Thursday, July 30, 2015

Double Decker Birthday Cake


I wanted to make Ella's birthday cake frosted in color of pink and blue. My thought is to decorate cake with snowflake theme for a little sweet birthday girl.

I have tried several cake recipes since I started making frosted cake but I haven't really found a recipe that I can say I want to use "the Joanne's cake recipe". So I hoping one of these days, I will land on the one recipe that I can say... I found my favorite cake recipe that I really really like.

This recipe seems to work very well for me. I doubled the recipe and mixing them separately I found that the results of both came out identical.... hmmm... this recipe could be a winner here! ;) I may continue to pursue other new recipe and return to this recipe to claim that this is the winner.

I found and used this yellow cake recipe.

Ingredients:
3 large eggs separated and at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/8 cups all purpose flour, plus 1/8 cup corn starch (total comes to 2 1/4 cups flour)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup + 1 tbs vegetable oil
1 cup 2% milk (or any kind)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Strawberry Preserves (or any preserves of your choice or just used the same prepared frosting)
Choice frosting, I used pink and blue buttercream frosting. buttercream frosting found ...(tba).

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350
Prepare 2 baking pans, I used oval pans, one medium and one small
Grease sides and line bottom of each pan with parchment ovals.

Beat egg whites until frothy then add 1/2 cup of the sugar (reserving the rest) a tablespoon at a time until egg whiles are stiff and glossy. Set aside.
Mix flour, remaining 1 cup sugar, baking powder and salt into large mixing bowl fitted with padded attachment.
Add the oil and 1/2 cup of the milk and the vanilla. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed, mixture will be quite thick.
Add the egg yolks and remaining milk and beat on medium speed for 1 minute.
Fold in egg whites and distribute into the baking pans.
Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool for 10-20 minutes in the pan then turn out onto cake rack to cool completely.
Make the same recipe again for the 2nd layer.

Prepare buttercream frosting.
Set medium cake on cake plate.
Spread 1/2 cup of strawberry preserve (or frosting if using frosting instead of preserved) on top of cake.
Stack small oval cake on top of meduim cake.
Lightly crumb coat both cakes, starting on top and work your way to the sides and finishing to the top.

Set crumb coated cake in the fridge for at least 30 mins or longer.
Finish frosting the cake with finishing frosted decorations.

Here is the finished cake.... decorated and frosted in pink and blue.. dotted and sprinkled with star shapes ...like snowflakes





Friday, July 17, 2015

Birthday Cake

I wanted to bake a special Birthday Cake for my best friend. She is most generous friend anybody could ask for. Tomorrow, her family and friends are throwing her a surprise birthday party and I am honored to be tasked to bake her the birthday cake. This is a 10 inch double layer cake, it is quite a big cake.

I doubled the recipe. This is not a light cake in terms of frosting. New design on the decorations, though it looks simple with just a crumb coating, believe me the frosting is much thicker coating (but not overwhelming) than any of my previous cakes.

I have used the Home and Garden recipe with lots of modifications.

3/4 unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 light sour cream
3 eggs

3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup crisco blended butter
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup strawberry preserves.

Bake at 350 degree for 5 mins
Continue to bake at 325 degree for another 40 mins.

10 inch cake pan
Lined bottom of pan with parchment paper
Grease around side of pan with margarine.

Cake is done when tooth pick comes out clean.
Let cake cool down for 10 mins, turn cake onto cake stand.

Frosting with buttercream frosting.










Sunday, July 12, 2015

Summer Peach Cake

With summer in full swing, it is time to hit the fruits stand. I love peaches anytime and all year if it is up to me. Peach and nectarines are few of my favorite fruits. And when peaches are in season, I can enjoy and eat them as much as I want and also get extras for baking. I will be trying another peach cake recipe next time where I stack the layers with frost decorations.

Today, I am baking from this recipe found from this site .

I am tried gluten free version using rice flour, the texture of the cake comes out much drier, hopefully the taste is okay.

Here is my recipe.
1 1/2 cup flour  ( for gluten free recipe, I replace flour with rice flour and also add 2 Tbs corn starch)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
5 1/3 tablespoons crisco butter stickt
3/4 cup sugar plus 1 tsp sugar, 1 tb brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup plus 2 tbs milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 peaches, pitted and sliced.

Preheat oven to 350 degree.
I double the recipe wo that I lined bottom of (3) 9 inch cake pan with parchment paper.
Grease sides of pan generously with margarine.

In mixer, beat together crisco and 3/4 cup og sugar until creamy.
Add in egg, vanilla until combined.
Alternately mix flour and milk, ending with flour until just combined.
Divide and spread batter among the 3 prepared pans.
Arrange peaches on top of cake batter.
Sprinkle with remaining sugar and brown sugar over the peaches.
Bake for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted and cake comes out clean.
Cut into wedges and server with ice cream or whipped cream.



Sunday, July 5, 2015

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Using the same red velvet cake recipe . I am baking cupcakes as well.

I added a few drops of cherry chips sauce to my buttercream frosting for a hint of cherry color frosting.

Recipe will follow shortly



Red Velvet Cake with Cherry Chips Sauce

I made this cake using cake mix but not entirely following the box directions. Frosted the cake and decorated the cake with cherry chips sauce and top with a few fresh cherries.

Recipe will follow shortly.