We’re back!  My talented friend Kristen from Ella Claire has brought a group of us bloggers back to share some more holiday treats!  We shared Christmas cookies last month with you, like my Ooey Gooey Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies, but today we’re sharing non-cookie treats.  I’ve been so excited to share with you my adorable individual ornament cakes!  I have the recipe and instructions for you today and it’s so delicious….you’re going to love it!

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my
full disclosure policy and here for my privacy & cookies policy.  All opinions are my own.

While we aren’t huge fans of any kind of cake in our family, we do love a nice dense chocolate cake, as well as some other unique cake recipes.  This delicious recipe below is used to make these delicious and darling ornament cakes.  It’s a perfect idea for a fun dinner, luncheon, party or gift at Christmas time!  They are different from any other dessert you will see served this time of year and they are SO CUTE that your friends and family are sure to swoon over them!

*NOTE: I will link the items from this post used (and/or suggested items) at the end of the post in the “Shop The Post” section.

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Individual Ornament Cakes - Chocolate Cake Recipe

Author Summer

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients:

• 1 box (18 1/4 ounce) Devil's Food cake mix
• 1 box (4 ounce) instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 large eggs

Frosting Ingredients:

• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup softened butter
• 2-3 tsp vanilla
• 1-2 tbsp milk
• 1 bottle sparkling sugar

Top of Ornament Ingredients:

• 1 small tub white fondant
• 1 bag white candy melts

*You'll need to buy half-sphere cake molds and small peanut butter cup candy molds for this recipe.

Instructions

Cake Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Place the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, water, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl.  Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.  Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl.  On medium low speed, continue to blend for 2-3 minutes more.  The batter will be very thick and should look well combined.  Pour into silicone mold, filling each cavity 3/4 of the way with cake batter.  Place into oven and bake for 20 min and then check by sticking a toothpick in each one.  If it comes out clean, it is done and you can remove and let cool.  If it is still wet, return to oven for another 3 min at a time.
• Once removed from oven, allow to cool for 5 min and then flip over quickly (onto smooth surface or parchment paper) to allow them to cool completely.

Frosting Instructions:

• Add softened butter and vanilla to the mixing bowl and mix until completely combined.  Add Powdered Sugar and beat on low until it is incorporated. Then move mixer up to medium-high speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When completely mixed the frosting may appear dry.  Add milk a little bit at a time until frosting is the proper consistency.  Add food coloring of color that is desired.  Keep thick.  Frost the cake half-spheres once cooled.  (I like to make the frosting and the top of the ornament (below) while cake is baking in the oven.) *Tip: Freeze cakes for 1-2 hours before frosting, to avoid crumbs from being spread all over.*  Then, immediately sprinkle with sparkly white sugar.

Top of ornament instructions:

• Melt half a bag of white candy melts by following instructions on the bag of contents. Pour into small peanut butter cup candy molds and let harden for about 20-30 min. I prefer doing this while the cake is baking.
• Roll out a small bit of the fondant in your hand until it's skinny and long.  Cut 1 1/2" to 2" sections (whichever you prefer) and fold over, pinching ends together.  Set and let dry for at least 30 min.  Attach with a small dab of melted candy melts onto white mini cups and hold for a minute. Now, place the candy cup and marzipan loop that you've made for the top of the ornament cake and place it on the ornament cake (as shown) with some more of the melted candy.  Instead of holding it there for a few minutes, I just took pieces of tooth pics and stuck them into the cake with the ornament top resting against it until it dried/hardened.

Ornament decoration:

• You can either use a mini cookie cutter of a snowflake or other shape to cut out fondant for a decoration on the top of the cake.  OR  You can buy small candies that are used to decorate cakes.  They have snowflakes and other things also.  

Confession:  I started eating a low-carb diet recently and cut out sugars so while I made the regular cake recipe for my family, I then made the most amazing Keto low-carb chocolate cake (shown above in molds) that I’m going to share it also on the blog this next week.  It is really fabulous too!  

I frosted the cakes on parchment paper and then added the sparkly sugar.  Frost it as smoothly as you can but imperfections are fine and will be covered by the sparkly sugar.

While the recipe calls for you to melt the melting candy chips and pour into the smaller molds, I just happened to have Rolos from Beckham’s leftover Halloween candy (haha) that I wanted to get rid of.  So I froze them first and then poured the white candy melts over them and let them harden. I took a knife and quickly shaved off a few sections to make it look more the shape it should.  

While there are several little parts to this individual ornament cakes recipe, I promise that it goes quickly and is really quite simple.

As mentioned in the recipe instructions, I rested the top of the ornament (candy) against the toothpick on top of the cake until it hardened in place.

Once the frosting hardens, you can use a cake server to remove each individual ornament cake from the parchment paper and onto a pretty cake stand or plate.

When you serve these individual ornament cakes, make sure to also serve a cup of milk because, like brownies, they go perfectly together.  Yummy!!

 

Please visit my friends and their blog posts, full of yummy holiday treats, below!

