Author Archives: Better Baking Bible

Chocolate Ice Cube Cake – Ledene Kocke

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Looking for a cool, chilled summer cake? Ice Cube cake is the perfect cake to make on a hot summer day! This cake is actually a Croatian recipe translated from “Ledene Kocke”. It’s a fairly easy recipe to make and reminds me a lot of McCain’s Deep’n Delicious frozen cakes! It’s a fairly straight forward recipe with not a lot of ingredients, and not a lot of baking experience is required to make it either.

Some things I love about this cake is that you can eat a lot of it! It’s not very filling, its a very light cake and it tastes almost like your are eating pudding. This makes it a wonderful cake to eat during the hotter months of the year. This cake spends a lot of time “chilling” in the freezer, so it’s definitely something you would want to plan for ahead of time. Don’t think you’ll be eating this cake straight out of the oven – it’s step by step process requires cooling down and then a long while setting in the fridge. All in all, it’s definitely worth the wait since it’s absolutely delicious! 

*If you would like to share my recipe and photos please provide proper credit and a link back. Thanks!  

Chocolate Ice Cube Cake – Ledene Kocke

Ingredients:
 
For Crust:
 
  1. 7 egg whites
  2. 7 spoons of flour
  3. 7 spoons of sugar
  4. 2 tsp baking powder
For Cream:
 
  1. 7 egg yolks
  2. 1 margarine (250 grams)
  3. 200 grams of sugar
  4. 2 packets of vanilla sugar or 4 tsp of vanilla extract
  5. little bit of rum
  6. 200ml of milk
For Decoration:
 
  1. Whipped Cream
  2. 250g Grated Chocolate
Directions:
 
To Make Crust:
 
  1. 1. Preheat oven to 365F. Mix dry ingredients together: flour, sugar, and baking powder. Then, add in egg whites and mix until well incorporated. Pour batter into a greased square shaped cake pan.
  2. 2. Place in oven and bake until golden.
To Make Cream:
 
  1. 1. Using a double boiler, bring 1.5 liters of milk to a boil. Mix in eggs, vanillla sugar, sugar, flour, rum, and 200 ml of cold milk. Keep mixing until well incorporated and then remove from stove. Set aside to cool.
  2. 2. Once your mixture has cooled down to room temperature, using an electric mixer mix in margarine. Place cream in the fridge to chill.
To Assemble:
 
  1. 1. Using a fork, make random wholes all over the crust. Sprinkle some milk over the crust and then evenly spread the cream in a thick layer.
  2. 2. To decorate your ice cube cake, top with whipped cream and grated chocolate.

 

The Aftermath of Baking – How to Clean Up Your Kitchen Fast and Easy!

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Follow our ingenious tips on how to clean up your kitchen after baking all day!

Photo via Homes and Antiques

There are multiple phases that come with baking. There’s the initial phase where you are preparing all the ingredients, checking the cookbook to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything, and so on. Then the preparation phase where you’re mixing the different ingredients and creating the prime layers for your baked goods. Then comes the baking, the eating and of course, the part that everyone dreads, the cleaning.

Cleaning shouldn’t be a torment for you, especially after you’ve worked all day baking those delicious treats. Fortunately, there are some tips you could use. They won’t make you get rid of all the work with a snap of your fingers but next time you’re baking sour dough bread or even a big four layer cake, you won’t have to be sour about the dishes.

Prepare Ahead of time and let Trays Soak

If you were going to attempt and take a baking tray head-on in a fight, please reconsider because you will lose. Instead, try to prepare a hot water “bath” for the tray. Let it soak in this water and detergent mixture and see how easily it will be to clean off the baking remains afterwards. It’s infinitely more humane for you to deal with the trays and tins used for baking this way. If you drain becomes clogged letting down all the gunk of your trays, consider some of our drain maintenance tips.

Take Care of your Oven and do Period Checkups

It is unavoidable but once in a while you will have to clean your large appliances like your oven. Over time, a lot of dirt and grease will be formed on the oven walls and this will evidently have a very bad reflection and reaction with your food. Unless you plan on never baking again you will need to clean the oven for the sake of your future dishes. The good news is that you don’t have to soak your hands in detergent for this one. To eliminate odors, simply use water and baking soda in a combination to rub the oven walls real good. After a while you can wash them with fresh water.

