Margarita Cake

Remember what was going to be my project? 

Well it changed a bit.

I went to the store with the good intention of buying the torch for my next project, but in between got a Daisy Marguerite Cutter Plunger , and since I didn't find the torch... might as well delay my project just a tiny bit.

 So with this new excuse, what to do? what to do? I decided to decorate a cake with fondant. My first time alone. The first time I decorated one I was 15 and I was helping my mom.

 

For a 16 cm  round cake, I used a recipe that I loved, not sure where I found it now.

 - 250 ml full fat yogurt - I used greek yogurt
- 325 gr flour
- 150 gr sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- juice of 2 oranges
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 160 ml oil

Preparation
Mix all wet ingredients in a bowl : egg, yogurt, oil, sugar and orange juice
Then, in another bowl mix flower, baking soda, baking powder, salt, orange zest.
Finally add the wet ingredients to the dry by batches. Mix until they are combined. Do not overbeat!
Bake till done at 175 C,  it will take from 45 minutes to an hour.

When the cake was cool, I sliced it in two and brushed a sirop which I made with water and sugar to moist the cake. I added then a layer of dulce de leche and put the cake back together.

I then did a simple vanilla buttercream, the American type - which I used to even out the entire cake and as a glue for the fondant.
 
My helper insisted in decorating some cupcakes herself. 

Finally, I rolled the white fondant and covered the cake. This was more difficult that I thought. My pin roll was too small and was leaving several marks in the fondant. Another step that I found rather difficult was trying the cake not to bulge and of course the elephant skin!
I didn't let the results discourage me, being a perfectionist I can become rather negative ... so I continued and tried to save the cake and finished decorating with the flowers I had done previously.


 

 And of course, we couldn't miss the "feliz cumpleaños" part. No, it was not her birthday, but she loves the singing and blowing the candle.

et voilà! after all that work... I think I deserve a delicious piece of cake!

Sugar cookies

Last week, I received from a lovely friend Valentine cookies decorated with fondant. Since my last chocolate cake, I thought I could have fun this time with my restless assistant and make some cookies with her.

For the recipe, I used Martha Stewart's sugar cookies but I replaced the vanille with orange and lemon juice and added the zest of one orange.

Then, when completely cool, time to let your inner child out! I had basic colors of fondant which I rolled and cut with the same cookie cutters, and make some dots to give some texture ..

I think I got carried away more than her... endless possibilities!!!
We started with basic shapes, such butterflies and flowers, then I went to look for the food coloring and I just wanted to paint, draw, mmmm the outcome was not that bad considering I did all of it with a toothpick, didn't have a brush for this. ;)

Fun little project and the most important part,  my pioja loved doing this!

My next project, it involves italian meringue, lemon curd and a torche ...


 

Sweet and Salty Chocolate Cake

 I am back!!!! No, I didn't stop baking. I was on holidays and it's been 3 weeks that I am back in town. It's been crazy, trying to catch up with work, daughter starting kindergarten, in and out sick hurray school and virus!, and of course finals of my first years of Pastry class. .. which I passed. Now, I am in second year, classess are great, having lots of fun, busy bee!

What did I do lately? I've done a swan made with pâte à choux and filled with pastry cream and chantilly!
Yuuuuummmy!

 

And today, I wanted to make a sweet and salty cake from Baked New Frontiers in Baking. I thought it'd be perfect for St Valentin's Day. It is like love, sweet and salty... 

It was challenging to finish it having my soon to be 3 year-old daughter wanting to do everything mami was doing. I mean everything... and on top, I had to rush before she could insert her candle. She loves singing Happy Birthday and blowing the candle. I didn't succeed.  

 

Not very proud of how it looks, my piping is awful, you can see I am rushing, but ok, all things consider, I am actually surprised I could finish it at all having my daughter as assistant! Taste wise, it is a rich chocolate and moist cake. I'll post the recipe later :)

So here comes the recipe

For the classic Chocolate cake layers
3/4 dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups of hot water
2/3 cups of sour cream
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Preparation
preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust with flour and knock out the excess flour.
In a medium bowl, combine the cocoa powder, hot water, and sour cream and set aside to cool.
Sift the flour, baking powder , baking soda, and salt together into a medium bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening on medium speed until ribbonlike, about 5 minutes. Add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then add the vanilla and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and mix again for 30 seconds.
Add the flour mixture, alternating with the cocoa mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes approx.

Whipped Caramel Ganache Frosting
 1 pound dark chocolate chopped.
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp light corn syrup
2 cups unsalted butter, soft but cool cut into pieces.

Preparation
Put the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over very low heat.
Meanwhile, keeping a close eye on the cream so it doesn't burn, in a medium saucepan combine 1/4 cup of water, the sugar , and corn syrup, stirring them together carefully so you don't splash the sides of the pan. Cook over high heat until an instant -read thermometer reads 350 degrees F. , 6 to 8 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let the caramel cool for 1 minute.
Add the cream to the caramel and stir to combine. Stir slowly for 2 minutes, then pour the caramel over the chocolate. Let the caramel and the chocolate sit for 1 minute, then, slowly stir the chocolate and caramel mixture in a cicle until chocoalte is completely melted. Let the mixture cool, then transfer it to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Mix on low speed until the bow feels cool to the touch. Increase the speed to medium high and gradually add the butter , beating until throughly incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and beat on high speed until the mixutre is fluffy.

The original recipe calls for caramel to be place in between layers and then add the ganache frosting and salt. My version doesn't have the salt nor the caramel. It is filled only with the ganache and it is super rich!