4 Minute Decadent Microwave Fudge by Ella Claire | Gluten/Dairy Free Rice Krispies Christmas Trees by Zevy Joy | Dipped Marshmallows by My Sweet Savannah | Individual Chocolate Souffle by Town and Country Living | Santa Munch Christmas Popcorn by Tidy Mom

Mini Skillet Cookie Cakes by Inspired by Charm | Cinnamon Buns by So Much Better with Age | Peanut Butter Fudge by Anderson + Grant | Peppermint Brownies by Nina Hendrick Design Co. | Deconstructed Apple Pie Bites by Taryn Whiteaker

Christmas Energy Snack Bites by Nest of Posies | Peppermint Bark by Boxwood Avenue | Gluten Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles by Tidbits | Keto Cinnamon Sugar Pecans by Home Stories A to Z | Candy Cane Pretzels by My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Caramel Popcorn Crunch by Shabby Fufu | Individual Ornament Cakes by Summer Adams Designs

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Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I would love it if you could subscribe at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest blog posts and see everything I’m working on!  You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!

xoxo,

The post Individual Ornament Cakes: Recipe & Instructions appeared first on Summer Adams.

Last year on my Instagram stories I shared one of my favorite cookie recipes with you and, after all the requests, I promised that I’d share it on the blog this year.  This recipe is my mother’s and has been one of my favorite cookies since I was a young girl.  We make it every year at this time and it’s also a favorite at Christmas Cookie exchange parties.  My friend Kristen at Ella Claire Blog has gathered a group of us again to share favorite recipes of the season and this week we are all sharing Christmas cookie favorites so make sure to pin all of these so that you have them for later!

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my
full disclosure policy and here for my privacy & cookies policy.  All opinions are my own.

Ooey Gooey Chocolate Marshmallow Cookie Recipe

I need to preface this recipe by making an important note!  This recipe calls for shortening.  If you don’t have it and substitute butter for it, make sure to use less of it (I’ll note that in the recipe) other wise they come out a little flatter like mine look here.  I completely forgot which is embarrassing, considering how many times I’ve made this cookie, but guess what?  They taste just as delicious and you won’t want to eat one or two…try three or four and so on….with a tall glass of milk.  MmmmHmmm….they’re oh soooooo good.  Ok, I’ve warned you.  So if you’re counting calories, you are not allowed to eat these because one is just not sufficient….ha!  Seriously though.

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Ooey Gooey Chocolate Marshmallow Cookie Recipe

Keyword Cookie

Author Summer

Ingredients

Cookie Recipe:

• 1 3/4 cups sifted flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup shortening OR you can substitute 1/4 cup butter - room temp
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• large marshmallows cut in half OR mini marshmallows
• crushed candy canes or peppermint candies

Frosting Recipe:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 5 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3-4 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Cookie:

• Preheat oven to 375ºF.
• Sift together flour, salt, soda and cocoa.
• Cream together shortening, sugar and egg.  Then add milk and vanilla.
• Add flour mixture to shortening mixture.
• Drop spoonfuls onto un-greased cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes.
• Immediately remove from oven and add half of large marshmallow OR small handful of mini marshmallows (5-8) and quickly return to oven for 3 more minutes.
• Remove from oven and cool.  Top with chocolate frosting and candies.

Frosting:

• Sift dry ingredients together.  Add wet ingredients and frost cookies.  Immediately add pinch or desired amount of crushed candy canes or peppermint candies (optional).

Ok is your mouth watering?  Mine is!

Now, please hop on over to visit my other friends and see what delicious cookies they’re sharing with you!

 

The Perfect Soft Gingerbread Cookies by Ella Claire | Classic Sugar Cookies by Nina Hendrick Design Co. | Plaid Sugar Cookies by Craftberry Bush | Buttery Shortbread Cookies with Icing Sugar by A Burst of Beautiful | German Chocolate Cake Cookies by City Farmhouse

Cranberry Orange Walnut Tassies by Inspired by Charm | Eggnog Gooey Butter Cookies by Julie Blanner | All Natural Orange Almond Cookies by Tidbits | Choco-mallow Peppermint Cookies by Summer Adams Designs | Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies by Love Grows Wild

Paleo Chocolate Cranberry Cookies by Nesting with Grace | Raspberry Gingersnap Sandwiches by anderson + grant | Christmas Tree Cookies by Rooms for Rent | Large Thumbprint Cookies by So Much Better with Age | Rum Balls by Tidy Mom

Countdown to Christmas Cookies by House 214 Design | Ginger Sugar Cookies by Zevy Joy | Salted Caramel Shortbread Cookies by Boxwood Avenue | Double Chocolate Christmas Cookies by Nest of Posies | Almond Sugar Cookies by My Sweet Savannah

M&M Cookies by Sweet C’s | Rustic Granola Cookies by Farmhouse on Boone

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I would love it if you could subscribe at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest blog posts and see everything I’m working on!  You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!

xoxo,

The post Ooey Gooey Chocolate Marshmallow Cookie Recipe appeared first on Summer Adams.

 I’ve been sharing a lot of my favorite fall recipes here lately on the blog.  This last weekend, I asked my oldest, Brooklyn, if she wanted to learn to make our family caramel recipe and make popcorn balls.  She happily accepted and we wanted Beckham to get in on the fun with us but he was, as usual, out riding his bike around the neighborhood with friends. However, he had no problem coming in afterwards and enjoying the treats we’d made.  So here it is….the yummiest and easiest caramel popcorn balls ever!

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my
full disclosure policy and here for my privacy & cookies policy.  All opinions are my own.

This recipe actually comes right out of my mom’s handwritten recipe book, that I treasure, and is my Great Uncle Walt’s caramel recipe.  He was a hoot.  I’m not quite sure about the story behind this recipe so I need to ask her but we have been making this particular recipe for as long as I can remember.
***Mommy reminder***
Just remember….after you lick this delicious caramel off your fingers, you must wash your hands before making more caramel popcorn balls! 

