TWD #79: Practically Perfect Party Cake in every way

In my head I can hear Mary Poppins singing her “practically perfect in every way” song. That’s how I feel about this cake.

Even though I’ve made this cake before with the Daring Bakers more than a year ago (Wowsers, where does the time go?), I didn’t think twice about making it again. I love the lemon cake, berry preserve filling and swiss meringue buttercream frosting. (You are totally drooling right?) I was thinking this time around I’d change it up by making cupcakes but while searching for my cupcake pan… I found my Wilton Giant Cupcake pan and knew this would be the perfect recipe to christen my pan.

Thanks to Carol of Mix Mix Stir Stir for hosting this week. You can find the complete recipe on her blog or my cupcake blog. Also check out the TWD Baker Blogroll to see how everyone else did on their Perfect Party Cake. You are bound to be amazed!

BTW Tuesdays with Dorie has BIG news! We have a new logo:

Congratulations to Lisa of Surviving Oz for designing the winning logo! She gets to pick next week’s recipe as her prize. I think it’s quite clever with the eiffel tower as an “i” in Dorie, don’t you? But I have to admit I am kinda partial to the old logo so I’ll probably switch off between the two depending on my mood.

What I learned this week:
What’s better than a cupcake? A GIANT CUPCAKE!

Perfect Party [Cup]Cake
Recipe adapted from Baking: From My Home To Yours, Dorie Greenspan

There’s nothing like rubbing sugar and lemon zest between your fingertips. I love the way it makes my hands smell. Am I weird?

To make cake: Combine with butter, flour mixture and milk+egg white mixture.

The perfect party cake batter filled the cupcake pan pretty well. It didn’t rise as much as other batters which actually worked out better IMO. Since I read various reviews that the “bottom” baked slower than the “top”, I filled the bottom part about 2/3 full and baked for 15 minutes, then filled the top about 2/3 full and bake both batters for another 30 minutes.

To make buttercream: Combine egg whites and sugar over a pan of simmering water until sugar is dissolved.

Whip with a whisk attachment until looks like a shiny marshmallow creme. Add softened butter a little at a time. Dorie says to switch to flat beater before adding butter but I just used my whisk and it worked great.

Don’t be scurred if your frosting starts to look curdled. IT’S A GOOD THING! Just keep beating and beating and beating until your frosting comes together smooth and silky. It’s like magic!

To assemble cake: Use serrated knife and cut off tops of “bottom” and “top” of cupcake so they are level. Cut the “bottom” into 4 pieces.

Using a Wilton 12A round tip, pipe a barrier and fill with strawberry preserves. Then top with a layer of buttercream. Repeat for other 3 layers.

Using an offset spatula create a crumb coat.

Let crumb coat set and then apply a second layer. Immediately after the second layer I pressed coconut all over. Then gently put the “top” on the “bottom”. I used Ateco fuschia gel coloring to tint the rest of the buttercream pink. Using an offset spatula I applied a thin coat of buttercream to the “top”.

Then I switched to a Wilton 1M piping tip and made rosettes following the natural curve of the “top”. For a little bling I added white dragees randomly all over and topped with a strawberry.

ENJOY!

Husband rating: A+
He’s a red velvet man but I’d say that the Perfect Party Cake is a close second. He loves the meringue buttercream (but not as much as cream cheese frosting).

Wifey rating: A+
It’s not “perfect” for nothing. Love this cake. So moist and yummy esp with the preserves. I’m a big SMBC lover too!

Other rating: A+
I made this cake for a bbq. Friends raved about the cupcake cuteness factor and loved the flavors of the cake. Definitely a hit. I wish I could have gotten a picture of my godson’s face when he saw the “Giant Cupcake”. Priceless.

Next week: Tribute to Katherine Hepburn Brownies, pages 96-97

Bunday Monday

I know I’ve already posted this picture of OpieBun but I’ve been thinking about her a lot lately and this is my favorite picture of her. I guess I deal with death differently than most people. It’s not like I tried to forget her, I just kept myself busy so I wouldn’t think about her but lately I’ve been missing her and trying to remember all our good times together. There were so many.

