NIGHT SKY OMBRÉ CAKE

Posted in Cake by sallybr

Inspiration from this cake came from a book I’ve had for many years: Cake Decorating for Beginners, by Rose Atwater. It is a wonderful book, full of cute ideas, some pretty simple, some a bit more involved. I love ombré style cakes, having done some in the past.

NIGHT SKY VANILLA CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE FILLING
(inspired by Rose Atwater)

for the cake:
1 +1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 + 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 + 1/2 cups sugar
½ teaspoons salt
2 tsp buttery vanilla emulsion (from Lorann)
3 large eggs

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour three 8 x 2 inch round cake pans, line bottom with parchment paper. Reserve.

In a small bowl, mix together the milk and heavy cream. In a medium bowl, sift together the two types of flour and baking powder. Set aside. Cream the butter using a stand mixer and the paddle attachment on medium speed until it’s soft and light, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and salt and mix until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, and mix until just combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing for 20 seconds after each egg, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Turn the mixer speed to low, then add one-third of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Add half of the milk mixture and mix until just combined, then add another third of the flour mixture. Repeat with the remaining milk and flour mixtures. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and spread it out evenly. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean.

for the ganache filling:
230g dark chocolate, cut in pieces
240g heavy cream

Heat cream until simmering, pour over chocolate in a large bowl. Allow to sit for 5 minutes than whisk gently until smooth. Let it cool for 15 minutes then place in the fridge for 90 minutes. Use a hand held mixer to whip the ganache until lighter and fluffier. Use to fill the two layers of the cake.

for the frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup vegetable shortening
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
¼ teaspoon salt
2 pounds (approximately 8 cups) powdered sugar
food gel dye, Americolor Royal Blue and Diamond Black

In a large bowl, use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, and beat together the butter, shortening and vanilla until smooth and creamy.

Add 2 tablespoons of the milk, the salt, and half the powdered sugar and mix just until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. On low speed, gradually add in the remaining sugar. Add more milk as needed to achieve the desired consistency.

Divide the frosting in three bowls, and one drop of blue to the first bowl, two drops to the second, and 2 drops blue + 1 drop black in the last.

Assemble the cake: Place the first cake on a board, add ganache as a smooth layer on top. Place second cake over ganache, repeat the process. Add last round of cake and press gently. Frost with a thin layer of frosting in the lightest color (or do it before adding any dye to the buttercream). Let the cake cool in the fridge for an hour or more. Frost with the dyed buttercream: cover the top and 1/3 of the height from top to bottom with the darkest color of blue. Add the medium tone to the second third of the cake, and the lightest color to the bottom. Use a scraper to smooth the layers. Add texture with a little spatula as you turn the cake. Add star sprinkles.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I wish I could report on taste and looks as it was sliced, but I donated the cake whole, so my fingers are crossed that the recipients liked it… At any rate, it is hard to go wrong with vanilla and chocolate ganache, right? The buttercream is simple to prepare and crusts nicely in case it needs to sit for hours at room temperature. I love the effect of the different colors. Of course, I had to add some gold dust because I cannot help it… I bet you are not surprised!

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16Jan2025

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

Posted in Cake by sallybr

Such a classic bake, and so simple!

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

120 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour
50 grams (1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons) natural cocoa powder
225 grams (1 + 1/8 cups) granulated sugar
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
85 grams (about 1/2 cup) grapeseed oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
75 grams (1/3 cup) milk, room temperature
170 grams (3/4 cup) very hot water

Makes 12 cupcakes. Use paper liners in your pan.

Heat oven to 350F.

In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk very well to fully combine the dry ingredients.

Add the oil into the mixing bowl and mix on medium speed with a hand mixer until well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the bowl and continue mixing until smooth.

With the mixer still running, slowly pour in the milk and then the hot water. Continue mixing until everything is evenly incorporated, the batter will be super thin, do not worry about it. Place the batter in cupcake pan and bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes clean. This will take 20 to 25 minutes, but check a couple of minutes earlier. Cool completely before frosting.

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

113 grams (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
175 grams (1/2 cup) smooth peanut butter (Jiffy works great)
210 grams (1 + 3/4 cup) powdered sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 to 3 tablespoons of milk to adjust consistency

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter on medium speed for about a few minutes, until fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Add the powdered sugar and salt into the mixing bowl and start mixing on low until the sugar starts to combine with the butter. Turn the mixing speed up to medium-high and beat for about 3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla extract. Add milk to adjust the consistency. If not using immediately you can refrigerate for several days. Bring back to room temperature and whip again before using to frost the cakes.

Use a piping tip like Wilton 1M if you like to make a rose pattern on top. Spraying gold is optional but nice…

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I love this cake recipe so much because it is simple, straightforward and always works. You can use hot coffee instead of hot water, but I tend to simplify it and just grab water from the tap, as hot as I can get it. I know many people prefer Swiss buttercream frosting but I donate the cupcakes and not knowing how long they will sit waiting, I rather use a sturdier buttercream, which is also much simpler to prepare. If you are a peanut butter/chocolate lover, this cupcake is for you!

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25Nov2024

FALL-INSPIRED VANILLA CUPCAKES

Posted in Cake by sallybr

It’s been a while since I made cupcakes to include in the donations I make on Fridays. I like to keep things simple, especially in a busy week, and these cupcakes are actually the definition of simple: I use a method that mixes butter with flour from the beginning, no creaming needed. It makes a soft crumb, tender cake, and it is lightening fast to prepare. What’s not to like?

