Strawberry Whipped Cream Frosting

On Thanksgiving, I made a huge batch of fresh whipped cream that was devoured by the family. So, for Meg's birthday, I thought I would try strawberry whipped cream frosting for her cake. It was another hit; everyone enjoyed the frosting. I just used the frosting on a standard yellow cake. I do think that this frosting would also be excellent on a chocolate cake too. Megan had a terrific 39th Birthday!

For this recipe, I used freeze dried strawberries that can easily be found at Trader Joe's or Aldi. Just grind the freeze dried strawberries in a food processor into a powder with some small pieces remaining. Fresh or frozen strawberries could also be used, but need to be cooked down and strained to remove some of the liquid. This recipe uses more powdered sugar than regular whipped cream to make a more stable whipped cream that serves better as frosting. To make whipped cream, I use my blender instead of a mixer. It seems to work fast but does need to be checked on regularly otherwise you will end up with really sweet butter.

Strawberry Whipped Cream Frosting 

• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup powdered freeze dried strawberries

Place the cream, sugar, and powdered strawberries in a blending. Blend for two minutes. Check the consistency. Continue blending, checking frequently until you get the desired consistency. Frost your favorite cake. Enjoy!

Glazed Pecan Cake

I do not remember this cake from my childhood probably because I was not a big fan of nuts when I was young. But now I love nuts and regularly eats nuts and include them in recipes. This recipe is a fairly standard yellow cake recipe with the addition of nuts. I have used many variations of powdered sugar glaze, but this recipe introduced me to honey glaze.  The honey nicely complements the pecans

The recipe calls for using an electric mixer to prepare the batter. I just mixed by hand, which might have made my cake denser, but it was just fine for me. I liked the use of pecans but other types of nuts could be used. Hazelnut might be a good substitution.

Glazed Pecan Cake 

• 2 3/4 cup flour
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup butter

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add 1 cup softerned butter, two eggs, milk, and vanilla. Mix with an electric mixer at medium speed for two minutes, scraping bowl as necessary. Add remaining two eggs; beat two minutes longer. Fold in pecans. Pour into a greased ten-inch tube pan. Bake at 375 for about one hour or until done. Cool in the pan for ten minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely. Prepare the honey glaze by placing the honey and the 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan. Boil for three minutes. Brush glaze over the cake. Enjoy!

Dutch Baby

This recipe is not an old family favorite but might just become a new family favorite. A Dutch Baby is a baked, custardy pancake. On New Year's Day, we often like to have breakfast for lunch, so I thought I would give this recipe a try. The Dutch Baby was so delicious. I enjoyed it with maple syrup and a side of bacon for a very delicious meal.

The Dutch Baby is very easy to make. The ingredients are pantry staples. After mixing the batter, it is poured into a pre-heated and buttered cast iron skillet. Then, it is baked in the oven. It is best to use a cast iron or oven-safe metal skillet because the outside will get more crispy while the inside will remain custardy. 

Dutch Baby 

• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2/3 cup flour
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 Tbsp. butter 

Prepare the batter by mixing the eggs, milk, flour, sugar, salt, and vanilla until there are no lumps. Preheat the oven to 425. Place an 8-inch cast iron skillet while the oven is preheating. Remove the skillet and place the butter into the skillet. Swirl the butter around. Return the buttered skillet to the oven for about one minute to slightly allow the butter to brown. Then, add the batter to the skillet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Enjoy with your favorite toppings!