A Rainbow Graduation Cake

I made this cake for my little guy's preschool graduation picnic.  I wanted to make something really special for the kids and parents so I immediately thought of the gorgeous rainbow layer cake I had been seeing around the Internet.  The preschool's logo is a rainbow and a smiling sun so I thought it would be perfect.  I was so happy with everyone's reaction, the kids were smiling ear to ear, and I got so many lovely compliments from parents.  Not that I do this baking thing for the kudos, but to get validation that I'm actually kind of good at my passion is really nice to hear.

I love my son's preschool.  It's a co-op, and while I felt hesitant about it at first, I now am quite literally smitten with the teacher, children, and parents.  I feel like I'm a part of a caring community, and I can honestly say that if I was ever in need of anything I could comfortably call any of the families and count of them for help, as I hope they feel they could count on me. 

Luckily with my boy in Pre-K next year, I get to enjoy most of the families for one more year.  But we had to say goodbye to a few wonderful friends whom I hope to continue to see even if our kids are in different schools, or years.  Much love to all the CVPP families and the most kick ass teacher ever, you are all special, wonderful people and knowing you has made our lives better. :)

Okay, back to the cake.  I used the Whisk Kid recipe, via Sweetapolita.  A couple of things.  Do not, under any circumstances, try and make the lemony Swiss meringue filling with a 5 quart mixer.  I thought I might be in trouble when I was beating the meringue portion, but once I started adding the butter it was clear there was going to be trouble.   I ended up with about half the buttercream that I should have, but it was enough to fill one of the cakes.  I would just use the "to frost"  recipe which is smaller, and do it twice.  Also, there are a lot of layers to bake, so if you can borrow a few extra 9 inch rounds than do.  This eliminates some of the waiting around for pans to cool. 

This cake not only looked awesome, but was delicious as well.  It was time consuming but if you're into this sort of thing and have the occasion to make a rainbow cake, do it!  You'll be glad you did.  :)

A Robot Birthday Party

My sweet, adorable, funny little guy turned 4 this month.  He's at the age where the anticipation of a birthday party has been building for months, and he wanted a robot birthday party.  No problem!  I love throwing parties, and nothing more than a kid's party.  Going all out with every little detail is loads of fun for me, and even though I know he doesn't notice the half of it, I love doing it.  So here it is, and thanks for looking!

I made the welcome sign using a presentation board from Target.  They also have these awesome black letters to use for school presentations that made my life easier since I usually cut everything out from a stencil.  Note to husband: would love Cricut for next birthday.

I made this birthday banner, I used a salad plate as the template for the circles and one of the scrapbook paper packs from Michaels so everything would match:

 

I made these cute party hats by covering plain party hats with coordinating scrapbook paper (just take apart one hat and use as a template to cut out the paper, then cover using a glue gun).  I found the robot stickers at Michaels months ago, they had a ton of robot themed stuff in their $1 section, so if you're looking for party theme ideas it's a good place to check.  I had a lot of paper scraps so I made napkin rings (yes I'm crazy).

The treat table:

I was so happy with how his cake turned out.  He wanted a small cake with cupcakes.  The cake was chocolate and vanilla layers, with toasted marshmallow frosting in between and chocolate malt frosting underneath the fondant.  I used Duff's Cake Graffiti in silver to color the entire cake and make the stars.

I was a little nervous since I read mostly awful reviews, but this stuff is all kinds of awesome.  Once it dried it gave super even coverage and had a great sparkly metallic color.  I also used it for some of the cupcake toppers, which were white cake with chocolate malt frosting.  

Robot cookies:

These were little jello jars.  I found the spoons on Etsy, and added a little star stamp using food coloring (did I mention I was a little crazy?), and then tied them onto the jars with baker's twine.  

"Assorted parts" fruit skewers:

"Computer Chips" and "Nuts and Bolts":

I love the look of milk bottles, so rather than spend upwards of $3 per bottle, I bought Starbucks Frappacinos from the grocery store, peeled off the wrappers, and voila.  I am also obsessed with striped straws, these ones (grey and white) are from Etsy.  They are made of paper and while they hold up to normal drinking if you have a kid who loves to chew on straws (like my daughter) they turned in to a mushy mess quickly.

 

These water bottle labels were easy to make, just peel off the existing (I used Archer Farms brand from Target) and measure to cut out new ones from whatever paper you like.  Then affix with a glue gun. 

This birthday was especially fun since the kids were totally into party games and activities.

My husband made this awesome robot costume for the kids to wear for photo ops, I thought he did a great job!:

The kids played "pin the part on the robot":

And "robot arm" with a bin full of prizes and one of those mechanical arms you can get from Target or the dollar store:

And finally we had a robot pinata (from Party City) filled with with treats.  The kids loved it!

Coconut Layer Cake

I love all things coconut, but for some reason had never made a coconut layer cake.  It seems like every cookbook I own has some version of a coconut cake, so I had some trouble deciding on a recipe.  I went with America's Test Kitchen's (Cook's Country) recipe, and damn was it good.

