Tasty Thursday

 Happy Halloween!  Today's Tasty Thursday is both creepy and delicious.  I love the way these blood splattered petit fours with sugar glass look.  They're the perfect finishing touch to any Halloween dessert table, and will win you major kudos from your friends and family.

INGREDIENTS:

For the petit fours:
- 1 frozen pound cake
- 1 lb. powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Red food coloring

For the sugar glass:
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup corn syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

DIRECTIONS:
1. Make the glaze by mixing powdered sugar, corn syrup, water, and vanilla together in a medium bowl.
2. Trim petit fours into cubes and dip into sugar mixture. Let dry on a cooling rack for 30 minutes.
3. Use chop sticks or a fork to dot petit fours with red food coloring for a blood-splattered look.

4. To make the sugar glass: combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat for about an hour until the temperature reaches 302 degrees F.

5. Remove from the stove and spread onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Use an offset spatula to gently spread mixture.

6. Let sugar glass cool for about an hour, and then break using a mason jar or other solid object. Be careful though! It’s sharp.

7. Grab a glass shard and use a basting or other pastry brush to paint red food coloring on the edges.

8. Place “bloody” sugar glass into a petit four and repeat with remaining cakes.

Happy Halloween from a family of mad scientists!





DIY :: 30 Shape Cake Tutorial

For the Mister's thirtieth I made him a cake in the shape of the big 30.  I was actually quite nervous about how this would turn out and I am presently surprised that it worked out so well.  I personally find creating any number that's curved to be quite tricky.  That being said here's the easiest way that I found to make a 30 shaped cake.

I used two round cake pans, a 10 inch and a 6 inch cake pan.  After baking the cakes and letting them set, I carefully turned them out on to cutting boards.  Any cake recipe will do here's the one I used.

To create the zero, I simply used a clean 6 inch cake pan and centered it over the baked 10 inch cake.  Using even and firm pressure I cut out the center using the 6 inch cake pan as a cookie cutter.  I simply elongated the circle to create an oval zero shape.

The 3 shape was a little trickier.  I used the center cut out from the zero (aka the 10 inch cake pan), as well as the baked 6 inch cake for each lobe of the 3.  I cut a straight piece off the bottom of one of my cakes so that it would lay flat on top of the other cake, and removed the center portion with a knife.

I repeated this process for the second lobe, rotating the bottom cake to form the bottom lobe.  And there you have it a perfectly shaped 3.  All that was left to do was frost the cake and add enough candles to set off the fire alarm.

Other options I saw included baking a rectangular cake and freehand or using a circular pan or glass as a template create the shape of a 3. 

Tasty Thursday: Chocolate Edition

One of my friends made this insanely delicious looking chocolate cake for her nephew's birthday.  In her words it was the best chocolate cake she's ever tasted, and the flavor compliments between the espresso and chocolate really sealed the deal.  I can't wait to give it a go.  I wonder though, does "it's Saturday", count as an ocassion to make chocolate cake?



INGREDIENTS:

Chocolate Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

¾ cup cocoa

2 teaspoons baking powder

1½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1 cup milk

½ cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

Chocolate Frosting

1½ cups butter (3 sticks)

1 cup cocoa

5 cups confectioner’s sugar

½ cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ teaspoon espresso powder

DIRECTIONS:

For the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring.
2. Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk through to combine or, using your paddle attachment, stir through flour mixture until combined well.
3. Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water to the cake batter. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute to add air to the batter.
4. Distribute cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
6. Frost cake with Chocolate Frosting.

For the Chocolate Frosting:

1. Add cocoa to a large bowl or bowl of stand mixer. Whisk through to remove any lumps.
2. Melt butter and pour into bowl with cocoa powder. Whisk together until well-combined.
3. Add sugar and milk to cocoa mixture by adding 1 cup of sugar followed by about a tablespoon of milk. After each addition has been combined, turn mixer onto a high speed for about a minute. Repeat until all sugar and milk have been added.
4. Add vanilla extract and espresso powder and combine well.
5. If frosting appears too dry, add more milk, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency. If it appears to wet and does not hold its form, add more confectioner’s sugar, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency.

Tasty Thursday: Chocolate Edition

Pregnancy is giving me some major chocolate cravings, I'm currently munching on some chocolate Teddy Grams as we speak.  So it should come as no surprise that I have a date with my Kitchen Aid mixer this weekend, to whip up this delectable recipe for Texas Sheet Cake.

Tasty Thursdays: Desserts

I'm a sucker for pound cake.  It's always moist, buttery, and delicious. Random pound cake fun fact:  the reason it's called pound cake is because the original recipe called or a pound of everything: sugar, eggs, flour, and butter.  So when I saw the recipe for  Elvis Presley's favorite pound cake, I knew I had to try it.

INGREDIENTS:

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for buttering pan

3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring) plus additional for dusting

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups sugar

7 large eggs, at room temperature 30 minutes

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put oven rack in middle position, but do not preheat oven.

2. Generously butter pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess flour.

Sift together sifted flour (3 cups) and salt into a bowl. Repeat sifting into another bowl (flour will have been sifted 3 times total).

3. Beat together butter (2 sticks) and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or 6 to 8 minutes with a handheld mixer. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour, then all of cream, then remaining flour, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down side of bowl, then beat at medium-high speed 5 minutes. Batter will become creamier and satiny.

