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

TWD #36: The Cupcake Horror Picture Show

We’ve got a great show for you today!

This week it was my turn to pick (FINALLY!!) what the TWD bakers made and I kept going back and forth between the White Chocolate Brownies and the Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes. I can’t tell you how many times I changed my mind. Finally I made my decision and let Laurie know that I wanted the White Chocolate Brownies. Done and done, right? Wrong!

I was telling my favorite foodie, Nikki, who is also a fellow TWDer, about my white chocolate pick and she poopoo-ed it. ::sad face:: She’s not a white chocolate fan like me. Hmmm… what to do? Since friendships are based on compromise I told her that if Tammy switched me days so that it was closer to Halloween, I’d pick the cupcakes. (Sorry for any confusion to all TWDers!) Tammy said yes (Thanks Tammy!) so here we are making cupcakes. And now everyone knows how I chose them. I am sure you were all dying to know right? HAHA

I know some readers will be surprised that it wasn’t my #1 choice, considering I love cupcakes! But I love white chocolate too and those brownies were calling my name… Now I know what you’re thinking… If you love cupcakes so much, why don’t you have any on your blog? Good question! I love cupcakes so much that I have my own blog dedicated just to cupcakes! You can find more pictures and instructions on how to make my Halloween cupcakes there.

Click image to enlarge – Which one is your favorite?

Don’t forget to see what 300+ TWD bakers did with their Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes too! I hope some of my fellow TWD bakers will enter my Booo-tiful Halloween Cupcake Contest with their TWD cupcakes. Check out my cupcake blog for the details! You could win some fabulous prizes… ::wink::

What I learned this week:
I spent a ridiculous amount of time decorating these cupcakes but it was so worth it! That’s all that matters right? HAHA

Spooktacular Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes
(Recipe adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s BFHMTY | photos from me!)

INGREDIENTS

Makes 12 cupcakes

For the cupcake
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled (I used 1oz bittersweet & 1oz semi-sweet instead)

For the glaze
3 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (Valrhona bittersweet 70%)
1 tbsp confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

[NOTES: I didn't use the glaze. I made buttercream instead.]

INSTRUCTIONS

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Fit the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan with paper muffin cups, or butter them with flour and tap out the excess.

To make the cupcakes—
Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until it is blended into the butter. Add the egg, then the yolk, beating 1 minute after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the vanilla, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add half the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear. Scrape down the bowl and add the buttermilk, mixing until incorporated, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl, add the melted chocolate and mix it in with the rubber spatula. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin molds.

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the tops of the cakes are dry and springy to the touch and a knife inserted into their centers comes out clean. Transfer the muffin pan to a rack and let the cakes cool for 5 minutes before unmolding. Cool to room temperature on the rack before glazing.

[NOTES: I baked for 20 minutes.]

To make the glaze—
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of shimmering water. Transfer the bowl to the counter and let stand for 5 minutes.

Using a small whisk or rubber spatula, stir the confectioners’ sugar into the chocolate, followed by the pieces of cold butter. The glaze may be very thin at this point or may be perfectly spreadable. If it is too thin to spread or use as a dip (I often dip the tops of the cakes into the ganache, then give the cakes a little twirl as I pull them out, so they have a squiggle of glaze in the center), stir it over ice water for a few seconds – really less than a minute. With a small metal icing spatula, give each cupcake a crown of shiny ganache, and let the glaze set at room temperature (or in the fridge if you are in a hurry). If the ganache loses its gloss and you miss it, give the tops of the cakes a puff of hot air from a hairdryer right before serving.

Playing around: Before glazing the cakes, you can fill the centers of these with store bought Marshmallow Fluff, Bittersweet Ganache, Nutella or jelly. Just fit a pastry bag with a tip, fill the bag with the goody of your choice, plunge and squeeze away.

[NOTES: I filled mine with marshmallow fluff using a Wilton #12 round tip.]

Storing: The cakes will keep in a well-sealed tin overnight. They can also be wrapped airtight – glazed or unglazed – and frozen for up to 2 months.

ENJOY!

Husband rating: A+
He has a chocolate sweet tooth and raved about these cupcakes.

Wifey rating: A+
Many TWDers complained that their cupcakes were dry but mine were fabulous! I baked mine for less time than Dorie suggested and made sure not to overmix the batter which can also dry out cupcakes. I am sure I’ll make these again!

Other rating: A+
I brought cupcakes to a Halloween party and everyone loved them! I think only a few ppl ate them though b/c they didn’t wanna mess up the decor. Most ppl just wanted to take them home to show [insert family member here]. Silly people. HAHA

LOC #2: Grandma’s 85th Birthday Cake

Its almost been a week since the festivities but I finally have some quiet time to divulge the whole sorted story now. (I might be a tad melodramatic today.)