Notice, I have some favorite pink pieces in my kitchen so I’ll link them at the end in my “shop the post” section.

Doesn’t that look soooo yummy?!  It is!!!

They are so gooey and chewy and perfect but let them sit and harden a little before you wrap them up and give them away OR serve them to your friends and family so that they don’t fall apart!

I like to serve them stacked like this OR I’ll tie them in individual clear halloween bags with a little ribbon and give them away to friends.  Hope you love these as much as we do!

You can also stop after stirring the caramel and popcorn together and just bring the large bowl of caramel popcorn over to your people and let them dish some into individual bowls!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I would love it if you could subscribe at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest blog posts and see everything I’m working on!  You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!

xoxo,

The post Yummiest & Easiest Caramel Popcorn Balls appeared first on Summer Adams.

Last week I shared my Simple & Delicious Apple Peach Crisp with all of you, along with all of my friends who shared their fabulous apple fall recipes. Today we’re all back and we’re bringing your our yummiest fall pumpkin recipes, thanks to our friend Kristen at Ella Claire Blog, who decided to host this tour and get us all together.  My family isn’t complaining because they know how much I love fall baking and when I told them I was going to be making and sharing my Pumpkin Spice Waffle Recipe + Dessert Bar, they shouted “hooray!”

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my
full disclosure policy and here for my privacy & cookies policy.  All opinions are my own.

Waffles are more than just a breakfast food.  You can use them for all sorts of sandwiches and even for desserts.  With the way we load these pumpkin spice waffles up with toppings, it may be more appropriate for a dessert.  But you can definitely use this recipe for your breakfast waffles!

One of my favorite things about being in the kitchen is pulling out all of my pink kitchen accessories.  They just make me smile.  Then I turn on music and it’s a full-on party!

Ok let’s get to the recipe…

Pumpkin Spice Waffle Recipe

Pretty simple, right?!  Here’s where the fun part comes in

Heart-shaped Waffles

Ever since I bought a heart-shaped waffle maker, we have had a lot of fun with it.  If you’re using one of these too, use your kitchen scissors to quickly and carefully just cut down the “seam” and separate the waffles into individual hearts.  Trust me, this is sooooo quick and easy and they look much neater and won’t rip or look sloppy.

If you’re using a regular waffle maker, just cut them on the seam into quarters.  Then, arrange your waffles on a platter.  You can just serve whole waffles without cutting them apart, but if you’re making them into fun little waffle dessert sandwiches (I’ll show you that below) it’s nice to have smaller pieces.

Pumpkin Spice Waffles Toppings

If you’re trying to be healthy, choose healthy toppings.  This is a dessert bar so I pick a lot of fun toppings and we get crazy.

I like to toast coconut for one of the toppings.

I also love the taste of toasted pecans.  It’s especially perfect for this season and I’ll add a smidge of cinnamon and sugar.

We like to pull out the cookie butter and milk chocolate chips (shown above).  Other toppings we’ve used are Nutella, chocolate or caramel syrups, mini M&M’s, crushes Oreo’s, chopped up Snickers or other candy bars, carob or white chocolate chips, slivered almonds, ice cream…the list goes on.  Choose whatever sounds good or whatever you have!  That’s the FUN of it!

You can pull out maple syrup or other pancake syrups.  I also whip my own whipped cream (with Mexican Vanilla – my favorite).  For a quick and easy alternative, you can also use whipped cream out of a can.  I just like to go all out for this!

Pumpkin Spice Waffles Dessert Bar

Now all you have to do is grab plates and flatware (and maybe some pretty napkins or centerpiece too) and put it all out on the counter or table and arrange it for your family and/or friends.

They are going to love it!

How to eat your Pumpkin Spice Dessert Waffles

You can either eat your waffles, layered on top of one another (as people normally do) and add all of your toppings.

OR

You can make a waffle dessert sandwich.

Add all of your toppings on to the bottom piece.

Take another waffle piece and sandwich it on top.

There you go.  It’s that simple.  If you wanted to spread on softened ice cream and make ice cream sandwiches, you could stick them back in the freezer for 30-60 minutes and serve.  There are endless possibilities for these little Pumpkin Spice Waffles but one thing is for sure…..

No matter which way you eat them, they are absolutely delicious!  Everyone will love them. Our friends that don’t particularly love pumpkin-flavored desserts LOVED these because the pumpkin flavor is just enough and not overwhelming.  It’s the perfect fall dessert!

{I’m including links of products from the post below. Click on arrows to scroll right and left.}

{If you’re looking for more info on my kitchen, please click HERE.  For paint and flooring info, please click HERE.}

Please hop on over and visit all my talented friends who are sharing their pumpkin recipes also and let me tell you…they know how to bake and cook!  I have LOVED trying their recipes!
Don’t forget to pin the recipes so that you have them later!

