Rose Cake

I'm definitely behind the times when it comes to decorating trends, so it's not surprising that I am just trying the "rose" cake that I have seen for a couple months on various baking blogs. I hadn't really had a reason to try it, but then I was asked to make and extremely girly baby shower cake for a friend of mine and I figured this would be as good a time as any.

The decorating technique is unbelievably easy, but creates gorgeous results. Everyone was asking where the cake was from, they thought it had to be professionally made. I added some white chocolate butterflies and a bunch of sprinkles to really take the cake over the top. I love trying new techniques, and I love even more when I get to present them to people I love.

Below is a link to a youtube video for the rose cake tutorial. It was extremely helpful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybkvx90YNYs

Creamy Raspberry Pie

During the summer I am always craving pies, and this one in particular is so versatile and so delicious. You can use any berry you have on hand, I had raspberries, although my favorite is still blackberries. It has a nice custard filling which helps if the berries are a little tart, and the crust's flakiness compliments the creaminess of the filling really well.

I will be making this pie again soon, once our blackberries ripen. That is, if the birds haven't eaten them all!

Strawberry Shortcake

This Sunday was Father's Day and to celebrate I knew I needed to make a fruit related dessert. My dad has never been one to turn down a dessert, no matter what kind, but his absolute favorites always involve fruit. Since I didn't have much time, I decided to go with strawberry shortcakes. They come together quick, but look like they took hours.

Plum Frangipane Tart

During my pastry program, we had a class all about French baking. I'm not much into the fancy techniques and would much rather have a slice of pie than a chocolate croissant. But I saw a recipe for this tart yesterday and I decided to give it a go. It turned out exceptionally well! I used black plums and they cooked down perfectly in the tart. It didn't have an overwhelmingly strong almond flavor, but was just enough to balance with the plums. I will note that the recipe I used measured everything in grams so you will need a kitchen scale, or you can find the conversions online.

Perfect Blueberry Pie

I will admit that fruit pies have kind of frightened me. I can never seem to get the filling right. It always came out extremely soupy, which is the absolute worst when you're trying to slice it for a family event. But this weekend my dad asked me to try a recipe that just came out in the Southern Living magazine. I decided to give it a go and what would you know, it turned out perfectly. The recipe called for 2 Tbsp of balsamic vinegar, which didn't add a strong flavor, but may have helped balance out the honey.  I really like how the pie reminded me of a pop tart, it made me very nostalgic for summers as a child.

Pink Ombre Cake

I was recently asked to make a cake for a wedding shower that was happening at work. I was told that the bride's favorite color was pink and since I had nothing but ruffles on my mind from two previous cakes I had made, I decided to keep going with that theme but in a slightly different direction.

Pretty in Pink, Take 2

Last year I did a pink ruffle cake for a little girl who was turning 4. Her mom came by last week and asked that I make another cake for her birthday this year. She said that her favorite color was still pink and she wanted something fancy. I decided to try a different ruffle this year, and added some white pearl sprinkles to give it some sparkle. As you can see, I think she enjoyed it, and by that picture I can only assume that her wish came true! I really love when my customers allow me to do almost whatever I want on a cake, because that give me the opportunity to try new thinks as well as make them happy. I'm hoping I get to make her cake next year too.

Valentine's Day

I guess you could call me a hopeless romantic. Because even though I've never had a date on Valentine's Day, I still get very excited come February 14th. I know you're not supposed to wait until a certain day of the year to show how much you love someone, but I understand how crazy life can get, so to take some time (even if it's planned by the chocolate companies) to show that special someone a little extra affection is fine by me!

And the best way to show someone you care? With cake. DUH. Chocolate cake will get you bonus points.

So I hope everyone is having a good day, single or taken. Hell, make this cake for yourself and you'll be feeling a whole lot better by the end of the day!

Devil's Food Cake (adapted from Mile High Cakes)

1 cup dark cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups hot water
3 cups brown sugar, packed
2 2/3 cup cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup plus 2 tbsp butter, room temp
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup cold water

1. Preheat over to 325. Grease 3 8" pans and line the bottom with parchment.

2. Mix the hot water and cocoa powder until cocoa is completely dissolved. Allow to cool to room temp. 

3. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Beat in butter and cocoa mixture on medium speed until light and fluffy (2 min).  In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla, and cold water until combined. Add the mixture to the batter in 3 additions. 

4. Divide the batter into the 3 pans and bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pans.

Swiss Buttercream

8 egg whites
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
5 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
1 Tbsp vanilla

1. Over a double boiler, heat egg whites and sugar until hot to the touch. Put in stand mixer with whip attachment and beat until bowl is room temperature.

2. Add the butter 1 Tbsp at a time until all is incorporated. Add vanilla and beat until combined.