Sunday, November 27, 2011

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars



Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars Recipe






For crust:

  • 1/2 cup Rogers All Purpose Flour
  • 2/3 cup Rogers Old Fashioned Large Flake Oats 
  • 2/3 cup finely chopped pecans
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted







For cheesecake filling:

  • 1 bar cream cheese (250 grams; 8 ounces), softened
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp sugar, separated
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tbsp crystallized ginger, minced
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (if using canned, look for 100% pure pumpkin NOT pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg

To make crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9?x9?x2? square baking pan by lining with parchment paper or buttering generously.

In a large bowl, stir together first six ingredients. Pour melted butter over top, and stir until moistened. Press firmly and evenly into baking pan. Bake in centre of oven for 20 minutes. Keep oven temperature at 350 degrees.


To make cheesecake:
In the large bowl of a standing mixer, beat together cream cheese and sour cream. Add 1/2 cup sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Remove 1 cup of cheesecake batter and stir in minced crystallized ginger; set aside.

To remaining batter, add pumpkin puree, remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar, and spices; beat to combine.
Drop spoonfuls of cheesecake batter onto the prepared crust, alternating between the plain and pumpkin batters. Gently swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect. Bake in centre of preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until set (edges will be puff a bit and centre will jiggle only slightly, springing back when gently touched).

Cool on a wire rack, then transfer to refrigerator. Chill at least 2 hours prior to serving.

YIELD: 16 bars

View the original article here

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Mini Cupcake Wedding Favours





The mini cupcakes were all egg-less in chocolate, vanilla and raspberry and the colour scheme included red, soft teal and silver.  Indian wedding dresses are usually red, as white is considered to be a color of mourning in many regions. Red is the traditional color of Indian brides and is considered to bring good luck and happiness to the prospective couple.

View the original article here

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Lilac Cake with Roses





This cake was created for a unique birthday celebration as well as finished off with “Happy Birthday” but I think it would work equally also for a wedding cake.

View the original article here

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Buttercream Birthday Cake




This cake is for a birthday as well as features orange butterflies.  It is chocolate cake, sandwiched with white chocolate buttercream as well as then hand piped rose Baileys buttercream.

View the original article here

Sunday, November 20, 2011

70th Buttercream Birthday Cake

Today I am sharing with you what I am affectionately calling “the purple garden birthday cake”.

The cake was designed for a lady who love the colour purple, enjoys her garden and was celebrating her 70th birthday.

buttercream 70th birthday cake Purple Garden 70th Buttercream Birthday Cake

The cake was Belgium chocolate and covered with a vanilla buttercream and topped with butterflies, leaves and a variety of flowers.

Happy 70th Birthday! xx

iBlog by PageLines

View the original article here

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Pastel Green and White Wedding Cake

Olivia is a soft pastel green square wedding cake covered in a hand piped design and decorated with white roses.

Olivia is perfect for a spring or summer wedding and can be made in a variety of different flavoured sponge and buttercream or traditional fruit cake.

Olivia will feed approximately 100 people and starts from £325.

View the original article here

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Pumpkin Spice Cake

I've come across this great tasting vegan recipe on Veronica's Cornucopia. I'm not big on vegan desserts but this one is fantastic. I've made the pumpkin spice cake because I have guests coming and one of them is vegan. 


Pumpkin Spice Cake Recipe

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa*
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon cloves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Maple-Cinnamon Glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup real maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10” bundt pan (I used Miracle Pan Release) and set aside.
In a large bowl mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until thoroughly combined. Pour into prepared pan and bake for an hour, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Place on a cooling rack and allow the cake to stay in the pan for five minutes, then invert onto cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Once cool, put on a plate, blend the glaze ingredients together and pour over the cake.

*Honestly, I have no clue why the cocoa is an ingredient, unless the person that created the recipe wanted it to be a darker spice cake.  I will omit this next time because I don’t think it added any flavor, and I prefer my pumpkin cake to look more orange and less dark.  If anyone omits it, please let me know your results!


Recipe source: adapted from Rhonda C.

