Beki Cook's Cake Blog

Strawberry-Picking Treats

2020-06-25T16:03:00.002-05:00

Summer means only one thing in my house: strawberry picking. We love fresh strawberries, and always go overboard, picking dozens of pounds of strawberries... many of which will end up in the freezer for a while to enjoy for months to come.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Cheesecake Bar Recipe

(This is the most popular recipe on my blog... and there is a very good reason for that!

Strawberry Margarita Cupcake Recipe

Chocolate-Strawberry Cream Cake Recipe

Fresh Strawberry Donut Recipe

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcake Recipe

Strawberry-Rhubarb Cream Cake Recipe

Sprinkle Surprise Cake

2019-11-03T10:00:00.000-06:00

This cake, exploding with sprinkles has been declared, by my son, "The BEST Birthday Cake Ever!" And I have to tell you that it actually isn't all that hard to make. A little putsy, but not hard.

What You Need:
3- 6" chocolate cakes
- I used a boxed mix and doctored it, but you could also do my scratch chocolate cake. You basically want three 6" round by 2" tall cakes.
4-6 cups icing
- I made Salted Caramel Swiss Meringue Buttercream Icing by adding an extra 1/2-3/4 tsp. of salt to my Caramel Buttercream Recipe.
2-3 cups mixed sprinkles
- I bought 4 bottles of sprinkles, of varying shapes, sizes and types, and combined them in a jar to mix well. (You can buy "unicorn mix," but they are usually pastel, and 13-year-old boys don't love pastel.)

Click Here to Read More>>

My Favorite Fall Treats

2019-09-23T08:12:00.000-05:00

Fall is my favorite season... especially for baking.
I love all things pumpkin, apple, spice...

Click on the link below each picture to find my favorite fall recipes.

Pumpkin Cake Bites

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars (AMAZING!)

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars (Also Awesome!)

Pumpkin Cake Pops

Football Cake Pops

Apple Hand Pies

Deep Dish Pumpkin Pie (from fresh or canned pumpkin)

Pumpkin Cupcakes with THE BEST Cream Cheese Icing

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Perfect Fall Cut-Out Cookies

Apple Cider Doughnuts

Beautiful Pumpkin Cake

Find all of my Fall/Halloween Recipes and Ideas Here.

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches {Recipe}

2019-08-06T05:14:00.003-05:00

My children are spoiled. Every time they return from any kind of trip -- camping, time with their grandparents, etc. -- they expect a new treat. I oblige. This time... homemade ice cream sandwiches made with peanut butter cookies, store-bought ice cream and mini chocolate chips. They were actually not that hard to make, considering how amazingly yummy they were!!

What You Need:
For the Peanut Butter Cookies:
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter

2-3 cups Store-bought or homemade ice cream
1-2 cups mini chocolate chips, chopped peanuts, rainbow sprinkles, mini m&ms, etc.

Yield: 5-6 2-3" ice cream sandwiches
Click Here to Read More>>

Baseball Jersey and Scout Uniform Cookies

2019-07-07T15:13:00.000-05:00

Baseball season is coming to an end... yet again.
This year, I decided to make some jersey cookies for my boys and their teammates.

The same weekend, my kiddos came back from Boy Scout camp. So, I made them some Scout Uniform Shirt cookies, as well.

I made all of these cookies using my favorite Chocolate Cookie Recipe and Royal Icing.

I made the t-shirt shape using a onesie cookie cutter that I purchased for a baby shower a few years ago, and just cut off the bottom part.

Raspberry Curd {Recipe}

2019-06-24T06:23:00.002-05:00

My photos for this post are lacking, I'm sorry about that. But the raspberry curd was perfect for a special cake I made for my director's retirement cake.

It is perfectly tart, rich, and maybe most fantastic, it's raspberry-- without the seeds!

