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THE SEMISWEET SISTERS

Two sisters who love to bake...

Strawberry Coffee Cake Recipe

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Strawberry Coffee Cake Recipe

The best Strawberry Coffee Cake Recipe

I  made a double batch of strawberry freezer jam last week and ran out of the strawberries that we had picked. Today I was at the farmers market and they had the best looking strawberries, so I bought a bunch more……….now what am I supposed to do with all these?? Make STRAWBERRY COFFEE CAKE of course.

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The Topping: Now that I have figured out that the food processor does a much better job and is so much easier, I rarely use a pastry blender. See pictures below.

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Strawberry Coffee Cake
 
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Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 1 cup flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons of melted butter
  • 2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
  • Topping:
  • ½ cup flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup cold butter
Instructions
  1. preheat oven to 375
  2. in small mixing bowl stir flour, sugar, baking powder and salt
  3. in another medium bowl add egg, milk, melted butter, vanilla and stir until blended
  4. add the dry ingredients to the medium sized bowl
  5. stir until moist
  6. pour mixture into greased 8 inch square pan or round cake pan
  7. place sliced strawberries over the mixture
  8. Topping:
  9. if you have a food processor, then add flour, sugar, and cold butter to processor and mix until well blended and crumbly
  10. sprinkle mixture over the strawberries
  11. IF YOU DON'T HAVE A FOOD PROCESSOR USE A PASTRY BLENDER TO MIX THE TOPPING
  12. bake at 375 for 30-35 min.

Another strawberry recipe you might like:
Moist Strawberry Swirl Bread.
Strawberry Swirl Bread

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How to Make Bacon in the Oven

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How to Make Bacon in the Oven

How to Make Bacon in the Oven

I’ve just come to the conclusion that cooking bacon in the oven is the best method ever (especially when your cooking larger quantities of bacon). For Easter I needed to cook up a couple pounds of bacon for two casseroles I was making. Now don’t get me wrong I love bacon but I don’t love frying it up. Every time I make it the bacon grease always seems to splatter everywhere burning my hands & making a total mess. Needless to say, I was not looking forward to frying up 2 lbs of bacon but I looked down at the package of bacon in my hands & saw it actually had three different methods listed for cooking it: microwave, oven, or pan fry. I’d never heard of making it in the oven before so I thought I would give it a shot.

Easy Oven Baked Bacon

After cooking bacon in the oven I thought, “Why have I not tried this sooner?!”  The bacon turned out better than I’ve ever made it, it was so easy & the clean up was so easy. You don’t even have to flip the bacon over, it comes out perfectly cooked on both sides! Clean up was a snap, I just took the aluminum foil out of the pan when it was cool & tossed it in the trash.

To cook the bacon in the oven you just need to line a shallow baking pan with aluminum foil (the foil makes for an easy clean-up).  Place the bacon in a single layer & place in the oven. I put two pans of bacon in the oven since it didn’t all fit on one & I only had one rimmed baking sheet so for the second pan I used my metal 9×13″ pan.  Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes or until desired crispness in reached (No turning is necessary). I cooked my bacon for 25 minutes because I wanted it extra crispy. Remove from oven & drain bacon on paper towels to remove excess grease. Enjoy!

Oven Baked Bacon
 
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Recipe type: Breakfast
Ingredients
  • 1-2 lbs. of bacon
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Line a shallow rimmed cookie sheet or 9x13" pan with aluminum foil (the pan has to have a rim to catch the grease).
  3. Place bacon in a single layer on top of the aluminum foil.
  4. Cook in oven for 15-20 minutes depending on how crispy you want your bacon & how thick your bacon is. (If you want it extra crispy you will need to leave it in longer).
  5. No turning is necessary.
  6. Remove from oven & using tongs place strips of bacon on a plate lined with paper towels so the bacon grease can drain.

Tip: If your not eating the bacon right away you can store the cooked bacon in a plastic bag in the frig for up to 5 days.