Pumpkin Snack Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting by Ella Claire | Pumpkin Pie Baklava by A Burst of Beautiful | Keto Pumpkin Cranberry Scones by Home Stories A to Z | Baked Pumpkin Donuts by Boxwood Avenue | Nutella Pumpkin Spice Croissants by Craftberry Bush

Pumpkin Spice Butter by Tidy Mom | Pumpkin Peach Smoothie by Nesting with Grace | Orange Pumpkin Pie by So Much Better with Age | Pumpkin Sugar Cookies by Zevy Joy | Pumpkin Spiced Rooibos Latte by Farmhouse on Boone

Pumpkin Bread Pudding by Love Grows Wild | Mini GF + Keto Pumpkin Cheesecakes by The Chronicles of Home | Pumpkin Spice Cranberry Muffins by Anderson + Grant | Pumpkin Butter Goat Cheese & Bacon Appetizer by Nest of Posies | GF Pumpkin Muffins by Maison de Pax

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies by Inspired by Charm | Pumpkin Fettuccine Alfredo by Town and Country Living | Pumpkin Custard by My Sweet Savannah | Mini Pumpkin Pies by Nina Hendrick Design Co. | Pumpkin Spice Waffle Recipe + Dessert Bar by Summer Adams

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Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I would love it if you subscribed at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest blog posts and hear about digital printables & freebies, as well as sales or new items in My Online Shoppe.  You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!

xoxo,

The post Pumpkin Spice Waffle Recipe + Dessert Bar appeared first on Summer Adams.

I’m so excited that the Seasonal Simplicity series is back again; and this time it’s to celebrate Summer! Welcome to those of you who might be here for the first time!  So glad you could stop by and hope you will, time and time again!  Today I’ve joined up with a talented group of bloggers to share our summer recipe ideas and I’m sharing one of my new favorite recipes with you, a luscious lemon curd parfait!

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience.
Click here to read my full disclosure policy.  All opinions are my own.

My mom is in town visiting and, not only is her favorite color yellow, but she loves anything lemon and has made so many delicious lemon desserts since I was a child.  We went to the Farmer’s Market the other day, as we do each Saturday after Beckham’s soccer games, and picked up fresh organic lemons and the most beautiful bouquet of lemon flowers.  So fitting for her visit, don’t ya think?!

I told my mom that I wanted to make a lemon dessert for our family on Sunday after dinner and she was excited.  Perfect timing for this blog post.  (See this post for more details on our kitchen.)

I would call this a semi-homemade recipe and it’s not only sooooo easy but it’s soooo delicious!!

Cake:

•We prepared a moist white cake from Betty Crocker.  Easy peasy!  Just omit 1 of the 3 eggs and only use 2.  It makes it more dense when you only use 2 eggs.  We also added 2 TBSP of fresh lemon zest.  Bake as directed, cool, and then cut into little squares.

Lemon Curd:

•1/3 cup granulated sugar
•1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
•2 tsp lemon zest finely grated
•2 large eggs room temperature
•1/4 cup butter room temperature

1. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and eggs.
2. Add the butter and cook over low heat, stirring continuously with a whisk, until the first bubble appears on the surface of the mixture and the curd is thick enough to hold marks of the whisk, about 6-8 minutes.

3. Strain the lemon curd through a fine-mesh strainer if you don’t want the lemon zest in the curd. Transfer the hot lemon curd to a bowl or jar and cover the surface with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until cold, then take off the plastic wrap and replace with a lid.

4. The curd keeps fresh in the refrigerator for about 1 week.

Whipped Cream:

•We used whipped cream from a can for this simple recipe but y’all know how much I love homemade whipped cream (with Mexican Vanilla for an unbelievably delicious kick) so I highly recommend it if you want a homemade option.

Layer the cubed cake pieces, a light layer of lemon curd, and whipped cream.  Repeat those layers and then add extra whipped cream on the very top.  Add a lemon slice and some mint for garnish and serve.

Remember that scene from What About Bob where Bill Murray is eating and making sounds while he was eating?  That was our family while eating this luscious lemon curd parfait, haha!  We were like “ohhhhh wow, oh this is so good”, and so on.  Hilarious!  But that’s how good it was!  The sweet tart lemon curd was so delicious in between that cake and whipped cream.  It was heavenly!

As soon as I made the first parfait, I had to taste it and oh WOW….it might be my favorite lemon dessert ever!  And it’s just the perfect size.  Mom loved it so much too.  I found this darling melamine lemon platter at HomeGoods.  I even found this darling lemon kimono HERE for the occasion.  You can find these darling glasses HERE and spoons HERE (or similar here).  Vase is found HERE.  Other dishes are vintage milk glass with gold-rimmed edges. Far left bowl is from HomeGoods too.

Other ideas for using your leftover lemon curd:

-spread it on toast

-top ice cream

-use it as a filling in a cake

-stuffed cupcakes

-filled donuts

-top pancakes

-throw it in a pie shell and top with whipped cream

-fruit dip

-Stir into plain Greek Yogurt and top with granola and/or fruit

-Fold into whipped cream and top a cake with it

-Top a bagel or breakfast pastry

-Fill crepes

-Spoon a bunch on top of softened cream cheese and serve with crackers

Is your mouth watering?  Make sure to pin any one of my images to Pinterest by hovering over the top left and clicking on “pin it” button so that you have it for later.  Please hop on over to the other friends of mine below and see what delectable summer recipes they’re sharing today!  They are all amazing!!!

Make sure to visit my Loveliest Looks of Summer Tour that I posted earlier this week, including summer decor and fashion!

The Happy Housie // Sincerely, Marie Designs // Home.Made.Lovely //Inspiration for Moms

Maison de Pax // On Sutton Place // The DIY Mommy // Duke Manor Farm

TIDBITS // In My Own Style // Two Twenty One // Finding Silver Pennies

Satori Design for Living // Nina Hendrick Design Co. // Summer Adams // A Pretty Life

Town and Country Living // Rooms FOR Rent Blog // Clean and Scentsible // Craftberry Bush

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Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I would love it if you subscribed at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest blog posts and hear about digital printables & freebies, as well as sales or new items in My Online Shoppe.  You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!

xoxo,

The post Luscious Lemon Curd Parfait appeared first on Summer Adams.

