Created by Diane

Valentine’s Day is almost here, what are you planning to do. Do you go out? Do you get all dolled up? Me, not so much. I like to go out when it’s not so crowded, and as far as dolled up…well this year this may be the only dolling up I do. I dolled up a cake!

From the outside it’s a simple cake, but wait until you see what’s inside.

*hint-it’s a colorful surprise.

See, it’s pretty colorful.

This is an easy cake to make, so don’t let the hectic part of Valentine’s Day keep you from getting all dolled up, do it with CAKE!

Begin with two white cake mixes (I used Betty Crocker) and the ingredients listed on the box, prepare cake mix according to the package.

Dived the 8 cups of batter into three bowls and tinted them with Americolor food coloring, one super red, one with soft pink and the other with white, yes I like it extra white.

I place the colored batter in each cake pan. Alternating the colors and even drew a heart on top. It really is a surprise to see how they bake and what the design will be.

While they are baking, get your frosting ready. You can use this buttercream recipe make two batches so you have enough (you can use purchased frosting in white, you’ll probably need two containers).

I baked the two cakes for 55 minutes at 325 degrees, these are dark coated 7 inch pans so the cakes bake up nice and high, and the bottom of the pans are removable which makes it easy to release the cake, they are similar to spring-form pans with out the spring.

Pretty, pretty!

I trimmed off the tops of the two cakes to make them level, then added frosting to one and inverted the second cake on top so that the top of the cake was really flat.(It also helps that the cut part of the cake isn’t on top as there are more crumbs)

I gave the cake one coat of frosting and put it in the fridge to set up firm, then I added more frosting and just wanted it smooth. I didn’t fuss with it much, just used a large offset spatula and swirled the frosting around.

I reserved a small amount of white frosting and colored it red for the hearts and trim on the bottom. I used a number 4 tip for the hearts.

I used a small star tip to make a boarder on the base of the cake.

I love how simple the cake looks on the outside, since there is so much going on inside. Just like the cake I made for Halloween with a surprise inside too.

I see a heart,

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Isn’t bubble gum every kids favorite. I know it was for me. Getting a penny and being able to put it into the gumball machine was a huge thrill as a kid, and wondering what color was going to come out made it even more exciting. Bubble Gum Ice Cream was popular and was really fun. You could eat the ice cream and save all the gum for when the ice cream was finished. Oh those were the days!

I’m sure they still have Bubble Gum Ice Cream, I just haven’t noticed lately that is until a few weeks go Sommer from A Spicy Perspective made the prettiest Bubble Gum Ice Cream

and all I could think about for days was how great it looked and that I wanted to try Bubble Gum Cupcakes. Oh how I want an ice cream maker that is a hint, yes I’d like an Ice Cream Maker. I would like Ice Cream, all the time, morning, noon and night, and the flavor possibilities are endless.

I used King Arthur’s Tender White Cake recipe for the cupcakes

Bubble Gum Frosting {printable recipe}

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

4 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons cream

4 drops Loranns Bubble Gum Flavor (if you can’t find it locally, here it is on Amazon for $1.59)

3 drops White Americolor food coloring

8 drops Light Pink Americolor Food Coloring

Beat butter and shortening, add in sugar and milk. Beat until incorporated. Stir in food coloring.

I piped the cupcakes with an 804 tip, then pressed the gum into the frosting.

I purchased the pretty, red, pink and white gumballs from Target, they had them in the Valentine section.

Easy Brownie Football Whoopie Pies

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL??? Yes it’s that time of year when everyone is FOOTBALL CRAZY. Even if you’re not a football fan, by know you most likely know who will be playing in the Superbowl. You do know that it’s this weekend, right? Whether you will be glued to the T.V, or glued to a seat near all the food that seems to always accompany the big game. These would make a great addition.

These are easy and quick!

Brownie Football Whoopie Pies {printable instructions}

Items needed:

1box brownie mix (I used Dunkin Heinz)

+ingredients to make brownies (minus the water) (I used 2 eggs, 1/4 cup oil)

*updated ( using Betty Crocker Original Supreme brownie mix,I followed the direction and added the water, they baked nicely at 350 degrees for 15 minutes)

frosting:

I made butter cream frosting and used a few drops of Americolor White food coloring so it would be extra white ( you could also use purchased frosting)

two 18 ” piping bags

#12 tip and #4 tip (or similar sizes) for white lines

Parchment paper

football cookie cutter, or make a template to trace out of cardboard

marker

Preheat oven to 350

Prepare brownie batter according to package minus the water.

