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Easy and Fresh Strawberry Filling

Fresh strawberry filling is super easy to make and it really adds an amazing flavor to cakes of all kinds – my particular favorite is vanilla cake, and while I’ve been sitting here typing, I had a brainstorm – I’m positive I’m not the first person to ever think of this but hello…  Banana?   Strawberry Banana cake?!  Now my heart is racing…  I need a minute.

Ok, we’ll get back to that strawberry banana idea a bit later, but right now it’s time for part two in our tribute to Matt and Gladys!  Actually, today is their 1 year anniversary, so happy anniversary, dear friends!

I’ll admit, I’m a total snot about cake fillings.  Most of them, especially this strawberry filling, are so easy to make that I just cannot understand why a professional would use anything less.  That’s my own personal preference, and I’m sure I’ll get a ton of feedback explaining the whys and wherefores of using ready-made cake fillings.  The smell alone is enough to make me delirious, I can’t imagine giving up all of the smells the completely invade my house when I’m baking – and that includes the fillings – But enough of me and my bias toward pre-made filling (Dear Lord, don’t even get me started on using jams and preserves for filling, just don’t).

Let’s talk about the video – This, our second video was a little more complicated than the first – We had to film in parts instead of straight through like the first one, so a few more editing skills were required.  I’m starting to get the hang of this iMovie thing though, so each subsequent effort will be better.  I’m still not super comfortable on camera but it does get better and I’m really looking forward to my LIVE sessions on Facebook to help me get even more relaxed.

Don’t forget!  On the 15th I’ll be sending our e-mail subscribers the Shopping List for May and on the 20th, someone will win a $20 Amazon card!  You must be a subscriber to our newsletter and you must also like our Facebook page to be eligible.  Good luck to this month’s entrants and as always the results will be delivered via Facebook LIVE 🙂

As always, the recipe appears below the video – Enjoy!  Don’t forget to share your creations on our Facebook page, and be sure to let us know if you have any questions or ideas for future videos!

 

Print Recipe
Fresh Strawberry Filling
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 pound Fresh Strawberries diced (weigh before dicing)
  • 1.5 cup Sugar
  • 2 tbsp Cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp Warm Water
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 pound Fresh Strawberries diced (weigh before dicing)
  • 1.5 cup Sugar
  • 2 tbsp Cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp Warm Water
Instructions
  1. Clean, hull, and dice fresh strawberries - transfer immediately to a saucepan.
  2. Add sugar and mix well
  3. Using a potato masher or similar tool, mash the strawberries and sugar together until the sugar is clear.
  4. Mix the cornstarch and water together and then add it to the pan, stirring it in well.
  5. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until boiling. The mixture should noticeably thicken.
  6. Remove from heat, add to a container, cover it loosely with plastic wrap and let sit for about an hour.
  7. Cover tightly and place in refrigerator overnight to set.
Recipe Notes

Notes

  • Overnight in fridge is best.  If you can't let this rest overnight, make sure it is COLD when you use it.
  • You can replace fresh with frozen strawberries in equal parts.
  • If making more than one batch or if you aren't happy with the thickness of the filling, you can add more cornstarch mixture after the filling reaches a boil.  Always mix equal parts cornstarch and water and start SMALL - 1/2 teaspoon at a time.  What I would do is make another 2 tablespoons and then use a 1/2 teaspoon to add a little at a time until I reached my desired consistency.
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Simple, Delicious Modified Box Cake

In the first video, I demonstrate how to create a simple and delicious modified box cake.  This cake is moist and flavorful and has a great texture.  For those bakers who want a made from scratch taste this is a convenient way to go.  It’s also stackable, so if you’re planning a cake with more than one tier, this cake can withstand doweling and stacking with no problems!

This first video is definitely an example of how much Ana and I don’t know about production!  I was incredibly nervous, of course, but as the day went on we both got much more comfortable.  You’ll definitely see that in the other 4 videos posted in April.  I’m sure we’ve made some mistakes, but we’re in my kitchen, having some fun and hopefully getting you involved along the way!

