Browsing Category DESSERTS
Anita’s BEST 5-Star Easter Carrot Cake
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1/2 teaspoon allspice, ground
1/2 teaspoon ginger, ground
3/4 cup grape seed or vegetable oil
4 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
1-2 cup of carrots, shredded
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, soften at room temperature
1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
2-3 cups of powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation of the Carrot cake
- Preheat oven at 350 grades Fahrenheit. Spray 4-pc-Layer cake pans of 12″ x 4 1/2″ or two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Using a large mixing bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and all spice. Mix all well using a hand mixer or by hand. Set aside.
- In another bowl combine grapes seed oil, eggs, pineapple juice, vanilla and brown sugar. Whisk by hand all ingredients well.
- Incorporate all wet ingredients into the flour mixture and mix until well combined.
- Add shredded carrots, coconut and chopped walnuts folding in all ingredients into the batter using a whisker.
- Evenly distribute batter between 4 greased cake pans or if you are using two of 9 inch round pan.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until top of cake are set and golden brown or inserted toothpick in the center of each cake comes out clean.
- Remove cake pans from oven. Let cakes cool in pan for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile start making your delicious frosting.
Preparation for Cream Cheese frosting
- Using a hand mixer beat together in a large bowl, softened butter and cream cheese until creamy-fluffy consistency. Incorporate at low speed powder sugar cup by cup until well combined. Add vanilla extract and mix well.
Assembling Cake
Use a serrated knife to level tops of each cake. (use this tops as crumbles over frosting or for snacking on later 🙂 .Place some parchment paper pieces on bottom of your cake stand so you can frost your cake easily and then remove them when you are done frosting. Place your first cake layer over a stand and frost a generous amount of the cream spreading it evenly.
Top with another cake layer and frost again. Note: I made two different cakes of two layers each, thinking of sharing one with my neighbors. If you use the 4-pc-layer cake pans set I used, you can have different options. Decorate with edible Easter nests, marshmallow peeps Easter Chicks, Easter candies, fresh rosemary leaves, different color carrots, peeled thin and roll, as shown in cake below.
HAPPY EASTER !!!
Enjoy!
Anita’s delicious Chocolate Chip Spice Cake
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups All Purpose flour, sifted
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
4 eggs, separated
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1/2 teaspoon ginger, ground
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup whole or 2% milk
1 cup milk chocolate chips
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 grades Fahrenheit. Grease a Bundt pan and set aside.
- Use a stand mixer or by hand beat butter and both sugars until creamy for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add egg yolks one by one, and vanilla. Mix well.
- In another large bowl, combine sifted flour, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
- Beat egg whites in another bowl until fluffy and stiff. Set aside.
- Add flour mixture from step-4 to the butter-sugar mixture alternating it with the milk, beating in low to incorporate all well.
- Fold in the fluffy and stiff egg whites gently until batter is smooth. Add chocolate chips by using a spatula to incorporate well.
- Pour batter into the Bundt pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and cake is golden brown.
- Let cake cool in pan for 15 minutes. Flip cake onto a wire rack before transferring to a cake stand. (Decorated salted caramel leaves can be made and placed around the cake making it so pretty. Use candy coating to make this leaves using the flavor of your choice. Melt candy into the microwave, stirring after every 30 seconds to prevent candy chocolate to harden. I did use my hands to shape this leaves over a parchment paper and a fork for the veins. Then, gently remove leaves from parchment paper using a spatula , but you can also brush a clean natural leave with the candy chocolate. Let it dry until completely set and slowly peel off. You can use them to decorate any of your desserts. Enjoy 🙂
Anita’s best Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups and Milk
Ingredients
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups All-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup salted butter, melted
1 1/2 cup mini-chocolate chips
1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
1/2 cup melted chocolate chips
3/4 cup confetti
Milk or Ice cream, for serving
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 grades Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, with an electric hand mixer beat melted butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until creamy and smooth.
