Cream Cheese Berry Coffee Cake

Easy, beautiful Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Something about rainy days always puts me in a baking frenzy.  And if it’s a rainy Monday, you can bet your bottom dollar, I’m in an apron, in my kitchen, whipping up something to put in the oven.

DSC_0258

I was sitting in my rain boots, sipping on coffee, when I suddenly needed to make this cream cheese berry coffee cake.

DSC_0241

Oh, how I begged my mom to make this over and over.  And when she pulled it out of the oven, it always looked like she slaved over it.  The presentation is gorgeous, but the effort is minimal.  That’s my kind of thing.  Can I get an Amen??? It’s light and biscuity, and it just sings like heaven when it melts in your mouth with the jam filling and the vanilla icing.

And when something so heavenly has basic pantry ingredients, I say yeah! baby!

DSC_0244

2 cups of Bisquick go into a large mixing bowl.  I usually make my own Bisquick.  Then cut in the cream cheese and butter.

DSC_0246

With this thingamajig.  A pastry cutter?  Whatever they are, they are brilliant, and I love mine.

DSC_0248

It should look something like this…

DSC_0249

Now, add the milk and mix until it becomes a crumbly dough ball.

DSC_0264

DSC_0266

Next, you’ll need a large cookie sheet and a rolling pin.

DSC_0268

*Interesting story about this rolling pin:  it belonged to my Great Great Grandmother and has been passed down 4 generations!  And one day, I hope to pass it on to my daughter.  They don’t make rolling pins like they used to;  this thing can do it all!

Anyways… back to coffee cake.

Gather it into a ball and shape it into a log on the cookie sheet.

DSC_0272

Dust your rolling pin with flour, and roll the dough into a rectangle.

DSC_0273

DSC_0274

Here comes the fun part.  Take a sharp knife and cut slanted strips on the two sides about 1 inch apart, leaving a long strip in the middle of the dough.

DSC_0275

It will look something like this.

DSC_0276

Next, take your jam of choice.  The original recipe calls for strawberry jam, but when you have the best homemade blackberry jam made by a friend, you always use that, of course 😉

DSC_0279

Spread the jam evenly along the middle of the dough.

DSC_0280

Then starting at the top, fold the strips over one another, moving from left to right.

DSC_0283

Then, you’ll have a lovely (looked like you slaved over it) braided coffee cake! But, easy peasy, right?!

DSC_0285

Put into a 375 degree oven and wait it out for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, it’s time to make the icing.

Put 1 cup of powdered sugar into a bowl along with a little milk and vanilla and mix until drizzle consistency.

DSC_0295

When the coffee cake is done, it should look like a perfectly baked golden biscuit.

DSC_0293

Once the icing is mixed and the cake has cooled for about 20 minutes, it’s time to drizzle it over.

DSC_0297

DSC_0304

And then, of course, we all know the next step… cut into it and try not to eat the whole thing.

DSC_0306

Cream Cheese Berry Coffee Cake


INGREDIENTS:

FOR CAKE:

2 cups of Bisquick

1/4 cup of cold butter

3 oz. of cold cream cheese

1/4 cup of cold milk

1/2 cup of berry preserves

FOR ICING:

1 cup powdered sugar

1-2 Tbsp. milk

1/2 tsp. of vanilla

PREPARTION:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Put 2 cups of Bisquick in a large mixing bowl.  Cut in the cream cheese and the butter until crumbly.  Stir in the milk.  Knead until dough forms a crumbly ball.  Place on large cookie sheet and roll into a rectangular shape about 1/4 in thick.  Using a sharp knife, make slanted cuts in 1 inch intervals down the sides of the dough, leaving a long strip in the middle.  Spread preserves down the middle of the dough.  Take the 1 inch strips and fold over the filling.  Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown.  Meanwhile, stir powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a small mixing bowl.  When cake has cooled about 20 minutes, drizzle icing over the top.  Cut and serve!

signaturetransparent

There’s Always Room for S’more Love- A Baby Shower

Since when did ladies get to have all the fun at baby showers?  Per request of the soon-to-be-parents, we planned a low key backyard couples shower to welcome the new little one.  And I have to say, it was one of the most enjoyable showers I’ve ever been to… and probably the prettiest.  The deck streamed with globe lights and candles, the fire flickering, tables layered with a delectable s’mores bar and Fall treats, and chairs filled with the best of friends.

And who doesn’t love a good s’mores bar…

s'mores bar

And how cool is my friend’s deck… and greenhouse…??? So. Cool.

deck

The best part about this was getting to decorate and plan out beautiful things with my best friends.  And it all started coming together so well.  The wildflowers were indeed locally sourced (as in legally or ehem… illegally… picked from a nearby highway).

drinks

bread

creamandsugar

mallows

mallows2

popcorn

pumpkinbread

smoresbar

smoresbar2

table decor

tabledecor

But the real magic happened when the sun started going down, and the globe lights and candles came out to play…

tablescape2

mallows3

nighttime

porch

s'mores bar

tablescape

Then the guests arrived and the fun began.

