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!

 

German Chocolate Cake Truffles

So, you’ve leveled and carved your cake.  What do you do with all the scraps?  It’s practically a crime to throw away perfectly good cake, right?  This is an idea I kept seeing on various websites and decided to give it a try.

Cake truffles are very easy to make, but I’ve had nothing but rave reviews from everyone who’s tried them. 

crumbled cake

1. Crumble cake scraps into a large bowl. For this batch, I had about 8 cups.

ready to shape into balls

2. Use your hands to mix in about ½ cup frosting. You want the mixture to be just moist enough to hold together.  If you add too much frosting, you’ll end up with soggy truffles.

chilled and ready to
dip in chocolate

3. Scoop up a heaping spoonful of the cake and frosting mixture and form into a ball with your hands. I line up the truffles on a foil-lined cookie sheet.

4. Chill truffles until firm, about 2-3 hours.

I use a toothpick to dip
the truffle in the melted
chocolate

5. Dip truffles into melted candy coating and place back on foil-lined cookie sheet.  Once firm, cover and store truffles in a cool, dry place.

This batch of truffles is German chocolate cake with coconut-pecan frosting.  Before the candy coating set, I decorated the truffles with a sprinkle of coconut and chopped pecans.

This was my first time making the cooked coconut-pecan frosting.  The first recipe I tried, using 3 whole eggs, was less than successful.  Apparently, my stirring skills were somewhat lacking and I ended up with little bits of hard cooked egg whites in the frosting – not particularly appetizing.  My second attempt, using three egg yolks, was much better, thus saving my baking reputation.

Coconut-Pecan Frosting

1 c sugar

1 c evaporated milk
1/2 c butter
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 t vanilla
1 1/3 c flaked coconut
1 c chopped pecans

In a saucepan, combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter, and vanilla.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens, about 12 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in coconut and pecans.  Once frosting has cooled to room temperature, spread on cake (or mix with cake crumbs to make truffles).