View the original article here

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Carrot Cake Protein Muffins

Carrot Cake Protein Muffins Recipe


Filling

  • 8 oz. Toffutti Better Than Cream Cheese
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Muffins
  • 1 cup white whole wheat flour
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup soy flour*
  • ½ cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ tablespoons cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 16 oz. silken tofu
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • ½ cup soy milk
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 1 ½ cups finely shredded carrots
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts
  • ½ cup raisins

Topping
  • ¼ cup chopped walnuts
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Mix the filling ingredients together until smooth; set aside. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, rolled oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside. In a blender, combine tofu, orange juice, soy milk, honey, and canola oil. Blend until smooth, then add the orange zest and pulse once to combine. Pour into the bowl with the flour mixture and stir until moistened. Fold in the carrots, walnuts, and raisins. Divide half the batter between prepared muffin cups, then spoon about 1 ½ teaspoons of the filling mixture over the centers before covering with the remaining batter. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the center no longer looks wet and feels done when touched in the middle (a toothpick will not come out clean because of the filling so go by the look and feel). Remove to cool completely on a wire rack.

*There’s no need to go out and buy soy flour if you don’t have it, just use a full cup of all-purpose flour and omit the soy flour.


Recipe source: adapted from Healthy Happy Life

View the original article here

Chocolate Cake



Chocolate cake is a very deep cake. To get a good chocolate cake you should use good quality chocolate. I used Valrhona Equatoriale 55% as recommended by Little Teochew as well as the cake turned out heavenly. The taste is simply so ideal, we get the texture of a moist chocolate cake as well as definitely not too sweet.

View the original article here

Monday, November 14, 2011

Lavender Christening Cake



The top as well as bottom tiers are covered in lavender fondant with a white damask stencil The middle tier is decorated in white fondant with lavender swiss dots and a lavender bow with tails.



Flavors and fillings included chocolate with raspberry chambord buttercream, chocolate with oreos as well as cream buttercream as well as chocolate with peanut butter buttercream. Last, but certainly not least, the cakes are decorated with a few ladybugs in lavender with purple spots.


View the original article here

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Baby Shower Cupcake Tower

The pregnant lady is dressed in a brown dress with white swiss dots. The topper cake is covered in lavender fondant and includes clothing cutouts to match the pink, yellow, green, lavender and white invitation colors. The base of the tier includes cutout flowers with stems, leaves and grass cutouts.



With the cupcake tower we included 60 cupcakes. Flavors and fillings were red velvet with vanilla buttercream, chocolate with vanilla buttercream dyed lavender to match the topper, and vanilla with chocolate buttercream.



All the cupcakes included small fondant flower toppers to match the cake topper colors.



View the original article here

Friday, November 11, 2011

Pirate Themed Birthday Cupcake Stand





This Pirate Themed birthday cupcake from Pink Cake Box reminds me of the the cake I've made a long time ago. But this cake is way more better than the ones I have made because what I did was shaped the cake to resemble a pirate hat then place a skull and cross bones on it. 



The topper cake includes a sculpted pirate ship as well as a skull as well as crossbones cutout to match the party’s invitation. The base of the tier includes sand and various gold coins as well as nuggets.



Included are 50 pirate themed cupcakes topped with gold coins, skull and cross bones, swords, hats and a ship. The cupcakes were frosted with vanilla buttercream dyed to match the red, white and blue colors of the party.

View the original article here

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Quilted Pink Dogwood Wedding Cake



The cake is decorated in quilted ivory fondant with small piped pearls around the base of each tier



Brown branches cascade up the cake with hot pink and fuschia dogwood blossoms.



The entire cake was red velvet with 2 layers of cream cheese and 1 layer of raspberry chambord buttercream.

View the original article here

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Red Velvet Damask Wedding Cake



The design of the cake was coordinated to match the color theme of the couple’s invitation. A deep red band with a thinner brown stripe in the center and damask stencil on the middle tier to match the key design elements from the invitation was used. The entire cake was red velvet with lemon cream cheese filling.

View the original article here

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Birthday Cupcake Tower



The front of the tier includes a white crown with Vivian’s named piped in dark pink. The cake is covered in baby pink fondant with various sized pink and white polka dots.



Along with the cupcake tower 40 cupcakes are included. Flavors and fillings included vanilla with vanilla buttercream, pink velvet with vanilla and chocolate with vanilla. The cupcakes were covered in coordinated polka dots.


View the original article here

Monday, November 7, 2011

Fall Themed Wedding Cake



The highlight of this asymmetrically stacked 4 tier wedding cake is the small sculpted beagle named Buddy taking a bite out of the cake. Buddy is looking over slyly at the cake as a small amount of icing and cake rests on his tongue.

White pumpkins, orange, red, and yellow bittersweet berries and cascading fall leaves highlight the rest of the cakes decorations. The entire cake is covered in ivory fondant with shimmery deep red bands around the
base of each tier.