The frosting is a Swiss meringue, super fluffy and decadent.  The cake itself was made using the reverse cream method, which kicks all kinds of ass if you want a mile high super moist cake.  This cake is monstrous, so make it for a crowd.  I had my parents and sister over (5 adults, 2 kids), and we still could just eat half of it.  Enjoy!

Coconut Layer Cake
from America's Test Kitchen

For the cake:
1 large egg
5 large egg whites
¾ cup cream of coconut
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
2 ¼ cups cake flour (9 ounces)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 12 pieces softened

For the frosting:
4 large egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar
1 pinch table salt
1 lb unsalted butter , each stick cut into 6 pieces, softened
¼ cup cream of coconut
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, toasted

For the Cake: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, then line bottoms with parchment, grease parchment and dust with flour.  Whisk egg whites, whole egg, cream of coconut, water, vanilla, and coconut extract in a large measuring cup (this makes it easier to add to the batter later).

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on lowest speed to combine, about 30 seconds. With mixer still running on lowest speed, add butter 1 piece at a time, then beat until mixture resembles coarse meal, with butter bits no larger than small peas, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.

With mixer still running, add 1 cup liquid. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 45 seconds. With mixer still running, add remaining 1 cup liquid in steady stream (this should take about 15 seconds). Stop mixer and scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then beat at medium-high speed to combine, about 15 seconds. (Batter will be thick.).

Divide batter between cake pans and level with offset or rubber spatula. Bake until deep golden brown, cakes pull away from sides of pans, and toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes (rotate cakes after about 20 minutes). Do not turn off oven.

Cool in pans on wire racks about 10 minutes, then loosen cakes from sides of pans with paring knife, invert cakes onto racks and then re-invert; cool to room temperature.

While cakes are cooling, spread shredded coconut on rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until shreds are a mix of golden brown and white, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times. Cool to room temperature.

For the Buttercream: Combine whites, sugar, and salt in bowl of standing mixer; set bowl over saucepan containing 1 1/2-inches of simmering water. Whisk constantly until mixture is opaque and warm to the touch and registers about 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.  If you're using pasteurized egg whites you can stop as soon as the sugar is dissolved, but 160 is the temp needed to kill bacteria, so I always go to this temp.  I have had good luck with Trader Joes pasteurized egg whites, they always whip up so you can certainly try these instead of plain whites.

Transfer bowl to mixer and beat whites on high speed with whisk attachment until barely warm (about 80 degrees) and whites are glossy and sticky, about 7 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-high and beat in butter 1 piece at a time. Beat in cream of coconut and coconut and vanilla extracts. Stop mixer and scrape bottom and sides of bowl. Continue to beat at medium-high speed until well-combined, about 1 minute.

To Assemble the Cake:

With a long serrated knife, cut both cakes in half horizontally so that each cake forms two layers.
Put a dab of icing on a cardboard round cut just larger than the cake. Center one cake layer on the round.  Place a large blob of icing in the center of the layer and spread it to the edges with an icing spatula.  Hold the spatula at a 45-degree angle to the cake and drag it across the surface to level the icing. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with remaining cake layers.  To ice the sides of the cake, scoop up a large dab of icing with the tip of the spatula and spread it on the sides with short side-to-side strokes.  Sprinkle the top of the cake with coconut. Then press the coconut into the sides, letting the excess fall back onto a baking sheet.

Linked to:
Sweet Indulgences Sunday 
Melt in Your Mouth Monday

Vanilla Layer Cake with Strawberry Filling and Chocolate Frosting

Dreamy.  That is what this chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream is.  Hands down the best chocolate frosting I have ever had.  I found this recipe in a recent Food and Wine edition, and it is everything a decadent frosting should be.  Rich, creamy, silky, absolute perfection.  Even my husband who doesn't care for meringue buttercreams thought it was heavenly.

I used my new favorite vanilla cake recipe from Sweetapolita.  It's super fluffy, moist, and simply delightful.  It's also not overly sweet so it's the perfect compliment in a frosting-heavy cake.  I drizzled pureed strawberries over the strawberry buttercream on each layer to add a bit of flavor since the strawberries at the store are a bit lacking in flavor right now.  There are a few components to this so it isn't something to throw together in a couple of hours, but I made the cake the day before, wrapped it tightly in plastic wrap, and it was still delicious.

Note: the pictures below aren't the same scale as the recipes provided.  I actually split the cake recipe between 3 6-inch cake pans, and the cake I made is using one of those 6-inch cakes cut into 3 layers.  The recipe calls for 2 8-inch pans.  You can really do whatever you want here, just adjust baking times accordingly, and cut into as many layers as you can handle! I also used a half recipe for both buttercreams but provided the full recipe.

