R2D2 Star Wars Birthday Cake

Something very exciting and a little scary happened here last week...

My daughter became a teenager!

Gladly, she did not morph overnight into a self-absorbed, constantly texting drama queen.

But I really wasn't worried about that...

I sometimes think that God sent me the easy child first, so that I would have more children!

Our oldest child, Brynn, is unique and wonderful in so many ways.

Her loves are:

Star Wars,

sewing,

reading non-stop,

making origami animals,

and her two pet snakes.

For her birthday, she requested a cake with R2D2 on the top.

So, I made this buttercream transfer!
This decorating technique involves piping buttercream frosting on to a template,
then transferring it to your cake.

Cute little droid, isn't he?

Do you have a Star Wars fan in your family?
You can find my R2D2 template (made by my graphic designer hubby) here.

And my step-by-step tutorial on how to make a buttercream transfer is here.

A Strawberry Cake Valentine

I have a Valentine for YOU!

This cake...

And this card...

It makes me SO happy that you come here to share my cake adventures with me!

I love hearing about your cake adventures too.

You guys make me smile! :0)

This is my Valentine's Day cake.
I make it for my family every year, and they love it!

It starts with a white cake mix...super easy!

Pureed strawberries and cream cheese make it delicious.

And I bake it in heart shaped pans to make it cute.

Strawberry Cake

• 1 box white cake mix
• 1 (3 oz.) box of strawberry instant gelatin
• 1/2 cup pureed strawberries (frozen or fresh)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup oil
• 4 eggs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line the bottom of 2 heart shaped cake pans with wax paper, and spray the sides with cooking oil.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix and gelatin. Add water and oil; mix on medium speed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Add strawberries and beat until blended. Pour into pans and bake for approx. 25 minutes.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (softened)
• 1/2 cup pureed strawberries (frozen or fresh)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 6 cups confectioners' sugar

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until creamy. Beat in strawberries and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, beating until smooth. Spread on cooled cake.

This frosting is very soft (and so yummy!), so expect your cake to be

gloriously messy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Rainbow Tie Dye Cake

Today I am sharing a cake that is guaranteed to brighten your day!

Look at all those beautiful RAINBOW colors...

This cake combines the awesomeness of tie dye and rainbows...

Doesn't it make you smile?

I used the cake coloring technique (not the recipe) found at Omnomicon.

I wanted the outside of my cake to be as colorful as the inside,
so I added my own tie dye design to the top.

Start by preparing a white cake mix.

Divide it into 6 bowls, and make each bowl a different rainbow color.

Line the bottom of two 9 inch cake pans with wax paper, and grease the sides.

Layer your cake batter in concentric circles.

Use about 3/4 of the bowl for your bottom color,

then use a little less of each color as you continue.

Layer your second cake pan in the opposite order.

Bake your cake as directed on the box.

Let the cake cool, then frost with your favorite white frosting.
(I put blue frosting in between the layers, just to add more color.)

Next, you need food coloring gel in your 6 rainbow colors.

Make concentric circles with the gel on the top of your cake.

( I started with red on the outside, and used it again when I got to the center.)

Time to make some cake art!

Using a small, flat paintbrush (new or only used for food),

start at the center circle and brush toward the outside of your cake.

You will need to stop and clean your brush a LOT!

Just wipe it on a paper towel.

Otherwise, the blue and green will overpower the other colors.

This is how I did it:

Red

Purple

Blue

(clean brush)

Green

(clean brush)

Yellow

Orange

Red

(clean brush)

Repeat the same process in the gaps between your "spokes".

Continue until all the white frosting is covered, and there aren't any gel blobs.

Want to see the inside?

Rainbow-licious!

Wishing you Peace, Love and Cake!

 Enjoy!

Key Lime Shamrock Cake

I have lots of wonderful memories of the Florida Keys,
where the hubby and I spent our honeymoon.
Sunset on the beach, delicious food, swimming, snorkeling,
 when my husband lost his wedding ring in the ocean...

OK, so maybe that last one isn't a fond memory.

I do sometimes wonder whatever happened to that ring...
still buried in the sand?
 swallowed by a fish?
 found by another lucky tourist?

Speaking of the Florida Keys...
did you know key limes got their name because they are grown there?

They are a lot smaller than other limes, about the size of a walnut.
Squeezing a decent amount of juice out of these little guys takes a LOT of work.
So, this is how I make key lime juice easy...

Nellie & Joe's Famous Key West Lime Juice.
I buy it at my local grocery store, but am guessing it may be harder to find outside of Florida.
I have also seen it at World Market, if you have one near you.
(They are not paying me for this, I just love the stuff!)

Native Floridians (myself included) are adamant that Key lime desserts are NOT green!

So, I may get in some trouble for this cake.

But if Chicago can die their river green for St. Patrick's Day,

I can color my key lime cake green, too!

Key Lime Cake

adapted from The Cooks Next Door 

• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 c. sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 t. vanilla extract
• 1 T. grated key lime zest
• 1/4 c. key lime juice
• 3 c. flour
• 1 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 c. buttermilk (or 1 c. milk + 1 T. vinegar)
• green food coloring (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line the bottom of your cake pans with wax paper, and grease the sides. (I used 6 inch round pans, but 8 or 9 inch would work too.)

