Homemade Holiday Gifts: Chocolate Chip Biscotti

It's that time of year again!  Holiday baking season!  I absolutely love the holidays... and since I was a kid, have enjoyed baking during the holiday season.  My friends and family always receive little packages of home baked goods to enjoy.  Today, I want to share my first Holiday video of 2014!

Check out these delicious Chocolate Chip Biscotti... perfect for holiday parties, office gift exchanges, maybe a cookie swap?  Or, even just to have on hand when family or friends stop by to visit (they keep for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container!).

I hope you you're feeling as inspired for holiday baking as I am!  Stay-tuned for all of the goodies I will be sharing this month!

Happy Caking :)

Irish Soda Bread Recipe!

Today, I have a great Irish Soda Bread recipe to share with you!  St. Patrick's Day is next week, and at my house we look forward all year to the boiled dinner, so we're excited!  This recipe is a great bread to go with your St. Patrick's Day meal!

 Check out the delicious recipe below!

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Ingredients:
4 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
3 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 Cup Raisins
2 Tsp Caraway Seeds (optional)
Zest of 1 Orange (optional)
1 Egg (slightly beaten)
1 3/4 Cup Buttermilk

Enjoy!

Happy Caking :)

"Hot" Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Fudge Icing (Recipes!!)

Today I have a recipe to add a little spice to your Valentine's Day!  These "hot" chocolate cupcakes pack a little heat with a mixture of chili powder, cinnamon and cayenne!  I know it sounds strange... but these cupcakes taste deliciously exotic.  

I paired these spicy chocolate cupcakes with the most delicious and cream chocolate fudge icing... ever... seriously!  This icing is truly decadent and intensely chocolatey.  So, so yummy...  Even if you don't care for spicy-chocolate, you must, at least, try this fudge icing!

Check out the video below:

Cupcake Ingredients:
-1 3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
-3/4 Cup Cocoa Powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark)
-1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
-1 Tbsp Cinnamon
-2 Tbsp Chili Powder
-1/4 to 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper (more or less depending on how spicy you like it!)
-1 tsp Salt
-1 Cup Half & Half (room temp)
-3/4 Cup Strong Coffee
-1 tsp Vanilla Extract
-1 1/2 Sticks Unsalted Butter (softened)
-2 Cups Granulated Sugar
-4 Eggs (room temp)

Fudge Icing Ingredients:
-2 1/2 Sticks Unsalted Butter (softened)
-1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
-3/4 Cup Cocoa Powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark)
-a pinch of salt
-3/4 Cup Light Corn Syrup
-2 tsp Vanilla
-1 Cup Milk Chocolate Chips (go ahead and use semi-sweet or dark chocolate if you like!)

*These recipes make enough to bake and ice 24 cupcakes.

I hope you will try this recipe (at least this fudge icing, seriously!), and enjoy!

Happy Caking :)

Gingerbread Cupcake Recipe!!

Happy Holidays!  Looking for a great recipe to bring to your holiday gatherings?  Today, I wanted to share my recipe for Gingerbread Cupcakes!  It's a delicious holiday treat (also, great for any time you want a gingerbread treat!!).

Ingredients:
-1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter (softened)
-1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
-1 large egg (room temperature)
-1 1/3 Cups All Purpose Flour
-1/2 tsp Baking Powder
-1/2 tsp Baking Soda
-1/4 tsp Salt
-1 tsp Cinnamon
-1 tsp Ground Ginger
-1/2 tsp Nutmeg
-1/4 tsp Allspice
-1/2 Cup Milk (room temperature)
-1/2 Cup Molasses
-1 tsp Vanilla

I topped my cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, with a little orange zest!  So yummy!  I'll have my cream cheese icing recipe coming soon!

Rimmed with sanding sugar and topped with mini gingerbread cookies, these cupcakes are a cute dessert for holiday gatherings, or a sweet gift!

Happy Holiday Caking!

Apple Tea Cake Recipe!

