First Birthday Cake and Big Sister Cake

I decided to make my niece a special cake for her first birthday earlier this year. I wanted something that she could have all to herself to destroy- a giant cupcake seemed perfect for her baby birthday wreckage.



I used a basic yellow cake recipe with a simple cream cheese frosting.



I baked several mini cakes in souffle dishes and carved them into a basic cupcake shape, adhering the layers with frosting.




An upside-down cupcake on the top provided stability for the frosting. Don't forget to apply a thin crumb coat before decorating!


Of course, big sister needed a special cake as well! Being a big sister is hard work and deserves special recognition :)


I wanted the "big sister" cake to be grown up, so I made it like a tiny personal replica of large round cakes. For a special twist, I wanted the inside of the cake to look like a heart when cut. I added food coloring to an extra cake before baking...


Carved a donut-shape out of the top layer...


A cone out of the bottom layer...




And filled it with the pink cake.




Add some frosting around the heart to adhere the layers and decorate to your heart's desire!



Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of the inside heart or the giant cupcake explosion- they were a huge hit!

Happy first birthday, Baby K!

Ораснице Orasnice

3 medium egg whites
300g white sugar
350g-400g finely ground walnuts
pinch of salt

Dark Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Cream and Chocolate Ganache

This year for the birthday of my Mother Dearest I decided to surprise her with a few of her favorite flavors: dark chocolate, fruit, and coffee.




Earlier that evening I won a bag of Sweetwater coffee at a Fair Trade event. Yeah! This cake is made with 1 cup of strong coffee (not including the espresso I added to the ganache). I made 6 cups. I like to be thoroughly caffeinated.





For the chocolate cake I adapted this recipe from Ina Garten by doubling it and adding a touch of Chambord and Godiva Liqueur.

Look at those layers!




I found that the easiest way to create the ganache layers evenly was to let each layer chill in the same sized pan I used for the cake. Easy peasy.



My basic formula for ganache is one pound of chocolate to one cup of heavy cream. Alter the amount of cream depending on how solid you want it to be at room temperature. For a decadently silky ganache, I add a small pat of butter after all of the chocolate has melted and become glossy. I used dark chocolate and added Chambord and espresso.




I added freshly pureed and strained raspberries to the raspberry cream, as well as a splash of Grand Marnier.






To make so many layers, I like to bake as many as the recipe recommends then slice as needed. I have tried making each layer individually, but find that cutting down larger rounds keeps the cake moist.


This slightly indented plate does the trick :)



After all the layers are assembled I applied a "crumb coat" to the cake. I wanted the contrast of simple white buttercream frosting to the intensely dark cake. Spread a small portion of frosting over the entire cake, then chill for 5-10 minutes.


Ugly! Once the crumb coat is chilled, apply the real coat.

Much better.


At this point of being intensely caffeinated, exhausted, and near diabetic coma, it was time for a snack. Mm.



I wanted to top the cake with a simple layer of smooth dark chocolate ganache. I wanted it to be silky but also somewhat firm; a bit of butter and touch of cream was just enough.






And now for some fresh raspberries and a bit of decoration...






Layers layers layers!


Happy birthday to the best mother I could ever imagine. Love you mom!

Homemade Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake Ice Cream

During a long weekend at the beach with my family earlier this year we visited an Amish creamery with an awesome selection of homemade ice cream. We all ordered different flavors to try, and while they were all delicious one in particular stood out: blueberry cheesecake.



I don't generally buy into the "strange" combinations (I love classic flavors, and I usually dislike cheesecake) but I was immediately drawn to the colorful, summery goodness. One taste and I was hooked; I wanted to visit the creamery again the next day, and months later I was still dreaming about this satisfying treat.



Naturally, I decided to make my own.

Graham Cracker Crust
1/3 c graham crumbs
1T sugar
1.5T butter

Press the mixture into a spring-form pan (I used these cute minis- thank you for the Christmas present 'Tanette!) and pre-bake at 325 for 7 minutes.

Cheesecake Filling
8oz whipped cream cheese
1/4c sugar
1/2tsp lemon juice
few drops vanilla
1 egg

Combine until smooth and spoon evenly into the pre-baked crusts. Continue to bake at 325 for roughly 25 minutes and allow to cool.






My favorite vanilla ice cream recipe is 2c heavy cream, 1c whole milk, 3/4c white sugar and 1T good vanilla extract. It requires no cooking, so it is very easy in a time crunch and tastes great; I love to make it when I have company for dessert because it is scoop-able directly from the freezer due to the high fat content. However, this staple recipe does not hold up as well as traditional custards when faced with mix-ins.

Custard Recipe
3 egg yolks
3/4c white sugar
1c whole milk
2c heavy cream
1T vanilla extract









Keep the heat very low while the custard thickens! If the mixture boils the egg will cook and separate... yuck. Patience :)


I tried to snap a photo of the thickened custard, but lighting wasn't quite right... It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and maintain form. Cool the custard and freeze according to your ice cream machine's instructions.


Blueberry Swirl
1c fresh blueberries
2T water
1T sugar

Cover and slowly cook the blueberries down into a thick syrup. Mash!


Roughly break up the cooled cheesecakes. Gently fold the pieces and cooled blueberry syrup into the frozen custard; freeze and enjoy!