I like baking.
It’s gratifying, in that I not only get to make something but I get to make something consumable that sometimes looks pretty cool, too. Plus, I have a sweet tooth like you wouldn’t believe!
Two of my friends had birthdays the same week and I felt compelled to bake for the occasions. My friend Eryn went home with about three dozen Chocolate Salted-Caramel Mini Cupcakes, which she said made her very happy. They were yummy, I have to say, even if I did mess up the caramel and it ended up a little grainy. *sigh* She had no complaints, though, and genuinely seemed to enjoy them in spite of the not-so-gooey middles. I completely forgot to snap pictures of them, so you’ll have to take my word that they were incredibly cute. (Confession: Some of the chocolate buttercream got too warm and when I piped it on the cupcakes looked a little poo-ish. I may have eaten the evidence.)
Next up was my friend Sarah’s birthday and I made her a cake from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Whimsical Bakehouse. I used their recipe for House Buttercream and have to say that it’s still not my favorite. I think it’s not a good match for Southern summers. It tends to be a little on the soft side so it doesn’t hold up very well to dam the filling (the cake was supposed to be tilted at a rakish angle).
The cake, as a whole, was so yummy, though! I made a raspberry mousse filling (also from the cookbook) that’s been a hit with everyone who’s tasted it. (Confession: I spread the excess filling on the cake trimmings to snack on while the crumb coat is setting.) I rode to the shop to take it to Sarah on her birthday, in the rain, and held on to the cake plate really hoping I would not have to stop abruptly and watch it slide into my dashboard, since it was too tall to fit in my cake carrier. “Sorry, officer, I was trying to save this cake!”
4 September, 8:54 am
I love cake and the cake is very beautiful. So many talents, so little time!!!
4 September, 9:53 am
I wish I lived nearby! Those all sound so delish! I’ve got a basic buttercream and a “professional” buttercream recipe and the last couple times I’ve made them, I prefer the basic to the fancy one. Just seems to work most consistently. Tough to do in our warmer times though, too.
4 September, 1:10 pm
Oh YUM! The cupcakes sound unbelievably yummy! What a wonderful friend you are and what lucky friends you have!
I can bake pretty well, but frosting……uh…no. Your cake is just gorgeous!!
4 September, 3:04 pm
Darn you, Mary. Now I am going to have to go bake a cake!
4 September, 5:49 pm
Oh..it’s just lovely! It reminds me a bit of my wedding cake, in which every layer was set at a rakish angle…so fun!!
5 September, 6:52 am
Lovely!! I love the Whimsical Bakehouse, but have to admit, I’ve never tried their buttercream. I’ve always just used the Wilton recipe, and it’s been well liked, so why change? : ) Our favorite is the cookie’s n cream filling. Every one of my kids requests that for their birthday cake. So yummy. You did a fabulous job of decorating!! Your colors are very nice. Do you use the colors they suggest? There again, I’ve always just stuck with the Wilton stuff.
5 September, 12:00 pm
Great, now I want cake! :O)
5 September, 6:42 pm
Tht cake is sooo pretty! I love it! I have been in a cooking/baking mood lately too…maybe it’s the season?? LOL! Driving with cakes is dangerous! You never know what a crafter may do to save one of her creations! They are like our babies!
xoxo,
Samantha
8 September, 7:49 pm
The cake is so cute!!! I will have to find that book so I can try some of those recipes!