Food Fun Family

Easter Egg Cake Balls

Lolli — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 17:43:55 +0000

One of my family’s Spring Break traditions is to spend lots of time together in the kitchen. Spring Break for my kids starts tomorrow (we have a late one this year!) so I’m just barely starting to think about all of our spring traditions.

We love to hard boil and dye eggs, make batches and batches of sugar cookies and bowls full of homemade frosting in a rainbow of pastel colors and then decorate them (and eat them for days!).

It’s all about the Easter food!

This year I’m in mourning because our kitchen is STILL only half-functional, and it’s going to be a bigger challenge to make dyed Easter eggs, sugar cookies, or other treats. I’m so excited for the weekend when we’ll be getting together with our friends for a big Easter dinner (and I can use their kitchen to cook all day!).

If you’re luckier than I am this week and have a full-functioning kitchen, these cake ball eggs are not only super cute and festive, but they are beyond delicious, too! Use funfetti cake mix for a fun look inside your cake ball eggs, and mix up the flavors and use yellow cake mix with strawberry frosting. The great thing about this recipe is that there’s so much room for variations in color and flavor!

Here’s what you need to start:

12 cupcakes, made from your favorite cake mix or cake recipe (funfetti cake is super fun with this recipe!)
1 container or batch of marshmallow fondant (my daughter loves to make marshmallow fluff fondant. It’s SO easy! Just take a 16 ounce container of marshmallow fluff and mix in 6-8 cups of powdered sugar, about a teaspoon of vanilla, and a few drops of gel food coloring. Knead it in a greased surface with greased hands until it’s smooth!)
1 can of your favorite frosting (again, we like to make our own frosting, but if you want to save a step, then grab a can!)
10-15 drops pink GEL Food Coloring
Spoon
Knife
Rolling Pin
Baking Sheet
Parchment Paper or Wax Paper

Crumble cupcakes into a large bowl and stir in frosting until completely combined.

Form mixture into 12 egg shapes with your hands and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to set.

While cake ball eggs are chilling, grab your fondant. Set aside a small amount of uncolored fondant for the polka dots at the end.

Work pink GEL food coloring into larger portion of fondant until the desired color is consistent throughout. Separate fondant into 3 equal-sized pieces, set 2 aside and work with one piece at a time.

Roll one section of fondant flat (about 1/8-inch thickness).

Cut rolled out fondant into 4 sections with a sharp knife.

Remove eggs from the freezer and wrap one egg in one of the sections of fondant you just cut.

Repeat until all eggs are covered in fondant. Do not try to work the egg too much, just get it covered–the more you handle the fondant, the more sticky it will get.

Place eggs into the freezer for another 10 minutes to set. Remove eggs from freezer and make tiny circles with the white fondant you set aside earlier; mash those tiny circles randomly onto the outside of the eggs.

Chill your Easter egg cake balls until ready to serve.

Yield: 12 cake ball eggs

Easter Egg Cake Balls

These Easter egg cake balls are fun to make and delicious to eat. They're the perfect easy Easter recipe that everyone in the family will enjoy.

Ingredients

12 cupcakes, made from your favorite cake
1 container or batch of marshmallow fondant
1 can of your favorite frosting
10-15 drops pink GEL Food Coloring

Instructions

1. Crumble cupcakes into a large bowl.

2. Mix cupcake crumbles with frosting until completely combined.

3. With your hands, form mixture into 12 egg shapes and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper.

4. Place in the freezer for around 10 minutes to set.

5. Set aside a small amount of fondant for use at the end.

6. Work pink GEL food coloring into larger portion of fondant until the desired color is consistent throughout. I like to knead the fondant by hand. It's messy but it works great!

7. Separate fondant into 3 equal-sized pieces, set 2 aside and work with one piece at a time.

8. Roll the ¼ section of fondant flat (about ⅛-inch thickness).

9. Cut into 4 sections with a sharp knife.

10. Remove eggs from the freezer and wrap one egg in one of the quarter sections of fondant you just cut.

11. Repeat until all eggs are covered in fondant. Do not try to work the egg too much, just get it covered--the more you handle the fondant, the more sticky it will get.

12. Place eggs into the freezer for 10 minutes to set.

13. Remove eggs from freezer and make tiny circles with the white fondant you set aside earlier.

14. Mash those tiny circles randomly onto the outside of the eggs.

15. Place eggs back into the freezer until ready to serve. Serve cold.

Sprite Bundt Cake with Lemon Frosting

Lolli — Thu, 06 Dec 2018 12:01:58 +0000

This post has been sponsored by SheSpeaks, Inc. and The Coca-Cola Company. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Once November hits, I go into full baking mode. I love this season. So many wonderful flavors to enjoy. So many occasions (and excuses!) to bake and share my favorite baked goodies.

