Cakes, and more cakes...

I am so thankful that I have had more opportunities of late to create custom cakes. If you hadn't noticed, my "regular posting" has been a bit scarce these days. Oh, I'm still cooking and baking up a storm, but with kids under foot and cake orders to fulfill, sometimes the step by step photo's have to go by the wayside and the family is lucky to get a fork, let alone a fab little garnish of parsley, to grace their plates. Decorating cakes, though, is what I love to do most. Sure, it can be quite stressful, and I've had my share of mishaps, but I try and learn from those, and move on.


I made this John Deere themed cake last week, complete with farm animals, to grace the little carrot cake cuppies. The tractor was made from Rice Krispy treats covered in fondant. The animals, corn and carrots were all fondant.


This was a red velvet bridal shower cake with an Italian meringue buttercream, complete with fondant bow and real red roses.


My little one turned 4 this summer and all she can think of day and night is Tinkerbell. So naturally, kidlet got what she wanted...



For a surprise birthday party I created a 2 foot long carved Miller Lite bottle out of chocolate cake, covered in buttercream and fondant. I hand painted the logo onto the fondant with food coloring.


A sweet little girl turned 2 and her very favorite little guy in the world is Elmo. This was also red velvet.


I made some little Elmo's to go with the cake, as well as her name out of fondant to top cupcakes that surrounded the cake.



Another wanted a bustier cake for his wife's surprise birthday party. This, too, was about 2 ft long. Covered in buttercream and the bustier fashioned out of fondant.


How I loved to make this vanilla bean cake with Italian meringue buttercream for a Marine Boot Camp graduate! All the stars and rope are fondant painted in an edible gold glaze.


There are many, many more. I don't always have time to snap a good photo, but I at least try to get something before it leaves my kitchen!

Thanks everyone, for following my too few posts... I appreciate all of you! I have some wonderful recipes coming up, so stay tuned!

Dark Chocolate Texas sheet cake: sin on a plate...

This has been yet another crazy week, filled with graduations, parties, illnesses, and a proliferating laundry pile. I attacked it today, wrestled it to the ground, and tried to beat it into submission. A whole lotta good that'll do, though- it only laughs in my face and starts multiplying again. It's pure evil in a basket...



Why laundry makes me crave chocolate though, I'll never know. But crave it did, and that's when the ingredients started flying on the counter. It had to be quick and easy. A rich chocolate Texas sheet cake. The recipe I based it off of was given to me by a gal I had worked with years ago, and even though it was a very good one, I wanted an even richer, more moist, cake. So over time I have adapted this recipe to cure my cravings, and send me into a blissful chocolate coma... be very careful though. One slice can lead to another, and you could end up with thighs like my great aunt...

Dark Chocolate Texas Sheet cake

2 c sugar
2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 heaping c sour cream
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 c water
4 Tbs Dark cocoa powder

Dark chocolate glaze

1 stick unsalted butter
5 Tbs heavy cream
4 Tbs Dark cocoa powder
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
2 tsp Bourbon Vanilla (tastes best but regular ok)
1 lb box powdered sugar, sifted

In a large bowl combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl combine the sour cream, eggs, and baking soda. Set aside. In a 2 qt saucepan add 2 sticks unsalted butter, water, and 4 Tbs dark cocoa powder. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Add to flour mixture, blending well, then add the sour cream mixture, making sure all is combined. Spray a large jelly roll or large rimmed baking sheet pan with non-stick spray, and pour all batter into pan. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool and keep cake in pan.

While cooling, add remaining stick of butter, heavy cream, and dark cocoa powder into a 2 qt saucepan. Bring to a slight boil and remove from heat. Add in cream cheese, whisking well until melted, then add bourbon vanilla, and lastly, powdered sugar in small increments until well blended and smooth. Pour all on top of cake (if cake is still warm that's ok) , spread and smooth with an offset spatula. Let cake cool until glaze is set.

Cake should serve many... but depending on your mood, could be a large serving for one :-)

Marian Antoinette DeCicco's cheesecake

Guess what?! I lost 20 lbs!! So let's celebrate, and make a cheesecake, y'all! I know, my last post was my Easter pie, but I had some left over ricotta and Lord knows, you never let good ricotta go to waste. So, I figured I'd get the cheesecake thing out of my system, and then move on to losing my next, and final, 20 lbs before my weight loss challenge ends.