What You Need:
12 oz. frozen raspberries, defrosted (or fresh)
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
7 egg yolks

Yield: 2 1/2 cups
adapted from Good Life Eats. (I wanted it to be thicker than the batch I made following her recipe, so I increased the butter and egg.)

Click Here to Read More>>

Baseball Flowers for Mother's Day

2019-05-10T21:02:00.002-05:00

This Mother's Day weekend, I get the pleasure of spending my special day at a baseball tournament. So, I decided to make some "Baseball Flowers" for myself and the other Baseball Moms. I wish I'd had better flower cookie cutters, but these will do.

(I also did make a dozen regular baseballs for the players because, well, I want the moms to actually get to eat their cookies.)

If you're interested in making something similar... here are recipes and tutorials:
Chocolate Cut-Out Cookies
Royal Icing Recipe
Baseball Cookies

Happy Mother's Day to all of you Momma's out there!

Spring, Easter, Everything Pastel

2019-03-30T11:11:00.000-05:00

Easter Egg Cookie Pops

Gluten-Free Easter Nest Cookies

Easy Easter Egg Cake

Easter Basket Cake

Easter Egg Cake Pops (or Cake Truffles)

Kid-Made Marshmallow Flower Cupcakes

Easy Spring Blossom Cupcakes

Enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2019-02-10T14:51:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day from my kitchen to yours!

Simple Fondant Heart Cake

Heart Ruffle Cake

Wild About You Cupcakes

Monster Cake

"Wild About You"

Mini Chocolate Pies

Valentine Card Cookies

Strawberry-Banana Ruffley Cake

Sweet Pink Sprinkle Cake and Cake Pops

Rose-Covered Cake

Chocolate Pie Cake

Soft Bakery-Style Rose Cookies

Easy Buttercream Heart Cake

Cream Cheese Mints

Sorting Hat Cupcakes

2018-10-31T19:12:00.002-05:00

We LOVE everything Harry Potter in our house. So, for my boys 12th birthday, we went to a Harry Potter Trivia Night with some friends. I made these easy Sorting Hat Cupcakes to bring along.

What You Need:
Cupcakes
(I used boxed mix and 'doctored them up' to taste a little better.)
Filling:
1 pkg instant vanilla pudding
2 cups half & half
Rich Chocolate Buttercream Icing

Click Here to Read More>>

Back-to-School Treats

2018-08-24T06:48:00.000-05:00

My kids are too old now to send in treats for their teachers on the first day of school. Not because I don't want to, or they wouldn't like it, but because my children won't take them in to middle school. But maybe you can still treat your teachers.

Back-To-School Cookies for the Teacher

Simple ABC & 123 Cookies

Pencil Cookies

Easy Crayon Cookies

Apple Cookies for Teacher

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Apple Cake Pops

Apple-Flavored Cut-Out Cookies

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes {Recipe}

2018-07-29T12:55:00.000-05:00

Every summer, my family goes camping on the North Shore of Lake Superior... well, most of my family. I stay home. I am not a camper. So, I bake for their return. This year, I made these decadent (and easy) Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes.

What You Need:
Chocolate Cake Mix (and eggs, milk, etc. as needed to prepare)
2 dozen (full-sized) Reese's Peanut Butter cups
For the icing:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 cups powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp. whole milk (as needed)

Prepare the cake mix according to the directions on the box.
Line cupcake tins with paper cupcake liners. Put 1 Tbsp. cake mix in the bottom of each liner. Set unwrapped peanut butter cup on top of batter. (This is so that it doesn't get melty when you try to eat it.) Spoon 3 Tbsp. batter on top of peanut butter cup. Bake according to package directions. (350-degrees for 15-18 minutes.)

Make the Icing
Combine butter and peanut butter in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add vanilla. Mix well. Add cocoa powder. Mix well. Add powdered sugar. Mix well. If the icing is too thick to spread/pipe, add milk, one tablespoon at a time.

