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My son loves cake and icing as much as I do. I’m thankful for that since my daughter and husband don’t share that love! So, I am happy to make cupcakes for his birthday parties. He likes to have both vanilla and chocolate. I can whip them up for a fraction of a cost from the bakery and thanks to some tips I’ve gotten from others and learned on my own, they usually are fresher and taste better than a bakery!

Even better, none of my tips require you to be a professional, highly-skilled baker. I certainly am not. They also don’t require lots of kitchen equipment or weird ingredients. With just a few tweaks, you can turn a boxed caked mix into scrumptious cupcakes!

Doctor up a cake mix.
A few years ago, my baker friend, Kayla, shared with me her tip for making delicious cakes and cupcakes. I told you about her with her pillowy soft yeast rolls that make me swoon. This cupcake recipe has been in my life even long and I swear by it! You can use it for cakes or cupcakes. I’ve done both and had excellent results with both.

Instead of baking from scratch, start with a cake mix. It actually saves money and makes your life easier. (Another tip from Kayla!) Dump out a regular cake mix into your mixing bowl. (I use my beloved stand mixer, who I’ve named!) Add in 4 eggs, 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup of vegetable oil and one small pudding mix that matches the cake. Stir until combined and then stir vigorously by hand or on medium with your mixer for 2 minutes.

Reduce the bake time. My great-aunt shared a tip years ago to never bake a cake or brownies as long as the directions say to. She definitely knew her stuff! Of course you don’t want raw batter, but taking your cupcakes or cake out 2-5 minutes earlier than the box says is usually perfect. Check on your cupcakes to see if they are done enough and if not leave them in for 2 more minutes then check again. I check mine by using inserting a toothpick into the middle of a couple of them. If the toothpick comes back clean or with crumbs, the cupcakes are finished. If it comes back with wet batter, they are not finished.

Fill all tins the same. In order for all 12 of your cupcakes to need the same bake time, they need to be the same size. I usually fill my cupcake tins about 3/4 full, which is a little more than the box mixes say because I usually get 22-23 cupcakes from a box mix instead of 24. No matter how much you fill them, though, make sure they are all pretty equal. You could totally measure the batter for even better accuracy, but I totally just do it by eye.

I bake out my cupcakes my Rachael Ray muffin tin because it really is so awesome. I have realized that it’s time for me to invest in a second muffin tin for making so many cupcakes because it would make my life a bit easier. If I’m making a cake, I reach for my Rachael Ray 9×13 cake pan, which nothing sticks to!

Use cupcake liners. You can totally bake cupcakes without liners, but I like them for a couple of reasons. The first is they are easier to handle for decorating. The liners also make them easier to distribute when it’s time to serve. And the second reason leads us to the next tip…

Remove the cupcakes from the pans immediately. If you use liners, then you can remove cupcakes from the pans immediately. Then the hot pan doesn’t keep cooking them. (It is also good if you are baking more cupcakes because you can move on quicker to the next batch!) I use a butter knife to gently pop the cupcake up and transport it to a cooling rack or wax paper to start cooling. Sometimes I use a couple of fingers to hold it steady on the knife, and sometimes I wear an oven mitt to do so. I’ve found my fingers are easiest and I really don’t get burnt, but do whatever you’re comfortable with.

Store them well. Because of time constraints, most often I bake cupcakes the day before the party when we need them. As long as they are stored out of the air they are just as moist and fresh the next day — if not more so! My current favorite solution is the large, disposable roasting pans. They fit 24 cupcakes each and usually come with plastic lids. I love these also for easy transport to the party.

Looking for an icing recipe? Be sure to check out my recipe for quick, easy and oh-so-delicious buttercream. With just a few basic ingredients and a mixer (handheld or stand), you can whip up this delectable icing in just minutes!

Easy to make yet so delicious!

Affiliate links are used in this post. If you make a qualifying purchase via my link, I receive a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products and services I use and love. It helps support my blog, so thank you for your support! Read my full disclosure here.