 

Fluffy Vanilla Cake
from Sweetapolita

5 large egg whites (5 ounces) at room temperature
3/4 cup whole milk (180 mL/6 liquid ounces), at room temperature
2 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (12.5 mL)
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour (10 ounces/285 grams–weighed after sifting)
1 3/4 cups sugar (12 ounces)
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder (19.5 grams)
3/4 teaspoon salt (5 grams)
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (6 ounces/170 grams), at room temperature and cut into cubes


1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease, line with parchment, and flour two round 8-inch pans.
2. In a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine and stir the egg whites, 1/4 cup of milk, and the vanilla. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients together on low speed (I use the “stir” setting on my mixer) for 30 seconds.
4. Add the butter and remaining 1/2 cup of milk, and mix on low speed until just moistened. Increase to medium speed and mix for 90 seconds.
5. Scrape the sides of the bowl and begin to add the egg mixture in 3 separate batches; beat on medium speed for 20 seconds after each addition.
6. Divide the batter in two, spreading it evenly with a small offset palette knife. If you have a kitchen scale, weigh to ensure 2 even layers.
7. Bake 25-35 minutes or until a cake tester comes clean when inserted into the center. Be so careful to not overbake. Check cake at 20 minutes, but not before, and once you feel it’s almost ready, set the timer for 2 minute intervals. Let cool on racks for 10 minutes before loosening the sides with a small metal spatula, and invert onto greased wire racks. Gently turn cakes back up, so the tops are up and cool completely.
8. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days, refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months. Best eaten the same day as baked.

 Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
adapted from Martha Stewart

4 large egg whites

1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into tablespoons
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup strawberries pureed in a food processor

In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a saucepan of simmering water, combine egg whites and sugar. Cook, whisking constantly, until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch (about 160 degrees).
Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg-white mixture on high speed until it holds stiff (but not dry) peaks. Continue beating until the mixture is fluffy and cooled, about 6 minutes.

Switch to the paddle attachment. With mixer on medium-low speed, add butter several tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. (If frosting appears to separate after all the butter has been added, beat on medium-high speed until smooth again, 3 to 5 minutes more.) Beat in vanilla. Beat on lowest speed to eliminate any air bubbles, about 2 minutes. 

Beat in strawberry puree, adding a few spoonfulls at a time until desired strawberry flavor and consistency is achieved.

Rich Chocolate Buttercream
adapted from Food and Wine

 
1 cup sugar
3 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (9 ounces), cut into tablespoons, at room temperature
4 ounces dark chocolate, melted and cooled

Combine sugar and egg whites in a stainless steel bowl of a stand mixer.  Add salt.. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk gently until the sugar is completely dissolved, 5 minutes.
Transfer the warm egg-white mixture to the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the whisk. Add the vanilla and beat at medium-high speed until stiff and glossy,  and completely cooled, about 8 minutes. Beat in the butter a few pieces at a time, making sure it is fully incorporated before adding more. The buttercream should be light and fluffy; if it appears runny at any time, transfer the bowl to the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes, then return it to the mixer and continue.
Beat in the melted chocolate until fully incorporated, scraping down the side and bottom of the bowl.


If the buttercream appears to be separating or curdling at any point, just keep beating (even for several minutes), it should become fluffy eventually.

Linked to:
Crazy Sweet Tuesday
Tuesday Tutorials 
Tuesday Talent Show 
Sweets for a Saturday 
Strut Your Stuff Saturday 
Sweet Indulgences Sunday

Train Birthday Cake

First, let me start this post off by saying I have finally found the best vanilla cake recipe in the entire world!!  Thank you Sweetapolita!  It's flavorful, moist, and bakes up like a fluffy dreamy cloud of vanilla deliciousness.  I am in love.  I can't wait to try this recipe as cupcakes.

The cake:  Layers of vanilla cake filled with strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream.  I wasn't sure what type of frosting to use on the outside of the cake.  I actually make the Cake Boss' decorator's buttercream originally.  It goes against my distrust of vegetable shortening, but I wanted a smooth outer frosting.  It was VILE.  Instead I went with my favorite sugary sweet American buttercream from Sweetapolita (have I mentioned I love her?), and while it wasn't completely smooth it turned out pretty good.  

The little birthday boy loved his train cake and that's was the best compliment of all. :)

Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Vanilla Frosting

I made this cute little cake with companion cupcakes for a sweet little boy's first birthday party.  Lately I've really been into using fondant and a lot of decorations, but since the cake was for a cake smash I went for a more of a simple style.  I used my usual chocolate cake recipe, but instead of sour cream I used non fat Greek yogurt.  I don't think there was much of a difference but it came out nice and moist, and I guess there is the added bonus of some protein in there!

For the cutouts, I actually used modelling chocolate which was cut out on my Cricut Cake that I got for Christmas.  I love modelling chocolate, but I won't be doing this again.  It was a huge pain to roll out and it kept getting stuck on the blade.  Last time my marshmallow fondant didn't work well either, so far the best has been Satin Ice rolled fondant.   There is definitely a learning curve with the Cricut, but it's so nice to have for detailed letters.

