Oh, Cakey Goodness!

Food-related ramblings from a freelance baker and confectionier. You can find my less focused ramblings on the twittah @ohcakeygoodness. Email me at [email protected]

[ohcakeygoodness]

Hiatus

With summer fast approaching, I have decided to give myself a much-needed break and bask in the heat of the sun instead of the oven.  I will still be baking for fun and posting here every once in a while, but in the meantime please feel free to follow my non-cakery geekery over at OhGeekyGoodness, where I will have a much more active presence for the time being.

xoxo

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[ohcakeygoodness]

So cute!  I need to make these...

[ohcakeygoodness]

Just a little Rustic Spring Cake while it's still technically Spring.  Inside is marbled chocolate and strawberry cake with strawberry cream filling.  It is frosted with vanilla American buttercream and decorated with sanding sugar and candy pearls on the top, white chocolate "grass" strips on the side, and a tinted white chocolate grass trim around the bottom.  Sweet!

[ohcakeygoodness]

Diva Cakes, Part 2

Seems like every birthday girl wants the diva treatment these days, and who can blame them! This little miss wanted a pop star/hip-hop dancer theme, so I did the single lady on the top using a frozen buttercream transfer, and for the dancer on the front I used a chocolate transfer.

I tinted some cocoa butter black and used a tiny brush to paint my silhouette on a piece of acetate. When it dried, I melted white chocolate and poured it on top. I would make a few adjustments the next time I use this technique. First, I would let the cocoa butter dry longer, perhaps over night (I had a second image that smudged too much to salvage). Also, the weather has been so hideously hot (especially with an oven going at 350) that I was worried about the image melting away altogether and popped it in the fridge before applying the white chocolate. This was probably a mistake since it made the chocolate set up right away and I got a thicker layer than I intended. I still think it came out well, I just need to refine my methods a little.

The cake was fudgy chocolate with a chocolate mousse filling and vanilla American buttercream. The frosting was tinted using AmeriColor gels in Electric Blue, Electric Pink and Super Black. I love the combination of colors, and the little pink rosettes on the blue background are so fun and Betsey Johnson-y!

[ohcakeygoodness]

A lovely little lass celebrated her sixth birthday with a rainbow-themed party, and I got to make the cake!  I keep seeing rainbow cakes on tumblr/pinterest but this was my first time making one.  I used manymanymanymanymany drops of AmeriColor food coloring gel to dye six pans of batter.  I doubled my vanilla cake recipe and was able to get six 1” tall incredibly vibrant cake layers.

The rainbow interior was a surprise for the birthday girl, so I used vanilla-lemon American buttercream to hide the rainbow in the sky behind some clouds.  It doesn’t show up much in the photos, but I used pearl sparkle dust on the clouds to make them shimmer a bit.  (I was marathoning Arrested Development S4 while I worked, and now my iPad is super shimmery, too.  Oops.)

I tried a few different designs for the top but nothing felt right until I spied a container of rainbow jimmies while digging through my sprinkle-cabinet.  (What, doesn’t everyone have a cabinet just for sprinkles?  NO?  Huh…  You keep dishes in there, you say?  Laaaame.)  I was going to do just a few scattered about, but…but…SPRINKLES!  … I used the entire container and I kind of love it.  A lot.

[Edited to add larger photos -Cakey)

[ohcakeygoodness]

Diva Cakes

I recently did a pink leopard print cake for an 8 year old girl's "birthday diva" party.  This was a white cake with vanilla American buttercream.  I used various AmeriColor gels to tint the frosting; mainly Deep Pink and Electric Pink.  The crown and text were done using the frozen buttercream transfer method.  The printed cake round is from Wilton (I think I found it at Michael's).

I wanted to do a fun, "cool", girly cake that was appropriate for a young girl without being too princess-y or too generic looking.  I'm quite pleased with how this design turned out.

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[ohcakeygoodness]

Oh that is just art

[ohcakeygoodness]

Doctor Who Cake

This year for Mother's Day (US) I decided to treat myself to a cake celebrating my love for Doctor Who.  I was inspired by this amazing picture from artist Mei Stoyva.  She is awesome and talented, and was so very sweet when I contacted her about doing this cake.  Go follow her tumblah, then come back and I'll show you the inside of the cake.  Go on, then.  I'll wait here...

