Chocolate Strawberry Bundt Cake

My birth month is February and I am using my beautiful trio set that my late Great Aunt Kitty painted for me, which is one of six different sets.  I keep the plates displayed in plate racks on either side of my hutch because they're so pretty. My angels are gracing my table in a tray.  My youngest daughter-in-law was telling me how someone she knows has a lot of clutter.  I told her that I have a lot of stuff, and she said, "but yours in controlled clutter".  It's so true, as I have trays, all over with things that are gathered to control my clutter artfully!  LOL!  Do any of you have controlled clutter or are you a minimalist?  

Isn't this such a pretty violets pattern?

Here's the inside of the cake.  

My aqua group had a Valentine luncheon and this was my contribution.  

Yield: Serves a crowd

Author: Kitty

Chocolate Strawberry Bundt Cake

I used my recipe for Chocolate Pistachio Cake, but changed it to use strawberry cake mix.

Ingredients

• 1 box strawberry cake mix
• 1 box vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1/2 cup oil
• 3/4 cup water
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup chocolate syrup
• powdered sugar to decorate the top or a couple of scoops of prepared chocolate frosting, melted

Instructions

1. Prepare a bundt pan with cooking spray or a cake release. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together the cake mix, pudding,oil, water and eggs at med-hi speed of a mixer until blended.
3. Pour 3/4 of the batter into the prepared pan.
4. Add the 3/4 cup chocolate syrup to the remaining batter and mix well. Pour this on top of the other batter, and slightly swirl with a knife.
5. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
6. Cool on wire rack for about 10-15 minutes before flipping over and removing from pan. Cool completely.
7. When completely cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar or melt a couple of scoops of prepared chocolate frosting in the microwave, just until pourable.
8. Drizzle the frosting over the top of the cake, and sprinkle with festive sprinkles, if desired.

I recently read that birds like to eat egg shells.  After cleaning the egg shells, you need to sterilize them in a 250 degree oven for 10 minutes. Alternatively,  you can boil the eggs shells.   After they are cool, you can break them up for the birds.  Do any of you do this?  I guess it's a great source of calcium for the birdies. 

I had a Valentine brunch with Tim, Julie, Avery, Ella, and Avery's boyfriend, Landon.  It's so nice to see all those smiling faces.  

Thank you for your visit!  xo

I'm sharing with these parties:

Talking About It Tuesdays

Love Your Creativity Link Party

Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Country Cottage

Pistachio Cake

My son Mike's birthday is New Year's Eve, and he loves all sweets. 

Banana Cake

I've baked us a small banana cake with cream cheese frosting to celebrate Spring.

Applesauce Spice Cake

We had a very dear friend pass away very unexpectedly and my son, Mike, asked if I would make a bundt cake for the family. 

Wee Irish Cottages (Chocolate Pistachio Cake)

 

Welcome to my St. Patrick's Day Tea! Won't you join me for some Chocolate Pistachio Cake and a cup of Barry's Irish Breakfast Tea?

 

This cottage teapot is one of my very favorites to use. 

The delicate Belleek teacup is so charming, isn't it?

My late beloved mom made this necklace for me, as she loved to make jewelry as a hobby.

You can choose a little cottage from my cake stand.

The Nordic Ware pan is called Cozy Village, and it's fun to use not only for St. Paddy's Day, but for Christmas time, too.  

I have my Irish Blessings Journal to look at from when my late beloved and I went to our dream vacation to Ireland in September of 2009.  I also have a photo album filled with memories of our trip of a lifetime.  At this time of the year, a fresh Oxalis (shamrock) plant is needed to grace my home. 

Yield: 1 bundt cake

Author: Kitty

Chocolate Pistachio Cake

I made 7 mini cottages and four mini bundt cakes from this recipe, which is one of my very favorite bundt cake recipes.

Ingredients

• 1 box white cake mix (without pudding)
• 1 box instant pistachio pudding mix
• 1/2 c. oil
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/2 c. orange juice
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 c. chocolate syrup

Instructions

1. Mix together the cake mix, pudding mix, oil, orange juice and the eggs, and beat with mixer on low for 30 seconds and then on medium for 2 minutes. 
2. Pour 3/4 of the batter into a greased & floured 10" tube or bundt pan.
3. Into remaining 1/4 batter, add 3/4 cup chocolate syrup, and mix.
4. Pour over top of other batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes (until toothpick comes out clean).
5. Cool on wire rack. Remove from pan. You can sprinkle with powdered sugar, or even make a chocolate glaze, if you'd like.
   