Hello, friends!  I’m so excited to have you here today!  We are gathered again, as a group of bloggers, to bring all of you some fabulous spring recipes.  Not only are they all delicious, but they are so beautifully presented and would be a hit at any of your spring events.  Make sure to pin all these recipes to Pinterest so that you have them saved!  Today I’m sharing my Pink Lemonade Chiffon Naked Cake with you and, from a person who is extremely picky about cake recipes, I can assure you that it is a must-try recipe.

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience.
Click here to read my full disclosure policy.  All opinions are my own.

My 12 year-old daughter, Brooklyn, and I decided we wanted to make a naked cake together and share it with you today.  Funny thing though….we both don’t “love” just a traditional cake and frosting recipe.  We are really picky.  She requests Tres Leches cake on her Birthday and, if I make a cake at home, it has to be one of the really fabulous cake recipes that are in our family. That being said, I remember making a really really good cake a few years ago (and it’s from a box) and that’s the one I’m sharing with you today.

Pink Lemonade Chiffon Naked Cake Recipe

Ok so 2 things…
If you aren’t a huge lemon person you can still add the lemonade and it will be almost undetectable in the batter but truly makes it delicious and it’s necessary.

But if you like the lemon…this is a lemonade cake after all…you will need to add some lemon zest into both the batter and the frosting.  I didn’t use it in the frosting this time, since I didn’t want it to ruin the look of my naked cake.

Ingredients
2 boxes of Betty Crocker White Cake Mix
2 1/2 cups pink lemonade
2/3 cup vegetable oil
6 eggs, separating with whites reserved
3 Tbsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Frosting
1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
7- 8 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup pink lemonade
1 Tbsp lemon juice
*1 Tbsp lemon zest (I did not use it in this recipe)
*food coloring (optional and I did not use it in this recipe.  I recommend pink though if you’re not doing a naked cake.)

Cake Instructions:

•Preheat oven to 350°
•Spray 3, 8″ cake pans generously with baking spray, set aside
•In bowl or stand mixer, mix on low speed cake mix as box instructs but SUBSTITUTING WATER FOR PINK LEMONADE.  So, do not use the water!!!
•Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add in the egg yolks, oil, pink lemonade and 2-3 drops of food coloring if desired. Beat mixture on medium high for 3 minutes, scraping sides as needed.
•In a separate mixing bowl combine egg whites and cream of tartar and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, will take a few minutes.
•Fold egg whites into the cake batter and divide equally into the 3 prepared pans.
•Bake for 27-30 minutes, checking at 27 min.
•Cool in pans for 10 minutes and then remove from pans and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Next….
•With parchment paper in between layers, freeze the 3 cakes for a few hours.

•Remove from freezer and, using a serrated bread knife, cut off the top rounded part of the cake to make it flat.  SAVE your scraps of cake because if you cut the cake unevenly, which we happen to this time to one of the cakes, you can take a thin part to put on the lower side so that the cakes will stack evenly and not be lopsided.

•Split a large piece of parchment or wax paper in half and put on top of the cake stand and then place the first cake on top of it.
•Fill large pastry bag (or a Ziplock bag is just fine) with frosting and generously squeeze in a spiral pattern on top of the cake.
•Place next cake on top and repeat last step with frosting and then place the last cake on top.
•Generously apply frosting to very top layer of the cake.

•Fill in uneven parts of cake layers with more frosting and all the way out to the very edge of cake.

•Take a large scraper to scrape along the outside of the cake as you turn the cake stand.  You’ll probably need to pipe more frosting along the “naked” parts of the cake, as to get frosting on every part of the outer edge of the cake.

•Continue scraping until you get it how you want it, removing any crumbs in-between scraping.

This is when you carefully remove each side of the paper from underneath the cake and discard it.  And THAT is how you keep your cake plate clean and ready for decorating.  My mom taught me this trick years ago and it’s never failed me.

Grab a bunch of fresh flowers to decorate your cake.  I happened to have several different bunches of fresh flowers….pink roses, pink carnations, and pink spray roses.

I garnished the bottom side of cake with the flowers and also plastic faux greenery that I washed and dried and clipped to size.

I created a similar but larger arrangement on the opposite side on top.

I’m so pleased with how it turned out.

Now, can we talk about how cute this top is?

I recently discovered Elizabeth Wilson Designs, a lover of gingham, ruffles and a touch of whimsy!  I fell in love with so many pieces in her collection immediately and was thrilled to receive her Katherine Top in pink gingham!  With the high ruffle-neck and bell sleeves, I mean….she was speaking my love language when she designed this top.  It’s classy, fun, flattering, and just perfect for the spring!

I wore it to church already and was stopped right and left to be told that it was the cutest top.  You won’t find one like it anywhere else!  You’ll see me in something else of hers soon so stay tuned.  But until then, make sure to visit her online store and have fun filling up your cart!  You can also follow her on Instagram @ElizabethWilsonDesigns.

As pretty as this cake was, my family couldn’t wait to tear into it.

We may or may not have come home around noon from church and had cake for lunch….and ice cream.  Yes, I broke a rule and it was so worth it.  All 4 of us enjoyed every single bite!  This cake is just delicious!

Today some of my friends are sharing their beautiful and inspiring spring recipes as well!

