Birthdays and Bakery cakes

 

When I was a little girl my mother would give me the choice of cake for my birthdays.  While some of my siblings picked cake mix-homemade cakes, I always chose a bakery cake from our local bakery.  I did this because I loved butter cream and the way they decorated with all the pretty edging designs and pretty, colorful roses.  I would always be in awe when my mother brought the cake home and opened the box.  It was so pretty, a work of art I thought.  And I felt special having a cake made and decorated just for me.

I wonder if those desires and cake experiences influenced my love of baking and creating pretty things.
Now as an adult, I rarely buy bakery cakes, because I've learned to make them myself.  I don't mind making my own cake, because its what I love to do.  Thanks Mom for getting me those cakes and fostering this love of baking :)
Today for my birthday I made a simple Whoopie Pie cake, garnished with chocolate shavings, yummy!

I used 1/4 of my favorite whoopie pie recipe and used 2 icecream scoops of batter for each whoopie cookie.  For the shavings, I grated bittersweet chocolate on the largest side of a cheese grater.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/foodnation-with-bobby-flay/whoopie-pies-recipe/index.html?soc=share

Red Velvet Valentine Cakes

Recipe
Cake
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs at room temperature
2 Tbsp red food coloring
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp dutch processed cocoa
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick unsalted butter at room temp
8 oz package cream cheese at room tep
2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare cake pans, I made 5 mini cakes with this batter and 8 cupcakes, this can also make 1 large bundt cake.  Spray your choice of pans with baking spray or line cupcake pans with paper liners.  Combine first 6 ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat on medium until blended.  Sift together the remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl.  Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 intervals, and mix on low after each addition.  Pour batter into prepared cake pans.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean, about 25 minutes for mini cakes.  Cool completely before frosting.  Frosting:  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream together the butter and cream cheese until soft and smooth.  Slowly add the confectioners sugar and continue to blend, scraping sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.  Add vanilla extract and mix on medium until smooth and fluffy.  Frost the top of your cakes and decorate as desired.
Recipe adapted from "Kiss my Bundt"

Enjoy!

Recipe from:

http://astore.amazon.com/rosscoubak-20/detail/0977412024

Apple-Pecan Upside Down Cake

The simple goodness of this buttery-appley-sugary-cinnamon-pecan topping makes this cake a winner and it is very simple to prepare!

 

 

Recipe:
Apple bottom mixture
1/2 stick of unsalted butter (1/4 cup), melted
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 Tbs cinnamon
2 baking apples (I used a combo of granny smith and golden delicious), peeled and cut into thin slices
Cake
1 stick of unsalted butter (1/2 cup) at room temp
1 cup sugar
2 extra-large eggs at room temp
3/4 cup sour cream at room temp
1 Tbs heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Cut a piece of parchment the size of your 8-9" square cake pan, spray pan with baking spray, place parchment on bottom.

  Preheat oven to 350.  Pour and spread melted butter into prepared pan.  Mix together 1/2 cup of the  sugar, pecans and cinnamon and sprinkle this mixture over the melted butter.

Arrange the apple slices on top, overlapping slightly.

In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with a paddle, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar about 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy, then add eggs, sour cream, heavy cream and vanilla, beating on low after each addition until just combined.  In a seperate bowl sift together the flour baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Slowly add this mixture to the batter and beat on low a few seconds until incorporated then on medium for 30 seconds. 
 Pour batter evenly over apples and spread to edges of pan with a spatula.

Bake for about 35 minutes or until top is golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. 

 Cool in pan for 10 minutes then loosen around edges with a knife.  Cover with a serving plate or cookie sheet, turn over and lift off pan.

Then slowly and gently peel off the parchment paper to reveal the buttery, sugary, cinnamon pecan topping all beautifully caramelized,  scrape any of this goodness that sticks to the paper back on the cake, or just lick the paper :)

                                       

 Enjoy!

Linked to:  http://www.thecountrycook.net/2012/02/weekend-potluck-5.html

Heavenly Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Buttercream and Chocolate Shavings

I love the flavor combo of a rich chocolate cake with a light and fluffy vanilla butter cream!  I combined and tweaked a couple of recipes to come up with this moist and rich chocolate cake with a creamy vanilla butter cream, garnished with chocolate shavings, so yummy!

