Cakes 101

Connor is 3!

It's hard to believe, but my baby just turned three.  Whenever I make a birthday cake the general response is, "That's an amazing cake!" or "You're really talented."  My response is, "Not really."  It is pretty easy to make a form cake using Wilton products.  Here are the steps I take in making Wilton cakes.

I have never bought a form cake pan. I check them out from the library.  You may think this is gross, but just wash it really well before using. 

A few tips before I start. 1) Set aside a time frame to decorate the cake. Time where you won't get interrupted by children is good. 2) Make sure the butter for the frosting is at room temperature. 3) If you're going to commit to doing cakes, invest in Wilton decorating tips and disposable Wilton frosting bags.  4) Greasing the pan is key!  Use Crisco and then flour with Wondra Flour (it's ultra fine and gets in all the cracks).

So I start by washing the pan in hot soapy water.  Then I grease the pan with Crisco. I do this by using a paper towel.  Get some Crisco on the paper towel and coat the pan.  Take care to get it in the creases of the pan. You will want to see every nook and cranny when decorating.  Then pour some Wondra Flour and tap the sides of the pan to cover the entire pan.  If you see a big space that isn't covered with flour, touch it up with Crisco and sprinkle with flour. 

Next, mix the cake according to directions and bake.  Cook on the rack for 10 minutes and then turn onto a cake board.  I buy Wilton cake boards at Walmart or Hobby Lobby.  Let cool completely.

There are many choices when it comes to frosting. You can buy tubs of white Wilton frosting in stores.  You can also buy colored tubes of Wilton frosting or Wilton food coloring.  Personally, I like to make my own butter cream frosting.  There is a recipe for the Wilton butter cream on the pan instructions, but it uses Crisco and I don't like the consistency.  For the Lightening McQueen cake I bought the tubes of Wilton frosting in red because it's hard to mix real red frosting (it usually turns out dark pink) and I couldn't find the red Wilton icing color.  I used my own butter cream for the rest of the colors.  Recipe as follows:

Butter Cream Frosting
What you will need:  2 sticks unsalted sweet cream butter, 6 cups powdered sugar, vanilla to taste, milk



Excellent way to scoop out sugar
without spilling.



Once again, make sure you're butter is at room temperature. Set it out the night before or first thing in the morning.  Place butter in mixer and beat for a couple seconds. Add one cup of powdered sugar and turn mixer on low.  Keep adding sugar.  Once the mixture gets dry add a little milk, a tablespoon at a time.  Add as little or vanilla as you want.  Once you've added all the sugar (I use 5-6 cups) and you've got a good consistency, beat the frosting for about five minutes.

Whipped butter cream

The 'naked' cake

The cake is cool, the frosting is ready.  Time to decorate.  This is the fun part, don't get stressed out.  I'm going to walk you through this with lots of pictures.  First rule, there is a guide that comes with your Wilton pan.  It shows you what to frost and in what order. Follow the steps and you'll be fine.  My fist step with this cake was to frost the sides, headlights, smile and windows.  I like to do a 'crumb coat' of white on the sides and then use a star tip to finish them later.  From the picture at the left you can see I wasn't too great at staying in the lines, but that doesn't matter because you're going to outline everything in black and then fill in with the remainder with a star tip.  At the right, I've filled in the back windows, the inside of the tires and the exhaust pipe.  The red frosting came from a Wilton tube and I dyed the blue by using regular food coloring.  Next, I outlined all the parts of the car with black. The black frosting I dyed with Wilton Icing Colors.  You can buy these at Walmart or any craft store that carries Wilton supplies.  Get your bag and tip ready for the frosting.  I buy the disposable bags and the box explains how to put the tip on. The next picture shows how you get the frosting in the bag.  Hold the tip and fold the bag over your hand.  Use your other hand to make the opening bigger so you can scoop frosting inside. Then push the frosting down towards the tip. Twist the top of the bag (the part that contains no frosting) tight so frosting can't find it's way up and out of the bag.

This picture shows how I outlined the entire cake and the separate sections which I will then fill with the appropriate color using the star tip.  Fill in the rest of the cake with the recommended start tip.  I use a bigger start tip to do the sides of the cake.  The finished product is seen in the picture at the beginning of this post with the birthday boy.  Let me know if you have any questions. I'm always happy to offer advice or help.

Outlined the entire cake

I dont' know why this photo
won't rotate, but here is the cake with
 most parts filled in



Finished product



Chicken and Biscuits

My youngest son, Connor is having a birthday this weekend.  I'm sure you can't wait to see a picture of his cake which is baking as we speak.  For now you'll have to settle for Chicken and Biscuits which just happens to be the perfect meal on a gloomy day like we're having in central Iowa today.