Hop over to see what they are sharing…

Raspberry Lemon Quench at The Happy Housie

Amazing Gluten Free Popovers at Willow Street Interiors

Easy Strawberry Ice Cream Cake at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Chocolate Challah Bread at Place of My Taste

Low Fat Oreo Fluff Dessert at On Sutton Place

Gluten/Dairy Free Easter Egg Lemon Sugar Cookies at Zevy Joy

Fresh Citrus Angel Food Cake with Lemon Curd at Sincerely, Marie Designs

Painted Easter Cake with Chocolate Nest at Craftberry Bush

The Best Carrot Cake Recipe at Happy Happy Nester

Lemon Cheesecake Mini Tarts at The House of Wood

Flower Pretzels at Home Made Lovely (formerly AKA Design)

Lemon Shortbread Squares at A Pretty Life

Dairy Free Avacado Egg Salad at Simple Stylings

Gluten Free Double Chocolate Chip Cookies at Taryn Whiteaker

Easy Cake Batter Dip at Amber Tysl

Tea Cake Sandwich Recipe at Shabbyfufu

Toasted Coconut Nest Cupcakes at Nina Hendrick Design Co.

Pink Lemonade Chiffon Naked Cake at Summer Adams

Kid Favourite Rice Krispie Spring Eggs at Duke Manor Farm

Thank you so much for stopping by today!  I would love it if you subscribed at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest blog posts and hear about digital printables & freebies, as well as sales or new items in My Online Shoppe.  You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!

xoxo,

The post Pink Lemonade Chiffon Naked Cake appeared first on Summer Adams.

Yesterday I participated in a blog hop with a bunch of blogger friends and we shared a lot of fun Valentine’s inspiration from decor to DIY’s.  I shared our Family Valentine’s Bar Cart and they had a fun treat that I promised to share with you today in a separate post.  So, as promised, I’m going to teach you how to make the most delicious heart-shaped macarons and they are just adorable!

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience.
Click here to read my full disclosure policy.  All opinions are my own.

Even if you’ve failed at macarons, and believe me I’ve done it a time or two, this recipe is one that always works for us so make sure to follow it EXACTLY and you’ll succeed at making macarons too.  I love this little french cookie.

And first, I’d like to clarify something because even MANY American bakers and recipe book publishers get it wrong and it drives me insane…..

photo from lovelylittledetails.com

One is a french delicate cookie and one is an american coconut cluster cookie.  Okay, now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s move on…ha!

PREP TIME
40 mins
COOK TIME
20 mins
TOTAL TIME
1 hour
Yields: approx 36 macarons

For heart-shape macarons, use this heart silicone mat.

INGREDIENTS
3 Egg Whites (at room temperature)
¼ cup white sugar
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 cup almond flour 
pinch of salt
¼ tsp cream of tartar

STRAWBERRY BUTTER CREAM
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 stick butter
2 heaping spoonfuls of seedless strawberry jam
1 tsp vanilla extract (I like using Mexican vanilla)

INSTRUCTIONS

•Preheat oven to 300F degrees
•Beat egg whites until foamy, then add salt, cream of tartar and white sugar for 5 mins. TIP: egg whites should be room temp.
•Whip until they form a peak that stands upright.
•Then add the food coloring. TIP: Color does fade as it cooks, so do a shade or two darker than you want them to be.
•Sift almond flour, and powdered sugar.  You want a really fine powder mixture to create a smooth cookie.

•Fold flour/sugar mixture into the egg white mixture. TIP: This is where all your hard work can really go wrong. Under mix and your macarons will be lumpy and cracked when the bake with no feet, over mix and your macarons will be flat and won’t have feet, the mark of a well-made macaron. In my experience, 65-75 turns of your spatula when folding is about the right amount of time. 
•Transfer batter to a pastry bag.

•Pipe out on to silicone heart macaron mat and try to shape with frosting tip.

OR pipe out 1 inch rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, if you don’t want to make a heart-shaped macaron.

•Tap the pan hard against the counter, at least 2-3 times to release the air bubbles. This will prevent the tops of your macarons from cracking.
•Let them sit out for 30 mins, or up to an hour if you want. This will allow them time to dry out a bit before hitting the hot oven. They should be “tacky” to the touch, but not stick to your fingertips. This is another important step to assuring your macarons develop feet! When they dry out they can’t spread out in the oven, and are forced to rise up. That’s what creates the feet.

•Bake for 16 mins. DO NOT UNDER BAKE, even if they look done! Otherwise they will stick to your tray.
•Meanwhile mix the buttercream. Whip room-temperature butter with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Slowly add sugar. Then add jam and vanilla.
•Transfer to a pastry bag, fitted with a small tip (about ¼ ” in diameter)
•Reverse cookie shells on their backs, and pipe a small mound of filling on one of them. Top with the other shell, holding the sides to do it.  Don’t smash them on the top or they will crack.

•If not eating right away, keep refrigerated.

And that’s it!  Brooklyn and I made a bunch of heart-shaped macarons and also traditional round macarons last weekend.  They are so light and fluffy and chewy and sweet…oh my goodness!  They are truly divine!  Macarons, creme brûlée, and my mom’s fudge cake might be my favorite desserts ever!

If you’d like to see more on my kitchen, please read this post!

I would love it if you subscribed at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest blog posts and hear about digital printables & freebies, as well as sales or new items in My Online Shoppe.  You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!

xoxo,

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The post How To Make The Most Delicious Heart-Shaped Macarons appeared first on Summer Adams.

