Bailey's Buttercream Frosting

Bailey's - or Irish cream liqueur - is some kind of magical. I don't know exactly what makes it so smooth, sweet, delicious, and easy to drink, but it must be some kind of good Irish witchcraft!
Bailey's is great as a shot alone, but it is most commonly used as an add-in to coffee, or in baked goods such as cheesecake or truffles. What I recently discovered is Bailey's makes an excellent addition to a regular buttercream frosting. It replaces the milk for thinning the frosting out and bringing it to consistency, and adds a deep, rich flavor. I think the fat and sugar in the frosting help to cut some of that alcohol, so you don't get that burning, raw alcohol flavor from the frosting either. The only potential drawback is the Bailey's colors the frosting quite a bit, so you won't end up with a white frosting in the end. The Bailey's flavors the frosting so well, I didn't even add vanilla or almond extract to this one!

Bailey's Buttercream Frosting
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 kg icing (confectioner's sugar)
Bailey's original Irish cream liqueur, as needed

Whip the butter until soft and pliable. Gradually sift in the icing sugar, beating until combined. Once the mixture starts to become thick and stiff, start gradually adding in some Bailey's as needed to reach desired consistency. 
Use to frost cake, cookies, cupcakes, brownies, or whatever else as needed. It is best to use the frosting right away, but the Bailey's does help to keep it softer than a regular buttercream. Just try not to sample too much during the process and get tipsy!!

Pouring Beer Stein Cake

The pub where I work recently celebrated their fifth birthday, from the day they first opened their doors. We had a big celebration during service that night  - a live shucking oyster bar, special appetizers and beer pairings, live music, and of course, cake. The owner asked me to make the cake, which they would be serving to customers late in the evening for free. She did not give me a lot of guidance for the cake - mostly left it up to me. Just said that the restaurant seats 60, and we expected a full house plus for the party. Because I wanted to make sure the cake met her approval, I did give her a few samples beforehand, but didn't share my design. I spend over a week planning the cake and was very happy with how it turned out in the end.

I made a chocolate stout cake using the stout beer we brew in house. Then I made a Bailey's Irish Cream buttercream frosting to go with it. The cake was my standard chocolate cake recipe with the substitution of stout for coffee. Then my signature buttercream frosting for filling, frosting, decorating and piping - except this time I used Bailey's Irish Cream instead of milk for the liquid, for a very rich (and alcoholic, in a good way). I also made some of my candy clay/modelling chocolate for the handle and stability in the hidden pipe (under the buttercream foam).

So my cake was designed to look like a beer stein - it's an eight inch round four layer cake frosted in 'beer colored' buttercream, a candy clay handle, and some white buttercream foam on top. Then I covered a pipe inserted into the center of the cake, at an angle, with candy clay and buttercream. This pipe supported the beer can making it look like the can was being poured into the cake. I finished off the cake with a little green inscription. The cake was very well received - in fact the 50 or so pieces I cut from it disappeared very quickly, and some people were amazed by how the beer can was 'levitating'.

DAD Cake

I'm a day late for Father's Day, which is what happens when you work in the industry, but today I made a Father's Day cake. I used yesterday's lemon cake recipe and cut one round in half to form two 'D's' and the other I cut into an 'A' shape. Then I placed them on a baking sheet. Rather than frosting around them all in in between all the little crevices, I opted for a 'polka-dot/star' pattern. I used my signature cream cheese frosting (goes really well on a lemon cake). I kept some white, added a little cocoa powder to some to make it chocolate, and tinted the rest in a few different shades of blue, my father's favorite color. Then I used star tips to pipe randomly onto the cake. I thought it was a fun, simple, and pretty way of frosting it!

Birthday Cake #3

Birthday cake number three was made back home, ready for my return from my trip, by my loving parents. They always try to make me a different kind of birthday cake every year, if I am actually home anytime near my birthday or I don't insist on making my own cake. This year they made me a chocolate pound cake with a simple chocolate frosting from one of my favorite cookbooks, "Chocolate Everything". Despite being a pound cake, the cakes is not too heavy or rich, but moist and chocolaty!!

