30th Birthday Bash

Today was my boyfriend's 30th birthday.  He doesn't like cake or sweets very much, how the hell I ended up with a man who doesn't like desserts is beyond me.  So every year I try to come up with something different.  I've made him a meatloaf cake frosted with mashed potatoes, bacon roses, and German Chocolate Pie (why is it every man likes German chocolate?)
Things that he does like....whiskey and bacon, among other things.  So I made whiskey bacon cupcakes.

 

I just made my chocolate cupcakes, for those of you that haven't found this recipe I'll post again, because it is AMAZING and crazy easy to make:

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup cocoa powder

2 tea baking soda

1 tea salt

1 cup oil

1 cup buttermilk (I never have this on hand so I just mix lemon juice and room temp whole milk)

2 eggs

1 1/2 tea vanilla

1 cup boiling water

 

Mix all ingredients (except boiling water) together then add boiling water.  This is a pretty soupy batter don't worry that's normal.

Bake 300 until just done. About 20 min for cupcakes 30-40 for cakes but all ovens are different.  Set timer for 15 then check every few minutes.

 

So easy, perfect cake every time!

 

Fill with ganache:

I don't have an exact recipe for my ganache, I add butter to mine to keep it soft, if you want it to harden up more, don't add.  No butter: equal parts chocolate and heavy cream.  With butter subtract amount of butter used from heavy cream, usually about 1 tabl per 8 oz chocolate.  I added whiskey until I could taste it.

 

Buttercream:

I almost always start with my Italian Meringue Buttercream then add my flavors to it.

mix 2 cups sugar

1/3 cups water in pan

clip on candy thermometer heat to 248 degrees

While sugar heating mix 5 egg whites and 1 tea cream of tartar in bowl of standing mixer with whisk attachment.  Mix until soft peaks form.

With mixer on lowest setting add sugar mixture.  Careful it's super hot!  Turn mixer on high, let mix till it cools down, about 15-20 min.  You want it at around 70-80 degrees, it should feel room temp.  If it's too hot it will not work! If it's too cool, it works butter the texture seems greasy or something, almost like a shortening frosting, blech.

Turn mixer to med speed.  Add room temp (soft) butter one tablespoon at a time.  Make sure totally mixed in before adding more.  This takes awhile. The mixture will start to deflate and my get either soupy or cottage cheesey looking.  Don't worry turn the mixer speed up a notch or two and keep adding.  I add anywhere from 4-6 sticks of butter.  When you get the right consistency add your vanilla bean paste (yes paste, my secret weapon in yummy frosting, also I use regular salted butter).

 

For this recipe I then added maple flavoring and chopped bacon.

 

The garnish:

Place cool bacon in pan.  Once starts to cook and fat melts,add a bunch of brown sugar (1/2 cup or so, cover the bacon), turn bacon over, coat with more brown sugar.

 

There, sounds like a lot of work, and well, it is.  But I'm a bit manic remember?

 

 

A Springtime Cake

I may have had a small break down while making this cake.  I originally wanted to do a basket weave around both layers, but if you don't do it absolutely perfect it will look like a hot mess, which is what mine looked like.  I ended up scraping it off and starting over 3 times.  After that I cursed a little at my boyfriend, freaked out and yelled, (once again at my poor innocent boyfriend) 'why do you let me do this to myself?! I suck! I'm never going to make another cake again!' Then I changed tactics, and pulled off a pretty cute cake.  Cake orders back on. Ha ha ha.  Devin loves it when I make cakes. 
This is a hot milk cake with pastry cream and fresh strawberry filling frosted with vanilla bean Italian buttercream.

Italian Buttercream

I am in LOVE with this buttercream.  I have been hesitant to try European buttercream because it seemed so technical and I'm more of a figure-it-out-as-you-go kind a gal, but holy crap it is so worth the trouble.  And really after I've made it a few times I'm sure it won't even feel like a big deal to make.  It is so far superior to any American buttercream you will never look back.

It tastes like cross between whip cream and what we know as buttercream.  It is silky and smooth and light like whip cream, but tastes rich and creamy like a buttercream.

Here is what you need:

2 cups sugar

1/3 cup water

5 large egg whites (Room temp eggs)

1 tea cream of tartar

3 cups unsalted butter- (soft)

1 tablespoon vanilla paste (or 2 tablespoon vanilla extract)

Candy thermometer

Okay, this may sound complicated but really, it's not so bad, and totally worth it.  Here's a very key tip: Make sure all your ingredients are ROOM TEMPERATURE. 

1. Small pan over med heat, combine sugar & water.  Clip candy thermometer to side.  Cook mixture until reads 248 degrees. About 5-10 min.  Keep your eye on it!

2.  Meanwhile combine egg whites (room temp) and cream of tartar in bowl of standing mixer with whisk attachment.  When sugar mixture reaches 240 degrees start whisking egg mixture at med-low speed.

3. When mixture reaches 248 degrees, reduce speed to low and very slowly pour mixture into the bowl.  Try not to splatter the very hot sugar.  Once all the sugar has been added turn the mixer to high and beat until cool to the touch (not cold-cool, just barely warm if that makes sense).  An instant read thermometer would read 65-70 degrees.  This should take about 5-10 minutes (or even up to 15 min). 

4. Once meringue cool enough (very important, if not cool enough, it will separate), begin adding butter.  Reduce speed to medium and while mixer running add butter 1 tbl at a time.  Make sure it is completely mixed in before adding more.  The mixture may deflate and begin to look curdled.  Raise the speed to high and continue adding tablespoon sized butter, making sure each one is blended in before adding more. Once all the butter is added the frosting should be smooth and thick.  Add the vanilla and mix to combine.

5. Use it immediately, or cover and refrigerate until needed.  Store in zip lock bag for one week in fridge and up to one month in freezer.  (To thaw, leave in fridge over night, not counter).  To use frosting that has been chilled, remove from fridge and bring to room temp, about one hour or microwave in 15 second intervals, mixing in between each until soft. 

The pic I took is of a raspberry buttercream. After making the frosting add 3 tablespoons raspberry juice to every 1 cup frosting.  It gives it a very pretty pink color with just a touch of berry flavor.

Raspberry Juice

2 cups raspberries

2 tbl water

1 tbl sugar

Cook over med-low heat 10-15 min, until berries liquefied

strain

Cool to room temp before adding to buttercream