Hi Everyone...  Today I am excited to share a recipe, perfect for fall!  Here in New England it has been prime apple picking season...  Pick-your-own is one of my favorite things to do with my son and we try to take advantage of whatever is in season during the summer.  Last week we made it out to the apple orchards to pick a peck of Cortland apples! 

 This recipe has been handed down to me from a family member... I hadn't made it before, but I'm so glad I decided to try it!  Apple Tea Cake, like a coffee cake, is a not-too-sweet crumb cake... perfect for enjoying with a cup of afternoon tea.  It was a huge hit with my family and will probably become a staple through the fall!

Apple Tea Cake Recipe:

• 4 Lipton Tea Bags
• 1 Tart Apple
• 1 ¼  Cups Sugar
• 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
• ½ tsp Baking Powder
• ½ tsp Baking Soda
• 12 Tbsp Unsalted Butter (softened)
• 2 Eggs
• ½ Cup Sour Cream
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• Crumb Topping* (recipe to follow)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. In a medium bowl, pour 2 cups of boiling water over tea bags, let steep for about 5 minutes.
3. Remove tea bags, add ¼ cup of sugar and stir to dissolve.  Add peeled, cored and rough chopped apples and let stand about 1 hour.
4. After an hour, remove apple pieces and set aside.  Also, reserve ¼ cup of tea liquid.
5. In a small bowl whisk together dry ingredients and set aside.
6. Add sour cream & vanilla to tea liquid, and stir to combine.
7. In a large mixing bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer) cream together the butter and 1 cup of sugar.  Then, add eggs one at a time.
8. Next, alternate adding dry & wet ingredients, be careful not to over mix!
9. Fold in apples with a spatula and then spread into a lightly greased 9” spring form pan.
10. Evenly spread the crumb topping over the top of the batter, and then bake about 1 hour (or until a toothpick comes out clean) in a 350°F oven.
11. Let cool completely on a wire rack before removing from pan.
12. Optional: sprinkle powdered sugar over the top!

 *Crumb Topping Recipe

• ½ Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/3 Cup All Purpose Flour
• ½ tsp Cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp butter (softened)
• ½ cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

1. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients (except pecans) and blend with a fork until the mixture resembles crumbly, wet sand.  
2. Stir in nuts.

I hope you will try this recipe... Enjoy!

Happy Caking :)

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe- With Video!

One of my first few blog posts was my Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe.  It never occurred to me to make a video... I went on to eventually film a video of my smoothing technique.  Since that post, my SMBC recipe has been my most requested video!  So, I've finally done it!

*The recipe I filmed is a smaller quantity than my previously posted recipe.  I've also since started measuring my recipes by weight instead of volume.  So, I am re-posting this recipe with the measurements from my video.  It's a pretty simple recipe and can easily be halved, doubled, tripled, etc... to suit your needs!

Ingredients
*all measurements are by weight!

• 4oz egg whites (I recommend using REAL eggs, not carton egg whites)
• 8oz granulated sugar
• 12oz unsalted Butter (room temperature and cut into pieces)
• pinch of Salt
• 1-2 tbsp vanilla extract (or flavoring of your choice)

Directions

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer add your egg whites and a pinch of salt.  Whisk the eggs whites lightly to break them up, until they are lightly bubbly.
2. Add the granulated sugar and whisk to combine.
3. Place bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk continuously until the mixture is whitish, opaque and a small dribble of it on your finger no longer feels grainy.  Egg whites cook at about 140°F, and sugar melts around 186°F... so if the mixture is no longer grainy, your egg whites are cooked, the sugar is melted and it is safe for consumptions. (you can use a candy thermometer and make sure the mixture reaches 160°F, if you want to make sure it reaches the proper temperature).
4. Once the mixture is "cooked", put the bowl on your mixer and with the whisk attachment, whip your egg whites on med-high.  You are creating the meringue.  You want to whip the mixture until the bowl is no longer hot to the touch, the egg whites are at about room temperature and have reached stiff peaks.  I usually crack a window next to my counter and angle the mixer towards it.
5. After the meringue has reach "stiff peaks" and is room temperature (VERY important otherwise the butter will just melt and you will have a soupy mess!) stop the mixer and remove the whisk attachment (scrape off as much of that luscious meringue as possible)...
6. Then switch to the paddle attachment and with the mixer running on low, slowly add the butter.
7. Continue mixing on low speed until you have a nice thick and smooth buttercream!  You may see your mixture go through "stages" from curdled to soupy, but be patient!  It will come together, at the end you will have a lovely, smooth and silky Swiss Meringue Buttercream!
8. When your SMBC has come together it is time to add your flavorings.  For vanilla, add about 1-2 tbsp of vanilla extract and mix on low until it is incorporated (SMBC can take a lot of flavoring, just add a little at a time until you are satisfied with the flavor!).
9. That's it!  This recipe should yield about 3 cups.