Back?  Good.  We can proceed.  Using Mei's work as a guide, I used Satin Ice fondant (mixed with gum paste) as a canvas and AmeriColor gels thinned with bubblegum vodka (no judgy) as paints.

For Ms Pond, I used Super Red, Orange and Chocolate Brown thinned and blended to make a variety of shades.  For the Raggedy Man I used Chocolate Brown, Violet, Royal Blue, Super Black and Super Red.  I let these pieces dry over night and made my cake.

I made a basic white cake and split the batter into smaller bowls so I could tint it several shades of blue for an ombré look (done by mixing AmeriColor Royal Blue, Super Black, and Electric Blue in varying amounts).  While that cooked I made Almond-Vanilla Bean Swiss meringue buttercream to fill and frost the cake with.  Once the cake was assembled, I trimmed my fondant with an exacto knife and placed them on top.  I used red heart sprinkles and chocolate jimmies to make my tally marks (top one is glued to the others with clear piping gel), then I piped red American buttercream along the edge of the cake round.

Ah, there you are, Angel Bob.  How's life?  Sorry, bad subject. 

Okay, wrapping this up before we need to blink.  Here, as promised, is the TARDIS-blue ombré interior.

Damn, they're fast.

[ohcakeygoodness]

via http://ludzies.tumblr.com

[moon83]

[ohcakeygoodness]

moon83:

“The Art Toast Project” Presents | by Ida Skivenes

Idafrosk.com// Instagram: @Idafrosk | via Mashable

Whoa, awesome.  And here, I've just been making hedgehogs...

[ohcakeygoodness]

Somebody stop me

My breakfasts for the past three days: Reese's pb cup ice cream sundae, frosted buttermilk donut, speculoos ice cream.  Send help/Bring spoon.

[ohcakeygoodness]

Wedding Cake with Purple Dalek Toppers and Cupcakes - Amanda Macleod

Ohmygodyouguys!  These toppers!  <3

[ohcakeygoodness]

Let's go Yankees! (clap! clap! clap-clap-clap!)  That's a sports thing I've heard people do.  Although we've established my distant and impersonal relationship with sportsball, I had fun doing this classic Yankees cake for a man's birthday. 

I even got in the spirit of things by watching A League of Their Own while decorating, which was a great choice for classic entertainment but a not-so-good one for my attention to detail.  See, what I had failed to notice after piping all the red stitching detail work and the "NY" while watching Dottie Hinson do her thang, was that the transfer was backwards... *headdesk*  So, I took a deep breath, prepped a fresh work space, refilled my piping bags, printed a corrected image, and commenced Take 2.  Frozen Buttercream Transfer Rule #1: Before you print your design, make sure your image is reversed!  You want your words/logo to be mirror-image since you will be placing your transfer "upside down" on your cake.  

I used the same technique as in the Angry Birds Cake, but with smaller piping tips since there was a lot of fine detail work.  I again worked on a glass surface so I could see and smooth out as many surface bubbles and gaps as I could.  To match the iconic Americana colors, I tinted my frosting with Americolor Royal Blue and Super Red gels, using Super Black and a tiny touch of Chocolate Brown to darken the shade as needed.

I wanted to keep the rest of the design clean and fairly simple, but it needed a little something extra.  I didn't want drown the cake in sprinkles and instead opted to use about 20 white jumbo quins.  I used a teeny tiny brush and Americolor Super Red gel food coloring thinned with a drop of vodka and dotted little "stitches" on each "ball".  Thank goodness for off-set fine-tipped tweezers or I never would have been able to paint and place them without smudges.

The cake itself was a moist chocolate cake, filled with chocolate mousse, frosted in vanilla American buttercream.  The post-party report was that it was enjoyed by all, and I got a lovely compliment in being asked back to make a third cake later this month.  So, stay tumbld, sports sweets fans!

