Guest Post Spectacular - Guest #7 - This Gal Cooks

Hello fellow foodies! I'm Julie from This Gal Cooks. I blog about food! I bet the name didn't give it away, did it? I am excited to be here today on The Mandatory Mooch sharing one of my tasty recipes! Today I will be sharing a cinnamon roll cake recipe that I made a while back. This recipe combines ingredients that result in ooey gooey goodness! You can't go wrong with this cake. In fact, it would be perfect to begin your Christmas morning with. Just double the recipe if you are baking for a large group because this recipe serves 6. I hope you enjoy my recipe!

Ingredients

For the cake mix

• 1 1/2 C All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 C white sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 C milk
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 C butter, melted

For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping

• 1/2 C butter, room temp
• 1/2 C packed brown sugar
• 1 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/2 tbsp cinnamon

For the Glaze

• 1 C powdered sugar
• 2.5 tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions

• In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, white sugar, baking powder, milk, egg and vanilla.
• Stir in the melted butter.
• In another mixing bowl, combine the ingredients for the cinnamon sugar topping.
• Pour the cake mix into a greased 8x8 baking dish. Drop the cinnamon sugar topping into small drops on the top of the cake. Swirl with a knife.
• Bake at 350 for 25-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze. Whisk together the glaze ingredients in a mixing bowl.  
• When the cake is done baking, poke holes into it with a toothpick (I used a large skewer so the holes would be a little bigger than a regular toothpick hole)
• Pour the glaze over the cake.
• Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

A little about the cook:

I'm a foodie who loves to cook and bake. I dream of one day owning my own cafe or bake shop. To find out what other tasty recipes I'm cooking, head over to my blog and have a look around. :)

This Gal Cooks

Guest Post Spectacular - Guest #6 - Call Me PMc

Hello Friends, I'm Paula, but my friends call me PMc. I blog at Call Me PMc about easy to prepare recipes for busy families, time management and workout tips, and easy crafts and DIY projects.

This is my sweet family. They keep me busy. They make me laugh. They drive me crazy at times! I share it all with you at Call Me PMc.

A big thank you to Nichi for allowing me to guest post today. I want to share the Dark Chocolate Creme Brulee with you. This would be a great ending to an elegant holiday dinner. It's my husband's absolute favorite dessert and he is not a big dessert eater! At first glance, it looks intimidating to make. Trust me, it's not, but your guests do not have to know, just let them think you slaved in the kitchen for hours for them!

Dark Chocolate Creme Brulee

Ingredients:

5 oz bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces

2 c heavy cream

1/4 c milk

1 tsp expresso powder

6 egg yolks

Juice of 1 orange, about 1/4 cup

1/4 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla

6 T sugar and kitchen blowtorch if you plan to brulee top

Directions: 

1.  Preheat oven 325 degrees.

2.  Place ramekins in a 9x13 inch cake pan.

3.  Pour cream in a heavy sauce pan and heat to simmer. Add expresso and broken chocolate. Whisk and watch closely.

4.  Juice one orange, add vanilla and egg yolks; whisk all until well incorporated.

5.  Temper the egg mixture, then stir in to cream mixture. Whisk until everything is completely combined and smooth.

6.  Pour the custard into 6 ramekins (that you have place in a larger pan). Put in the oven then add water to the larger pan careful not to splash any in the chocolate mixture.

7.  Bake 30 to 35 minutes in 325 degree oven. Custards will be set around the edges and soft in the center, but the top will change from shiny to matte finish when the custards are cooked.

8.  Cool completely, then refrigerate, uncovered until cold.

*If you wish to brulee top, sprinkle sugar evenly over top. (It may help to pick up ramekin and swirl to evenly distribute sugar) Heat with a kitchen torch until caramelized. Brulee just before serving.

I would love for you to come visit and follow via Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest!

Guest Post Spectacular - Guest #4 - Mommy's Sweet Confessions

Hi Everyone!

My name is Lindsay and I am a mother to two boys 3 and under, and they keep me busy all day long.  In the very rare down time, I love to bake, cook, and blog about my culinary endeavors.  My blog, Mommy's Sweet Confessions, is where I chronicle all these cooking adventures, and I would love for you to visit, and make your acquaintance. You can also catch me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I would love to thank The Mandatory Mooch for inviting me to be part of her link party, it is an honor!!!

I have been on a quest to find eggnog goodies to make for my husband, because he loves eggnog.  This was my second attempt at it.  Thanks to Inside BruCrew Life's Eggnog Latte Cupcakes, I was able to give him a treat that made him go back for seconds!  I made very few changes to their recipe, because it was just so good to begin with, not much room for change.  They have a wonderful, subtle eggnog flavor in the cupcake, and the frosting has so much coffee deliciousness in it, my husband and I were eating it with a spoon.  Yep, that good!  Perfect combo for those that love their eggnog coffee drinks.

Caffè Eggnog Cupcakes

(Slightly adapted from Inside BruCrew Life's Eggnog Latte Cupcakes)


Makes 18-24 cupcakes, depending on how full they are filled

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes
• 1 vanilla cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1 c. eggnog
• 1/3 c. oil
• 1/4 c. fat free Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp. rum extract
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

For the Coffee Cream Butter Cream 

• 1/2 c. butter, softened
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 Tbsp. hot water
• 2 Tbsp. instant coffee
• 1/2 tsp. rum extract
• pinch of salt
• 4 c. powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp. eggnog

Instructions:

For the Cupcakes
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line pan with cupcake liners. Beat the cake mix, eggs, eggnog, oil, yogurt, extract, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg on low for 1 minute and then on medium for 2 minutes. 
2. Fill liners 2/3 of the way full. Bake 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
3. Cool on a wire rack completely before frosting with coffee buttercream. Dust with nutmeg. Keep cupcakes refrigerated. 

For the Butter Cream 
1. Dissolve the coffee in hot water and set aside. 
2. Beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy. 
3. Add coffee water, extract, and salt. Beat in sugar slowly. After all the sugar has been mixed in, beat in eggnog to thin it slightly. 
4. Keep refrigerated.