Easy Funfetti Strawberry Shortcakes!

Funfetti cake mix hacks have become so expected: Funfetti cookies, ice cream, truffles, cake mix dip and blondies. Boring! That's why I've dedicated my life to creating next-level Funfetti treats that go way beyond the ordinary. You loved my Funfetti Lemon Bars. Now I'd like to introduce you to: Funfetti Strawberry Shortcakes! 

5-Ingredient Funfetti Cake Lemon Bars, You're Welcome!

Lots of my favorite ladies are June-babies and I am, too! In years past I've made Birthday Cake Tea Lights and the Ultimate Funfetti Recipe Roundup in their (our) honor. This year, I'm at it again. Here's what happens when Funfetti Cake and Lemon Bars make sweet, sweet love and have a ridiculously delicious baby...

How-To Make The Most Epic Horse Cake EVER! Step-By-Step Instructions, Just For You xo

Birthday cakes don't have to be so serious after you turn 20, 30, 40...heck! Even 100! I love a sophisticated layer cake but compared to a frickin' multicolored horse!? It's not even a question which one I'd rather have my candles in. 

My Absolute Favorite GIANT Birthday Cake Skillet Cookie—Plus An Awesome Giveaway!

Friendly reminder: Enter to win your copy of a fabulous new skillet cookbook I'm giving away on the blog—details here!! And if you're on the fence, I whipped up a giant skillet cookie for a little inspiration...

Funfetti Easter Bread—The Most Epic 4 Ingredient Recipe Ever!

Some years my family gets to celebrate two Easters—one "regular" and one Greek—and some lucky years they fall on the same day. This is a fabulous combo year, so I set out to create an extra-tasty twist on our classic tsoureki (brioche-like bread studded with red eggs) for the occasion. I present to you: Funfetti Easter Bread—EEEKS! I know, me too!!!

Tiny Flower Cakes—5 Minute Birthday Cake Idea That's Chic & Portable!

I try my best to remember everyone's birthdays but sometimes life happens and you forget! If you're quick on your feet, you can usually pull a last-minute treat together without the birthday boy or girl knowing. That's why I always keep a list of quickie treat ideas handy—shh! 

Bits Of The Weekend! Red Velvet Cake, Focaccia & a Fab Brooklyn Picnic!

Welcome back and happy Monday, friends! How nice was it to wake up to a short work week? I must say, I'm especially thankful. I'm operating on very little sleep and a massive sugar-high—we had quite the eventful weekend celebrating my birthday with friends and family! I'd love to share a few photos from our picnic party in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, if you're interested (plus a super easy recipe for my favorite focaccia)! It was such a special treat to spend my birthday relaxing with those I care about most. Here's a little peek at the festivities...

Mom brought my childhood wagon to transport big buckets of fried chicken, cherries, olives, cheese and my homemade rosemary focaccia (recipe below). It's a miracle that this thing's still around!

EASY ROSEMARY FOCACCIA

SERVES: 10

1 package active dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

5 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing

Kosher salt and flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

2 to 3 sprigs rosemary, leaves stripped  

1. Put 1/2 cup warm water (about 110˚) in a large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the water and stir gently to combine; let sit 5 minutes or until foamy. 

2. Add 1 cup warm water, the flour, 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to the bowl and stir to combine. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 7 minutes or until smooth and elastic, adding more flour as needed. Transfer dough to an olive oil-coated bowl, cover and set aside in a warm place 1 hour or until dough doubles in size. 

3. Meanwhile, coat a 9-by-13 baking dish with olive oil. Punch down the dough and spread it into the prepared pan. Set aside in a warm place, uncovered, for 1 hour. 

4. Poke holes in the focaccia, about 1 inch apart, with your fingertips. Brush the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over the surface of the focaccia, sprinkle with the rosemary leaves and generously with flakey sea salt. Set aside and let rise again, uncovered, about 45 minutes. 

5. Preheat the oven to 450˚. Bake the focaccia on the lowest rack 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool slightly; slice into squares. 

Oo! I wish boyfriend took a picture of little ol' me trying to walk these monster balloons to the park (we lost 1 in the process). They were so gigantic and unwieldy—people kept stopping me to comment. They're the 36-inch round balloons from Party City. The tassels I made myself, following these wonderful instructions by Line, Love and Love (but I tied the tops with string rather than gluing 'em). 

Eeks! These are all of my besties—some old, some new—how darn cute are they!? I'm a very lucky girl...

Boyfriend was in charge of making the birthday cake. His vision: a Red Velvet Confetti Cake—I love how his brain works! As you can see, the cake suffered through some serious sun/transportation trauma but, after minor surgery, he was able to piece it back together.

(Just between you and me, I was the one who ended up making the birthday cake. We were short on time and we knew one of us could crank out a cake faster than the other—though boyfriend did supervise to make sure his vision was honored.)

At the end of the day, we decided to gift the giant balloons to a few of the kiddos in the park. It was such a blast to watch them scatter (below) so darn happy! 

