Monday, December 1, 2008

Moving In, and a Delicious Cake Glaze

We arrived at our new apartment safe and sound on Friday night. Since then we've been working hard at unpacking boxes and trying to fit everything into our very small apartment. I was pretty nearly devastated when I saw the kitchen:


It's TINY!!! If I open the dishwasher and the oven at the same time, it takes up the entire kitchen! But I will still try to create inexpensive masterpieces here, because it's in my nature to do so. The lighting is awful, and there's no counter space or drawer space or cupboard space, but I'll just have to do my best.


Since I've been busy with unpacking and such, I haven't really been cooking or baking anything lately. So here's a recipe I've been planning to put up for a while - the delicious glaze that I used for my birthday cake. I turned the big 25 on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and am only just getting around to posting this. But that's okay, because I don't have anything else to post - the only thing I've been doing in my new hole in the wall kitchen lately is unpack.

This delicious glaze (based on this recipe) includes only four ingredients. It was fast and easy, and so creamy and yummy! It was perfect for my birthday cake - a simple chocolate cake mix baked in a bundt pan.


Chocolate Butterscotch Glaze for Bundt Cakes
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sweetened condensed milk and chips. Cook, stirring constantly, until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Do not allow it to bubble. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla. Cool slightly before drizzling over a cake. If you want to make this ahead, it can be cooled and reheated in the microwave.

You can substitute other flavored chips for the butterscotch - peanut butter, cherry, or cinnamon would be delicious too!

We ate the cake topped with whipped cream, and an extra spoonful of glaze. Yum.....

13 comments:

Unknown said...

Happy belated birthday! Hope it was a great one...and that your Thanksgiving was wonderful as well. Some of the fondest memories are made in tiny spaces :o) so I hope that you'll create many more masterpieces, but even better memories to go along with them! Be well and be blessed!

Barbara Bakes said...

Happy Birthday. 25 seems like a long time ago. Your cake looks delicious! I wish you all the best in your new home!

Teryn said...

Would you believe you may actually have about 3x the counter space that I have in my kitchen? Perhaps you can do a post on cooking in mini kitchens.

That cake looks fantastic by the way. Happy B-day!

Tina Butler said...

Happy Belated Birthday Stephanie. Dont worry you will make that kitchen work for ya girl. I remember a tiny kitchen and i have my fondest memories in that kitchen. The cake is awesome and I have to make that frosting I love butterscotch.

Bridget said...

Happy birthday!!! 25...wow...you are still a baby! :)

Your cake looks beautiful. I know you'll make that kitchen work!

Meg said...

Glad you got there safely! Happy Birthday! That glaze looks amazing!

LisAway said...

Wow. I really admire your attitude. After your "near devastation" you move right on to, "I'll just have to do the best I can!" Bravo to you!

That cake looks heavenly. (Too bad there are no butterscotch chips in Poland!

Anonymous said...

Glad your move is done, and belated happy birthday!

It's annoying when people throw together a kitchen with no consideration for the cook who has to use it. But you'd be surprised what you can do in a tiny kitchen. Before we remodelled it, ours was a 3-burner stove, a sink, and a fridge. The worktop was the top of the fridge. Yet I used to cook for up to 10 people in there! Our new "large" kitchen has about as much space as yours, but it's open-plan, which at least means it's easier to move about. You may need to be creative and use space outside the kitchen for food preparation!

Shelby said...

I just realized your around the same ages as my own children! Hope your birthday was great - and that frosting looks awesome!

Anonymous said...

OMG! I can almost taste it! That sounds fabulous!! I can't wait to try it.

Mrs. B, a very peculiar person said...

Just found your blog through a line on Heart 4 My Home's blog. Happy belated Birthday!! The big 25, huh?...just wait until you're pushing 50!!

This icing recipe sounds terrific!

Mrs. B

Jacqueline Meldrum said...

Happy birthday! You made one gorgeous looking cake. I bet it was well received! That sauce sounds just sinful, lovely!

Stefanie said...

As crazy as it sounds I have an even small kitchen! I don't even have a full size stove/oven! Love reading about how you make it work! Us 20-some Stefanies' have to "make it work!"