Happy Potter

Ugh! I've waited too long to post this and now cannot for the life of me find the cake recipe I used!  It was perfect because it was one that had the right ratios to make 2 layers red velvet, 1 layer white cake. But, alas, alack--after numerous google searches, the recipe remains elusive.

This was my first ice cream cake, and I learned an important lesson: make sure the ice cream filling is conpletely frozen entirely before putting the next layer on.  Unfortunately (and mostly due to time constraints) I piled the ice cream and multiple layers on all at the same time and (as I should have expected) the ice cream squished out the sides and then froze, making the cake to ice cream proportions not what I had hoped for (i.e. too heavily cake).  Otherwise it turned out well and was one of many great parts to our Potter-filled weekend!


Red Cake: Red Velvet
Yellow Cake: Simple White Cake
Filling: Vanilla Ice Cream
Frosting: Vanilla Buttercream

Cupcakes for Barb

A few weeks ago we had a little birthday celebration for my coworker, Barb, complete with pizza, birthday crown, and bubbles, and I made a cupcake contribution to the event.  Barb requested chocolate cupcakes, so I decided on a dark chocolate cupcake recipe I saw on Sweetapolita, but tweaked it a little by replacing the raspberry buttercream she used with a coffee-flavored whipped cream filling and simple vanilla buttercream frosting.  They turned out very good and I was pleased with just how moist and chocolately the cupcakes were.  The coffee whipped cream filling combined with the vanilla buttercream and chocolate covered espresso bean atop each cupcake made the sweets coffee-flavored, but not overbearingly so.  A fun time was had by all, and hopefully it was the start of a great year for Barb!  Happy birthday!

Cupcakes: Rich & Dark Chocolate Cupcakes (borrowed from Sweetapolita's Recipe)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin/cupcake tin with paper or foil cupcake liners.  In bowl of electric mixer, sift 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt.  Then add 2 eggs, 1 cup strong, hot black coffee, 1 cup buttermilk (at room temp.), 1/2 cup vegetable oil, and 1 tbsp vanilla extract to the dry ingredients.  With the paddle attachment on mixer, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed (you may need the plastic splash-guard that comes with mixer) and pour into prepared cupcake pan until 2/3 full (or just less). Batter will be liquidy (see photos below).  Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until toothpick or skewer comes out with a few crumbs. Try not to overbake.  Cool on wire racks in pans for 5 minutes then gently turn cupcakes onto racks until completely cool.

  

Icing: Vanilla Buttercream

In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup softened butter and 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp. milk and 1 tsp. vanilla extract.  Mix at a medium speed until the icing is smooth.  Add more powdered sugar if it is too runny. 

Filling: Coffee-flavored Whipped Cream

Combine 1 pint heavy whipping cream, 1 tbsp. vanilla, and 1/2 cup sugar.  Whip on high until has a thick consistency, then fold in one packet of Starbucks instant coffee.  Keep refrigerated until ready to pipe into cupcake centers. 

A nice "how-to" for filling cupcakes: http://annies-eats.net/2011/03/07/how-to-make-filled-cupcakes/ 

 

 

Sneak preview

So I've found myself almost non-stop humming/whistling the Harry Potter theme this past week. I'm just SO EXCITED, and have also spent many a night watching the movies in an attempt to re-watch them all before Saturday. So that's probably contributed to my default humming song switching from Single Ladies or Friday, to the HP theme (just for clarification, I don't choose them, they choose me...otherwise Rebecca Black would not be in the mix).

Though we're not going to a midnight showing tonight, tomorrow several of our HP-obsessed friends will be joining us for a HP sleepover at my house, and then we're all going to a morning showing on Saturday! I, of course, couldn't pass up the opportunity to make a Harry Potter-inspired cake. I don't want to say too much, but I will tell you there's ice cream involved. And magic..al decorations. And, oh fine, twist my arm--here's a sneak preview:

Also magical, but not Harry Potter-related: last Saturday I received these cute "Yumbots" from pals Bethany and Molly as a birthday gift!  Baking + Robots = one giddy me!  This is definitely not the last you'll be seeing of these li'l guys :)

Cinnamon Rolls (Yum!!)

 

I had leftover whipped cream frosting from the 4th of July cake, so I decided to make cinnamon rolls for me and Eriks.  Both of us enjoyed them, a little too much actually (I had 2, he had 3!). They're super easy if you have a breadmaker and dangerously delicious! I actually made them the night before and let them sit in the fridge overnight, and then baked them in the morning for breakfast, which seemed to work well.

Cinnamon Rolls Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup water
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast (I think I may have used 2 to make them extra fluffy)

Filling:

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar, mixed with 3 tbsp. cinnamon

Icing:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons hot water
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup whipped cream

Preparation:

Add ingredients to breadmaker and set on dough cycle. Turn onto lightly floured board and divide into number of desired rolls. Roll out the balls, one at a time, into, long, narrow piece.  Spread the melted butter combination along the surface and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture as desired. Starting at long end, carefully roll up; pinch seams together. Cover with a slightly dampened towel and let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes, or until browned. Drizzle (or coat like I did) with icing.

Independence Day Cake

Happy 4th of July! Baked this white cake w/strawberries and whipped cream buttercream for an Independence Day dessert at Eriks' aunt Lynn's house last Saturday. I'd wanted a reason to try a similar technique to a certain rainbow cake on Sweetapolita. The cake turned out yummy and was fun, though I'm still going to find a reason to make the rainbow one too!

Cake: White cake (with food coloring) via Sweetapolita

Frosting: Buttercream mixed with whipped cream

Filling: alternating layers of whipped cream and fresh strawberries

Latvian Honey Cake for Jāņi

This year I finally got to join Eriks' family and Latvian friends in the celebration of Jāņi, or John's Day, a Latvian national holiday that takes place around the summer solstice. Since my family is mostly a mix of backgrounds and a number of generations removed from our first ancestors that crossed the Atlantic, I didn't grow up with any real cultural family traditions. So I was excited to participate in a holiday full of traditional Latvian practices and to get to meet some of the people Eriks has been celebrating John's Day with since he was a little boy. Though Eriks was unable to make it this year, I went with his brother, sister, and dad, and joined the group of about 50 people at the Kurmis' lakeside cabin for the weekend event.

I was amazed at how traditional it was, between the eating Jāņu cheese, homemade rye bread, and pirogi; singing of Latvian folk songs and listening to the history of John's Day from Britta's great-aunt; sitting around bonfires and jumping over them; and picking wildflowers to make crowns (vinjas) for the women and oak leaf crowns for men named "John" in honor of their name day.

Since there was going to be an outdoor potluck, I took the opportunity to contribute a cake. I googled "Latvian cake recipe" (seriously, what did people do before google?) and came across this Latvian honey cake recipe, which, while different from other cakes I've made in terms of its ingredients, was a hit and really yummy. It was a five-layer pancake-like cake made only of honey, flour, eggs and baking soda, with a filling of crushed walnuts and sweetened sour cream. Initially I was a little skeptical about the filling, but the combination of flavors was delicious!

I made two of these cakes and decorated their edges with fondant oak leaves and flowers to mimic the vinjas. This was my first time using petal dust on the leaves and flowers and I was pleasantly surprised by the depth it gave them.

Below are some photos of the baking process, and I'll be posting some pictures soon from our fun John's Day celebration on my photo blog if you're interested :)

Cake: Latvian Honey Cake
Frosting: Lemon Buttercream

Happy John's Day!