Red Velvet Cake

This picture above is of the first red velvet cake I made with the accidentally pink icing and it tasted really good. I made another red velvet for my mom's friend at work a couple weeks ago and although I never actually had a piece of it I heard it was pretty good. Below is the recipe I used for both of those cakes and the cream cheese icing that really tops it all off. (Enjoy Emma)

CAKE:

Ingredients:

-6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

-1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

-2 eggs, beaten

-1 tsp. vanilla extract

-1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

-3 Tbsp. cocoa powder

-1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

-Pinch of salt

-1 Tbsp. red food coloring

-1/2 cup buttermilk

-1 Tbsp. white vinegar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour two 9in round cake pans.

     For the cake, cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl, then beat in the eggs and vanilla extract. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a separate bowl. Stir the food coloring into the buttermilk.

     Alternately add the flour and buttermilk mixtures to the creamed mixture. Stir in the vinegar, mixing well. Pour the mixture into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly. Bake in oven for 30-35 min, or until firm to the touch. Cool in the pans for 10 min, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

FROSTING:

Ingredients:

-6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

-8 oz. cream cheese

-1 lb powdered sugar

-1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

For the frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese together in a bowl. Beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mixing well. Sandwich the two cakes together with some frosting, then spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. 

cake I made a few weeks ago

Funfetti Cookies

I have made these cookies so many times and every time they are soo good and gone really quickly. The recipe is so simple that its only three ingredients and it tastes just like cake batter. You can ice these cookies and decorate them with sprinkles or just leave them plain they are amazing either way. I prefer to ice them but that's just me and each time I have used canned icing that I bought when I got the cake mix and it makes these cookies even better. You could always make buttercream with these cookies too it also tastes very good. I made a funfetti cookie cake for Mike's birthday which was double the recipe below baked in two 9 in cake pans and coated the cake in two batches of buttercream it was so sweet it made your teeth hurt, there's a picture below.

Ingredients:

-1 box funfetti cake mix

-1/3 cup oil

-2 eggs

-icing and sprinkles for decorating (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F and spray two baking sheets with nonstick spray.

     Dump the cake mix into a large bowl and add the eggs and oil. With an electric mixer (or just a spoon) beat the mixture until thoroughly combined. Place 12 one inch dollops of dough onto each baking sheet and bake in oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. (The cookies might look a little doughy, that's okay they will set when they cool.) Leave cookies on baking sheet for a minute or two then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, and ice and decorate if you so choose. 

funfetti cookie cake 

Oreo Stuffed Brownies

I have made these brownies twice and both times they have been super delicious. I found the recipe while I was browsing tastespotting.com from lifestooshorttoskipdessert.blogspot.com and they are amazing I only made a few slight changes in the recipe below but it's pretty much the same. These brownies are also really easy to make if your looking for a spur of the moment treat to satisfy your sweet tooth. 

BROWNIES:

Ingredients:

-2 sticks butter

-8 oz semisweet chocolate

-4 eggs

-1/2 tsp. salt

-1 cup brown sugar

-1 cup granulated sugar

-2 tsp. vanilla extract

-1 cup flour

-1 bag double stuffed oreos

Directions:

Butter a 9x13in baking pan and preheat the oven to 350F

     In the top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, or on low power in the microwave, melt butter and chocolate together. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. In a large bowl or mixer, whisk eggs. Whisk in salt, sugars, and vanilla. Whisk in chocolate mixture. Fold in flour just until combined.

     Pour HALF of the batter into the prepared pan, line the batter with oreos ( I was able to fit about 24). Pour the rest of the batter over the oreos and make sure they are completely covered. Bake for 35-40 min or until shiny and beginning to crack on top. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. (for best results bake one day before serving, let cool and store, tightly wrapped.)

ENJOY!

New Brooklyn Chocolate Blackout

This cake is awesome. It also takes forever to make and mine kinda fell apart but I covered it up with a crumb coat. Also, this cake has a pudding filling that glues everything together and makes one big dense chocolate cake. I got this recipe from Chocolate Cakes by Elinor Klivans which says that the total time for this cake is about an hour and ten minutes but it took me a lot longer. Also, make sure that you read the recipe before making this cake because you do have to let the pudding filling chill overnight and you're probably not going to have all of these ingredients in your pantry so this is not a spur of the moment cake. But it is definitely worth the time and effort you put into it. 

