Red Velvet Cake with Blue Lace Butterfies

"Remember, Sofia has no idea about this birthday meal. Keep it quiet! So I'm thinking red velvet cake?" I read the message that my friend sent and was like: "Yessss!! Cake commission!!"

This particular cake was for a good friend who I've made birthday cakes for in the past.   

Red velvet is one of those cakes that has that luxury feel, and it wouldn't be the same without a white icing but trying to incorporate blue, (which is Sofia's favourite colour) was tough. But after a great deal of thinking, inspiration came in from an insect form. 

I was waiting for the bus when a butterfly flew past me and as I got home I was reading my cookery books for inspiration and a royal icing tutorial jumped out at me and guess what? It featured butterflies. Clearly a sign right? Or maybe just an odd coincidence? Whatever the case, the end result was worth the extra effort. 

I was very please how this cake turned out. Not because it was tasty and super sugary (because that's what you need after a heavy meal...), but more because my best friends was thrilled with the cake. 

I hope that we made your birthday really special Sofia.

These delicate butterflies are just that, DELICATE! Make extra because there will be causalities but there worth the effort in the end as they look so pretty. You have to leave these to dry overnight, so do these before you bake the cake. 

Recipe: Lace Butterflies (Adapted from Divine Cupcakes by Tamara Jane)

Ingredients:

·       1 egg white

·       Ice blue colouring paste

·       300g icing sugar

·       ½ teaspoon lemon juice

Equipment:

·       Electric mixer/hand-held electric whisk

·       Sieve

·       Bowl x 1

·       Baking paper

·       Foil

·       Paper

·       Pencil/pen

·       Edible glitter in pink

·       Disposable piping bag

·       Scissors

Step 1. Beat the egg white

1.    Beat the egg white with an electric mixer until foamy.

2.    Add the icing sugar gradually beating well after each addition.

Step 3. Colour the icing

3.    Icing is ready when peaks appear and holds shape. Beat in lemon juice and food colouring. 

Step 4. Trace a butterfly template

4.    Trace a butterfly template (use a simple one as a complex template will be tricky) onto paper and place the baking paper on top.

Step 5. Fill the piping bag

5.    Fill the bag with royal icing and cut the point off the bag so there is a 1mm diameter.

Step 6. Pipe the thin line to create the butterfly

6.    Pipe a thin line over the template. Once finish sprinkle with edible glitter and allow to dry overnight.

Step 7. Place on decorated cake 

7.    Peel off the paper and use to decorate the cake by placing around the sides of the cake.

8.    With the remaining icing pipe your message on top of the cake.

Recipe: Red Velvet Cake

·       75g unsalted butter, softened (plus a little extra for greasing)

·       300g caster sugar

·       2 eggs, beaten

·       1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·       225g plain flour

·       3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

·       1 ½ teaspoon red food colour paste

·       125ml buttermilk

·       1 tablespoon white vinegar

Equipment:

·       Wilton Tasty Fill cake pan

·       Electric mixer/hand-held electric whisk

·       Sieve

·       Bowl x 2

·       Tablespoon

·       Teaspoon

1.    Pre heat the oven to 180c/350c/ Gas mark 4. Grease and flour cake tins.

Step 2. Sift all dry ingredients together

2.    For the cake, cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl, then beat in the eggs and vanilla extract. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a separate bowl. Stir in the food colour paste into buttermilk.

3.    Alternately add the flour and buttermilk mixtures to the creamed mixture. Stir in the vinegar, mixing well. Pour the mixture into the prepared tins, dividing it evenly. Bake in the oven for 30-35 mins or until firm to touch. Cool in the tins for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

Recipe: Bulk Vanilla Buttercream frosting (Adapted from Divine Cupcakes by Tamara Jane)

·       200g unsalted butter, softened

·       125ml milk

·       1 tablespoon vanilla extract

·       2kg icing sugar, sifted

Equipment:

·       Electric mixer/hand-held electric whisk

·       Sieve

·       Bowl x 1

        Palette knife

       Optional piping bag fitted with a nozzle

1.Using a large mixer, cream the butter for 1-2 minutes.

2. Add the milk, vanilla and half the icing sugar and beat for 3 minutes or until light a fluffy.

Step 3. Beat until spreadable

3. Add the remaining icing sugar and beat for a further 3 minutes or until it is a spreadable consistency.

Step 4. Spread  the buttercream into the middle of the cake.

4. Once the cakes are completely cooled you can start putting some of the buttercream into the middle of the cake. 

5. Spread the rest of the buttercream over the top and sides of the cake using a palette knife ensuring it is as smooth as you can get it. 

6. If you have any leftover buttercream (depends on how thick you like it on your cake), you can place some in a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle to swirl around the edges. 

Its not as hard as it looks and is worth the effort and the smile on peoples faces when they see a 3-D cake.

How Not Writing a List Turned into The Citrus Birthday Cake

I love lists. 

They rule my life. I make so many lists.

• Shopping lists
• to-do lists
• Christmas present list
• The 'I really would like this for Christmas please' list 
• Baking lists
• Recipe list
• This list right now!!

You get the idea. I do these lists so that I can organise my time and not forget things. I've been so busy this year, as most people are, I've been extra busy due to coursework etc. I didn't write out a present list. Which is the most important list because it guides me on what gifts I need to get for Christmas and December Birthdays! 

I managed ok but sadly, I forgot my next door neighbours birthday.  I was running low on cash and I winged it. I did get her a shower set from the Body Shop but I felt so bad. 

Suddenly a thought occurred to me.... "Penny... you silly Christmas elf... you can bake her a birthday cake!" and I thought that it would be an excellent opportunity to show off my baking skills and also she love cakes. I do often send her some random thing I've baked and she will always give me an honest opinion. 