Flavors and fillings matched the cakes fall theme and included apple spice with caramel buttercream and chocolate with raspberry chambord and chocolate.

View the original article here

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes



Chocolate Stout Cupcakes adapted from Chow
I made these for my brother and was surprised at how much I liked them! This is a wonderful recipe.


  • 2 1/2 c (313 g) flour
  • 2 c (400 g) sugar
  • 3/4 c (64 g) cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 (11.2-ounce) bottle Guinness stout
  • 1/2 c (118 ml) milk
  • 1/2 c (118 ml) vegetable oil
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla
  • 3 eggs, room temp
  • 3/4 c (177 g) sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350F and line two muffin tins with liners. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the Guinness, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until completely incorporated. Mix in the sour cream.
Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold to combine. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, folding to combine. Divide into the prepared tins.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Set pans on a wire rack to cool completely before removing the cupcakes from the tins.






Simple Bailey's Buttercream

  • 1 c (227 g) unsalted butter, room temp
  • 1/2 cup (95 g) shortening
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 lbs (6 cups or 678 g) confectioner’s sugar
About 4 Tbsp Bailey's Irish Cream, mint or other flavor
Cream together the butter and shortening until lightened, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat to combine. Add the powdered sugar in about 1 cup additions and beat well before adding the next portion. After all the sugar has been incorporated, begin adding the Bailey's, on tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.


View the original article here

S'Mores Cakelettes

I have to try this cakelettes from Whisk Kid because this one looks so yummy!






S'Mores Cakelettes via Desserts for Breakfast
You'd think a post like this would be accompanied by a simple recipe, wouldn't you? But, alas... Here we are. These little cakes have a lot of components, but they are really very much worth the effort! They're quite rich, so I recommend keeping them small (part of their appeal is that they're individually-sized, after all. Just like a s'more!). They'll definitely disappear quickly, so be ready! Makes eight 3" delights.
Oh, also, I sandwiched extra meringue between small graham crackers spread with ganache. Yum.



Graham Crackers
These taste and smell amazing! The best graham crackers I've ever had, which is good because this makes more than you'll need.

  • 1/3 c (78 ml) honey 
  • 2 Tbsp molasses 
  • 4 Tbsp whole milk 
  • 2 Tbsp vanilla 
  • 2 1/2 c + 2 Tbsp (372 g) flour 
  • 1 c (142 g) light brown sugar 
  • 1 tsp baking soda 
  • 3/4 tsp salt 
  • 7 Tbsp (100 g) butter, cubed and frozen

Whisk together honey, molasses, milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Set aside.
Pour the flower, sugar, soda and salt into the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until combined. Put the butter in the food processor and pulse until the butter chunks are the size of small peas. Add the liquid ingredients and pulse just until a dough forms.
Place the dough on a lightly-floured surface and divide into 2 disks. Wrap each with plastic wrap and chill overnight or until firm.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and set aside.
Place one round of chilled dough onto a lightly-floured surface and roll out until it is about 1/8" thick. Cut eight 3" rounds (or slightly smaller as they will spread) and cut the remaining dough into desired shapes (you won't need them to be a specific shape to use for the genoise). Place cut crackers on a baking sheet about 1" apart and dock each a few times with a fork. Chill the baking sheet for 25-30 minutes.
While the sheets are chilling, preheat oven to 350F.
Bake the chilled crackers for about 18-20 minutes, rotating the sheet half-way. Remove from the oven when the crackers have turned brown and are slightly firm to the touch. Place the pan on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.



Graham Cracker Genoise

  • 1 oz (30 g) graham crackers 
  • 7 tsp (20 g) flour 
  • 5 tsp (12 g) corn starch 
  • 4 1/2 Tbsp (64 g) butter 
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla 
  • 6 egg yolks, room temp 
  • 1/2 c (88 g) sugar 
  • 2 Tbsp water

Preheat your oven to 350F. Prepare a quarter sheet pan by greasing it, then lining it with parchment paper greasing again. Set aside.
Grind the graham crackers into powder using a food processor. Add the flour and cornstarch and set aside.
Brown the butter in a small pan, cooking until solids drop to the bottom of the pan and most of the bubbling has subsided. Remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove the solids. Add vanilla and keep warm.
In a mixer bowl over simmering water, combine the egg yolks and the sugar. Whisk constantly until the mixture is almost hot to the touch. Immediately transfer the warmed egg yolks and sugar to a separate large mixing bowl and whisk on high speed for five minutes. Add the water to the eggs and sugar, then whisk briefly on medium to combine. Add half of the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and fold to combine. Repeat with the second half, then fold in half of the melted butter and vanilla. Fold in the second half and gently transfer to prepared 1/4 sheet pan. Smooth so that the batter over the pan and bake 15-20 minutes until the top is golden and it springs back when lightly pressed. Cool, in pan, on a rack.


