Tag: Easy

Easy Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake

Easter is almost here, and Carrot Cake is a “Go to” dessert for this holiday! However, this year is a little different…we can’t celebrate with extended family and friends, because of the Coronovirus that’s got us on lock down, but we can still eat!!

We aren’t making a huge Easter dinner this year, but one thing is for sure, we definitely still need dessert! Not to mention, this dessert has veggies in it! How bad can it be?!

Carrot cake is usually a lot of work, and let’s be honest, you only make this once a year. I like to make things easy, so I came up with this recipe! This recipe uses boxed cake mix! It doesn’t get much easier than that! With a few added ingredients you will have carrot cake in no time at all!

This carrot cake is very moist, fluffy and delicious of course! Topped with cream cheese frosting and cinnamon sugar, it’s a winner. Typically carrot cake has nuts incorporated in the recipe. I am allergic so this recipe does not call for any, but it would be a very easy add!

Cream Cheese Frosting

What is carrot cake without cream cheese frosting? It isn’t…You can opt to make homemade cream cheese frosting or you can use store bought. Either way it will be delicious. I have provided my cream cheese frosting recipe below, in case you want to make it! (You will only need to make half of the recipe) Let me tell you it is delicious, and actually simple to make.

Cake Ingredients

  • 1 Box yellow cake mix
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup of Milk
  • 1/4 cup of canola oil (or vegetable)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 – 1 cup of shredded carrots (about 2 large carrots)
  • Cinnamon sugar (to sprinkle on the top)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
  • Grease an 9×11 baking dish / 11×7 if you want the cake thicker
  • Mix together the yellow cake mix, egg, milk and oil
  • Add in the vanilla and cinnamon until well incorporated
  • Mix in the carrots
  • Evenly spread into baking dish
  • Bake for 22 minutes
  • Let cool before frosting
  • Top the frosting with Cinnamon sugar

Enjoy!!!!

I hope you enjoy this recipe!!! Follow me for more ideas on Pinterest! https://www.pinterest.com/FunandFrosted/

Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars

Sugar Cookies + Lemon = Absolute deliciousness! I am so excited about these! They have the right amount of lemon flavor and the perfect cookie texture!!

Typically, when I think of sugar cookies, it’s usually in a “cut out” shape and is for some sort of occasion; Christmas, Easter, Valentines Day or in many cases Birthdays. Cutouts are great, but can be a lot of work. Making them into a cookie bar takes out all of that extra work, but they are still delicious!!

I love that these Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars are so easy to make! Also, you can easily substitute different flavors, and top them with frosting! Lemon is surely a hit, but I’m thinking lime or orange would be great as well! I included a recipe for the glaze, but it’s definitely not needed, it just adds a little more lemon flavor!

Also, whenever we have lemons, my kids cannot resist eating them to to see who can handle the sourness!! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Don’t Be Afraid to “Zest”

This recipe calls for the zest of a lemon. If you haven’t used zest from a citrus fruit before, don’t let that scare you. It’s super easy and it really gives it a lot of flavor. I take a cheese grater and scrape the side of the lemon until you see the white part, keep rotating the lemon until there is nothing left to zest! Easy as that!

Here Is What You Need

For the Sugar Cookie
  • 1 cup (2 Sticks) of Unsalted Butter – room temp
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar + 3 Tbsp for the top
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 Tbsp juice from a lemon + (1-2 Tbsp for the glaze)
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp lemon Zest (1 Lemon)
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
For The Glaze
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1-2 Tbsp juice from a lemon
  • 3-4 Tbsp Milk

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F
  • Grease a 9×13 dish with baking spray, or you can use my cake release recipe
  • Using your stand mixer or an electric mixer, mix butter and sugar until well combined
  • Mix in the eggs, vanilla and lemon juice
  • In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients; Flour, baking powder, salt and the lemon zest

Slowly pour incorporate the flour mixture into the bowl with the wet ingredients

  • Press the dough into the 9×13 baking dish
  • Top with 3 tbsp of sugar
  • Bake for 22-25 minutes
  • For the glaze, mix together the powdered sugar, and lemon juice.
  • Slowly mix in the milk until you get the consistency you desire. More milk for a thinner glaze, less for thicker

  • Wait for the cookies to cool before drizzling the glaze over top. You can glaze the whole dish or individual pieces, whatever you like!
  • Enjoy!

There you have it! Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars (Say that fast 3 times!) They are delicious and one of my absolute favorites!

