Cinnamon Roll Cake----DELICIOUS!!!

I can't remember how I came across this recipe recently, but I tried it out last night and

oh.

my.

gosh!!

SO good! You HAVE to try it!! Not even hard to make either!!

(It's probably so good because of all that butter!!)

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Cake:

3 cups flour

¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ cups milk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup (1 stick) real butter, melted

Topping:
1 cup (2 sticks) real butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped pecans, (optional) (always measure the nuts first then chop them)

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1. In an electric or stand mixer mix the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs and vanilla. Once combined well, slowly stir in the 1/2 cup melted butter. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix the 2 sticks of softened butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and pecans until well combined. Drop evenly over cake batter by the tablespoonfuls and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center. You want to make sure it's done. I like most things underdone but cake is not one of them.
4. Place powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle over warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

 

Let me know if you try it!!

8/27/11 Stephanie In Portland!

 This post is only a little over a month behind! I'm getting closer! haha. 

The end of August, my cousin Stephanie came to Portland! Her close friend (also a girl I know and would consider a friend too; she's from HB too) was getting married! So she stayed with me and I went with her to the wedding. It was SO fun to have someone from my family here, and to just hang out with Steph! We were really close growing up; our dads are brothers and my dad and I even lived with her family for a while between my parent's divorce and him meeting Linda and getting married. Steph and her family lived in Westminster and we lived in Corona. But my dad worked in HB so every so often, he would bring Steph and her sister Sandra home for the weekend as a surprise! I'm right between Steph and Sand; Sandra a year older and Steph a year younger (most of my 5 reads already know this, but this is for those of you who may not). When I was 11 and my family moved in to Linda's parent's house, it was in the same tract as Sandra and Stephanie (and my other aunt and uncle, Debbie and Dan! SO meant to be!!) So we went to middle and high school together! We were REALLY close but then as we all grew up, especially when I moved to BYU and Steph and Sandra got married, we haven't got to spend as much time together, except on holidays and summer vacations. Even more so when I moved to Portland and Steph had a baby and Sandra and her husband's business started taking off.... ANYWAYS! So it was SO fun to spend time with her and just reconnect on that deeper level. 

Saturday morning, we set out to find some breakfast!!

 

this is NOT where we ate!! hahaha. I got a little ahead of myself and took a picture before we went in. Then we realized they had an 1 1/2 hour wait and don't take anything but cash. So we left for downtown. Haha. 

one of the many many famous food carts. They have them all over although most of them creep me out and I've never eaten from one, I do think some look good. Like this one!

we found a cute little diner that was really cozy and had great food!!

Had to show Steph the famous Voodoo (plus I had never actually been inside)

fruit loop donut!!

So coincidentally, Steph's sister, Sandra's husband Tyler was in portland as well. He has some family here and LOOOOVES PDX! He would move here in a heart beat if Sandra would let him, but she hates it! haha. We met up with him at the Portland Farmer's Market!

We're all the same height!

After some fun in the city, we Steph and I headed north to Washington, for her friend's wedding. It was SO in the middle of nowhere and I didn't have an ounce of signal, but it was beautiful! Such a great setting for a wedding!!

no joke, right when they pronounced them husband and wife, the horses started running! So perfect!

bridesmaid steph helpin out!

yes those are lanterns like in Tangled. SO neat in person!! Such a romantic idea!

8/19/11- White Coat Ceremony

 After the first week of school, they held a White Coat Ceremony. It was really neat to attend and made it all seem so real! The speaker even quoted Patch Adams haha. I'm so proud of KR and all he's done to get to this point, and even more proud of how humble he is about it all! He is such an example and I love him so much!

KR's dad; they had all the students, as well as any doctors in the audience, quote the Oath of Geneva.

he didn't get to choose what his nametag said haha.

Such a stud!

7/26/11 OMSI with the Beehives!

 For mutual, we went to Oregon Museum of Science & Industry!

They had a video game exhibition, including Rock Band!

hissing cockroach! I was impressed the girls wanted to hold it. I did NOT hold it.

testing flexibility!

group shot!

the video is of them burning calories! You can select one of 5 foods and it gives the calorie content and then you turn those handles to burn that many calories off. It is HARD and takes FOREVER! They were so excited to show me... "Sister Stevens! Come try this!" and then they LAUGHED at how hard it was for me! hahahahah. Good times!!

7/26/11 North Portland

 Whenever I have a Saturday off, we like to try and do something and make sure not to waste it sitting around! One of our Saturday adventures was to go check out North Portland. This is where the Willamette and Columbia River meet. When Lewis & Clark were traveling down the Columbia, apparently they totally missed the Willamette (which is not a small river..)! Luckily, some Indians helped them find it on the way back. Haha.

where the two rivers meet