Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

On the 11th was my friend's birthday, so the night before I made this cake for her birthday party. I wanted something easy that I had ingredients for or could easily get ingredients for, and this worked!

I used the same recipe for the cake as I did here except that I only used 2 layers. I still baked it for 30-35 minutes and it worked fine. I also used parchment paper which is a MUST. But everything else for that cake is the same--it's probably my favorite chocolate cake recipe now.

For the cream cheese frosting, I was originally going to make a red velvet cake for her but then the convenience store didn't have red food coloring, but I still stuck with a cream cheese frosting since I had all the ingredients for that. The cream cheese frosting recipe I tried was a new one, posted below. It was really great and I think it complemented the cake nicely...although I didn't eat the cake...so somebody who did get to try it should comment and let me know! It had a stronger cream cheese flavor than my other favorite used with these cupcakes. Ignore the lettering for her name--I didn't have food coloring so I just added some cocoa and was trying to rush so it looks ugly. That doesn't matter, because the taste was all that counted!

Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe from Pinch My Salt

16 oz. cream cheese (2 packages), softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter (one stick), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
pinch of salt

With an electric mixer, blend together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Turn mixer to low speed and blend in powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Turn mixer on high and beat until light and fluffy. Use immediately or refrigerate, covered, until ready to use. If refrigerated, the frosting will need to be brought to room temperature before using (after frosting softens up, beat with mixer until smooth).

Lemon Coconut Bars

I was really scared when making this recipe because I wasn't sure what it was supposed to look like. The color seemed a little uneven when it came out and some of them tasted a little too much like flour, but I don't know if that was all in my head, because these were a hit! I feel like I'd want to change them around a little bit but people really liked them. Very lemony--I'd like a little more coconut flavor, which seemed more prominent when they were just baked other than after being refrigerated, but overall they were good and super easy to make!

Lemon Coconut Bars
Recipe From My Baking Addiction

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
3/4 cup cold butter or margarine
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In a bowl, combine flour and confectioners’ sugar; cut in the butter until crumbly (I used my food processor and pulsed the ingredients until thoroughly combined).

Press into the bottom of a lightly greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and baking powder until well mixed. Pour over crust; sprinkle coconut evenly over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.