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Oven Baked Vanilla Cake Donuts

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A light, moist cake donut baked in the oven, glazed, & topped with sprinkles.

Oven Baked Sour Cream Cake Donut Recipe

I’m obsessed with donut recipes right now thanks to my sister who bought me a Wilton Donut Pan for my birthday. I didn’t ask for one but I guess she knew I’d had my eye on one for awhile.  When it comes to donuts I think that cake donuts are one of the best. Yes, I’d have to say my top three favorites are cake donuts, sour cream donuts, & crullers.  I think I love this recipe so much because it’s a cake donut but it’s also got sour cream in it so it’s like eating 2 out of 3 of my favorite donuts in one bite. For my first batch I made 3 glazed & 3 coated with cinnamon and sugar. And after making those a few times I decided to venture out and make some with frosting & sprinkles because I love using sprinkles any chance I get.

Oven Baked Sour Cream Cake Donut Recipe

This recipe makes anywhere from 6-9 donuts depending on how high you fill the donut pan. I’ve made it a few times filling all 6 donut cavities to the top & it makes 6 big donuts but the hole in the middle kind of closes up so now I usually make 8-9 smaller donuts.  If you don’t own a donut pan you can make your own using a muffin pan instead if you roll up aluminum foil into balls and place them in the middle of each muffin hole. To create the hole just pour the batter around the aluminum foil balls.

baked cake donuts

I like to use a small spoon to scoop the batter into the donut pan but you can also use a piping bag or make your own using a ziploc bag & cutting a bottom corner to pour the batter into the pan.

baked cake donuts (wilton donut pan)

The tops will be a very light golden brown when they are done and they will be springy to the touch. If you have trouble removing them from the pan try using a rubber spatula.

oven baked cake donut recipe

The bottom side of the donuts will be a nice dark golden brown color.

Oven Baked Cake Donuts
 
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Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 6-9
Ingredients
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil (I used soybean oil)
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
  • For Glaze:
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted
  • 1-3 tablespoons milk
  • food coloring & sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease donut pan with oil or cooking spray.
  2. Whisk together the sour cream, egg, vanilla, oil, & sugar in a bowl.
  3. Add flour, soda, salt, & nutmeg & stir together until well combined.
  4. Fill donut pan with batter & bake for 12-16 minutes or until the top is springy to the touch & the sides are turning golden brown. Remove from oven & let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.
  5. For the Glaze: In a bowl, combine powdered sugar, vanilla, melted butter, & stir in 1 tablespoon of milk, adding additional milk as needed to achieve the correct consistency. You want it thin enough to be spreadable but thick enough that it won't drip down the sides of the donuts. Add food coloring if desired. Dip one side of the donut into the glaze bowl to coat with glaze or use a knife to spread the glaze on top.

Source: adapted from Curly Girl Kitchen.

(This post contains an Amazon affiliate link. I included this link to help you find the specific product I used. If you purchase the item from the link we receive a small commission.)

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Sour Cream Coffee Cake

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A sour cream coffee cake recipe that is super moist with a layer of cinnamon & sugar in the middle & topped with cinnamon & sugar.

Sour cream Coffee cake Recipe

Sour cream is quickly becoming one of my favorite ingredients to add to baked goods. So many of my favorite recipes have sour cream in them. For example: this coffee cake recipe, banana bread, pancakes, cupcakes, biscuits, sugar cookies, & I’m sure there are more but I can’t think of them at the moment.  This is the recipe that started my love for sour cream in baked goods. I’ve been making this coffee cake now for over 10 years & it is still one of my favorite coffee cake recipes.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe

The recipe listed below makes a 9×13 inch pan so I usually only make half a recipe & use an 8×8 inch pan since I am not baking for very many people. This recipe can be made the night before & stored in the refrigerator over night so you can just pop it in the oven in the morning. Another nice thing about this recipe is that you can make it in a bundt pan instead of a 9×13 pan if you want to.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
 