This Sprite® cake is like a welcome ray of sunshine in the middle of the cold season. It’s the perfect cake for sharing at a holiday gathering.

When I was shopping at Sam’s Club recently, I realized that the Sprite® Mini Cans were perfect to use in this recipe! Each Sprite® Mini Can has about a cup of Sprite®, which means that it’s the perfect size for using in the cake…plus a necessary sip for the cook.

Since I stocked up on Coca-Cola® and Sprite® Mini Cans at Sam’s Club this month, I’m planning on cooking even more delicious recipes with Coca-Cola® products. (In case you didn’t know, Coca-Cola® combines deliciously with meats and chocolate!).

Have you ever tried cooking with soda? If you haven’t tried recipes with Sprite® or Coca-Cola® before, you will be amazed at how flavorful and moist recipes turn out with the addition of your favorite sodas.

This Sprite® cake is not only a hit with family and friends, but it’s one of my favorites because of how simple and quick it is to make. I love “doctoring” up cake mixes.

One of the tips I’ve learned in the last couple of years from my daughter (who is an expert cake creator) is to use real butter in place of all or some of the oil called for in a cake mix recipe. (Make sure you’re using real butter….it makes a difference!)

Another tip is to add a dash of vanilla, (I use pure vanilla). Little changes can make a huge difference in both moisture and taste.

Sprite Bundt Cake with Lemon Frosting

Yield: 12 slices

Sprite Bundt Cake with Lemon Frosting

Sprite Bundt Cake is an easy doctored cake mix cake that tastes like you've spent hours in the kitchen!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes 45 seconds

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes 45 seconds

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients:
• 1 box pudding-in-the-mix lemon cake mix
• ¾ cup Sprite
• ½ cup butter
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1-2 tsp lemon zest, optional
Frosting Ingredients:
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp milk
• ½ tsp lemon zest (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325° F. Spray bundt pan thoroughly with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine all of the cake ingredients. Mix until thoroughly combined.

3. Pour cake batter into greased bundt pan; bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.

4. Allow cake to cool completely in the pan. (I like to set my bundt pan on a cooling rack to speed cooling.)

5. When cake is just about cool, start preparing the glaze by mixing the powdered sugar, lemon juice, milk and lemon zest in a small bowl. Add milk a little at a time, stirring until you’ve reached desired consistency.

Finish: Carefully turn bundt pan over and remove cake onto a plate. Drizzle frosting over the top. Serve!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 384Total Fat: 16.1gSaturated Fat: 9.6gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 350mgCarbohydrates: 57gFiber: 1gSugar: 19gProtein: 4g

Head over to your local Sam’s Club to stock up on your favorite Coca-Cola® products such as Coca-Cola®, Sprite®, Gold Peak® Sweet Tea, Dasani® and Diet Coke® for the holiday season – or better yet, use Club Pickup at Sam’s Club to save even more time. (We all need a little help in that department this time of year!) I know that we’ll be going through our supply fast. It’s that time of year, after all!

Connect with Sam’s Club:

Twitter: @SamsClub
Facebook: @SamsClub
Instagram: @SamsClub

Learn more about the products featured in this post here.

Cupcake Recipes – Delicious Dishes Recipe Party #103

Lolli — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 15:34:47 +0000

Hi guys! The recipes our readers submitted last week officially have me drooling. And wouldn’t you know it….my 18-year-old daughter made a double batch of cupcakes last night for a get-together last night, so I got to smell them baking in my oven, but couldn’t eat any of them.

That’s torture.

I love cake and cupcakes, but ONLY when topped with homemade frosting. The frosting MAKES THE CAKE. Here’s my never-fail recipe (it’s an old post, but the frosting is oh-so-good!)

Welcome to Delicious Dishes Recipe Party! In case you’re new to the party, here’s what you need to know:

Delicious Dishes is a weekly link party where bloggers can share their most delicious recipes while checking out the amazing recipes that other bloggers are sharing.

Each link you share here will be seen on each of the hostess’ blogs listed below >>

Food Fun Family – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

She Saved – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Walking on Sunshine Recipes – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

5 Minutes for Mom – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

This Mama Loves – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Clever Housewife – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Bunny’s Warm Oven –Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Each week we will be featuring our favorite recipes from the week before and pinning them to our Delicious Dishes Pinterest board.

We hope you’ll have fun with our party…we know we will!