Assembly Part 1
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using eight 3" molds, cut out 8 pieces of the cooled genoise and leave them in the molds. Place on prepared pan and set aside.


Chocolate Souffle Cake

  • 6 Tbsp (85 g) butter 
  • 7 oz (198 g) dark chocolate, chopped 
  • 4 eggs, separated. 
  • 7 Tbls (85 g) sugar, divided into equal parts 
  • pinch of salt

Preheat your oven to 325F. Have the molds prepared with the cut genoise.
Melt the butter on the stove in a small pan. When it is completely melted, add the dark chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool briefly.
Beat the egg yolks with half of sugar on high until light, fluffy, and triple in volume, about 4-5 minutes. Fold the chocolate mixture into the whipped yolks and set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with the remaining sugar and beat until the egg whites hold medium stiff and glossy peaks.
Fold a third of the egg whites into the chocolate and yolk mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whites in until there are no streaks. Immediately divide the batter into the eight cake rings on top of the graham cracker genoise layer at the bottom. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the tops of the cakes are no longer shiny, but not "souffled." Remove the cakes from the oven immediately and let cool completely, preferably overnight, until firm.

Dark Chocolate Ganache

  • 3 oz (85 g) dark chocolate, chopped 
  • 5 Tbsp (71 ml) heavy cream 
  • 1 Tbsp (14 g) butter 
  • 1 Tbsp chocolate liqueur, optional

Place the chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and set aside. Bring the heavy cream and butter to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until completely smooth. Whisk in the chocolate liqueur, if using.
Let the ganache cool until slightly thickened, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Spread a layer of the ganache onto each of the 8 round graham crackers and let cool at room temperature for another hour until the ganache is set. Set aside.

Italian Meringue

  • 1 1/2 c (310 grams) sugar 
  • 1/2 c (140 ml) water 
  • 5 egg whites, room temp

Combine water and sugar in a small pot over medium-high heat. Swirl the pan to help distribute the sugar, but do not stir. Bring syrup to a boil and cook until the temperature reaches 240F.
Meanwhile, place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl. Begin beating the egg whites when the syrup is at about 230F, bringing them to soft peaks - be very careful not to over beat! Once the syrup has reached 240F and the whites have been whipped, gradually pour the syrup into the egg whites, beating on high-speed. Beat until the bowl is no longer warm to the touch, about 15 minutes.


Assembly Part 2
Unmold the cakelettes. Spoon about a tablespoon or so of the Italian meringue on top of each cakelette, spreading to an even thickness. Top with a ganache-covered graham cracker round, ganache side down.
Frost each cakelette with remaining meringue. Use a blow torch to brown.
Serve at room temperature but store in the refrigerator.


View the original article here

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Retro Arcade Cake

Remember those freestanding classic arcade games with a big joystick and a coin deposit slot so you could play? Well this cake from Pink Cake Box looks exactly like those classic arcade games. 




The cake was one chocolate layer, and one vanilla layer, with oreo buttercream. Sounds yummy!








View the original article here

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Strawberries, Rhubarb and Cream Crepe Cake

Why couldn't I make a crepe cake that does not only tastes good but also looks good like this crepe cake I found at Whisk Kid???






Strawberries, Rhubarb and Cream Crepe Cake adapted from Cream Puffs in Venice
This cake was insanely delicious. All of the components come together into a sweet, smooth and delicious treat! While making the crepes, don't be discouraged if you have a few failures. This makes quite a bit of batter, so you've got a lot of room for error. Try to keep your cool and have fun! This would be great for a party, but make sure you give yourself enough time to prepare everything a day before serving and put it all together two hours in advance of your ideal slicing time.