Miss you OpieBun.

(Sorry readers. I tend to ramble when I don’t know how to express myself.)

A-Ten-Hut! Recruiting some Baking Gals! You interested?

Helloooo out there? *echo echo*

I know. I know. Lately I’ve been quite the slacker on my little food blog. It seems like my blog’s been a placeholder for Tuesday with Dorie recipes and inconsistent Bunday Monday posts. Blame new my job, lack of time, Hubs losing his socks/belt/hat/wallet and asking me to drop everything to help him find “it”, summer writer’s block, whatever… but I’m back to talk to you (my readers) about something important.

So listen up!

<— Remember this logo? Let me refresh your memory.

The idea for Operation Baking GALS (Give A Little Support) has grown since my first participation almost a year ago (Wow! Time flies!) when Steph of Steph Chows was team leader for her cousin Eric. I was so inspired by what Steph’s team did that I also sent my husband’s friend (also serving in Iraq at the time) a care package too. He emailed later to tell me “… there’s nothing like getting a little piece of home to remind you why you’re here.” I’ll never forget his words. I regret to say it’s been a while since I participated though but I’m backkkkkkk…

Operation Baking Gals is up to Round 10 now and since my fabulous friend April of Wine Lover’s Cooking Diary is team leader this time around, I knew I wanted to support her and her brother, who is currently serving in Iraq with the Indiana National Guard.

(Her brother is 3rd from the left… and he’s single ladies! *cat calls*)

If you would like to join April’s team (and for more info), please email her:

mrsabybabyATgmailDOTcom

(If you email her, tell her Clara sent ya. I get friend brownie points!)

Deadline: June 28th July 11th

Baked goods need to be sent out between July 1-11th

I’m sure she’d love to have you! (Me too!)

PS. Any suggestions for favorite cookie recipes? Right now I’m thinking Dorie Greenspan’s World Peace Cookies. Mmmm…

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TWD #69: Honey, I made Peach Ice Cream!

On Sunday, my little brother came over and watched the Lakers vs Magic’s last game with me and the Hubs. He specifically requested that I cook dinner instead of ordering pizza (I think he’s anticipating eating alot of pizza in his upcoming college dorm days) and I decided that honey-peach ice cream would be a yummy refreshing dessert to make with our meal. There’s nothing like yelling at the TV with ice cream dribbling down your chin. Ah good times. See LA? You don’t have to riot and set cars on fire to celebrate! Come on now. Cuckoo. Cuckoo.

Special thanks to this week’s hostess, Tommi of Brown Interior for choosing this recipe. (You can find the full recipe on her blog.) I can honestly say that it’s in my Top 5 and I am not sure I would have made it without her choosing it for all us, Tuesdays With Dorie bakers. Now I am not one to do things the easy way so I made sugar cookie ice cream sandwiches per Dorie’s playing around suggestions. You can find the sugar cookie recipe here. Can you say sugar cookie ice cream sandwich crack? I promise you’ll get addicted after one bite.

What I learned this week:
I wasn’t sure I’d be a big fan of a fruit based ice cream. I usually go for the vanilla, chocolate, caramel ice cream combos but all I can say is… don’t knock the fruit until you try it!

Honey-Peach Ice Cream [Sandwiches]
Recipe from Baking: From My Home To Yours, Dorie Greenspan

My bandaged finger tips weren’t happy after peeling and pitting peaches. (Say that 10x fast!) Next time I will take the advice of Nancy and do the “blanch in boiling water+shock in ice water” method instead.

I am not a chunky ice cream fan so I pureed all the peaches and honey instead of saving half peaches to add later.

I mixed in my KAM ice cream attachment for about 20 minutes. It’s still soft serve consistency after you take out of KAM but after freezing for 4+ hours, it became firmer.

ENJOY!

Husband rating: A+
He’s a chocolate and peanut butter ice cream eater but he had multiple bowls of this ice cream and mentioned that chocolate-peanut butter has some competition now. Huzzah!