Funny name for a cheesecake, huh? I just couldn't think of any other name for it, so, since the recipe came from mom, moms name (maiden) to it I gave. She's going to kill me. She hates her middle name. I think it was her baptismal name, or something like that... she never uses it. She won't be reading this probably for a few weeks or so, so I'm safe for the time being. I love picking on my mom...

Marian Antoinette DeCicco's cheesecake

Pasta Frolla (Pastry Crust)

2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
pinch salt
1/4 c unsalted butter
3 egg yolks
1 Tbs (or more, if too thick) milk

Sift flour, salt, and sugar into a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or fork, until the mixture resembles small peas or crumbs. Stir in the yolks, one at a time, until well blended. Add milk, and mix with spoon (or hands) until dough pulls away from sides of bowl, adding more milk if necessary. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough till smooth. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface, thin and large enough to fit the bottom and sides of a 12" spring form pan.

Cheesecake filling

2 lbs ricotta (I used Polly-O), WELL DRAINED
2 -8 oz pkgs cream cheese

2 c sugar
1/2 c sifted flour
8 egg yolks
grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c heavy cream, whipped
8 egg whites

Beat ricotta and cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually add 1-1/2 cups of the sugar, and egg yolks, beating after each addition. Beat in the sifted flour, lemon zest, and vanilla.

Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl with the remaining 1/2 c of sugar, until slightly stiff peaks form. Fold the beaten heavy cream into the egg whites, and then fold into the ricotta mixture.

Pour the batter into the pastry crust- lined spring form pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, and then lower oven temperature to 350 degrees, and bake for 1 hour. Turn off heat, and let cheesecake cool, in oven, undisturbed, for at least 2 hours.

Prior to serving, lightly sprinkle with powdered sugar.

***The whole idea of letting it cool in the oven is so that the top of your cheesecake doesn't collapse, like mine did, by cooling down gradually in the oven. I only have one oven, as do most, and needed to bake other things that evening. So I sacrificed a pretty and smooth cheesecake top by letting it cool outside the oven- but it does not affect the taste. I still think it looks kind of pretty, cracks and all...

Oh, and mom, you know I love you, right..?

Gâteau de Crêpes with Green Tea Cream

The day I opened my copy of Chocolate Epiphany , by Francois Payard, I knew I had to make this cake. While there are so many amazing recipes inside, this one just spoke to me. I love layers- and this one had 20 mouth watering layers of chocolate crepes, infused with orange zest, filled with a luscious green tea (Matcha) pastry cream. Not something this dieting gal could just make and leave lying around though ~*sigh*~ . A perfect opportunity presented itself though, with the celebration of both my Mother-in-law and Sister-in-laws birthday yesterday.

I enjoyed this so much better than a traditional birthday cake. Despite its use of chocolate and pastry cream, this cake was light in texture, the green tea and orange zest a perfect pairing.

I was a very good girl, you'd all be proud- I only had a sliver. Even with all of the baking I've been doing this past week, I've still managed to lose 16 lbs so far since this get fit challenge began. But I have to admit, I battle thoughts daily of immersing myself in pastry cream, painting myself with chocolate and sprinkling myself with bacon bits... an odd combination, I know, but when you go without for so long, the combination just sounds so irresistibly sexy.

Gâteau de Crêpes with Green Tea Cream
by Francois Payard

Chocolate Crêpes
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (220g) all purpose flour
1/3 cup (30g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
Pinch of salt
8 large eggs
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon (500g) whole milk
Grated zest of 2 oranges
10 tablespoons (5 oz. or 150g) unsalted butter, browned
1 cup (250g) heavy cream
Vegetable oil, for the pan

Green Tea Pastry Cream
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon (500 g) whole milk
2 teaspoons (10g) powdered green tea
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (120g) sugar
5 tablespoons (40g) cornstarch
6 large egg yolks
4 tablespoons (2oz.; 60g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup (250g) heavy cream

