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Easter Cakes and Cupcakes

I often wondered what was the connection between Easter Rabbits and Eggs. Rabbits do not lay eggs.

Rabbits and Eggs are fertility symbols. Rabbits were once believed to be hermaphrodites  and it was also believed they could reproduce without sex. Birds lay eggs and rabbits give birth in large litters in early spring, the two became symbols of rising fertility of the earth at the March Equinox.

Ēostre or Ostara (Northumbrian Old EnglishĒostreWest Saxon Old English: ĒastreOld High German*Ôstara) is a goddess in Germanic paganism who, by way of the Germanic month bearing her name is the namesake of the festival of Easter.

The fertility symbols (rabbit, egg), the word Ēostre ( sounds a lot like Easter doesn't it), were incorporated into Christianity. I could care less. It is a lovely holiday. There are not nearly enough holidays in the spring. 


Lets take a look at some public domain Easter cake and cupcake images. Maybe they will inspire you to make a cake at home this year.


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Classic Chocolate Cake For Children's Therapy Cake Dash

Today I am making a Classic Chocolate Cake for the Children's Therapy Center and Dynamic Partners 23rd annual charity event. I am donating this dessert, on behalf of Seattle Soap Company, for their dessert rush auction.

Each table will donate money to the charity, the tables that donate the most get to choose the most desirable cake. My goal is to make my cake as desirable .. as possible. Nobody can see inside the cake, desirably is all in the decoration.

INGREDIENTS

2/3 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 2/3 cup white, granulated sugar
3 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup baking cocoa
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups milk
Frosting







CAN YOU SUBSTITUTE BROWN SUGAR FOR WHITE SUGAR?

I had a bit of a mishap when making this cake, I only had 1/3 cup white sugar. I substituted the rest with brown sugar. White sugar is considered a 'liquid' when baking because it melts quickly. Dark brown sugar is different in that it contains 6.5% molasses, the molasses is what gives it the brown color. The presence of molasses will change the baking chemistry. When brown sugar melts in the batter, it becomes a liquid in its own right, of sugar and molasses.

To make the swap balance itself out, reduce the water content of the recipe. If you swap 1 cup white sugar for 1 cup brown sugar, reduce other liquid by 3 tablespoons. I reduced the milk content of my recipe just a tad.

Brown sugar is used for heavier, richer recipes and will impart its own flavor. I tasted the batter before putting it in the oven. It tasted delicious to me.

DECORATING THE FINAL PRODUCT

This is the fun part!














UPDATE

Children's Therapy and Dynamic Partners made $11,000 from the cake rush this year! Yeah!

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Saint Patrick Day Cake Ideas


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Red Velvet Cake



One of My Best
I made this dessert for my family in Mexico City. A word of caution – be careful choosing your food color. I bought my food coloring for this cake at a store in Mexico. Everyone who ate the cake said that they had ‘caca roja’. Since this is a food blog, I am not going to discuss that too much.

One of the things I love the most about making desserts is that people really appreciate them. There is nothing more wonderful than presenting a beautiful pastry to your friends and family. Of all the things we cook for others, I find that desserts get the most appreciation.


Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ounces red food coloring
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 cup milk
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Grease two 9 inch round pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Make a paste of cocoa and food coloring. Set aside.

Combine the buttermilk, salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the cocoa mixture. Beat in the buttermilk mixture alternately with the flour, mixing just until incorporated. Stir together baking soda and vinegar, then gently fold into the cake batter.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To Make Icing: In a saucepan, combine the milk and 5 tablespoons flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Set aside to cool completely. Cream together butter, 1 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla until light and fluffy, then stir in the cooled milk and flour mixture, beating until icing reaches spreading consistency.

Decorating the Cake: I decorate my red velvet cake with strawberries and red velvet cake crumbs. Decorating the cake is probably my favorite part. I love making things beautiful. 

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