In this, and in many recipes, I use Neilsen Massey Vanilla Bean Paste.  I’ve found the best place to get it is on Amazon.com and I’ve provided a handy link.  There’s nothing quite like seeing all of those lovely vanilla beans in cakes and frostings!

The recipe is posted directly below the video!  Please get involved by posting your comments, questions and requests for future demos either on this page or on Facebook.  We love to hear from you!

 


Print Recipe
Modified Box Cake
This cake is moist and flavorful and has a great texture. For those bakers who want a made from scratch taste this is a convenient way to go. It's simple and a great jumping off point for new bakers and those who are just starting decorating.
Bake with Rho - Simple, Delicious Modified Box Cake Demo
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings
party servings
Ingredients
  • 1 ea. Boxed Cake Mix I use Duncan Hines
  • 1 cup Flour
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 1 dash Salt
  • 3 ea. Eggs Use large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 cup Water
  • 1 cup Sour Cream At room temperature
  • 2 tbsp Flavoring I used vanilla bean paste, but you can pair the flavoring to that of the cake mix.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings
party servings
Ingredients
  • 1 ea. Boxed Cake Mix I use Duncan Hines
  • 1 cup Flour
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 1 dash Salt
  • 3 ea. Eggs Use large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 cup Water
  • 1 cup Sour Cream At room temperature
  • 2 tbsp Flavoring I used vanilla bean paste, but you can pair the flavoring to that of the cake mix.
Bake with Rho - Simple, Delicious Modified Box Cake Demo
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat Oven to 300 Degrees
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer on the stir setting, combine the eggs, water, sour cream and flavoring.
  3. While the liquid ingredients are incorporating, whisk together the cake mix, flour, sugar and salt. (I use a medium sized pyrex bowl.
  4. Turn off the mixer and add the dry ingredients all at once.
  5. Turn the mixer on, using the stir setting until the ingredients are just wet. Scrape the bowl.
  6. Turn the mixer to medium speed (4 on my KitchenAid) for two minutes.
  7. While the batter is mixing, prepare two 8" cake pans, using pan grease or the grease/flour method.
  8. Turn off the mixer and distribute the batter evenly between the two pans.
  9. Place in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 30 minutes.
  10. After 30 minutes, turn the oven up to 325 degrees (do NOT open the door) and bake for an additional 25 - 30 minutes.
  11. Make sure to test for doneness - does the top of the cake spring back? Does a toothpick inserted in the center come out clean? If so, remove the cakes from the oven and set them on a cooling rack for 5 minutes.
  12. After 5 minutes, remove the cakes from the pans and cool.
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Modified Red Velvet Oreo Lava Cakes

Good Morning!  About a week ago, I went live on Facebook to make the So Yummy version of Red Velvet Oreo Lava Cakes.  Things didn’t quite turn out as planned, and I vowed to try again, working on some tweaks to the recipe – This morning I was up bright and early playing in the kitchen, and I have to say, they turned out awesome!

If you had joined us, you know that I had a couple of small issues – I’ve modified the recipe just a bit to account for those issues and I taste tested them this morning before jumping online to let you know.

  1. I forgot the Oreos on the bottoms.  Completely my fault, of course!  I made sure to add them to this batch.
  2. The center wasn’t as gooey as I would have liked – basically, it didn’t ooze like Lava, and well, they are Red Velvet Oreo Lava Cakes, after all.  I made a tweak in the recipe to help with this and to also help with the flavor of the filling, which I thought was too sour.

Forgive the pictures, it was early and I was rushing to get this done for you!  No time for staging this morning!  The original recipe is linked below, if you’re interested in that as well!

Of course, you can always find us playing around, and I’m looking forward to trying out more of these recipes for the first time, live on Facebook!  Stop in, introduce yourself and have some fun with me –

Do you plan to try these at home?   I’d love to hear about your experience – Let me know in the comments!