Welcome to my blog today!  If you’re new and coming from Styled With Lace, Kim & Lacey’s blog, thanks so much and I hope you come back again and again.  To my regular readers, I LOVE YOU for always coming back!  It’s so fun to have you!  Today I’m sharing how I’m adding a little fall decor to our temporary townhome in this blog hop with my friends AND also a non-alcoholic peach drink recipe.  Make sure to stick around for that!

On A Personal Note…

In May, my husband’s company moved us from Dallas, Texas here to Vancouver, Washington to take a promotion.  We are in the middle of building our home and it should be done in about 6-7 weeks at most.  {I’m crossing my fingers and praying and squinting my eyes and knocking on wood right now not to jinx it since I just said that out loud and we’ve already been delayed.)  We are in a furnished townhome with all of our things in storage.  We literally only brought what we could fit into suitcases and then sent a few boxes.  I am so grateful to be here and it was so kind of them to find us a temporary home.  At the same time, I can’t help but feel a little sad that I don’t have my own things, like ALL my holiday and seasonal decor, to make this place feel more like home.  We’ve moved around so much, between education and going where our company needed us to go, that I’m pretty good at turning any rental into a home.  But right now I have none of my own things and no seasonal decor.  So I added a few minor touches to this little townhome to help me ease into fall, until our big move next month (knock on wood again).

The Smell Of Fall

Let’s start with the “smell of fall”.

Isn’t it the best thing in the world when you get to bring out your spicy cinnamon, vanilla, and pumpkin candles?!  My dear friend Rachel of Agape Candles brought me this candle, Pomme Spice, when I met up with her and a few other blogging friends this summer in San Francisco.  It was so so fun!  I’ve talked about how much I love her candles before and these new scents for fall had me all giddy and excited to try them! This candle is just sooooo yummy!

Most of you know I just LOVE a bright white space (see my Bright White Home Series) and I was so glad when this company had furnished a white sofa for us.  The furniture is dark but I added a little white tablecloth over the coffee table to give me the calm and relaxation that a bright white space does for me.  It worked.   I grabbed one of my favorite gold trays and then brought out this blue and white ginger jar from my own home decor stash of things I’ve been buying for the new house.

Last week, I shared a little bit of this blue decor when I posted The Best Blueberry Pie I Have Ever Eaten on the blog (a fabulous dessert this time of year).  So many of you loved it and I’m so glad.  I decided to keep the blue going.  I love the way it pops against the white!

And then I happened upon this gorgeous mercury glass pumpkin with a touch of gold and brought it home with me.  I love neutral fall decor and I love that this gave that touch of glam that our little temporary home desperately needed!

Last year in one of my Autumn’s In The Air Fall Tour, I shared how I used fur to decorate my coffee table.  I almost did that today but instead just draped it across the shoulder of the sofa.  It gives this room a more cozy feel and added texture.  Also, I grabbed my set of 3 gold mirrors from that stash of decor in the garage for the new house (it’s growing weekly and Josh just shakes his head…ha!) and hung them on this wall.  We will be here almost 6 months by the time our home is finished being built and I had to replace the dark blue and green art that was on the wall.  The mirrors are so much “lighter” here than that heavy, dark piece of art and they help reflect light off the walls of an already small space with few windows.  It made a HUGE difference!

I haven’t done anything yet with our mantel, I’ll save that for another post.  But let’s move over to the kitchen nook….

Same thing happened in this nook.  There was a dark piece of art so I hung it in the garage and swapped it out for another pretty mirror from my “new house decor stash” in the garage.  Bless that stash, ha! This is a tall dark table with tall barstools so I also threw a white tablecloth on this table to brighten up the nook.

I’m not one to use a lot of color but I loved that blue so much that I decided to bring it into the kitchen as well.  Blue hydrangeas, added to my existing white roses, were just the perfect touch!  Of course, my regular readers know I love to put flowers in a pretty white pitcher, just one of the ways to add a little glam to your home.  I know farms in our area are probably already producing little white pumpkins but I haven’t had time to go and grab them.  So instead I threw one I saw at the Target Dollar Spot in my cart and thought it would work until we went out this weekend or next to look.

Most people think of apples and pumpkins for the fall.  I do too!  However, peaches are still in season through the end of September here so I try to bake with them as often as I can.  I make a killer Peach Meringue Pie each summer and I just looooove my Cinnamon Baked Peaches this time of year.  The smell permeates through the home and you know fall is coming!

But today I thought I’d make a yummy drink with peaches.  After all.  It’s still really HOT outside so I want a little something to cool me off.

I’m sharing with you this Non-alcoholic Peach Drink Recipe that your entire family can enjoy!  I started making it years ago, something I came up with on the fly and it turned out great.

Peach Drink Recipe (Non-alcoholic)

Ingredients:

2 cups 7-Up or Sprite
32 oz. peach juice (refrigerated section of your supermarket)
2 TBSP grenadine syrup
2 peaches peeled and pitted (or equivalent frozen/canned)
2 cups ice

Instructions:

Blend all ingredients in a large blender.  You may have to blend half of the recipe at a time and then the other half, if your blender is not large enough.  Pour in glasses and serve with a peach slice if desired.  Enjoy!

It’s so frothy and delightful!  I hope you love it as much as we all do!

For your convenience, I’ve used affiliate links for items from my post today (or similar ones) for you to shop below.