Thanks for watching my video... and I hope you will try this recipe!

Happy Caking :)

Strawberry Cake (Part Deux!)

So, yesterday I posted the recipe for my strawberry cake... having waited several weeks and not had the opportunity to photograph a finish cake/slice of cake I figured I would just post the recipe anyway.  However, just after I posted the recipe, I unexpectedly had some leftover icing/strawberry cake so I was able to slap something together to show everyone what the finished cake would look like!  Sooooo.... I was able to complete the video I had been editing.  I wasn't going to post the video without an example of the "finished product" but serendipitously I was able to finish the video and post it! 

That was a rather long-winded story for a simple explanation!  But, if you would like a visual demonstration of my scratch Strawberry Cake Recipe, take a gander at this:

(You can see my hands moving like I was talking, lol!  I was!  But when I uploaded the footage the blowers from the vent at my commercial kitchen were SO loud!  And my 2 year old was playing too loudly for me to voice over... so music with captions it is!)

Thanks for coming back for round two of this recipe!

Happy Caking :)

Strawberry Cake Recipe!

So, I've been holding off posting this recipe because I don't yet have pictures of a completed cake!  I haven't had a lot of time for "leisure" baking... I even filmed the recipe while I was at my rental kitchen making a cake for a client thinking "I'll just insert a picture later".  Well, in my area strawberry season is quickly coming to close and the local farmers market is my favorite place to buy my fresh produce... I thought, in case it is also YOUR favorite place to buy your local, fresh berries I'd better hop-to and get this recipe posted!  You can, of course, make this recipe with frozen or non-local strawberries and it will taste just as good :)

So, presented without visual (for now), here is my strawberry cake recipe... I adapted it from Warren Brown's Yellow Butter Cake recipe, you can find it on YouTube!

Yay!  I unexpectedly had leftovers of this popular strawberry cake, so hooray, I can show you what it looks like :)

Strawberry Cake (Scratch)

*Yields 2- 8” rounds or approximately 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

(given by weight and by volume… weight is my preferred method of measurement)

• 7 ounces All Purpose Flour (1 ¼ + 2 TBSP sifted)
• 2 ounces Potato Starch (about  ¼ cup + 2 TBSP- found in the baking aisle or near the natural foods)
• 1 ½ TSP Baking Powder
• 1 TSP Salt
• 1/8 TSP Baking Soda
• 1 cup Strawberry Puree (fresh or frozen)
• 1 TBSP Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 TSP Natural Strawberry Extract (optional, but recommended- I use Silver Cloud Estates Brand)
• 6 ounces Unsalted Butter – softened (1 ½ sticks)
• 12 ounces Extra-Fine Granulated Sugar (1 ½ cups + 3 TBSP- you can zap regular granulated sugar in the food processor to make extra-fine)
• 4 large eggs

*this cake bakes up a light brownish pink- if you want a really pink strawberry cake, you can add a couple of drops of red or pink food coloring.

