Apple cider cake with caramel cream

In celebration for the first day of fall, which also happens to be my big brother's birthday, I decided to make a cake that had an autumn influence. Without further ado, I give you the deliciously-fallish apple cider cake with caramel cream.

Cake:

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter,room temperature

2 eggs

2 teaspoons water

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup pre-made apple cider

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, then grease and flour 2 round 8 inch pans. In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the water and cinnamon. Combine flour and baking powder together in a separate bowl, then add to the butter mixture and mix well. Finally, mix in the apple cider until batter is smooth. Pour even amounts into each pan, then bake for 25 minutes. Once cool, pour the caramel cream between the two cake layers, then also on top until the mixture is dripping down the sides. Garnish with some ground cinnamon, if desired.

Caramel cream:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup confectioner's sugar

10 caramel cubes

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup milk

5 tbsp flour

Start by pouring the milk into a medium sized skillet, then whisking in the flour. Once the flour and milk are well incorporated, place the (unwrapped, of course) caramels in the skillet as well. Over medium-low heat, use a rubber spatula to continuously stir the mixture until the caramels are melted, and the flour and milk have thickened. Pour the caramel mixture into a bowl and set in the freezer for a few minutes to cool completely. Next, in a medium bowl, cream together the butter and confectioner's sugar until smooth; add the cinnamon and mix again. Add the cooled caramel to the sugar mixture and mix until completely incorporated and smooth. 

 

Coffee Table Makeover

Brett and I have been in our current house for a little over a year now. Since we moved in last year, we have not had a coffee table, which has been inconvenient to say the least. As I was driving home the other day, I just happen to pass by our neighbor's house right as they were throwing out an old coffee table that they no longer needed. Of course, I asked them if I could have it, and they were more than happy to load it up for me! It was a solid wood oak table that was in decent shape, but it just needed sprucing up. And I did just that. 


To start, I sanded down the entire top of the table to get rid of the oak colored stain and to smooth out the wood. Once that was done, I used a flat head screw driver and a mallet to knock off the dated braided molding along the sides; it had been attached with tiny nails, so it was a pretty simple task. Next, I started to paint, beginning with flipping the table upside down and painting the legs; I waited about two hours, then painted a second coat. After the legs dried, I flipped the table over and painted the top, let it dry, then did another coat. During this time, I also painted the drawer the same color as the table top. After all the paint was dry, I sprayed some satin finish polyurethane to help protect the wood from stains and messy baby fingers! As a finishing touch, I bought an acrylic knob to add some whimsy. All together I spent $34, including the paint and knob... now that's a cheap, but chic, coffee table!

Before:

Sorry, I forgot to take a 'before' picture before I started sanding!

After:

Paint:$30 for a quart of each color

Acrylic knob from Lowe's: $4

Vanilla Latte Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream

This is for my cupcake-loving best friend, Kimberly, because some days we just need a chocolate and coffee picker-upper.

Cupcake:

3/4 cup oil (vegetable or Smart Balance oil)

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup pulled espresso, or very bold brewed coffee

2/3 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 and line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers. In a large bowl, or stand up mixer, cream the sugar and oil until well incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. In a separate bowl, mix together the two flours, then add to sugar mixture in 4 separate parts alternating with milk. Add the espresso (or coffee) and vanilla, then mix well. Divide among cupcake pans evenly, then bake for 18-20 minutes, using the toothpick test to assure the cakes are finished. Top with the chocolate cream.

Chocolate Cream:

4 cups sifted confectioners sugar

4 tsp cocoa powder

1 tbsp milk

1 cup softened butter

In a stand up mixer, beat together the confectioners sugar and butter until smooth. Then, add the milk and cocoa powder and mix again until smooth and well incorporated. 

Organize the Pantry

Pretty much since Brett and I moved into our house, our kitchen pantry has been a cluttered mess. Things were just thrown into random places, with no method of organization what so ever. After grocery shopping today, and after fighting to get everything I bought into the pantry, I decided it was time to tackle the mess. It was an easy and cheap project that is going to very much save my sanity every time I open the pantry door!


Here are the before pictures:

Awful isn't it? I'm so embarrassed to admit that was in my kitchen! All I did then was remove every single thing from the pantry to the counter for sorting and throwing things away. 

This is just one place on my counter with food; I had two more.

As I removed the items, I tried to organize things in groups on the counter so it would be easier for putting things back in the pantry. I bought 6 plastic baskets from the dollar store, and a package of 6 tight-sealed containers as well. After all the sorting and organizing, I can finally be proud of my pantry!

Isn't it lovely? To add one more bit of organization, I printed tags from my computer and used permanent craft adhesive to tape it to some construction paper. Then, I "laminated" the tag with some regular clear tape to make the tags more sturdy and durable.