This lemon squares recipe is one of my favorite things to make and take places. They sound complicated and taste so yummy, but they couldn’t be easier. I’ve taken them to numerous carry-in dinners and friends’ houses.

Every October, I make a batch of these lemon squares for my father-in-law’s birthday because he loves them. Even better, they don’t require a single lemon or lemon zest, so the ingredients are easy to always have on hand. The batter itself only takes three ingredients. That’s it!

I found this recipe years ago in one of my favorite cookbooks, “101 Things to do with a cake mix” by Stephanie Ashcraft. I have the sequel cookbook as well. Both are loaded with lots of yummy and super easy recipes that I love!

Literally all you do is mix together the cake mix, two eggs and 1/3-cup of oil in a bowl. I use my trusty stand mixer many times just because it makes my life easier in so many ways, but I have also mixed this by hand many times. The mixture will be thick and a bit stiff.

After it is mixed well, you spread the lemon square dough into a 9×13 pan that’s been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. I use a spatula to spread pretty well. Then many times, I use my clean hands to pat it into place so that it is even throughout the pan.

And, of course, I use my beloved Rachael Ray cake pan. I really love her non-stick bakeware line. It is my absolute favorite because nothing sticks to it! I got it as a gift and have since give it to a gift for both my mom and mother-in-law.

Bake it for 13 to 15 minutes until the lemon squares are slightly golden on top. Here is what mine looked like fresh from the oven:

Once it has cooled for 10 minutes or so, sprinkle with some powdered sugar.

All that’s left is to cut, serve and enjoy delicious lemon squares!

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These toffee cookies are the perfect mix of chewy and crunchy!

Affiliate links are used in this post, if you make a qualifying purchase via my link, I receive a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products and services I use and love. It helps support my blog, so thank you for your support! Read my full disclosure here.

A good 15 years ago, I first came across a recipe for toffee cookies. I tried making them. They were sticky and chewy, yet crunchy. While I felt like they were pretty good, a few of my family members fell in love. I’ve tweaked the original recipe a bit to make them even better.

Each Christmas these toffee cookies are on my baking list. They aren’t optional. In fact, I think if I showed up to my mother-in-law’s house on Christmas Day without them, I’d not be allowed in! (OK. I would totally be allowed in because my in-laws are really nice people, but they would definitely ask where the toffee cookies are!)

In all of my years of cookie making, these really are the most unique I’ve made. I don’t make another cookie at all like them. I have so many recipes that have different flavors, yet are similar or expected. These toffee cookies are unique, and they are a addictive. Listen, I don’t usually think desserts are worth eating if they don’t have chocolate in them, and even I can happily munch away on them. The good news is that they are not difficult to make!

It all starts with mixing the flour, baking soda and salt together in a bowl then setting it aside. In your main mixing bowl (or the bowl of  your stand mixer, if you’re going to use it), mix up the butter or margarine with the sugars and vanilla. I’m going to stop right here and tell you the state of the butter or margarine is crucial in this recipe. If it is softened, the cookies won’t be as chewy. But, if it is slightly melted, then they are the perfect consistency — chewy, yet crunchy. I heat my stick margarine for 1 minute at 30 percent power in my microwave to get it to this state:

After you mix together the butter or margarine, sugars and vanilla, add in the eggs. When it’s beaten together, the mixture will be thin and runny.

Gradually stir in the mix of flour, baking soda and salt. If you’re using your stand mixer like I do, make sure you mix it in slowly or else you’ll end up with flour all over everything, which is just plain annoying! Once it’s all mixed up, it will be thickened.

The final step is to stir in the toffee chips. I use 12 ounces, which is a bag and a half of Heath Bits O’ Brickle toffee bits. I totally estimate the half bag, but you could definitely measure it out. Also, be sure to look for the plain toffee bits and not the milk chocolate covered ones. The milk chocolate ones are good, but this recipe does best with the plain toffee bits.

All that’s left to do is freeze it or bake it. I store it in zip-top bags for freezing and lay them flat. This dough freezes and thaws well. For baking these sticky treats, though, be sure to either spray your cookie sheets with non-stick cooking spray or use parchment paper. I discovered the joy of parchment paper a few years ago, as I told you last week in my tips for Christmas crunch time, and I highly suggest it for these cookies, especially. 

