CakeCation

By now, everyone is familiar with the term staycation.  Heck, the word can even be found on Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary.  

Always one to be just a little different, instead of a staycation, I recently took my second cakecation of the year (my first one was for my cousin’s wedding in Nashville).  Just so we’re clear, a cakecation is a vacation taken in order to create a cake.

While a cakecation probably isn’t as relaxing as your typical staycation, I was thrilled to have this opportunity.  You see, this past week I was able to make my grandfather’s wedding cake.  How many people get to do that?  For a mostly fun, occasionally nerve-wracking week, I was able to hang up my editor’s cap and don my baker’s apron – bliss. 

The bride wanted to serve BIG pieces of cake to her 150 guests (“none of those tiny servings”), so we decided on four tiers of German chocolate pound cake (I used this recipe) with coconut-pecan filling.  Aside from a cake committing hari kari (I swear it just flung itself out of the pan and onto the floor) and some burned chocolate (yes, I took a moment to mourn the senseless loss), the first day of baking went well.  

Luckily, the second day was less eventful.  After the third batch of coconut-pecan filling, I even felt like I was getting the hang of that tricky boiled frosting.  By the third day, I had a fridge full of filled, frosted, and fondanted cake. 

The perfect shade of periwinkle eluded me Wednesday night (I tend to become a bit obsessive-compulsive when mixing colors), but by Thursday morning, the buttercream gods had smiled on me. Now it was time to decorate.

I began with the easiest tier.  I tinted fondant to match the blue buttercream, sketched and cut out the birds and leaves, and applied them to the cake.  Then I made templates for the piped frosting designs.

A mere 12 hours and 50 bazillion dots later, I had a dining table covered with decorated wedding cake (including a vanilla bean sheet cake).  

  

The next afternoon, despite rainy weather and bumpy roads, I made it to the site of the reception with all cakes intact. My uncle helped me unload the cakes and my aunt helped me commandeer a spot to assemble the tiers.  And before long – voila! 

Congratulations, Poppa and Mary!

 

Pineapple Inside Out Cake

So, I was talking to a work friend about very important matters and our discussion eventually turned to some of our favorite blogs – baking for me and design for her. (You know, ‘cause you need to take a break while solving the world’s problems so you don’t get burned out.)

That led to me mentioning an interest in taking the new Wilton cake decorating classes. I took the series years ago and was interested in seeing what changes were made to the courses and learning about their new products.

Long story short, the two of us started classes a couple weeks ago.

It’s been fun playing with frosting and I’ve picked up some useful tips, too.  For instance, those Bake Even strips really work.  You dampen the strip and wrap it around the pan.  The edges of the pan stay cooler so the cake doesn’t puff up in the middle. Every cake I’ve made with them has come out level.

Of course, a cake that doesn’t need to be leveled means no cake scraps for the baker.  I’m not sure how I feel about that.

Our instructor encouraged us to experiment with recipes, so I decided to play around with a pineapple upside down cake, which typically doesn’t lend itself to buttercream frosting and decorations.

I started with a brown sugar cake from a recipe on SwEEts byE. Let’s face it, aside from the pineapple, brown sugar is the best part of a pineapple upside down cake.

Then, I adapted a pineapple filling recipe (again, with brown sugar) for the inside of the cake.

In class I transferred and decorated an image of a pineapple on the frosted cake, and voila – pineapple inside out cake.

Pineapple Filling (adapted from Cooks.com) 

1 ½ c crushed pineapple, drained

½ c brown sugar

1 T butter

1 T cornstarch

¼ t salt

¼ t freshly grated nutmeg

Mix ingredients together in a medium pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Once mixture is cool, spread between cake layers.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

I LOVE Fall!  The rich colors of the foliage, the smell of a wood fire, the rustling sound as you walk through a big pile of leaves – it’s all good.  And then there’s the food – apple dumplings, pumpkin pie, gingerbread, and caramel apples.  I hardly know which fall-inspired recipe to try first.

Should I usher in the season (yes, I’m jumping the gun a bit; humor me) with my favorite apple pie with cheddar crust or try something new, like the tempting autumn brittle I keep seeing on Pinterest?

There’s also the teeny, tiny evil part of me that rejoices to see my large, extended family of teachers head back to the classroom.  I know, I know.  They work ridiculously hard during the school year.  They also gloat (you know who you are) during summer, Christmas, and spring breaks.