Wifey rating: A+
My husband loves ice cream. Me? I’m a cake girl. I’ll choose Funfetti over Coldstone any day. With one exception. Dorie Greenspan’s Honey Peach Ice Cream. It’s THAT good. I wanted to add some peach schnapps but Hubs vetoed that idea. He’s not a lush like me but next time I’m gonna add 1-2 tsp and not tell him. I know. I’m evil.

Other rating: A+
I think my little brother had reservations about the peach-honey combination but after one bite of the ice cream sandwich, he was smitten and raved. Seconds and thirds immediately followed. *fist pump*

Next week: Coconut-Roasted Pineapple Dacquoise pages 293-295

Bunday Monday

Who needs the Snuggie when you can snuggle up against your favorite bunny friend?

(You can really see the size difference between Cinnabun and OpieBun in this picture, no?)

Happy Monday readers. (Is that an oxymoron?)

TWD #68: As French as Apple Tartlet

Doesn’t quite have the same ring to it like… “As American As Apple Pie” huh?

Well I tried. These days witty subject lines aren’t coming as quickly. I think my brain has officially decided that summer is here. Are there any readers out there experiencing the dreaded “blogger’s block” like me? I swear it’s taking me hours, days, weeks to finish one blog post. I feel like I can’t find the right words to get me started or I start and then get sidetracked.

Ooohh a rainbow.

{Five hours later.}

See what I mean?

Funny thing is, maybe the problem isn’t all blogger’s block. I’ve also got a case of the “I-don’t-wanna-bake” right now too. Thankfully I follow some awesome Tuesdays With Dorie bakers via Twitter and their tweets motivate me to get my bum into the kitchen and bake! Isn’t that why I joined this group? To challenge myself and bake things that I wouldn’t have chosen myself? HELL.YEAH.IT.IS! Speaking of twitter. There’s something truly awesome about a fellow baker chastising you in <140 characters. Case in point. Bridget of The Way The Cookie Crumbles broke it down for me.

Dang! She told me huh? (Nothing but love for you Bridget!)

Thanks to our hostess this week, Jessica of My Baking Heart. (You can find the complete recipe on her blog.) I almost didn’t make this one but I am SO glad I did. Seriously. Awesome pick. Minimal prep time but maximum deliciousness. What more could you ask for? Maybe with ice cream. Mmmm…

What I learned this week:
I love brown sugar. More than white sugar… and yes. My husband knows. HA!

Parisian Apple Tartlet
Recipe from Baking: From My Home To Yours, Dorie Greenspan

I used Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry and mini granny apples instead of Fuji like Dorie’s recipe suggested.

I may or may not have used more than 1-2 tsp of brown sugar. But you’ll never get me to confess! I baked my tartlets for about 30 minutes.

ENJOY!

Husband rating: A+
He loves anything reminiscent of apple pie but I think he got won over by the puff pastry and raved the whole time. Definitely on his top 5 list.

Wifey rating: A+
I served mine drizzled with caramel ice cream topping and vanilla bean ice cream. HOLY YUM BATMAN! I will definitely be keeping this recipe as a quick elegant dessert for next dinner party. Maybe I should send the idea to the Red Team from Food Network Star. Did anyone else watch that hideous angel food cake jam contraption that they served the to judges+esteemed FN guests? For shame.

Next week: Honey-Peach Ice Cream page 437

Bunday Monday {raincheck}

Sorry Bunday Monday fans.

I don’t have a picture for you today but it’s for a REALLY good reason. I just bought myself an iMac (w00t!) and my laptop (along with ALL my bunny pictures) are being held hostage at the Apple store while they transfer all my files to the new iMac.

BTW if you are in the market for a Mac product, now’s a good time to buy! If you are a current/incoming college student or a faculty/staff member at any grade level and you buy a new Mac, you can get a free iPod touch. That’s exactly what I did! I get the iMac *swoon* and T gets the iPod. It’s win-win!

But hopefully Bunday will be back on Wednesday or Thursday.

To be continued…