Well… you all read my refrigerator woes but just in case here’s the recap:

1. My frig took a crap.
2. I was forced to cook/bake out of a cooler for a couple days.

How did folks survived in the olden days without a frig? My kitchen was so chaotic! It was back breaking work to drain the melted ice water and refill the coolers with new ice every day! and PS if anyone finds themselves in the same sitch… ziplock your butter! I put my butter in the cooler, the ice melted and water got into the boxes. Its ok for cooking but baking is an exact science and getting my buttercream to be light and fluffy wasn’t happening with water soaked butter. Trust me. I learned that the goopy-not-for-human-consumption way. UGH! I don’t want to talk about it anymore… (It definitely wasn’t baker error. ok maybe?)

But all is right with the world again. I have a new refrigerator. Its no stainless steel, internet ready mega refrigerator but it works for me. At least I have an ice maker now! w00t!

Enough frig talk. Onto the cake…

T’s grandmother (you can see her in the picture with my FIL on my wedding day) turned the ripe ol age of 85 last Saturday and who volunteered her cake services without hesitation? Me? Heck no! My mother-in-law! LOL.

My mother-in-law told T’s grandmother I’d be making her birthday cake. Under normal condition this wouldn’t have phased me at all. I am not the greatest layer cake-er ever (I tend to stick to cupcakes myself) but I am growing an appreciation for layer cakes and have made a couple on occasion. But the whole “no refrigerator thing” made cake-ing slightly harder than usual this time. In MIL’s defense the frig broke after she had asked me to bake the cake. She did give me an out b/c of the circumstances but I decided (b/c I am glutton for punishment) to bake it anyways.

I decided to do a Tuesdays with Dorie Rewind and create the Black and White cake for T’s grandmother’s birthday. Its been on my rewind list for a while now and figured it would be my submission for Layers of Cake Event too. I did make a few adjustments though. Instead of the white chocolate cream layer, I couldn’t get it to work (I guess ghiradelli isn’t high enough quality?), I opted for the Perfect Party Cake buttercream instead. (Props to my caker-licious friend, Nikki, for that rec! *muah*)

I also went out and bought new butter. ::smacks head::

Layers of Cake #1: Happy Anniversary Cake

I am “this” close to saying alot of curse words. %^$&*#@$

I spent all morning looking for my cake pictures so that I could blog about it for a new blog event, Layers of Cake. I found some of them but for some reason I can’t find the “final product” pictures. I don’t know if I erased them off my camera before I uploaded them or what? AAARRRGGHHHH!

When Laurie (Yes, the same Laurie who runs my Tuesdays with Dorie baking group) announced her new event I thought she was crazy was excited for it. I am more of a cupcake girl but ever since making Dorie’s Perfect Party Cake for a previous Daring Bakers Challenge, I’ve been more intrigued about layer cakes.

T and I celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary exactly 3 weeks ago. We saved our top tier for about… 2 days. LOL. T ate all of it except for 1 slice that we eventually wrapped up and saved for our 1 year anniversary.

Since I had no expectations that our 1 year slice would be anything but yucky I decided to make a red velvet cake for our anniversary instead.

Side note: The slice was actually still really good after 1 year in our freezer. Go figure! Ziplock rules!

Recipe and more pictures after the cut.

#3 Daring Bakers Do Dorie [Greenspan]

After that last 10-hour Daring Baker February challenge I was ready for almost anything this month! ;)

So I was pleasantly surprised when our DB host picked Dorie Greenspan’s Perfect Party Cake for the March Challenge. I currently belong to the Tuesdays w/ Dorie baking group too and if you know me well, you know I love 2fors. LOL. Not sure how “daring” it was esp after that 10 hour french bread last month but like I usually do with recipes, I made it more complicated than it really should have been and therefore more daring so its all good. haha.

I decided to make this self-proclaimed “perfect party cake” for my husband’s family Easter gathering on Sunday. The recipe itself isn’t complicated but it did take me about 4 hours from start to finish. That includes prep time, baking time, cooling time, assembling time and decorating time. Since it was for a family dinner I wanted to use my new found Wilton cake decorating skills and really impress my in-laws. Hey… I gotta preserve my place as the favorite daughter-in-law. haha. And let’s just say… I rocked da house with this one. I should rename it – The No Leftovers Cake.

Hosted by Morven @ Food Art and Random Thoughts
Check out the Daring Baker’s Blogroll to see more cake…

PERFECT PARTY CAKE

(Recipe from DG’s Baking: from My Home to Yours, page 250-252 | photos from me!)