Anyway. . . I was in the mood for a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie.  I’ve never had one, but they sound tasty, don’t they? So far, the recipes I’ve found are for cakey cookies and I’m craving something chewy.  Until I find/create what I’m searching for, these dense pumpkin chocolate chip bars will certainly tide me over.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars (adapted from Cookie Madness)  

¾ c butter

1 1/3 c brown sugar, firmly packed

1 t vanilla

¾ t baking powder

½ t salt

1 t cinnamon

1 t pumpkin pie spice

½ t orange peel

1 egg

1 c canned pumpkin

1 c flour

½ c whole wheat flour

1 c dark chocolate chips

2 T sugar

1/8 t cinnamon

3 ½ T finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350° F.  Grease a 13 x 9 inch pan.

In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter.  Mix in sugar and microwave approximately 30 seconds, or until mixture starts to bubble.  Let mixture cool until tepid.

Add baking powder, salt, 1 t cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, orange peel, and egg.  Mix well.

Add pumpkin and mix well.  Then, mix in flours and chocolate chips.

The batter just needed a little something extra.

Pour batter into prepared pan.

In a small bowl, stir together sugar, 1/8 t cinnamon, and pecans.  Sprinkle over batter.

That looks better.

Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Raining Cats and Dogs Carrot Cake

First Irene and now Lee and Katia – when is hurricane season over?  I’m certainly over it.

But enough of the whining.  As promised, here is the carrot cake recipe.

I'll probably get a lotta flack for this, but I have to admit I'm not a fan of carrot cake.  Ginger, however, is another story. Everything tastes better with ginger. When I saw the combination of pineapple and crystallized ginger, I knew I had found a winner of a carrot cake recipe.  To tie in the flavors, I also added a teaspoon of ground ginger to the cream cheese frosting.  And unless my friends were all being very enthusiastic liars, the recipe was a hit.

Carrot Cake (Bobby Flay's recipe from Food Network website)

¼ c butter

1 c crushed pineapple, drained

3 eggs

½ c canola oil

2 t vanilla

1 lb carrots, peeled and finely grated

2 t freshly grated ginger

2 c flour

1 ½ c sugar

½ c brown sugar, lightly packed

2 t baking soda

½ t ground ginger

1 ½ t ground cinnamon

½ t freshly grated nutmeg

1 t salt

1/3 c crystallized ginger, finely diced

¾ c toasted pecans, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter and flour two 8-inch cake pans.

In a food processor, finely chop pineapple.  Melt butter.

In a large bowl, beat eggs for about 10 seconds.  Add oil, melted butter, vanilla, carrots, chopped pineapple and fresh ginger. Mix until combined.

In another bowl, combine flour, sugars, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on low, just until combined. Stir in crystallized ginger and pecans.

 

Pour batter into prepared cake pans and bake 40 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few crumbs.

Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

I decorated the cake with dog-shaped carrot cake shortbread cookies (see previous post) and fondant carrots.  To add a little more color, I gave the dogs orange collars and green leashes.

Carrot Cake Shortbread Cookies

A friend of mine has spent the last 5 or 6 (or is it 84?) months caring for three very special puppies. They were from a litter of 11 (yikes!) and were born with congenital birth defects that made their front legs crooked.  At two months old, a veterinary orthopedic surgeon operated on the puppies to correct their deformities. After a couple broken legs, a little more surgery, casts, external metal pins, special braces, and lots of time and TLC, these fast-growing puppies are now in water therapy and slowly but surely gaining strength and stamina.

You can learn more about Hope, Seal, and LuSeal at the Pet Rescue of Maryland website or check out their news story (these are some famous puppies - at least among Baltimore animal lovers).

Hurricane Irene delayed our celebration of this amazing foster mom’s birthday, but this weekend we partied. When I heard my sleep-deprived, sanity-challenged friend was craving a piece of carrot cake, my Internet search for the perfect recipe began. 

But first, I started with the cookie decorations. (Later this week I’ll post the cake.) 

Carrot Cake Shortbread Cookies  

I slightly adapted this recipe from Bake WhatYour Momma Gave You.

1 c butter, softened

1/3 c shredded carrot

1 t vanilla

2 ½ c  flour

½  c brown sugar

¾ t cinnamon

½ t ground ginger

¼ t freshly ground nutmeg

¼ t salt

3 T ground walnuts

In a medium bowl, beat butter, carrot, and vanilla. Form butter mixture into a log and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate overnight or, in you’re in a hurry, freeze for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 300° F.

In a large bowl, combine stir, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and ground walnuts.

Cut butter into chunks and add to flour mixture.  Using a pastry blender or your hands, cut the butter mixture into the flour mixture until it resembles fine crumbs.

Knead the dough until it is smooth and forms a ball.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to ¼-inch thickness. Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until edges are lightly browned.

I decorated the cooled cookies with cream cheese frosting, a sprinkle of ground walnuts, and tiny fondant carrots.