite size balls. Allow to set up in the fridge for 1 hour and enjoy!

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Waffle Dessert Tacos

Your favorite waffles
Your favorite ice cream
Toppings: candy, nuts, caramel, chocolate, sprinkles, etc

-Lightly toast or microwave a waffle. I used gluten free Trader Joe's brand. Place one scoop of your favorite ice cream onto the waffle, Finish with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

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No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake (low carb)

1 C Heavy or Whipping Cream
4 oz cream cheese (softened)
1/2 box of sugar free strawberry jello powder

Optional Crust:
2 tbsp melted butter
5 tbsp almond flour
2 tsp monkfruit sweetener

-Pour cream into a large container, and add jello powder. Whip on low or slowly by hand to incorporate jello powder. Then continue whipping until the cream and thickened. Be sure not to over mix! The cheesecake mixture will continue to thicken as it sits.

Combine all crust ingredients in a large serving dish. Pat the crust to the bottom of the dish and gently smooth cream cheese mixture on top. Allow to set in the fridge for 1 hour or enjoy right away.
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Tres Leches Pina Colada Jar Cake

Vanilla Cake (baked, cooled, cut into cubes)
1 can crushed pineapple
whipped cream or frosting
coconut flakes

Option 1:
1/2 c condensed milk
1/2 c evaporated milk
1/2 c whole milk

Option 2:
1/2 c dulce de leche (see my recipe)
1/3 c evaporated milk

-In a jar, add cubes of cake. Pour a 3 tbsp of milk mixture (option 1 or 2) onto the cake. Next, top with a spoonful of pineapple, and a layer of whipped cream. Repeat the process as much as you want until you reach the top of the jar finishing with whipped cream and coconut flakes.

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Matcha Cookie Sandwiches (or Whoopie Pies)

1/3 tsp Matcha powder (and/or protein powder)
*In the video, I used collagen matcha powder. This is great if you're on keto.*
2 tbsp melted butter
3 tbsp flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 egg
Whipped cream or Jar of frosting

-In a microwaveable bowl, combine all dry ingredients including matcha powder and mix thoroughly. Next, add in egg and melted butter. Pour onto a plate and micowave for 1 minute, 10 seconds. Allow to cool on the plate. You can enjoy this as is or cut into fours to make two sandwiches using the frosting as filling.

Blueberry Cheesecake Keto & Traditional Recipe

Cheesecake 
16 oz Cream Cheese
2 Eggs (room temperature)
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Lemon Zest
3/4 C Sugar or Monkfruit Sweetener

Blueberry Sauce
1 C Blueberries
1 tbsp Sugar or Monkfruit Sweetener
1/2 Lemon Zest

Crust
1/2 C Crushed Cookie Crumbs or Almond Flour
2 tbsp Sugar or Monkfruit Sweetener
4 tbsp Melted Butter

Blue Velvet Cake

BLUE VELVET CAKE

Blue Velvet seems like the perfect title to a jazzy poem. And with that being said...

Blue skies turn into blue nights.

Blue lows, blue heights. 

Your favorite color is blue right?

Blue Jays fly with blue kites.

White house draped in blue lights.

America, the glue right?

Blue Velvet, goodnight. 

Straight off the DOME! I didn't call to this poetry game, it called to me! Okay, okay... I'm done. So any who seeing as how I had a few blue velvet cakes on the agenda - I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share with you all a Blue Velvet Cake recipe. 

This recipe is super easy. it's actually very similar to my standard cake recipe just with added cocoa powder. So some of you avid bakers may already be partial to the process. I needed to make enough batter for three 1/4 sheet cakes, so I quadrupled the recipe which you'll notice in the video. I thought it would be cool to show you how I make larger cake orders. I just pull out both mixers, clear some space and gather my mise en place (whoa took me back to culinary school). 

When baking larger batches quality control is so important since it's easy to go slightly off with a step. So, I divvy up the ingredients between two mixers, then combine them at the end. Such a time saver in comparison to what I used to do. I used to make 1 batch of cake batter at a time. As you can imagine, I was baking from sunrise to sunset. For all of you lovely Home Chef's who are interested in the larger recipe I'll be posting both. Give it a try and enjoy!

Blue Velvet Cake 

Servings: 2 9" Round Pans or 1/4 Sheet Cake

*Regular Batch Recipe:

1/2 C Butter (softened)

1 1/2 C Sugar

2 Lg Eggs

1/2 C Oil

1 tbsp Cocoa Powder

2 1/2 tbsp Wilton Gel Dye in Royal Blue

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 tbsp Vinegar

2 1/2 C Cake Flour 

1 tsp Baking Soda 

1 C Buttermilk

1 tsp salt

Servings: 1 1/2 Sheet Cakes or About 9 9" Round Cakes or Many Many Cupcakes
Quadrupled Batch Recipe:

2 C Butter (softened)
6 C Sugar
8 Eggs
2 C Oil
4 tbsp Cocoa Powder
4 tbsp Wilton Gel Dye in Royal Blue
3 tbsp Vanilla Extract
4 tbsp Vinegar
10 C Cake Flour
1 tbsp + 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1 tbsp + 1 tsp Salt
4 C Buttermilk


Cream Cheese Frosting: Tutorial
1/2 C Butter
4 C Powdered Sugar
8 oz Cream Cheese
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. In a large mixer with paddle attachment - beat the butter and sugar together for 3 minutes or until combined. Add eggs one at a time and mix for 5 minutes or until pale and fluffy. 
2. In a separate bowl, combine cocoa powder, food color and vanilla extract. In the video you'll see me add the gel color to the oil...you also see what happens as a result of this. Don't do it that way unless you want have a mini experiment for yourself. Add this to the butter and sugar mixer and toss in the vinegar. 
3. In another mixing bowl, sift together cake flour, baking soda, and salt. Add this dry mixture to the wet mixture a little bit at a time with the buttermilk. If doing the small batch, add about 1/2 cup of flour to the mix, then a half of buttermilk (allow to mix for 4 seconds). Do this until you've incorporated all ingredients. If making the larger batch, add 1 cup of flour at a time with 1 cup of buttermilk at a time. 
4. Bake at 350 degrees. For cupcakes bake for 17 minutes. For 9 inch cakes bake for 25 minutes. For larger cakes, begin to check for doneness at 45 minutes by sticking a toothpick into center. If you're cake needs to bake longer and you're worried about it browning just cover with foil and allow to finish baking.