FILLING:  (requires 5 hrs - overnight chilling)

Ingredients:

-2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

-1 1/2 cups hot water

-3/4 cup sugar

-3 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

-3 Tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2Tbsp. water

-1/4 tsp. salt

-1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces 

-1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, heat the cocoa powder, hot water, sugar, and chocolate over low heat. Use a large spoon to stir constantly until the cocoa powder dissolves and the chocolate melts. Add the dissolved cornstarch and the salt to the saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil gently for 1 min, stirring constantly, especially where the sides and bottom of the pan meet. Remove the pan from the heat, add the butter and vanilla, and stir until the butter melts. Pour the filling into a bowl and press plastic wrap onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until the filling thickens, at least 5 hours or up to overnight. It will be the consistency of soft pudding. 

CAKE:

Ingredients:

-2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

-1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

-3/4 cup whole milk

-2 cups cake flour

-1 tsp. baking powder

-1 tsp. baking soda

-1 tsp. salt

-1 cup unsalted butter, at room temp

-2 cups sugar

-4 large eggs

-2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter the bottom and sides of two 9 in. round cake pans with sides 1 3/4 to 2 in high. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and butter the paper. 

     To make the cake: Put the chocolate, cocoa powder, and milk in a heatproof bowl (or top of a double boiler) and place it over, but not touching, barely simmering water in a saucepan (or bottom of a double boiler). Stir until the chocolate is melted, the cocoa powder dissolves, and the mixture is smooth. Remove from over water and set aside to cool to lukewarm.

     Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until lightened to a cream color and smooth, about 2 min. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, two at a time, mixing until each addition is blended into the batter, and adding the vanilla with the last addition. Beat for 1 minute more. On low speed, mix in the cooled chocolate mixture to blend it smoothly. Add the flour mixture, mixing just until the flour is incorporated and the batter looks smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly.

     Bake just until the tops feel firm when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, about 40 min. Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks for 10 min. Use a small sharp knife to loosen each cake from the sides of the pan, and invert each cake onto a wire rack. Carefully remove the paper and place it loosely on the cake. Let the cake layers cool thoroughly, then discard the paper. 

FROSTING:

Ingredients:

-12 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

-3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temp

-1/2 cup lukewarm water (88F-90F)

-1 Tbsp. light corn syrup

-2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

To make frosting: Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl (or top of a double boiler) and place it over, but not touching, barely simmering water in a saucepan (or bottom or a double boiler). Stir until the chocolate and butter are melted and smooth. Remove from over the water and set aside to cool slightly. Check with your fingertips that the temperature of the lukewarm water feels similar to that of the chocolate. Add the lukewarm water all at once to the chocolate mixture and gently whisk until the frosting is smooth. It will thicken slightly when the water is added. Stir in the corn syrup and vanilla. Let the frosting sit at room temperature until it cools and thickens slightly, about 30 min. 

ASSEMBLY:

Invert a serving plate on one cake layer and turn the cake so that it is top up. Tuck wax paper strips 1in or so under the cake all the way around to keep the plate clean. Use a long serrated knife to cut the cake layer horizontally into two even layers (this is where my cake fell apart). Carefully slip the removable bottom of a tart pan or springform pan between the layers, lift the top layer, and set aside. Leaving a 1/2 in plain edge around the top of the cake, use a thin metal spatula to spread about half of the cold filling over the cake. Carefully slide the top cake half over the filling, centering it over the bottom layer, and spread it with the remaining filling. Invert the second layer onto a plate so that it is top up, and cut horizontally into 2 even layers. Carefully slide the top layer over the filling. You will have a three layer cake. The remaining cake will be crumbled and used to cover the frosted cake.

     Use a thin metal spatula to cover the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of frosting. Refrigerate the cake for 15 min to firm the cake and filling. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the chilled cake. Use your fingers to crumble the remaining cake layer into small crumbs. Sprinkle the crumbs over the top of the cake and press them onto the sides. Use all of the crumbs to make a thick crumb coating. Remove the paper strips and discard them. Use a large, sharp knife to cut the cake.

     The cake can be covered and refrigerated up to 2 days. Let it sit at room temperature for about 45 min before serving. 

     

Checkerboard Cake

I made this cake for Mike's graduation party in the spring and it was a huge hit. It looks like it would be hard to make but it really isn't. I got this recipe from Valerie Barrett's Cakes Galore and only changed the color to make it blue and white instead of pink and white to match Ladue colors. For this cake above I cheated and used canned icing because I thought the cake would take too much time and I would not want to make buttercream but if I did this again I would make my own icing so I included the recipe the book had for the most basic buttercream. When I decorated with the canned icing I only dyed about a 1/3 of it blue rather than all of it because only the side of my cake and the writing on top was blue and the majority of it was white. 

