Tomato Soup Spice Cake

 

I know you’re thinking tomato soup in a cake? Well, don’t worry, this cake is  nice and moist and the spices are sooo yummy! You can’t even tell that the soup is in it, so think of it as a way to get in a vegetable!

Tomato Soup Spice Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour (+1/4 cup for high altitude)

1 1/3 cups sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 (10.75 ounce) can Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

2 eggs

1/4 cup water

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

3~4 cups confectioners' sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with Pam. In a bowl whisk the flour, soda, baking powder, salt and spices. In a mixer beat the sugar and shortening for 3 minutes. Add the eggs and water and beat for 2 minutes. Add the tomato soup and beat, then add the dry ingredients and mix until just blended well, then beat for 1 minutes. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes. Cool completely than frost.

Cream Cheese Frosting

In a mixer whip the cream cheese for 2 minutes. Beat in the milk and vanilla and beat for 1 minute. Beat in the confectioners sugar and whip for 3 minutes. Spread on cooled cake.

The Best Chocolate Cake

Sloan had a costume party for her birthday. A few of her friends came early and raided our costume box. Sloan is wearing my pink prom dress I made when I was 16.

Chauncey wore two of Sloan’s tutu’s and one of his favorite hats. We’re still not sure what he was suppose to be!

A couple of swim team friends came after the group picture.

I forgot to take a picture of the food table. We had a candy theme.

This is my daughter Jennie’s chocolate cake recipe, and it is the best and easiest chocolate cake ever! One of the things that make it so wonderful is the King Arthur Cocoa that I bought when I was in Maine.

The Best Chocolate Cake

1 1/2 cups cocoa powder*

3 cups flour

3 cups sugar

1 teaspoon soda

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1 1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cup hot water

3/4 cup oil

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 8” round cake pans (or two 6” round pans and 24 cupcakes) with Baker’s Joy and parchment paper.

Sift cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into mixer bowl.

On low, stir in eggs, buttermilk, hot water, oil, and vanilla; beat until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping bowl as necessary.

Pour into prepared pans and bake, rotating the pans once, 35-45 minutes. (Less for the cupcakes)

Remove cakes to a cooling rack and let cool in the pans for 15 minutes before unmolding.

When the cakes (and cupcakes) are completely cool, frost with icing.

The Best Frosting

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

Heavy Cream

6-8 cups Confectioners Sugar, sifted

In a mixer beat the butter and vanilla until fluffy. Add 3 cups of confectioners sugar and beat well, Add some cream and 2 more cups of confectioners sugar beating well, add more cream and more confectioners sugar until you have the desired consistency.

Nutella Party Fun!

Nutella has been on the market for 38 years and is sold in 75 countries. Nutella is made from: Cocoa + Skim Milk+ Hazelnuts= Healthy Yum. 

So, are you wondering what we served with at our Nutella Party?

We had crepes with Nutella and sprinkled with confectioners sugar, Chocolate Nutella Cinnamon Brownies, Nutella Smore’s, made with marshmallow fluff, Nutella and graham crackers and we had Chocolate cupcakes fill and frosted with Nutella frosting(See below). We weren’t able to have our party in the morning, so we did a Friday night party.

We played a little game to get to know each other and we all listed our standby breakfast on a card with something about our family on the back. Here were some standby breakfasts~

Pancakes

Oatmeal

Special K

Muffins with peanut butter

We all agreed that Nutella is wonderful and really would make breakfast more fun and tasty!

We had fun talking about ways to incorporate Nutella into a healthy breakfast. We came up with Nutella on whole wheat pancakes, waffles, toast or english muffins accompanied with fruit and milk.

After the party everyone got to take a fun gift bag with samples, recipe ideas an a tumbler.

Do you know how many hazelnuts are used to make a bottle of Nutella? 50 hazelnuts go into every bottle of rich chocolaty tasting Nutella~yum!

If you go here you can enter to win a case of Nutella!

If you go here you can print a $1 of coupon!

*For Nutella Frosting

1/2 butter, room temperature

1/2 cup Nutella

4 or more cups Confectionary Sugar

In a mixer beat the butter and Nutella. Add 4 cups of Confectionary Sugar and beat well. Add more Confectionary sugar if needed.

Disclosure: I was provided with this Nutella mom testing package by BSM Media at no cost to me for a review.  I was not paid to test or post about this company.  My opinions and the opinions of MomXperts Panel are honest.

Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes

 

I’ve always wanted a cupcake recipe that makes 12 cupcakes and now I have one! This is actually a cake my mother makes and she’s always called it a Wacky Cake because it doesn’t have any eggs. I like just being able to mix it in a bowl with no mixer, just as easy as a mix. This is a nice moist cake too!

Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

6 tablespoons cocoa

1 teaspoon soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup boiling water

6 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mint Frosting

1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons mint and

few drops of green food coloring

 

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.

In a large bowl whisk all the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a wooden spoon until well mixed. Divide into cupcake liners. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool.

For Frosting

In a mixer beat the butter and shortening for 1 minute, add the mint extract and green food coloring, then slowly add the powdered sugar. Beat for 3 minutes on high.