4. Spoon batter into pan and rap pan against work surface once or twice to eliminate air bubbles. Place pan in (cold) oven and turn oven temperature to 350°F. Bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around inner and outer edges of cake, then invert rack over pan and invert cake onto rack to cool completely.

Tasty Thursday: Chocolate Lovers Edition

Having Bon Appetite on my Pinterest feed, is a dangerous thing.  But that's also how I managed to stumble upon this beauty:  Irish Cream Chocolate Mouse Cake.

{via}

INGREDIENTS

Mousse

1. 4 large eggs
2. 1/3 cup sugar
3.  12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
4.   1 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream
5. 1/4 cup Irish cream liqueur

Cake

1. 6 large eggs
2. 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3. 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder or coffee powder
4. Pinch of salt
5. 1 cup all purpose flour

Syrup

1. 2/3 cup sugar
2. 5 tablespoons water
3. 5 tablespoons Irish whiskey

Chocolate Bands

1. 2 141/2x3-inch waxed paper strips
2. 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3. 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon solid vegetable shortening

Chocolate Curls

1. 12 1-ounce squares semisweet baking chocolate
2.   Powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS

Mousse

1. Whisk eggs and sugar in large metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water) and whisk constantly until candy thermometer registers 160°F, about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Using electric mixer, beat egg mixture until cool and very thick, about 10 minutes.
2. Place chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water; stir until melted and smooth. Remove chocolate from over water. Cool to lukewarm.
3. Combine cream and Irish cream liqueur in medium bowl; beat to stiff peaks. Pour luke warm melted chocolate over egg mixture and fold together. Fold in cream mixture. Cover and chill until set, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Line bottom with parchment paper. Using electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar, espresso powder and salt in large bowl until mixture thickens and slowly dissolving ribbon forms when beaters are lifted, about 8 minutes. Sift 1/3 of flour over and gently fold into egg mixture. Repeat 2 more times (do not overmix or batter may deflate.)
2. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan on rack.
3. Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Release pan sides. Turn out cake. Remove pan bottom. Peel off parchment. DO AHEAD: Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap cake in plastic and chill.

Syrup

1. Combine sugar and water in small saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bring to boil. Remove from heat. Mix in whiskey. Cool. DO AHEAD:  Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.

Assembly

1. Using serrated knife, cut cake horizontally into 3 layers. Place bottom cake layer on platter. Brush with 3 tablespoons syrup. Spread 2 cups mousse over. Top with second cake layer. Brush with 3 tablespoons syrup. Spread 2 cups mousse over. Top with third cake layer, cut side down. Brush with 3 tablespoons syrup. Spread remaining mousse over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate cake while preparing chocolate bands.

Chocolate Bands

1. Line large baking sheet with foil and set aside. Place another large sheet of foil on work surface; top with waxed paper strips, spacing apart. Stir chopped semisweet chocolate and vegetable shortening in heavy small saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Pour half of melted chocolate down center of each waxed paper strip. Using metal icing spatula, spread chocolate to cover strips evenly and completely, allowing some chocolate to extend beyond edges of paper strips. Using fingertips, lift strips and place on clean foil-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate just until chocolate begins to set but is still very flexible, about 2 minutes.
2. Remove chocolate bands from refrigerator. Using fingertips, lift 1 band from foil. With chocolate side next to cake, place band around side of cake; press gently to adhere (band will be higher than cake). Repeat with second chocolate band, pressing onto uncovered side of cake so that ends of chocolate bands just meet (if ends overlap, use scissors to trim any excess paper and chocolate). Refrigerate until chocolate sets, about 5 minutes. Gently peel off paper. Refrigerate cake.

Chocolate Curls

1. Line baking sheet with foil. Unwrap 1 square of chocolate. Place chocolate on its paper wrapper in microwave. Cook on High just until chocolate begins to soften slightly, about 1 minute (time will vary depending on power of microwave). Turn chocolate square onto 1 side and hold in hand. Working over foil-lined sheet, pull vegetable peeler along sides of chocolate, allowing chocolate curls to fall gently onto foil. Form as many curls as possible. Repeat process with remaining chocolate squares. Place curls decoratively atop cake, mounding slightly. DO AHEAD:  Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Refrigerate cake.
2. Sift powdered sugar over chocolate curls before serving cake.



Have a happy 4th

{photo via 17 and baking}

Happy Friday!  In the infamous words of K. Perry  "There's a stranger in my bed, there's a pounding my head, Glitter all over the room, Pink flamingos in the pool, I smell like a minibar, DJ's passed out in the yard, Barbie's on the barbeque"  Hope everyone has a fabulous long weekend.  I'm loving this festive cake, and the kicker it was made/designed by a teenager, get the recipe here.  And if you need some 4th of July party inspiration, check out rnL's inspiration board.

Cup Cake Push Pops

Remeber the Flinstone Push Ups?  They were my ice cream truck staple.  Check out this fabulous idea from Cup Kate's Event Design--  cup cake push pops.  The push pop dispenses 2 mini cupcakes, and that's right all you have to do is push up!

{photo via Cup Kate Event Design}

Care Package

My beautiful friend, Anj, had an equally beautiful baby boy 2 weeks ago.  Here's a sneak peak at the care package we sent them.  Can't wait to see the little guy, modeling the onesie!



delicious cake pops



For baby's first black tie event!