Ultimate Chocolate Party Cake

This is a real over indulgence in chocolate, a scrumptious chocolate sponge cake with a chocolate filling & topping & then decotated with chocolate fingers & maltessers the ultimate in a chocolate cake!!! its delicious.....

For ther cake mixture you will need:-

2 cups boiling water

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

2 1/4 cups white sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For The filling & topping icing you will need:-

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons milk  

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For decoration:-

chocolate fingers

maltessers

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 3 - 9 inch round cake pans. In medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at time, then stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Spread batter evenly between the 3 prepared pans.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool
4. In a saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved, then add milk. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.
5. Sift together cocoa and confectioners sugar. Blend into butter mixture and add vanilla. If consistency is too stiff, add more milk.
6. Spread Quickly over cooled cake, as frosting will set up very fast
7. Decorate the cake with chcolate fingers around the side & maltessers to top.

Chocolate Banana Bread

Ingredients:-

1 cup margarine, softened

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

6 bananas, mashed

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

 2 teaspoons baking soda 

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup lite sour cream

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, cream together margarine, sugar and eggs. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Sift in flour, baking soda and cocoa; mix well. Blend in sour cream and chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of a loaf comes out clean.

Banana Crumb Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 bananas, mashed

3/4 cup white sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

                                                           Recipe sourced at allrecipes.com  pop on over to view thier video tutoriol

Buttermilk Spiced Muffins

These are a special breakfast treat that are a winner with the kids & easy to make

What you'll need

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, (1 stick), softened
• 3 extra large eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup white, whole-wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3/4 cup (plus 1 tablespoon) well-shaken buttermilk
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• TOPPING
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

How to make it

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a muffin tin (or line with paper cups). In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until well mixed.
2. In another bowl, whisk together flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Then mix in the buttermilk. Add the final amount of the flour mixture, beating just until combined. The batter may still be a bit lumpy. Prepare sugar nut topping.
3. In a small food processor or blender, whiz together the topping ingredients. Pulse until nuts are very finely ground and ingredients are well-blended.
4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about 3/4 full. Sprinkle the top with a rounded tablespoon of the sugar nut topping. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean. Cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, and then carefully lift out to a cooling rack.

                                       recipe sourced at Spoonful.com

Lemon Sponge Cake

What you'll need.....

• THE CAKE
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 7 large eggs, at room temperature, separated (save the 7 yolks in one bowl and 6 of the whites in another)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

• CITRUS GLAZE
• 3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, extrasoft
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup orange juice

How to make it

1. Set out a 9- or 10-inch-diameter tube pan with flat (not fluted) sides. Leave the pan ungreased; the cake will grip the sides as it bakes and rise higher than it otherwise would. Heat the oven to 325º F.
2. Sift the flour, cornstarch, and salt into a bowl. Sift the mixture a second time and then set it aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and 1 cup of the sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl once or twice. When you're done, the mixture should be thick, light, and greatly multiplied in volume. Then mix in the lemon and orange zests and juices and the vanilla extract on a very low speed for a few seconds, just until blended. Set aside.
4. In another large mixing bowl, with clean beaters, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-high speed until the whites are thick and quite foamy. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar while continuing to beat the egg whites on high speed until they are stiff and glossy but not dry, like a meringue (about 7 minutes).
5. Working quickly but gently, use a large rubber spatula to smoothly fold a third of the flour mixture into the beaten egg yolks. Next, fold in another third of the flour mixture along with a third of the beaten egg whites. Finally, fold in the rest of the flour, then the remaining egg whites, until the batter is evenly combined and no streaks of flour remain. Scrape the batter evenly into the tube pan and smooth the top with a spoon.
6. Bake the cake on the center oven rack, without opening the oven, for 50 minutes. When done, the cake will be a rich golden brown and a thin skewer or toothpick inserted into its center will come out clean.
7. Remove the cake from the oven and immediately invert the pan onto a wire rack (if you keep the cake right side up, it will compress). Leave the cake in the pan until it is completely cooled, at least 3 hours or overnight.
8. To remove the cake, run a thin-bladed knife up and down around the outside of the cake as well as around the center tube. Gently lift the cake from the pan by the tube. Then run a knife under the cake.
9. Invert the cake onto a plate and remove the tube. Gently rub your fingers around the side to remove any loose crumbs (it will make the finished cake look more attractive). Finally, invert the cake once more onto a serving plate so that it is right side up.
10. For the icing, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and about half of the orange juice in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk well, gradually adding more OJ as needed, until the glaze is smooth and fluid. Generously spoon the glaze over the cake, letting it run down the center hole and sides. Slice the cake with a serrated knife (a parent's job) and serve. Makes 14 to 16 servings.

