New kitchen = lots of baking

And lots of baking equals added pounds on the scale, therefore a new kitchen equals added pounds so stay away from new kitchens! (Does anyone recognize the transitive property from geometry? I think I was one of the few kids in high school who actually liked geometry.)

This week I made The Pioneer Woman's Tres Leches Cake, which everyone loved though I found it not my fave due to its lack of chocolate. Sorry, just can't get past a chocolate-free dessert (unless it's a macaroon). Here's how my Tres Leches Cake went and yes, it wasn't quite as pretty as The Pioneer Woman's but it was yummy! You can find the original recipe here.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.


Separate five eggs, yolks in the mixer, whites to the side. Can you tell I had some issues separating those eggs? If you look closely you'll even see an eggshell hidden among the whites.


Whip the egg yolks with some sugar until they're a beautiful pale yellow. (By the way, that's the only kind of yellow I can wear.)


Gently add milk and vanilla to the mix then combine it with the flour mixture.


Wash your mixing bowl and then add the egg whites, or in my case, egg sort-of-whites and whip until stiff peaks form, then add the remaining sugar. In my case that never happened. Perhaps too much yolk? So I let it whip for minutes on end and finally gave up and gently combined it with the yolk/flour mixture.


Pour the batter into a generously greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for about 35 minutes. Mine took only about 30 so check it as you go.


Flip the cake onto a platter and let cool completely. (Note to self: find a really cute rectangular platter; it looks much better than a cookie sheet.)


In a pitcher combine sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and a little cream. Poke holes in the cake with a fork and pour all but 1 cup of the milk mixture over the cake letting it soak in as you go. (I agree with Ree, all of the milk mix would've been too much.)


Chill the mixing bowl and then beat the cream and sugar until thick and spreadable. I actually added another tablespoon of Splenda and a teaspoon of vanilla. I thought it tasted a bit better that way!


Spread over the top and sides of the cake. (Yes, Quinn, my photo is a bit too "warm." Still figuring that out!)


Decorate with whole or chopped maraschino cherries and serve. Yum!


And if that wasn't enough, the draw of my new kitchen had me baking these:


These homemade Oreos are not even going to last 24 hours. Here's the recipe because I know you're dying to make them now too!

Homemade Oreos
* I double this so we can give a plate to the neighbors!
1 chocolate fudge cake mix
2 eggs
2 T water
2 T oil
1/4 cup baking cocoa

1 can whipped vanilla frosting

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix until well blended. (This is pretty thick so I'd use a stand mixer or hand mixer for sure.) Form into balls and place on a cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a glass press down on the dough to flatten the cookies a bit before baking. Bake at 350 for about 8 or 9 minutes or until set. Let cool 2 minutes on the cookie sheet and remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cool spread about a tablespoon or so of the frosting on the bottom of one cookie and then place the bottom of another cookie on top of the side you just frosted. Voila! Homemade Oreo cookies!

You can also find a recipe for the filling online but I didn't have the time to make that from scratch. The whipped vanilla frosting works well in a pinch! --Emily

"I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert." ~Jason Love