Follow me on Pinterest for more great ideas! https://www.pinterest.com/FunandFrosted/

S’mores Cookie Bars

Now that I have had a S’more’s Cookie Bar, I don’t know how I have survived without them. Life surely just got better! Any type of “cookie bar” is really my favorite kind of dessert. They are easy to make, easy to eat, and the possibilities are endless!

Marshmallow Fluff

We are still in isolation here in Michigan, due to the Coronavirus. Therefore, I stare for hours on end into my pantry. Then I see it- Marshmallow fluff. This has been sitting in my pantry for months and months. I can’t remember why I bought it, I can only imagine I told myself I would need it someday. Well guess what? That day came, I definitely needed it!

I’ll be honest, S’mores are not a “go to” dessert for me. Although delicious, and I won’t turn down a s’more, they aren’t something I have to have. However, I’ve been watching my husband build our fire pit and patio in the backyard this past few weeks and I keep thinking about the fun bonfire’s we will have! Now, I’ve got s’mores on my mind.

Like I said earlier, I really wanted to use the Marshmallow fluffy stuff, so S’mores cookie bars, here we come! They are very easy to whip up and they don’t take that much time. The are delicious, rich with chocolate and marshmallow, but have a great cookie texture. Part S’more and part cookie! You will not be able to stop eating these! These are best eaten warm in my opinion. Stick them in the microwave for a few seconds to heat them up and…yummy!

Here’s What You Need

  • 1 Cup all purpose flour
  • 1 Cup graham cracker crumbs (I used Nabisco, because they are Soy Free!!)
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 stick of unsalted butter (8 Tbsp)
  • 3/4 Cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 7oz. container of marshmallow fluff (or you could substitute for marshamallows – just enought to cover the surface)
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (you can also use chocolate bars) (I used Nestle Toll House Simply Delicious – they are soy free!)

How To Make

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  • Grease a 8″ square pan (If you don’t have baking spray you can use my cake release recipe and it works great!)
  • Crush your graham crackers into crumbs. You can use a food processor or put the crackers in a bag and hit with a mallet, rolling pin or crush with fist)
  • In a small to medium bowl, mix together graham crackers, flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside
  • In a large bowl, use an electric mixer or your stand mixer to mix the butter and sugar
  • Add in the eggs and vanilla, beat until well mixed and scrape the sides of the bowl
  • Slowly add in the flour mixture
  • Divide the dough in two.
  • Press half of the dough into the bottom of your greased pan. You may want to coat a spatula or your hand in flour, so the dough sticks to the pan and not your fingers!
  • Spread the marshmallow fluff onto the dough
  • Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the marshmallow
  • Take the remaining dough and crumble over the top. It doesn’t not need to be even.
  • Bake for 28-20 minutes. Or until the top and the marshmallow turns a golden brown.
  • Enjoy!!!

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Bagels! New York Style

Bagels are one of my weaknesses, true fact. I don’t eat them often, but when I get a craving, I cannot get them out of my mind. So the other day, during “Coronavirus isolation”, was one of those days. I’ve always wanted to make homemade bagels, so I did!

I really wish I had Trader Joe’s, Everything but the Bagel Seasoning, but I didn’t so I made Salt and Plain bagels. We are on “lock down” here in Michigan, so it’s not like I am running out to the store to get a few ingredients here and there. I’m working with what I’ve got!!

If you have never made a bagel in your life, don’t worry you are in good company, I hadn’t either. I am admitting that to be transparent. They turned out great, and I am going to make these again, maybe Cinnamon Sugar bagels this time! I used my stand mixer with the hook attachment, but you can use your hands to knead the dough too!

Ingredients

Bagel

  • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 ¼ cups warm water (1/2 cup + 3/4 cup)
  • 3 ½ Flour – You can use All-purpose or Bread Flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt

Toppers

  • Kosher Salt
  • Cinnamon Sugar
  • Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel Seasoning

Okay Here We Go!