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare your pans- grease the bottom only, line with parchment paper  and lightly grease the parchment (if making cupcakes line your pans with cupcake liners).
2. In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar on low speed until light in color and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
3. Into a separate bowl sift your flour (if measuring by volume, sift directly into the measuring cup).  Add remaining dry ingredients (potato starch, baking powder, salt and baking soda) and whisk to combine well and set aside.
4. To your 1 cup of strawberry puree, add your extracts (and optional food color) and stir well to combine, set aside.
5. With your mixer running on low, add your eggs 1 at a time, wait until each is well incorporated before adding another.  When all eggs are added, scrape the sides of the bowl.  Then mix another few seconds until smooth.
6. With your mixer on low alternate adding the dry ingredients (1/3 at a time) and strawberry puree (1/2 at a time), beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Do not wait for each addition to fully incorporate before adding the next (this step should take less than 1 minute to complete).
7. When all ingredients are added scrape your bowl and paddle(s) well.  Then mix on high for another 15-20 seconds to thoroughly mix and add structure to the batter. Do not over mix, or your cake will be tough!
8. Pour batter into prepared pans to about ½ to ¾ full and spread evenly.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Let cool in pans for about 10 minutes, then use a knife to loosen the edges and turn out onto a parchment paper lined cooling rack.  Cool completely before frosting!

This cake is delicious and tastes just like a freshly baked strawberry pie!  Pairs really well with cream cheese icing or strawberry buttercream!

Happy Caking :)

Turtle Cupcake Recipe!

My "Turtle Cake" is one of my most popular.  It is one of the first recipes I created when I set out to start a business and wanted to have some "specialty" flavors.  The flavor combination (caramel, pecans and chocolate- for those who haven't heard of it) is one of my favorite.  It has been since I was a kid and my parents sent me some turtle candies when they were on a vacation in Hawaii.

UPDATE 1/24/2013: If you think this cupcake looks delicious... click below to vote for my entry in the Cupcake Crown (voting starts 1/30/13!)

A few weeks ago, I was going to a get together at my cousin's house and she asked if I could bring a cake... well my time was booked solid, so I didn't have time to make a cake, but I offered to bring some cupcakes.  Having recently listened to the latest CakeFu webinar with Wendy Paul, I was inspired to come up with a new and yummy cupcake recipe.  I submitted this recipe for the contest they were advertising, but haven't heard anything about the winners yet.... the contest is closed, so I feel that it is safe to share this recipe with you now!

*Don't be scared if you're not a scratch baker, this recipe is adapted from a boxed mix so everyone can try!

Yields approximately 2 dozen cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 Box Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix
• 1 Cup All Purpose Flour
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 2 TBSP Instant Coffee
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 2/3 Cup Water
• 8 oz Sour Cream
• 2 TBSP Vegetable Oil
• 3 Large Eggs
• 2 TBSP Vanilla Extract
• 2 Dozen Turtle Candies (DeMet's)

Also:

• Chocolate Buttercream (for frosting- recommended Swiss Meringue Butter Cream with Bittersweet Chocolate)
• Dulce DeLeche
• Chocolate dipped toasted pecans for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Add instant coffee to water to dissolve
3. In a mixing bowl sift together remaining dry ingredients mix on low for 1-2 minutes to mix the dry ingredients
4. In a separate bowl (or big measuring cup), combine the wet ingredients (water/coffee, sour cream, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla), give the mixture a whisk to combine (you'll probably still see some bits of sour cream, but that is OK, you want to mostly combine the ingredients and break up the eggs).
5. With your mixer running on medium, add the wet ingredients to the dry.  Beat on medium for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is combined and will lighten slightly in color. (batter will be on the thick side)
6. Fill your muffin tins/liners approximately 1/3 full with batter.  Put a Turtle Candy in each cupcake liner and fill with more batter on top to about 3/4 full.
7. Bake approximately 16-18 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean when tested (it's OK for some gooey caramel to be on the toothpick, but should not have any raw batter)
8. Allow cupcakes to cool completely

Cupcake Assembly

Swirl with your favorite Chocolate Buttercream, drizzle with dulce de leche and top with a chocolate dipped toasted pecan!