VANILLA CUPCAKES
(adapted from several sources)

for the buttercream use this recipe

120g all-purpose flour
150g granulated sugar
40g butter, unsalted, removed from the fridge for 30 minutes
1 large egg
120mL milk
1 + 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
1/4 tsp salt

Heat the oven to 350F and line a cupcake pan with paper baking cups. Recipe makes 9 to 10 cupcakes.

Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and butter cut in small pieces in the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low until the butter is in very small pieces, almost like sand.

Whisk the egg with the milk and vanilla, add slowly to the mixer running in low-speed. Once it is almost smooth, increase the speed to high for a couple of minutes, scraping the bottom of the bowl once.

Stop the mixer and make sure the batter is fully smooth, mixing by hand with a spatula. Add batter to the 9 cupcakes, filling half-way full only. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.

Leave cool completely before decorating.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Leave a small portion of the buttercream without any color, and cover the top of the cupcakes. Dye one part orange and one part green (I used a mixture of Avocado and Leaf Green). For the design, my inspiration was a recent post by Chef Faye that she shared to make gorgeous mini-loaf cakes (check them out here). I used a medium size open star tip for the pumpkin, a small leaf tip and a PME #2 for the vines. A little golden sanding sugar for the border.

Really loved how these turned out and hope they made someone smile…

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16Nov2024

MARBLED TRAVEL CAKE, BRIGADEIRO-STYLE

Posted in Cake by sallybr

First things first, huge thank you to Chef Faye Palmqvist, who inspired me to get this special baking pan, and most importantly, stop hyperventiating about it and BAKE! You can marvel at her creations and learn a lot by visiting her site, her IG page, and also her Facebook page.

To make this cake, you need a special pan that leaves an opening in the center, thanks to the empty cylinder that slides into it through holes at the sides.
(ordering info here)

It is a very clever system. If you don’t want to have the hole in the center, simply slide into the pan the insert that closes the holes, and bake a regular cake in it. If you place the cylinder, make sure to spray it with baking spray or coat it well with butter and flour it lightly.

For the cake component, I won’t share the recipe Chef Faye sent me, as it is from her copyrighted files, but you can use any marbled cake you like, just don’t make a huge batch. A recipe that calls for ONE EGG will be enough. I suggest this one although you will probably still have leftover cake batter if using the same pan I did. If you over-fill a bit, cake batter will spill out of the pan through the side holes or even from the top. Do not worry about it, just bake for about 40 minutes at 325F with the pan closed and after allowing it to cool for 10 minutes, you can slide the top open. I put the open pan in the fridge for 20 minutes after that to solidify things a bit before pulling the cylinder out. It worked like a dream, although my job doing the marbling was pretty pathetic… It was hard to judge what I was doing, especially with the cylinder in the middle of the the way. Next time will be easier.

The filling component… I used a soft-batch of brigadeiro to fill the empty space, my default recipe was published in the early years of my blog. Check it out here. Just don’t cook it all the way into rolling stage, stop when the mixture just starts pulling away from the sides of the pan but not furiously bubbling. I transferred to a shallow baking dish to cool faster, and filled the hole of the cake while it was still warm, but the cake cold from the fridge. It might be better to freeze the cake for a while, but I have not tried that this time.

To coat the cake, I used a mixture of compound chocolate, milk chocolate and grapeseed oil (150g compound chocolate, 75g milk chocolate, 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil). Melt gently, whisk until super smooth. Place the cake in the freezer for 30 minutes, then remove and coat the bottom. Let it set, if needed warm gently the coating so that it flows nicely, and coat the sides and top. Immediately add chocolate sprinkles for the traditional “brigadeiro” look. I sprayed a little gold luster because that’s how I roll. And apparently also how I cake.

Travel cakes last for several days at room temperature, that’s why they are called this way. In French, even more beautiful… Gateaux de voyage! What a dream!

I still consider it a work in progress. Better marbling, and a slightly thicker filling are my goals for the next adventure…

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31Oct2024

SPOOKY LITTLE SPICE CAKES

Posted in Cake by sallybr

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

The big day is here, and I am already sad because it will be over so soon… These little cakes will please those who like spicy cakes not very sweet. I used the recipe that came with the Nordicware pan, a new acquisition I could not resist. It is available on many online stores and also at Walmart (check it out here). I added a glaze to the cakes to make the skull features more visible but the glaze is optional, if you find it too sweet, omit it, and maybe go with a super light dusting of powdered sugar once the cakes are fully cold.

SPICY SKULL MINICAKES
(from The Bewitching Kitchen, adapted from Nordicware)

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 + 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup hot water

Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 tablespoon milk

Heat oven to 350F. Prepare skull pan with baking spray.

Cream sugar and butter in a KitchenAid type mixer with the paddle attachment. Blend in the egg and maple syrup until smooth.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking soda and salt. Slowly pour the dry mixture on the butter/sugar, and blend on low-speed until combined. Stir in the hot water. Fill each cavity with the smooth batter, not more than 1/2 the capacity.

Bake for about 12 minutes. Leave in the pan for 5 minutes, invert and cool completely.

Make the glaze by whisking all ingredients, adjust with milk or powdered sugar. Coat each skull cake with the glaze, let it set at room temperature.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I will definitely be using this pan next year, as I bought it too close to the big day and only had a chance to play with it once. The mini cakes are tender, moist and super spicy, going well with the overall atmosphere of the season. I hope you get to try this recipe… Two bites and they will be gone, a perfect little treat.