Frankencake!

 

Triple-layer Vanilla Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache

Vanilla Cupcakes topped with Vanilla Buttercream, Dark Chocolate Ganache & Mini-Chips

Halloween is on my mind!!  I love this sweet little Frankencake! 

As a cake artist, I feel I have a license to interpret.  Just as I've interpreted Vermeer with this cake, celebrated a lovely flower bouquet with this cake, and acknowledged Mother's Day with this cake... the Frankenstein Cake is meant to be a reminder of his iconic skin tone and unique hair style.

Here's how this cake went together.

I deliberately left a bit of an edge on the buttercream to offer the idea of an exaggerated forehead.  With the chocolate ganache hair being forced up and over, I kept my fingers crossed I'd like the results.  And it turned out just fine.

I had a little bit of batter left over so I baked a few cupcakes.  This is my version of a Frankencupcake. 

Using a very large open round piping tip, I swirled on the buttercream.  Using a small off-set spatula, I gently applied a small amount of chocolate ganache to the top of the cupcake.  I turned the cupcake upside down into a small bowl of Nestle mini-morsels...this helped flatten the buttercream.  I found these Wilton candy eyes at Cake & Bake Accessories in Paris - I gently pressed the eyes into the buttercream.

I was happy with the results of this little cake.  I think the cake and cupcakes would be welcome on any Halloween Party table.

I'm still grateful for my life partner.  And sobriety.  And our people.

Candy Corn Extravaganza

 

Vanilla Cake with Tinted Vanilla Buttercream

Is it almost that time of year?!  Halloween is getting closer and Fall may have arrived (depending on your need/no need for a Pumpkin Spice Latte).  Either way, the weather is changing and the beginning of holiday season is closing in.

As a sprout in Missouri, my all-time favorite Halloween candy was Brach's Candy Corn.  This time of year, it was in great abundance and I like to think I ate my fair share. 

The iconic yellow, orange, and white triangle continues to provide inspiration for Halloween-themed cakes.  Now all I need is a party invitation.

I couldn't decide between the solid layers of color or the more complicated rings of color..so I made both.  Let's walk through the construction of each of these cakes.

There is no doubt, I love a triple-layer tinted Vanilla Cake.  In order for the color to be more true, I use six egg whites instead of four eggs; by taking the yolks out of the batter, the color saturation is improved. 

This little six inch cake follows the Candy Corn layered convention of yellow, orange, and white.  The roses are a perfect decorating technique to carry the theme of the cake.  And, it's just too dang cute.  I love the look.  It can work at an upscale party or something considerably more relaxed.  This little beauty is versatile.

After the crumb coat has had a few minutes to set up, the next stage of fun times can begin.  I don't know if I have more fun at the decorating or the baking stage...it can be a real toss up!

 

I do love the way it look...this is a cake in need of a party!

 



Three colors, three layers is an easy cake to prepare, bake, and decorate.  Turning up the volume with rings of color is not for the feint of heart. 

Similar to a checkerboard cake, this cake was more like a target using yellow, orange, and white.  Each layer has three separate pieces and with three layers to build...the number of moving parts gets out of control almost immediately.

I was happy with how each layer went together.  I would adjust the measurements a wee bit in order to have a larger center and a narrower outer ring.

I love this simple, rustic look.  In reality, it's the base coat to the planned ruffles.  However, a designer could stop right here and say, "This is my cake."  And people would love it.  I've used this minimalist technique as a finished design on several cakes.  I love the simple look - it brings drama with its ease.  If I were to add anything, I'd consider a little banner hung across the top. 

 

I was happy with the results of how the cake presented.  I was less than happy with the appearance of the layers...it seemed too forced?  Or maybe I had to try to hard too recognize the trajectory of where this cake was going.  Perhaps two layers would be the right height for rings of candy corn.

 



The yellow rings yielded several lovely cake rounds just waiting to be put to use.  I opted for a naked cake (a cake without an exterior frosting).  It was filled and topped with white buttercream rosettes.  I added a few yellow and orange drop flowers as an accent.  This was simply sweet.

And what did we do with three cakes?

• The ruffled cake we served at a dinner party in our home; we had friends over for a chili dinner and an evening of cards.  It was a blast!
• The roses cake we gave to a couple of other friends who were able to take it to a celebration.
• The naked cake was given away; he took it into the office the next day...I hear it was well received.

I'm grateful for my life partner - he makes it possible for me to be creative in the kitchen. 

I love it when our kids offer chants and cheers from great distances. 

I can't help but be grateful for sobriety.

Retro Waves: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cake

Peanut Butter Cheesecake between two layers of Chocolate Cake, a crumb coat of Chocolate Buttercream frosted with waves of tinted Vanilla

I can't believe it's been a month since I last blogged.  I've been baking for sure...I just haven't blogged about the experience.  Writing about baking and creating has taken a back seat to the actual baking and creating. I hope to do better.

This cake has been on my mind for a while now.  Sometimes, I'm more concerned with how a cake looks because I've been inspired by a art, design, style, color, etc.  It can also be the case that flavors inspire me which leads to the inside being more important than the outside. This cake is both.

Last February, we traveled to Ireland for a wedding.  While there, I visited Dunnes.  Think of this lovely department store somewhere between Kohl's and Target.  While there, I spotted the little bluebird creamer...it's more turquoise, than blue.  I couldn't pass it up.

In April, I was in London for a week.  Despite gorgeous weather, I made my way to the basement of Selfridges where I found a Cath Kidson display and this pretty cake stand.  Admittedly, I wasn't familiar with this designer, but have come to learn there is a great following.  And there was no way I was going to let this cake stand get away!

Toward the end of June, we were in DC.  I was a bit overwhelmed with so many shopping choices, ginormous stores, massive parking lots, etc.  It was a bit of a bumpy adjustment to the car-culture of the DC metro area.  Anyway, I found a Home Goods store in a smaller plaza near our hotel.  Of all the things in the store, this perfect turquoise table cloth had to come home with me. 

Finally, my Fiesta works beautifully with almost everything.  Chocolate, Turquoise, and White is a classic combination.  Though chocolate has been discontinued, turquoise and white are still widely available.  It is remarkable to have a rainbow of dishes to choose from for cake and cupcake photography.

Designing this cake photo op has taken several months...but it still required the right cake - which took a bit longer to decide.  I had to wait for the cake to come to me.  And it finally did a few weeks ago... a chocolate cake with a peanut butter cheesecake middle layer.

I'm using a euro-sized spring form pan for the cheesecake layer - which doesn't exactly match up to the American-sized 8" cake round.  During my recent trip to the States, I bought and mailed to myself a new pan.  #stillwaiting  In the mean time, I fill in the space with additional buttercream and hope no one complains.  

I loved making this cake...it was great fun to watch it come together.  Baking a peanut butter cheesecake was definitely for the Test Kitchen since I'd not made one before (I used my standard cheesecake recipe, reduced the vanilla, and added one cup of peanut butter - though 3/4c. would have been fine).

I made a fudge buttercream for crumb coating, the top of the cake, and the chocolatey waves.  The vanilla buttercream was tinted with Wilton Teal Icing Color; I found it the last time I was in Paris and visited Paul at Cake & Bake Accessories.

I used a Wilton 1M tip.

Even more fun than the baking, was a wonderful dinner out with friends.  They really seemed to enjoy the flavor combination..."I just love the sweet and savory together." 

The cake slice is pictured on a Fiesta Turquoise salad/dessert plate resting on an upended, chocolate brown egg cup.

It's rewarding when a design takes time to develop and then comes together.  It's a greater feeling of comfort to know my life partner is encouraging and supportive.