What you will need: One bone-in chicken breast, 7 Tbsp butter, 1 can of mushrooms or 8 oz fresh, thinly sliced, 1 onion (chopped), 2 Tbsp flour, 1 cup chicken broth, 1 cup milk, 1 tsp lemon juice, 3 garlic cloves, 2 cups Bisquick, 1/2 shredded cheese.

Bake your chicken breast at 350 for about an hour and half.  De bone the chicken.  I like to bake the breast a couple hours ahead of time, throw it in the fridge and just peel the meat off with my fingers.  Spread the chicken in the bottom of the dish.

In a large skillet, melt 3 tbsp of butter and add mushrooms, onion, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally until heated through.  Lower the heat and sprinkle in the flour to make a paste.  Stir in the chicken broth, bring it to a simmer and cook until thickened.  Stir in 1/3 cup milk and simmer for 1 more minute.  Remove the skillet form the head and add the lemon juice.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the gravy over the chicken.  Stir together the Bisquick and remaining milk.  Add the cheese.  Drop tablespoons of the biscuit mix on top of the casserole.  Melt 4 tbsp of butter with the garlic.  Brush or drizzle half over the biscuits.  Bake for 25 minutes until the biscuits are golden. Brush them once more with the garlic butter.  Enjoy!

*Serve with a side of fresh green beans, asparagus, or salad loaded with fresh veggies.
*Go ahead and make biscuits from scratch if you'd like, but tonight I went with the Bisquick. 
*Once I started cooking I realized I didn't have any mushrooms.  I did have a can or quartered artichokes on hand so I used them instead and it was very good.  Next time I'll use mushrooms and artichokes!

Meatless Monday on Tuesday?

Have you heard about Meatless Mondays?  meatlessmonday.com  In an attempt to eat healthier, my husband and I decided to declare Monday as 'meatless'.  But this week, Monday didn't work out for us, so we made it happen on Tuesday.  I tried a recipe I have had my eye on for awhile and it was delicious!

What you will need: 4 bell peppers (any color will do), 1/2 cup long grain rice, 1 onion, 2 scallions, 2 garlic cloves, 1 jalepeno, 1 cup frozen corn, 1 can black beans, 1 can diced tomatoes, cumin, shredded cheese, tortilla chips.

Stuffed Peppers

Before baking

Bring 4 quarts of water to boil. Toss in some kosher salt.  Start by cutting the top off the peppers and remove the stem, seeds and ribs.  Once the water is boiling, place the peppers in the water for about 3 minutes.  Drain the water out and place on a paper towel. Add the rice to the pot (water still boiling) and cook for about 12 minutes.  In the meantime, heat a saute pan with olive oil.  Add the onion (diced) and cook until tender.  Add the scallions, garlic, and jalepeno (all minced) to the pan.  Cook for about 2 minutes.  Then add the corn.  Drain and rinse the black beans and add to the pan.  Also drain the tomatoes and add.  Cook the mixture until it is heated through.  Once the rice is done, drain and rinse.  Add to the mixture on the stove and sprinkle with cumin. Toss in about 1 cup of shredded cheese and stir well until cheese is melted.
Turn oven on to 350 degrees.  Place the peppers in an 8x8 pan and fill each pepper with the mixture.  Top with extra cheese and crushed tortilla chips.  Bake for 30 minutes.

Enjoy with a bottle of lime flavored beer!

You can also cook this mixture in a tomatoe or wrap it up in soft shell tortillas.  Omit the jalapeno, scallions, or garlic if needed.  I scraped the seeds out of my jalapeno so it wasn't very hot.  Add red pepper flakes, chili powder, or coriander for extra flavor. 

News in my life

I just had a birthday.  I'm not ashamed to tell my age is 33.  I think the 30s will be the best years of my life.  I may have mentioned before that I've been married for 10 years.  I recently discovered that all those fabulous wedding gifts we got are starting to show their age.  Especially my pots and pans.  So, I bought myself new cookware.  I did quite a bit of research after first buying an $85 special at Target (non-stick).  A friend pointed out that non-stick may be harmful so the research began.  I did find that non-stick may cause cancer and that it isn't as good at copper, stainless, or hard anodized.  As far as I can tell hard anodized still has a non-stick coating so I stayed away from that.  I can not afford copper so I went with stainless steel and finally bought a Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless Steel set on Amazon.

With my set I got an 8qt stock pot, 3 qt saute pan, 8 inch and 10 inch skillet, 1/5 qt and 3 qt sauce pan.  I would still like to get a 12 inch skillet and have my eye on a few sales next week. 

I am happy with this set so far.  I actually used it for the first time today (four days after it came).  I know they'll never be as shiny as they are in this picture, but that just means they are well loved!

Oh, another note, these have a lifetime guarantee where as the Calphalon non-stick I got for my wedding had a 10 year guarantee.

