Chocolate Birthday Cake

A couple weeks ago, my sister turned 29. She wanted a chocolate birthday cake with a sea turtle frosted on it, so that's what we made her. I can't take credit for the turtle (my mom did most of the decorating), but I did help make the cake and today I'm sharing the recipe. It was so good! 

We used the best chocolate cake recipe from from Betty Crocker's Cookbook and the Buttercream icing recipe from The Wilton School's Decorating Cakes.

Ingredients:

• Chocolate Cake
• 2 cups cake flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
• Buttercream Frosting
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup butter
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 8 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 4 tbsp. milk
• food coloring

You'll probably end up with extra frosting, but it's easier to have too much than too little when you're in the middle of frosting the cake.

Melt the unsweetened chocolate in a double boiler over low heat.

Measure all the ingredients into a large mixer bowl.

Blend for 1/2 minute on low speed, scraping the bowl constantly. Then beat for 3 minutes on high speed, scraping the bowl occasionally.

Grease and flour two 9-inch round layer pans.

Pour the mixture evenly into the two pans.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350ºF or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool.

Next you need to make the buttercream frosting to decorate the cake.

Cream the butter and shortening in a mixer.  Add the vanilla.

Gradually add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well on medium speed.

Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl when needed. The frosting should appear dry. Add the milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Divide the frosting and add food coloring.  We use Wilton's food coloring. Then decorate the cake however you want!

This chocolate cake was so good - it makes me wish we had a birthday in October to make a cake for!

Maple Pecan Cupcakes

I've kind of neglected this blog, but I'm going to try to get back to posting some more recipes - starting tonight with these maple pecan cupcakes. I made these a couple months ago, and they were a big hit.

I used the Mock Maple Nut Cake recipe from Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book and modified the buttercream icing recipe from The Wilton School's Decorating Cakes.

Ingredients:

• Cupcakes
• 2 1/2 tbsp. butter
• 2 1/2 tbsp. shortening 
• 3/4 cup, 3 tbsp. sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 5/8 cup milk
• 1 tsp. maple flavoring
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans 
• Frosting
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tsp. maple flavoring
• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 tbsp. milk
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Yield: 12 cupcakes.

To make the cupcakes, cream the butter, shortening, and sugar together until fluffy.

Beat in the egg.

Add the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Mix thoroughly.

Slowly add in the milk and maple flavoring.

Mix in the chopped pecans. 

Place cupcake liners in a muffin tin and pour the batter into them until each liner is about half full.

Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Remove from the muffin tins and allow the cupcakes to cool while you get to work on the frosting.

To make the frosting, cream the butter and shortening in a mixer.  Add the maple flavoring.

Gradually add the confectioner's sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well on medium speed.   

Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl when needed. The icing should appear dry.

Add the milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. 

Now you're ready to frost your cupcakes!

Spread the maple frosting on the cupcakes - use a frosting spatula if you have one or you can even just use a butter knife. 

Now add the chopped pecans to the top of the cupcakes.

And enjoy!

Decorated Sugar Cookies

The last Christmas cookies we made this year was the decorated sugar cookies.  We make these every year, and my mom, sister, and me decorate them together.  They're lotsa fun to make (and eat!)

We use the sugar cookie recipe from from Betty Crocker's Cookbook and the Buttercream icing recipe from The Wilton School's Decorating Cakes.

Ingredients:

• Sugar Cookies
• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 5 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. salt
• Frosting
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup butter
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 8 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 4 tbsp. milk
• food coloring
• optional: sprinkles, chocolate chips, marshmallows, red hots, mini M&Ms, etc.

Thoroughly mix the shortening, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract.

Gradually blend in the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Cover the dough and chill for at least 1 hour.

Roll the dough 1/8-inch thick on a lightly-floured surface.

Cut the dough into your desired shapes using cookie cutters.  Place the cookies on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 400ºF for 6 minutes.

Next you need to make the buttercream frosting.

Cream the butter and shortening in a mixer.  Add the vanilla.

Gradually add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well on medium speed.

Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl when needed. The frosting should appear dry.

Add the milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Divide the frosting and add food coloring.  We use Wilton's food coloring.

Stir in the coloring.

Now it's time to decorate!  Frost the cookies and add sprinkles, chocolate chips, M&Ms, coconut - whatever you like.

Here's all the cookies we made this year.

Hope you enjoyed seeing our Christmas baking.  Merry Christmas!