Crepes
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 3 cups milk
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 7 tbsp. sugar
  • Pinch salt
  • vegetable oil

Prepare this batter the day before making the cake.
In a small pan, brown the butter, being careful not to burn. Set aside. In the same pan, heat the milk until steaming and allow to col for 10 minutes.
Beat together the eggs, flour, sugar and salt on medium low speed until just combined, then slowly add the milk and butter. Pour into a container with a spout, cover and refrigerate overnight.
To make the crepes, bring the batter to room temperature. In the meantime, prepare a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper so you have a place to store cooked crepes. Place a nonstick or seasoned 9-inch crepe pan over medium heat. Prep the pan by brushing the surface with oil, then pour in about 3 tablespoons of batter, quickly and swirling to cover the entirety of the bottom of the pan. Cook until the bottom just begins to brown, about 1 minute, then carefully lift flip the crepe any way you can. You can do this by lifting an edge and using your fingers, or by using an offset or regular spatula - whatever works for you! Cook on the other side for no longer than 5 seconds and flip the crepe onto the lined baking sheet. Repeat until all batter has been used.



Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce

  • 1 lb strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
  • 1 c chopped rhubarb
  • 1/4 c sugar, to taste
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and cover. Let set at room temperature for about an hour to macerate and draw out juices. After an hour has passed, set uncovered pan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced and syrupy, about 30 minutes. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate until needed.

Pastry Cream

  • 1 cups milk
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1/4 c sugar
  • 1/6 c cornstarch, sifted
  • 2 Tbsp butter, cubed and softened
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Fill a large bowl with ice and pull out a smaller bowl (that will fit inside) fitted with a fine-mesh sieve to hold the prepared pastry cream. Set aside.
In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the milk to a boil.
In the meantime, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch until lightened, about three minutes. When the milk comes to a boil, temper the yolks but adding about half of the hot milk to the yolks while whisking to combine. Pour the tempered yolks into the saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened but not boiling, about two minutes. Quickly press the pastry cream through the sieve in the small bowl and set the bowl in the ice bath. Stir until the temperature reaches 140F on an instant-read thermometer, then stir in the butter and vanilla. When the cream reaches room temperature, cover and refrigerate.


Assembly

  • 1 c heavy cream
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • Pastry cream
  • Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce
  • Crepes
  • Confectioner's sugar (optional)

Whip the heavy cream with the sugar to stiff peaks. Fold in the pastry cream. Set aside.
Pick out the best-looking crepe and set aside. Put down 1 crepe on a serving platter and top with a thin layer of pastry cream (don't use too much or the cake will slide). Add another crepe and top with strawberry rhubarb sauce. Continue stacking and finish by topping with the best-looking crepe. Chill for at least 2 hours. Let set at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Dust with confectioner's sugar, if desired.


View the original article here

1st Birthday Pink Cupcake Cake

For those looking for concept or theme for a birthday cake, I found this cute Birthday Pink Cupcake Cake in Pink Cake Box.




The cake is covered with a  pink fondant cupcake liner with white, yellow, green as well as raspberry polka dots.The top of the cake includes ivory fondant to resemble buttercream frosting with a pink amount 1, cherry as well as sprinkles. The board is decorated with raspberry  as well as white diagonal stripes and lime green ribbon. The entire cake was vanilla rainbow polka dot and filled with raspberry chambord buttercream!


View the original article here

Orange Syrup Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream



I've tried this recipe from Whisk Kid. And all I could say is YUM!


Orange Syrup Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream inspired by Martha Stewart
I know, you were expecting German Chocolate, right? I promise to get that recipe to you in the future. It just always gets eaten up before I can photograph it!
I'll be honest here: the orange flavor doesn't come through very much in this cake. I'm still trying to figure out how to make that happen. Orange is such a difficult flavor to capture in baked goods... At any rate, I really enjoyed this cake and particularly liked the way the candied orange slices looked on top.
Also, as a note, I made some modifications to this recipe to bake my cakes in 6" pans. However, that's not a standard size, so I'm posting the recipe for a 9" cake. If you want a 6" cake, just halve everything.

Candied Orange Slices via Use Real Butter
The slices themselves are more for garnish than anything, but the orange syrup is used to brush the layers. You will likely have extra of each.

  • 1 orange, washed
  • Water for boiling
  • Ice water
  • 2 (397 g) cups sugar
  • 1 (237 ml) cup water

Cut the orange into very thin slices, being careful not to cut them so thin that they fall apart. Remove any seeds and toss the ends. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan and blanch the orange slices for about one minute. Drain and plunge slices into a bath of ice water. Drain again.
Meanwhile, combine the sugar and 1 cup of water in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved without stirring, which may cause crystals to form. If the pan is not heating evenly, simply swirl the pan. Bring to a simmer and add the orange slices. Simmer - don’t boil - for an hour and a half. Carefully remove slices from hot sugar syrup and set on a cooling rack over a baking sheet until completely dry, up to 24 hours. Reserve the syrup for brushing onto the cake layers.

