Elvis Birthday Cake

This week I had the opportunity to do a small birthday cake for a close friend’s niece. The theme of the party was Elvis Presley (hence the design on the cake). While doing this cake I decided to do some experimenting with different types of frostings. I’ve made them all mixed, boiled, and I have such a hard time finding that perfect frosting that “crusts” over nicely, but doesn’t taste like you’re eating shortening out of the can! I came to this recipe by combining about 3 recipes. The combination of the butter and cream cheese create a perfect crust but the taste is still there. I hope you all find this frosting as yummy as the party goers did. Happy Baking! 

Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 8oz bar cream cheese softened
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 lbs shifted powder sugar
- ¼ tsp salt

Instructions

To make the frosting:

Cream butter, and cream cheese together. Cream until smooth. Mix in vanilla, and salt. Lastly add powdered sugar slowly to the creamed mixture. Mix until everything is all incorporated. YUM!

Frosting recipe yields approximately 4 cups of frosting. 

To make the cake: 

1.  Select a good quality cake mix (a nice quick cake).  I’m partial to Duncan Hines when I’m in a pinch because it is dense, and moist.  Very easy to decorate on. 

2. Mix the cake mix per the box instructions, and divide into 2 8″ round cake pans. 

3.  Bake cakes at 350 degrees for 28-30 minutes. 

4.  Allow cakes to cool slightly, take the cakes out of the pans, and cool on a cooling rack. 

5.  Add your favorite filling to your cake, and frosting completely.  Allow the cake to “crust” over slightly.  To speed up the process, put the cake in your refridgerator for about an hour.  

6.  You can use any design you’d like on your cake, but to make the Elvis design, you can do the following.  Find your favorite Elvis photo online, and print a 6″x4″ copy.  Cut the outline of the picture.  Carefully place your template onto your cake, trace the outline with a toothpick, and take the template off.  Using colored icing or icing gel, fill in the design completely.

Inspired by a recipe from Kraft Canada, and fit for any occasion, this uber easy decadent chocolate cake is made with only one  bowl (that’s right, only one!) Easy to make, easy to clean up after, super easy to eat and enjoy. What’s not to love?

Courtesy of bunchofpants

The Things You’ll Need:

3 full squares semi-sweet baking chocolate

6 tbsp butter

¾ cup sugar (whichever kind you prefer)

2 eggs

1 ¼ cup flour

¾ cup water

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp baking soda

How to Put It All Together:

1. Preheat your oven to 350F.
2. Melted chocolate and butter in a large microwave safe bowl. Stir until completely smooth.
3. Add each of the remaining ingredients one at a time, mixing with an electric beater after each new addition, until everything has become one rich mixture.
4. Grease a 9” pan. Pour mixture evenly into the aforementioned pan.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes.
6. Allow to cool, then garnish with a chocolate sauce or icing from a jar, and fresh seasonal fruit.
7. Serve and allow everyone to think you’ve slaved away for hours over a hot oven to bring them a divine chocolaty indulgence.

Courtesy of .ben*

To make this dessert suitable for Easter dinner, simply adjust the decorating style. Add a few mini chocolate Easter eggs or a chocolate bunny to keep it festive.

Also, if you have the time, salvage the egg shells used whilst baking and paint them. These can be used as table decorations, not only providing a little more flair to your Easter this year, but also making a small memento of your 2010 celebration, which can be admired in years to come.

Spring is almost here, and with it the colourful celebrations of Easter, where chicks and bunnies seem to dominate dessert line-ups and décor.  However, if you really want to ‘wow’ your Easter dinner guests this year, something equally cute but slightly different may be required – like an adorable fluffy lamb cake!

This culinary creation looks like a lot of excessive work, but in actual fact is relatively simple and oh-so fun to craft! Just make sure you purchase a lamb shaped cake pan ahead of time (available at your local baking store) and there is very little that can stand between you and a prized Easter treat!

Courtesy of elizastan

The Things You’ll Need:

2 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups white sugar

4 egg whites

1 cup of milk

2 ½ tsp baking powder

½ cup melted butter

1 tsp vanilla extract (pure)

The Things You’ll Need to Do:

1. Before you forget, prep your cake pan. Coat it in vegetable oil, then wipe with a paper towel and grease/flour appropriately. (Make sure to get every nook-and-cranny so that you can make a perfect little lamb.)
2. Sift the flour to remove all bothersome lumps.
3. Cream together butter and sugar, then slowly add in flour, milk, and vanilla, continually creaming until mixture is soft and smooth.
4. In a separate bowl, beat together egg whites until firm peaks rise. Then fold the egg whites into the mixture a third at a time.
5. Fill the two halves of lamb tin with the now completed mixture. Gently run a wooden spoon through each half to relieve any lingering air pockets.
6. Bake at 375 F for about an hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
7. Remove cake halves from pan, ice one side of each and firmly stick together to create your very own 3D lamb cake.

Courtesy of Svadilfari

Decorating Tips:

In all honesty you can decorate your little lamb anyway you’d like, but I am personally a fan of smothering the entire cake surface in plain white butter-cream icing. Then add a semi-thick layer of white coconut curls (these look the most like a wooly coat.) Of course, coconut is an acquired taste, so an effective alternative to get the wool-like look is to use a fork and create concentric swirls in the white icing. Use black jelly-beans for the eyes, and a pink jelly-bean for the nose, then pipe on some extra dark icing for the whiskers.

