Baby Shower

One of my best friends is about to be an aunt again! Being an aunt is probably one of my most favorite things in the whole world, especially considering how cute my nieces and nephew are. I am so happy for my friend and was very excited and honored to be asked to make the cupcakes for her sister’s shower this past weekend.  Since there wasn’t a particular flavor requested, I kept it simple with vanilla cupcakes and chocolate cupcakes. I used vanilla buttercream on the chocolate cupcakes and vanilla and chocolate buttercream on the vanilla cupcakes. The invitations were blue and brown with polka dots so the cupcakes went with the theme. Congratulations Storey and hope you enjoyed you sweet treats! 

My Favorite Room

 My Favorite Room is a wonderful little shop in downtown Plano off 15^th street. They sell candles, furniture, custom bedding and upholstery, and all sorts of cute things to decorate your home. The owner is also the most talented interior designer! She happens to be my mother in law and the kindest human being you’ll ever meet. I kind of like her, in case you were wondering. You can find their wonderful blog here http://kbmdesigns.blogspot.com. They had a huge sale this Thursday and Friday, and I was privileged to make some cupcakes and cookies for the big event. I was so honored to do this for them and so happy that they asked! I made some mini snickerdoodle cupcakes and lemon raspberry cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. I also made a whole lot of sugar cookies. I didn't finish until late in the night so my husband and I quickly snapped some photos with what we had available- so they aren't the best...Sorry! I had a great time making these and hope you like them! 

Back to School

The school year is now in full swing, and I have honestly not been baking a whole lot. I started teaching 4^th grade this year, which is a huge shift from kindergarten, but I am loving it! However, I am staying at school a lot later than I did last year, so when I do get to bake, it is always a wonderful day! Last Sunday was one of those wonderful days, and the weather was absolutely incredible! I decided to make a layered cake, but I didn’t have too much time to make it look spectacular. I’ll work on that next time. This lemon raspberry cake is now my favorite layered cake I have ever made. It is insanely moist and dense. The original recipe called for lemon curd between the layers, but I think the cake is so lemony and moist that it would have been a little much. I iced it with my favorite cream cheese frosting and topped it with yummy raspberries. It was a big hit at dinner, and it was actually very easy to put together. I am thinking of making this again next weekend, it was that good!

 

Lemon Raspberry Cake

adapted from The Baker's Daughter

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups self raising flour  

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen

 

*I am sure everyone already knows this, but if you are trying to make really delicious baked goods it is always a good idea to go with full fat dairy products. Save the light stuff for your actual meals. J

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans. Place the sugar and lemon zest in a mixing bowl. Rub the zest and sugar together you’re your fingers. Add the butter and beat in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until creamy (about 2-3 minutes).  Add the eggs one at a time.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.  Fold in the lemon juice, sour cream and self-raising flour. Fold in the raspberries gently.

Divide the cake batter between the two cake pans and smooth the batter evenly to the edges. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until lightly browned on top and the cake springs back when lightly pressed.

Let the cakes cool in their pans for 5 minutes before flipping them over onto a cooling rack.

After the cakes have cooled and are ready to ice (I throw mine in the refrigerator to cool them down quickly), put a dab of frosting on to your serving platter. Place the bottom layer on the platter and cover the top with the icing. Add the top layer and cover the rest of the cake with the icing. I usually give the cake a crumb coat and then put it back in the refrigerator. After about 30 minutes or longer, I add the rest of the icing to the cake. This makes it easier to make the cake look nice and smooth. For this cake, I didn’t have time to let it set up and that’s why it looks a little scraggly! I used this cream cheese frosting. 

Cupcakes For Sale

Last Friday, I made the cupcakes for a local photo shoot, and it went so well! I didn’t get to take a lot of pictures, but here are some that Taylor got on his iPhone. I ended up making lemon cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, snickerdoodle cupcakes with cinnamon buttercream, and vanilla cupcakes with buttercream. I knew ahead of time that the backdrops for the shoot were going to be really bright colors, so I tinted the buttercream for the vanilla cupcakes to match. I got some cake boxes and put the cupcake inserts in them so I could get them to the site without ruining them. I was so happy with how they all turned out! Hope you like them!

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Around my sophomore year in college, I discovered a recipe for snickerdoodle cake. Taylor, my now husband, has always loved snickerdoodle cookies. I thought his birthday would be a great time to test out the recipe. Since then, this snickerdoodle cake has been a favorite for all occasions. I used to make this cake all the time for him and his roommates, and he has recently requested it again! It is my turn to bring the dessert to our newly married bible study, so I made the famous snickerdoodle cake into cupcakes for easier eating. This is probably my favorite cake I have ever made! I love almost anything with cinnamon. The cake is super moist and light with a great cinnamon flavor. The buttercream is a variation on my favorite and goes so well with the cake. This cake would also go well with a chocolate or vanilla buttercream, and the next time I make it I am going to try a caramel or dulce de leche frosting. I’ll let you know how it goes!

Snickerdoodle Cake

Adapted from Dorie’s Perfect Party Cupcakes found in From My Home to Yours

2 ¼ cup cake flour

1 T. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 ¼ cup whole milk

4 large egg whites

1 ½ cup sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350. Place cupcake liners in muffin/cupcake pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl. Add the butter and sugar to a mixer bowl and beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter mixture is light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract. Add one-third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the egg-milk mixture until combined, then add another third of the flour mixture. Add the rest of the milk mixture and finish with the flour mixture. Beat the batter for 2 minutes to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated. Spoon the mixture into the cupcake liners until liners are about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until cupcakes have risen. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.  Cool on wire rack in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing.

Cinnamon Buttercream

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 ¾ cup powdered sugar

3 T. milk or heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

Beat butter and vanilla in mixer on medium to high speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar making sure it is fully incorporated before adding more. Add cinnamon. Add milk to create the desired consistency. I sometimes only add 2 T. to create a thicker frosting.