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Mixing at low speed, add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla, key lime juice and zest and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until well combined. Add food coloring and mix until combined.

Batter will be thick. Pour it into the pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 35-40 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool on a rack.

Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 2 T. key lime juice
• 1 t. grated key lime zest
• 6 c. confectioners' sugar

In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add key lime juice and zest, and mix well. Add the sugar a few cups at a time, and beat until fluffy.

If you like key lime pie, you are going to LOVE this cake!
It is the perfect combination of tart and sweet...Yum!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cake

This decadent recipe was inspired by two things:

1. My need for chocolate! It has been a while since I made anything rich and chocolatey...
far too long. Must feed my addiction!

2. A recent visit to The Cheesecake Factory. I spent a large portion of our ridiculously long wait time gazing at their amazing dessert case. OH MY, I wanted a slice of every single thing!
I noticed that many of the desserts were a combination of layers of cake and cheesecake.
And I started thinking, "Hmm...I could make that!"

So, I invented this.

 
Layers of chocolate cake and chocolate chip cheesecake,
covered in chocolate buttercream
and mini chocolate chips,
topped with ganache.

The creamy cheesecake and rich chocolate are delicious together!

  

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

• 3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese (room temperature)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with wax paper. Grease the sides.

Use an electric mixer to beat cream cheese and sugar together. Mixing by hand, add eggs one at time. Blend in vanilla. Fold in chocolate chips and pour in to pan.

Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 250 degrees and continue baking for 35 more minutes. Remove from oven and run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan to release the cheesecake. Cool completely in the pan, then chill in the refrigerator.

 

Chocolate Cake

• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk (OR add 1 T. vinegar to 1 c. milk, let sit for 5 minutes)
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of two 9 inch round pans with wax paper. Grease the sides. Bring some water to a boil and keep it simmering while you mix the other ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Beat with mixer until combined.

Add 1 cup of the boiling water and carefully stir until it is mixed in. Beat for 1 1/2 minutes with mixer. Pour the batter into pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes (until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean).

  Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1/2 c. milk (may use less)

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar on low speed. Add chocolate and vanilla, mix well. Gradually add milk until you reach the desired consistency. Keep covered.

Chocolate Ganache

• 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 1 t. vanilla extract

Place the chocolate chips in a metal bowl. Heat cream over medium heat. Watch it closely and immediately remove from heat when it starts to boil. Pour over chocolate chips. Let sit for 1 or 2 minutes. Then slowly stir the mixture. Continue to stir until all the chips have completely melted. Stir in the vanilla.

Assembling Your Cake:
Level the tops of your chocolate cake layers. Place one of the cake layers on top of the cheesecake in the springform pan. Invert the pan onto a cake stand, release the spring and remove the pan and wax paper. Top with the second layer of cake and spread buttercream frosting over the entire cake.

Press mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (approx. 2 cups) onto the sides of the cake. Put the cake in the fridge for an hour, then pour ganache on the top and smooth with a spatula. I used melted white chocolate in a piping bag to make the design on the top of my cake.

This takes a little time to put together, but it's so worth it!

Enjoy!

Polka Dot Easter Egg Cake

I don't have my Easter decorations up yet,

but I am sharing my first Easter cake tutorial with you.

Cake should always come first, don't you think?

At least I have my priorities straight. :0)

Since I love polka dots, I thought polka dot Easter eggs would be really cute.

You will love how easy it is to make them...

The polka dots are white chocolate chips!

You can print this egg template,

or trace an egg shaped cookie cutter on a piece of paper.

Tape your template to a piece of cardboard or a cookie sheet.

Tape a piece of wax paper on top of it.

Put some melted candy melts in a decorating bag with a small round tip,

or in a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off.

Pipe the outline of each egg.

Arrange white chocolate chips inside your outlines.

To keep them in place, pipe around the base of each chocolate chip first.

 Then, fill in all the empty spaces.

Let the eggs set up, and carefully peel them off the wax paper.

Put a dollop of frosting on the back of each egg, and arrange around your cake.

Pipe some grass (Wilton tip #233 ) around the bottom of your eggs.

These eggs would also make fabulous cupcake toppers!

Enjoy!

Easter Chick Cupcakes

 "Thanks, Easter Bunny...bawk, bawk!"

Want to make some super adorable chick cupcakes?

What You Need:
A batch of cupcakes
Frosting: yellow, orange and white
Yellow sanding sugar
Decorating bags
Decorating tips: Wilton #102 (petal) and #2 (small round)
Mini chocolate chips

Put some sanding sugar in a small bowl or plate.
Spread a layer of thick frosting on your cupcake and smooth the top.

Turn the cupcake upside down and press into the sugar until it is covered.

Press two chocolate chips into the cupcake for eyes.

Using tip #102, pipe some ruffly wings on each side.

Spoon some sugar over the wings, then shake off the excess.

Using orange frosting and tip #2, pipe a triangle beak and little feet at the bottom.

Using white frosting, pipe a tiny dot on each eye.

He's almost too cute to eat! :0)

Bawk, bawk!