And there you have it – you’re finished! The only challenge remaining is to see whether or not your can bring yourself to eat such an adorable cake. Baa ha ha!

As you know, a few days ago we published Valentine’s Day Cupcake Guide – Part 1. Now, it’s time for Part 2! Hope you like our choices!

Tart Bakery

Tart Bakery, located in Dallas, Texas was founded in November, 2004 by Executive Pastry Chef Kristen Massad, who trained at the French Culinary Institute of New York.

Kristen felt that Dallas could use a vintage bakery (everything is made completely from scratch with all-natural ingredients) with a modern touch.

Kristen’s business has grown significantly and Tart now ships goodies across the country.

Website: tartbakerydallas.com

Kara’s Cupcakes

Kara’s Cupcakes is the vision of executive pastry chef, Kara Lind.

For Valentine’s Day, Kara’s Cupcakes is offering the “Sweet Package”: a selection of four “lovely” cupcakes that will make you swoon. Presented in a custom white box adorned with Kara’s Cupcakes signature wrapping. The perfect gift for your sweetie!

Price: $15 per box

Location: Kara’s Cupcakes has five locations around the San Francisco Bay Area. More info on their website at karascupcakes.com

Dean & DeLuca

 Dean & DeLuca will be featuring the following cupcake treats for Valentine’s Day:

Melt My Heart Cupcakes: These cupcakes are filled with chewy chocolate caramel, which is sublime when gently warmed. The cupcakes are made from scratch in small batches. Made exclusively for Dean & DeLuca by Two Hearts Bakery in San Francisco. Nine cupcakes $55

Valentine Mini Cupcake Chocolates (in the image): Knipschildt Chocolatier in New York City created these chocolate confections to look just like miniature cupcakes. Three different ganache fillings: Champagne, strawberry, and passion fruit. Set of 9 $45

Website: www.deandeluca.com.

Cupcakes by Carousel

Cupcakes by Carousel is a new shop in Ridgewood, NJ.

Their Red Velvet is Oprah’s favorite in a cupcake form. They donate $1.00 per cupcake and red velvet cake with heart to the american heart association in the month of February.

Their Red Velvet cupcakes have cream cheese icing and sugar heart; their Chocolate and Vanilla cupcakes are decorated with rich buttercream topped with valentine picks or sugar hearts.

Price: $29.00 per dozen

Website: www.cupcakesbycarousel.com

Cakes for Occasions

Cakes for Occasions specializes in creating the finest gourmet cakes, cupcakes and sinfully delicious pastries. Owner Kelly Delaney and her creations have been featured in a wide range of media, including NBC’s Today Show and FOX25 Morning News in Boston.

Cakes for Occasions just came out with a heart-shaped box filled with a bakers dozen (13) mini cupcakes. The assortment of chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet cupcakes are all coated with chocolate. The delectable treats are packaged in a heart-shaped box and sell for $17.

Location: Danvers, Massachusetts. Website: www.cakes4occasions.com

Courtesy of http://familyfun.go.com

Looking for something a little bit different to serve at your next holiday party?  Why not try mug cakes! (Recipe compliments of Family Fun Magazine.)

These simple individualized desserts look just like a mug of hot chocolate, but bonus, won’t be ruined if turned cold.

All you need is a standard box of cupcake mix (preferably chocolate, of course), a canister of cooking spray and some marshmallow creme.

The Steps:

1. Use oven safe mugs, available at any kitchen supply store. Ideally you want to use glass mugs so that you can see the cake in all its glory once baked. Spray the inside of the mugs with cooking spray.

2. Fill the mugs approximately halfway with the chocolate batter.
3. Pay attention to the baking instructions on the cupcake package.  When the cakes are cooked, leave to cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Next, put a generous (key word ‘generous’) dollop of marshmallow creme on top of each cake and serve with a fork or spoon.

Courtesy of Ssimpson13

(NOTE:  Depending on the type of cupcake batter being used, it is possible to whip up a batch of mug cakes in the microwave too!)

Any kind of cupcake mix will work for this fun and quirky dessert.  Feel free to use angel-food cake, vanilla, or even layer different kinds  of cakes within the mug if you’re feeling ambitious.  If marshmallow from a jar isn’t really your thing, go ahead and decorate with icing and sprinkles, ice-cream, or better yet, whipped cream!

Whatever you do, mug cakes are quick to make, handy and a little something different to offer guests this season.  The saying “easy as pie” should really be “easy as a mug cake.”

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup vegetable oil
½ cup applesauce
3 eggs
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups white sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ginger powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Frosting:
6 oz. cream cheese
3 tablespoons butter, soften
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 10 inch bundt or tube pan.
2. In a large bowl cream oil, applesauce, beaten eggs, pumpkin and vanilla together.
3. Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ginger powder and salt together. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and mix until just combined, stir in chopped nuts.
4. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
6. Let cake cool in pan for 5 minutes then turn out onto a plate
7. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract and the grated rinds smooth. Gradually confectioners’ sugar, and mix well. Add orange juice until frosting reaches desired spreading consistency. Drizzle over bundt cake.

About: This recipe is courtesy of Ms. Martine Sicard. For more yummy recipes, please visit her website.