Angry Birds and Red Velvet Experiments

So for R's birthday he wanted nothing more than a little red velvet Angry Bird cake. So I took it as a chance to try out a new recipe. I have been searching for over a year now for a decent Red Velvet cake recipe and have yet to find one. It seems that no family guards much more than their great grandmother's secret recipe...so if any of you have one of those oh so secret recipes I would love for you to send it my way!

I found this recipe from http://www.carrottopmom.com/?p=290 which was a slight variation of this recipe http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/red-velvet-cupcakes-3/Detail.aspx and thought I would give it a try with a few slight variations of my own. The cake/cupcakes turned out well but had a bit too much of a chocolate flavor for a true red velvet and although they were moist straight of the oven they became a bit dry and crumbly even by the next morning. I think that substituting at least half the butter with oil may remedy this. So below is something I haven't done before. A suggestion of what I think the recipe should be (but haven't actually tried the altered version out yet myself).

Red Velvet cupcakes/cake

• 2 1/2 cups flour
  


• 1/4+ a little cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  
  


• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  


• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  


• 1/2 cup butter softened and 1/2 cup veg oil
  


• 2 1/4 cups sugar
  


• 4 eggs
  


• 1 cup sour cream
  


• 1/2 cup buttermilk (or milk with 2 teaspoons lemon juice)
  


• 1 ounce red food coloring
  


• 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract and 1 tsp ground vanilla beans (or 4 tsp extract)
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all dry ingredients and set aside.
   


2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream, milk, food color and vanilla. Beat batter until fluffy using a whisk attachment if possible. Spoon batter into Cupcake liners
   


3. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean . Gently remove from oven. Cool in pans on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8oz pkg cream cheese

3 tbls butter

1 tsp vanilla beans ground (or extract)

Powdered sugar (about 3 cups)

Mix butter and cream cheese until smooth

Add in powdered sugar until desired texture and flavor. If you like it more sweet add more, if you like it less sweet add less :)

GAME OVER!!!

Decorating cakes at Lachoclatier

Last week's cakes :)...So I’m sure some of you have been wondering what I have been doing during my long weekends at the bakery….well here’s a little taste. LaChoclatier Bakery is a small bakery located in Chesapeke Va specializing in custom cakes. All the pictures below are from the Facebook page, so you should check it out to see all the other great cakes and treats we are doing!...and a special thanks to everyone who voted! We got Gold for best Custom/Wedding cakes in Chesapeake!

we make books

this is one of those "love it or hate it" cakes. I had so much fun making all the different bolts of fabric. It was a graduation cake for a fashion major

http://www.facebook.com/lachoc?ref=ts

I am really learning a lot and loving working there. I don't sell cakes like these on my own so if you are interesting making an order feel free to call or make an online order at the website. http://www.lachoclatier.com

Decorating cakes at LaChoclatier Bakery

Last week's cakes :)...

So I’m sure some of you have been wondering what I have been doing during my long weekends at the bakery….well here’s a little taste. LaChoclatier Bakery is a small bakery located in Chesapeke Va specializing in custom cakes. All the pictures below are from the Facebook page, so you should check it out to see all the other great cakes and treats we are doing!

...and a special thanks to everyone who voted! We got Gold for best Custom/Wedding cakes in Chesapeake!

At first I just laughed when the first thing L hands me when I walk in the bakery is a printed out picture of the incredible hulk to copy in fondant..... but for me not being able to sketch people I think it came out pretty well.

these next two I can only take credit for the chocolate curls.... but they do look yummy

http://www.facebook.com/lachoc?ref=ts

I am really learning a lot and loving working there. I don't sell cakes like these on my own so if you are interesting making an order feel free to call or make an online order at the website. http://www.lachoclatier.com

Last week's cakes :)...

