Today was a bit crazy, not only is it the day before Easter (wink, wink for you parents), but for our family today is my husbands 39th birthday. I was running around so much and cooking and baking that it felt like Christmas time with everything going on. Well since I had forgotten to grab some frosting at the store when I bought his box cake, I wondered, hmmm could I make my own frosting, turns out on the back of a Hershey’s cocoa container (an absolute staple in my home and should be in yours too) they have a recipe for Perfect Frosting. I needed butter so went to get some, hence part of the running around today. I never knew I could make my own. I have made glazes in the past but was under the impression that bakers knew some deep dark secret not privy to the rest of us on how to make decadent chocolate frosting. WELL MY DEARS I HAVE MADE IT and is it YUMMY!!!! Let’s just say there was no talking when the cake was eaten tonight. ; ) Here’s what you’ll need for your frosting~ Here’s the directions~ It was so easy to make, it was a piece of cake, punny I know! Here’s the end result, talk about licking the spoon, licking your fingers, I think I got it on stuff just TOO lick it off it was so darn good. I will never buy the cartons of frosting ever again. Everyone agreed, it was just the right sweetness, ever so chocolatey and Mmm gooood!! Enjoy~
Okay so tonight I was watching "Cupcake Wars" sort of like a top chef but with cupcakes and they dwindle down to one winner that has to build a massive structure that holds like 1000 cupcakes, this show is alot of fun. Makes me a little nervous at the end though when they are assembling their cupcakes for tasting. I also love to watch D.C. Cupcakes, they are sisters that went into business and have wanted to own their own bakery since they were little, they make tons of cupcakes a day and are very busy. Last but not least Cupcake Girls Two best friends who went into business together having no idea what they were doing. These ladies are definately a spicy pair of gals. They don't stop bickering, it's like they are married but not! A train wreck ensues almost every show, but you can't stop watching peeking through your fingers at what is going to happen next!! What I love most is they all try new and exciting flavors in their cupcakes, like pink lemonade and Caramel with Genache and oh also, lime margarita flavors to name a few. One woman in Cucake wars even tried tobacco in hers, which they tasted and said that it well, tasted like a cigarette. I could have told her that but I guess it's all about trying new things. I believe like with cupcake flavors you have to try new flavors out in life, stepping out of the zone of the same ol comfort flavor into a new vibrant flavor. Sometimes they can taste bad but you learn from those flavors and move onto new ones. I am making a list for cupcake recipe ingredients, for some new flavors I want to soon make. I encourage you to make some bold ones, or mini ones for that matter. Pick out ingredients that you like but step away from the same old boring chocolate with vanilla icing. You can do it, and have fun with it. All about the Journey.
Well my little baby girl isn’t a baby any longer and so it is. Amazing how I look at my kids one day and they’re babies and the next their getting to be almost as tall as me, it goes sooo fast. So to make her birthday really special, I have baked her a really nice cake and made her a homemade card. But they are not just any old cake and card, they have a very special theme. Justin Bieber is the theme, I have to say I like his music just as much as she does. We went to see his 3D movie, “Never say Never” and I honestly have to say, he is such an inspiration. Not only to kids, but to grownups alike. The movie was a documentary basically of his life. Now, I went and took my son and my daughter, of course I had to go, I had to chaperone ya know? ; ) Well I could identify with his story so much (not the famous part, but alot of his struggles), and the way he grew up it amazed me how he turned out the way he did. Here is the trailer video for his movie, I loved it! I encourage you to go see it, it was neat to see in 3D!
Now onto the fun stuff, here is the cake I made for my new 8 year old: It is a White box cake made purple, sprinkled inside with Wonka nerds and Purple Icing to top it off. All Justin Bieber style, of course. Here are the Ingredients: Classic White cake, Classic White Icing, 13x9 inch pan (I use glass, cooks more evenly I think), Canola oil, Red and Blue food coloring, and 3 egg whites. Directions: I used the directions on the back of the box and put my spin on it, of course, gotta be original!! Add Food Coloring to the cake batter to make purple I added 22 dropseach blue and red Mix with mixer until food coloring is Purple make sure to scrape sides. Now for the “Secret Ingredient” Wonka Nerds Talk about Suweeet! Incorporate Nerd witha hand mixer then, add cake batter to baking dish that has been greased and lightly floured. Bake according to box depending on what baking pan you use.
Spoon out White Icing into a Sandwich bag about 3 tablespoons worth and set aside this will be for writing Happy Birthday on the cake. Use the rest of the icing for the cake. Add 4 drops each of Blue and Red food coloring to the rest of the icing in the container.Stir completely I used a knife to get down into the bottom for mixing.
Let cake cool completely so that you can spread the icing smoothly. Write lettering and sing Happy Birthday! As you can see it turned out Purple inside, the Nerds made it soo sweet, it was like a surprise in your mouth. Yummy! I made her a card in Photoshop Elements and put his picture on the front and faded it, cut her out and pasted her to it then wrote happy birthday on the front. Inside I put his song, “Born to be somebody” on the left and on the right I wrote a Paragraph containing his song titles in the greeting, It turned out really neat. For privacy reasons I am not posting it, but it turned out really cool and it will be something she’ll treasure forever! Hope you enjoy your cake, have a piece, it’s Delish!!
