Red Velvet Cake and Why You Need Boundaries

A delicious, moist red velvet cake that is sure to become one of your favorite dessert recipes.

Welcome to A&B Homemaker! I'm excited to share one of my favorite desserts...Red Velvet Cake! You don’t want to miss this recipe!

I love red velvet cake because it is a chocolate treat without being overly sweet. Take a moment and check out the video where we explore the topic of boundaries along with a step by step recipe for a moist red velvet cake. 

Ingredients

Dry Batter Ingredients

• 2 2/3 cups sifted cake flour 

• 2 cups sugar

• 2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 1/2 tsp salt

Wet Batter Ingredients

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 2 large eggs + 1 egg white

• 1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 stick of butter  

• 1 1/2 TBSP red food coloring

• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 1 tsp distilled white vinegar

Chocolate Ganache

• 4 oz Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate baking bar

• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Cream Cheese Frosting (makes 4 cups)

• 8 oz Philadelphia cream cheese, softened

• 1/2 cup salted butter, Challenge

"European Style", softened

• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 4 1/2 cups confectioners powdered sugar

• 1 TBSP heavy whipping cream, very cold

Directions

Make Red Velvet Cake:

1 Preheat oven to 350° F.

2 Mix all dry batter ingredients together in a large mixer bowl.

3 In a separate large bowl, mix together all wet ingredients on low.

To make chocolate ganache

1. Coarsely chop Ghirardelli chocolate bar.

2. Melt chocolate with heavy cream in a glass bowl in the microwave on the lowest setting, stirring thoroughly every 30 seconds until smooth. If there are just a few lumps left, don't nuke it again, just keep stirring and they'll melt right in.

3. Add chocolate ganache to wet mix and blend with mixer.

Continue the Cake 

4 Add dry ingredients to wet mixture 1/3 at a time, mixing in between on low setting. Mix until batter is smooth.

5 Fill cake pans evenly  and place pans in oven and bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center of each cake. 

6 Remove pans from oven and allow cakes to cool in pan for 15 minutes. 

7 Allow them to cool completely on a wire rack or counter before frosting.

8 Add icing and enjoy!!

Make Cream Cheese Icing 

1 Using a stand mixer or electric handheld mixer, combine softened cream cheese and butter. Mix until well blended and smooth.

2 Add vanilla extract. Mix well.

3 Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing well in between to really incorporate the sugar. This process will ensure a smooth texture.

4 Add 1 TBSP very cold heavy whipping cream. Beat well for fluffiness.

5 Chill in refrigerator until cakes have cooled completely before frosting. Chilling the frosting also helps it gain more structure when piping since we softened the cream cheese and butter earlier.

I hope you all take the try out the recipe and share your thoughts on boundaries in the comments.

Enjoy!

-AB

Apple Pie in a Glass

A simple and sweet, cinnamon apple flavored liquor drink recipe to boost your fall parties and holiday fun! 

Apple Pie in a Glass

As fall approaches, the leaves begin to turn into burnt oranges, bold reds, and golden yellows. We enjoy the brisk chill breeze that flows through the air. We go to the back our closets to pull out our favorite warm blankets, flannel button ups, fuzzy socks, and boots of all kinds. 

Of course, we also need our go to comfort foods! The foods that have a rich warmth that makes you feel cozy all over. The foods that remind us of home, family, friends, and laughter. Some of our favorite go to recipes are delicious chili and chicken corn chowder soup.

The best thing to follow our favorite comfort foods is something sweet paired with a perfectly blended liquor medley. This is key to completing the perfect fall experience. What is a better dessert than classic apple pie?! 

Apple Pie is one of the classic desserts that’s sure to please the crowd. The warm,cinnamon flavored apples in a sweet apple filling and warm flaky crust. Topped with the perfect scoop of vanilla ice cream. How can you go wrong? All you need to add is your liquor refreshment of choice.

Here is the perfect combination! Apple Pie in A Glass! 

Sweet, cinnamon liquor drink

A simple, two ingredient blend that creates the sweet warmth of cinnamon apple pie and melting ice cream in a liquid, liquor form. 

Now you can have the same sweet, cinnamon apple flavor with a every sip and a light tingle at the end of the glass. Simply mix your favorite apple juice or cider with equal parts Horchata or RumChata. The sweet cinnamon flavor of Horchata blends perfectly with the apple cider to create the sweet cinnamon apple pie in a Glass.

The steps and ingredients are super simple! 

