Celebrate the end of summer with ‘picnic cakes’
Now that the weather is cooling, celebrate an outdoor gathering with what I call “totable picnic cakes.”
Start with a box cake mix and a little imagination.
The Creamsicle cake has been shared so many times it’s in my recipe hall of fame.
The cupcakes look fancy but are simple to make with a boxed mix and your own special touches.
Fancy schmancy picnic cupcakes
1 box cake mix, 15.25 oz
1 extra egg
Use cupcake liners for easy pickup Follow directions for ingredients and add 1 extra egg for moister cupcakes.
Creamsicle picnic cake
Cake
1 box, 15.25 oz., lemon supreme cake
mix or yellow cake mix
1 box, 3 oz., orange Jello, not sugar free
1⁄3 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon orange extract
11⁄4 cups orange juice
Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 9x13 pan.
Beat cake mix, jello, oil, eggs, and extract in mixing bowl on medium speed. Add orange juice and blend on low. Increase to medium and beat a few minutes longer. Pour into pan.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Don’t overbake.
If cake humps up in the center after baking, put a folded towel over it right away and gently press down to force air out. Cool before frosting.
Frosting
1 can, 20 oz., crushed pineapple, drained (or mandarin oranges, drained) 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
3.5 oz. box instant vanilla pudding, not sugar free
8 oz. or more, to taste, frozen whipped topping, thawed
Beat together pineapple, cheese and pudding together, then fold in topping. Spread on cake and keep refrigerated. Don’t like whipped topping? Sub in whipping cream for whipped topping. Whip 11⁄2 cups whipping cream with a bit of confectioners’ sugar and vanilla.
Homemade vanilla cream cheese frosting
Can be tinted any color.
Ingredients
1⁄4 cup butter, room temperature
8 oz. regular cream cheese, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla
3⁄4 to 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
Beat butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth and fluffy.
Beat in 3/4 cup sugar; add more if desired.
Homemade dark chocolate frosting
Ingredients
1⁄3 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
21⁄3 cups confectioners’ sugar or bit more if needed
Couple pinches salt
3⁄4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1⁄3 cup milk
11⁄2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
Beat butter on medium speed until smooth.
Add sugar, salt and cocoa, beat until blended.
Slowly pour milk and vanilla in, beat until mixed.
Increase speed to high and beat a couple of minutes.
Speed scratch whipped chocolate frosting
Ingredients
1 container chocolate frosting 1 teaspoon vanilla Instructions
Whip until fluffy.
Make it mocha
Add 1⁄2 teaspoon instant coffee granules or 1⁄4 teaspoon espresso powder, or to taste, to either chocolate frosting.
Tips: Coconut frosted cupcakes
Frost cupcakes, then dip tops into flaked coconut, rotating cupcakes gently into coconut to coat entire top.
Easy to tote:
Put cupcakes into cupcake pans for transporting.