Written by Jaiden Arada, Converge multimedia journalism intern and Senior at Cherokee Bluff High School
Having a sweet tooth is one of the best things in life! Enjoying the sweetness in desserts and baked goods is a wonderful thing and can even brighten your mood. In my opinion, desserts usually taste better when you make them yourself. Here are some of my favorite sweet treat recipes to make from home.
Patrick Star Cake
Character cakes can look difficult in videos made by professionals, but with a little improvisation, it can be simpler than seen. My friend and I made a cake to look like Patrick Star from the kid’s cartoon Spongebob Squarepants. We both love baking so we decided to try something new.
We baked the Classic Yellow cake mix from Duncan Hines and dyed it a peach color. We then put the batter into a round container and baked it at 350°F. Then when it was ready, we cut the cake in the shape of a star. After that, we used Wilton’s Decorating Icing Pouches to frost the green pants onto the star. Finally, we used sprinkles as extra decorative pieces and the Patrick Star cake was finished.
Healthy Energy Balls
Another one of my favorite recipe is no-bake and has a healthier twist without sacrificing sweetness. I added these because they hold a special place in my heart. My mom makes them and she calls them energy balls. The ingredients include oats, peanut butter, honey and chocolate chips. Click here to see the recipe that we use, from He and She Eat Clean’s blog.
You will need 1 cup of oats, 1⁄4 cup of peanut butter, 3 tablespoons of honey and 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips. Mix these ingredients together and form them into balls with your hands. Keep them in the fridge so they will maintain their shape and you’re done!
Chocolate Chip Cookies
You can never go wrong with a classic chocolate chip cookie. My favorite are the Nestle Tollhouse mini cookies that come already made. You simply set the oven to 350°F and bake them for about ten minutes. They are crispy on the edges and gooey towards the middle. My brother and I used to bake these with my babysitter and they were our favorite after-school treat. That one isn’t really a recipe, but it’s the thought that counts.
Chocolate Delight
In my household, you cannot have Thanksgiving without Chocolate Delight. The layered dessert is essential during the holiday time. My aunt makes it and I associate the good memory with her. Click here to see our favorite Chocolate Delight recipe, from the Kim’s Cravings blog.
Fourteen-Layer Vanilla Cake
My last recipe is my favorite but it requires the most work. It is a fourteen-layer vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. Start by making two boxes of Duncan Hines Butter Golden cake mix. To make an individual layer, you put about 1⁄2 cup into circular pie tins. They get cooked for about 4 minutes and then they are taken out to cool off, we usually cook multiple at a time.
While the different layers are cooking, we start on the frosting. The recipe we use calls for 3 cups of sugar, 6 tablespoons of cocoa powder, two sticks of butter and 1 can of evaporated milk. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn off the heat and stir for two minutes. Let it cool enough to apply to the cake. Finally, assemble the layers and put 1⁄4 cup of frosting in between layers. Let it cool and then it’s ready to serve!