Vanilla Sponge adapted from Sky High

  • 1 1/2 c (298 g) sugar, divided
  • 1 orange, zest of
  • 2 c (278 g) cake flour* 
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 8 eggs, separated
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 6 Tbsp vegetable Oil
  • 2 tsp vanilla

Preheat your oven to 350F. Oil and line three 9" round cake pans, then set aside.
Put 1/2 cup (99 g) sugar in a small bowl with the orange zest and rub between your fingers until the sugar is very fragrant and looks like wet sand. Whisk in the cake flour and baking powder then set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the yolks, lemon juice, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium-high until slightly lightened, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Pour the egg whites into a very clean large bowl. Begin beating on medium-low until foamy, then turn the speed up to high and gradually add the remaining 1 cup (198 g) of sugar. Beat until moderately stiff peaks form (when lifting the beater from the bowl, the peaks should droop slightly), being very careful not to whip the whites until they are dry.
After the whites have been whipped, use a rubber spatula to gently fold 1/4 of them into the yolk mixture. Add another 1/4 of the whites and fold to combine. Repeat until all of the whites have been incorporated, then sift in 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Fold gently until few streaks remain, then add another third. Repeat, continuing to fold very gently, until the last addition of dry ingredients has been fully incorporated.
Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 15-20 minutes until the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from their pans and wrap them in plastic wrap then refrigerate them for at least 4 hours until they are completely cooled.
*If you don't have cake flour, combine 1 3/4 c (248 g) flour and 1/4 c (30 g) cornstarch to substitute.

White Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream


  • 10 egg whites
  • 2 c (400 g) sugar
  • 2 c (452 g) butter, room temp
  • 4 oz white chocolate, melted and cooled

Cook the egg whites and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved (test by rubbing some between your fingers. If it's completely smooth, it's done). Pour into another bowl (a stand mixer is preferable) and whip on high speed until room temp. Then, on a medium-slow speed, add the butter, waiting until each piece is completely incorporated before adding the next. After all the butter has been added, turn the mixer back to high speed and whip until it has come together, about five minutes. Add the white chocolate, beat to incorporate and use.
If the buttercream seems soupy after all of the butter is added and does not come together after whipping, refrigerate for 5 to 7 minutes and continue whipping until it becomes fluffy and workable.

Assembly
Cut the domes, if any, off the tops of the cakes.
Place a layer of cake on your serving platter. Brush cake with orange syrup, then top with a layer of buttercream. Add another layer of cake, brush with orange syrup and spread evenly with frosting. Place remaining cake on top and crumb coat with a small amount of buttercream. Frost and decorate as desired, using candied orange as a garnish.


View the original article here

Friday, November 4, 2011

PiƱa Colada Cake




I got this recipe from Whisk Kid. Enjoy!


PiƱa Colada Cake via Sky High
The author of this book uses and alternative to the creaming method for making her cakes. Don't be afraid to try it - it turns out fabulously! This recipe was a big hit!
Makes one 3-layer 9" cake.



Pineapple-Lime Filling

  • 1 (567 g) can crushed pineapple in juice (no sugar added)
  • 1 c (198 g) sugar
  • 1/4 c (59 ml) lime juice (from about 2 limes)
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Combine the pineapple, sugar and lime juice in a small saucepan. Bring the ingredients to a simmer, stirring frequently. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and the pineapple has a jam-like consistency. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before using.

Brown Sugar Cake

  • 1 3/4 c (414 ml) buttermilk*, divided
  • 5 eggs, room temp
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 3 3/4 c (532 g) flour
  • 1 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 1/4 c (319 g) brown sugar
  • 1 c (237 g) butter

Preheat your oven to 350F. Oil and line three 9" cake pans and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of buttermilk, the eggs and the vanilla. Set aside.
Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the brown sugar, butter, and 1 1/2 cups of the buttermilk, and mix on low to incorporate. When evenly combined, beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
Pour 1/3 of the egg mixture into the batter and beat just to combine. When fully incorporated, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add another 1/3. Repeat until all of the egg mixture has been added. Divide the batter amongst the prepared pans and bake 25-28 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly pressed. Cool cakes in pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pans, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to cool (doing so will ensure that the cake stays moist), about 4 hours.
*If you do not have buttermilk, pour 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice into your measuring cup before measuring the first cup. Pour that into a separate bowl and add the remaining milk. Let set about five minutes before using, allowing the milk to curdle slightly.