Fit a pastry bag with a 1/2 tip and fill with filling. Pipe onto each cupcake.

Mayonnaise Chocolate Cake

                  

I’ve been wanting to try a mayonnaise cake for a while. What a great recipe to have on hand for when you’re out of eggs! I really like this cake because it’s easier than a mix! It also has just basic ingredients. I never seem to have eggs or sometimes oil when I want to use a mix, plus with this recipe you know just what’s in it. Have you ever looked at the extras in a mix?

Mayonnaise Chocolate Cake

2 cups flour (I added 2 more tablespoons for high altitude)

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons soda

4 tablespoons cocoa

1 cup hot water

1 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with Pam.

In a large bowl whisk all the dry ingredients. Add the mayonnaise, hot water and vanilla and mix well with a wooden spoon. Poor into pan and bake for 30 minutes.

Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all the ingredients and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spread on cake.

Chauncey’s Chocolate Cake

                          

This is a nice moist chocolate cake that I made for Chauncey’s birthday. I frosted it with whipped cream, but for the filling I added 1 double size Heath bar that I chopped up. Everyone loved his cake!

Chauncey’s Chocolate Cake

1 cup butter flavored shortening

1 3/4 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cups milk

2  1/2 cups flour (I added 2 tablespoon for high altitude)

6 tablespoons cocoa (I used extra dark)

1 1/2 teaspoons soda

1 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 8” pans with Pam . Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake  for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

 

                            

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

Sloan has been asking me to make a chocolate cake for her so I came up with this recipe. I had some sour cream I wanted to use up and this cake has one cup in the cake and one cup in the frosting. It's super moist and chocolatey and the frosting is like chocolate velvet! This should satisfy her chocolate cake craving.....until at least next week...

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

• 1 cup cocoa
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup shortening
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large cookie sheet with Pam.
• 
  

Dissolve cocoa in water; let stand until cool. In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add vanilla. Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well. Add cocoa mixture; beat well.

Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

• Frosting
• 
  
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar sugar
• 
  

In a heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat; stir until smooth. Remove from the heat; cool for 5 minutes. Place in a large mixing bowl; add sour cream and vanilla; beat until blended. Add confectioners' sugar; beat until light and fluffy.

Texas Sheet Cake

This is an old family favorite recipe. I love it because it's not a lot of work and it makes a lot!

Texas Sheet Cake

1 cup butter
1 cup water
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk, I sour milk with vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing

1/2 cup butter
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
5 tablespoons milk
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 15x10 inch jelly roll pan with Pam.

Bring 1 cup butter, water and 4 tablespoons cocoa to a boil in a large saucepan. While still hot, remove from heat and add 2 cups flour, 2 cups white sugar, and salt. Mix well. Beat in eggs, sour cream, and baking soda. Do not beat too long.Pour batter into greased 15x10 inch jelly roll pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.

To Make Icing

Bring 1/2 cup butter or margarine, 4 tablespoons cocoa and 5 tablespoons milk to a boil. Remove from heat. While still hot, add confectioners' sugar vanilla. Beat well. Ice cake while icing is still hot.

Metamorphosis Monday, A Giveaway and Strawberry Sheet Cake

Giveaway Time!

I have a really great giveaway for you! Josh over at Bluegala is letting me giveaway a top or dress (of Bluegala's choosing) to one lucky reader!


I love this little top! It has a great neckline for a show off necklace!




I love this little orange shirt! It would look great with a pair of jeans or capri's. It just screams summer!




I think this white dress would be cute with a little tee shirt under it!




I think this is a great little black dress.

Now for the rules! This first one is mandatory and none of your other entries will count if you don't sign up for Bluegala's newsletter. Just click over to Bluegala and look in the top left corner.

Also by signing up for the Bluegala Mailing list your name will be put in a giveaway at Bluegala for a $500 giveaway! Just leave me a comment saying that you signed up for the newsletter.

If you want more entries you can~(be sure and leave me a separate comment for each one below)

1)Become a follower of Songberries, top left corner.

2)Follow Bluegala on Facebook.

3)Follow Bluegala on Twitter.

4)Tweet the following ~ Win a @Bluegala top or dress at http://songberries.blogspot.com

5)Follow me on Facebook.

6)Follow me on Networked Blogs (top right side of my blog).

This giveaway is open for 30 days and will end on July 6. At that time I will choose a winner by random number generator. The winner will be able to choose the size of their winning dress or top.

Today I'm hooking up with Between Naps on The Porch for Metamorphosis Monday. I'm still working on a few more projects for our livingroom and so I thought I'd share a quick one with you.


This picture is a little hard to see, but this is a pineapple thing I've had for a long time and a candlestick that I bought at D.I.. I asked my sweet hubby to paint them black and glue them together. He had to file down the candlestick a little to make it fit right, but I thought he did a really good job!




I asked my sweet hubby to take a picture of the finished product and he took it outside to get a good shot. I kind of wanted a picture of it in our livingroom, but this is what you get!

