The Broke Baker

Category: Recipes

Recipes

  • Mini Pumpkin Bundt Cakes

    Mini Pumpkin Bundt Cakes

    It’s that time of the year when pumpkin treats pop up everywhere.  And, since my job recently hosted a craft fair, I thought it would be nice to feature an item that was pumpkin-flavored.  So, I made mini pumpkin bundt cakes.

    You can easily scale this recipe up and make one, large bundt cake.  However, mini bundt cakes are great for sharing.  They have built-in portion control, too.  Just make sure your mini bundt pan is well-greased.  Otherwise, you will have a hard time getting the little cakes out of the pan in one piece.  Trust me on that one.

    You can ice or glaze the cakes with anything you’d like, or leave them as-is.  I glazed these with chocolate ganache.  I think the bittersweet chocolate makes a good contrast with the sweetness of the pumpkin cake.

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  • Red Velvet Cupcakes

    Red Velvet Cupcakes

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    I started writing this post back in late June, with the full intention of posting it as a 4th of July post.  Then, mangoes happened, and I got distracted.  Still, a good red velvet cake is something that should be shared.

    I came across this recipe while I was looking for firm cake recipes that would work well for frosting-free cake pops.  I used to use a recipe that required softened butter for the cake batter, but using oil is so much easier.  Plus, there’s no planning required.  Anyone that has worked closely with me has probably seen sticks of butter or cream cheese sitting on my desk at the office, because I need to have my ingredients at room temperature by the time I get home and am ready to bake.  Hopefully, my boss isn’t reading this…

    Both Fourth of July and Christmas are great times to make red velvet anything.  Cupcakes are always winners, and all you need is some decorative sprinkles to cater the cupcakes to a holiday theme. (more…)

  • Twix Cake

    Twix Cake

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    So, a good friend of mine broke her foot the other day.  To cheer her up, I offered to make her any type of cake she wanted.  She initially asked for a Kit Kat cake.  But, some subliminal messaging from another friend, as well as an earlier suggestion from one of my coworkers, made her decide instead on a Twix cake.

    It was a challenge to try to capture the essence of a Twix bar – shortbread and caramel covered in chocolate – in the form of a cake.  Somehow, the chocolate mousse center that I had used for the Kit Kat cake just didn’t seem like it would go as well with Twix.  I toyed around with a few ideas, including making a giant shortbread cookie to be the center layer of the cake.  I finally settled on the center being a later of chopped Twix bars and caramel.   (more…)

  • Kit Kat Cake

    Kit Kat Cake

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    I have a serious problem.  I obsess over things.  All it takes is for the small seed of an idea to be planted, and the idea grows at an exponential rate and grabs hold of my brain.  Then, it won’t let go.  It’s this tendency to obsess that will lead me to do things like read a big book or watch an anime series in its entirety in a day or two, or go through dozens of web pages for “research” purposes when there’s a recipe or dish that catches my interest.

    This is exactly what happened about a month ago, when a coworker asked me if I could make a cake with Kit Kats (her favorite candy bar).  Well, several hours (okay, maybe DAYS) and hoards of web pages later, my mind was made up.  The seed was officially planted.  Challenge accepted. (more…)

  • Short Rib and Arugula Grilled Cheese Sandwich

    Short Rib and Arugula Grilled Cheese Sandwich

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    Not long ago, a friend of mine mentioned that she cooked a grilled cheese sandwich in the microwave.  She said this with pride in her resourcefulness and ingenuity.  I, on the other hand, was horrified.  It’s like watching someone cook a good cut of steak until it’s a dried up hockey puck of a mess.  It is a crime against humanity, and it needs to STOP!

    Friends don’t let friends eat bad food.  These are words that I live by.  Food is life. Food is happiness.  Food can bring people together, and a good meal can reverse the worst of moods.  If you love your ingredients, and give them respect, they will love you back.  It was time for an intervention.  I could not idly stand by and let this woman continue on this path of darkness.  I had to show her the light. (more…)

  • Mango Madness in July!

    Mango Madness in July!

    These past two weeks have been a whirlwind of mango.  Yet, all good things must come to an end.  As the bombardment of mangoes from my coworker’s overly fertile tree winds down, I am taking a look back at all of the mango goodness that I was able to produce with my seemingly endless stream of mangoes.  Due to several requests from satisfied taste-testers, I have decided to try to compile a list of all of the mango dessert recipes that I attempted.  Unfortunately, going into “Mango Mad Scientist Mode” left very little opportunity for photo ops or step-by-step walkthroughs.  Still, I hope that my experiences can inspire others to get a little bit adventurous with mango, and perhaps do something those overripe mangoes besides throwing them in a smoothie. Let the Mango Madness begin! (more…)

  • Mango Flan

    Mango Flan

    Mango Season continues in full swing!  I continue getting generous donations of ripe mangoes from work.  It’s been fun experimenting with recipes to incorporate the mango.  This mango flan was one such experiment.  It turned out to be a success, and someone requested that I give them the recipe.  So, here it is! (more…)

  • Mini Mango Cheesecakes

    Mini Mango Cheesecakes

    It’s Mango Season in South Florida!  And, at my new job, my coworkers are not stingy about sharing the wealth.  We have been getting bags full of mangoes every day from a coworker’s over-productive tree.  But, there are only so many mangoes you can eat as is.  And, overripe mangoes are plentiful.  We were discussing possible uses for these overripe fruits, when he asks “can you make mango cheesecake?”  Well, I never have, but there’s a first time for everything!

    I came up with this recipe after a little bit of online research, and adjusting my standard mini cheesecake recipe accordingly.  And, because I am a big supporter of portion control and like cute little things, I made mini mango cheesecakes.  You can use my previous mini cheesecake post as a guideline, if you’re unsure of the step-by-step process. (more…)

  • Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

    Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

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    I am not particularly fond of peanut butter.  Maybe it was too many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as a kid.  In fact, to me, peanut butter is something that I eat when my calorie counting app tells me that I haven’t eaten enough fat or protein that day.

    Yet, when done right, something magical happens when chocolate and peanut butter come together.  The peanut butter Lindt truffles are one of my favorite flavors.  And, my absolute favorite cookies are chocolate cookies with peanut butter chips.  These cookies have ruined my diet many, many times.  In fact, I refrain from making them often, because I know that I will utterly destroy half a pan in one sitting if I do. (more…)

  • Carrot Cake Cheesecake

    Carrot Cake Cheesecake

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    A lot of times, I get asked how I decide which recipes to post on the blog.  There is really no specific thought-process that I follow for this sort of thing.  However, I’ve noticed that the majority of my most recent recipe posts have followed a pattern.  That is, I make something to take to work or to a party.  They love it so much that they ask “When is this recipe going on The Broke Baker?”  Well, shoot!  Once they’ve pretty much expressed guaranteed blog traffic, how can I refuse?

    And, that is how this Carrot Cake Cheesecake recipe came to be this month’s recipe post.  Originally, I made this cake using red velvet cake as the base, but my manager asked that I recreate it with carrot cake for her birthday in May.  When I decided to part ways with the company, I promised to post the recipe for said carrot cake cheesecake on the blog, so that someone else may be able to make it for her.  And, since I keep my promises, here it is!

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