Well it looks like a cake

Last week, a friend asked me to bake a cake for her godson. After discussing his dietary needs we settled on a vegan cake. A quick search of the internet netted me a recipe or a eggless and dairy free cake vegan cake.
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar ( I substituted turbinado raw cane sugar)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup soymilk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon vinegar

Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare cake pan: Line 8-inch round or square cake pan with parchment paper and grease bottom and sides of the pan. Then flour the pan. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add vegetable oil, soy milk, and vanilla extract; whisk until no lumps appear and batter is smooth. Add vinegar, stir about seven times, and quickly pour into pan. Bake around 30 minutes, until cake begins to pull away from sides and/or toothpick inserted in the center pulls out clean. Let sit for ten to fifteen minutes, invert, and cool on rack.

I doubled the recipe and baked it in a bunt pan since he could not have icing. I kept saying to myself..well it looks like a cake because it was not my cup of tea. I think I would have liked it better with regular granuated sugar

Tipsy Cakes

Last month, a good friend of mine celebrated her birthday. The plan was for me to make her some White Russian cupcakes. Our plans quickly changed when she had to have emergency surgery the day before her birthday so we put the cupcakes on the back burner. I finally made good on my promise a few weeks ago and delivered her a batch of White Russian cupcakes. These things have become a hit with all who have tasted them. L has requested them weekly and as recently has this afternoon. I will probably hold off on making them again for another week so we (I) don't begin to tire of them.

White Russian Cupcakes

18 1/4 ounces yellow cake mix
3 1/2 ounces vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup whole milk
4 large eggs
1/4 cup vodka
1/4 cup Kahlua, plus
2 teaspoons Kahlua, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Frosting

1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon Kahlua
2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate, shavings

Directions

Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350°F and line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners.
Place cake mix, pudding mix, oil, milk, eggs, vodka, 1/4 cup Kahlua, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. (Remove empty liners if you don't get the full 24 cupcakes). Bake until they are golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, about 17-20 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks. Cool for 5 minutes. Brush the tops of the cupcakes with remaining 2 tablespoons Kahlua. Remove cupcakes from pans. Place on wire rack to cool.

Frosting
Place a large, clean mixing bowl and electric mixer beaters int he freezer to chill for 1 minute. Remove the bowl and beaters from the freezer. Pour the heavy cream into the bowl and beat with electric mixer on high speed until the cream has thickened, 1 1/2 minutes. Stop the machine and add the sugar and 1 tablespoon Kahlua. Beat the cream on high speed until stiff peaks form, 1-2 more minutes. Place a heaping tablespoon of the whipped cream on each cupcake and swirl to spread it out with a short metal spatula or spoon, taking care to cover tops completely. Garnish with chocolate bar shavings.

Basket of Fall Leaves

I haven't posted in a while but wanted to share pictures of the cake I did for Thanksgiving. It was a hit with my family and no one wanted to cut it. It is a white cake covered with marshmallow fondant.

Fudge Cake

Over the weekend I made a fudge cake for one of L's co-workers. This was my first time making this type of cake as well as chocolate butter cream icing. I decided to use the Grand Fudge recipe from the Ghirardelli website.

I actually had to make the cake two times after the first one fell to pieces. L was more than happy to provide a rescue home for the first cake. Thankfully, the second try turned out well.
Below is the recipe used and a picture of the finished product.

Grand Fudge Cake
3/4 cup(s) Unsweetened Cocoa
2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cup(s) sugar
1 teaspoon(s) baking powder
1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1 cup(s) butter or margarine, softened
1 1/3 cup(s) milk
2 large eggs
2 teaspoon(s) vanilla

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch round cake pans. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add vanilla and eggs one at a time, scraping bowl after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and milk (starting and ending with the flour mixture), while mixing on low speed. Continue to mix until smooth. Pour into prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of cake comes out clean.

My first wedding

Last month, I posted about making a cake for my Toastmasters' presentation. As you may recall, one my co-workers raffled off the cake to raise money for a walk he was participating in. I was later contacted by someone who had seen a picture of the cake. They were interested in having a wedding cake prepared. I was a little hesitant since I have not practiced some of the cake decorating techniques learned during the Wilton series. After speaking with bride, I discovered that she did not want anything traditional. We discussed several options and settled on a cupcake tree. I loved the idea since I had one at my wedding. No cutting, no mess, no fuss. Besides, who doesn't like cupcakes?

While searching the internet, I found out how to make a cupcake stand. It was quite easy and I am pleased with how it turned out. The couple requested a Strawberry cake for them and yellow and white cupcakes for the guests. I've made yellow and white cake before but not strawberry cake. While doing another internet search I came across a semi homemade strawberry cake recipe from Paula Deen. Come on...if Paula is making it, it has to be good.

Each cupcake was adorned with a fondant rose. The cake had several fondant roses as it's topper. Below are a few pictures.

The wedding was today and I really liked how everything turned out. I can't wait to hear back from the couple.

Two for the Price of One

Today, I completed my eighth Toastmasters' speech towards my Competent Communicator goal. Yes, only two more speeches to go! For this meeting I had the wonderful idea to create a PowerPoint presentation regarding my progress in my cake decorating skills. As an added bonus, I decided to bake a red velvet cake and document through photos the steps needed to decorate the cake. During the meeting each member received a number and we held a drawing to determine who would receive the cake. Not to leave anyone out, the rest of the members received a cupcake.

Later this afternoon, I received an email from the winning member and learned he decided to raffle off the cake to assist in his fundraising efforts for the Atlanta AIDS Walk. I feel extremely honored that he chose to use the cake for this purpose. After giving people the opportunity to win the cake at $1 per ticket, he was able to raise $70 in two hours towards his goal. I've been asked to bake another cake for his team.

This was the first time I made my mother's red velvet cake recipe so I will count it towards my new recipe goal. However, I am feeling really selfish and will not disclose her recipe. You have to keep something in the familyJ. I will, however share Martha Stewart's red velvet recipe as it is similar to my mom's recipe.

• 2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self- rising), sifted
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon red gel-paste food color
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa, and salt.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in food color and vanilla.

Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam); add mixture to the batter, and mix on medium speed 10 seconds.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

To finish, use a small offset spatula to spread cupcakes with frosting. Refrigerate up to 3 days in airtight containers; bring to room temperature before serving.

The Joy of Baking....kinda

Recently, I made two cakes for some friends. I am happy that others are enjoying the result of my cake decorating courses. Plus, as mentioned earlier it gives me a chance to practice.

For the time being I am still using box mixes. I'll venture out and begin using my mom's recipes soon.

Anniversary cake for friends 5th wedding anniversary. She requested a basket weave since that was the design on their wedding cake.

Birthday Cake- Lemon cake with lemon icing wrapped in fondant.

Practice Practice Practice

Red velvet cake for a July 4th cook out. The bow needs some work.