Coconut Swiss Meringue Buttercream

  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 c (198 g) sugar
  • 1 c + 4 tbsp (170 g) butter, cubed and at room temp
  • 2/3 c (156 ml) unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1 1/2 tsp coconut extract

In a double boiler, cook the egg whites and sugar, whisking constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and whip on high speed (with a stand mixer or an hand-held one) until room temp, 10-15 minutes. Lower speed to medium and begin adding the butter, piece by piece, waiting about 10 seconds before adding the next to ensure that it is fully incorporated. After all the butter has been added, return mixer to high speed and beat until the buttercream comes together and becomes light and fluffy, about five minutes. Add the coconut milk in several additions, scraping down the bowl well after each one. Beat in the extract and use.


Assembly
Put on layer of cake on your cake stand and cover with 1/2 of the Pineapple-Lime filling. Top with another layer of cake and spread that with the remaining filling. Put on the top layer and frost with the Coconut Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Cover sides with toasted coconut, if desired.

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Thursday, November 3, 2011

Halloween Cakes



Halloween is over but I just got to share this cakes I found in A Wedding Cake Blog. Better late than never! 


Anyway, if you like a Halloween themed cake for your wedding, birthday or whatever event you're planning on celebrating. Then you might want to see this cakes and take inspiration from it. You could probably use it for next year!

The picture above is a Spider Cake. The art is incredible. However, I don't think you could make me eat that cake because I hate spiders. I know... It's just art... They aren't real... Still, it gives me creeps. 




I might be persuaded to have a cake like this for my wedding. It looks traditional and classy save for that skull bride and groom cake topper. 


Instead of just putting a creepy bride and groom cake topper on top of a traditional-looking cake to make it more Halloween-ish, why not go all out by having a great black and orange cake with a Jack Skellington and Sally as a cake topper? Do you like it?



Yes, the cake really looks delicious. But I'm not a big fan of spiders so I think I'll pass on this one.







These cake pops are something that I wouldn't mind eating. But I think that they would be too cute to eat so I might end up saving and displaying them instead of eating them. 


So what do you think?  Are Halloween weddings your thing?  Or, do you think Halloween is more for kids?
Read More:  autumn cakes, fall cakes, fall themed cakes, halloween, halloween cakepops, halloween cakes, halloween wedding cakes, scary wedding cakes, skull cake toppers, spider cakes, wedding cakepops
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Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Strawberry Cake with Rose-Scented Buttercream



This strawberry cake is next on my "must-bake list". Again, this recipe is from Whisk Kid. The website contains a lot of great stuff so check it out.


Strawberry Cake with Rose Scented Buttercream
I was inspired to make this cake after discussing strawberry reduction with Stella of Bravetart. In addition to their flavor, the reduced berries impart a pleasantly subtle shade of pink to what would otherwise be a white cake. As a note, I found the cake to be delicious as is, but the crumb is a bit heavier than I was hoping for it to be. Next time I’ll replace the sour cream with milk to loosen the batter and make incorporating the egg whites a little easier. I hope you’ll enjoy this cake as much as I did!



Strawberry Reduction inspired by Bravetart

  • 1 1/2 c (230 g) sliced strawberries
  • 1/8 c (25 g) sugar

Combine in a small saucepan. Cover and let sit at room temp for one hour to pull the juices out of the berries.
Set saucepan over medium–low heat and, stirring frequently, reduce to 1/2 cup, about 30 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool to room temp.



Strawberry Cake adapted from Chocolate Chic
Makes enough batter for one 9” round cake, or two 6” round cakes.

  • 1 1/3 c (190 g) cake flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 c (118 ml) strawberry reduction
  • 1/2 c (118 ml) sour cream
  • 4 (160 g) egg whites
  • 6 Tbls (85 g) butter, room temp
  • 5/8 c (125 g) sugar 
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Preheat your oven to 350F. Oil and line one 9” round cake pan or two 6” rounds.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the strawberry reduction and sour cream. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, being very careful not to overbeat. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the batter.
In another large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about five minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Add 1/3 of the strawberry and sour cream mixture, mixing just to combine. Add half of the dry ingredients, mix to combine and repeat; ending with a final addition of the strawberry mixture.
Scoop about 1/3 of the whipped whites into the bowl of batter and mix to incorporate. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites in three additions.
Pour batter into prepared pans, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in pans for ten minutes, then remove from pans and wrap with plastic wrap, refrigerating until well-chilled, at least two hours, before frosting.