Birthday Cake #1

I celebrated my birthday this past week and was lucky enough to receive three different birthday cakes - different kinds, different locations, made from different people. Funny enough though they were all chocolate so that made me very happy! I celebrated my actual birthday away from home and got another cake when I actually came home :)

Birthday cake number one was made by my brother and decorated by his girlfriend. They made me a simple vegan chocolate cake, but were clever in deciding to use a recipe I myself had posted on this blog. That way if I didn't like it for whatever reason they could blame it on me! (Not a foolproof plan, as execution counts big time, but apparently if one burns a cake, one can blame the recipe directions for not being descriptive enough. Anyway, this didn't matter because the cake turned out just the way I would have made it! They used miniature vegan chocolate chips to frost the top and spell out my name and add some decorations which I thought was totally tasty and seriously clever!

Check out the cute homemade card in the background as well!

Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Roll

This is the chocolate cake I made for my mom for Mothers' Day this year.She requested a simple plain chocolate cake, and since we didn't need a large cake, I decided to make a jelly roll. The cake is just a basic chocolate jelly roll cake recipe. The filling/frosting and glaze on top I made using an instant chocolate pudding mix we had on hand, some milk, icing sugar, and vanilla extract. I used the frosting to spread on the cake then rolled it up, poured it with chocolate glaze, and piped on some additional chocolate frosting. Simple, tasty, and easy to do.

Happy Mothers' Day!!!

Best Cream Cheese Frosting

I've just recently nailed a recipe for the best cream cheese frosting; and the best part is it is probably the easiest recipe too. It makes a cream cheese frosting that is not too heavy, not too sweet, the perfect consistency for frosting and filling a cake, and a great texture for coloring and piping. It requires just two ingredients and no measuring!

Best Cream Cheese Frosting
2 blocks cream cheese (500g) the blocks I used were each 250 grams, so this recipe requires a total of 500 g cream cheese, but I'm sure one pound would work the same. Be sure to use the 'brick' cream cheese and not the soft ones sold in tubs for spreading on bagels I actually used 'light' cream cheese (reduced fat) for this recipe with no issues
1 bag icing/confectioners' sugar (1 kg) I sifted my sugar directly into the bowl as I usually do with frosting as I like them as smooth as possible, but it may not be necessary depending on the brand of sugar. You can also presift it into a separate bag and then just pour into the bowl from that bag.

Cut the cream cheese into cubes and allow to soften to room temperature.
Using a stand or handheld electric mixer (or a lot of muscle) beat the cream cheese until it is smooth and creamy and no lumps remain, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary.

Gradually (about one cup at a time) add in the sifted icing sugar and mix until fully incorporated.

Alterations below will change the flavor and consistency of the frosting as desired. Please keep in mind the color may also change. Although cream cheese is not pure white, the frosting turns out quite white in color so adding vanilla extract or carrot juice will certainly modify the color!

To Flavor It Up
add any of the following at the end
Extract (vanilla, almond, lemon)
Zest (lemon, orange, lime)
Spice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg)

To Thin It Out
if a thinner glaze is preferred to a thick frosting, simply add a liquid from the list below and mix to the desired consistency.
Juice (lemon, orange, lime)
Juice for color (cherry, carrot, beet)
Coffee
Milk or cream

Frosting can also be tinted any different color!

Carrot Carrot Cake

I've actually made quite a few carrot cakes in my time, but here is a classic one. The carrot cake is just a plain one - no additions of walnuts, raisins, coconut, pineapple, or anything else. It is moist and tasty. The cream cheese icing is the best one I've made yet. And I opted for a classic, four layer, modestly decorated version.

Carrot Carrot Cake
2 cups packed grated carrot
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2/3 cup oil
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup granulated (white) sugar 
3 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon(or your favorite spice, or omit)
1 batch best cream cheese frosting (see tomorrow's post)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8 or 9 inch round pans.
Mix together the carrot, applesauce, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Stir in the sugar, then the remaining dry ingredients. Spread batter evenly in prepared pans.
Bake for 30-40 minutes until cake tests clean. Cool in pans ten minutes, then gently unmold onto a wire rack and cool completely.
Slice each cake in half horizontally. 

Place one layer down on a plate or cake board. Spread with an even layer of cream cheese frosting.*
Repeat layers until all are used. Then completely frost the top and sides of the cake.**
For the carrots and decorations, divide the remaining icing in three, keep one portion white, color one portion light green and the remaining portion light orange.

To decorate my carrot cake, I used an icing comb to create lines on the side of the cake.
I added a white shell border around the bottom using an open star tip.
I added alternating white rosettes around the top - big and small.
Then I piped carrots using a plain open round tip, and the greens using a leaf tip.
Just for a little more color and decoration I used a drop flower tip to pipe orange flowers on the side of the cake and a grass tip to add some green grass. 