The Recipes with the Most Clicks Last Week Were…

#1: Pan Fried Cinnamon Bananas from Dizzy Busy and Hungry

#2: Mini Chocolate Bundt Cake from Cooking with Curls

#3: Almond Joy Chocolate Torte from Bunny’s Warm Oven

Delicious Dishes Party Favorites from Last Week:

These are the recipes that the hosts loved the most…

I loved Flower Cupcake Tutorial from Rose Bakes

Lois loved Double Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes from Delightful E Made

Brett loved Chocolate Cupcakes with Lavender Buttercream Frosting from Sparkle Living Blog

Susan loved Festive Snowflake Candy Cupcakes from She Saved

Keri Lyn loved Yellow Cupcakes with Peach Cream Frosting from Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt

Emily loved Cinnamon Bun Mini Oreo Cheesecakes from Living on Cloud Nine

Mary loved Homemade Gluten Free Hostess Cupcakes from Strength and Sunshine

Follow us along on our Pinterest board. We pin a ton of recipes that are shared to our linky party each week. So get your recipes ready. We can’t wait to see what’s cooking in your kitchen this week.

Now let’s get this party started!

An InLinkz Link-up

Zoomberry Cake Balls

Lolli — Tue, 10 May 2016 19:21:19 +0000

I’m excited to re-introduce you guys to Star Darlings: an amazing book series for kids ages 8-12 by Ahmet Zappa and Shana Muldoon Zappa.

In celebration of the release of the newest books in the Star Darlings series, I’ve made a fun Starland-inspired treat: Zoomberry Cake Balls! This post and giveaway are sponsored by Disney Press but all thoughts and ideas are my own. Affiliate links are used within this post.

A few months ago, I was introduced to Star Darlings. You can read all about them in my previous post HERE…or here’s a quick recap to catch you up to speed.

ABOUT STAR DARLINGS

Series by Ahmet Zappa and Shana Muldoon Zappa for ages 8-12

Launched in Fall 2015, Disney’s “Star Darlings” is an original series for tweens.
Just like real girls, each Star Darling has her own wish that she pursues with full force and determination—and the help of her friends.

These shared journeys and experiences provide exceptionally positive examples to inspire tweens to follow their dreams, and are experienced through books, dolls, music and apparel, along with a mobile app and animated shorts.

Zoomberry Cake Balls – Inspired by Star Darlings

Kids in Starland grows up loving Zoomberry cake (it’s not a party til there’s some zoomberry cake, after all!), so I figured that it would be fun to create my own twist on zoomberry cake!

Since zoomberries are hard to come by in Maryland, I used strawberries instead (strawberries and zoomberries are the same color, so I figured it would work…). I had so much fun making the Starland classic zoomberry cake into cake balls (with rainbow sprinkles, of course!).

You are going to LOVE how easy this recipe is to make, and how much everyone will rave about your fun and colorful Zoomberry cake balls!

How To Make a 3-Color Zebra Cake

Lolli — Tue, 19 May 2015 19:01:30 +0000

A few years ago, my oldest daughter taught me how to make zebra cakes. I was shocked at how easy they were to make but mostly how brilliantly fun the presentation was. Yesterday, when my birthday boy asked for a chocolate and vanilla cake, I immediately thought of making a zebra cake…but because I was feeling slightly over-zealous, I decided to add an extra color to the mix.

Just a little note of explanation: my first layer went just fine, but I ran low on white cake for the second layer, since I had colored half of it blue. Long story short…my second layer is mostly chocolate. Next time I will use 3 cake mixes (2 white cakes and one chocolate) and use the left over batter to make some cupcakes.

5.0 from 2 reviews

How To Make a 3-Color Zebra Cake

Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

1 hour 35 mins

This cake is easy to put together but it does take some time, making many small layers one at a time. The effort is well worth it in the end. The presentation is gorgeous - vibrant and fun and festive! If you don't like chocolate cake or if you'd rather have different colors, simply use 3 white cake mixes and color 2 of the mixes different colors (a red white and blue cake would be fun, don't you think?).

Author: Lolli

Ingredients

1 chocolate cake mix, mixed according to package directions
1 white cake mix, mixed according to package directions
1 white cake mix, mixed according to package directions PLUS gel food coloring (see note below)