Make the crêpes: Combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and orange zest. Incorporate them gradually into the dry ingredients, whisking constantly with one hand as you pour them with the other. Doing this slowly will prevent lumps from forming. Whisk in the butter, then the cream. Strain the batter over a bowl to make sure that it is smooth, then whisk it again so that it is thoroughly combined. Cover the batter, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Whisk the batter well. Place a small crêpe pan or nonstick skillet (about 8 inches in diameter) over medium heat. Pour about 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in the pan to grease it. Once it is hot, use a 1/4 cup measuring cup or a small ladle to pour a little less than 1/4 cup of batter in the pan. There should be just enough batter in the pan to coat the bottom in a thin layer. Tilt the pan in a circular motion so that the batter is evenly spread in the pan.

After about 2 minutes, the edges of the crêpe should start firming up. Use a spatula to lift a side of the crêpe and flip it over. Cook on the other side for about 1 minute, then remove the crêpe to a plate. Repeat the process until all of the batter is used, piling the crêpes one on top of the other as they are cooked. If the crêpes start to stick to the pan, add a little more oil. Cover the stack of crêpes with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cool, up to 1 day.

Make the Pastry Cream: Line a shallow pan, such as a 9-inch square cake pan or a small rimmed baking sheet, with plastic wrap. Bring the milk to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in the green tea powder.

Meanwhile, combine the sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl, and whisk in the yolks. Continue whisking until the yolks turn a very pale yellow. Slowly pour a fourth of the milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to keep the yolks from curdling. Once the milk is well incorporated, return the mixture to the saucepan over medium heat, and cook, whisking constantly and scraping the bottom and sides of the pot with the whisk to prevent lumps from forming, until it becomes very thick and bubbles start popping from the center of the pan for at least 20 seconds. You need to bring it to a boil so that the cornstarch gets activated.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Pour the pastry cream in the prepared pan and cover it with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Let it cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate it until it is completely cool, up to 1 day ahead.

Whip the heavy cream at medium speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until it holds soft peaks. Whisk the pastry cream to a creamy texture, then gently fold in the whipped cream with spatula.

Assemble the Cake: Place one of the cooled crepes on a serving platter. With a small offset spatula, spread a very thin layer (about 1/16 inch) of the green tea pastry cream over the crepe, going all the way to the edges. Place another crepe on top and repeat the process until the cake is 2 to 3 inches tall. Refrigerate for about 1 hour before serving, up to 6 hours ahead, so that the cake has time to set.

Makes one 8-inch cake; serves 8

Kids

Did you know that you can record your own cell phone ringer..? Nope, neither did I. I've had the same ring tone for quite some time. Of course, when you recognize your ring tone, you respond by answering, But when you hear something that is obviously not your ring tone, you don't. Such as when a muffled noise comes from slightly behind you, and you think, oh my God, who would do that in public?!! That's when you realize your 12 year old son is in the next aisle, laughing hysterically, calling your cell phone, which is ringing in your purse, after he recorded a fart and made that your default ring tone!! God, I love that kid...


That was the start of our weekend. But it ended on more of a flavorful, and more mature note, with the cake you see above. It was a birthday request from my oldest, who turns 24 tomorrow. ~*sigh*~ Because she has youth on her side, and a size 3 to boast of, I was happy to indulge her request by using every last bit of butter I had. I was good though, and only had a sliver.


With inspiration from Bakerella, my daughter decided that this was the cake to commemorate the occasion. While the recipe she used called for round aluminum pans, we could only find square, which in the end provided a more elegant presentation, in my opinion.




The cake, despite its large quantity of sugar, did not taste very sweet. Which was fine since the icing more than made up for that. While the recipe may seem lengthy, it comes together fast- the most time consuming part was preparing the pans, as I buttered, floured, and used parchment paper to line the bottom. I also used Bakerella's Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting rather than the frosting included with the below recipe, as I wanted something a bit richer. After making the buttercream, I warmed it in the microwave until it was of pouring consistency, to get the effect I desired. You know though, when a cake comes out like this, and it makes your first born smile, it doesn't seem to matter how long it takes.



