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• 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 tsp. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 2 tsp. lemon zest (zest of 1/2 lemon)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 4 c. powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 c. white chocolate chips, melted
• 1/2 c. dried cranberries
• For topping:
• 1/2 c. white chocolate chips
• 1/2 c. dried cranberries
• 2 tsp. lemon zest (zest of 1/2 lemon)

 Prep Time: 15 minutes
 Cook Time: 22 minutes
 Total Time: 37 minutes
 Servings: 20

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• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons caramel extract
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups Granny Smith finely diced apples
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

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• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup vegetable shortening
• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons caramel extract
• 4 cups powdered confectioner's sugar
• pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners; set aside.
In a bowl fit with a mixer, beat sugar and butter until creamed, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time. Increase speed to medium and continue to beat about 3 minutes, whipping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
Beat in vanilla extract, caramel extract, salt, baking soda, baking powder, apple pie spice, and cinnamon. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to beat about 1 minute.
Slowly beat in heavy cream. Beat in flour, a little at a time. Beat in sour cream until incorporated. Scrape down sides of the bowl, beat for a few more seconds.
Mix 1/4 cup all-purpose flour with finely diced apple then beat apple mixture into cupcake mixture.
Spoon batter about 1/2 full. Bake in oven for about 22 minutes or until the center of the cupcake comes out clean with a toothpick. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
TO MAKE THE FROSTING
Beat softened butter, vegetable shortening, cinnamon, and confectioner's sugar for 3-5 minutes. Beat in 1/4 softened cream cheese at a time. Beat in vanilla and caramel extract and a pinch of salt. Beat for an additional 3 minutes. Fill a cupcake liner bag with frosting.
Refrigerate frosting for about 30 minutes. Use a cupcake tip (such as a Russian Cake Tip) to frost cupcakes. Top with cinnamon sugar apple, below.
TO MAKE THE CINNAMON SUGAR APPLE TOPPING
Use the small side of a melon baller to make apple circles.  Coat in cinnamon sugar then place on top of frosted cupcakes.

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• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
• 3/4 cup fresh raspberries, semi crushed

STEP 1: In a large bowl, using an electric or stand mixer, mix butter until creamy.
STEP 2: Mix in brown sugar, flour and salt continue mixing until crumbly.
STEP 3: Press 1 3/4 cups of crumb mixture into prepared baking pan. Set remaining crumbs aside.
STEP 4: Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly golden.
STEP 5: While the crust is baking, pour sweetened condensed milk in small sauce pan and add one cup of dark chocolate chips. Stir over low heat until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth.
STEP 6: Remove crust from oven and pour chocolate mixture over warm crust.
STEP 7: Sprinkle remaining crumbs evenly over chocolate layer. Spoon raspberries over crumb mixture and top with mini chocolate chips.
STEP 8: Bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool before cutting into bars.

INGREDIENTS
POUND CAKE:
1 box Pound Cake mix
1/4 cup softened Butter
2 eggs
2/3 cup Milk
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1/3 cup seedless Raspberry Fruit Spread
6 drops Red Food Coloring (optional)
ICING:
8 oz softened Cream Cheese
1 cup Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Lemon Juice

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350.
Grease and flour 9×5 loaf pan.
Combine cake mix, milk, butter, eggs and slowly beat until incorporated (30 seconds).
Beat at medium an additional 2 minutes.
Transfer about 1/3 of batter to another bowl.
Add raspberry spread and food coloring to new bowl and stir to mix well.
All lemon juice to first bowl and mix well.
Add a layer of white batter to pan.
Add alternating layers of red and white.
Bake 55-60 minutes.
Allow to cool.
Beat cream cheese on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (4-5 minutes).
Add powdered sugar and mix until combined
Add lemon juice mixing on low until smooth.

INGREDIENTS
2 cup Flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp Salt
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 cup mashed ripe Bananas (3-4 small bananas)
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
2 tbsp Milk
1 Egg
1/2 cup chopped Walnuts
1/3 cup chopped Pecans

In honer of That One Girl turning 2 today. I wanted to post a birthday cake recipe that I am dying to make. I just haven't found the right occasion yet. Hopefully I find one soon...

​Serves 8-10

Maraschino Cake:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 tablespoons flour for sprinkling over diced cherries
10 oz bottle maraschino cherries, finely chopped
Drop or two of red food coloring, or Americolor Deep Pink food coloring gel *optional
4 egg whites, beaten to stiff peaks

1. Preheat oven to 340 degrees.  Grease two 7” spring-form pans (or one 9”) and line with parchment paper.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy.   In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder .  Combine milk,cherry juice and almond extract, and add alternately to the butter and sugar with the flour mixture.
3. In a small bowl, sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of flour over the diced cherries and stir until the flour has been completely absorbed.  Note: It’s okay if the cherries still have a little juice on them after this. 
4. Stir cherries into the batter.  Stir in food coloring if desired
5. Fold stiffly beaten egg whites into the batter.  Pour into prepared cake pans and bake for 50-60 minutes.   Remove from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting:
5 egg whites
1 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
3 teaspoons clear vanilla extract

1. Set a saucepan filled one-third full of water over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer.
2. Whisk together the egg whites, sugar, and salt in a large heatproof bowl. Set over the simmering water and whisk until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar has dissolved.
3. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
4. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Increase to medium-high until stiff peaks are formed.
5. Continue beating at medium-high speed until the mixture is fluffy and has cooled (the mixing bowl should feel cool to the touch).
6. Turn the mixer off and switch from the whisk attachment to the paddle. Turn the mixer on medium-low and add the butter, a few cubes at a time, beating until well incorporated before the next addition.
7. Add the vanilla extract.  Divide batter and tint with food coloring, if desired.  I kept a little un-tinted frosting out to pipe around the edges of the cake. To achieve my favoriteblue/green tint, I used a dot each of Sky Blue and Kelly Green Wilton gel food colorings.
8. Beat until the frosting is thick and completely smooth.
9. Store in an airtight container until ready for use. 

Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 19 minutes
Yield: 12 cupcakes