If you're wondering, I make my modelling chocolate using candy melts, which I have a ridiculous amount stashed away from my cake pop making days.  The recipe, from Spider Farmer is below.  

 Sugary Birthday Buttercream Frosting
from Sweetapolita

1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened

6 cups icing sugar (confectioners’)

120 ml whipping cream

2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon water

pinch of salt

Beat the butter and icing sugar in an electric mixer on low with the paddle attachment for about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, water, whipping cream, and salt, and whip on high speed until fluffy and smooth–about 4 minutes. If consistency is too thick, add more water 1 teaspoon at a time, then whip again for 30 seconds or so.

Makes enough to fill & frost a 3-layer, 8″ cake.

Modeling Chocolate from Candy Melts:
from Spider Farmer

• 7 ounces (200 grams) Candy Melts
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup

1. Melt the candy in a large pyrex measuring cup in the microwave, 1 minute /half power, then 2 more bursts of 30 secs at half power, stirring at the end of each heating cycle.
2. Grease your measuring spoon with veggie oil or shortening, so the corn syrup will easily slide off.
3. Stir the candy until smooth and lump free, then add the corn syrup. The candy will start to seize almost instantly, but keep stirring until you’ve incorporated all the syrup. You’ll end up with a big blob of warm candy. It’ll have the texture of a tootsie roll. (Well, a warm tootsie roll.)
4. Put your blob in a freezer safe resealable bag and pop it in the fridge. Once your dough is cold, you can take it out, cut off a piece that you want to work with, and knead it until it’s a workable mass.

It’ll be really hard when you first take it out of the fridge. If you have time to let it warm up a bit, it will be easier to work. You can mold it like it were fondant or marzipan.

Linked to:
Sweet Indulgences Sunday

Meyer Lemon Yogurt Cake

 Loved this cake.  It's made with gorgeous Meyer lemons, which are in season right now so take advantage!  It also has low fat Greek yogurt in it, which makes it ultra moist.  I usually use sour cream to make my cakes nice and moist, but I'm totally on board with the Greek yogurt.  Even though it's low fat it's so rich and creamy.  And it's loaded with protein!  So this cake is actually good for you!  Hah.

I made these as mini bundts and used a simple lemon juice and confectioner's sugar glaze.  Perfect for a mid-winter citrus fix.

 

Meyer Lemon Yogurt Cake

from Whole Living 

 1/2 cup fruity olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup almond flour (I used the almond meal from Trader Joes)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 cup cane sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons Meyer lemon zest (juice the lemons and set aside for the glaze)
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped 

  Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously brush an 8-inch Bundt pan with oil and dust with flour, tapping out excess.  I used a mini bundt pan.
In a medium bowl, mix together flours, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs until combined. Add oil, yogurt, lemon zest, and vanilla seeds. Add dry ingredients into wet ones and mix until just barely incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake until golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. (about 25 if using mini pan).  Let cake cool completely in pan before unmolding.

To make the glaze: carefully whisk the lemon juice with confectioner's sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time until it reaches desired consistency.

Linked to:
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Tuesday Talent Show 
Sweet Tuesday 
 Mrs Fox's Sweet Party 
Sweets for a Saturday 
 Strut Your Stuff Saturday
 Sweet Indulgences Sunday

New Years Cake

I wanted to share the easy chocolate whipped cream filling I used for this New Years Cake I recently made.  It's from Baking With The Cake Boss, which is a cookbook I picked up recently.  If you're into cake decorating, I find it a great resource.  There are lots of step by step instructions and pictures, particularly to do with fondant.

I haven't tried many of his actual recipes, they call for extra large eggs which I never have around.  But I did make his Dad's chocolate mousse for filling and frosting the cake.  The cake was a simple white cake, and each layer was filled with a dark chocolate ganache and then the mousse.  A great combination to satisfy both vanilla and chocolate lovers and not too sweet.

Chocolate Mousse
from Buddy Valastro

2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 tablespoon coffee liqueur

Put the cream, sugar, cocoa powder, and coffee liqueur in a stainless steel mixing bowl.  Blend with a mixer at high speed until fluffy, about 1 minute.

Use immediately or refrigerate in a an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Snowman Cake

I made this cute cake for my son's preschool holiday party.  I am honestly so proud of it, it took about 6 hours total and turned out just as I had imagined it.  The top tier of the cake was chocolate, bottom was vanilla.  I made the little snowmen out of modeling chocolate, which is a dream to work with.  The snowflakes were cut out of fondant and dusted with luster dust (also completely awesome).

I usually make my own marshmallow fondant, but I used Satin Ice fondant, which actually tasted pretty good, I would definitely use this over Wilton fondant again.  The fondant did start to crack from the pressure of the top tier since I stacked the cake the night before.  I think next time I would transport and then do finishing touches.

The cake was a hit, I actually got more of a reaction from the parents then the kids.  So many lovely compliments, it really made my day and all the effort totally worthwhile.

Happy holidays!!!