Tips

• If you don't like or can't find Turtle Candies you can substitute any chocolate covered soft caramel candy and either sprinkle in chopped toasted pecans or omit the nuts all together.
• This is a VERY sweet cupcakes, I recommend Swiss Meringue Buttercream (recipe here) because it has a lightly sweet flavor compared to American Buttercream, but by all means use your favorite recipe, however I would use Bittersweet chocolate to cut the sweetness some.
• You can usually find cans of Dulce De Leche in the international foods aisle of your grocery store (I believe Nestle makes some), but it is really easy to make your own (recipe here)

Happy Caking :)

Raspberry Fruit Filling Recipe

When it comes to fruit fillings, you have several options.  You can use canned "pie" filling, but to fill a cake that tends to be a little too runny- so use it sparingly, and would not recommend it for a stacked cake.  Or you could use a sleeve filling, like the ones you can get made by Henry & Henry.  But those tend to be very sweet (and often a bit artificial tasting).  I have used them in the past, but I added quite a bit of chopped fresh fruit to get a flavor I was happy with...

So I have started to make my own fruit fillings, this way I control the sweetness and quality!  Here is my recipe for a great raspberry filling, though you can use just about any fruit in place of the raspberries!

*I should mention, that fruit fillings in general are a bit "slippery" so be sure you don't add a very thick filling layer (this is a great place to torte your cake, it makes it pretty and you get more filling because of the layers) and also use a nice thick icing damn to avoid your cake "bulging".

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 Cups Raspberries (fresh if available, but frozen work just fine!)
• 1/2 Cup Water
• 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 Tsp Lemon Juice
• 3 Tbsp Corn Starch

Directions

1. Add 2 Cups of raspberries to a pot, add 1/4 Cup of water and all of the sugar and lemon juice, Stir to combine...
2. Cook the mixture on med-low to low until the berries all burst and the mixture looks mostly liquid, about 5-10 minutes
3. Remove the mixture from the heat and push through a sieve to remove the seeds, I like to really work to get as much pulp through as I can
4. Add the mixture back to your pot and return to med-low heat.  Simmer another 5 minutes or so to reduce slightly then add reserved berries...
5. Add the corn starch to the remaining 1/4 Cup of water and whisk with a fork to make a slurry, stir the slurry into your simmering berry mixture and stir constantly for 5-10 minutes.  The mixture will go from runny and opaque to translucent and thick, almost like a melted jam.  When the mixture is thick and all of the berries have burst, remove your mixture from the heat.  (At this point, if you would like a seedless filling, you can push the mixture through a sieve again... I like to leave the few remaining seeds so it has the "look" of a raspberry filling.)
6. Allow your filling to come to room temperature, and then you can put in a container and refrigerate until ready to use
7. Makes about 2 Cups of filling

It sounds like a lot of steps, but this filling is really quick and easy to make.  You can add more or less sugar if you prefer a more tart or more sweet filling... It's really delicious and you can feel proud that you made a fruit filling from scratch!  Enjoy!

Happy Caking :)

OMG! Cupcakes

OK, when I wanted to test out Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake recipe, I tried it out in the form of cupcakes!  And not just any cupcakes, super awesome "OMG! Cupcakes".  Why are they called OMG! Cupcakes, you ask?  Because the first words out of my husbands mouth after his first bite was "Oh my God."  And he isn't typically a fan of sweets!

So if want to experience this awesomeness for yourself, here's how you do it!  For reference, I used Swiss Meringue Buttercream for frosting and Dulce de Leche for filling and drizzle, Mmmmmm!

 Happy Caking :)

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake Recipe

In all my years of baking, I have never tried Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake... Gasp!  Shocking, I know...  Well, I have heard many a rave review about the recipe, so when I got a hankering for baking, I decided to give this recipe a try!

Ingredients

• 2 C sugar
• 1-3/4 C all-purpose flour
• 1/4 C Hershey's Cocoa
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 C milk
• 1/2 C vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 C boiling water (I recommend using coffee!)