 

 Chocolate Cake:

• 1 cup boiling water
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon instant expresso coffee
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups cake flour, sifted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter room temperature
• 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 4 large eggs room temperature

 Italian Meringue Buttercream:

• 4 large egg whites room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 1/3 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 sticks  unsalted butter (16 oz total) room temperature cut into tablespoon pieces
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• Topping:
• Chocolate Shavings: 1/2 oz bittersweet baking chocolate

Directions:

• For the cake: Position rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease 2- 9 " round cake pans.
• Whisk together hot water, cocoa and expresso in a bowl until smooth, then whisk in milk and vanilla.
• Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt in another bowl.
• Beat butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well. Reduce speed to low and add flour and cocoa mixtures alternately in batches. Beat until incorporated.
• Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean about 25 minutes. Cool layers.
• Make Buttercream: Combine whites and salt in a large bowl of a stand mixer. Stir together water and 1 1/3 cup of sugar in a small saucepan until sugar is dissolved. Then bring to a boil over medium heat, without stirring. Keep a pastry brush dipped with water nearby and brush down any crystals. When syrup reach a boil, begin beating egg whites at medium high speed until frothy, then slowly add remaining sugar and beat at medium until whites begin to hold soft peaks, then stop. Check the sugar syrup with a thermometer and continue boiling until it reaches 240 degrees. Remove immediately from heat and with mixer at high, slowly pour syrup in a thin stream down side of bowl into whites, beating continuously, scrape down with a rubber spatula when needed. Continue beating until meringue is cool to the touch, about 10 minutes. At medium speed, add butter 1 piece at a time, continue beating until buttercream is smooth. Add vanilla and beat until blended about 1 minute more.
• Assemble cake: Put 1st layer on a cake stand or platter and using an offset spatula spread top with about 1 cup buttercream. Top with remaining cake layer, and frost side and top of cake with 2 cups buttercream. Use any decorative pattern desired.
• Shave chocolate with a vegetable peeler and sprinkle shavings over top of cake.  Serves 10-12
Recipe adapted from epicurious.com

Enjoy!

Hummingbird Cupcakes

I discovered Hummingbird cake when reading through Magnolia Bakery cookbook, it looked delicious but sounded very busy.  Last weekend when visiting in the city I stopped at Magnolia Bakery and saw this cake in cupcake form, so I had to try one, Magnolia describes it: "Bananas, pineapples and pecans make up this classic southern cake with sweet cream cheese icing,"  Country Living describes it as: "Hummingbird cake is a banana-pineapple creation that has been enjoyed throughout the South since the mid-nineteenth century." Well one bite later I discovered my new favorite cake and had to recreate it at home.  The flavors enhance each other making a very moist and sweet cake!  On the nutrition side I would estimate you are getting one full serving of fruit with each piece of cake, so don't worry about the fat and carbs :)  Here is the recipe:

Hummingbird Cupcakes

Cake:
1 8oz can crushed pineapple in unsweetened juice
3 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp grd cinnamon
1 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 cups very ripe mashed bananas (about 5)
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped toasted pecans

Cream Cheese Frosting:
12 oz cream cheese, slightly softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
5 cups sifted confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  Line 2 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners.  Drain pineapple, reserve 1/4 cup juice for later.  Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and set aside.  Beat sugar and oil in a stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium until smooth.  Add eggs one at a time beating about 2 mins.  Reduce mixer speed to low and add the pineapples, reserved pineapple juice, bananas and vanilla and mix until just combined.  Add the flour mixture in 2 parts, beating after each addition and scraping down bowl.  Stir in 1/2 cup of pecans.  Fill each cup a little over 3/4 full and bake about 20 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool and prepare frosting.  Combine cream cheese and butter in mixer and beat until smooth. Add vanilla and gradually beat in confectioners sugar until smooth.  Frost each cupcake and sprinkle with remaining pecans.  This recipe can also be made as layer cake using 2 9 inch cake pans. Enjoy!

Enjoy!