Another thing I received for my birthday was the cooks How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman.  My mother-in-law discovered him and I read the forward of his book.  As I was reading I noticed we have similar views when it comes to cooking.  1) Homemade doesn't mean it takes a lot of time and effort 2) Take time to plan your meals 3) Shop with your eyes (buy what looks fresh) 4) Take time to enjoy the act of cooking (chopping, cuttings, sauteing, etc.)

Spaghetti Carbonara

Here is a quick and easy dinner. It is kid friendly as well; what more could you ask for?

What you will need: 3 eggs, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/2 pound bacon, 1 pound spaghetti

 

Heat a skillet and cut bacon into the pan.  I like to use my kitchen shears to do this, but make sure you wash the shears when you're done.  While the bacon is cooking, get a pot of water boiling and cook the spaghetti. In a small bowl crack the 3 eggs and beat well with a fork.  Add the cheese and some pepper.  Add red pepper flakes for extra heat.  When the bacon is browned, drain off most of the grease.  Drain you pasta, reserving a cup of the pasta water.  Place the pasta in the pan with the bacon and toss to combine.  I added some peas here. I think asparagus spears or broccoli would be tasty too.  Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add the egg mixture.  Stir and add the pasta water a little at a time to avoid the pasta sticking together. 

 

Serve a green salad on the side and crusty bread.

 

 

A Birthday Party

Yesterday my husband had a birthday.  The birthday boy wanted barbecue from his favorite place in Des Moines, Smokey Ds. http://www.smokeydsbbq.com/ and salmon.  This was a very simple request; he picked up the bbq and I seasoned the salmon with my favorite rub.  Of course the birthday boy got a very special cake too. 

Salmon Rub

This rub is the only thing I use on salmon.  I absolutely love it.  You can grill the salmon or broil it for about ten minutes.  I usually make a double batch and keep it in an airtight container.  We grill salmon a lot in the summer so it's nice to have the rub on hand.

What you will need: 1 TB brown sugar, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp coriander, 1 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp allspice, salmon fillets.

Mix all ingredients together.  Experiment with the flavor a few times.  I like to add a little more sugar because it caramelizes on the fish.  I also add a bit more salt and coriander.  Simply spoon onto the salmon and rub into the fish using your fingers. 

Peanut Butter Cup Cake
I cheated a bit this time and used boxed cake mix.  I bought two boxes of chocolate cake mix and made them in 9 inch round pans.  So I ended up with four round cakes.

What you will need: 2 boxed cake mixes, 3 Tbsp butter, 1 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar, a pinch of salt

Bake the cakes and let them cool.  In the meantime let the butter come to room temperature so it's soft.  Beat the butter, peanut butter, and powdered sugar.  Add a pinch of salt and mix well.  Next you need to trim the cakes so they are level.  You can see by the picture I didn't do a great job at this. I'm still learning.  To put the cake together, place one cake on the plate or cake board and add a thin layer of the pb filling.  Then place another cake on top.  In the second layer cut a circle with the diameter of 4-5 inches out of the middle.  In the third layer, cut the same circle and then place on top of the second.  Fill the hole with the peanut butter filling and spread over the entire top of the third layer.  Place the fourth layer on top.

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

What you will need: 2 sticks of unsalted butter, milk, powdered sugar, cocoa powder

Like many things I make, I don't really have a recipe.  With frosting I go by taste, but here is an idea of how I make it.  Make sure your butter is at room temperature.  Beat the butter and cocoa powder together, about 1/3 cup.  Add a splash of milk to this.  I eyeball the milk according to the texture of the frosting. If it's really stiff and pasty, I add more milk.  You don't want runny frosting.  Then add the powdered sugar, about 2 cups.  Add more milk it needed.  Beat the frosting to the consistency you like.  Add more cocoa for more chocolate flavor and more powdered sugar to increase the amount of frosting. 

Frost the cake.  Here's a video to help http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf5KQolKryE  I don't have a turn table so I think it's hard to make the frosting smooth.  Then I put a little cocoa in the mesh colander and held it over the cake and tapped the side so a nice sprinkle of cocoa would cover the cake.  I cut Resess Cups and placed along the bottom for decoration.

An inside few of a slice.  The peanut butter filling was very rich!  Next time I use the filling, I think I'll skip the hole in the middle and just spread a thick layer between each cake layer.

Cakes Galore

I love making cakes.  Every year I make sure my boys have the cake of their dreams.  I also make birthday  cakes for most of my family members.  Here are a few from the past.

Wesley's 4th Birthday

Wesley's 5th Birthday: A priate's treasure chest.  This was very fun to make.

Connor's 2nd Birthday

Wesley's 6th Birthday

Aunt Leah's 30th Birthday.  She is a shoe lover!  This was my first time experiementing with gumpaste; the shoe is made out of sugar!

Cailyn's 3rd Birthday

Addy's 4th Birthday.

Connor's Baptism Cake