So if she reads it, this is my confession. I didn't mean to forget your birthday Louise but at least I made you a lovely cake!

This recipe was adapted from an old vanilla recipe. You can add or take away the lemon juice and zest and replace with 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. 

Recipe: Sponge

•        225g unsalted butter, plus a little extra for greasing
•        225 caster sugar
•        210g self raising flour, sifted
•        25g cornflour
•        1 teaspoon baking powder
•        4 large eggs
•        1 teaspoon lemon juice
•        2 teaspoons Lemon zest
•        3 tablespoons semi skimmed milk

Equipment:

•        Sieve
•        2 x 20 cm tins
•        Greaseproof Paper
•        Bowl
•        Mixer
•      Grater

 1.    Preheat oven to 180c/350f/ Gas Mark 4 and line two 20cm cake tines with greaseproof paper.

2.    Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until the mixture is pale and smooth. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the eggs to the creamed mixture, one at a time, mixing for a few minutes after each addition, altering with the dry ingredients, and finally the vanilla extract and the milk. Beat well after each addition, but again don’t overbeat.

3.    Divide the mixture evenly between the tins and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until raised and golden brown, Insert a skewer in the centre of one of the cake- it should come out clean.

Recipe: Buttercream

• 110g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Grated zest of 1-2 unwaxed lemons 2 teaspoons
• 500g icing sugar, sifted

Equipment:

•        Sieve
•        Grater
•        Bowl
•        Mixer
•     Piping bag and a star nozzle
•     Palette knife

1.     In a large mixing bowl beat the butter, lemon juice, zest and half the icing sugar until smooth-this can take several minutes using a electric hand mixer. Gradually add the reminder of the icing sugar and beat again until smooth and creamy. Decorate as you like. I used a palette knife to smooth the buttercream on and then piped rosettes on the top. 

  Bake On and Merry Christmas! 

  Penny 

Tutorial: Princess Mini Cakes

As the title suggest this is a tutorial. My first ever tutorial. (Yay!)

Where did the idea come from? I'm going to Euro Disney and love all things Disney, otherwise what's the point of going to Disneyland? Anyways, I wanted to do something that celebrated my love of Disney take took form of a cupcake without going over the top. 

As the idea of a cupcake is to keep it simple and elegant. So this tutorial is really simple and is a good excuse to sing well known Disney songs around the kitchen and maybe wear a crown as well.

This tutorial will make 4 pretty Princess Cakes depending on how much buttercream you want to use. I did mine thick so I only make the 4 Princess Cakes.
You will need:
Basic Butterscotch Cupcakes- Make 12 little cakes

• 100g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 125g unsalted butter
• 50g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 75 ml whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon of butterscotch essence

For the Butterscotch Buttercream

• 400g icing sugar
• 200g unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon of butterscotch essence

Equipment You Will Need:

• Cupcake Tin
• Hand whisk
• Jug
• Cupcake Cases

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c/350f/Gas Mark 4. 
2. Place flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and butter together in a bowl.  
3. Mix together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.  
4. In another bowl whisk eggs, milk and essence together until well blended. 
5. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients, whisking all the time.  
6. Whisk gently until smooth, being careful not to over-mix. Pour the cake batter into jug to make it easy to handle. 
7. Place 12 paper cupcakes cases into the cupcake tin. 
8. Carefully pour all the cake batter into the cases, filling each one only half way.  
9. Bake for 20-25 mins until springy to touch. 
10. Leave for a few minutes, the transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.  
11. To make the frosting, combine the icing sugar, butterscotch extract and butter in a bowl. 
12. Beat with an electric whisk for around 5 mins until light and fluffy.  
13. Check the cakes have completely cooled or they will melt the frosting.

So while your cake's are cooling you need to make your toppers:
Equipment You Will Need:

• Princess Toppers (I got these from Kreations Parties )
• Lolly-sticks/sucker-sticks/toothpicks
• Scissors
• Tape

Method:

1. Cut out your princesses carefully. Remember when using scissors be very careful.
2. Place your sticks in the middle of the cut out at the back. 
3. Tape the stick in the middle and make sure that its secure. 

Cut out your princesses carefully. Remember when using scissors be very careful.

Place your sticks in the middle of the cut out at the back.

Once you've got your princess cake toppers ready and your cupcakes are cool need to start building your cake 'dresses'. Essentially, its 2 cupcakes to one dress just like the picture below. To secure the two cakes together, level the cakes carefully with a knife and spread a layer of buttercream between them.

To secure the two cakes together, level the cakes carefully and spread a layer of buttercream between them. 

To Decorate the Cakes You Will Need:

• Buttercream used with the recipe above
• Food Paste Colours in princess colours (See left)
• Glitter
• Piping bag with a star nozzle
• A small palette knife.

Method: 

1. Once the cakes have been 'glued' together with the buttercream. Separate the buttercream according to which colour's you want. 
2. Cover your cakes in a layer of buttercream and put in the fridge to create a crumb layer. Do this for every cake.
3. Once the cakes have chilled in the fridge for an hour, smooth on the buttercream and decorate to your liking!

Cover your cakes in a layer of buttercream and put in the fridge to create a crumb layer

I used plain simple colours with a little glitter and piped on a couple of details. I wanted it to remain simple but here are the results:

Snow White and Belle Princess Cupcakes

Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) and Ariel (The Little Mermaid) Princess Cupcakes

I'm quite proud of my little princesses! Aren't they so sweet? If you try this tutorial, post pictures on the blog, email me pictures, post them on the facebook page or on twitter.
I hope that your enjoyed the tutorial and had fun reading!

Bake On!
Penny