Keeping Up With Kelly: Easter Treats

I made a few tasty treats for the Easter holiday. This cake was delicious! But definitely strawberry overload!

Fresh Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

I found the recipe on Pinterest via www.perrysplate.com

Frosting:
2 8-oz packages of cream cheese, room temperature
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 c powdered sugar
1/2 c seedless strawberry jam
3/4 c chilled heavy whipping cream

Cake:
3 c cake flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 c sugar
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
7 large eggs
2 T vanilla extract
1 c sour cream
6 T plus 1/3 c seedless strawberry jam
2 1/4 lbs strawberries, hulled, sliced (about 6 cups), divided

directions:

For the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until smooth. You'll probably want to use an electric mixer for this so you don't end up with lumps. Stop every now and then to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in sugar, then jam. Beat cream in a separate, chilled, bowl until peaks form. Fold whipped cream into frosting. Cover; chill for a couple of hours until it's firm enough to spread.

For the cake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans with 2-inch high sides. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add sour cream, and beat for 30 seconds. Add flour mixture in three additions, beating to blend after each addition. Divide batter into prepared pans.

Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pans, then turn cakes out onto a rack to cool completely.

Using a serrated knife, divide each layer in half horizontally. Place one half, cake side down, on a cake plate. Spread 2 T of strawberry jam over the cake, then spread 3/4 c of the frosting over the jam.

Arrange 3/4 c of the sliced strawberries on top of the frosting in a single layer. Repeat two more times with cake layer, jam, frosting, and strawberries. Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down.

Spread two cups of frosting over the top and sides of the cake in a thin layer, then frost with remaining frosting.

Decorate as you wish, I used chocolate frosting to pipe the cake.

Chill cake for at least 2 hours before serving, serve chilled.

I also made these chocolate dipped peeps. These are a colorful addition to an Easter basket and they are my Mom's favorite Easter candy.

You'll need - Peeps (various colors), white chocolate (melted), pastel sprinkles

Very easy directions - Melt chocolate, dip the bottom of the peep, and roll in sprinkles.

Melt, dip, roll, repeat!

I make these for my Kindergarten class every year. I make the "nest" and let the assemble the rest.

Nest - Butterscotch morsels, Chow Mein noodles

Grass - Coconut dyed with green food coloring

Eggs - Cadbury eggs or Robin Egg candy

For some extra flair add a peep as the Easter chick

I didn't make these for Easter but made them this past week for a meeting. They were delicious and everyone loved them served in individual cups. Of course, you can make this recipe in a large trifle bowl as well.

Brownie Shortcake Cups

Brownies - I used a box of Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix and added mini chocolate chips to the batter. Follow the box directions. Allow to completely cool and cut into small cubes.

Layer small brownies cubes in the first layer.

Filling-

1 bar cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 can sweetened condensed milk

8 oz. cool whip, thawed

Blend together cream cheese and powdered sugar. Then blend sweetened condensed milk to mixture. Fold in cool whip.

Layer the filling next. Then a layer of fresh chopped strawberries. Repeat until the container is filled. Serve chilled.