Best Cake Ever

So all week I been on a mission to make a cake. Everyday at school I was on the look out for the best looking cake recipe I could find, and after hours of contemplation, I finally found a recipe in my already bookmarked pages folder. So Saturday morning, I woke up with a mission. After running to the store to gather some last minute ingredients - somehow eggs never seem to last very long in my house - I was off and running. The batter itself was quite easy to make. I found it strange to add the butter to the dry ingredients, but it worked. I started out with the whisk attachment to my stand mixer, but as soon as I added the butter, it all just got stuck inside the whisk, so I switched it to the beater. It work out much better. I ended up with a very light and airy batter. I did my best to divide evenly between my three pans - 2 silicone and 1 metal - but given my inability to guesstimate, I eneded up with two that were about the same and 1 that was a tad bit more puffy. No matter though, because I just sawed off the tops of them anyway to make them all even. I had never heard of making icing in a blender before, but I have to say, I might be convert. It came out so soft and delicious; by far some of the best icing I have ever had. I would highly recommend cutting the butter up and putting it in first with the remaining sugar and vanilla on top. I put the butter in last and had a difficult time getting it all mixed up. After I'd iced the cake, I added about another 3 ounces of chocolate to the remaining batter to get a little darker to add the accent icing around the edge and in the middle. All in all, this was by far one of the most amazing cakes I have ever eaten. I brought it in to Hebrew School today and the kids just gobbled it up, which is saying something. Usually when I give them treats they eat half and then throw the rest away. Of course, my father once again said the icing was too sweet, but I saw him sneaking bites of the peices that I had sliced off. ;)

Cake:

From: stickygooeycreamychewy.blogspot.com/

• 4 whole large eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups of buttermilk
• 3 cups cake flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter at room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of three 9-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper and grease the paper.
2. Place the eggs and the yolks in a medium bowl. Add the vanilla and 1/4 cup of buttermilk. Whisk to blend well.
3. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixer bowl and whisk to blend. Add the remaining buttermilk and butter to the dry ingredients and with the mixer on low speed, blend together. Raise the mixer to medium speed and beat until light fluffy, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the egg mixture in 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix only until thoroughly incorporated. Divide the batter among the prepared pans.
5. Bake the cake layers for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake layers cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully turn out the cakes onto a wire rack and peel off the paper liners. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

• 6 ounces of unsweetened chocolate melted and cooled (Plus a few more ounces if you want a darker shade)
• 4 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar
• 3 sticks butter at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons of half and half
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse to incorporate. Then, process until frosting is smooth. If you want a darker shade, frost cake and leave about a cup left – add more chocolate, blend until darker color is achieved.

To assemble:

After cakes are completely cooled, place 1 cake on cake plate. Frost center. Add cake on top and repeat frosting with second and third layers. Frost sides of cake. If you want, put darker color frosting into a pastry bag using any star tip and add borders as you want.

Island Treasure Cookies

So in my usual state of never wanting to do homework, I decided that I wanted to make some cookies. Since my step-mom is going down to Florida tomorrow for my great-aunt's 100th birthday, I figured I could make a little care package to send along with her to bring to all the family. Well, as I was looking up cookies, I had all sorts of elaborate concoctions in my head, but after looking through my baking drawer, I saw that I had some opened bags of coconut, walnuts, and chocolate chips that were in dire need of a use. So after much reflection (not really - 5 minutes tops) I settled with these yummy island treasure ones. I know realize that for a Florida vacation, these fit the description splendidly. Instead of pecans I used chopped walnut and I'm pretty sure I used way more than just 1 cup of coconut because I just dumped everything that was still in the package - I'd say about a cup and a half. As usual, my father said they were too sweet, but as he just said "Everything is too sweet for me." My step-mom quite enjoyed them though and I'm hoping that they will be a hit down in Florida with the whole posse. Treasure Island Cookies As adapted from allrecipes.com Ingredients: • 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 7/8 cup butter, softened • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar • 1/3 cup white sugar • 1 egg • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract • 1 cup milk chocolate chips • 1 cup flaked coconut • 1 cup chopped walnuts Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. 3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Beat in the egg then stir in the vanilla. 4. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients. 5. Mix in the chocolate chips, coconut and pecans. 6. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place the cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. 7. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dirt & Worm Cupcakes

This past weekend was my little step-nephews 6th birthday party. Last year, I made his different colored cupcakes to go with his pirate themed birthday, but this year, after looking through my cupcake book, he decided on dirt and worm cupcakes. I love gummy worms, so I was quite excited to be able to make them - mostly so that I would be able to eat the extra worms. When I turned on the oven Saturday night, I had an almost near catastrophe when it started smoking. I thought that the cleaning lady had done something to it, but instead of using convection oven I just used regular bake - crisis diverted. The cupcakes turned out great. It seemed like most of the kids enjoyed them, even though I threw away about ten half eaten ones. This probably had more to do with the fact that the kids had already eaten a snack and then pizza and juice then to do with not actually liking the cupcakes. The recipe was really easy to follow, although I did modify the icing a wee bit. I put in a whole stick of butter, because with all the powdered sugar, it was not creaming at all. I also simply added milk as I saw fit until it fit the consistency I was looking for. It didn't have a dark, rich, chocolate look to - lack of chocolate I guess - but it still tasted delicious. Chocolate cupcakes

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ Dutch-Processed cocoa
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup butter
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt bowl – set aside

3. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter until creamy. Add sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time. Add the flour in four additions alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the flour addition. Continue to beat on low-medium speed after each addition.

4. Divide batter among cupcake wells (I got about 21, and some were even over flowing a little bit)

5. Bake for 22 minutes, or until toothpick inserted shows a few moist crumbs

6. Cool pans on racks for 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes from tin.

Fudge Frosting

• 1 stick butter at room temperature
• 4 cups confectioneres sugar – I used about 5 in the end
• 1/3 cup milk – just added as I needed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and slightly cooled

1. In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating until light. Be sure to scrape down side of bowl after each addition. Beat on high until smooth. Add vanilla and chocolate until well combined.

For the Cupcakes:

• Gummy Worms
• Cookie Crumbs (I used chocolate animal crackers)

1. Frost cupcakes with icing and then roll or sprinkle on the cookies crumbs. Arrange gummy worms all over.