Robot Cake

Robot Cake

March 2008

Creating a cake for (soon-to-be-appearing) baby Gideon was a challenge because his parents, Chris and Rachel, are much cooler than average folk. This was not an occasion for pastel flowers and baby booties! So I based the cake on the nursery theme- Robots. (See, I told you they are cool.)

I am particularly fond of the teddy bear.

The sides were decorated with blue dots and more of the sugar stars in coordinating colors.

Cake Details

• Cake: Double layer chocolate
• Filling: Seedless raspberry
• Icing: Classic white
• Decorations: Rolled fondant, Tinted buttercream, Sugar stars, Silver luster dust

Cherry Blossom Cupcakes

Cherry Blossom Cupcakes

March 2008

What kind of DC resident would I be if I wasn't inspired by the breath-taking beauty of the cherry blossoms at this time of year?

Cake Details

• Cake: Devils food cupcakes
• Vanilla buttercream and tinted buttercream
• Decorations: Fondant flowers and leaves, tinted buttercream and chocolate frosting

Daisy Engagement Cake

Daisy Engagement Cake

March 2008

Darla and Elfe are getting married!!! Can you believe it? To begin this "Jamerican" party train Shannon and Kayla hosted an engagement party. This simple daisy design combines Darla's love for the flowers with the weaving multi-country love story that God grew through them.

Cake Details

• Cake: Double layer in white vanilla



• Filling: Raspberry jam



• Icing: Chocolate frosting (totally Betty Crocker)



• Decorations: Tinted buttercream, royal icing flowers

Hello, Cupcake Contest

Hello, Cupcake!

A new book of cute cupcakes is being published this week. And to celebrate the launch they are having a pictogram contest that is really cute. If you solve the puzzle below you will be entered into a raffle to win a copy of the book. Make your entry here:

http://www.hellocupcakebook.com/Cupcake_Contest.html

Hello, Cupcake!: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make
by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson

While I am mentioning noteworthy happenings, I should give kudos to Laura who baked this delicious vanilla-vanilla Easter cake.

Bailey’s Irish Cream Bundt Cake

Bailey's Irish Cream Bundt Cake

March 2008

Pretty cakes are lots of fun, but when it comes to taste, this one is at the top of my list. The drizzles of baileys and sugar are the best part because it melts instantly in your mouth. Yummm!


Bundt cakes are big in my family (I get more from the german side than my stubborness...) and this one is perfect for St. Patty’s day.


Bailey’s Irish Bundt Cake


1 package yellow cake mix
1 (4 oz) package instant chocolate pudding
3/4 cup oil
1/8 cup water
1/4 cup vodka
3/8 cup Baileys or other Irish cream liqueur (Emmett’s can be less expensive and fine for baking)
4 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips
Confectioners sugar

Combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil, water, vodka, liqueur and eggs in bowl. Beat until smooth. Add 3/4 of the chocolate chips. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan.

Bake at 350 for 40 to 50 minutes or until done. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Mix a glaze of additional Bailey's and confectioners sugar. Chocolate sauce and confectioners sugar can also be used. Drizzle over cake, and decorate with remaining chocolate chips or shavings of dark chocolate.

Resturaunt Eve

Erin's Birthday at Restaurant Eve

March 2008

Thirtieth birthdays are a special celebration. To celebrate Erin's a few of us headed to Cathal Armstrong's Restaurant Eve in Old Town Alexandria. The menu is fantastic, drawing on local farms and high quality ingredients to make memorable courses. (They even make their own charcuterie with a soppressata to drool for.)

Now Eve is not the kind of restaurant where I can stroll in with my Tupperware cake carrier. However, they have a permanent spot on their menu for my favorite- "birthday cake- just because." A tiny round pink cake that is showered in sprinkles. Fun any day and even better on a birthday. The Washington Post published the cake recipe in 2006. Here is the link. Happy baking.

Restaurant Eve's Cake
Sunday, April 23, 2006; M08

This simple recipe uses butter that is melted rather than creamed with the sugar, as in many recipes. Don't be afraid of overbeating it. Both the cake batter and the frosting require a good deal of whipping in order to incorporate the necessary air.

Ingredients

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus additional to grease pans
2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk (may substitute low-fat or nonfat)
Frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Melt butter and let it cool to room temperature.

Combine the sugar, flour, baking powder and salt in the large bowl of a stand mixer. (A stand mixer is preferable for this recipe, though a hand-held electric mixer may be used.) On medium speed, add the butter, incorporating in several additions. Beat for about 2 minutes, or until combined; the texture should resemble cornmeal.

In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla extract and milk. Add to the flour-butter mixture in two batches (scraping the bowl once), and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, or until smooth.

Distribute the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 20 minutes. Remove cakes from pans to cool completely. Frost the cake. It can stand at room temperature for 1 hour; otherwise, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 12.


Frosting

This makes a generous amount of icing, so those with a not-so-sweet tooth may want to reduce the quantities or expect leftovers.

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 pounds (7 1/2 -8 cups) confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream, (may substitute whole, low-fat or nonfat milk)
Food coloring (optional)

In a stand mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until fluffy. On low speed, add the sugar in batches, increasing the speed to high after each addition is incorporated. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla extract and cream in a steady stream on low speed until incorporated. Add a few drops of food coloring, if desired. (Restaurant Eve uses red to make pink.) Beat on high speed for 8-10 minutes, until light and fluffy.

Per serving: 858 calories, 6 gm protein, 129 gm carbohydrates, 37 gm fat, 168 mg cholesterol, 23 gm saturated fat, 333 mg sodium, 1 gm dietary fiber.

Recipe tested by Leigh Lambert; e-mail questions tohttp://sundaysource@washpost.com.
© 2006 The Washington Post Company