White Wedding Cake and Swiss Meringue Buttercream

How many times have I mentioned that I will be making my first wedding cake this year?  Fifty?  Yes, I am obviously excited.  Cautiously excited.  I've never made a cake of such great importance, so I'm carefully planning every step.

At the bride's request, half the cake layers will be white with lemon curd filling, and the other half will be chocolate cake with raspberry filling. I can easily locate a good chocolate cake recipe, but I've been test-driving white cake recipes for almost two months now.  Last week I finally found a moist, scratch-made white cake recipe that I'm really excited about. From pristine white interior to delicate flavor and crumb, I am pleased with every aspect.

(The bride has not taste-tested this cake yet, but I'll be sure to amend this post with her thumbs-up or thumbs-down!)

The official wedding cake will be covered in rolled fondant, but I plan to use Swiss meringue buttercream as a crumb coat - and that's what I used to decorate this test cake.  Since I've been getting a few emails from frustrated Swiss buttercream first-timers, I decided to put together a video tutorial.  Hopefully this can be used with the recipe for successful results!

(Also be sure to check out Rosie's in-depth Swiss Meringue Buttercream tutorial, and Shelly's too!)

Continued, click to read more...

Whiteout Cocoa

This post will be short and sweet since I'm going out of town for a few days, but I couldn't let another day pass without sharing this recipe!

This is an absolutely delicious white chocolate cocoa, and it couldn't be easier to make.  The original recipe uses full-fat ingredients, but I've lightened it up a bit.  So feel free to go crazy with copious amounts of whipped cream or even giant oven-toasted marshmallows.

I won't tell.

Continued, click to read more...

Flaming Baked Alaska Cupcakes

Just call me the cupcake arsonist.

This is the second time I've intentionally set fire to this cutesy confection. What's the appeal?  Maybe I feel the cupcake could use a break from its curlicued reputation.  Or maybe it appeals to my inner juvenile delinquent who loves to play with matches.  All I know for sure is, this is one incredibly delicious show-stopping dessert!  It's a perfect dramatic finale for any dinner party.

Continued, click to read more...

Vanilla-Rosewater Cupcakes for the ModCloth Blog!

I'm so excited to be guest posting on the ModCloth blog today! For most of us, ModCloth needs no introduction; for those unfamiliar, it's one of my favorite sites for vintage-inspired clothing, shoes and the cutest tabletop items around! Last month they asked if I would develop a special Valentine's day recipe for their blog readers.  I had a fresh bottle of rosewater lingering in my cabinet, and it didn't take long to figure out exactly what I wanted to make.

Ready to get rosy?  Read all about these cupcakes (complete with candied rose petal topper)  here!

Red Velvet Cake Minis

Today, I'm joining some of my favorite bloggers for a virtual Valentine's Day treat party. If you're looking for something special to make for your sweetheart, this is the place to be!

This cake recipe is my go-to Red Velvet sponge roll, but instead of rolling it up, I've used a pastry ring to cut the sponge sheet into 3" stackable rounds.  The rounds are filled with a light whipped cream and cream cheese mixture, then topped off with a little more of the same.

I love to give (and get!) chocolates for Valentine's Day, so I used gold-covered chocolate buttons and a squares of Godiva chocolate for decoration. Of course, any square of good quality chocolate will work. If Godiva doesn't strike your fancy, a Vosages square would be yummy, or spherical  Lindor chocolates or Ferrero Rocher would do the trick too!

Continued, click to read more...