[ohcakeygoodness]

Tutorial: Angry Birds Frozen Buttercream Transfer

You'll need piping bags, assorted round piping tips and couplers (I used Tips #1-5, and two unnumbered slightly larger ones, plus a flat slanted tip for the last step).  I use regular rubber bands to close my filled bags but if you have the specialty Wilton ones, go ahead and use those.  You will also want a hot ton of toothpicks, your (simple) design picture, and a piece of wax paper a bit larger than your design.

Using your design print-out to guide you, separate your icing into small bowls for tinting.  You need a smooth, soft buttercream that isn't grainy or too stiff.  Canned vanilla is fine (not whipped though), or you can make your own.  (I use American buttercream since it spreads more smoothly that SMBc.)  Use toothpicks to add a small drop of food coloring gel to your bowls at a time, mixing shades as desired.  I used Wilton gels in Copper and Golden Yellow, as well as Americolor in Chocolate Brown and Super Black.  COLORS WILL DEVELOP AND DARKEN IN TIME! Come near the shade you require and walk away for a bit before getting frustrated and dumping all your gel in.  My black started as a purplish medium gray shade before it fully developed.  You probably won't need much of each color but you're always better off tinting too much frosting than too little.  If you have to make a second batch, you run the risk of the shades not matching.  Choose appropriately sizes piping tips for each color and fill your piping bags (I used mostly 2 and 3 for outlining and smaller details/spaces, and the larger tips to fill in the black, gray and orange.)

THE SET UP

I've often seen this technique done on a metal baking sheet.  I like to use a flat-bottom glass or clear plastic surface so I can check my design while working.  Here, I have taped the design print out to the outside bottom of a 9x13" Pyrex baking dish.  I turned it right side up and taped a sheet of waxed paper to the inside, covering the design.  Then I traced my design with the icing.  I piped the black pupils and all the outlines first.  Then I piped the eyebrows and the orange/yellow beak and feather.  I piped the gray, filled in the black, and finally piped the white (I wanted the pupils to have a chance to set so they didn't smear).  You can pop the tray in the freezer between shades/details so, for example, the beak outline will be firm enough that it won't lose its shape when filled.  While I do pipe long strands to make outlines, I find it best to fill areas by placing my piping tip just above the paper and pipe a blob that will spread as you squeeze the bag.  You tend to get less bubbles and gaps that way.  Speaking of... When I finished my colors, I gently lifted the baking dish and peeled the paper print-out off the outside bottom.  That way I could see  where the surface of my frosting needed to be smoothed out (remember the "top" of the transfer is the part touching the waxed paper).  I used a small angled metal spatula to gently nudge the icing around as needed.  You can smooth it a bit once it's on the cake but it's always best if you need to manipulate it as little as possible at that point.  Once you're satisfied, pop the whole thing in the freezer for 5 minutes or so.

Now it's time to cover the bottom of your transfer.  You want at least a one inch border around your design edges.  I chose to make mine in an egg shape.  Using the largest of my round piping tips, I piped a border in white, and then used the flat slanted piping tip to pipe a flat layer of icing over the whole design.  You want to smooth it flat so it sits evenly on the top of your cake.  I cleaned up the edges of my egg shape using a toothpick.  It doesn't need to be perfect as you will pipe a border once you place it on the cake.  Pop the dish back into the freezer again for 5+ minutes while you prepare the surface of your cake.

FINISH HIM!

Once your cake is frosted, take your baking dish out of the freezer and carefully peel off the waxed paper (I used an exacto knife to cut a one inch border around my design, and then gently removed that from the dish).  Turn the waxed paper upside down over your cake and once you have the transfer where you want it, gently press down with one hand while peeling the waxed paper off with the other.  TAKE IT SLOW!  Once it was off, I placed a second (clean) piece of waxed paper over the design and used a fondant smoother to smooth some of the imperfections using a light touch.  I peeled the second sheet of waxed paper off, and used a small angled metal spatula to further smooth the surface, working section by section and cleaning the spatula between colors.  Now go ahead and pipe a border around your transfer and decorate as desired.