The Smith Family 12 layer Cake (made with 14 layers)

* 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , sifted
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter , at room temperature
* 2 1/2 cups sugar
* 6 large eggs , at room temperature
* 3 cups milk
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

* 3 cups sugar
* 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder , preferably Dutch process
* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter , cut up
* 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
* Pecan halves, for garnish


Recommended technique: If you buy inexpensive aluminum foil cake pans at the grocery store (they can be saved for another time as well), you will be able to knock out layers in no time. And no washing between baking!

Position racks in the center and bottom third of the oven and preheat to 375°. Lightly butter four 8 1/2- to 9-inch cake pans (you will bake the cakes in three batches) and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Flour the pans and tap out the excess.

To make the layers, sift together the sifted flour, baking powder and salt. Sift the mixture one more time, and set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle blade on high speed until light in color and texture, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl and be sure the mixture is well-blended. On low speed, add the flour in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of the milk, beginning and ending with the flour, and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl often with a rubber spatula. Beat in the vanilla. Using a scant cup for each layer, spread the batter evenly in the pans. It will make a thin layer.

Staggering the pans on the racks so they are at least 2 inches from each other and the sides of the oven and not directly over each other, bake the layers until they feel firm when pressed in the centers and are beginning to pull away from the sides of the pans, about 12 minutes. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Invert the layers onto cake racks, remove the parchment paper, and cool completely. Wash and prepare the pans. Repeat the procedure until all 12 layers have been baked and cooled.

To make the icing, bring the sugar, cocoa, butter and evaporated milk to a full boil in a large saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the icing has thickened slightly (it will resemble chocolate syrup but will thicken as it cools), about 3 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Let the icing cool until thick enough to spread, but still pourable.

Place a layer of cake on a wire rack set over a jelly-roll pan. Spread with a few tablespoons of the icing, letting the excess run down the sides. Stack the remaining cakes, icing each layer. Pour the remaining icing over the top of the cake. If you wish, smooth the icing on the edges to cover the sides. Place pecan halves around the top perimeter of the cake. Let stand until the glaze sets. (The cake is best served the day it is made. To store, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 day.)



Bakerella's Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder ( I used Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa)
1 box (1 lb) confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1-3 Tbsp milk

Cream the butter and cream cheese with a mixer. Add the cocoa and vanilla. Add the confectioner's sugar in small batches and blend on low until combined. Scrape down sides with each addition. Add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until you get the consistency you desire.

Cakes I have made

I was a little bored, and just goofing off here on the computer. I got to looking in some of my folders and thought I'd post these photo's of cakes I have made.

Growing up I used to love to watch my Aunt Maryjane make these huge wedding cakes. They were pretty much the same style for every wedding she did, all white with multiple layer cakes surrounding the big show stopper of 7 double layers, with lot's of bridges and stairways. Every one had the same little open book looking cake in the very front, with the bride and grooms name on it. Of course I thought they were fabulous, and they were. I was in awe that something could be created out of cake!

I remember the first one I ever decorated, my daughters first birthday cake almost 24 years ago. I had made a Cabbage Patch doll cake, and had only one pastry bag. It took me 7 hours to pipe 7 different colors of frosting onto that little cake! Obviously I had more time back then, and patience.

While my Aunt passed away quite a few years ago, I still think of her every time I make one, wishing I could send her a pic or two. She was such an inspiration to me. I don't think I'll ever be as good as she was...but I like trying.

This one was for a "Pirates" birthday

A baby shower for a little girl to come named Zoey
This one was last week for fire truck loving James
Loren loved to read the "Goosebumps" childrens books
Stephanie is quite the accomplished quilter

She even saved all my fondant creations!
This was my own wedding cake
I make a cake for my mothers church every year

My daughter loves Dora, who always happens to be near the water

Fondarific!!

Just when I was ready to give fondant it's walking papers, I was introduced to this. Anyone who works with fondant knows what a challenge it can be- especially to manipulate onto a cake without ripping or taking off with a life of it's own. And ya know, it just tastes like crap... sorry! Ahhhh, enter Fondarific! People, this stuff was SO good, the flavors reminded me of Mike and Ikes candies- so much so that I ate the fondant like it was candy! If you are looking for something better, Fondarific is worth your time. Be careful though, it might not end up on your cake!