Monday, August 14, 2023

Celebrating Birthdays and a Honey Bun Cake



We celebrated the Spring/Summer Birthdays in my family with a brunch. DIL Julie, granddaughter Avery and grandson Caiden had Spring Birthdays; son Kevin, granddaughter Cissy, son Tim, and Caiden's girlfriend Liz, and Ella have Summer birthdays.  Also, Rich's ten year of his passing is on the 16th.  We honored all of them and talked about some things that were special about each of them.  I asked for a special blessing for all the kids starting their school year.


 

I tried a new coffee cake that my friend, Jackie, had sent to me awhile back.  We lit the candles and all the birthday people jointly blew out the candles.  

My Menu was:

Charcuterie board

Yogurt Berry Granola parfaits

Scrambled egg ham and cheese sliders with a butter maple glaze

Maple Bacon and Sausage

Monkey Bread

Honey Bun Cake

Iced Tea and assorted cold drinks

 


 
 
 

After everyone left, I set up a table outside with my new tablecloth that I saw on Linda's blog, that matches my mini cake stand that Linda sent me awhile back that matches perfectly.




It's no hot tea for me in the afternoon on these 100 degree days here in Texas! We have to be nearing 40 days of over 100 so far.   This Mango tea is so fabulous.  It's the house iced tea at the Chocolate Angel Tea Room that I had been to this past week and I finally bought some.  They serve it with a slice of orange and I did too.


Yield: 20
Author: Kitty, but recipe is adapted from my friend Jackie's and the Cake Mix Doctor
Honey Bun Cake

Honey Bun Cake

This is a yummy cake to serve to a crowd and smells so great while baking!

Ingredients

  • 1 yellow cake mix (since cake mixes are no longer 18.25 ounces, I add a heaping 1/3 cup of extra cake mix that I keep on hand)
  • 4 eggs
  • 2/3 cup oil
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional
  • Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  1. Lightly spray a 9 x 13" pan.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  3. Combine the cake mix, eggs, oil, water and sour cream in a mixing bowl and beat at medium speed until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
  4. Drizzle the honey on top of the batter, then sprinkle on the brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans, if using. With a dinner knife, swirl through these ingredients to blend them slightly.
  5. Bake the cake until golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed with your finger, 38-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside while you prepare the glaze.
  6. Stir all the ingredients together for the glaze until well combined. Pour over the hot cake, spreading to the sides. Allow the cake to cool 20 minutes before cutting into it.

Notes

I made the cake ahead of time. It says that it keeps at room temperature for up to 1 week if wrapped. You can freeze it, wrapped in aluminum foil for up to 6 months. Thaw at room temperature on the counter before serving. I cut the extras and froze them to have on hand.





My wonderful family that came:

Hayden and Harper in front, then Kevin, Kristen, Liz, me in front of Caiden, Avery, Mike, Ella, Tim and Molly


 

 Cissy turned Sweet Sixteen this past week!



Avery made varsity volleyball at her school as the starting libero!


 

 Thank you for your visit!  xo




21 comments:

  1. Oh that honey bun cake looks amazing! I still have yet to make your cream puffs since I ended up making a cookie platter for our cookout this weekend but I did save it to share with my baker (he's always on the hunt for new recipes to make!).

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  2. what a wonderful celebration you had and what a beautiful family!

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  3. Happy Birthday to all your beautiful family members Kitty! What a delicious celebration and menu including your Honey Bun Cake. Your new tablecloth is so cheery and colorful, along with your cake stand from Linda. Your tea sounds so refreshing, especially in this heat and with an orange slice. Cissy and Avery are such beautiful young ladies. Stay cool if you can! Our humidity is off the charts. ♥

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  4. ♥♥♥
    Such a wonderful family, Kitty - and to be together to celebrate like that is just awesome.
    Your menu sounds great - and so does that mango tea with a slice of orange! 40 days of over 100 degrees? Oh my word and I no longer can complain then. WOW. We had a storm come through and cooled things off perfectly. It's humid but not swelteringly so now.

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  5. What a wonderful family gathering, Kitty! The meal sounded absolutely delicious, and your teatime set up afterward a very nice self-loving act! ♥

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  6. Your family has a beautiful tradition celebrating birthdays. I love the way you honor Rich's passing too. I've enjoyed watching your grands grow up on your blog, where does the time go! Such brutal hot temps here too Kitty. I think your table setting is so pretty, love the colors in the cloth. The menu sounds wonderful. Hope your week is off to a good start.........

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  7. I've always loved how you celebrate birthdays by season! Your tablecloth is gorgeous!

    If we had 100F for 40 days, I would never leave my climate-controlled house!

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  8. Such a sweet celebration, Kitty, with your beautiful and very photogenic family! Love the two little girlies in the front. xx Your menu sounds wonderful and what a great idea to celebrate all the birthdays together. Can't even believe Cissy is already sweet 16, and such a little beauty. I still remember her as a little girl baking cupcakes with you. Congratulations to lovely Avery on making varsity, too! Love her boots. Your tea table is so pretty with the bright cloth and pretty blue dishes. It was 98 degrees here today. Can't even imagine 40 days of it. Take care and stay inside! Hugs xo K

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  9. Happy Birthday to All! Love the tablecloth...and I'll be making the Honey Bun Cake!
    hugs
    Donna

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  10. What a wonderful special family celebration and a brunch feast! Cissy looks so grown up! The honey bun cake sounds wonderful and I’m so glad you are keeping cool with iced tea! Whew, surely it’s going to cool off soon~ take care Kitty, and I love the tablecloth and mini cake dome Linda sent you, so colorful and pretty!
    Jenna
    P.S. I just read the recipe, I didn’t realize the cake mixes weigh less now, how smart to keep an extra on hand to add more!

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  11. How fun to celebrate everyones birthdays. The cake and food all sounds wonderful and I love the photos of your family.

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  12. WOW! What a big family party! That's so awesome. Pictures and cake are lovely! I'm sure everyone had a super duper time and your menu sounds divine! XO

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  13. Oh, that cake sounds so yummy! And so wonderful that you all got to celebrate the birthdays together! God has blessed you so much, dear friend, and no one deserves it more.

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  14. You had me at honey bun cake. We ate honey buns often when I was a child! :D
    You have the cutest family. I love seeing photos of them at your family events. Your little cake stand matches the tablecloth perfectly. I love those colors! It has been hot here with a few triple digit days. I'm ready for fall!

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  15. Kitty, such an adorable table. Thank you for the shout out. Don't you just love that tablecloth and it does match the pretty aqua stand. Honey bun cake sounds delicious. The menu is making me hungry. So many birthdays. Your grands are growing up so fast.

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  16. Happy birthday to all.
    Lovely family photographs you've shared.

    Enjoy your August days ... but my goodness your temperatures are hot!

    All the best Jan

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  17. Yum! That cake sounds delicious! I hope you have a wonderful week! you have a beautiful family!

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  18. You have a such a wonderful large family to celebrate with, Kitty! Happy Birthday to everyone!!

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  19. Happy Belated Birthday to all! Yesterday Cissy was a little child cooking with you! Time flies... Precious post, dear Kitty.

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  20. Just letting you know that I featured your post in today's Encouraging Hearts and Home over at http://www.ahomemakersheart.com/ :) Hope you will visit and link up this week!

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  21. Forty days over 100 - oh my! Summer with a vengeance! Your brunch sounds lovely and that cake definitely sounds like one I will try - perhaps at our next monthly ladies meeting! Thanks for sharing -

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