- Stir in vanilla and milk. Add flour, baking soda and mix until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Take inverted muffin pan and spray it with butter spray. Using your hands take about a 1/4 cup of chocolate chip cookie dough, and press dough molding it all around each muffin cup. Place in refrigerator to set dough for about one hour.
- Remove from fridge and place inverted muffin pan into the middle rack of oven and bake until edges of cookie dough is golden brown but still a little soft for about 13-15 minutes. Do not over bake dough.
- Let it cool for about 10 minutes in the pan . Remove chocolate chips cookie cups carefully using a butter knife tip, and let it cool completely over a wire rack. (You can also press the cookie dough into each of the muffin cup, but cookie dough tend to grow in the middle, not completely allowing a deep hole to be created to pour milk in).
- Melt 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until completely melted.
- Deep each cookie cup border into the melted chocolate. While chocolate is still hot, and not set yet, use the confetti and sprinkle it all around the chocolate border of cookie cups.
- Serve inside with milk, ice cream, mousse or anything you want but don’t forget to eat the cup:) Enjoy!
Anita’s Winter Delicious PUMPKIN-CHOCOLATE Cake
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 cups granulated sugar
5 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1/2 teaspoon cloves, ground
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups fresh pumpkin puree, cooked
2 cups bittersweet chocolate chip
Preparation
- Preheat oven at 350 grades Fahrenheit and spray pan with no-stick cooking spray.
- Beat in a large bowl, sugar, eggs and vegetable oil till eggs have turned yellow pale.
- Add pumpkin puree, almond extract, and mixed well by hand or using a mixer at low speed.
- Incorporate slowly half of the sifted flour with baking powder, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt . Incorporate heavy cream and rest of the flour while continuously whisking until batter is smooth and creamy. Add chocolate chips folding into the batter with a spatula leaving 1/3 of the cup of chocolate chips for top of the cake.
- Drop pumpkin-chocolate batter into the greased pan. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of chocolate chip on the top of the batter, and bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until inserted toothpick in center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let it cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes and invert onto your cake platter. Enjoy!
Anita’s delicious Mango-Coconut Panna Cotta
Ingredients
For the Mango Puree:
3 large mangos
1 cup mango concentrate juice
1 package of unflavored gelatin powder
For the Coconut Puree
Ingredients:
1 can cream of coconut milk
1 package of unflavored gelatin powder
1 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla paste
1 cup of heavy cream
Toppings:
1 cup diced mango
1 cup shredded coconut
Preparation
- Place diced mango into a blender and puree until smooth. Set aside.
2. Place mango concentrate juice into a small container and sprinkle it with gelatin powder. Let the mango absorbed the gelatin and proceed to mix it. Place mixture into the microwave for 1 minute on high power. Stir mixture until gelatin is completely dissolve and filled 1/3 cup of glasses up.
3. Use wide short wine glasses and place them on the back of a muffin pan on an angle. Place in the refrigerator for 1 1/2 to 2 hours to set.
4 .Place in a sauce pan coconut milk with powder gelatin over the top, do not mix. Let it sit on top for 5 minutes.
5. Warm coconut milk at medium heat and add sugar. Stir mixture until gelatin has completely dissolved.
6. Remove sauce pan from heat and add heavy cream and vanilla caviar(inside vanilla bean) or paste. Mix all well. Let it cool for 5 minutes.
7. Pour coconut mixture over mango mixture. Chill again for about 2 hours to set.
8. Garnish with shredded coconut and fresh diced mango. Enjoy!
Anita’s Delicious Homemade Mangonada
Ingredients
2 cups mango nectar
3 mangos, peeled and quartered frozen
2 fresh mangoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 Lemon, juiced
3 Tablespoons chili sauce (chamoy)
1 Tablespoon tajin seasoning
1 1/2 cups ice cubes
2 Tamarindo candy straws
Preparation
- Place frozen mangoes, fresh mangoes and nectar into the blender and blend well till very smooth.
- Deep each glass tops into lemon juice first , and follow with the tajin seasoning all around.
- Pour about 2 Tablespoon of chamoy sauce in each glass. Add frozen mango mixture.
- Top with fresh mangoes with a drizzle of chamoy if you want and a sprinkle of tajin seasoning.