Place batter in piping bag, cut end off piping bag. (in photo you can see I didn’t make the opening too large) On the back of a piece of parchment paper trace a football cookie cutter leaving space in between each so the brownies don’t run into each other. Turn the paper over and place it on the baking sheet. Begin piping the brownie mix. I began piping the mix on the outlined edge and circled around until the shape was all filled in.

Bake until the top crackles between 15-20 minutes. Check them often as you don’t want them over baked and dry.

Allow them to cool completely before frosting.

Place frosting in to piping bag fitted with coupler. Pipe all the wide stripes on with the #12 tip, then change to tip #4 and pipe on the laces.

Frost 1/2 the footballs and leave the other 1/2 un-frosted as they will be the bottoms of the whoopie pies.

Turn the “bottom” pieces upside down and place frosting on them. Then place the piped footballs on top creating a sandwich.

Enjoy the Brownie Football Whoopie Pies,and the game too.

They are BIG, they are CHEWY and they are stuffed with Oreo Cookies.

Yes, they are Oatmeal Cookies  with Oreo Cookies all stuffed inside.

The filling in the Oreo Cookies gave these an extra chewiness that made it hard to stop eating these. Sometimes good things come in BIG packages, like these extra large cookies. No messing around, small packages are great, but sometimes it’s go BIG or go Home.

Oreo Oatmeal Cookies {Printable Recipe}

1/2 cup softened butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
3 cups old fashioned oats
2 sleeves Oreo Cookies (about 10 oz.) I used double stuffed Oreos. Chop each Oreo into quarters.
Beat butter and sugars on medium speed, add eggs vanilla, beat well. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, mix.Mix in oats and Oreo pieces.

Drop by 3 Tablespoon size onto a prepared cookie sheet (I use parchment paper)

Bake at 350 for 20-22 minutes or until bottom is golden.

Makes 2 dozen cookie

adapted from Quaker Vanishing Cookie Recipe

I LOVE Oatmeal Cookies here are some  more Oatmeal inspired recipes if you LOVE oatmeal too.

I’m sure you’ve had your fair share of peanut butter cookies from Nutter Butters to the Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies from the Girl Scouts and all the homemade and store bought peanut butter cookies  in between. For anyone allergic to peanut butter, I am so sorry!

These peanut butter cookies are different.

Peanut butter cookies are often firm and on the crunchy dryer side,

but these are chewy which I really like (and so did everyone else)

Yes all 6 dozen cookies were gone in no time.

The possibilities are endless of how this one cookie recipe. I Chocolate dipped some and added peanuts. I pressed others with a fork for crispier cookies. I filled some peanut butter cookies with a delicious peanut butter filling for a homemade Nutter Butter, others got a chocolate drizzle, and some even got colored sprinkles, which are perfect for Valentines Day for someone you are NUTS for

Peanut Butter Cookies {printable recipe}

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 cups flour

Beat butter, peanut butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs one an a time, then vanilla. Mix baking powder with flour, then add flour a cup at a time.

Roll dough out on lightly floured surface and cut into desired shape with cookie cutter dipped into flour.

Made 6 dozen cookies.

I made some cookies thicker than others and I really liked the chewiness of the thicker cookies, so next time I will be making them all thick!

Bake at 350 for 12-18 minutes Until they are just getting golden on the bottom, to ensure you will not have a dry cookie.

The cookies with the fork marks are crispier, so if you prefer a crispy cookie. Press a for on the tops of the cookies creating a criss cross design.

Peanut butter filling for filling cookies like Nutter Butter Cookies

1/2 cup peanut butter

3 tablespoons butter

2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons milk

Beat peanut butter and butter together then add powdered sugar and milk and mix until creamy.

These were dipped in Chocolate Ganache and then pressed into chopped peanuts.

These received a chocolate ganache drizzle which were so delicious, just like a fudge sauce on a sundae.

these were pressed with a fork,

and these I poured sugar sprinkles on when they were hot out of the oven so they would stick in the grooves.

I’ve been on a real peanut butter kick, did you see my other peanut butter treats?

Mini Peanut Butter and Jelly Cups

Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

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Valentine Cake with a Surprise Inside