May82012

It’s May What?

I can’t believe it’s been a week since I last posted, but that’s partly because I can’t believe how fast the last week went by! May is always insanely busy, between our anniversary, the twins’ birthday, mother’s day, end-of-school stuff, and Mike’s travel.

However, the fun stuff started on Monday April 30th when our six-year-old water heater decided to spring a leak and we spent all day removing and replacing it. Then one of the twins needed a doctor’s appointment the next day, and then there were groceries, and then birthday celebrations, I finally got a waaaay overdue haircut, we had some of our favorite out-of-state family visit for a night and then we had the twins’ birthday lunch over the weekend.

When I sat down at the computer yesterday I swore I wasn’t going to move from the chair all day. But then I remembered all the stuff that’s piled up since last week and I think I got about an hour of computer time all day. Whatevs, as the kids say.

So, I really didn’t get to do anything fun in the kitchen all week. Aside from a cake that I made the girls that had a, well, gerbil on it. Why this madness? The girls each got a gerbil for their birthday!

It was a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, and I shredded some white chocolate on top for the “bedding.” I frosted a Twinkie with some coconut pecan frosting and piped on the details. It didn’t quite turn out how I pictured it in my head, and yeah, I know, “oooh gross,” but they loved it and it was delicious.

Apr62012

The Best Angel Food Cake

Angel Food Cake

Though we’re a little early for strawberry season, I couldn’t help picking up a container of them when I went to Sam’s earlier this week. They were huge and perfect and calling my name, so into the basket they went. I also remembered to pick up more eggs, because I’ve got this recipe memorized and knew I didn’t have enough in the fridge.

Strawberry shortcake is traditionally made with, well, shortcake, but I prefer to use angel food cake. It’s light and spongy, and beautifully absorbs the macerated strawberry liquid.

The recipe says to use a tube pan, but I always just use my bundt pan. As you can see, a little bit of it sticks to the pan but it really works well. You’re going to be dumping delicious strawberries on it – no one will care what it looks like!

I use a small rubber spatula to loosen it from the sides of the pan and it comes out pretty easily. The removable bottom of a tube pan would be a bit more convenient, though 😀

This recipe is an oldy but a goody from Allrecipes, and you’ve got to give it a try. Seriously, this is even good on its own without anything on it.

It calls for 12 eggs, or enough eggs to get 1-1/2 cups of egg whites. I usually only need 10.

Angel Food Cake

Heavenly Angel Food Cake

12 eggs
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar

Separate eggs; discard yolks or refrigerate for another use. Measure egg whites, adding or removing whites as needed to equal 1-1/2 cups. Place in a mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, sift confectioners’ sugar and flour together three times; set aside. Add cream of tartar, extracts and salt to egg whites; beat on high speed. Gradually add sugar, beating until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form.

Fold in the flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time. Gently spoon into an ungreased 10-in. tube pan. Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert pan; cool completely before removing cake from pan.

Mar172012

Rainbow Cake for St. Patrick’s Day

Rainbow Cake

I’ve had a hell of a time trying to get this post together, since I made this cake yesterday while the girls were in school so it would be a surprise for today. But today I’m editing pictures and every time I pull the program up, one of them has something urgent to tell me or needs to walk by and see what I’m doing. It’s maddening.

Anyway, I made this as a St. Patrick’s Day surprise for the girls. We actually don’t do much for St. Patrick’s Day but I really wanted to play with food coloring, so yesterday I got to baking.

Rainbow Cake

I was originally going to do Martha Stewart’s rainbow layer cake, but I lazied out at the last minute since I’ve only got two cake pans and I’d have to wash them between bakings. I just didn’t wanna.

So I went with the much easier tie-dye affect. I made a basic white cake batter from my Better Homes & Gardens cookbook, and separated it out into six bowls, and each bowl got its own color.

Rainbow Cake

I wanted the colors to go in rainbow order once the cake was assembled, so I worked from the “bottom” up, pouring in all the purple first, then the blue on top of that, and the green on top of that. In the second pan I did yellow first, then the orange and then the red on top.

Rainbow Cake

After they were out of the oven and cooled I decided to just go with white cream cheese frosting.

Rainbow Cake

I thought about coloring it too, but I want the inside to be a surprise.