Photo courtesy of Studio Six Photography

Gingerbread with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

I'll admit, when I saw this recipe over on Jam Hands a few months ago I was far more interested in the frosting then the gingerbread.  It looks so ethereal and gorgeous!   I pinned it and just kept waiting for the weather to turn cold enough that it seemed reasonable to make gingerbread.

And finally it's cool (I won't say cold) here in the Bay Area, so I've been making plenty of Autumn treats, this recipe included.  And it's good.  The gingerbread is dark, moist and has a bold molasses flavor which I love far more than the Starbucks version.  It calls for cold tea, and since we're not tea drinkers I just used some English Tea I had on hand.  I'm sure you could get a wide variety of flavors if you choose stronger teas.

And the frosting?  Oh, it did not disappoint.  It is glorious.  I ate so much out of the bowl I should be ashamed of myself.  But I'm not.  :)

Cold Tea Gingerbread with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
From Jam Hands

Makes one 9" x 5" loaf

1 1/4 cups plus 2 Tbsp. sifted flour
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup cold tea (I used Honey Ginger Peach tea)
1 scant tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. hot water
1 egg, beaten

 Set the oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350-f degrees. Line the bottom and ends of a 9" x 5" x 3" loaf pan with a single strip of wax paper or parchment paper. Coat the pan and wax paper liner with vegetable spray.

 Mix together flour, ginger, cinnamon, and salt.

Cream butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add molasses and combine.

Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with cold tea. Dissolve baking soda in hot water and add to batter. Add egg and combine thoroughly.

Pour batter into loaf pan. Bake 45 minutes, or until tester inserted into loaf comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Invert pan and place on rack to continue cooling. Serve gingerbread hot with lemon sauce or cold with whipped cream and chipped walnuts. Store loosely covered with wax paper at room temperature.

Gingerbread Source: Heirloom Baking with the Brass Sisters

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
adapted slightly from Jam Hands

1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup white sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

In a small bowl beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form; set aside.
In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until smooth, then fold in whipped cream.  I found this required a good deal of folding, so don't worry if after a few minutes it doesn't seem to be combining.

Snake Birthday Cake

I made this cake for a little boy's 5th birthday party today.  It's the biggest cake I've made, a 12 X 18 sheet cake, two layers of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, serving 60 people.  I was so pleased with the way the snakes came out, the big snake is made out of two mini bundt cakes and covered in fondant.  The little snakes and letters are all fondant.  Cute, no? :)

Mocha Cream Icebox Cake

You know you're behind on your blogging when you have pictures of desserts and you have no idea what they are.  Anyways...

I made this delicious and super easy icebox cake when I was in Canada this summer.  Icebox cakes look and taste impressive but are insanely easy to make.  I found this one of my favorite blogs, Sugar Bananas.  It's creamy, mochalicious, and just a little bit boozy.  Perfect for a hot summer's day.   I cheated and used store-bought chocolate wafers, but come on, I was on vacation. :)  I also used cream cheese instead of marscapone, which we couldn't seem to easily find.  The hardest part of this was waiting until company arrived to cut a slice!

Mocha Cream Icebox Cake
adapted very slightly from Sugar Bananas

2 cups cold heavy cream

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup coffee liqueur

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon espresso powde

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

24 oz thin chocolate cookies 

Shaved semisweet chocolate, for garnish

Combine heavy cream, cream cheese, sugar, coffee liquer, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and vanilla in bowl of electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment.  Mix on low speed to combine and then raise the speed until firm peaks are formed.

Arrange cookies on bottom of an 8" springform pan to cover the bottom.  Spread a third of the mocha cream evenly over the cookies.  Layer more cookies on top, followed by another third of the cream.  Continue once more, ending with the cream.  Smooth the top, cover with plastic, and refrigerate for 8 hours.  

Run a small knife around the outside of the cake and remove the sides of the pan.  Sprinkle the top with the chocolate, cut in wedges, and serve cold.

Linked to:

Sweets for a Saturday

Sweet Indulgences Sunday

Pink Layer Cake with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

My sweet little Ellis was baptized while we were home in Canada, so of course I wanted to make a fancy cake for her party afterward.  I had seen this gorgeous idea for a pink layer cake on Martha's website a few months ago, and what better for a darling little girl than a completely pink cake?

I had intended for the entire cake to be covered in roses, but after frosting the top I knew there was no way I had enough and I didn't have time to make more.  I still think it turned out pretty cute.  The cake itself is pretty dense, but tasty nonetheless.

I got quite a few complients on the frosting, I used my favorite recipe from Glorious Treats, but subbed in some raspberry flavoring which I got from the Gourmet Warehouse in Vancouver.  Which by the way, if you live there it is such an awesome source for all things baking.