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and prepare pans (pan grease)
2. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl (I recommend sifting first then add to bowl and whisk to combine)
3. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla
4. Beat on med. speed for 2 minutes and then stir in boiling water (or coffee) *Batter will be thin
5. Bake 30-35 min. or until toothpick comes out clean
6. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans to cool on wire rack (cool completely)
7. Makes two 9" rounds or approximately 30 cupcakes

This chocolate recipe is excellent!  It will be a new staple in my home, and may become my new standard chocolate cake!  I highly recommend you try it (if you haven't already!).

I have posted the recipe as Hershey has written it (with my recommendation of adding coffee!), so there is no confusion, and anyone can re-create it.  However, to see what I did with this recipe, check out my next blog post: OMG! Cupcakes!!

Happy Caking :)

Dulce De Leche Recipe

I was inspired, by a conversation on Cake Central yesterday, to share my recipe for Dulce De Leche.  You guys are in for treat!  This stuff is delicious!  It is really simple to make (honestly it doesn't GET simpler!).  My "Turtle Cake" recipe is a closely guarded secret, that I'm not sure if I will share... but I will tell you, Dulce De Leche is a key component.  (Turtle= chocolate, caramel, nuts... you'd be surprised how I often I get asked what that is... I thought is was a given, turtle, as in turtle candy?)

Anyway, as you may have guessed from my description above... Ducle de Leche is a caramel made from cooked milk as apposed to cooked sugar with or without cream added.  The sugars in the milk cook to create this yummy, yummy Dulce de Leche.  It translates to "milk candy" and you will see why... Just a warning, it will be hard to keep you fingers out of the bowl, so it is best to use it right away!

Ingredients

• 1 Can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Poke 2 or 3 holes in the top of the can to vent steam and remove the label
2. Place can in a deep pot and fill to about 1/4" from the top of the can with water
3. Turn on your stove :) and bring the water to a simmer or low boil
4. Simmer for about 3 hours, adding more water as necessary to keep the water at about 1/4" from the top of the can (water may splash up on top of the can, that's OK just ladle it off if you can, or worry about it at the end and dump it off when you remove the can)
5. After 3 hours, use tongs to remove the can from the water and set it on a towel to cool.
6. Once the can is cool enough to handle, open the can with a can opener and dump the contents into a bowl (you will see different thicknesses of the milk, much thicker and darker on the bottom, the top may look nearly uncooked- that's OK)
7. Add vanilla, stir to combine and you should have a nice smooth caramel!  Enjoy!!
8. For a thinner sauce simmer the can for about 2 1/2 hours, for a thicker more spreadable caramel, simmer the can for 3 1/2 hours.

See!  It really is simple, you just need to sit and wait!  I usually start it in the morning, when I put the coffee on :) and let it go while I go about my day!

Happy Caking :)

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe

I really cannot have my own blog and NOT mention Swiss Meringue Buttercream ("SMBC" in cake circles)...  It really is the most amazing frosting that ever was invented (I imagine that Italian Meringue Buttercream is similar, they just have different cooking methods).  This frosting is known as my "magic" frosting by certain family members... and really who can blame them?  The texture is light, fluffy, silky and just the right amount of sweetness!  Much less sweet than the shortening/powdered sugar based American Buttercram most are used to.  Really, it is the PERFECT frosting... even non-frosting lovers LOVE my Swiss Meringue Buttercream!

So, here it is, my recipe, super simple to make, it just takes a bit of patience, just be forewarned once you try SMBC you may never be able to eat American Buttercream again!


