Strawberry Cake

Our Easter Sunday Strawberry Cake.  I had to guard the last piece of cake so I could bring it home to my husband.  I just went with a simple frosting design.

Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting and Strawberry puree filling.

Strawberry Cake
24 ounces strawberries, hulled (if frozen, thawed) = you need 3/4 cup puree
2 tsp sugar - to go with the strawberry puree
1/4 cup milk
6 egg whites, or 4 whole eggs
1 Tbs vanilla
2 and 1/4 cup cake flour
1 and 3/4 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 stick) butter, softened.

Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Combine cake four, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.  Puree strawberries with 2 tsp sugar.  Add 3/4 cup strawberry puree and milk alternating dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mix.  Mix to combine all ingredients.  Bake 350 degrees around 25 minutes.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
3/4 cup butter (1 and 1/2 sticks)
4 oz cream cheese (1/2 a packet)
3 - 4 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup strawberry puree
1 tsp vanilla

Cake Filling
Whatever is left of the Strawberry puree.

Cake Pops

I made Cake Pops.

These are Rocky Road Cake Pops with chocolate cake, chopped walnuts, marshmallows, covered in chocolate and walnuts.  I like my nuts.  Both related and otherwise.

 Purple Cake Pops

 White cake pops with colored sprinkles.  I like sprinkles, they make my tongue turn different colors.

 Blue Cake Pops with white swirls.

 Orange Cake Pops with orange sparkle sprinkles.  Sparkly.  Like Vampires, only different.

A bouquet of Cake Pops.



 This is how I make Cake Pops:

1 box cake mix, any flavor
1 box pudding, any flavor (3.4 oz)
4 eggs
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Mix, bake 350 degrees 30-35 minutes, cool.  Makes two 8-9" round cake pans.

 Crumble with your hands and add 1 cup ready made frosting for the whole cake.  For half the cake add 1/2 cup frosting.  I only make half a cake at a time and it gives me 50+ Cake Pops. 

Crumble cake.  Add frosting.  Work frosting into the cake cumbles until it has the consistancy of playdough.  You may want to add a little more frosting if it is still too crumbly.  Form into balls, place on wax paper, and refridgerate for 2 hours until firm.

Melt chocolate.  I use Candy Melts, but any chocolate will do.  Dip the tips of lollipop sticks in chocolate and insert into the top of the cake pops.  Return to refridgerator until set.  "Set" is when you can pick up the cake pop with the end of the lollipop stick and it does not fall off.

Coat Cake Pops in melted chocolate.

Tap the lollipop stick on the edge of the bowl to remove excess chocolate and evenly coat the Cake Pop. 

While the chocolate is still warm add sprinkles, nuts, different colored chocolate swirls, etc.

Return Cake Pops to refridgerator to set.

This is my Dalek cookie jar designation K-27 and the "MotherShip" spice rack.  Dalek was won after a fierce fight on E-Bay, and MotherShip was randomly found at a kitchen store after looking for it for 2 years and giving up hope of ever finding it.

Enjoy.  They go fast.

Brownie Bites

Brownies

2 ounces chocolate

1/3 cup shotening

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

Melt chocolate and shortening together in a pan. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla and mix together. Add flour, salt, and baking soda and mix. Scoop into lightly greased mini cupcake pans. Bake 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. After they are cool dip the tops in chocolate and add sprinkles. Wait for the chocolate to set, flip them over and decorate the other side with frosting flowers. It is my own little edible flower garden.

St. Patrick's Day Cake

This is my Saint Patrick's Day cake. Chocolate cake with chocolate ganache filling and vanilla buttercream. So far this is my Mom's favorite cake.

Happy Rainbow Bunny Cupcakes

Happy Bunny Rainbow Cupcakes.

Vanilla Cake

1 and 3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup melted butter - cream together sugar and butter

2 eggs

1 Tbs vanilla

Add together in a separate bowl:

1 cup cake flour

1 and 1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 and 1/2 tsp baking powder

Alternating dry ingredients with 1 and 1/4 cup milk until mixed completely. Bake 350F for 15 - 18 min.

Dye sections of cake batter and add each color to cupcakes. Fill 2/3 the way full.

Sugar Cookie Bunny Ears

1 and 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup melted butter

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp almond extract

2 and 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cream of tartar

Refridgerate for 2 hours. Roll and cut out shapes. Bake at 375F for 7-8 min.

Pink nose skittles, black licorice wiskers, mini marshmallow cotton tails, sugar eyes, cookie bunny ears.

Vanilla Buttercream cupcake frosting

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup melted butter

1 tsp clear vanilla - to keep the frosting white

2 Tbs heavy whipping cream, or milk, or water, but I think heavy whipping cream tastes best

4 cups powdered sugar

1 Tbs Meringue Powder (optional)

Happy Rainbow Bunny cupcakes, because when you eat a rainbow bunny cupcake you can't help but be happy about it.

Cakey Cakey 2011

These are the cakes and assorted goodies I made in 2011, before the blog. I am still learning and learning from my mistakes. Hopefully this will help me become a better baker and cake decorator.

Chela's Babyshower cake.

The bear was fun to make.

Halloween cookies.

J's Birthday Civil War cake. I think this is the best one I did all year.

And what it looked like without the hats.

My first attempt at cake pops.

With the help of my family we cranked out 200 chocolate cupcakes for Chelsea's wedding.

With a flower and butterfly on each one.

Chark's (Chelsea and Mark) butterfly wedding cake.

Thor's Hammer birthday cake. The handle is supported with marshmallows.

Mother's Day.

Working on my basket weave technique. Sure it's no secret of the seven hand cutting, but its getting there.

Another flowers in a basket cake.

Chelsea's birthday cake.

Illianna's first birthday cake.

And like all good cakes, it was quickly devoured.