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Cream Cheese Frosting

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Cream Cheese Frosting

Light, fluffy, and lower in sugar than most cream cheese frosting recipes, this is my all-star, go-to, eat it from the bowl favorite!
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Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz cream cheese softened to room temp
  • 1/2 cup butter room temp
  • 2 cups powdered sugar sifted after measuring
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • pinch salt

Instructions
 

  • Combine the cream cheese, butter and vanilla.
  • Beat until fluffy and light colored.
  • Add the sifted powdered sugar and a pinch of salt, beating at a slow speed until the sugar is moistened.
  • Increase the speed of the mixer and beat until light and spreadable.

Notes

Avoid the temptation to add liquid to this recipe.  It turns out perfect every time!

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

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Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream cheese, sweetened with confectioner's sugar and flavored with coconut extract - - Aloha!
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Ingredients
  

  • 16 ounces cream cheese softened to room temp
  • 4 ounces butter room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-2 teaspoons coconut extract based on your taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 5 cups powdered sugar sifted after measuring

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, coconut extract and salt, beating until light and creamy.
  • Turn the mixer speed down to low and add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Continue mixing at low speed until the sugar is well combined with the cream cheese/butter mixture
  • When the sugar is moistened, beat on high speed until the frosting is light, fluffy and spreadable.
  • Taste to adjust the coconut flavoring to your liking,

Notes

This recipe makes enough to generously frost a large sheet cake, a multi-layer cake, or more cupcakes than you can imagine - and have some left over.

Best Ever Banana Cake

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Banana Cake

This is a very moist, delicious cake. Save some bananas and allow them to become speckled and spotted - and very sweet. Makes one 9x13-inch or three 8-inch layers
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Ingredients
  

  • 2/3 cup butter, lard, coconut oil or shortening
  • 1 -2/3 cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup buttermilk, soured milk, or sour cream
  • 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 11/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 11/2 cups bananas thoroughly mashed

Instructions
 

  • Cream together the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until fluffy.
  • Sift the dry ingredients together.
  • Add them to the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk or sour cream, stirring only til combined.
  • Stir in mashed bananas.
  • Pour into a greased 9x13 inch pan..
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cake tests done in the center.
  • Top with cream cheese frosting - or try my coconut cream cheese frosting

Notes

My method: – I use  coconut oil - melted, and soured milk or plain yogurt (because I can make it - and/or I always have plain yogurt on hand).
To make soured milk, add 1 Tablespoon vinegar to 1 cup milk.  Mix and let stand several minutes.
Having your eggs at room temperature is important in any baking.  The protein in eggs will not properly bind with other ingredients when it is cold.
The cake may take longer than 30 minutes to bake…usually 40-45 minutes.

Here’s what’s Happening on the Homestead

Spring.  Just the word congers up images of blossoms and bunnies, eggs and chicks. . . . and catalogs filled with tableware, linens and all the fresh spring color imaginable. . . . so when my spring edition of the Pier1 catalog arrived – I was immediately drawn to devour every page.  The dinnerware, table settings, linens were, in typical Pier1 form, a wonderful feast for the eyes. pier1-catalog-page

But, there was one thing that especially drew my attention. . .their adorable folded napkins – especially the little bunnies in the upper right corner of the page. The catalog directed readers to log on to their website for instructions  – which I immediately did.

Upon arriving at the page, I  searched for the Bunny Fold pier-one-bunny-ears-directionsand found this.   I grabbed some cloth napkins (which happened to be from Pier1) and, following their directions, began folding.  It only took me to the 4th step to figure out that there was a real problem with the directions – they were rolling from the wrong side of the napkin. . . and by the final step – it was unmistakable.

wrong-way-bunny-napkinI had created this.  I took an unfolded napkin and the directions to my husband – who, as a builder, reads instructions for a living  . . . and his response was immediate – these are not right.  They have rolled from the long side and not the point – and used directions for a granny knot.  It needs to be an ‘overhand’ knot.  (50 plus years of scouting – he should know his knots!)

After making a few simple changes – rolling from the point and using an overhand knot – the finished product looked like the one in the Pier1 picture.  Success!    folded-bunny-napkin-perfection

 And so, as much as I LOVE Pier1, no one is infallible.  I have done my own set of instructions, including pictorials, for your use should you be wanting to try these little treasures.  Such a simple way to dress up a spring  or Easter table.

Just Click Here to go to the instructions.  Happy Spring!

Enjoy,

Kathy

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