Notes:

I baked the little cottages for about 25 minutes, and the mini bundts for about 30 minutes.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Thank you for joining me for tea today.  Happy St. Patrick's Day to  you!  xo

I am sharing with:

Full Plate 

Love Your Creativity Link Party

Meal Plan Monday

Encouraging Hearts and Home 

White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake

 Oh my, do I ever have a treat for you today!  Have you ever tried Nothing Bundt Cake's White Chocolate Raspberry cake?  It is my favorite flavor!  Last year my bloggy buddy, Jenna, from The Painted Apron made a version,  and I have been dreaming about it ever since.  You can see Jenna's cake here.  Jenna is such a great cook and a wonderful artist.  I actually made the cake for our ladies luncheon that we have every month, and it was a hit. 

 Here's the cake ready to bake in my pretty NordicWare Heart Bundt pan.  

 Look at the inside of the cake...heaven, I tell you! 

Yield: 1 large bundtAuthor: Kitty, inspired by Jenna

White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake

This cake is so heavenly if you love raspberries!

ingredients:

• 1 pkg. white cake mix
• 1  pkg. (4-serving size) instant white chocolate pudding (Hershey makes one) or instant vanilla pudding
• 1 c. sour cream
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/2 c. oil
• 1 1/2 c. white chocolate chips chopped into smaller pieces (I chopped mine in the food processor after freezing them for a bit)
• 1 c. raspberry pie filling, pastry filling,  or even raspberry jam
• 4 ounces cream cheese,  softened
• 1/4 c. butter, softened
• 2 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1t. vanilla

instructions:

1. Grease and flour a bundt pan (I like to use Baker's Joy to get in all the crevices),  and preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix first six ingredients together with a beater. Fold in white chocolate chips.
2. Fill prepared bundt pan with half of the batter. Spoon half of the raspberry filling in small, separated spoonfuls over the batter, and swirl.
3. Pour remaining batter in evenly and spoon in remaining pie filling, repeating the swirling process.
4. Cook in oven at 350 degrees for 45-50 mins, or until a knife inserted comes out clean. 
5. Remove from oven. Let cool for 20 mins. Remove from pan, and let cool on a cooling rack. This will take awhile to completely cool.
6. In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually beat in the powdered sugar,  starting with 2 cups,  then add the other 1/2 cup,  until it is thick. 
7. Frost the cake (See note).

NOTES:

To get the ribbon effect of the frosting, use a piping bag OR fill a gallon food safe bag with the cream cheese frosting, and twist the top.  Cut a corner off of the bag, and squeeze the icing onto the cake.

What to do with the extra pie filling?  You can make a half recipe of  these Raspberry Crumble Bars. 

Created using The Recipes Generator

 My bloggy buddy, Lauren, at My Wonderfully Made Blog recently made the cutest chenille  Valentine decorations, and Cissy and I made them from Lauren's inspiration.  They were such fun to make.  You can check out Lauren's darling ones and her valentine tree by checking  here.

My version is here.  Cissy gathered the tulle with needle and thread and she fashioned the hearts to surprise me out of some of the bump chenille.  

Thank you for your visit!  xo

I am sharing this with these lovely parties:

Cooking and Crafting with J & J
Keep In Touch

Full Plate

Dishing It! & Digging It!

Applesauce Spice Cakelets for Fall in Love with Texas

Welcome to my home for the Fall in Love with Texas Blog Tour.  I've set our tea party on the patio since we still have nice days here in October.  Would you like an applesauce spice cakelet?  They are so moist and perfect for a Fall treat.  I love using my Sadler Brown Betty teapot year round.   I had a gift card to HomeGoods and I bought an Autumn Treats Pan by Nordic Ware, and Cissy, my granddaaughter,  and I had fun baking the cakelets, with the recipe that came with the pan. 

 Katie, from Let's Add Sprinkles, is our hostess.  Thank you for organizing this for us!

 This is one of my favorite Fall teacups, which is Johnson Brothers, Harvest Time.  Isn't it pretty,  and with such a lovely, vintage transferware design?  Bringing it out in the Fall is like seeing an old friend!