Pink Layer Cake

from Martha Stewart 

3 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans and parchment
6 1/2 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising), plus more for pans and parchment
3 tablespoons baking powder
Salt
2 1/4 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sugar
10 large egg whites
Gel-paste food coloring
2 recipes raspberry cream cheese frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter five 8-inch round cake pans, and line with parchment (you may need to bake in batches). Butter parchment, and dust with flour, tapping out excess. Sift flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a large bowl. Combine milk and vanilla. Beat butter with a mixer on medium speed until very smooth. With machine running, gradually add sugar, and beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Beat until just combined; do not overmix.
Beat egg whites in a clean mixer bowl on medium speed until stiff (but not dry) peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gently fold egg-white mixture into batter in 3 additions.
Divide batter among 5 bowls, and tint each with food coloring to create different pastel shades. Spread each into a prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely in pans on wire racks.
Loosen edges of cake with a small metal spatula or paring knife; invert onto racks. Discard parchment. Reinvert cakes, top side up. Let cool completely.

Trim top of each cake to make surface even. Spread 1 cup frosting onto top of 1 cake. Top with another cake. Repeat, spreading 1 cup frosting between each layer. Frost cake with about 1 cup of frosting to create a crumb coat.  Basically this should be a very thin layer of frosting that will help to seal in the cake and act as a base for your roses.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Frost the sides of the cake with about 1 1/2 cups of frosting.  To create roses use a large open star tip and pipe frosting in circles, starting in the center.  Place raspberries around the bottom of the cake.  Et voila!

Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
adapted slightly from Glorious Treats

½ cup (1 stick/8 Tablespoons) butter, at room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (always use pure vanilla extract if possible)
1 1/2 teaspoons raspberry flavoring
4 cups powdered confectioners sugar
1 Tablespoon heavy cream, heavy whipping cream or milk

Place butter in a large mixing bowl and blend until smooth. Add cream cheese and blend until well combined, about 30 seconds.
Add vanilla extract, raspberry flavoring and powdered sugar (1 cup at a time) and blend on low speed until combined. Increase to medium speed and beat until it begins to get fluffy.
Slowly add the heavy cream.
Beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.

Turtle Layer Cake

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 Sometimes you're just in the mood for cake. Well, I'm always in the mood for cake, but last weekend I was also in the mood for caramel and chocolate. And so I made a turtle cake.

I read on a blog that baking super thin cake layers reduces the dome that often occurs, but that definitely wasn't true for this recipe. Instead of having two domed cakes to trim I had four. Not a huge deal since I snacked on the scraps until dessert, but it took extra time since I only two pans of each size. I also used some leftover salted caramel for the caramel drizzle, which my husband said was a bit much.  I actually liked it but I'm a total salt addict so you may want to adapt according to your taste.  I also used salted pecan pieces so that might have something to do with it.

I was really pleased with the flavor of this cake, the buttercream is like silk but it absolutely must be at room temp when served.  There is a boatload of butter in it (3 sticks!) and if it is even a little cold it hardens up. 

Turtle Layer Cake
Makes 4 layer 6-inch round cake

1 recipe chocolate cake, recipe below
1 recipe caramel buttercream, recipe below
1 recipe salted caramel sauce, recipe below
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans, can be salted or not depending on your preference

For the cake layers:
Chocolate Cake
from allrecipes.com
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 cup butter
1 cup water
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter two 6 inch round pans.  Cut parchment to fit into the bottoms and butter the parchment.  Dust with flour and tap out the excess.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Beat in the sour cream and eggs. Set aside. Melt the butter on low in a saucepan, add the water and 5 tablespoons cocoa. Bring mixture to a boil then remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly, then stir cocoa mixture into the egg mixture, mixing until blended.
Pour batter into prepared pans . Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Let cool for about 10-15 minutes and then run a small knife around the side to unmold.  Turn out onto a rack and cool completely.  Once it is cool use a long serrated knife to cut each layer in half, giving you four layers.  If the tops have domed trim them so they are relatively flat.

For the caramel buttercream:
From Martha Stewart

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup heavy cream
12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
4 large egg whites, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Bring 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Wash sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Cook, undisturbed, until caramel is dark amber. Remove from heat, and slowly add cream, stirring with a wooden spoon until smooth. Let cool.
Beat butter with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
Place whites and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a heatproof mixer bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves and mixture registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer.
Remove from heat, and attach bowl to a mixer. Whisk on medium speed for 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high, and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, and add beaten butter, cup at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in vanilla.

Switch to paddle attachment. With mixer on low speed, add caramel, and beat until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes.

For the caramel sauce:
From David Lebovitz

Rich Caramel Sauce
slightly adapted from David Lebovitz 

1/2 cup unsalted or salted butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon Fleur de Sel

In a large saucepan or a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat.  Add the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar begins to caramelize, then turns dark amber in colour and begins to foam a bit (it should smell and look like it's just on the verge of burning).  Remove from heat and slowly and carefully add in the cream (the mixture will bubble vigorously), whisking constantly until all of the cream is added.

Return the pan to med-low heat and stir until the sauce is smooth, about 1 minute.(this took about 5 minutes for me).  Then stir in vanilla and salt. 

Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then taste, and add more salt, if desired.

