CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CAKE RECIPES: Raspberry Cake Day

I love Chocolate and Raspberries, especially when they're together in a cake. Here's an easy recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Cake for National Raspberry Cake Day! Recipe below from BUTTER with a side of BREAD. Main ingredients you need - a chocolate cake mix (I like Duncan Hines) and a bag of frozen raspberries. And, you can make this in a bundt pan, so it's pretty. You can frost or not. Of course, if you're a purist, here's a link to my all time favorite 'from scratch' Chocolate Raspberry Cake from Martha Stewart. Not only does it use fresh raspberries, but there's a splash of raspberry liqueur in the recipe! Two choices to celebrate the day!

EASY CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CAKE 

Ingredients
1 chocolate cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup oil
1 (12 oz) bag frozen raspberries

Directions
Partially thaw raspberries  (set out for 20-30 minutes before making cake).
Mix cake mix, eggs, sour cream, and oil together with electric mixer.
Fold in frozen raspberries (Tip: Use electric mixer for about 5-10 seconds to chop up raspberries a bit but still have some larger pieces of raspberry in cake).
Pour into well-greased Bundt pan and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Let cool 10-15 minutes before inverting pan and placing the cake on plate.

(optional)
CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Ingredients
5 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup milk
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
In medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
Add milk and sugar and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute and then remove from heat.
Stir in chocolate chips until completely melted and smooth.
Let set for minute or two to set up a little bit, making it the best consistency to pour/spread on cake.

And, as I mentioned above, you can always make a Chocolate Raspberry Cake from Scratch using fresh raspberries.

MEYER LEMON CHEESECAKE with Chocolate Crust: National Cheesecake Day

Today is National Cheesecake Day. I have so many lemons on my Meyer lemon trees that I need to use up. I give the lemons a way to neighbors and friends but the trees keep reproducing. Well here's a way to use them:  MEYER LEMON CHEESECAKE with Chocolate Crust -- Recipe adapted from Epicurious. I've changed it up in several ways, especially by using a chocolate crust. No big surprise there! 

MEYER LEMON CHEESECAKE WITH CHOCOLATE CRUST

Chocolate Cookie Crust
2 cups chocolate wafer cookies (grind in food processor)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling
5 8-ounce packages (Philadelphia brand) cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 large eggs
3 cups (24 ounces) sour cream
2 tablespoons (packed) finely grated Meyer lemon peel
2 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice

Directions

For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Stir cookie crumbs and butter in medium bowl until evenly moistened.
Press mixture onto bottom of 9-inch-diameter removable-bottom cheesecake pan with 
3-inch-high sides.
Bake crust about 10-12 minutes. Cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

Stack 3 large sheets of foil on work surface. Place same cake pan in center. Gather foil snugly around pan bottom and up sides to waterproof.

For filling:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar, then salt. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in sour cream, grated lemon peel, and lemon juice. Pour filling into pan.

Place wrapped cake pan in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan. Bake cake until filling is slightly puffed and moves only slightly when pan is shaken gently, about 1 hour 25 minutes. Remove cake pan from water bath; remove foil. Cool cake in pan on rack 2 hours. Chill uncovered until cold; cover and keep chilled at least 1 day and up to 2 days.

Cut around pan sides; carefully loosen pan bottom from sides and push up pan bottom to release cake. Place cake (still on pan bottom) on platter.

Tip:
The pan: It must be three inches high to hold all the filling. If your nine-inch springform pan is that high, it can be used instead.

NO-BAKE OREO CHEESECAKE: National Cheesecake Month

It's National Cheesecake Month and tomorrow is National Cheesecake Day. What could be a better way to celebrate than with an Oreo Cheesecake? This recipe combines two of my favorite food groups! Oreos and Cheesecake. O.K., a little liberty there on actual food groups. But, the great thing about this recipe is it's quick and easy. No bake! Perfect for these hot summer days. Recipe modified from Philadelphia Cream Cheese at Kraft.

OREO CHEESECAKE

Ingredients

Crust
2 cups Oreo crumbs (about 20 Oreos)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling 
24 oz (three 8-oz packages) cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
8 ounces cool whip (or homemade whipped cream)
1 1/2 cups Oreo crumbs (about 16 Oreos)
7-10 Oreos, chopped, optional additional

Directions

Crust
Combine 20 Oreo crumbs with melted butter.
Press into bottom and halfway up sides of 9 inch springform pan.
Set in refrigerator to firm.

Cheesecake
Mix cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in large bowl until smooth and combined.
Stir in Cool Whip (or homemade whipped cream).
Add rest of Oreo crumbs and chopped Oreos and gently mix until well combined.
Pour filling into crust and smooth top.
Top with additional Oreo crumbs.
Refrigerate for about 4 hours or until firm.

MILK CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES: National Milk Chocolate Day!

Today is National Milk Chocolate Day. If you read this blog, you know I'm a bigger fan of dark chocolate than milk chocolate, but there are certain recipes where I prefer milk chocolate. I've posted lots of chocolate chip cookie recipes, but this recipe from Jacques Torres, the King of Chocolate, is a no brainer. The real name is Jacques Torres' Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

So for National Milk Chocolate Day, here's a recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies using Milk Chocolate Chips.

MILK CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients

• 1 pound unsalted butter
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons pastry flour
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 pounds milk chocolate chips
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside.
2. In bowl of with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add both flours, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and chocolate chips; mix until well combined.
3. Using a 4-ounce scoop for larger cookies or a 1-ounce scoop for smaller cookies, scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until lightly browned, but still soft, about 20 minutes for larger cookies and about 15 minutes for smaller cookies. Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.