* With a tall, heavy, rich cake like this I personally do not like to put a lot of icing in between layers. I think there is enough icing on the top and sides of the cake and with the decorations. Therefore I put enough frosting just to keep the layers together. However, some bakers recommend layers of 2:1 cake to filling or even 1:1 with lighter cakes.

**Depending on how good you are at frosting cakes you may need to do a layer of 'dirty icing' before frosting the final layer. 

Coconut Oil Fudge Frosting

Coconut Oil Fudge Frosting
coconut oil (equal parts)
unsweetened cocoa powder (equal parts)
maple syrup, to taste
vanilla extract, a splash

Melt the coconut oil if not already liquid, then mix all together. Allow to sit at room temperature briefly to thicken, or chill for fudge. Can be used as is as a chocolate sauce or icing. Even holds up on warm brownies and will thicken later into a frosting layer. Super yummy!

Afghan Biscuits

I had vaguely heard of Afghan biscuits, or cookies, before but wasn't too sure what they were all about. It turns out they are a traditional biscuit from New Zealand that contains chocolate and cornflakes and is topped with a chocolate icing and often a walnut. My brother's girlfriend made them, but made a gluten-free version using brown rice crisp rice cereal instead of cornflakes and they were delicious! Soft and chocolaty, with a crisp texture from the cereal and a not-too-sweet chocolate icing.

Train Cupcakes

I forgot to share this back in June, so here it is now. For Father's Day this year I made chocolate cupcakes, i frosted them with a simple chocolate frosting, and put chocolate covered wafer bars on top to resemble train tracks. I arranged them in a loop and put one of my father's miniature trains on top.

Layered Chocolate Birthday Cake

This is the chocolate birthday cake I made for my brother for his birthday today. He didn't really have any requests, but he loves chocolate, so I stuck with the chocolate theme.
This cake consists of my signature chocolate cake recipe baked in two eight inch round cake pans, each sliced in half horizontally. Each layer is filled with my basic chocolate fudge frosting. The entire cake was frosted with two tones of chocolate fudge frosting - one light and one dark, and then I used a frosting comb to go around the cake to show the two tones of frosting. I then glazed the cake in dark chocolate mocha ganache. I added some caramelized white chocolate crumb around the base of the cake, and made a light cocoa icing to pipe some borders and the message. 

It was extremely hot and humid while making this cake, so the cake was extra moist and dense and I had trouble with the icing sliding, but although it may not look perfect, it was super moist, chocolaty, fudgey, and delicious!!!

Carrot Cake With Raspberry Coulis

Carrot Cake + Cream Cheese Frosting + the very best raspberry coulis ever. It may look messy, but it is certainly delicious.

Divine Layered Chocolate Beet Cake

Sometimes we make real food.

Here are the stages of an incredible and divine chocolate layered cake being made.

 Chocolate beet cake with dark chocolate ganache between each layer, frosted with chocolate buttercream, combed, piped, and topped with chocolate shavings.

 A chocolate cookie crumb crust is added around the bottom edge.

 Garden fresh strawberries.

 Chantilly cream bottom border, rosettes, fresh raspberries, and mint leaves.

A finished slice.

Skills - Secondary Cooking Carrot Cake

Day Two, group two cooking carrot cake dessert with icing and decor of choice and fresh fruit.

Month Early Birthday Cake

So because I was away from home and busy on my birthday this year, my parents decided we would celebrate a month early, on May 4th instead of June 4th. I told them we could not do that, as it was Star Wars Day, but we did nonetheless. Here is the cake they made for me: it is a vegan chocolate cake with a vegan chocolate icing. Simply and tasty.

Vegan Carrot Cake with Broiled Coconut Icing

Vegan Carrot Cake
2 cups grated carrot
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2/3 cup oil
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup granulated (white) sugar 
3 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
spices, as desired 1-3 teaspoons: ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg
Topping
1 cup coconut butter
1 cup sweetener of choice
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch rectangular (or two 8 or 9 inch round or square pans) with parchment paper. 
Mix together the carrot, applesauce, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Stir in the sugar, then the remaining dry ingredients. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan(s).
Bake for 20-30 minutes until cake tests clean. No need to cool before topping.
Topping: Melt the butter in a small saucepan, stir in the sweetener. Spread evenly over the cake, sprinkle with coconut, and brown under the broiler until golden. Serve warm or cool.