Voila!  Much tastier than a "edible" paper sheet, and a nicer presentation than an array of non-edible toys and decorations scattered on top.

EDITED TO ADD: Since this was a graphic and not a word or logo transfer, I failed to give you (and *ahem* me) some very good advise: You MUST reverse your image before printing so that the letters are not mirror image when you flip your completed FBcT over onto your cake.

Questions?  Ask away!

[maddiesharafian]

Recipe taken from Marion Cunningham’s The Breakfast Book. (Trust me, it’s delicious!)

[ohcakeygoodness]

LOVE the illustration on this!  Mmmm...adorable pancakes...

[ohcakeygoodness]

Honeyed Lavender Lemon Éclairs

I so love a good cream-filled pastry but am often at the mercy of the stale supermarket éclair.  Even when I get a decent one, with just the right ratio of pastry to cream, the flavors never change, so I decided to make my own.  I am very pleased with how the three complimentary flavor components shine through in this recipe.  

This is a honey lemon pâte à choux, filled with a honey lavender lemon pastry cream, topped with a honeyed lemon glaze and lavender honey whipped cream.  Soooo delicious.

Click through to view/download the recipe:

HONEY LAVENDER LEMON PASTRY CREAM

Combine milk, lavender, and lemon zest in a heavy pot over medium heat.  As soon as it starts to boil, remove from heat and cool for 30 minutes.

Whisk yolks and honey in a medium pan until well-combined.  Stir in the flour. 

Strain the cooled milk mixture into the flour mixture using a fine mesh strainer, using a spoon to press out all the liquid from the flowers. 

Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for 3 minutes or until thickened.  Scrape the hot pastry cream into a bowl and press plastic wrap onto the surface.  Refrigerate.

(*Ingredient notes: You’ll want unsprayed lemons and lavender for safe eats. If you don’t have raw honey, you can use whatever type you enjoy.)

  HONEY LEMON PÂTE À CHOUX:

Bring butter, honey, salt, lemon juice, lemon extract and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Using a wooden spoon, quickly stir in flour. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture pulls away from sides and a film forms on bottom of pan, about 3 minutes.

Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until slightly cooled, about 1 minute. Raise speed to medium; add whole eggs, 1 at a time, until a soft peak forms when batter is touched with your finger. If peak does not form, lightly beat remaining egg white, and mix it into batter a little at a time until it does.

  BAKING, ASSEMBLY AND GLAZE/WHIPPED CREAM INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the center. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch (Ateco No. 806) tip with pate a choux batter; pipe out oblong shapes, about 3 1/2 inches long and 1 inch wide, onto prepared baking sheets at 2-inch intervals. Gently run a fork dipped in water along each top, making straight lines to ensure even rising.

Cover one baking sheet with lightly oiled plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator. Transfer the second sheet to the oven. Bake 10 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes more. Turn off oven; prop door open slightly to let steam escape. Allow éclairs to dry in oven until centers are damp but no wet dough remain (test by cutting into the center of one), about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Raise heat back to 425 degrees and repeat process with remaining batch. If serving immediately, fill éclairs while still warm so they can take more cream; if filling at a later time, insert a skewer into one end, and move it around to expand opening for cream; set aside.

Transfer pastry cream to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until smooth and softened. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a coupler and filling tip (Ateco No. 230) with pastry cream. Insert tip into one end of each éclair; fill.

To make the glaze, combine 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of honey, and 2/3 cup of confectioner’s sugar.  Beat until smooth and shiny.  Pour a small amount over each éclair and transfer to a wire rack to allow glaze to set.

For the whipped cream, combine ¼ cup heavy cream, ¼ teaspoon of honey and 1-2 drops of pure natural lavender extract in a chilled metal bowl.  Whip until firm.  Fill a piping bag fitted with a closed star tip (Wilton No.16) and pipe swirls onto the éclairs.

(Choux recipe and baking instruction adapted from Martha Stewart Living, Feb 2002 issue)

This looks intimidating but I found it relatively easy (if a touch time consuming) to make, and I had never made any variety of cream puff before I set out to write this recipe.  So give it a try!

Download the recipe pdf