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Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 12-16
Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 8-oz. (1 cup) carton sour cream
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • Topping:
  • 6 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 4 Tablespoons white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup chopped nuts (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan & set aside.
  2. Using an electric mixer cream together the butter & sugar in a large bowl. Add the eggs, sour cream, & vanilla, beat for 30 seconds.
  3. In a medium bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, salt, & baking soda together. Add flour mixture to the large bowl with the liquid ingredients. Beat with mixer for 2 minutes or until well combined.
  4. Topping: In a small bowl stir the brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, & nuts (optional) together.
  5. Pour half the batter into the greased baking pan (I use the back of a spoon to spread it out so it's all laying evenly). Using a spoon sprinkle half the topping over the batter in the pan. Pour the remaining batter into the pan, using a spoon to spread it out gently over the topping. Sprinkle remaining topping over it.
  6. Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean after being inserted into the center. Cool a few minutes before serving.

 

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French Toast Casserole

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French Toast Casserole

This recipe came from my friend Jody. We were in a mom’s group called MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) together and we would meet twice a month and everyone took turns bringing in brunch food to share.  Jody brought this and EVERYONE asked her for the recipe, including myself. It’s great to make the night before and then just pop in the oven in the morning. I am also not a nut person, except of an occasional piece of pecan pie but I love this recipe even with the nuts.

French Toast Casserole

You can serve with maple syrup, but it’s not really needed.

 

French Toast Casserole
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Brunch
Ingredients
  • 1 loaf of French or Italian bread torn/cut into 1 in pieces
  • 1 tablespoon soft butter
  • 8 eggs
  • 2½ cups whole milk
  • 1½ cups heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • Topping:
  • 8 tablespoons butter
  • 1⅓ cups packed brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 2 cups chopped pecans
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 325
  2. spread bread out over 2 baking sheets and bake until dry and light golden brown, about 20 min.
  3. coat 9x13 baking dish with butter and pack the bread into the dish.
  4. whisk eggs in a large bowl
  5. then whisk in milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg
  6. pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread
  7. press bread to submerge
  8. Topping:
  9. stir the butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup together until smooth
  10. stir in pecans
  11. Stored:
  12. put the topping in an air tight container
  13. cover bread and egg mixture with plastic wrap
  14. refrigerate both for 7 or more hours. No more than 24.
  15. Cook:
  16. Preheat oven to 350
  17. unwrap casserole and sprinkle the topping over the top evenly
  18. place casserole on a rimmed baking sheet and place on middle rack of oven
  19. bake until puffed and golden about 60 min.
  20. serve immediately

 

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Cheesy Potato Casserole

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Cheesy Potato Casserole made with hashbrowns

Cheesy Potato Casserole

This is another recipe that I got from my moms group MOPS (mothers of preschoolers). We always took turns bringing brunch food in for our meeting and this was a staple food at every meeting. Then I started hosting Thanksgiving for 50 people and the first year that I made a double batch of this the pans were scrapped empty, but there were so many mashed potatoes left. Now I don’t even bother with mashed potatoes during the holidays because everyone likes this better. It’s better for me too because I hate peeling potatoes!

Cheesy Potato Casserole

Make sure you buy the shredded frozen potatoes, not the cubes ones. They don’t turn out as well and take longer to cook.

Cheesy Potato Casserole

Cheesy Potatoes
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Brunch
Ingredients
  • 1 package frozen hash brown/shredded potatoes (THAWED)
  • ¼ cup melted butter
  • 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
  • 1 8oz container sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes OR ¼ cup chopped onion
  • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • pepper to taste
  • Optional Topping:
  • 2 cups crushed cornflakes
  • ¼ cup melted butter
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. In large bowl mix hash browns, butter, can of soup, sour cream, onions, cheese, and pepper.
  3. Put mixture in 9x13 baking dish
  4. Optional Topping:
  5. In medium saucepan over medium heat, saute cornflakes and ¼ cup butter.
  6. Sprinkle over casserole.
  7. Bake covered for 45 min.

 

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