Mini Black Forest Cake ~ An American classic that is as pleasing to your palate as it is to your eyes.
Mini Black Forest Cake
This classic and elegant cake reminds me of my childhood. Black Forest Cake was our family splurge dessert when my parents were entertaining special guests. They weren’t much for dessert but when they did indulge in it, this was the one that stopped by our table more often than any other. As a prerequisite for purchasing dessert, my parents always required that it contained some type of fruit it. Naturally, my siblings and I touted this cake’s healthy fruit feature by pointing out there was practically a cherry in every bite.
As an adult, this is still one of favorites-although, I’m not quite sure if it’s more the cake or the nostalgic effect when I have it. » Read the rest of this entry «
Easter Tea Cakes – Dipped in poured buttercream frosting. Huh? Yep, that’s right Fancy Folks, poured fondant kicked to the side. These petite and dainty little tea cakes have been themed with a pastel color palette for Easter. Keep your teacakes fancy like these or crash the porcelain-tea-sipping party with some different shapes and colors.
Easter Tea Cakes
First let me confess, this is The Cheat version of my Easter Tea Cakes. Generally, when I make tea cakes I use Joy of Baking’s Pound Cake recipe. But with the Hub in the hospital and waiting on oven repairs, I wasn’t able to. Out of time and without an oven. . . .Sara Lee to the rescue.
For those who follow me you already know what Cheats are and that they usually follow a Purist version, that is recipes made from scratch
There was a time in my life when I use to really turn my nose up to boxed or pre-made bake goods—my one snobbery in life (okay, that and books). Then my family came along and between them and sometimes having a 50 hour work week, I’ve come to embrace some of my cheating recipes.
However, I will say, for me there’s just not the same satisfaction in using The Cheats. Yeah, it’s timesaving, but I love baking because I love creating, testing and discovering.
That being said, using the “The Cheat” Sara Lee pound cake, led me to my latest discovery. I originally planned to use CakeJournal’s poured fondant, but had to think of an alternative when I realized I did not have white fondant on hand.
Frustrated at first, but determined not to be completely beaten out of making my Easter Tea Cakes. I melted some buttercream for a poured version. After a few failed attempts that ranged from a lumpy mess to an oily and milky drool-like consistency and two pound cakes later, I finally hit it right. The key is to melting it slowly.
And boy do I love it! It’s so easy and so perfectly smooth. But the absolute best part—it taste so much better then fondant. » Read the rest of this entry «