Cleaning Surfaces

One of the worst parts about cleaning the kitchen is that detergent smell that makes you choose between a dirty kitchen and one that smells of chemicals and anything other but food, to be honest. Making sure spills and crumbs are regularly cleaned helps prevent pest infestations. Well, you don’t really have to make that choice. Instead, you can use vinegar to clean your kitchen surfaces. This is great for your family’s health and it’s also super effective in terms of actual cleaning. You can count on vinegar not just to not chemically poison you but also to remove even those insistent spots that are very hard to clean. You can find other prevention tips on Waltham’s website.

Chocolate and Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Filling, Strawberries, and Almonds

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Looking for a no-fail birthday or event cake? This chocolate and vanilla layer cake is everyone’s favorite! Topped with chocolate dipped strawberries, sliced almonds, and filled with cream cheese filling, this delicious cake is definitely at the top of our list.

To make this cake, it surely isn’t a one-step process but it isn’t that hard either! All you need are two pans and two easy-to-make cake recipes that we’ve shared below. The cream cheese filling is also much more healthier than your standard buttercream icing that’s filled with nothing but butter and sugar! If you are searching for a healthier alternative, try this cake out and let us know what you think!

*If you would like to share my recipe and photos please provide proper credit and a link back. Thanks!  

Chocolate and Vanilla Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
 
Vanilla Cake Layer
 
  1. 1 cup of sour cream
  2. 2 large eggs
  3. ½ cup Sugar
  4. Pinch of salt
  5. 1 ¾ tsp baking powder
  6. 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  7. 3 tsp vanilla extract
  8. 3 tsp rum
  9. 2 cups all purpose flour
Chocolate Cake Layer
 
  1. 3 large eggs
  2. 1 cup sugar
  3. 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  4. 2 tsp cornstarch
  5. ½ cup pure cocoa
  6. 2 tsp baking powder
  7. ¼ tsp baking soda
  8. Pinch of salt
  9. ½ cup vegetable oil
  10. 2 tsp vanilla extract
  11. 2 tsp rum
  12. ¾ cup water
Cream Cheese Whipped Cream
 
  1. 1 8-ounce package of cream cheese, softened at room temperature for an hour
  2. 2 cups whipping cream
  3. 4 tbsp powdered sugar
  4. 2 tsp vanilla extract
  5. Sliced strawberries
Directions:
 
To Make Cake
 
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and line with parchment paper two 9” round cake pans. (Make sure to grease the parchment paper again!)
  2. For vanilla cake, whisk together sour cream, eggs, sugar, salt, baking powder, vegetable, oil, vanilla, flour, and rum. Keep mixing until smooth and pour into one of the prepared pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden on top.
  3. Remove from oven, allow to cool for 10 minutes and then turn out onto cooling rack.
  4. To make chocolate cake, whisk together all of the dry ingredients and then add in the eggs, oil, vanilla, rum, and mix until smooth. Slowly add in the water and keep mixing until the batter is smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes.
  5. Remove cake from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
  6. Slice the cooled cakes in half horizontally and place one of the vanilla layers on a plate. Now make the filling.
How to Make Filling
 
  1. Whip the cream cheese in a small bowl until soft and aerated. In a separate larger bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Scrape in the cream cheese and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. Beat in sugar and vanilla.
  2. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.
How to Assemble the Cake
 
  1. Frost all layers of the cake and place strawberries on each layer. To decorate I sprinkled sliced almonds on the sides and then dipped strawberries in chocolate to garnished the top.

 

7 Easy Ways to Make Your Kitchen Look Glamorous

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Make your kitchen look glamorous and feel like a diva baking your next pie with these 7 easy ways!

We all love spending time in our kitchens baking, cooking, and socializing. It’s one of the last places we think of decorating to look glamorous, but it surely can be done.   If you’re like me, I love to feel like a diva cooking up a storm and there are a few tricks I’d love to share that will really give your kitchen this look. Follow my guide and you can instantly give your kitchen a beautiful, luxurious new look:

Install Chandeliers


Photo: Atlanta Homes

Bring all eyes on your kitchen island by installing not one, but two fabulous chandeliers right above. Lighting has really come a long way and having a chandelier in your kitchen is a great way in saying “my kitchen is glamorous!” If you don’t have a kitchen island, you can always install one large chandelier in the center of your room. It will truly bring elegance into your traditional kitchen and serve as a stylistic focal point. Not to mention, it’s an easy way to instantly makeover your kitchen!

Marble Subway Tiles


Photo: Home Bunch

I cannot tell you how much I am in love with this look! Marble subway tiles as a kitchen backsplash are a sophisticated, modern way to bring some glam into your kitchen. If you are a fan of an all-white kitchen look, marble subway tiles are your best bet. It’s an easy way to update your space, and you can actually do this installation yourself with some basic tile working skills.

