12 Weeks of Christmas Treats–Week 10–Spiced Applesauce Cake

Welcome to Week 10 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog event hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic! Check out the links in the hop below and head over to Meal Planning Magic to learn more about joining in the fun!

This cake is fantastic. I made it for my contribution to the dessert table for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit. We are pretty sure this would be great even without the frosting, but who argues with cinnamon cream cheese frosting?

Spiced Applesauce Cake

From Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

Cake

2 Cups AP Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
3/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/8 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
1 Stick Butter, softened (unsalted)
1 Cup Light Brown Sugar (packed)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs (large)
1 1/2 Cups Unsweetened Applesauce

Frosting

5 Ounces Cream Cheese, softened
3 Tablespoons Butter, softened (unsalted)
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup Confectioners Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter an 8 or 9 inch round pan (I put parchment paper in the bottom of the pan and buttered it too per the suggestion).

Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all the spices for the cake. Cream the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla in an electric mixer 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs slowly, beating completely after you add each one. Then mix in the applesauce.

Turn your mixer to a low speed and slowly add in the flour mixture until just combined.

Spread the batter into the pan into an even layer. Bake 35 to 45 (mine went to 45) minutes until golden brown and the center is baked through (use the toothpick test). Cool in pan for 15 minutes and then invert onto a plate. Flip the cake upright and allow to cool on a rack until completely cool (can also put in the fridge).

To make the frosting beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in a mixer until fluffy. Add in the confectioners sugar and cinnamon and beat until incorporated. Spread over the cooled cake.

This cake is awesome because it can be made ahead. I made the cake on Tuesday and stuck it in the freezer. I pulled it out and put it in the fridge Wednesday night and it was perfect for Thursday. I made the frosting Thursday and iced shortly before eating. Check out Smitten Kitchen for more tips on doing this ahead.

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats–Week 9–Oreo Cheesecake Bars

Welcome to Week 9 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog event hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic! Check out the links in the hop below and head over to Meal Planning Magic to learn more about joining in the fun!

I actually made this week’s recipe as my birthday “cake” – I’m not a huge cake fan but love cheesecake so cheesecake was a very appealing alternative. I have made a cheesecake at Christmas time every year for the last 4 years and this would be an excellent option for a holiday dessert.

I hope everyone that celebrates has a fantastic Thanksgiving. We are hosting for the first time so we have been busy cleaning and rearranging and I’ve been in the kitchen non-stop for the last few days. I’m excited to put this meal together!

Oreo Cheesecake Bars

As seen on Annie’s Eats

Ingredients

For the crust:
23 Oreo cookies
2 Tablespoons Butter (unsalted), melted

For the cheesecake:
12 Ounces Cream Cheese, at room temperature
6 Tablespoons Sugar
6 Tablespoons Sour Cream, at room temperature
½ Teaspoon Vanilla
¼ Teaspoon Salt
1 Large Egg plus 1 Egg Yolk
12 Oreo cookies, roughly chopped

Directions

Preheat oven at 325 degrees and line an 8x8 baking dish with aluminum foil.

Place the 23 Oreos in a food processor and pulse until the cookies are ground up. Add the melted butter and continue to pulse until the crumbs are moistened. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press the crumbs evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake the empty crust for 10 minutes.

In the bowl of a mixer place the cream cheese and beat on high until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and mix until combined then add in the sour cream, vanilla, and salt. Lower the mixer speed to medium-high and add the egg and egg yolk. Stop the mixer and stir in the Oreos with a spoon or rubber spatula.

Pour the batter over the crust and smooth to an even layer. Bake for 40 minutes or until the cheesecake is set around the edges but has a slight wobble still in the center.Cool the pan on a wire rack for an hour and then cover and store in the refrigerator for 3 hours until well chilled.

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats–Week 8 Funfetti Cake Cookies

Welcome to Week 7 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog event hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic! Check out the links in the hop below and head over to Meal Planning Magic to learn more about joining in the fun!

These are pretty much the easiest cookies ever. Three ingredients, mix, bake, and enjoy. I used funfetti as it was my favorite growing up but you can use any flavor you want. These would be a hit at any holiday gathering and they’re so easy to make that you can squeeze them in between your other holiday projects.

Funfetti Cake Cookies

From Fabulessly Frugal

Ingredients

1 Box Cake Mix

1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

2 Eggs

Directions 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray.

Mix the three ingredients completely.

Scoop cookies onto pan or roll into balls and place on cookie sheet.

Bake 6-10 minutes or until edges are golden.

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats–Week 7 Easy Pumpkin Muffins

 

Welcome to Week 7 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog event hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic! Check out the links in the hop below and head over to Meal Planning Magic to learn more about joining in the fun!

So I’m pretty sure this is the easiest recipe I’ve ever made. Two ingredients. That’s it. But these are so good. These would be a great treat to have out for people who gather together earlier in the day on Christmas (these would be fantastic on Thanksgiving too). I think they’d be a hit during our Christmas morning celebrations.

These would also be a fantastic addition to a gift basket with hot chocolate mix or coffee. Just wrap them up and stick them in the basket. You could also add the two ingredients to a gift basket with a muffin pan and oven mitt. That would be a gift I’d love to get!

 

Easy Pumpkin Muffins

As seen on SprinkleBakes

1 Box Spice Cake Mix

1 15 Ounce Can of Pumpkin, plain not pie filling

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Spray a muffin pan or place liners in each cup.

Combine the cake mix and pumpkin until well combined. The mixture will be very thick.

Spoon the filling into the muffin pan.

Bake for 20 minutes.

I got 16 medium sized muffins from this.

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats–Week 6 Banana Banana Bread

Welcome to Week 6 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog event hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic! Check out the links in the hop below and head over to Meal Planning Magic to learn more about joining in the fun! I can’t believe we are already at week 6! These 12 weeks are flying by. I feel like I really need to get cracking on my Christmas shopping now!
This week I made Banana Banana Bread. I’m not really sure why banana is in the title twice but I promise that’s not a mistake (at least not as far as I know!) A lot of people only make banana (banana) bread when they realize “oh no, the bananas are on their last leg!” But I adore banana bread and purposely let a few bananas sit around every so often so I can make some delicious bread. I think banana bread is great because it is so easy to throw together, is pretty hard to mess up, makes your house smell great, and always tastes great.

This would be a very welcome item in a gift basket or goodie bag at the holidays or a welcome addition to a brunch or dessert table. Next time you buy bananas let a few hang out for a few days so you can panic
(on purpose) and make some of this delicious bread.
Banana Banana Bread
As seen on For the Love of Cooking (original recipe from Allrecipes.com)
Ingredients
1/2 Cup Butter, softened
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
2 1/3 Cups Bananas, over-ripe and mashed
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 Cups Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Grated Fresh Nutmeg
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x5 bread pan thoroughly with non-stick spray.
In a medium bowl mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.
In a large bowl combine the butter and sugar and mix until creamy. Add the bananas, eggs, and vanilla.
Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture until just combined. Pour the mixture into the pan.
Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center is clean. Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove from the pan and allow to cool on a rack.