Assemble the Cake:
Place the first cake layer on a plate or cake round.  Place pieces of parchment underneath the cake so when you're frosting you don't have to worry about getting the plate covered in frosting, just pull out the parchment when you're done.

Put about 1/4 cup frosting on the first cake layer and smooth with an offset spatula.  Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of chopped toasted pecans over the layer.  Then drizzle with caramel sauce.  Repeat for the next two layers.  Once you've put the last layer on top, do a crumb coating if you have time.  This is basically putting a very thin layer of frosting on to seal in any stray crumbs from your final buttercream coating.  With buttercream frosting I like to stick the cake in the fridge for at least 1/2 hour to firm up the crumb coat.  Then slather on the rest of the frosting.  I bought a frosting smoother from Ateco, you just dip it in hot water, shake off the excess, and it smooths the frosting quite nicely.  A bench scraper also works.

Top with more pecans and a final drizzle of caramel sauce.  Enjoy!!

Linked to:
Sweets for a Saturday

Tiramisu Cake

I never turn down an opportunity to bake a cake, so when my Supper Club got together last weekend I jumped at the chance to bring dessert.  I wanted to try something new so I went with Dorie Greenspan's Tiramisu cake.  Boozy and caffeinated?  Perfect!

It wasn't complicated but there are several components to make so it is a bit time consuming.  I also over estimated how much of the syrup would soak into the cake layers so I was pretty conservative.  I could have easily used the entire recipe since the middle of the cake layers ended up a bit dry.  Next time I would also double the frosting recipe.  The marscapone espresso frosting was delicious, but there wasn't quite enough for my liking.  But then again I like a little cake with my frosting so to others it may have been the perfect balance.  I used the toffee chocolate espresso beans from Trader Joes to decorate, they're super yummy and add a nice crunch to the cake.   Loved this cake and will definitely make again for a special occasion.

Tiramisu Cake
Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

For the cake layers:
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk

For the espresso extract:
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
2 tablespoons boiling water

For the espresso syrup:
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon amaretto, Kahlua, or brandy

For the filling and frosting:
1 8-ounce container mascarpone
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon amaretto, Kahlua, or brandy 1 cup cold heavy cream
2 1/2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, or about 1/2 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips
Chocolate-covered espresso beans, for decoration (optional)
Cocoa powder, for dusting

Getting ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9×2 inch round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess, and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

To make the cake:
Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, and then the yolk, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla; don’t be concerned if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, adding the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the milk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients); scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans at the midway point. When fully baked, the cakes will be golden and springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the centers will come out clean. Transfer the cakes to a rack and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them, and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right-side up.

To make the extract:
Stir the espresso powder and boiling water together in a small cup until blended. Set aside.

To make the syrup:
Stir the water and sugar together in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Pour the syrup into a small heatproof bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of the espresso extract and the liqueur or brandy; set aside.

To make the filling and frosting:
Put the mascarpone, sugar, vanilla, and liqueur in a large bowl and whisk just until blended and smooth.
Working with the stand mixer with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, whip the heavy cream until it holds firm peaks. Switch to a rubber spatula and stir about one quarter of the whipped cream into the mascarpone. Fold in the rest of the whipped cream with a light touch.

To assemble the cake:
If the tops of the cake layers have crowned, use a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to even them. Place one layer right-side up on a cardboard round or a cake plate protected with strips of wax or parchment paper. Using a pastry brush or a small spoon, soak the layer with about one third of the espresso syrup. Smooth some of the mascarpone cream over the layer – user about 1 1/4 cups – and gently press the chopped chocolate into the filling. Put the second cake layer on the counter and soak the top of it with half the remaining espresso syrup, then turn the layer over and position it, soaked side down, over the filling. Soak the top of the cake with the remaining syrup.
For the frosting, whisk 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of the remaining espresso extract into the remaining mascarpone filling. Taste the frosting as you go to decide how much extract you want to add. If the frosting looks as if it might be a little too soft to spread over the cake, press a piece of plastic wrap against its surface and refrigerate it for 15 minutes or so. Refrigerate the cake too.
With a long metal icing spatula, smooth the frosting around the sides of the cake and over the top. If you want to decorate the cake with chocolate-covered espresso beans, press them into the filling, making concentric circles of beans or just putting some beans in the center of the cake.
Refrigerate the cake for at least 3 hours (or for up to 1 day) before serving – the elements need time to meld.
Just before serving, dust the top of the cake with cocoa.

Linked to:
These Chicks Cooked
Sweet Treats Thursday
Sweet Tooth Friday
Sweets for a Saturday

Daring Bakers: Peach Blueberry Bavarian

Jana of Cherry Tea Cakes was our July Daring Bakers’ host and she challenges us to make Fresh Frasiers inspired by recipes written by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson in the beautiful cookbook Tartine.