 My American Family Scale is a such fun accessory for my kitchen. I got this for $18 several years ago in a downtown McKinney antique mall!!

Yield: 6 cakeletsAuthor: Kitty, taken from Nordic Ware

Applesauce Spice Cakelets

These are moist, very flavorful cakes, and perfect for Fall!  Cissy helped with them and grated the nutmeg. 

ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/ 4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/ 4 cup butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 1/ 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg (I used freshly grated)
• 1/ 2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/ 2 teaspoon vanilla

instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare pan with spray or butter and flour (I like to use Baker's Joy).

Blend butter, sugar and eggs together. In separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, soda, spices and salt. Slowly add dry ingredients to butter, sugar and egg mixture. Add applesauce and blend in vanilla.

Divide evenly between each cake well. Tap on counter-top gently to remove air bubbles. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cake ’s center comes out clean. Cool on rack for 10 minutes before turning out.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Please check out the Fall in Love With Texas Blog Tour each day:

Monday 

Let's Add Sprinkles

My Thrift Store Addiction

French Ethereal

Decor To Adore

Tuesday

First Day of Home

County Road 407

Kitty's Kozy Kitchen 

Ash Tree Cottage

Wednesday 

The Aspiring Home
 Bluesky At Home

Sweet Nothings

Monica Wants It

Thursday

Opulent Cottage

Hyacinths For The Soul 

Botanic Bleu

My Heart Lives Here

Poofing The Pillows

White Spray Paint 

I am sharing this with these lovely parties:

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Fall in Love with Texas Blog Tour 

Share Your Cup

Full Plate

Dishing It! & Digging It!

Pistachio Bundt Cake

It's so pretty out today, and I've made us some mini cottage bundt cakes from my Cozy Village Nordic Ware pan.  I wanted to use my Royal Albert March trio that my friend Colleen gave me last year. The pretty vintage hankie was included in the package from my teacup partner.  I'll be sharing the teacup and the rest of my gifts soon, when Stephanie has her reveal party, sometime in April.  

 The teacup has anemones on it, but I think it blends nicely with the pretty geranium basket that I put together. 

 I love iron baskets, and this is another one that I fixed with some new coco fiber and pretty plants.

yield: One 10" Bundt Cake or about 13 mini bundt cakes
 Author: Kitty, from Debbie at http://mountainbreaths.com/print recipe

Pistachio Bundt Cake

My friend, Debbie,  was kind enough to share her favorite birthday cake recipe that her mom used to make for her. Don't we all just love memories of our favorite foods and how they make us connected to those that we love?

INGREDIENTS:

Cake

• 1 box of yellow cake mix
• 2 (3.4 ounce) packages of instant pistachio pudding mix
• 1 cup water
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup oil

Glaze

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter, softened
• 2-3 tablespoons milk

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large bowl of electric mixer, combine the cake mix, pudding mixes, water, eggs, and oil; Beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
2. Pour mixture into a grease and floured 10" bundt pan. I like to use a cooking spray, such as Baker's Joy, that has the flour and oil mixed because it gets into all the crevices.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. If using the mini bundt pans, check between 22-27 minutes.
4. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. In a small bowl, combine the Glaze ingredients, adding enough milk to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over cake.

http://www.kittyskozykitchen.com/2017/03/pistachio-bundt-cake.html

Created using The Recipes Generator

I am sharing this with these lovely parties:

Tuesday Cuppa Tea 

Teacup Tuesday 

Cooking and Crafting with J & J  

Share Your Cup

Full Plate

Foodie Friday

Tea in the Garden
Dishing It! & Digging It!

Cozy Village Mini Cakes

When my grands and I made the cozy village cakelets, back in December, I had a few leftover, which I stuck in the freezer.  I pulled those out today and sprinkled them with some powdered sugar "snow" and put them on my snowflake-edged plates that I found at Kroger several seasons ago.  My teddy bear is dressed for the occasion, and I'm sharing my old copy of Frosty the Snow Man, back from 1976.  My little electric candle has a snowman bulb to shine some glow on my tea table.

Here's a close-up of my mug, which I'm having some Constant Comment tea, that goes well with the citrus flavor in the cake.