Instructions

Mix each cake mix in a separate bowl. Add gel food coloring to one of the bowls of white cake mix until you've got a color you're happy with (I highly recommend using gel food coloring instead of the typical liquid drops).
Lightly grease and flour 2 round cake pans. Working on one pan at a time, pour about 2 spoonfuls of chocolate batter (I use about ⅛ of a cup) into the middle of the pan.
Pour another few spoonfuls of white cake mix directly on top of the chocolate batter.
Pour a few spoonfuls of colored batter directly on top of the white batter.
Repeat until pan is ⅔ full. Note: the batter will probably look pretty "messy" as you keep layering scoops on top of each other. Don't worry. Just keep adding batter on top of the last scoop you put down. It's especially fun for kids to see the swirls appear inside the baked cake!
Bake cakes according to package directions (I cooked mine at 350° for about 35 minutes).
Let cakes cool on a wire rack before removing from pans. If cakes have a rounded top, use a bread knife to carefully slice the rounded top off. You can eat the extra cake.
When cool, loosen sides of cake with a bread knife and carefully turn it out onto a plate. Repeat with second cake.
To add frosting, generously spread frosting on top of bottom layer. Place second layer on top. Spread frosting over top layer and then along the sides until cake is completely covered.
Note: I used homemade whipped cream to top this cake. See recipe below. If you prefer buttercream frosting, I highly recommend this frosting recipe. If you use whipped cream, be sure to refrigerate leftover cake.

Where to buy GEL FOOD COLORING

Recipe for whipped cream topping:

Homemade whipped cream couldn’t be easier! And it tastes so much better than store bought whipped cream and is much lighter than using buttercream frosting (not that there’s anything wrong with a homemade buttercream frosting…).

For best results, use a chilled bowl and beaters.

2 cups whipping cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar (or more to taste)

2 teaspoons vanilla

Whip cream, sugar, and vanilla in a deep bowl with hand beaters on high until desired thickness. Be sure to lick the beaters…

As you can tell, I also added blue sprinkles to the whipped cream for a fun and colorful touch.

Everyone loves the chocolate-white-and-blue cake!

Glazed Apple Spice Cakelette Recipe

Lolli — Sun, 10 Nov 2013 05:38:53 +0000

This recipe post and giveaway is sponsored by Cake Boss Cakes but all thoughts – and the glazed apple spice cakelette recipe – are 100% my own. Note: the giveaway has ended, but be sure to check out the delicious (and easy!) recipe!

When I was approached about working on a post with the Cake Boss, I jumped at the chance (ok, I didn’t really work WITH the Cake Boss, but I sure am getting a kick out of saying that the Cake Boss sent me my newest bakeware and cake mixes and frosting). My kids – particularly Reese and AJ – are huge fans of the Cake Boss and I find them watching his shows, TLC’s series Cake Boss and Next Great Baker all the time. They can’t wait for Bakery Boss, premiering in December.

They both totally wish that they could bake like Buddy.

While I have absolutely zero talent for creating “pretty” cakes, I do know a thing or two about making a tasty cake, and I’ve been passing those skills on to my kids (someday they will thank me!). As much as I love baking from scratch, I love finding a good quality cake mix as a base and making it “my own.” I am loving the Cake Boss cake mix and frosting that I got to try out.

Baking is an expression of love – whether it’s baking a cake on someone’s birthday or baking cupcakes to bring into the office on a gloomy Monday.
Baking is also about bringing people together in the kitchen. It is an activity that everyone, of all ages, can participate in and enjoy.

This weekend, I set out to make a cake that was seasonal and delicious AND stunning in its presentation. I think I totally nailed it, thanks to my fun new pan and a box of Cake Boss white cake mix (more on that below) and my super amazing spiced glaze that I use on a seasonal-traditional apple cake.

Baking cakes with a cake mix base is SO easy and it pretty much guarantees a perfect cake every time. In putting together the recipe below, I had meant to add a teaspoon of vanilla but totally forgot (I’m blaming my forgetfulness on the 8 mile hike I had just come back from when I started cooking).The cake was amazing without it, but next time I make it I’m going to add the vanilla. Just thought I’d throw that out there.

5.0 from 3 reviews

Glazed Apple Spice Cakelette Recipe and #CakeBossCakes Giveaway

Save Print

Prep time

8 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

28 mins

Author: Better in Bulk

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1 box Cake Box Divine White cake mix
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon cloves
1 cup finely diced, peeled apples
Glaze:
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
2 Tbsp butter
½ tsp each cream of tartar, cinnamon, nutmeg
¼ cup milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.
Mix cake mix, along with the added spices for this recipe, according to package directions. Fold in apples.
Fill cakelette pan about ¾ full and bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes away clean.
Allow cakelettes to remain in the pan until they are cool to the touch.
While cakelettes cool, make the glaze by combining glaze ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a full boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Let cool before drizzling on cakelettes.
Going back to the cakelettes - Using a serrated bread knife, slice off the tops of the cakelettes so that the bottoms are uniform and even.
Remove cakelettes from pan, place on a platter or individual plates, and drizzle with glaze.