Sometimes I feel like an idiot when it comes to these Daring Bakers challenges.  I'm still learning what a lot of these fancy desserts are, and I had definitely not heard of a Frasier.  "That's strawberry, right?" I though struggling to recall any of the highschool French I had taken.  It took me a while to figure out this was a Bavarian, which I was super excited to make since I had been eying it in my Tartine book for a while but didn't have the guts to make it.

So I didn't change too much from the recipe, just the fruits used.  Not sure what happened with my chiffon, but it was HUGE.  The cake was delightful, totally reminded me of something my Mom would make, not too sweet but totally satisfying.  The pastry cream is glorious, and my favorite recipe for it that I've tried so far.  I'm a little dissapointed with how the design turned out, I didn't take enough care to make sure the fruits were securely on the sides, but you live you learn right?  Loved this and I'll make it again in the winter with tropical fruits.

Summer Fruits Bavarian
from Tartine

10-inch chiffon cake (recipe below)
Fresh fruit (one type or a mixture): berries or cherries, 2 pints; stone fruit such as peaches, about 1 1/2 pounds

Fruit puree:
Very full 1/2 pint berries
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt

Filling:
1 1/2 teaspoons gelatin (1/2 envelope)
1 tablespoon water
2 1/2 cups pastry cream (1 batch; recipe below), cold
2 cups heavy cream, very cold

Topping:
1 1/4 cups heavy cream, very cold
4 teaspoons sugar

Pasty Cream:
2 cups whole milk
1/2 vanilla bean
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 large eggs (or 4 yolks, for a richer cream)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter 

Chiffon Cake:
315 g (2 1/4 cup) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
300g (1 1/2 cups) sugar
 3/4 teaspoon salt
125ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil
 6 large egg yolks, at room temperature
  175 ml (3/4 cup) water
  2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  10 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions for Pasty Cream:
 Heat the milk, vanilla seeds and salt in a pan and put over medium heat, and bring to a boil.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugar, cornstarch and eggs until smooth. Slowly add 1/2 of the milk mixture into the egg and whisk constantly to temper them. Add the remaining milk and return the whole thing to the saucepan.
Cook until you get a thick consistency, whisking non-stop.
Remove from heat and pour into a bowl, let cool for 10 minutes and then incorporate the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until smooth .
Cover the surface with plastic wrap, directly touching the cream, let cool completely in the refrigerator.
 
Directions for Chiffon Cake:
Line the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan (at least 3 inches high) with parchment paper cut to fit exactly; don't grease the pan. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Sift flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.  Add 1 1/4 cups of the sugar and the salt and whisk to combine.  In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, egg yolks, water, vanilla, lemon zest, until combined. Make a well in the flour, add the yolk mixture,  whisking until very smooth.

In another large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy, then add the lemon juice and beat on medium-high speed until it holds soft peaks. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar slowly while beating on medium-high speed until the whites hold firm, shiny peaks. Add a third of the egg whites and fold into the yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in the rest of the whites until just combined.

Pour the batter into the pan smoothing with an offset spatula. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 to 55  minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. Once completely cool, run a thin knife around the sides and release and lift off the pan sides.  Invert the cake, peel off the parchment.  Cut the cake in half to use as the two cake layers.

Directions for Fruit Puree:
Combine the berries, sugar and salt in a blander and process on high speed until smooth. Set aside until needed for assembly.

Directions for Filling:
In a small dish add the water and sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Let the mixture stand for a few minutes to soften. In a medium saucepan add enough water so the depth is about 2 inches. Put the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Put 1/2 cup of the pastry cream in a stainless-steel bowl that will rest securely on the rim of the saucepan, not touching the water. Heat the pastry cream, whisking constantly, until it is hot to the touch, about 5 minutes. Add the gelatin and whisk until smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk half of the remaining cold pastry cream into the hot mixture, then whisk in the remaining cream.

In a mixing bowl, using the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream until it holds medium-stiff peaks. Immediately and gently fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream with a rubber spatula. Set aside until needed for assembly.

Directions for Topping:
Using a mixer or a whisk, whip the heavy cream in a bowl until thickened. Add the sugar and whip until the cream holds soft peaks.

Only make topping when ready to frost the complete cake.

To assemble:
Line the sides of a springform pan with plastic wrap, allowing enough overhang to cover the top of cake completely when it is assembled. Leave the bottom of the pan unlined.

Fit 1 cake layer into the bottom of the prepared pan. Using a brush moisten the layer evenly with half of the fruit puree. Next spoon enough filling onto the cake to create a 1/4-inch thick layer. Stand the strawberries upright, pointed end up, pushing them into the cream. Add in the remaining filling over the fruit, lightly pressing down with the back of a large spoon to fill in any air pockets.

Put the second cake layer on top and moisten it with the rest of the fruit puree. Fold the overhanging plastic wrap over the top of the cake and then gently press down on the plastic to distribute the cream evenly. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

When you are ready to finish the cake, release and lift off the pan sides and peel away the plastic wrap. Using a spatula frost the top of the cake with the topping. The cake can be served immediately or kept cold in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Cake will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Linked to:
Melt in Your Mouth Monday