Wilton Cake Course 1: Completed

I finally got around to taking a cake decorating class. I have had the course 1 kit for over a year and used the decorating bags and tips, but I didn't really how how to use all of them. I figured this would be a good skill to learn so I could make the kids birthday cakes myself. Plus I love cooking/baking and this falls in that category.

At the first class we learned how to make the icing and frost the cake. I discovered that the "Buttercream" frosting (recipe follows) is hardly what I would consider food. I don't eat it. Instead, I tend to think of it as an art medium like paint or clay.

Class 2; cake 1: Stars(Since the outer frosting isn't very appetizing, I like to fill the cake with something yummy. This one had strawberry cream cheese frosting in the middle.)

Class 3; cake 2: drop flowers and shells

Class 4; cake 3: roses and leaves

Next week I start course 2.

Wilton's Buttercream Frosting

1 c shortening

2 T water

1 tsp vanilla

1 lb powdered sugar (about 4 cups)

Cream together first three ingredients. Slowly add powdered sugar and blend until smooth. (for thinner consistency add 1 T water at a time and blend)

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

I decided since the frosting we are supposed to make to decorate the cakes for my cake decorating class is not very good (to be honest, it seems completely inedible to me) that I would make a yummy filling.

This buttercream frosting actually uses butter (amazing, huh). A whole pound of it! It's in the first Barefoot Contessa cookbook. It was so light and fluffy it seemed like chocolate mousse. I couldn't help but lick the beater afterwards.

It was a bit involved to make, so I don't know how often I'd use this recipe, but it was fun to try it out.

*caution: it calls for unsalted butter (her recipes usually do) and I only had salted butter and forgot to reduce the amount of salt it calls for to compensate. Kurt said it tasted a bit on the salty side. Also I used regular salt since it didn't specify kosher, so that might have been the problem.

10 oz bittersweet chocolate

6 oz semisweet chocolate

1/2 c egg whites

1 teaspoon salt (kosher?)

pinch cream of tartar (1/8 tsp?)

1 lb unsalted butter

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoons instant expresso, dissolved in 1 tsp water (I just used some cocoa powder mixed with a little water)

Chop the chocolates and place them in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan simmering water. Stir until melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

Mix the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Place the bowl of egg whites over the pan of simmering water and heat the egg whites until they are warm to the touch, about 5 minutes. Return the bowl to the electric mixer and whisk on high speed for 5 minutes, or until the meringue is cool and holds a stiff peak.

Add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, while beating on medium speed. Scrape down the bowl, add the melted chocolate, vanilla, espresso, and rum, if using, and mix for 1 minute or until the chocolate is completely blended in. If the buttercream seems very soft, allow it to cool, and beat it again.

This recipe is pretty much the same as her Chocolate Buttercream Frosting recipe at foodnetwork.com it just looks to be reduced 2/3.

birthday cake/cupcakes

I was just going to make cupcakes for Eleanor's birthday, but when I told her this she got very distressed and said "What about my birthday CAKE?!" So I did both, but tried to keep it simple (at least more simple than last year- even if Kurt doesn't believe that it was).

The Strawberry Cake was from the box, but the Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting was homemade:

1 cup butter

2 packages cream cheese (8 oz each)

2 lbs powdered sugar

1 1/2 t vanilla (about?)

2 t imitation strawberry flavoring (I inherited this from a neighbor that moved and decided to try using it)

Pink food gel

Cream together butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add p. sugar about a cup at a time. Add vanilla and strawberry flavoring and mix well. Then add coloring.