After baking at 350-degrees for 9 to 11 minutes, let the cookies cool for 1 to 2 minutes on the cookie sheet and then remove them to wire racks to finish cooling. The wire rack helps add the extra crunch to the cookie. You can just see the shine of the gooey, sticky toffee on the cookies as they’re cooling.

Arrange them on a cookie platter or put them in a zip-top bag and enjoy! The best thing about these cookies is that they are hearty. Of all the cookies I make, these have the longest shelf life and really do taste good for at least a week as long as they are stored covered. 

Affiliate links are used in this post. If you make a qualifying purchase via my link, I receive a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products and services I use and love. It helps support my blog, so thank you for your support! Read my full disclosure here.

When my husband and I got married 19 years ago, we got two slow cookers. One came in a carrying case. The other was stainless and could double as a deep fryer. I kept both. I didn’t use either one for many years.

A few years ago, I got out the stainless one and used it a few times to make cheese dip. Once I tried making a pasta dish that turned out so horribly we ate frozen pizza. Then four years ago, I came across a recipe for potato soup and decided to give it a try. It was a hit with my family and quickly became my daughter’s favorite thing I make. 

Last fall, we moved and since we had to put all of our belongings in storage for six months, I decided to get rid of my stainless slow cooker. It was OK, but it was hot to touch on the outside, didn’t have a removable bowl and was hard to clean. I knew I had the other one in the attic that had a carrying case, so I wasn’t worried. 

Fast forward to two weeks ago. I decided to get out the slow cooker that had been moved into the cabinets of my new kitchen. I was going to make nacho grande soup (another favorite) and make sure it worked well. I had also signed up to take potato soup into a carry-in at church later in the month. I opened the box (for the first time in 19 years, mind you!). I pulled it out and found that it was a slow cooker, but it was quite small. Ack! It fit my nacho grande soup, but I knew it wouldn’t be big enough for the potato soup.

So I went on a mission to find a new slow cooker. I didn’t want to spend a huge amount of money because I don’t use my slow cooker a huge amount. I just knew I wanted the interior bowl to be removable for easier cleaning, have a strap for easy travel and maybe be red to match my beloved stand mixer. I opted for a 6-quart oval Crock Pot brand slow cooker.

This past weekend, I did indeed use it to make potato soup for the church carry-in and found that this one would actually fit a double-batch of this soup. While a double-batch would be way too much for my family of four (we have some leftovers with a single-batch), doubling up would be easy enough for large gatherings.

I’m loving my new slow cooker. And I love this potato soup recipe. It really is my favorite of all-time. It is simple, it is easy and it is so yummy. Its ingredients are easy on the pocketbook and without using heavy cream, it’s relatively low-fat as well. It’s ideal for busy nights this fall!

It starts with frozen hash browns — and that means no peeling potatoes for hours on end. Open the bag, and dump them in! I usually get the southern style, which are little square cubes.

Next, you add in 28 ounces of chicken broth, which you can get in two 14-ounce cans or measure out 3-1/2 cups from a box of chicken broth. I usually use low sodium, but I’ve also used regular chicken broth. It tastes fine both ways. Along with the chicken broth, add in a can of cream of potato soup. If your grocery store is out of it, you can substitute cream of chicken soup with no issue. Top it off with some black pepper and stir.

Cook it on low for five hours. At around hour four, soften the cream cheese. I usually get it to the point of being almost creamy. Stir it into the soup and continue to cook on low for another 45 minutes to an hour. Serve it up topped with shredded cheese and bacon bits. We love to have a total carb fest and eat it with french bread!I’ve served six adults and two small children with this recipe before. If you need much more, I do think it would double well with a large enough slow cooker. If you do have leftovers, just store them in the fridge. This soup reheats incredibly well. My daughter always wants to have leftovers so she can take it for her lunch. My mom has frozen it before with good luck, but I’ve never had enough left that my daughter would let me think of doing that!