Ingredients

• 8oz (by liquid measure) Egg Whites (I recommend using REAL eggs, not carton egg whites)
• 2 Cups Sugar (granulated, NOT powdered sugar)
• 6 Sticks Unsalted Butter (room temperature and YES, unsalted makes a difference)
• pinch of Salt
• 1-1.5 TBSP Pure Vanilla Extract (Or flavoring of your choice)

Hardware

• Whisk
• Double Boiler (aka, pot with water that you will place your mixer bowl on)
• Stand Mixer (you can use your hand beaters, however your arm may fall off as a result)

Directions

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer add your Egg Whites and a pinch of salt.  Whisk the eggs whites lightly to break them up, until they are lightly bubbly.
2. Add your Sugar and whisk to combine.
3. Place bowl over a pot of simmering water (use a pot that will give you a good seal) and whisk for 5-7 minutes.  What you are doing is cooking the eggs to kill off any bacteria!  You will know that your mixture is done when a small dribble of it on your finger no longer feels grainy.  Egg Whites cook at about 140 degrees, and sugar melts around 186 degress... so if the mixture is no longer grainy, your egg whites are cooked, the sugar is melted and it is safe for consumptions (Science!).
4. Once the mixture is "cooked", put the bowl on your mixer and with the whisk attachment, whip your egg whites on high.  You are creating the meringue.  You want to whip the mixture until the bowl is no longer hot to the touch and the egg whites are at about room temperature.  I usually crack a window next to my counter and angle the mixer towards it.  It will take about 10 minutes to come down to the right temperature (but could be longer).
5. After the meringue has reach "stiff peaks" and is room temperature (VERY important otherwise the butter will just melt and you will have a soupy mess!) stop the mixer and remove the whisk attachment (scrape off as much of that luscious meringue as possible)...
6. Add your butter to the bowl.  If your butter is on the stiffer side of room temperature I would cut it into pieces first, otherwise you can add the soft sticks all at once.
7. With your paddle attachment, mix the butter into the meringue on LOW speed, this process will take about 7-10 minutes.  You may see your mixture go through "stages" from curdled to soupy, but be patient!  It will come together, at the end you will have a lovely, smooth and silky Swiss Meringue Buttercream!
8. When your SMBC has come together it is time to add your flavorings.  For Vanilla, add about 1-1.5 TBSP of Pure Vanilla Extract and mix on low until it is incorporated.
9. That's it!  This recipe should yield you enough to frost and fill a 10" double layer, round cake or about 2 1/2 dozen standard cupcakes.

A Few Tips/Hints

• While this frosting is delicious, it may not be suitable for every occasion... Because it is made of meringue and butter, SMBC has a relatively low melting point.  If your cake/cupcakes will be sitting in an environment warmer than 80-85 degrees, I would recommend NOT using this buttercream.  Butter melts to it's liquid state at around 90 degrees... so 85 might even be pushing it!
• It is VERY important that you let your meringue cool sufficiently before adding the butter.  However, if you are impatient (like me) and brave, you can let your meringue be slightly warmer than room temp, if you add cold, or still very firm butter.  Take this advice at your own risk, it's a fine line between slightly warmer and so warm it will melt the butter...
• If your buttercream is still too soupy, even after waiting patiently for it to come together, you may have added the butter when the meringue was till too warm.  Pop the bowl in the fridge for a bit, and once it is cooled try re-whipping it, it should come together (this frosting is light and fluffy and will never get as thick as American Buttercream).
• Do not ever use salted butter in place of unsalted in this recipe... the added salt bring out the butter flavor far too much and your frosting will taste like whipped butter, no matter how much flavoring you add.
• I'm always on the lookout for a bargain... but with a recipe like this quality is key!  I recommend using the freshest eggs, finest butter and best sugar you can get your hands on.  A recipe with so few ingredients should be done well! (I once tried using an organic "cultured" butter and I DO NOT recommend it, far too buttery)
• Swiss Meringue Buttercream is so versatile, you can have just about any flavor!  Have fun experimenting, try adding some melted (and cooled) chocolate, or Dulce de Leche (home made or a can of store-bought), any number of extracts available, jams or preserves, sauces, or a bit of Lorann Oil!  The possibilities are really only limited by your own creativity!
• I would recommend chewing gum while you make this, or at least the moment it is done... to avoid eating it with a spoon!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my friends & family do!