CAKE:

Plain Cake Ingredients:

-3/4 cup vegetable margarine

-3/4 cup superfine sugar (I used granulated)

-3 eggs, beaten

-1 1/4 cups self-rising flour

Blue Cake Ingredients:

-3/4 cup vegetable margarine

-3/4 cup superfine sugar

-3 eggs, beaten

-1 1/4 cup self-rising flour

-Blue food coloring

 FROSTING:

-2 cups soft margarine

-8 cups powdered sugar, sifted

-blue food coloring

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. To make plain cake, grease and line the bottom of two 8 in. round cake pans.

     Beat the margarine and sugar together in a bowl until light and creamy. Add the eggs and flour and beat until smooth. Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared pans and level the surface. Bake in oven for 20-25 min, or until risen and firm to touch. Cool in the pans for a few minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

     To make the blue cakes, follow the same method as for the plain cakes but add some blue food coloring to the margarine and sugar mixture, mixing well. Bake and cool the cakes as above. 

     To make the frosting, put the margarine in a bowl and gradually beat in the powdered sugar. Add some blue food coloring, mixing well. You can leave out come plain white icing for decorating if you would like

     To assemble the cakes, place them on a large work surface. Using a 4 1/2 in and a 2in plain round cookie cutter, cut rings from each cake. (make sure that cakes are COMPLETELY cooled) Carefully lift the central ring from each cake and replace it with one of the other color (when I did this I put a little icing between the different rings to keep them together better). Spread a little frosting over each cake and stack them on top of one another, making sure you alternate the cakes to give a checkerboard effect. 

this is what the cake should look like before icing it

     Spread the remaining blue frosting over the top and sides of the cake. If you are decorating it with white icing like I did then place the reserved icing in a piping bag and pipe away. 

Whipped Cream Cheesecake

Whipped cream cheesecake is light and creamy makes for a beautiful centerpiece. I made this cake above as a practice for my mom's 50th birthday which really wasn't needed because this cheesecake is pretty easy to make. I got the recipe from Cakes Galore by Valerie Barrett and it is very good! 

CHEESECAKE:

Ingredients:

-7 oz graham crackers, crushed

-1/4 cup/1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

-3 x 8oz packages cream cheese

-pinch of salt

-3Tbsp. cornstarch

-1 cup superfine sugar (I used granulated)

-2 eggs, beaten

-2 egg yolks

-2 tsp. vanilla extract

-2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

-fruit to decorate

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300F. Grease a 9 in. springform pan fitted with a flat base. Mix together the cracker crumbs and melted butter, and press evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in oven for 10 min, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

     Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until soft and smooth. Add the salt, cornstarch, and sugar and beat for 1 min. Gradually add the eggs and egg yolk, beating well to combine. Stir in vanilla extract.

     In a separate bowl, whip the cream to form soft peaks, then fold half of the whipped cream into the cheese mixture. Refrigerate the remaining cream. Pour the cheese mixture evenly over the graham cracker crust. Bake in the oven for 50-60 min, or until set at the edges but slightly soft in the center. 

     Turn off the oven, leave the cheesecake inside, and leave the door ajar. Cool in the oven for 30 min. Remove the cheesecake and cool to room temp, then remove it from the pan, place it on a serving plate, cover with foil, refrigerate until cold. 

     Spread the remaining whipped cream evenly over the top of the cheesecake and decorate with fruit.

Happy Chocolate Cake

This is your basic chocolate cake. Two layers of devil's food cake gobbs of chocolate buttercream topped off with chocolate curls. I got this recipe from Elinor Klivans Chocolate Cakes that I got for my birthday last year its easy and delicious and perfect for any occasion. I made this cake for father's day a couple moths ago but it is so versatile you could make it for anything.

Use sturdy, good quality layer pans with sides that are 1 3/4 to 2 in high because if sides are too low cake can overflow and then you have a problem. Mixing time: 15 min for cake and frosting Baking time: 350F for about 35 minutes

DEVIL'S FOOD:

For two 9 in. layers:

-2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

-2 cups cake (soft-wheat) flour

-2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

-1 tsp. baking soda

-1/2 tsp. salt

-3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temp

-1 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

-3/4 cup granulated sugar

-3 large eggs

-1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

Directions:

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Butter the bottom and sides of two 9 in round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment baking paper and butter the paper. 

     Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl (or top of a double broiler which is what I do) and place it over, but not touching, barely simmering water in a sauce pan (or bottom of a double boiler). Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from over the water and set aside to cool slightly.

     Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and brown and granulated sugars until smoothly blended and creamy, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each is blended into the batter. Add the vanilla and beat for 2 minutes. On a low speed, mix in the melted chocolate. Add the flour mixture in three additions alternately with the buttermilk in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing just until the flour is incorporated and the batter looks smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly.

     Bake just until the tops feel firm when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

     Use a small, sharp knife  to loosen each cake from the sides of the pan, and invert the cake onto a wire rack. Carefully remove the parchment paper and place the paper loosely on the cake. Let cool thoroughly, then discard the paper.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM:

Ingredients:

-3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

-4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

-1/3 cup heavy cream, at room temp

-3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temp

-2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

-1/8 tsp. salt

-1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Put both chocolates in a heatproof bowl (or top of a double broiler) and place it over, but not touching, barely simmering water in a saucepan (or the bottom of a double broiler). Stir constantly, until the chocolates are melted and smooth. Remove from over the water and set aside to cool slightly.

     In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, powdered sugar, and salt until smoothly blended and creamy, about 1 minute. On a low speed, beat in the melted chocolate, cream, and vanilla until blended into the frosting. On a medium speed, beat the frosting until it is fluffy and lightens slightly in color, about 1 minute. Frosting is best used right after it is made. 

CHOCOLATE CURLS (OPTIONAL)

Ingredients/tools:

-large thick piece of chocolate, about 8 oz. \

-Vegetable peeler with swivel blade

-baking sheet/tray lined with parchment paper

Directions:

The chocolate should be at a very slightly softened state. To check the temperature, try making a few curls. If the chocolate is too firm, flakes form. If the chocolate is too soft, soft lumps clog the vegetable peeler. When the chocolate is at the right temperature, curls roll easily of the vegetable peeler. White and milk chocolate are softer than dark chocolate, and on a warm day they may be ready to form curls without preparation. 

     Have ready a baking sheet (tray) lined with parchment paper. Warm the chocolate between the palms of your hands for about 2 min. White and milk chocolate take less time to warm up; any chocolate takes longer to warm up if the room is cold. When the chocolate is ready it will feel slightly sticky. In this state, dark chocolate looses some of its shine. Another method is to put the chocolate in a sunny window for about 5 minutes, being sure to watch it so it doesn't melt. 

     Hold the block of chocolate in one hand. Moving the vegetable peeler away from you, scrape curls from the block in a single layer, using long strokes of 1 1/2 to 2 in. and forming curls about 1 in wide. Let the curls fall gently onto the lined baking sheet, using a small spoon to separate any that touch. Scrape along the sides of the chocolate block. The curls will vary in shape and size; longer curls will roll over themselves, and smaller shavings will have a curved shape. If the chocolate begins to flake or break instead of make curls, it is too hard and should be held between your hands again until it softens. If the chocolate is too soft and starts to clog the vegetable peeler, let it sit at room temp or chill briefly until it is firm enough. When block becomes too small to form curls save the chocolate pieces for a later use. You can make about 4 cups of chocolate curls from an 8 oz block. 

     Put the baking sheet with the chocolate curls in the freezer for about 30 min to firm them. Use a spoon to place them carefully over the top of a dessert or on the sides of a frosted cake. You can also place the curls in a tightly sealed container and freeze for up to 1 month.

ASSEMBLY:

Transfer one cake layer to a serving plate so that it is top up. Tuck wax paper strips 1 in or so under the cake all the way around to keep the plate clean. Use a thin metal spatula to spread about 1 1/4 cups of the frosting over the cake. Place the remaining cake layer onto the filling, centering it carefully. Scrape 3/4 of the frosting into a small bowl for decorating. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. 

     Spoon the reserved 3/4 cup frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a star or round tip. Pipe a border of shells or swirls around the top of the cake. (you can do this on the bottom as well if you have leftover icing) Spoon the chocolate curls over the center of the cake. Remove the paper strips and discard them.

     The cake can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Let sit at room temp for 1 hour before serving to let the frosting soften. 

Ghosts of Cakes Past

A timeline of my past adventures in cake making:

back when I made cake from a box 

\

first experiment with fondant...not a success

the first and only carrot cake I have ever made

red velvet cake for my birthday with the icing that was suppose to be white but ended up pink

birthday cake that looked really pretty but the actual cake tasted like crap

superbowl cake from a couple years ago

red velvet cake that I made for my moms friend at work

christmas cake that was actually from a box with can icing but it looked pretty and tasted decent

devil's food and chocolate buttercream that was to die for