- Place Tamarindo Straws into the cups. Enjoy immediately.
Anita’s Rose Water-Berry Refreshing Summer Pudding
Ingredients
2 pints fresh strawberries, sliced
2 pints fresh blueberries
2 pints fresh raspberries
1 1-pound loaf cinnamon-raisins bread, 1/2 inch thick sliced
1 Tablespoon of Rose Water
2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
1-3/4 cup granulated sugar
Preparation
- Place strawberries with sugar in a saucepan and cook at medium-low heat uncovered.
2. Add 1/3 cup of water.
3. Add one pint of blueberries and one pint of raspberries. 
4. Add orange juice and combine all . Stirring occasionally bring it to a simmer for about 10 to 12 minutes until sugar completely dissolve. 5. Mix in rest of the raspberries and blueberries out of the heat. Add rose water and stir all ingredients together. Set berry sauce aside. 
6. Remove the crusts of the cinnamon-raisin sliced bread.
7. In the bottom of a 3 inch high soufflé dish of 7 1/2 inch round, pour 1 cup of the berry sauce on bottom of the dish. 
8. Spread bread slices over the berry sauce. 
8.Cover bread with berry sauce mixture completely. 
9. Repeat layering for more times. Arrange another layer of bread slices and top it with the remaining berry sauce over. Cover the pudding with plastic wrap touching the berry sauce. Set a plate smaller than your soufflé dish on top of berry pudding and to weigh it down position a heavy can on top of plate. Refrigerate overnight.
10. Remove plastic wrap from the top of pudding, plate and the weight. Before serving run a knife around the outside of the berry pudding and invert onto a plate. 
Serve with Rose Water whipped cream. Enjoy!
Rose Water Whipped Cream: Pour one cup of cold heavy cream into a cold bowl and with a whisk attachment beat on medium-high speed until soft peak forms, add 2 tablespoon of sugar and 2 teaspoon of rose water. Combine all. Smell like Roses!
Anita’s Simple and Delicious Happy 4Th of July Vanilla-Berries Dessert
Ingredients
For the homemade cookie crust:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 grades Fahrenheit
- Cream together melted butter and sugar until creamy and smooth. Add egg, flour, baking soda and salt.
- Mix well all ingredients until combined.
- Transfer to a baking pan layered with parchment paper. Press cookie dough into the pan.
- Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes and set aside.
Ingredients for Vanilla Cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
Preparation:
- Combine in a medium size saucepan milk and sugar. Bring it to a boil and add cornstarch mixed in the 2 tablespoon of cream.
- Stirring constantly at medium-low heat until mixture thickens.
- Cook for about 3 minutes and add vanilla. Do not let it cool completely.
- While is still slightly warm pour cream mixture over cookie dough.
- Arrange desired fruit on top of filling and place it in refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours or overnight. Happy 4th of July!!! Enjoy!
Anita’s Best Super Chocolaty 4Th of July Brownies
Recipe will be posted soon!
Eat your hearts out with these brownies.. Happy 4th of July!!
Anita’s Irresistible Strawberry Pound-short Cake
Ingredients
1 pint of fresh strawberries, small diced/sliced
2 Tablespoons of confectioner sugar
1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice
4 slices of honey pound cake, small diced cubes(see my recipe)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 Tablespoons of confectioner sugar
Preparation
- Place diced strawberries into a large bowl. Add two Tablespoon confectioner sugar and lemon juice. Stir all ingredients and place in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
- Prepare whipping cream by beating in a medium size cold bowl with a hand mixer the heavy cream with four tablespoon of confectioner sugar until light peaks form, and set aside.
- To assemble, start by layering diced cubes of pound cake and brush them with the juices released from fresh strawberries. Cover with cut pieces of strawberries and top with a dollop of whipped cream. Add more layers as you desire using some thinly sliced strawberries all around the glass cup. Note: By making the Honey Pound cake ahead of time, you can set this dessert up in no time, and serving it upon request in individual cups is recommended so you could prevent over squishing soggy cake.