  • Pour the sugar and yeast into 1/2 cup of warm water. Don’t stir, just let it sit for a few minutes.
  • Stir the yeast and sugar together, until it all dissolves in the water.
  • Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl.
  • Pour in the Yeast/Sugar
  • Pour in the remaining warm water. You may need more water – up to 1/4 more if needed.
  • If using your stand mixer, use the hook attachment and let the dough need for 10 minutes. If you are kneading by hand, make sure to flour the counter top and knead for 10 minutes.
  • You want the dough to be firm and smooth with some elasticity.
  • Lightly coat a large bowl with oil and turn the dough to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel.
  • Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size. Punch the dough down, and let it rest for another 10 minutes.
  • Lightly coat a baking sheet with oil
  • Boil a large pot of water
  • Divide the dough into 8 pieces
  • Roll each piece into a ball.
  • Press your finger in the middle of each dough ball to form a hole. Stretch to create a big enough hole.
  • Place the 8 bagels on the cookie sheet and cover with the damp towel, let rise for 10 minutes
  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  • In the large pot of boiling water, gently set each bagel in for 1 minute and then flip the bagel in the water for another minute.
  • Remove from water and place the bagels back on the baking sheet.
  • Now is the time to add your topping. Prepare an egg wash (whisk egg + water) and coat the top of the bagel and then put on the topping.
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown
  • Cool on a wire rack
  • Enjoy!

Whew! We made it! I hope you enjoy your bagels! Subscribe to Fun and Frosted for more ideas!

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Easy Boxed Brownie Ideas

Hey Brownie lovers!! I know I am always looking for a go to dessert for a crowd, for people of all ages. Brownies happen to be that go-to dessert, especially when you are in a pinch! I always use a boxed brownie mix, but sometimes you want to add a little “extra” to doctor them up. Below you will find some ideas to make them a little more special.

I may sound like a broken record with my allergies, but seriously, I cannot eat store bought baked goods! Making brownies from “scratch” or at least from a box, ensures I can have them…Yay! Keep in mind when feeding a bunch of children, you never know what allergies kids might have! Better be safe than sorry!

Betty Crocker’s Fudge Brownie mix is so good. With that, I always use canola oil, to keep them soy free, and the mix is already, soy free, peanut free, and tree nut free. Perfect for me!

The great thing about brownie mix is you can pretty much put anything in it to make it a little more fun. Here is a list of some of the mix-ins and toppings. When in doubt, ask a child what they would want in their brownies and you will get some great ideas!

  • Caramel – for inside and on top!
  • Chocolate Chips
  • White Chocolate Chips
  • Butterscotch Chips
  • Chocolate Syrup
  • Marshmallow fluff or just marshmallows (they will disappear when baked)
  • Cherry pie filling…yup
  • Sprinkles
  • Rice Krispies cereal – for a crunch!
  • Cookie chunks
  • Frosting on top
  • Chocolate Ganache
  • This list could go on!

For this particular batch, I chose to go with caramel inside and out as well as some chocolate chips inside. I used Nestle Tollhouse Simply Delicious chocolate chips. They are made with 3 ingredients: 100% pure chocolate, cocoa butter, and cane sugar. Additionally, they taste delicious and don’t have all of those filler ingredients like soy lecithin!

What You Need

  • 1 Box of Brownie Mix – I used Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie
  • Oil
  • Eggs
  • 3 Tbsp Caramel from a jar (2 for the mix and 1 for the top)
  • 1/4 cup Chocolate Chips

Directions

  • Mix together the brownies according to the box. Usually you don’t even need a hand mixer for this. A whisk will do the trick!
  • Pour in the caramel and swirl it around with a knife
  • Add the chocolate chips on the top
  • Bake according to the directions on the box – 9×13 baking dish at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes should do it
  • Drizzle more caramel on top of the baked brownies
  • Cut with a PLASTIC KNIFE. I cannot stress this enough. You will get a clean cut. Metal knifes pull the brownies and the cut isn’t smooth.

Brownie How To Video

Top with whipped cream or ice cream and more caramel or fudge and you have a winner! Delicious.

I hope I have inspired you to be more creative with your brownies. The best part is they are so easy, and you can call them “homemade”!!

Easy Cherry Pie Bars

Do you ever find yourself needing a quick and easy last minute dessert for a party? These Cherry Pie Bars are the answer. They are easy to make, easy to eat and are so yummy. They are great for ANY occasion. Once I start eating these I honestly have a hard time stopping!!

This is one of those desserts, that if you have these leftover in your refrigerator you keep going in for just one more bite…

Honestly I cannot tell you enough how EASY these are to make. I like a quick and easy dessert, and when I am in a pinch I don’t want to have to give it much thought. This recipe would be fantastic swapping out the Cherry filling with strawberry, blueberry, peach or even lemon filling! I am going to try that next time I go to make this.

