The Dish-Functional Life: Frightfully Delicious and EASY Halloween Cake

The Dish-Functional Life: Frightfully Delicious and EASY Halloween Cake: Frightfully Delicious and EASY Halloween Cake       Halloween is my favorite holiday. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas...

Frightfully Delicious and EASY Halloween Cake

Frightfully Delicious and EASY Halloween Cake

 

 

 

Halloween is my favorite holiday. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas for all the family time and the reminder of God's most precious gift. But sometimes, Christmas can be overwhelming when you are buying gifts, going here and there, cooking for a lot of family. There just doesn't seem to be enough time to get everything done. Halloween can be as big or as small as you make it and there aren't any gifts to buy and no pressure of getting "just the right thing." It's just pure fun and I love it!

This recipe symbolized the ease and whimsy that I feel about Halloween and life in general. Life is meant to be lived, not over scheduled and chaotic. I like SIMPLE!! Anyone agree? I thought so. Well here is a fun and festive recipe to celebrate the simple life most of us long for.

Let's get cooking.

Here's what you'll need.

Yep, that's it! A boxed white cake mix (I used French vanilla and it turned out just fine). The eggs, oil, and water needed to make the cake. White frosting of your choice (I used cream cheese) and either food coloring or coloring gel. (I used gel because it gives richer colors, but use what ya got!)

 

Preheat oven to 325* and spray a Bundt pan generously with nonstick spray.

 

Prepare cake as package indicates until you get your batter ready.

 

Once your batter is ready you will scoop out 1 cup of frosting for each of the colors you want to add. I used purple, black, and orange. So I scooped 1c and put into one bowl and put another cup of batter into a second bowl, and tinted the rest of the batter in the bowl above orange.

 

Next you will place whatever color you want for the top of your cake in the greased Bundt pan first. I used my black batter first, then I layered the orange, and finally the purple. This isn't rocket science y'all, so just pour that stuff in there. It doesn't have to be spread evenly and, in fact, looks better if it isn't.

 

Bake at 325* for 38-45 minutes (Mine took 40)

 

Voila!!

 

Let sit and cool for 10 minutes before inverting to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

No it isn't burnt! Remember I did my black layer on top. Now it's time for my favorite part (besides the eating of course)...FROSTING!!

 

Use a can of white frosting and separate it into three bowls. Dye the frosting the colors of your choosing. I used green, orange, and purple. Once the frosting is dyed. Microwave until you get a thin enough consistency to drizzle. Then...drizzle away. This is so fun and great stress relief because there is no "right" way to do it. Do your thang!!!

 

Here's a pic of the inside of the cake. Cool huh?!?!

 

Next you will need a super cute taste tester. Frog jammies are just a bonus (winks) :)

 

 

Now go and make it a great day. Please comment and let me know what you think about this recipe and how it turns out if you make it.

 

Thanks for sharing a few minutes with me y'all!

 

Hugs and Dishes,

Joy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Curl Your Toes Cinnamon Muffins

 

Now when I was younger most of my grandparents had already passed away and I felt kind of left out of the grandparent game. I did, however, have a step grandmother and step great grandmother left. I didn't get to visit them terribly often but when I did, my grandma Virginia would make me cinnamon sugar toast, eggs, bacon, sliced tomato, and cantaloupe. Even now I can't have cantaloupe without wondering where the sliced tomatoes are. *grins*.

 

These muffins are a wonderful reminder of those special times I spent with these two ladies. Plus it helped me use up some cinnamon baking chips I have had for quite a while. ;)

 

Here's what you'll need...

2 large eggs

1c buttermilk (if you don't keep buttermilk on hand, and I don't, you can make your own by adding 1tbsp lemon juice to 1c milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes)

1tsp vanilla

2c all purpose flour

1/3c oats (not instant but quick cooking is fine)

1c white sugar

1/2tsp baking soda

1/2tsp baking powder

1/2tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1c cinnamon baking chips

 

Topping

2tbsp white sugar

1/2tsp cinnamon

Mix these together and set aside

 

Preheat oven to 425*. Generously spray a muffin tin with nonstick spray.

 

Whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla.

 

In medium bowl mix flour, oats, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add to wet ingredients and mix until combined.

*Before adding in your cinnamon chips dust them with flour. This will keep them from sinking to the bottom of your muffins during baking.*

Gently fold in flour dusted cinnamon chips. Take a whif...doesn't that smell good!!!

Mix topping ingredients and take a taste. Pretend you're 5 again and get a fingerful of that goodness. I won't tell.

 

Put the batter into your prepared muffin cups (about 3/4 full) then sprinkle with topping. It should look something like this.

But into 425* oven and immediately turn down to 375* Bake 15-20 minutes until done.

I topped mine with a powdered sugar glaze because....well why not. What is not made better with a powdered sugar glaze I ask you?!?!

 

Behold these beauties!

YUM!!!!!

Make yourself and your family happy this weekend and make some of these. They will sing your praises I promise!

 

Happy Friday Yall!

 

Hugs and Dishes,

Joy

 

 

 



Orange Loaf and how I was born in the wrong time

Hey Yall!

     Well this is my first post as the author of The Dish-functional Life! I am excited to share with you some of my favorite recipes and downhome southern wisdom (if you can call it that ;).
     First off, let me weird you out by telling you that I feel wholeheartedly that I was born in the wrong era! Now I'm not saying that I don't appreciate living in a time of cell phones and GPS (because good Lord knows, I have absolutely no sense of direction.) What I mean is that I'm an old soul at heart. I love and long for the simpler times of my grandparents. A time when people looked out for one another and lended a helping hand when one was needed. I believe the Good Book taught us that and in the fast paced life we live in, I think we've lost a little of that. So here I am, hoping to spread a little love, sunshine, and southern hospitality your way.
     Speaking of sunshine....let's get to the goods.

Orange Loaf!!

 

 Like a little slice of sunshine on your plate.

Here we go...

Here's what you'll need

 

1 1/2c flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs

1c sugar

2tbsp butter (or margarine, we like cheap round here *winks*) softened

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp orange extract

1/3c orange juice

1/2c oil

 

Glaze

1c plus 1tbsp powdered sugar

2tbsp milk

1/2 tsp orange extract

 

Now the magic begins...

Mix flour baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

 

Next use your mixer to beat the eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, orange extract, orange juice, and oil.

 

Now the original recipe I derived this from says add wet mixture to dry mixture. I just added the dry stuff to the mixing bowl full of wet ingredients. *I'm just a rebel like that* (smiles sweetly)

 

Now you should have a batter that looks like this...

Pour this batter into a loaf pan sprayed generously with nonstick spray. You just nevermind about that stain on the counter. I've got young'ins running around here

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. Do the toothpick test to check for doneness.

 

 

Almost there...hold yer horses.

 

Glaze time!

Mix all ingredients for the glaze together in a small bowl using a whisk. Pour over COOLED cake. If the loaf is the least bit warm you'll end up with nothing but a puddle of icing around your orange loaf. And trust me, the glaze NEEDS to be on the loaf...soooo good!!

Why yes that is a used Country Crock container. Thanks for appreciating my fine taste in cookware!

 

And now get ready to enjoy the fruits of your labor! You worked hard! You deserve it!

Thanks for taking a minute or two to sit and make orange loaf with me. Now let's have a cup of coffee and sit and gossip a spell. :)