Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Delicious Cuteness

Hello, hello! I’m so happy to be here at the SEI blog again today! I thought I’d share another random fact about myself with you. I LOVE cake. I love to bake cakes, and I love to decorate cakes (and of course, I most certainly love to EAT cake too!) When I was a little girl, my mom baked and decorated cakes. I was mesmerized by the amazing cakes in the Wilton Yearbooks she collected. Now that I have kids of my own, I have tried to create fun and memorable cakes for their birthdays. Getting creative with frosting is FUN!


I created this cake a few months ago for a bridal shower. It was a 12 inch, 2 layer cake. I covered it in a very pale blue buttercream frosting, and then went a little crazy, covering the whole thing in swirly white lines. I didn’t intend to cover the WHOLE cake in swirls. . . .but the more I swirled, the more I liked it, so I kept on goin’!


The next cake I created for my son Bryce’s sixth birthday. He had a superhero party, so I made him a Super B cake. I found a Superman logo online, printed it out, traced it onto tracing paper, and changed the “S” into a “B”. The cake was frosted in buttercream, and then I created the logo in red and yellow fondant. (You can buy premade fondant at the craft store. I don’t think I will ever be brave enough to make it from scratch!) The big surprise was inside the Super B cake . . . the cake was red, yellow, and blue! This is SO fun and simple to do. After making your cake batter (yellow or white cake mix works just fine), divide it into separate bowls, one for each color you want to have. Just add drops of food coloring until you have the color you want, and then drop it by spoonfuls into the cake pan! Last year we made rainbow cupcakes for St. Patrick’s Day, but what about using your favorite sports team’s colors? (I know I’m late, but how fun would that be for a Superbowl Party!?) The possibilities are endless!


And now, for my favorite frosting recipe, from the October 2007 issue of Southern Living Magazine:
Ingredients
• 2 cups shortening
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 (16-oz.) packages powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 cup evaporated milk

Preparation
1. Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric mixer until blended. Add powdered sugar alternately with evaporated milk, beating at low speed until blended after each addition. Beat at medium speed 8 minutes or until light and fluffy.
Note: Frosting may be stored in refrigerator up to 2 weeks. If using a handheld mixer, prepare frosting in 2 batches.


The only thing that I do differently is to add a few tablespoons of meringue powder to the recipe. You can find meringue powder on the cake decorating aisle at the craft store. It helps the frosting set and “dry” as it sits. I love frosting with a little sugary crunch to it!
I hope I’ve tempted you to bake, and decorate, (or at least run to the bakery and buy) a delicious and colorful cake for dessert! Thanks so much for stopping by today! Meet me here tomorrow to see a project I created with the brand new Corinne paper! XOXO Laura

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