Strawberry Shortcake

{image via Country Living}

Soo!! Guess what?! It's official. I'm headed to San Fran. Yay! Jay-R and just booked our flights earlier this evening. Now I can really start planning where to go, what to see and what to eat. According to Jenn, San Fran is known for their strawberries. I'm not a huge strawberry fan (I think when I was younger I ate too many and got sick of them!), but I do love Strawberry Shortcake or strawberry-infused dessert of any kind–just as long there's not too many of them.

{image via litton's}

{image via open salon}

{image via flickr}

Droolworthy Red Velvet

Wohoo! So excited when Bakerella posted her amazing recipe for "Red Velvet Cake"! I've tried using a few recipes (Sprinkles from a can and a homemade one) and they've tasted good, but not great. I'm hoping this recipe is THE ONE. Thanks Bakerella!! Here's the delicious recipe (and some pretty tempting pictures to add to it):

RED VELVET

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 oz. red food coloring

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans.
• Lightly stir eggs in a medium bowl with a wire whisk. Add remaining liquid ingredients and stir together with whisk until blended. Set aside.
• Place all the dry ingredients in your mixing bowl and stir together really good with another wire whisk.
• Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on medium-high for about a minute or until completely combined.
• Pour into cake pans and then drop the pans on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
• Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• After about ten minutes, remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack. I also cover in plastic wrap while the cakes cool.
• Then make the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 cups confectioners’ sugar

• Sift sugar and set aside.
• Beat cream cheese and butter on high until creamy. Add vanilla.
• Then, add the sugar in batches. Scrape down the sides in between each addition.
• And frost away.

Bakerella–You're My Baking Idol

I don't know how she does it, but Bakerella is officially my BAKING IDOL (hehe, hence my title post!). She makes baking look fun and easy. I remember when I first read about her cake pops (which are cake-shaped lollipops btw) I almost, the key word is almost, attempted to make them. Buttt, I just got too busy. This year, I'm hoping (*fingers crossed*) that I can make these Easter Cake Pops. They're freaking cute. The question is, do they taste as good as they look?