So I’m sure some of you have been wondering what I have been doing during my long weekends at the bakery….well here’s a little taste. LaChoclatier Bakery is a small bakery located in Chesapeke Va specializing in custom cakes. All the pictures below are from the Facebook page, so you should check it out to see all the other great cakes and treats we are doing!

http://www.facebook.com/lachoc?ref=ts

I am really learning a lot and loving working there. I don't sell cakes like these on my own so if you are interesting making an order feel free to call or make an online order at the website. http://www.lachoclatier.com

Spring Desserts: Cookie Sandwiches

I’m always looking for ways to use these yummy almond cookies. This time I filled them with a white Chocolate mousse and fresh strawberries

First the cookies:

Lacy Oatmeal cookies

Ingredients:

1 egg

3 tbsp. flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. baking powder

pinch of salt

1 1/4 cups old-fashioned

(not quick-cooking) oatmeal

1/2 cup butter or margarine,-melted

1 teaspoon pure almond

extract

Preheat oven to 375°F.

These cookies are not standard cookie fare. Instead, the cookies form a lacy

pattern which makes a thin, crisp cookies that can be seen through when held

up to the light.

Add all ingredients to the beaten egg. Stir well.

Drop by small teaspoons onto parchment paper or silicone lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes in preheated oven.

Remove cookie sheet from oven. Allow cookies to cool somewhat before attempting

to remove from baking sheet using a thin metal spatula.

Then the Chocolate mousse:

White Chocolate Mousse:

8 ounces Ghirardelli White Chocolate Baking Bar

4 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier®

2 tablespoons water

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

2 egg whites

In double boiler over hot water, melt chocolate with liqueur and water; stir gently to blend. Cool until chocolate mixture no longer feels warm to the touch. In large bowl with electric mixer, beat cream until soft peaks form; fold cream into chocolate mixture.

In large bowl with clean mixer, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form. With rubber spatula, fold egg whites into chocolate mixture. Divide mousse among 6 dessert bowls or glasses. Chill at least 1 hour

The texture of the mousse still seemed a bit off so I let it chill overnight then the next morning I whipped in a bit more whipping crean, about ½ c. powdered sugar and a few dashes of cornstarch. It seemed to do the trick. Sandwich the cookies with a few fresh strawberry slices. These cookies are best eaten shortly after stacking them. They will get soggy if they sit out too long.

PS. to make the bite size versions use a flexible brownie bite pan

Enjoy!

Decorating cakes at LaChoclatier Bakery

Last week's cakes :)...

So I’m sure some of you have been wondering what I have been doing during my long weekends at the bakery….well here’s a little taste. LaChoclatier Bakery is a small bakery located in Chesapeke Va specializing in custom cakes. All the pictures below are from the Facebook page, so you should check it out to see all the other great cakes and treats we are doing!

http://www.facebook.com/lachoc?ref=ts

….and if you like what you see you should vote for us as the Best Wedding/Custom Cake Bakery in Chesapeake by texting CFX to 21333.

This first one really put my new found fondant skills to work...

I am really learning a lot and loving working there. I don't sell cakes like these on my own so if you are interesting making an order feel free to call or make an online order at the website. http://www.lachoclatier.com/

One day....

I do consider myself a collector. Most of my collectibles fall into one of 4 categories:

Family / Antique Jewelry

Charley Harper Prints / Books / things

Junk I love

and last but not least....

Designer chairs!

I have a true love and, almost need for, designer chairs. Last year I officially started my collection of Mid-Century Modern furniture when I purchased my first two Eames molded plastic chairs. It was hard to choose but I got the Rocker in the Blue and the Side armless in the Lime green with the dowel legs...both of which I still love!

A few months later we were doing a sketching exercise over in the arcade and I happen to take the last few minutes to walk through one of the local galleries that happen to be having an auction for the Wassily chair by Marcel Breuer! needless to say, even though I had no business buying three chairs this year, I just couldn't pass it up. So I wrote down a sensible bid knowing the worth of the chair and crossed my fingers I wouldn't get it (like I said, I could not afford this chair and with my London / Scotland trip only two months away I knew I should not have even entered). One week, to the day, before my trip I got the email saying I had one the chair. So I opened up my travel fund and wrote a check for the chair. looking back I'm happy I won and love my chair :)

Which brings me to the reason of this post. I came across an interesting post on the etsy blog today about one of my all time favorite chairs (the eames lounge) and thought I would share it with other chair lovers out there.

http://www.etsy.com/storque/handmade-life/noted-assembling-the-eames-lounge-chair-12567/?ref=fp_blog_title

One day I hope to have a little house of my own filled with all my fun chairs and prints :)