Happy Caking :)

Getting Started Part 2: Pan Grease

I wanted to make a quick post about "pan grease."  I listed it my Getting Started Part 1 post, so this is a follow up so everyone knows what the heck I'm talking about!

When preparing your pans to bake, the “traditional” method is to grease with shortening or butter and then dust with flour to prevent sticking.  Some people add a layer of parchment paper on the bottom.  More conventional approaches are baking sprays such as Pam or Bakers Joy (with or with out flour in the spray).  Those methods work fairly well, but I have discovered the easiest way of all!  Pan Grease!  You can buy “Pan Release” or other pre-made pan greases, but it is so easy to make your own.

Ingredients

• Shortening
• Vegetable Oil
• Flour

Directions

1. Mix equal parts of the ingredients. 
2. Store in airtight container until ready to use. 

That’s it!!  I apply it with a pastry brush, but you could use a paper towel, parchment paper, your hands… It stores virtually forever, so I make a bunch and always have it on hand.  Your cakes will turn right out of your pans nice and cleanly!

Happy Caking :)

Marshmallow Fondant Recipe

After having mentioned Marshmallow Fondant in my last post, it occurred to me that I should post my recipe!  If you are new to the cake decorating arena, you may only be familiar with Wilton fondant (or none at all).  While it may be usable for making figures and covering cakes, it does NOT have a pleasant taste, to me it tastes awfully chemically.  For years now, even before I started "serious" cake decorating, I have been making Marshmallow Fondant instead.  It's super easy, fairly cheap to make and has a marshmallow taste that most people like.  So, here is my recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 16oz. bag miniature marshmallows (get the mini, they melt more evenly; also, it may be hard to find the 16 oz. bag, you can get the 10 oz. bag- just use less powdered sugar!)
• 1 2lb bag powdered sugar
• 3 Tbsp water
• about 1/4 Cup shortening (for greasing hand & surfaces)
• gel food colors (optional)

Directions

1. In a large, microwave safe bowl, melt marshmallows in increments of 30 seconds (to avoid burning them!).  It will probably take about 1min-1.5min to get them completely melted (stir in between).  While the marshmallows are melting, prepare a wooden spoon or silicon spatula with a generous greasing of shortening! 
2. When the marshmallows are completely melted, stir them with your prepared spatula to smooth out any lumps.  If you need a large amount of colored fondant, this is where I add my gel color food coloring (for dark colors I use a combination of powdered food color & gel because too much gel food color will change the consistency of the fondant).  
3. Then add about 1/2 of the powdered sugar and stir to incorporate, it's going to be VERY sticky!!  
4. Add more powdered sugar about 1 cup at a time until you get a thick dough starting to form (if you are using the 10oz bag of marshmallows, you will probably only use about 2/3 to 3/4 of a 2lb bag of powdered sugar).  
5. When it gets difficult to stir with the spoon, there is nothing to do but get your hands in there and get messy!  Grease your hands and table liberally with shortening and turn the mixture onto your work surface.  Knead until smooth, kneading in more powdered sugar as necessary until you have a smooth ball.  It should not be too sticky and should be nice and stretchy.  
6. That's it!  Now wrap it up until you are ready to use it.  If you worked very quickly, it is probably still warm and very soft, you CAN use it as is, but might find it easier to work with if you let your Marshmallow Fondant "rest" for a bit (wrapped tightly) to cool to room temperature.

Tips

*If you think you added too much powdered sugar and it is too dry knead in some shortening and it should solve the problem.
*If you are not using your fondant right away, just knead it a bit when you're ready, to get it soft and stretchy.
*When you roll out your fondant, there are two schools of thought, some people use shortening (to keep the fondant from drying out), some people use powdered sugar or cornstarch.  I prefer to use powdered sugar, it does dry out the fondant if you don't work quickly... but I find that the shortening makes it a bit gooey.


There you have it!  Very simple to make, just a bit messy!  I hope you've found this recipe, and my tips, useful.  Good luck, and enjoy!!

Happy Caking :)