One Year Blogiversary!

Today is my 1 year Blogiversary! My first post was a year ago today. Wow!

I can’t believe it’s been a year already. It doesn’t seem that I’ve written as many recipes and blog posts as I have this year. You’d assume I’d be as big as a house by now!

What I really can’t believe is that anyone wants to read what I have to say! I’m so boring most weeks!

But it seems that quite a few of you do. And I couldn’t be more grateful. Some days I barely have anything interesting to say and I struggle write at all! Yet you read my blog faithfully every week.

All I can say is, thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you!!

I wasn’t sure what my intent was when I started this blog. To be honest, I still don’t know what my intent is. It’s been an evolving experience. I made a commitment to one post a week and for the most part I’ve kept that commitment. Some weeks I have even eked out two posts!

I will continue bake and post and see what comes of this. Maybe it’s just going to my way of doing a little public documenting of my life and treats. Maybe I’ll do it for 2 years, maybe I’ll do it for 20 years. Time will tell.

I’ve experienced a lot of ups and downs the last couple years. Through the last year this blog has been a constant and mostly up experience for me. Something I plan and work on every week regardless of what else I am dealing with. For better or worse.

I’ve learned a lot this year. I’ve worked a few kinks out here and there but overall I have A LOT to learn about this world of blogging still. I’m still getting my feet wet and I appreciate you bearing with me.

What better way to celebrate my year in the blog world than to share with you a birthday cake I made recently for a good friend. It was a big hit. The frosting is a slightly modified version of my favorite recipe from Nigella Lawson. (Ps-I love her!)

Don’t mind some of these pictures. A few are a little dark but you get the idea. (Another thing I am still working the kinks out of. . blog pictures.)

I made this a 3 layer cake and it turned out pretty tall. It needed to feed quite a few people and with its 3 layer height it did just that. I had enough batter to make 12 cupcakes, too. I had to double the cake portion of this recipe in order to have enough batter though.

Essentially this is a rich chocolate cake with a peanut butter filling and fudgy icing. You can decorate it or not. Use the peanut butter or not. Make it a single 9×13 layer or just 2 round layers. You know I am all about adaptability.

The cupcakes were not filled with peanut butter. They were just chocolate with chocolate frosting and candy.

Thank you again for reading all of my rambling the past year. It means the world to me that so many of you have come along on this little ride with me.

And thank you to Tim, who has been such a support and help through all of this and who has eaten his fair share of cookies, cakes, pumpkin, etc. Even when he was so sick of them he could barely choke them down! He’s helped with taking pics, he’s helped me brain storm ideas, he’s even mixed batters for me when I was busy with other things. What a guy!

Hopefully more yummy treats will come out of my kitchen and make it to this blog in the next year. Thanks again for your support!

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cake

For the Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix

3/4 cup plain, non fat, greek yogurt

1/3 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1/2 cup almond milk

pinch of salt

In a large bowl mix all of the ingredients together until combined. Pour into 2 9″ round cake pans. (You could divide the batter into 3 cake pans and bake for less time. It would make 3 thinner layers for a 3 layer cake.)

I doubled this recipe and made 3 full size cake layers and 12 cupcakes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. (20 minutes for cupcakes or thin layers)

Set aside and cool completely before filling and frosting.

;

Peanut Butter Filling

1 cup creamy peanut butter

3/4 cups softened butter

2 1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar

Beat together the butter and peanut butter. Add the powdered sugar until you get the consistency you want. You want it to be thick enough to stay between the layers without oozing out.

Set filling aside while you make the fudge icing & the cakes cool.

Fudge Icing

(modified from Nigella Lawson)

12 oz dark chocolate (70% cocoa) melted and partially cooled

4 1/2 sticks (2 1/2 cups) butter, room temperature

pinch of salt

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted (more if needed)

Melt the chocolate and set aside to cool. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter and salt until fluffy. Add the sifted powdered sugar a little at a time until incorporated. Add the melted chocolate and beat until smooth and creamy. Set aside while the cakes cool.

To assemble the cake (for 3 layers)

Assorted candies (I used mini Reese’s Pieces and mini Reese’s cups)

Flip one cooled layer upside down onto a cake stand or serving tray. (I put small strips of wax paper under the edges so I can frost the cake without making a mess of the tray. I pull the wax paper out and throw it away after I finish decorating the cake.)

Spread half of the peanut butter filling onto the first layer. Flip the 2nd layer upside down unto the peanut butter filling. Spread the rest of the filling on top of the second layer. Place the 3rd cake layer, right side up, onto the filling.

With a metal offset spatula spread the fudge icing around the outside edges of the cake and then spread icing on top of the cake. Smooth icing as much or as little as you like and then decorate with more icing and candies. I like to chill the cake for a little while to set the icing. Remove from fridge an hour or two before serving.

You will have enough icing left over to frost 12 cupcakes.