Vinyl Plank Flooring

water proof click vinyl flooring options

The look of hardwood flooring in your kitchen has long been sought after, but definitely is not a practical decision. That’s where vinyl plank flooring comes in, where you can get the look of real hardwood without suffering the consequences. Vinyl plank flooring is a durable flooring option that doesn’t suffer from humidity, water prone areas, and high-traffic areas like your kitchen, hallway, or bathroom. To see more vinyl plank flooring options click here.

Brushed Gold Faucets and Hardware


Photo: Becki Owens

It’s time to update your kitchen’s hardware to brushed gold faucets and drawer pulls. This is an easy kitchen decorating update you can do on your own, and it surely makes a huge difference. If you aren’t too keen on renovating your kitchen, just switching up your hardware can give you a big update, without the high price tag. It’s also super stylish to have matching plumbing and water pipes under your sink. I have seen a lot of designers leave the under sink exposed for a stylish, new look. Call your local plumber and see if this is possible with your kitchen.

Open Cabinets


Photo: Intentional Hospitality

Show off some of your prized dish ware by opening up some of your cabinets and having open shelving. This is definitely not a look we would recommend for the whole kitchen, even though it’s super trendy right now. Most homeowners hate this look, and think it looks cluttered, and unsanitary. You are the judge, what are your thoughts on open shelving? We think you should install it only in one small part of your kitchen, to give you the chance to stay on trend and show off your dishes.

Spotlight on Go Haus – Makeover your Kitchen with Vinyl Plank Flooring

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Jump into a new kitchen-flooring trend this season and watch yourself bake like a professional!


Photo: Home Bunch

Baking doesn’t only start with your skill and tools; it also starts with your surroundings. You are more likely to bake better in a modern, trendy, and organized kitchen then a dark and gloomy one.

This spring, we are so excited to learn more about the latest kitchen trends that have hit the interior design scene. According to new kitchen flooring trends, vinyl plank flooring is gaining steam and looking super sleek and stylish. Thanks to our favorite flooring supplier, GoHaus we are going to round up some of our favorite reasons we love vinyl plank flooring and let you know why you should consider installing this type of flooring at home.

So what is vinyl plank flooring?

Vinyl plank flooring is made to look and feel like real wood without the high price tag. It’s durability and longevity makes it the perfect flooring option in high traffic areas such as your kitchen. Water and humidity prone areas such as your kitchen require something solid and low-maintenance, which makes vinyl plank flooring the perfect option.

Photo: Old Seagrove Homes – Cynthia Rice

Make your home look bigger!

Installing tiles in your kitchen isn’t that trendy anymore and it gives your home a “choppy” look making your home look smaller. If you already have hardwood or vinyl plank in your living room and hallway, installing it in your kitchen will give it a seamless looking, making your home run for miles.

Vinyl plank flooring suites any design style.

The look for hardwood in your kitchen is classic, timeless and durable. There are tons of different luxury vinyl plank flooring colors and finishes that you can choose from, according to your current decorating. Go Haus has a ton of different choices, from waterproof click vinyl flooring options to dark cherry colored vinyl plank floors, light oak, to a grey driftwood type finish. Whatever your current decorating style is, you will surely find something to suite your home.

Photo: Old Seagrove Homes – Cynthia Rice

Consider rolling out a small rug.

Vinyl plank flooring looks beautiful, but it may not be the best surface to stand on for long periods of time. Just like with tile flooring, I would suggest laying down a padded mat near the kitchen stink to help put less stress on yourself while cooking and cleaning dishes.

Vinyl plank flooring is less expensive!

Installing vinyl plank flooring in your kitchen is actually less expensive than tile flooring. Don’t be fooled when going to the store and seeing that tile flooring has a cheaper price. This is the cost for the materials only and not the labor. The labor costs to install tile flooring is much more expensive that vinyl plank flooring, and this definitely adds to the cost.

Your floors will be warmer.

Tile flooring draws heat away and actually makes your floors feel colder, especially in the winter. Tile plank flooring will be warmer on your feet and will make a big difference, especially if you spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

So what are you waiting for? If you are planning a kitchen makeover this spring, first take a look at your floor and ask yourself if you could use a flooring makeover. If you have any before and after pics, post them below. We would love to see you baking up a storm in your new and improved kitchen!

Deep Dish Greek Pizza + Super Easy Homemade Pizza Dough!

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This deep dish Greek pizza is a quick, fast, and easy dinner solution that can feed quite a few people! I had five people over and we couldn’t finish this delicious jumbo pizza. What’s great about this Greek pizza is that it’s loaded with vegetables and it’s meat-free. So if any of you are vegetarian, this pizza is definitely for you. If you really want to add a little meat, some diced bacon sprinkled on top will do the trick.

