Know any graveyard cake diggers?

Halloween is my favorite holiday for two reasons, the spooks and the treats. Why else? Now, as an adult as much as I would love to put on a costume and go trick'r treating, bringing home a pillow case full of candy that would be absolutely (totally awesome) against any kind of Halloween rules there are. Kids do have all the fun and it wont be until I have some kiddies of my own that I, or they will be able to go candy crazy!

For Halloween I made a spooky graveyard cake with sugar cookie headstones and iced sugar cookies. The graveyard cake is deliciously moist pumpkin cake with chocolate ganache frosting. Both, are very easy, I promise. I used this Martha Stewart recipe here. I was going to make my favorite sugar cookies anyways so I made the headstones with that recipe rather than the shortbread cookies offered. You can do either one though. The sugar cookies recipe is listed below.

This sugar cookie recipe will serve as your go-to sugar cookie recipe for any holiday cookie shapes you want to use. The recipe is from a friend of mine, she uses a cream cheese frosting that is absolutely delicious, so its best to spread a thin layer on if you want it to dry all of the way. Otherwise you can cover each layer with parchment paper to keep them pretty.  

Seasonal Sugar Cookies

from Kelley M.

time 12-18 min
yield Makes 2 batches for 1 frosting 

Ingredients
Cookies:
1/2 cup Butter
1 cup Sugar
1 Egg
1/2 tsp Vanilla
2 - 2 1/4 cup Flour
2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Salt

Frosting:
8 oz Cream Cheese, cold
1 stick Butter, room temp
1/8 tsp salt
3 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla

directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line baking sheets with parchment.  
2. Cream butter and sugar.
3. Blend in egg and vanilla.
4. Sift and add flour (add additional 1/4 cup depending on consistency), baking powder and salt.
5. Roll into ball and chill.
6. Roll out to 1/8 inch thick and cut out shapes. Keep cool as you go.
7. Bake for 12-18 min until light golden and cool completely on rack before frosting.
8. To make the icing, mix all ingredients in mixer fitted with paddle attachment and separate into bowls and add coloring. 

Happy Halloweeeeeen! 

My Favorite Little Cakes - Friands!

America has the cupcake, France has the fancier and Australia has the friand. I love, love, love bite size cakes. The almond meal makes these afternoon cakes moist, flavorful and perfect with espresso. These can easily be baked in mini cupcake tins or muffin tins. I have a special friand tin that gives them the oval shape. I hope you give these berry friands a shot for your next brunch. recipe is below. Bake On!

Friands
from Modern Classics Book 2 by Donna Hay

125g butter
1 cup almond meal
1 2/3 cups icing sugar, sifted
3/4 cup plain flour, sifted

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

5 egg whites
1/3 cup fresh raspberries, blueberries or sliced strawberries


Preheat the oven to 180C (350). Place the butter in a saucepan over low heat and cook until melted and a very light golden color. Set aside.

Place the almond meal, icing sugar, flour and baking powder in a bowl and stir to combine. Add the egg whites and stir to combine. Add the butter and stir to combine.

Grease 10 x 1/2 cup capacity muffin tins [of course, if you have friand tins, you might as well use them]. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the mixture into each tin and sprinkle the berries over the top. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and springy to touch but moist in the center.

B is for Boy, C is for Cupcake!

Hi Everyone, 

I wanted to share this quick update with you on how amazing my "future sister-in-law" baby shower was! Leanna and Barry are expecting their first baby, a baby boy, mid-November! We made our way down to Venture with a diaper cake and cupcakes ready for the festivities! 

Now here is the digs, this recipe is amazing! If you love lemon and love cake you will love this one! You know I try a lot of recipes and change things up to my liking. This one is for sure a keeper. For Mommy and Daddy to be, I made their favorite, Meyer Lemon Cupcakes. The recipe follows my so-so pics.

Meyer Lemon Cupcakes

Makes 2 dozen cupcakes or 3 9in layer cakes

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 large room temp eggs

1 1/4 self-rising flour

1 1/2 AP flour

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice

1 tbs grated lemon zest

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 dozen cupcake tins with papers. If you decide to make the cake version go ahead and grease and lightly duest with flour a 9 inch cake pan then line with parchment.

2. In a large bowl cream the butter in an electric mixer until smooth and pale. Add the sugar gradually until mixture is fluffy. Spend time on this step, it make a big difference in the texture of your cake.

3. Add the eggs one at a time until just incorporated. Add the flours in one bowl then add to mixture in four parts alternating with milk then lemon juice and zest. Mix well after each addition just until incorporated. Divide batter amongst cupcake tins or 3 9x2 round cake pans. 

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted info center of cake comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on wire rack.

Meyer Lemon Buttercream Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

8 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1/2 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp grated lemon zest

Add butter, 4 cups sugar then juice and zest in a large mixing bowl. Beat until sugar granulars are smooth and icing is creamy. Add sugar 1 cup at a time until the icing reaches its flavor and thickness desired. I usually use all 8 cups. You want the frosting to be spreadable but not melting over the sides of the cakes. This is when I add any coloring. Start of with a little drop then add. Remember, you can always add but cant take away. 

Let me know what you think! Bon Appetite!

Wedding Reception: Oh so pretty cupcakes

Early April friends of mine exchanged vows amongst close family. I was honored to make their wedding cake for their special day. Late August they celebrated their nuptials with a reception. For the special occasion I whipped up a classic, some chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream topped with candy flowers I got from one of my favorite confectioners, Miette. Ill have a post later this fall on gum paste decorations. To get the lavender color frosting I used just a dab of Wilton violet gel coloring. Bon Appetit!

Classic Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

Baking from the Farmers Market: Strawberries

Chocolate and Strawberry Buttercream Cake. Delicious! I love this cake because the light and fruity strawberry puree buttercream frosting compliments the richness of the dark chocolate cake. I have also been moving toward a more rustic approach to decorating that you will see more of. 

Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Puree Buttercream

 Another treat I swoon for is the combo of a biscuits and fruit. To die for! Here I have whipped up Strawberry Shortcake Cookies and man they were perfect! I love strawberry shortcake but what I want to to get all the flavors in one bite. Here is it. Bake this one up before its gets chilly outside. 

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

 You can get just about anything at your local farmers market these days and I highly stepping out of the chain grocery store and hitting the streets for true, organic, local farming. Both recipes highlight farmers market fresh organic strawberries and organic cage free eggs.

Enjoy the rest of summer! Bake on!

Going once, going twice, SOLD!

My company raised funds to donate for the American Heart Association Heart Walk and for the cause I donated two 6 inch cakes to our silent auction. The grand coconut cake sold for $20 and was devoured by my friend and her mother that are both controlled by two things in this word, coconut and their wild sweet tooth's. The dark chocolate raspberry cake sold for $25 and gobbled up by our lucky CEO.

I love baking for a cause and hope I have the option to do more of it in the future.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Grand Coconut Cake

Fourth of July: All American Tart

Yes, we all have a special place in our heart for S'mores. A treat that brings us back to childhood summer camping trips cuddled around the campfire. When I was invited to a family 4th of July/BBQ/fireworks dinner party I wanted to bring something nostalgic with fresh spin. So, from scratch I created my very first recipe (pat on the back) Individual S'more Tarts! This recipe, although simplistic (what is a s'more anyway?) nails the graham crust, chocolate ganache center and a nice cool marshmallow topping that's totally bite size!