When the cupcakes are cooled, pipe an icing swirl on each. Garnish with a sprinkle of chopped peanut butter cups (or peanuts).

Enjoy!

Fourth of July Treats

2018-07-02T21:46:00.002-05:00

It's a weird Fourth of July here. My kids finally outgrew our family 'parade' around the neighborhood, and Boy Scout Camp is WAY more fun than a family BBQ. But Fourth of July treats are mandatory no matter how you celebrate!

Flag Bunting Cake

Flourless Chocolate Flag Cake

Patriotic Cake Pops

Fireworks Cookies

Rhubarb Crumble Recipe {Gluten-Free}

2018-06-04T06:41:00.000-05:00

This is an adjusted version of my original Fruit Crisp recipe to be gluten-free, and even vegan if you substitute for the butter. But whether you make it gluten-free or vegan, it's still AMAZING!

What You Need:
1 3/4 cup rolled oats, toasted (divided)
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped fine
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger (or 1 tsp. fresh ginger)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (or Earth Balance Spread for vegan)
1/4-1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. corn starch
1 tsp. vanilla
4-6 cups rhubarb, chopped into 1-2" chunks
Optional: 1 cup strawberries or raspberries

Click Here to Read More>>

Easy Easter Treat for Kids {Gluten-Free Recipe}

2018-03-31T16:07:00.002-05:00

These nests are made from gluten-free no-bake chocolate cookies, and topped with Cadbury chocolate eggs and Peeps. They take about 25 minutes total to make, and are easy to let your little ones help with.

What You Need:
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 Tbsp. cocoa powder (not 'special dark')
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy okay)
3 cups regular or quick oats

Yield: 2 dozen 3" cookies

Click Here to Read More>>

Birthday Pie

2018-02-01T18:49:00.001-06:00

Around here, it's not cake that takes the cake for birthdays... it's pie. And this year, I made my husband three different pies to celebrate his big 40th birthday.

#1- French Silk Pie - This rich, chocolate cream pie is amazingly good!

#2- Strawberry Rhubarb Pie - I had to substitute store-bought frozen rhubarb, but it was still fantastic!

#3- Cherry Pie - How can you go wrong with a classic?

The only one missing was my favorite: Lemon Cream Pie... but then, it wasn't my birthday!

The Top Five Holiday Treats

2017-12-14T15:39:00.001-06:00

I've been a bit under the weather lately, so getting my holiday baking done may be a but of a trick this year. So, I asked my family to rank the most important things to get made between now and Christmas, and here are our Top 5:

#1: Candy Coal

This has become an absolute favorite of family, friends and co-workers. The little bit of black it turns your lips is overlooked because it's just SO good.

#2: Gingerbread Caramels

I was too scared for years to even try caramels, but these have (so far) been foolproof, and we LOVE them.

#3: Mint-Chocolate (Grasshopper) Brownies

Can't live without these. I grew up with them, too.

#4: Gingersnaps

Basic, but so, so good, especially when you eat them right out of the oven.

#5: Okay, this is a tie... Cranberry-Gingerbread Cheesecake Bars for my husband, Sugar Cookies for my boys, and Snowball Cookies for me.

May you find the time in your hectic life to do some baking, too, for the holidays, or just for a Tuesday!

Perfectly Fall - Cheesecake Bars

2017-10-15T13:31:00.001-05:00

I'm up to my elbows today in cream cheese and pecans. I'm making one batch of each of these perfect-for-fall cheesecake bars.

They're not new. You can find the recipe for the Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars here...

And the Pumpkin Streusel Cheesecake Bars here.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Strawberry Cream Cake {Recipe}

2017-07-02T11:36:00.000-05:00

My boys went on a big camping trip (again) this summer. But right before they left we picked pounds of fresh strawberries. So, I made this chocolate-strawberry cake to welcome them home.