Our Eagle Scout started the fire.  It wasn’t always burning since the world’s been turning.

lightingfire

The father-to-be enjoying the freshly lit fire.

fathertobe

together

The gentlemen.  Contemplating gentlemanly things.

guys

everyone

The roasting starts, and s’moregasboard commences.

frank

stew

be

smore

The lovely hostess.

bekah

The glowing mother-to-be.
mothertobe

So blessed to get to be able to celebrate these wonderful first time parents.

parentstobe

Rounding the night up with gifts, and I’d say it was a good time had by all.

gifts

Like our “s’moregasboard”?  Pin it!

signature

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

title

I step outside Monday morning with my morning coffee.  I had actually gotten dressed that morning before the kids were awake: SUCCESS.  But when I stepped outside in my jean shorts and t-shirt, I ran right back inside to grab my jeans and hoodie because y’all….. get this…. it was 59 degrees.  In August.  In Georgia.  I mean, can it get more heaven than that?!  I may be a Georgia girl, but man do I love my cold weather! I spent a full winter in South Bend, Indiana where it literally snowed every day from November to April.  So I know a harsh winter when I see one.  And Georgia, you’ve got nothin’.  But I digress.  So here I am in jeans and a hoodie, sipping my hot lukewarm coffee, in August.  Dream weather.  Suddenly, I got this hankerin’ need to make something pumpkin.  Yep, I definitely be that white girl in boots sippin’ on a pumpkin spice latte.  No shame.   I loved pumpkin before it was trendy, ok?

Anyways, I happen to have in my possession the best pumpkin bread recipe known to man.  Passed down from generation to generation.  It was a MUST HAVE on our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner table.  This was my aunt’s specialty.  Yes, I was lucky enough to grow up just miles from ALL my aunts, uncles, and cousins.  So our holiday gatherings were 30 plus people, and let me just say, the food was “slap yo mama” good.  No joke.  My dad was the ONLY Northerner who married into our Southern family.  Everyone else has been cooking biscuits and gravy from birth.  So I don’t kid when I talk about my family’s Southern cooking.  It’s really something.  Like no-one-ate-the-whole-day-leading-up-to-it- something.

I’ve had some REALLY good pumpkin bread (um, Starbucks anyone???) and some really bad pumpkin bread.  It has a tendency to really dry out if you’re not careful.  This recipe is super easy and super fool proof.  Mix dry ingredients, mix wet ingredients, combine together and voila! Pumpkin bread… or muffins… or cupcakes.  Did I say versatile too?

pcupcake

Pumpkin Bread


INGREDIENTS:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups of sugar

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

dash of ground cloves

1 tsp. salt

_____________________

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1 can of pumpkin or 2 cups of cooked pumpkin

3 eggs

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all dry ingredients together.  Add wet ingredients.  Stir just until combined.

FOR BREAD:

Pour into 2- 9×5 greased loaf pans.  Sprinkle sugar/cinnamon mixture on top– or pecans or pumpkin seeds (the possibilities are endless!).  Bake @ 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove to cooling racks.

FOR MUFFINS OR CUPCAKES:

Line 2-12 ct. muffin tins with paper liners.  Fill cups about 2/3 full.  Bang on counter a few times to level batter.  For muffins: top with cinnamon/sugar or nuts or seeds.  Bake @ 350 degrees for 17-19 minutes.  Until tops are springy.  Cool in pans for a few minutes, then move to cooling racks.  For cupcakes: Cool completely before frosting.


I almost forgot about the best part…. the frosting! I have a love affair with cinnamon.  My husband hates cinnamon.  Sad day.  I’ve tried just normal cream cheese frosting on pumpkin cupcakes, and it’s good.  Really good.  But this cinnamon cream cheese frosting… it’s to die for.  It just brings out the soft spiciness of the cakes, just giving an even stronger Fall flavor.  And that’s what we’re going for.  Yes.  In August.  Don’t judge.

pcupcake3

See those cinnamon specks^  YESSSSS.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting


INGREDIENTS:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 lbs. powdered sugar

1/8 cup of milk

1 tsp. cinnamon

dash of ground cloves

PREPARATION:

Mix the cream cheese, shortening, and butter with a mixer until fluffy.  Add powdered sugar, little by little.  Add milk (if it’s too thick, add more; too thin, add more powdered sugar).  Add the cinnamon and cloves and beat until fluffy and smooth.  Top with chopped pecans.

You can either slather it on or pipe it on.  I personally love piping cupcakes more than almost anything in this world.  I used a 1M nozzle and did a rose design.  I hope to do a video tutorial on this sometime soon.

And there’s a little taste of Fall heaven in your mouth.  Enjoy!

pcupcake2

signature