If you have never made your own pizza dough, trust me that this whole wheat homemade pizza dough recipe I have included in this article is tried-and-test and it’s almost fool-proof. I have made it many times without any problems and it has always turned out fluffy, soft, and very filling. Much, much better than the store-bought dough that ends up tasting like cardboard!

Just throw everything all in one pan, set the oven, and that’s it! So easy to make and very, very nutritious. 

*If you would like to share my recipe and photos please provide proper credit and a link back. Thanks!  

[yumprint-recipe id=’306′]

Make Baking Easy with these DIY Kitchen Upgrades

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Now you can bake like a pro with these easy kitchen makeover ideas you can do yourself!

Photo: Homedit.com

If there is one room in modern homes that is central to family life, it is the kitchen. The kitchen is where we prepare, cook and eat the meals that bring the family together. For those of us who find cooking and baking to be more than just a means of refueling, the kitchen needs to be a room that not only looks good but also functions well. Fortunately, many existing kitchens only need some careful and clever upgrading to turn them into a dream.

* WHY UPGRADE AND NOT REMODEL? 


Photo: Tamsynmorgans.blogspot.co.uk

Some might argue that creating a dream kitchen needs to start from scratch, but kitchens are expensive beasts. Even a small galley kitchen built from scratch could cost upwards of $10,000, and the framework of a kitchen is often still more than serviceable, even after a decade or more of use. It makes sense to save money wherever possible. After all, this will leave more in your budget to spend on all those tools, the best oven and other gadgets that will make your baking and cooking more fun, more professional, and more satisfying.

* START WITH STORAGE 

Photo: AnneMakeup.com

When it comes to upgrading your kitchen, the first thing to do is determine which parts of it are still perfectly serviceable. There is a good chance that the elements that are constantly in use and on show are the parts that will be showing their age, such as the flooring and the cabinet frontages. However, if you take the doors off your kitchen cabinets, you will probably find that there is nothing wrong with the carcasses. In that case, all you need to do is replace the doors and handles to get an entirely new look for your kitchen. If this seems like too much expense, consider painting your existing doors. There are plenty of paints that are suitable for kitchen cabinets.

* ADDING STYLE


Photo: Bloglovin’

What you put up at the windows will have a big impact on the look of your kitchen. Curtains are a poor choice for a kitchen as they can present a fire hazard and be unhygienic, collecting dust and retaining odors. Blinds are a better choice because they have a minimal physical presence but can be used to inject color and/or patterns. Venetian blinds are another good option, although these can be a tad annoying as they have a tendency to sway a little in the breeze. If you like the flexibility that Venetian blinds offer but are not a fan of their movement, a far better choice would be to install shutters that are fixed to the window frame. For even greater flexibility, opt for café style window shutters.

* EASY ELECTRICAL ACCESS

While you are getting the cabinetry up to date, you might want to consider enhancing your worktops by installing integrated plug sockets that are situated beneath the worktop and pop up when needed. These can be especially useful when using tools for baking like a handheld whisk and you have run out of wall-mounted plug sockets. You should also consider replacing your old wall-mounted plug sockets with ones that have USB ports built into them. These can really help if you regularly use your tablet to work from online recipes because you won’t need to worry about your tablet’s battery running low while you are in the middle of baking a cake.


Photo: Jadorejcrew Tumblr

* APPLIANCES

If your kitchen upgrade includes buying new appliances, you should give particular consideration into buying which coffee maker and to the oven, especially if you are a regular baker. A single oven may not fulfill all your needs, so think about making room for double ovens instead of one unit that has a main fan oven and a smaller conventional oven. You should also think higher up for wall-mounted ovens instead of going for ovens that are at knee level as it can be a real pain to bend down all the time to see how your cake is rising. Convection ovens are also good choices for bakers as their fans recirculate heat to give cookies and pie crusts a lovely golden color, adding a nice crust to croissants and other pastries.

* LUXURY EXTRAS


Photo: Instaliga.com

If your kitchen enhancement allows it, there are a few items that will make your baking better, like a standalone pastry table or workstation. A pastry table is usually a little lower than a standard worktop so it is easier to roll out pastry, and its cold, solid surface – usually marble – is great for keeping pastry at a manageable temperature.

Improving your kitchen can be achieved relatively inexpensively by working with what you already have, or you can spend a little bit more and invest in some tools and gadgets that will improve your cooking experience.