Aren't these the sweetest little cottages?  I had my two little neighbor boys over to decorate some, also, and the oldest, who is eight, said on the way out, "Thank you, Miss Kitty for having us over.  That was so kind of you."  Oh my goodness, my heart just melted right there on the spot!

Snowy Village Cake Recipe, courtesy of Nordic Ware:

2 and 1/4 cups flour

1 and 3/4 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

1 cup butter, melted

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon orange extract

 grated orange peel from 1 orange

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour Cozy Village Baking Pan; set aside (I used Baker's Joy).

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine yogurt (or sour cream), butter, eggs, vanilla and orange extract; beat on medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well blended.

Add dry ingredients; blend on lowest speed, scraping bowl often, until well combined.  Beat on medium speed 1 minute.  Stir in orange peel.

Spoon half of batter into prepared pan, filling each well 3/4 full.  Tap pan onto countertop to release air bubbles.  For best results, spread batter up to reach the top edges of each well, so it is slightly lower in the centers.  Set remaining batter aside.  Bake for 22-27 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes in pan.  Invert cakes onto cooling rack and cool completely.  Wash and dry out pan.  Prepare pan as previously instructed.  Repeat filling and baking procedure with remaining batter.  Decorate as desired.

Makes 12 little cakes.  I'm sure this would also make one large bundt cake.

Here's the little cottage all decorated with icing and Rice Krispie treat trees.  Teddy Grahams are the greeters!  

I just realized that I never shared this photo of the five of my seven grandchildren with their adorable cottages.  They all turned out so cute and everyone could take one home to enjoy and not have to share.  We used tiny candies, and sprinkles, all on foil covered cardboard .  Don't they look proud!? 

                                                                                                                    

I am sharing this with these lovely parties:

No Place Like Home

Tuesday Cuppa Tea 

Bernideen's Tea Time, Collage and Garden Blog Party

Tea Cup Tuesday 
Roses of Inspiration 
Cooking and Crafting with J & J 

Share Your Cup

Full Plate

Foodie Friday

Weekend Potluck  

                                                                                                                         

I was featured!

I was featured!

Baby Pumpkin Bundt Cake in Honor of a New Baby

 Kathleen from Cuisine Kathleen is having a bundt cake challenge this month at her Let's Dish! party,  with a coffee or tea setting.  This is just perfect for me and I set my tea outside on the patio.  You can choose a mug or a teacup to go with our pumpkin bundt cakes.  You can check out the party on November 12th, starting at 7 pm.

I have my "new" antique scale to hold the baby bundt.  A wooden bowl is filled with gourds, pine cones and dried corn.  The leaf tealight holder is from the Dollar Tree and my pewter Williamsburg teapot was given to me from my late Great Aunt Kitty.

I used the recipe from my Colonial Pumpkin Bars to make the baby bundts.   You can find the recipe here. The cake recipe worked out so well in my mini bundt cake pans.  I tried to decorate them like the Nothing Bundt Cakes company does.  Have you ever tried them?  They are so good, but I have to say, I like mine better!!  I put the icing in a plastic bag, cut one corner off and squeezed the icing onto the cakes.  Since I had some pumpkin candies, I decorated the tops with those.  I'm serving them on my Mikasa pumpkin platter.

My special "Blessing" mug is perfect for today's tea for I have a new little blessing in my life!  My youngest son and dear daughter-in-law had a BABY GIRL on November 5th!  This makes my seventh grandchild.  I have so much to be grateful for. 

I am taking two of these baby bundt cakes along with a special meal for the new little family to celebrate the birth of their little pumpkin. 

 Here are the mini bundt pans, which come in handy for so many cakes, muffins, quick breads, etc.  I seem to use these and a set of six mini bundts that are like a muffin pan, for most of my baking.  They make for wonderful gift giving. I prefer them over my bigger bundt pans, which include the Nordic Heart and the Holiday tree. Another recipe to try in a bundt pan is my Chocolate Pistachio Cake, which can be found here.

Welcome to the world Harper Lee!   I loved you before you were even born.  

I am sharing this with:

Make It Pretty Monday

Tea Time Tuesday

Tuesday Cuppa Tea 

Friends Sharing Tea

Tea Cup Tuesday 

Share Your Cup
Full Plate
Foodie Friday
Weekend Potluck

Thank you for your visit!  xo