Substitution Notes:
Cake
- For a healthier cake, replace the oil with additional applesauce or other fruit or vegetable puree, or even a nut butter.
- Change the flour to a whole wheat, spelt, oat, nut, or gluten free flour. This should not affect the rising in this recipe.
- Replace the sugar with dates, maple syrup, or another natural sweetener. Or use coconut sugar to amp up the coconut flavor.
- Change up the flavors of the spices and vanilla extract.
- Stir in some dried fruit, chopped nuts, or chocolate chips as desired.
Topping
- The sweetener depends upon how sweet you would like the topping, and cake overall, to be. A granulated sugar will add a gritter texture than a liquid sugar.
- Try using coconut flakes instead, and use more or less as desired. Mix in some chopped nuts as well, if desired.

Maple Cashew Icing

Maple Cashew Icing
1 cup cashews (preferably raw unsalted, but since roasted and salted are cheaper they work as well - soaking them draws out the salt)
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional: add a little sea salt, almond or lemon or rum extract, cocoa or melted chocolate, citrus zest, or chopped nuts

Soak the cashews until very soft, almost like soft bread. This can be done ahead by soaking them in a bowl full of cold water overnight or longer, or quickly by boiling the cashews briefly, or just covering them with boiling water and allowing them to sit for an hour or two. Drain well.

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until very smooth. It is almost like making cashew butter. Add a little water or nut milk if needed to thin out the icing to the desired consistency. If the icing is chilled it becomes firm after a while, but will soften at room temperature. It doesn't harden as quickly on a cake stored in the fridge however.

This is an easy vegan frosting with no added fat or refined sugar. For a cream cheese-like frosting, add more lemon juice and replace the maple syrup with a more neutral sweetener such as agave or confectioners' sugar.

Bunny Butt Cake

Happy Easter Everyone!!!

Every year for Easter I make a decorated cake. I have done a white bunny, brown bunny, chick, basket, and egg. I always like to do a different design. I didn't have a lot of time this year, as I was busy cooking practice meals for competitions, so I went with a simpler design. I have seen this as a cake and cupcake design before and always wanted to try it.

It is a 'bunny butt cake'. Some versions have the bunny diving into a basket of candy or into some icing 'grass'. I chose just to keep my cake as a bunny. To make this, I made a standard two-layer size vegan chocolate cake recipe, baked in an eight inch round bowl, and three cupcakes (I actually made six cupcakes but reserved the other three for a different use). 

Ideally, I would have frosted the cake completely in white or brown icing to make either a white or brown bunny. But I didn't really have time to frost the sides of the bunny, and decided to go with a 'transition' bunny look - transitioning from a white winter bunny to the a  brown summer bunny.

I also made a new type of vegan icing - maple cashew, and because of the maple syrup it turned out a tan-color. 

I then dusted the entire cake with shredded coconut. The ears are just made of paper - I tried forming cupcake ears, but that didn't work either, and every version I say online used paper ears or didn't have ears at all.

Vegan Opera Cake

Vegan Opera Cake
'SPONGE' CAKE BASE
1/2 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
2 Tablespoons granulated (white) sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
water, as needed
MOCHA FILLING
10 Medjool dates, pitted
3 Tablespoons mocha flavoring
1/2 cup icing sugar
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1-2 Tablespoons maple syrup
GLAZE
icing sugar
water

SPONGE CAKE BASE: Mix together the dry ingredients, then add enough water to form a batter slightly thicker than pancake batter. Spread into an even rectangle on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350◦F for 10-15 minutes until firm and just golden. Cool.
MOCHA FILLING: Soak the dates in hot water until softened (or very briefly boil them). Drain well, then purée all ingredients together in a food processor until smooth.
CHOCOLATE GANACHE: Whisk cocoa and syrup together until smooth.
GLAZE: Mix together just enough to make a thick, but pourable glaze.

To assemble: Cut the cake into rectangles, you should get 6-8 equal pieces with some scraps. Spread 4 of the pieces with mocha filling. Stack together (fillings not facing each other). Then put a plain cake rectangle on top and top with chocolate ganache. Drizzle with glaze.

The other day at a function, we needed a vegan dessert in a pinch. Chef suggested fruit - but I think vegans deserve something just as good, and similar, to what everyone else is having. So I checked out the desserts, concluded it was something like Opera Cake, then whipped up a similar version in about 30 minutes with no recipe. Its just enough for two servings, and looks and tastes quite similar to the real thing. Just some guidelines: the cake should be spongy and a bit tricky to cut, the filling very thick, the ganache shiny and smooth. Of course, you can certainly serve it with fruit (and sans the whipped cream).