                                                                                                                 Recipe sourced at Spoonful.com

Found this fabulous kids cookery website Spatulatta.com with some great kids cookery ideas here's a recipe from thier Teddy Bear Tea Party section they also have a You Tube Channel
                  click HERE to view


                                                         Fancy Tea Bread

You'll need: 3 cups of flour 2 teaspoons of baking powder 1 teaspoon of baking soda 1/2 teaspoon of salt 3/4 cup of honey 1/2 cup of vegetable oil 2 eggs 2 tablespoons of water 1 cup dried apricots – cut in small pieces 3/4 cup of chopped walnuts 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract Cooking spray A little adult help	Equipment: A large bowl A large spoon A loaf pan

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees Celsius).
2. Coat the inside of the loaf pan with cooking spray. We used bread pans that would make individual breads in flower shapes. There were lots of little nooks and crannies that we used our fingers to make sure that they were coated.
3. Mix the dry ingredients: the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar together.
4. Next, add the oil, the eggs, the water, the apricots and the walnuts. Mix it everything together just long enough for the dry ingredients to get moistened.
5. Pour into your baking pan.
6. Press the dough down so it will fill the bottom of the pan.
7. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees (175 degrees Celsius).

http://www.spatulatta.com/recipes/9-teddy-bear-tea-party

Easter Recipes

Easter is just around the corner so its time to check out some delicious treats. Heres a couple  I found over on a spoonful.com
   
 Easter Cupcake Animals

What you'll need:-

• 1- 18.25 ounce box devil's food cake mix, Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker
• 1- 16 ounce tub vanilla frosting, Betty Crocker rich & creamy frosting
• yellow food coloring
• 2/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 tube black writing icing
• red fruit leather
• 1- 16 ounce tub vanilla frosting, Betty Crocker rich & creamy frosting
• mini marshmallows
• pink decorating sugar
• 6 malted milk balls
• 12 brown mini M&M's or other mini candies
• 24 mini Tootsie Rolls

How to make it:-

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a standard muffin pan and a mini muffin pan with paper cupcake holders. Prepare the cake mix according to package instructions. Fill the muffin cups. Bake the minis for about 15 minutes and the larger cup cakes for about 25 minutes. Remove from the pans and let cool in their paper liners.
2. To decorate the chicks, tint the frosting yellow and ice the tops of 6 large cupcakes. Remove the liners from 6 minis and ice the tops and sides. Tint the coconut yellow. Roll the minis in the coconut and place on top of each large cupcake. Draw eyes with black icing. Ice the back and cover it and the top of the large cupcake with coconut. Make combs and beaks from the fruit leather.
3. To Decorate the Sheep, ice the tops of 6 large cupcakes. Cut the marshmallows in half using scissors. For ears, dip 12 marshmallow halves, cut side down, into the sugar and set aside. Arrange marshmallows on top of the cupcakes, leaving enough space in the center for a mini cupcake. Remove the paper liners from 6 minis and ice the tops and sides. Use malted milk balls for the noses, and attach the ears. Place a mini on its side on top of each large cupcake; ice the back and cover with marshmallows. Use M&M's for eyes. Place two Tootsie Rolls on each side of the cupcake for legs.

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Chocolate Easter Egg Nests

Shredded Wheat or Rice Krispies and melted chocolate make perfect nests for candy coated Easter Eggs and they are quick and easy to make.

What you'll need

• 5 large Shredded Wheat (or 2 cups spoon-size)
• 1/3 cup good quality milk chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup good quality bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter
• 3 tablespoons golden syrup, such as Lyle's
• mini candy coated chocolate eggs
• OR
• 3 cups Rice Krispies
• scant 1 cup good quality semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup, such as Lyle's

How to make it

1. Crush the Shredded Wheat into a bowl with your fingers. Put the chocolate chips into a saucepan together with the butter and golden syrup and melt over a gentle heat.
2. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Stir the Shredded Wheat into the chocolate mixture and spoon eight mounds onto the lined cookie sheets, shaping into rounds with a dip in the center.
3. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours until set, then peel the nests carefully away from the parchment and fill with mini chocolate eggs.