It was a beautiful day, to say the least. Hope you enjoyed the photos! Thank you for all of your warm wishes. Can you believe it's July now—sheesh! Many more fun summer moments to come. Thanks, again! xo Erin

How To Make: A Super Easy Coconut Cake, Mmm!

Good morning, lovely friends! We're shaking the sand out of our swimsuits and packin' our things to head back to Brooklyn. In the meantime, here's a recipe for the simple coconut cake I threw together for an impromptu birthday party this week. It's decadent, coconut-y and perfectly toasty (kind of like boyfriend's cheeks right now). I hope you enjoy it as much as we did :) See you back here tomorrow! xo

 
EASY COCONUT CAKE
SERVES: 8 

FOR THE CAKE
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda 
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 to 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

FOR THE FROSTING
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2 to 3 cups confectioners' sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, plus toasted coconut for coating

1. Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350˚. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper; spray with cooking spray and dust with flour, tapping out the excess. 
2. Beat butter and granulated sugar in a bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. 
3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk the milk, coconut milk and vanilla. Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk mixture to the butter in 5 additions, starting and ending with the flour mixture, beating until just combined. Fold in the coconut using a spatula. 
4. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let cool in the pan 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and cool completely. 
5. Make the frosting: Best the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the vanilla and salt and beat until combined. Alternate adding the confectioners' sugar and milk until you reach your desired consistency and sweetness. Fold in the coconut. 
6. Slice the cake, horizontally, into 2 layers (if desired). Fill and frost. Press on toasted coconut, if you're in the mood. 

YUM! Dr Pepper Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

As part of the festivities this weekend, I made my lovely friend a cake spiked with her favorite soda: My Dr Pepper Red Velvet Cake comes out super moist—exactly how I like it!—because I stir a little warm Dr Pepper syrup into the cake batter, then brush the finished cakes with it right before frosting. The sour cherry candy–decorations gave the cake an extra soda-flavored kick. It looked a little Christmasy in the end but really, who cares? We were too busy stealing licks of frosting and treating ourselves to second helpings to notice :)

DR PEPPER RED VELVET CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

SERVES: 10 to 12

FOR THE CAKE

Unsalted butter, softened, for the pans

1 12-ounce can Dr Pepper

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

2½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1-ounce bottle red food coloring

FOR THE FROSTING

2 8-ounce packaged cream cheese, at room temperature

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ teaspoon vanilla

Pinch of salt

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream (or Dr. Pepper syrup)

1. Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 325˚. Butter two 9-inch-round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment; butter the parchment and dust the pans with flour. Bring the Dr Pepper to a simmer in a skillet over medium heat and cook until reduce by at least half, about 15 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Beat the vegetable oil and granulated sugar with a mixer until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the buttermilk, vanilla, red food coloring and ½ cup of the hot Dr Pepper syrup and beat until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the flour mixture in 4 additions (do not over mix). 

3. Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in the pans on racks for 15 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto the racks and cool completely. 

4. For the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter with a mixer until smooth. Beat in the vanilla and salt. Alternate adding the confectioners' sugar and heavy cream (use Dr. Pepper syrup, instead, for an amped-up soda flavor; it will change the color slightly) until you reach the desired consistency and sweetness. 

5. Put 1 layer on a cake platter and brush the top with some of the remaining Dr Pepper syrup. Spread about 1 cup frosting on top, then top with the remaining cake layer; brush with more Dr Pepper syrup. Cover the entire cake with a thin layer of frosting (this is a crumb coat, it doesn't have to be perfect) and chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Cover with the remaining frosting.

Quick Poll: What's Your Birthday Cake Personality?

Morning lovelies! I'd like to know how you feel about birthday cake. I've been loving the simple look of rustic cakes like this Swedish chocolate cake from Top With Cinnamon (it's part flourless chocolate cake, part molten lava cake). Can you picture it topped with a cluster of birthday candles? It would have a sexy je ne sais quoi, like: "I was too busy being steamy and perfecting my Bardot-style eyeliner to bother with buttercream," right!?

On the other hand, it's no secret that I'm a frosting addict. Remember when I made 167 cups frosting at my desk to perfect this frosting color chart for the magazine? Classic birthday cake was my first celebratory dessert-love, it's hard to stray from that.

So what do you think? Are you a birthday cake minimalist or a classicist? Which would you rather slice into. Leave your pick as a comment! I'd love to know.

[Chocolate cake image from Top with Cinnamon; Cotton candy cake courtesy of Harrah's for Grub Street]

Birthday Cake Round Up: Cake Batter Flavored Desserts!

So, today’s my birthday! I’m beyond grateful for all of the well wishes I've received—I'm such a lucky lady, thank you! I’ve been trying to think of something I could do for you all in return and decided on a little something I hope you'll like: Click here for a big ol' Pinterest board of the best birthday cake flavored dessert recipes and peak through my fave 15, below! Sprinkles really are the lifeblood of a happy birthday, am I right? So spend a little time obsessing over birthday cake desserts, cake batter dessert & Funfetti desserts. They're all here and just for you :)

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