I so thrilled you stopped by!  Hop on over to my amazing friend Janine at Happy Happy Nester and see what inspiration she’s sharing for fall!  Make sure to visit everyone sharing today, which include:

Happy Happy Nester  |  Remington Avenue  |  Maison de Cinq  |  Simple Cozy Charm
MemeHill  |  Designs By Laila  |  I Don’t Know How She Does It  |  2 Ladies & A Chair
The Design Twins  |  Citrine Hill Living  |  Lindsay-Hill Interiors  |  Modern Glam Home
Crazy Chic Design  |  Styled With Lace  |  Summer Adams

*****

SaveSave I would love it if you subscribed at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest blog posts and hear about digital printables & freebies, as well as sales or new items in My Online Shoppe.  You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in “creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!“

xoxo,

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The post Adding A Little Fall Decor To Our Temporary Townhome & A Peach Drink Recipe appeared first on Summer Adams.

Let me preface this post by saying that I’ve never been a huge pie fan. I mean, I’m a HUGE fan of the Peach Meringue Pie that I make each year during peach season but it is not your traditional pie (it’s my readers’ favorite so you need to check that out). But then my hubby and I are in Hawaii last week and I get a text from my mom with pictures of her and the kids picking blueberries and making pies. She taught Brooklyn to make her first blueberry pie and when I took my first bite upon arriving home…I died and went to Heaven. So here is the recipe, because I know you’ll ask, for the best blueberry pie I have ever eaten!

First, these are the pictures my mom took on her phone and sent to me while I’m lying on the beach in Hawaii.  She took the kids blueberry picking, something we’ve been wanting to do since moving here this spring to the Pacific Northwest from Texas.

I love these pictures! How fun to pick your own blueberries and then bake with them!

Brooklyn learned how to press the crust around the edges (Beckham was more interested in Legos and passed on the baking, typical boy).  She even made pretty slits on the top of the crust.  Isnt it pretty?! Ok I could eat a whole jar of that blueberry filling! But let’s move on to the recipe…

The Best Blueberry Pie I Have Ever Eaten

Ingredients:
1 refrigerated pie crust (they made their own from scratch so you can use a pie crust recipe or a good store-bought crust)
4 cups blueberries
½ cup sugar
2 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter
½ teaspoon grated lemon peel

Instructions:
Roll out one sheet pie crust to flatten. Fit into a 9-inch pie dish.

In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup of the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water.

Bring to a boil; cook and stir until mixture is thickened and clear.

Stir in butter; cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 3 cups blueberries and lemon peel.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Turn cooled filling into pie shell. Lay the remaining pie crust on a sheet of wax paper. Roll out to flatten.

Arrange crust on top of blueberries, pressing ends into the edges of the bottom crust and pressing to seal.

Place pie on a baking sheet. Bake in the bottom third of oven until crust is golden and filling bubbles gently, about 30 minutes. Cool on rack.

Serve with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

I like to scoop any blueberry filling I missed the pie plate and put it on top of my vanilla ice cream!

Give me blueberries any day!  They’re so high in anti-oxidants too!

And if you love blue and white and chinoiserie as much as I do, here are some beautiful pieces and collections below.

You can also shop below for my favorite gold kitchen items and entertaining pieces.

Thanks so much for joining me today! I would love it if you subscribed at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest blog posts, hear about digital printables & freebies, and also hear about sales or new items in My Online Shoppe.  You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!

xoxo,

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Happy National Donut Day!!!  Do I have a treat for you!  Literally!

Ok, so it’s no secret, to those that truly know me well, that I’m not a huge donut fan. {GASP} I know, right?!   Most donut shops that I’ve been to make their donuts that leave that film on the roof of your mouth. I do, however, love Shipley’s donuts (they are divine) and we got them every Saturday morning back in Texas. BUT I really really love a yummy baked donut from my own kitchen!  They are delicious, easy to make, and the kids have a lot of fun helping with them! Plus, you don’t get that greasy taste.

Ingredients:
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup milk (almond or soy may be substituted)
• 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (extract is fine)
• 1 egg (substitute is also fine)
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened (no margarine)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• sprinkles (optional) or chopped nuts, coconut, mini chocolate chips, etc.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to  350°F. In large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, teaspoon salt, and cinnamon and set aside. In a small saucepan on medium heat, stir in the milk, white vinegar, vanilla past or extract, egg and softened butter. Stir constantly with a whisk until butter melts. Combine wet mixture to the dry flour mix until smooth. With a large spoon, pour donut batter into an ungreased doughnut pan. Bake for 11 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. You don’t want to over-bake them. You want them light and fluffy. Remove baked donuts immediately from pan and place on to a cooling rack. Otherwise, they will stick and you’ll ruin your pretty donuts.

Prettiest Pink Glaze:
• 2 TBSP milk or substitute
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• food coloring (red in this case or a pink paste)

Instructions:

In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk until smooth, Pour half of that mixture into another small bowl.

Add 1 drop of red food coloring in one bowl for a light pink.

In the other small bowl, add 2-3 drops of red food coloring OR 3 drops of red and 1 blue to achieve a richer hue. It’s up to you how dark you want your second color.

Dunk your donuts in different glazes and place on wire rack with a sheet of wax paper underneath (for easy cleanup).

Immediately garnish with toppings of your choice or leave plain. Allow glaze to completely dry and harden.  Serve on pretty plates with pretty napkins and forks.  You can also display them on some lovely cake stands.

I’m including some beautiful things that you might want to use for serving these pretty and delicious baked donuts!

Affiliate links used but this does not cost you extra.  See full disclosure here.

I would love it if you subscribed at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest blog posts and hear about your next month’s calendar & freebies, as well as sales or new items in My Online Shoppe.  You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!

xoxo,

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The post Easy & Delicious Baked Donut Recipe appeared first on Summer Adams.