I served these Easy Cherry Pie Bars up at our Christmas Party with my friends. They were very festive and were perfect for the holidays! They even went well with my Grapefruit Paloma aka Margarita…

This recipe is a great go-to for anyone who has food allergies to peanuts, tree-nuts and soy. I happen to have all three. This recipe can be found in many variations, but mostly people use almond extract, which is an absolute no for me! I just supplemented with more vanilla!!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1-2 cans cherry pie filling 21 oz. Depending on how much cherry you like!

Glaze Ingredients

  • 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
  • 3-4 tbsp milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  • In your stand mixer cream together butter and sugar
  • Add in eggs and vanilla
  • In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients
  • Add the dry ingredients into the mixture
  • Press the majority of the dough into a greased 9×13 baking dish. You will need about 1 cup of reserve for the top. You can use spray or use this recipe for Cake Pan Release. It’s amazing and soy free! Nothing sticks with this!
  • Spread on the cherry pie filling
  • Take the rest of the dough and drop spoonfuls on the top
  • Bake for 30 minutes. Should be a golden brown on top
  • Cool completely
  • Mix together the glaze ingredients and drizzle on top
  • Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve
  • Warm them up and serve with ice cream, or just eat them by themselves!

Like I said before, you can try different pie fillings to change up this recipe!

I hope you enjoy this recipe and come back for more!!

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Royal Icing

Royal icing can be intimidating, however is actually quite easy to make! We have a family tradition of making Christmas cookies every year, and a sugar cookie is not the same without icing on the top! Growing up we would always just mix together milk, powdered sugar and vanilla, very basic and no real formula to that, yet still delicious! I was looking for something less runny and something you can actually design with! So here with are with the Royal Icing, perfect for sugar cookies!

Now, I definitely always have to level set my expectations when it comes to cookie decorating. I always see these beautifully decorated cookies on Pinterest that are literally perfection…however with two children, ages 5 and 7, that is not going to happen. Even with my leveled expectations I am always a little shocked at the mess. You’ll find icing in places you cannot imagine, and sprinkles everywhere. You may find sprinkles for weeks. However, depending on your patience you can make some pretty awesome cookies and will surprise yourself!

I then remind myself. Take a step back and look around. My kids are having fun, they are being creative and we are together as a family, making holiday traditions. It’s times like these that we cherish and they will remember forever. The mess can always be cleaned up!

Now for the Royal Icing – This is to outline the cookies…

This recipe makes a lot of icing. You can easily frost 40 cookies…

  • 1/2 Cup of Meringue Powder (I used Wilton)
  • 1 Cup of Water; minus 1 Tbsp
  • 2 lbs of powdered sugar (usually its one bag)

Instructions

  • In your stand mixer, put in the Meringue Powder
  • Add in the water, mix until frothy
  • Slowly add in the powdered sugar. Once its all in the bowl, mix on medium for 4-5 minutes. It should form a stiff peak. Once its the right consistency you can separate out into bowls to add the food coloring
  • Put your icing in piping bags! Make sure to put a rubber band around the top so the icing doesn’t come out the wrong end of the bag
  • TIP – When the icing is not in use cover with plastic wrap because it will dry out fast
  • I used Wilton tip #2 and #3 for the outline

Once your cookies are outlined thin it out a bit with water to “flood” the cookies. I would add a tablespoon at a time. To know if your icing is the right consistency to fill in, take a spoon of your icing and let it drip back into the bowl. Count to 15 seconds and if the line goes away at 15 seconds then it is good to go!

Here is the recipes for both the Royal Icing, as well as my Grandmother’s Sugar Cookie recipe from the 1940’s! Yes, a recipe worth holding on to! Something I have cherished my whole life and have passed on to my children!

I hope your kitchen is as messy as mine when you are all done, that’s the sign of a good time 🙂

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Here are some other posts your might enjoy

Perfect Sugar Cookie Recipe from the 1940’s
Easy Buttercream

If you are looking for baking supplies, check out the Prepared Pantry! I just discovered this site and I am very excited for my order to arrive! There are lots of great ingredients you can get as well as baking tools!

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting! Yum!!! I made this frosting recipe to go with the delicious homemade cinnamon rolls I made for Thanksgiving brunch. I have to admit that I do use canned cream cheese frosting from time to time, but there is nothing like homemade frosting!