I wanted to make a strawberry cake with fresh strawberries, but I couldn't find a recipe for what I wanted. I wanted fresh strawberries and no strawberry Jello. So I put my thinking cap on and came up with this recipe. I made it in a sheet cake pan because I think a thin piece of cake with a nice covering of frosting is yummy! I made a nice strawberry cream cheese frosting for this cake, and I think it turned out a winner.

Strawberry Sheet Cake

3/4 cup strawberry puree, room temperature (follows)
1/4 cup milk, room temperature
6 large egg whites, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 1/4 cup cake flour
1 3/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a sheet cake pan with Pam.

In small bowl, combine puree, milk, egg, vanilla and mix with a whisk until well blended. In another bowl whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

In a mixer at slow speed mix the dry ingredients and the butter until combined and resembling moist crumbs.

Add liquids and beat at medium speed for about 1 minute or until fluffy and well mixed. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for 1 more minute. Spread the batter into prepared pan.

Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cake then frost.

Strawberry Puree

2 cups chopped strawberries

1 tablespoon sugar

Sprinkle the sugar over the strawberries and let sit for about 2 hours. I didn't want to wait that

long, so I put them in the microwave for about 1 minute. Microwaving it kind of gets the juices to come out faster. Dump it in the blender and puree. Measure out 3/4 cup and save the rest for the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

4-5 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons strawberry puree

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

Beat strawberry puree, cream cheese and 4 cups of powdered sugar until fluffy. Add more powdered sugar to get the desired thickness. Spread on cooled cake.

Works For Me Wednesday and Sugar Cookie Bars

This is my favorite lotion of all time! I have very dry skin, and eczema too. I found this lotion years ago, and I always keep some around. It helps heal my eczema and really helps the dry skin. That's my Works For Me Wednesday tip. Head on over to We Are That Family and see what everyone else is up too.

I found this really great blog today called Confessions of a Bake-aholic. Megan loves to bake like I do! Her pictures will make ya drool! This is the first of her recipes that I wanted to try. I love it, 5 cups of flour in this dough, and I didn't have to roll out a single cookie! I love a bar cookie, put it in the oven, let it cool a little, add a little frosting, Voila! Done! Wait until you taste this frosting, mmmm.....

Sugar Cookie Bars

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
5 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla and almond and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt and soda. Stir with a whisk to combine. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased baking sheet (half sheet/jelly-roll pan) and bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes (until they're just barely starting to brown). Let cool. Frost and cut into bars.

White Wonder Frosting

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup softened butter
4-5 cups powdered sugar (I used 4)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
food coloring (optional)

Blend until smooth.

Works For Me Wednesday (My Quilt), Watergate Cake With Cover Up Frosting

I'm linking this post up with Tatertots & Jello's Weekend Wrap Up Party! Go check out all the great ideas!

Don't forget to sign up for my necklace giveaway! Wouldn't you like to win this cute little Songberrie necklace? Go here for the giveaway.

I wanted to show you a project I've been working on for a special birthday present. I made it out of two drop cloths! Yup, they wash up nice and soft and the price is right, $6.95 each at Walmart! So scroll down and look at my pictures, this is my Works For Me Wednesday tip, drop cloths are not just for painting!



This is the quilt that I made my grandson Reese for his 5th birthday. My daughter Jennie is doing a pirate theme in his room, so I made his quilt out of two drop cloths. Yup, I bought 2, 9x6 foot drop cloths at Walmart. I tea dyed the top and painted the pictures on with craft paint.



A ship and one of the pockets is just above it.

A sea monster and there's one of the pockets to the left.

This is skull island. When we were tying the quilt I realized I had put a tie on the top of his head, so just for fun, I added some more!


Mermaids on the rocks.

This is treasure island, with an "X" on the treasure pocket.

Dolphins, in this part of the picture you can see the dashed lines for the route.


This is the compass.

These are the little treasures I put in the 5 pockets I sewed on the quilt top. The treasures are, strands of beads, coins, plastic fish, 2 magnifying glasses, a fish that grows in water and a little flashlight.

Be sure to check out everyone else's ideas over at We Are That Family!


Have you ever heard of the Watergate Scandal? This is a recipe that was going around back in the day. It's really good and super simple! I made it for St. Patrick's Day, but it's a nice treat anytime. I haven't made it in years, and it was a big hit with the family!

Watergate Cake With Cover Up Frosting

1 yellow cake mix
1 small package pistachio pudding, instant
water, oil and eggs as called for in the cake mix

Cover Up Frosting

1 small tub Cool Whip
1 small package pistachio pudding, instant

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 9x13 inch pan with Pam.

Whisk cake mix with pudding mix, add eggs, water and oil as called for and mix well. Pour into pan and bake according to package directions. Cool.

For Frosting

In a bowl whisk the cool whip and pistachio pudding mix. Spread on cooled cake.

Jen at 11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven, life in mexico {and other places} a picture a day, 365 Days of TV-Free Toddler Time, and Mega-Family Blogs is giving away nearly $100 worth of Hot Tamale Dinner Ware...

This, to be exact...

...and this...

To enter, go HERE!