Print Recipe
Modified Red Velvet Oreo Lava Cakes
These come together pretty quickly and make an impressive dessert!
Modified Red Velvet Oreo Lava Cakes - Bake with Rho
Prep Time 10 Minutes
Cook Time 13 Minutes
Passive Time 30 Minutes
Servings
Lava Cakes
Ingredients
Filling
  • 20 ea. Oreo Cookies
  • 8 oz. Cream Cheese at room temp
  • 2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
Cakes
  • 2 Cup Flour
  • 1 tbsp Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 Cup Melted Butter
  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • 3/4 Cup Buttermilk
  • 1 tbsp Red Food Coloring
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 ea Egg Yolks
Prep Time 10 Minutes
Cook Time 13 Minutes
Passive Time 30 Minutes
Servings
Lava Cakes
Ingredients
Filling
  • 20 ea. Oreo Cookies
  • 8 oz. Cream Cheese at room temp
  • 2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
Cakes
  • 2 Cup Flour
  • 1 tbsp Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 Cup Melted Butter
  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • 3/4 Cup Buttermilk
  • 1 tbsp Red Food Coloring
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 ea Egg Yolks
Modified Red Velvet Oreo Lava Cakes - Bake with Rho
Instructions
Make the Filling
  1. Scrape the filling from 20 Oreos and place in a bowl.
  2. Add Cream Cheese and 2 tbsp sugar
  3. Using an electric mixer, set on medium, mix the filling, cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Turn up to high for a few seconds and whip it up until it is smooth and creamy.
  4. Using your preferred method (I use a cookie scoop), drop 1 tbsp dollops of the mixture onto a plate or a cookie sheet. You will have more than 12, I just make them all so that I can select the ones I like best later. The rounder these are, the better
  5. Place the filling balls in the freezer for 30 minutes.
    Modified Red Velvet Oreo Lava Cakes (Filling) - Bake with Rho
Make the Cake Batter
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees
  2. Prepare a cupcake pan by greasing each of the cavities and set aside.
  3. Prepare the dry ingredients by adding the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt to a medium sized bowl (I've found that sifting the first removes the big lumps I tend to see in cocoa powder).
  4. Whisk them together thoroughly - you want to evenly distribute the baking soda and salt.
    Modified Red Velvet Oreo Lava Cakes (dry) - Bake with Rho
  5. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl: sugar, melted butter, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar and egg yolks.
    Modified Red Velvet Oreo Lava Cakes (wet) - Bake with Rho
  6. Whisk together to combine - continue whisking until the batter is smooth, it will be thick.
Assemble the Lava Cakes
  1. Fill the cupcake pan with batter, each cavity should be no more than 3/4 full.
    Modified Red Velvet Oreo Lava Cakes (prepared pans) - Bake with Rho
  2. Pull the filling from the freezer and press one into the center of each.
    Modified Red Velvet Oreo Lava Cakes (filled) - Bake with Rho
  3. Place the Oreo halves on top of each, pressing gently.
    Modified Red Velvet Oreo Lava Cakes (oreos) - Bake with Rho
  4. Bake for 12-14 minutes - test doneness by checking the cake around the Oreo - if it's wet, leave the cakes in the oven for another one to two minutes. When done, pull from oven and set on a wire rack to cool for 2 minutes.
    Modified Red Velvet Oreo Lava Cakes (cooling) - Bake with Rho
Finishing
  1. Flip the pan over and release the lava cakes. If they are baked correctly, they should come right out of the pan. Immediately plate them, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
  1. I modified this recipe to make the filling a little sweeter - My personal feeling was that the filling was a little too tangy (almost sour) so I doubled the amount of Oreo centers and added the 2 tbsp. of sugar.
  2. Don't start the cake part of the recipe until your filling has been in the freezer for 30 minutes.  A little longer in the freezer won't hurt, and I believe that pulling them from the freezer too early when we were live, is what prevented them from giving that pretty lava ooze.
  3. So Yummy posted the original version of this, and based on our experiments it turned out great!  Any tweaks I've made are simply to satisfy my own palette and not a reflection on their hard work.