• Apple Cider or Juice - 1 part 

• Horchata (or RumChata) - 1 part 

Mix and served chilled or over ice.

Try it and let me know what you think! 

Enjoy!! 

-AB

Sweet & Sticky Cinnamon Rolls

A simple, step by step recipe with pictures for the perfect cinnamon rolls. These sweet, sticky cinnamon rolls are sure to be a crowd pleaser.

For the past several years I've been practicing my baking skills. Especially, baking from scratch. Yeast, rolling out dough, letting it rise, and so on and so forth. When I was in college I started adapting this recipe for homemade cinnamon rolls. The cinnamon rolls are a flaking, sweet treat that has consistently been a huge hit with my family. And they can be quite picky, so for everyone to love something is a major success. Since that discovery I've been making them every year for Christmas breakfast.

Who doesn’t love breakfast? It’s not only the most important meal of the day, but it’s the best meal of the day! Of course, you can do breakfast in the morning, a brunch, and for dinner. And a sweet breakfast treat is the perfect ending to any meal. Cinnamon rolls fit as the entire breakfast, the sweet ending to bacon and eggs, or even a post dinner dessert with coffee.

The recipe is simple, but it is a time commitment. It’s a great starter recipe if this is your first extensive baking adventure. The steps are easy and the pictures will help guide you. However, because some of the steps require extended periods of time, I suggest you read the entire recipe so you can plan accordingly. I personally hate to be rushed, so I make most of it at night and leave the final baking step for the morning. This plan allows me to take my time to prepare and still serve fresh, hot cinnamon rolls.

This recipe is a simple, step by step guide to sweet and sticky cinnamon rolls along with tips on making this baking adventure successful.

Ingredients

• 5 cups of flour

• 4 sticks of butter

• 2 cups of brown sugar

• 1/3 cup of white sugar

• 1/2 cup of milk

• 2 Eggs (Beaten)

• 1/2 cup of warm water

• 1 .25 oz package of active dry yeast

• 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon

• A pinch of salt

Steps

1. In a small bowl dissolve 1/2 tablespoon of sugar and yeast packet in warm water. Stir slightly and let's stand until it's creamy/foamy. This will take about 10 minutes.

2. During those 10 minutes warm your milk in a small sauce pan until it begins to bubble. Then reduce the heat and mix in 1/4 cup of sugar 1/4 cup of butter and a pinch of salt (no more than a teaspoon). Stir the mixture until everything is melted and smooth.

3. In a large bowl combine the yeast mixture, the lukewarm milk mixture, eggs, and 1 1/2 cup of flour and combined well. Continue to add flour 1/2 cup at a time (about 4 cups total) and stir well until the dough has pulled together (see pictures). You will know you have enough when the dough is difficult to stir and becomes more firm.

4. Once the dough is ready you will knead it on a lightly floured surface until the dough is smooth and elastic. This should take no longer than eight minutes. (Side note: be careful not to over work your dough. This will make it tough.) 

5. Oil a large bowl and place the dough inside of the bowl. Ensure that all of the dough is lightly covered with oil. Place a damp towel over the bowl and set-aside until the dough has doubled in size. This will take about an hour. 

6. While you're waiting for your dough to rise melt about 1 cup of butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted stir in 1 cup of brown sugar and whisk until it is smooth. Pour the mixture into a greased 9 x 13" baking pan. Then melt 1/4 cup of butter and set aside. In a separate container combine 1 cup of brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of cinnamon and mix well. And set the mixture aside. 

7. Once your dough has doubled in size set it onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a large rectangle (about 18x14"). Brush the dough with the melted butter leaving about 1/2 inch border. Then sprinkle your cinnamon and brown sugar mixture evenly across the dough covered in butter.

8. Begin rolling your cinnamon rolls along the long side. Ensure you roll the cinnamon rolls tight to avoid gaps. As you roll add butter along the bare side of the dough for to help hold the roll together (and for additional moisture and flavor). 

9. slice your cinnamon roll into 12 to 15 different sections. Place each of the rolls cut side down into your pan with the butter and brown sugar mixture. Cover your cinnamon roll filled pan with your damp towel and set aside until the cinnamon rolls have doubled in size. (See the picture.) This will take about an hour.

10. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Once the cinnamon rolls have doubled in size place them in the oven to bake for between 25 and 30 minutes or until they are golden brown. Once ready take them out of the oven and let them rest for 3 to 5 minutes then flip onto serving platter or wax paper. 

I hope my directions are clear and helpful. If you have any suggestions or difficulties feel free to leave a comment below. Enjoy!