Rose-Scented Swiss Meringue Buttercream
  • 1 1/2 c (300 g) sugar
  • 7 egg whites
  • 27 Tbsp (381 g) unsalted butter, room temp
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Few drops rose water

In a double boiler, cook the egg whites and sugar over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved (test by rubbing some between your fingers. If it's completely smooth, it's done). Pour into another bowl (a stand mixer is preferable) and whip on high speed until room temp. Then, on a medium-low speed, add the butter, waiting until each piece is completely incorporated before adding the next. The buttercream may turn into a soupy curdled mess during this process, but if you continue beating it for a few minutes it will become light and fluffy. Add the rose water and vanilla, beating to combine.


View the original article here

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Cinnamon Graham Cupcakes with Mixed Berry Filling and Swiss Meringue



I found this recipe on Whisk Kid. I tried making this but.... FAIL. I shall try again sometime.


Cinnamon Graham Cupcakes with Mixed Berry Filling and Swiss Meringue
These cupcakes are not overly-sweet, very light and pleasantly moist. Make them with whichever fruits you have on hand, fresh or frozen, and serve without telling your guests about the surprise inside.
Printable Recipe



Cinnamon Graham Cupcakes
This recipe made 9 which I realize is an odd yield, but that's what happened, sooooo.... Yeah.
3/4 c (105 g) flour
1/4 c (35 g) whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp cornstarch
3/4 c (107 g) brown sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/8 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 egg, room temp
3/8 c (90 ml) warm water
3/8 c (90 ml) buttermilk*
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
Preheat the oven to 325F (160C) and prepare one cupcake tin with cupcake liners. Set aside.
Whisk together the flours, cornstarch, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl. After combining thoroughly, make a well in the center and add all of the remaining ingredients. Whisk just until smooth.
Portion batter into the pan, filling cups 2/3rds full and bake 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in one comes out with only a few crumbs attached. Cool, in pan, on a rack for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and allow to cool completely on the rack before filling and frosting.
*If you do not have buttermilk, pour about 1/2 tsp of vinegar into your measuring cup and fill remaining measure with regular milk. Let set five minutes at room temp before using (milk should curdle slightly).



Mixed Berry Filling
The exact ingredients and ratios for the filling aren't terribly important. Use the fruit you have in the quantity you like and cook until thick.
2 handfuls of blueberries, fresh or frozen
2 handfuls of raspberries, fresh or frozen
2 Tbsp sugar
Combine all ingredients in a small pan and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat until reduced and thick. Press through a strainer to remove seeds, if desired. Let cool.

Swiss Meringue
3 egg whites
3/8 c (75 g) sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Heat a pot of water to a simmer.
Meanwhile, whisk together the egg whites and sugar in a bowl large enough to sit over the top of the pot of simmering water (like a double boiler). Once the water has come to temp, reduce the heat to medium-low and set the bowl containing the egg whites and sugar on top. Whisk constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is quite warm.
Remove from heat and beat on high speed until cooled to room temp, about 10 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and frost cupcakes immediately.

Assembly
Core the cooled cupcakes by cutting a circle (about 1" in diameter) on the top of the cupcake with a sharp knife. Cut straight down as deep as you like and use a spoon to help gently scoop out the core. Carefully trim part of the core off and discard (ie: eat) the bottom part, reserving the top. Fill the cupcake with a scoop of the filling mixture and top with the reserved piece of cupcake, pressing gently to seal. Repeat for all cupcakes, then frost. Toast topping with a kitchen torch to brown, if desired.

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Blue and Yellow Cake




I found this on A Wedding Cake Blog. What do you think of this cake? Do you like the color combination? For me, I would not have thought that blue and yellow could make a cake look lovely. 


Let me know your thoughts.



View the original article here

Monday, October 31, 2011

Cake Topper Friday: Mission Impossible Wedding Cake Topper

Cake topper with guns? What do you think?




Found this cake topper on a blog called, A Wedding Cake Blog. Apparently, the bride and groom who used this cake topper planned their wedding for only 5 months and got the theme from Mission: Impossible since it is nearly impossible to plan a wedding with only a few months. 

View the original article here