INGREDIENTS

For cake
2-1/4 cups cake flour (See notes)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups whole milk or buttermilk (I used buttermilk per Dorie’s suggestion)
4 large egg whites
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (It was about 1 large lemon for me)
1 stick (8 tablespoons or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract

[NOTES: I substituted 3/4 cup AP flour+2 tbsp cornstarch for 1 cup cake flour. My cake didn't rise as much as I preferred so I ended up making 1-1/2 batches to get 3 layers. Not sure if it was my cake flour substitution or not.]

For buttercream
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (It was about 2 lemons for me)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For finishing
2/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves (I used strawberry preserves)
About 1-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

INSTRUCTIONS

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

[NOTES: I used this helpful trick that I read in fellow TWDer, Jaime's, blog to make a perfect size parchment liner for my cake pan.]

To Make the Cake
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Whisk together the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant.

Add the butter and working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light. Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Finally, give the batter a good 2- minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated.

Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean.

Click image to enlarge
I like the little flecks of lemon zest you can see in the batter.

Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unfold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature, right side up (the cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to two months).

To Make the Buttercream
Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or another large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a plan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes.

I used my KA mixer bowl so that I didn’t have to transfer anything or wash extra dishes

The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream. Remove the bowl from the heat. Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes.

Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth. Once all the butter is in, beat in the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes. During this time the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again. On medium speed, gradually beat in the lemon juice, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more, and then the vanilla.

You should have a shiny smooth, velvety, pristine white buttercream. Press a piece of plastic against the surface of the buttercream and set aside briefly.

To Assemble the Cake
Using a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each layer horizontally in half. Put one layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. (I used a #12 piping tip and buttercream to make a little barrier before I spread the preserves)

Spread it with one third of the preserves. Cover the jam evenly with about one quarter of the buttercream.

Top with another layer, spread with preserves and buttercream and then do the same with a third layer (you’ll have used all the jam and have buttercream leftover). Place the last layer cut side down on top of the cake and use the remaining buttercream to frost the sides and top.

Press the coconut into the frosting, patting it gently all over the sides and top.

Dorie’s Notes:
The cake is ready to serve as soon as it is assembled, but I think it’s best to let it sit and set for a couple of hours in a cool room – not the refrigerator. Whether you wait or slice and enjoy it immediately, the cake should be served at room temperature; it loses all its subtlety when it’s cold. Depending on your audience you can serve the cake with just about anything from milk to sweet or bubbly wine.

Storing—
The cake is best the day it is made, but you can refrigerate it, well covered, for up to two days. Bring it to room temperature before serving. If you want to freeze the cake, slide it into the freezer to set, then wrap it really well – it will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer; defrost it, still wrapped overnight in the refrigerator.

Playing Around—
Since lemon is such a friendly flavour, feel free to make changes in the preserves: other red preserves – cherry or strawberry – look especially nice, but you can even use plum or blueberry jam.

Fresh Berry Cake—
If you will be serving the cake the day it is made, cover each layer of buttercream with fresh berries – use whole raspberries, sliced or halved strawberries or whole blackberries, and match the preserves to the fruit. You can replace the coconut on top of the cake with a crown of berries, or use both coconut and berries. You can also replace the buttercream between the layers with fairly firmly whipped sweetened cream and then either frost the cake with buttercream (the contrast between the lighter whipped cream and the firmer buttercream is nice) or finish it with more whipped cream. If you use whipped cream, you’ll have to store the cake the in the refrigerator – let it sit for about 20 minutes at room temperature before serving.

How I made my cake: I added fresh strawberries to my cake per Dorie’s Berry Cake recommendations but I put mine on top of the preserve layer (instead of on top of the buttercream layer) and then put the buttercream over it. To decorate I used #21 star tip to make the shell border around the bottom of cake and around the top of the cake. I also made a smaller circular shell border in the middle of the top layer. I used a round cookie cutter to slightly indent for a guide line. Then I nuked 1/2 cup strawberry preserves in microwave for about 10 secs to get a thinner consistency and tossed with strawberry slices. Use the strawberry+preserve mixture and fill in between shell borders. Sprinkle with some shredded coconut. Finish simply with a royal icing Easter lily for the center.

Click image to enlarge

ENJOY! :)

Husband rating: A+
He loved this cake and I lost count on how many slices he had! haha

Wifey rating: A+
I really love the combination of lemon cake and strawberries (preserves and fresh). The meringue buttercream was so light compared to regular buttercream. I can see why Dorie calls it the “perfect party cake”.

Other rating: A+
My hubs’ family all could not believe I made this cake from scratch. They loved the flavors and there were no leftovers. :)