Notes

You can make this same recipe in a muffin tin - just bake for less time (according to cupcake timing on your cake mix).

Check out new Cake Boss Cakeware collection by Meyer Corporation and TLC, available at stores now. For more information on Cake Boss bakeware, serveware and decorating tools, visit cakebossbaking.com

Cake Boss Cake Mixes:

I am so excited about the new Cake Boss cake mixes and frostings. Check out these amazing flavors:

VA VA VELVET – Moist, delicious and smooth red velvet cake.
IT’S YOUR PARTY – Fun, festive and full of flavor confetti cake.
DECADENT DEVIL’S FOOD – Indulgent, satisfying and sinfully delicious devil’s food cake.
CHOCOLATE TRIFECTA – Deliciously moist triple chocolate cake made with chocolate liquor.
PRIMO YELLOW – Moist, flavorful and simply delicious cake.
DIVINE WHITE – Exquisitely moist, rich and delectable white cake.

Cake Boss Frostings

WHOLE LOTTA CHOCOLATE – Made with chocolate liquor and two kinds of chocolate, creating double the decadence.
VIVA VANILLA – A sweet and creamy taste using vanilla extract.
MEGA MILK CHOCOLATE – A thick, rich and milk-chocolaty delicious frosting with chocolate liquor.
CRÈME DE LA CREAM CHEESE – A rich, creamy and scrumptiously sweet frosting with cream cheese.

In addition to the new mixes and frostings, the Cake Boss baked good line includes buttercream cakes, fondant cakes and boutique-style cupcakes.

Share the Love Cake Boss Giveaway!

Cake Boss Cakes would love to send YOU the very same package they sent to my house. This giveaway is valued at over $60 and is perfect for all the coming holiday baking. Enter on the Rafflecopter form below before midnight 11/24/13, when a winner will be chosen at random and notified via email. Giveaway is open to residents of the US only. Good luck!

Included in the giveaway package are: 6-Cup Round Cakelette Pan, 12-Cup Covered Muffin Pan, 9-Inch Heart Cake Pan, and Cake Boss Cake Mix and frosting

a Rafflecopter giveaway

How to Make the Perfect Birthday Cake

Lolli — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 19:54:41 +0000

I have a friend (shout out to Callie!) who makes the most amazingly beautiful cakes. I have tried to make pretty cakes, but the fact is…I usually fail.

I make ugly cakes. The one thing I’m good at, though, is making cakes that people LOVE to eat. They taste amazing. And once you’ve had a piece of my cake, you’ll overlook their outward appearance.

It’s what’s on the inside that counts, right?

Note: since writing this post several years ago and sharing my recipe for buttercream frosting below, I have shared several other recipes for other delicious frosting that you are going to LOVE. And they aren’t quite as ugly as the cake I made for my daughter’s birthday a few years ago…

Want to know my secret to making great tasting cakes? I’m ready to tell you. I even baked a cake just for this post (ok, really, Reese had a birthday on Sunday. I HAD to make a cake…).

The secret to the perfect cake

The secret is….the frosting matters SO much more than the actual cake. I can dress a mediocre cake up with fabulous frosting and everyone will gobble it down. But if I try to frost a really good cake with canned frosting, the cake sits uneaten.

I typically start my cakes (except for specialty flavors like my apple cake or Texas Sheet Cake) with a standard cake mix from a box. Shocking, right? The fact is, I have tried many different cake recipes and the basic-flavor mixes stack up just fine.

Then, the secret ingredient: the perfect frosting. Some of my favorite pairings are yellow cake with chocolate buttercream frosting, spice cake with cream cheese frosting, and chocolate cake with vanilla frosting.

Here’s how I do it (it’s so simple, I swear!). I got my trusty old recipe from an old Pillsbury baking cookbook that has literally fallen apart from love and over-usage.

Stand-by Buttercream Frosting

My Favorite, No-Fail Buttercream Frosting

Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

Author: Lolli

Ingredients

⅔ cup butter, softened (not melted)
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3-4 Tbsp milk

Instructions

In a large bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy (I typically use hand beaters, but a stand mixer will work as well). Gradually add powdered sugar, beating well. Beat in vanilla and milk until you have your desired consistency.
This frosting makes enough to cover a typical cake mix.
Licking of beaters is encouraged and expected.

Note: ALWAYS always use real butter. Don’t substitute margarine. Food coloring can be added along with the vanilla and milk for colored frosting.

Chocolate buttercream frosting

To make chocolate buttercream frosting, follow the recipe above but add 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa with the powdered sugar.

It’s seriously as easy as that. Use this frosting and people will call you a cake genius. The perfect birthday cake is as simple as the the frosting you put on top. It never fails.