What you need:
Click on each link below for the recipes:

6" Chocolate Cake (doctored cake mix or scratch recipe)
Whipped Cream Frosting

Strawberry filling/topping:
2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries.
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. corn starch

Yield: 6"x5" cake Serves 8-10

Click Here to Read More>>

Play Ball!

2017-05-24T20:12:00.001-05:00

It's baseball season... something that takes up a lot of time in our house.
And all of those baseball games mean.... baseball treats!

Easy Baseball Cake

Baseball Cake Pops

Baseball Cookies

Baseball Cupcakes

Click the Links Below to See:

More Summer Decorating Ideas

More Basic Cake Decorating Ideas

Happy Easter - Sweet Treat Ideas

2017-04-10T14:50:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter!!

Easter Basket Cake

The basketweave technique looks really amazing.

This post includes video of how to make a cake that looks like an Easter Basket.

Easter Egg Cake Truffles

These are just like cake pops, but you make them with toothpicks, instead of lollipop sticks.

Easter Egg Cookie Pops

There's just something better about when you put anything on a stick.

Click the link to see how to make cookies on a stick.

Easter Cookie Bouquet

These Cookie Pops are perfect to make a bouquet.

Click this link to see how to make a cookie bouquet of your own.

The Simple Easter Egg Cake
An oval pan, some pastel colored icing... it's all you need.

Simple Spring Cupcakes

These might be a little more generically spring than Easter, but they fit the color scheme here.

Click the Links Below to See:
Vanilla Sugar Cookie Recipe
Royal Icing Recipe
How To Make Cake Pops
Spring Decorating Ideas

Valentine's Day Ideas

2017-02-06T18:26:00.002-06:00

Nothing says love like sugar and chocolate!

Below are some of my many Valentine's Day ideas from years' past.

Simple Fondant Heart Cake

Valentine Card Cookies

Strawberry-Banana Ruffley Cake

Sweet Pink Sprinkle Cake and Cake Pops

Rose-Covered Cake

Chocolate Pie Cake

Soft Bakery-Style Rose Cookies

Easy Buttercream Heart Cake

Homemade Gingerbread Caramels {Recipe}

2016-12-10T15:24:00.000-06:00

These caramel candies are a favorite in our house at the holidays. The recipe came from another parent at my kids' school. She sells vanilla caramels every year at the bake sale, and last year, I asked if she'd show me how to make them. Thankfully, she obliged.

What You Need:
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1 lb dark brown sugar (2 3/4 cups) OR 1 lb light brown sugar + 1/4 cup molasses
1 cup white corn syrup
1 (14-15 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Yield: 50-60 caramels
*Note: I often double the recipe (as you will see in the photos) because I gift them.

Click Here to Read More>>

Charley's Deep Dish Pumpkin Pie {Recipe}

2016-12-03T14:23:00.000-06:00

We had a bumper crop of pie pumpkins in our garden this summer. So, my son, Charley decided he wanted to learn to make pumpkin pie. This recipe is the result of lots of trial and error in using fresh pumpkins in our pie. We love it, and hope you will, too.

What You Need:
For the Crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. powdered sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. butter

For the Filling:
1- medium sized pie pumpkin (for 2 1/2 cups pumpkin puree)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. Corn starch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 large eggs + 2 egg yolks (beaten)
2 1/2 cups evaporated milk (about 1 1/2 cans)

For the Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar

*Please note: this recipe makes a DEEP DISH pie. If you are using a regular pie plate, you will need to either cut the filling by about 1/3 or use the extra filling to make pumpkin custards (which I recommend).

Click Here to Read More>>

Apple Pickin' Treats

2016-09-16T18:52:00.002-05:00

It's Apple-Pickin' Time!!
Below is a round up of my favorite apple treats.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

These are amazing. Make them! Today!

Caramel Apple Cake

Apple Cider Doughnuts

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Apple Cookies

Mini-Apple Pies

Apple Cake Pops

(Even better if you use the Caramel Apple Cake recipe in these.)