This Cream Cheese Frosting recipe is really simple, and in all honestly takes less than 10 minutes to make. However, cream cheese can be frustrating to work with. If it’s not at room temperature, it will get CHUNKY. No one wants chunky frosting…

You are going to have to let the cream cheese sit out for at least 30 minutes. You may even need to put it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. You do not want it to melt though so be careful! Also make sure that the butter is room temperature as well.

Cream together the butter and the cream cheese and then add in the vanilla and salt. After that add in the sugar one cup at a time and alternate with one tablespoon of the heavy whipping cream. Easy as that!!!

Tip – If you are putting this on Cinnamon rolls, you probably only need half of this recipe. You can also add in more cream if you want this to be more of a “drizzle”.

Store the frosting in the refrigerator until needed. You can store up to 1 week. I hope you love it as much as I do!

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Cinnamon Rolls
Easy Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cinnamon Buttercream

Buttercream is arguably the best part of a dessert. Lately I have been making a good amount of buttercream frosting, and this is my new favorite. With the holidays right around the corner this is the perfect recipe. To me cinnamon represents all the smells and tastes of the holiday season. I just love it!

This recipe is great for holiday desserts, and sweet breakfast treats too! Can you imagine this on banana bread?! I can, and I am going to make some, just as soon as my banana’s turn ripe enough!

I created this cinnamon buttercream to go with my cinnamon cupcakes for a work party. They turned out so delicious and it was just the right amount of cinnamon. Everyone at the party, adults and kids alike, thought I bought them and that is always the highest compliment!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 6 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 3-4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream or milk

Instructions

  • In your stand mixer (I use my KitchenAid) with the paddle attachment, add the softened butter. If you don’t have enough time to let this softened, you can stick it in the microwave for 15 seconds or so and it should do the trick!
  • Beat butter on medium to high until creamy
  • Add vanilla and salt
  • Gradually add powdered sugar and alternate adding in cream
  • Continue beating for 2-3 minutes on medium
  • Turn to high speed once sugar is incorporated
  • Add in the cinnamon and fully mix it

If frosting is too stiff add in more milk or cream 1 tsp at a time and beat until combined.

Spread on Cake and/or put in piping bags

Enjoy 🙂

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Check out these other great Fun and Frosted recipes

Easy Buttercream
Cinnamon Swirl Cake
Red Velvet Bundt Cakes

Easy Banana Bread

Baking banana bread is usually an afterthought for me. I only think about it when I go to throw away the really ripe, brown bananas. Then I think, what a waste, (light bulb goes off in head) “I should make Banana bread!” It is always so delicious and I always say I need to make this more often. The loaf gets eaten in one day in my house. The kids LOVE it. In addition, if you don’t have time to make banana bread, but you have the perfect ripe bananas; freeze them until you are ready to bake!

Now that you have your mind set on making banana bread, do you have the rest of the ingredients? That is always the question. Lucky for me I always have ingredients on hand. I usually keep a stock of the necessities; Flour, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, baking powder, and baking soda. If you have these on hand at any given time you are usually good for some type of recipe!

Why is Banana Bread so good?

Let’s be honest, banana bread can be eaten at any time of the day. Breakfast = Yes, Lunch = Yes, Dinner = well, maybe, Snack = Yes! Warmed up with butter or honey? Room temp with nothing on it? Count me in! It’s so moist with lots of flavor and not too sweet. Can you tell I love Banana bread? LOL

Here is what you need!

  • 1/2 Cup butter (softened)
  • 1/2 Cup Sugar
  • 1/4 Light brown sugar
  • 2 Large eggs
  • 2 Tsp Vanilla extract
  • 3 Large ripe bananas (mashed)
  • 1 tsp Baking powder
  • 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
  • 2 Cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp Baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp Salt

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
  • Grease a 9×5 loaf pan – You can use my Cake Pan Release recipe instead of spray – It’s amazing! (and soy free!)
  • Using a stand mixer (I love my KitchenAid!) with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugars until combined
  • Add in the eggs and vanilla
  • Add in the mashed banana and stir by hand
  • In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients
  • Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until well combined. Do not over mix
  • If you want to do any add-ins now is the time! Chocolate chips, nuts, more cinnamon?
  • Bake for 45-55 minutes depending on your oven.
  • Let the banana bread cool for a few minutes before transferring to a baking rack
  • And because this is Fun and FROSTED – You can Always add on some buttercream once the bread has cooled…just sayin’!

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! Be sure to check out some of my other great recipes!

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Red Velvet Bundt Cakes
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars