Any Home Bakers Here?

[ronott1]

I made the 5-layer heart cake yesterday. Anyone want the cake tins? Probably won't be using them again.

According to the box, a "regular cake mix" would be right for the tins. So I made up our favorite cake recipe since that makes a "regular cake mix" size cake. Even though I didn't use all the batter, the tins still over-flowed in the oven (thankfully, I had put a baking sheet under them). They were almost impossible to get out of the tins without tearing. All those layers used 1 1/2 recipe of frosting. It took forever to get it all put together.

DH's comment? "You can't tell it's heart shaped unless you lean over it."

Definitely not worth the work or the time.

I hate when that happens!

I have one 9" heart shaped pan. I make a round layer and a heart putting the heart layer on top.

It looks nice and is not a lot of work.

 

[N F C]

I think the easiest thing for next year is a card. Pick it out, sign it, done! And maybe a small box of chocolates (to share of course).

 

[ronott1]

I think the easiest thing for next year is a card. Pick it out, sign it, done! And maybe a small box of chocolates (to share of course).

I love it!

I am going to try:

Chocolate Angel Food Cupcakes with with chocolate cream cheese whipped topping

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 14 - 16 cupcakes

Ingredients

3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp (182g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup + 3 Tbsp (56g) cake flour
2 Tbsp (11g) cocoa powder
1/8 tsp salt
6 large egg whites (212g), at room temperature*
2 1/2 Tbsp (37ml) warm water
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups (12 oz, 360ml) heavy whipping cream
6 oz (170g) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (58g) powdered sugar
2 Tbsp (11g) cocoa powder, plus more for dusting (optional)**
Fresh strawberries, raspberries or blueberries, or chocolate covered berries

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, pulse sugar until super fine, about 2 minutes
(if you don't have a food processor caster sugar should also work).

In a mixing bowl, sift together half of the sugar, the cake flour, cocoa powder and the salt.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg whites, water, vanilla extract and cream of tartar until
well combined, about 2 minutes. Switch to a hand mixer and whip mixture on medium speed
while slowly adding remaining sugar to mixture, until medium peaks form (see link here for what
medium peaks are).

Sift just enough of the flour mixture in to evenly dust the top of the egg white mixture and using a spatula gently fold flour layer into egg white mixture and continue this process until all of the flour mixture has been incorporated (I did this in probably 12 batches).

Divide batter among paper lined muffin cups, filling each cup nearly full. Bake in preheated oven
18 - 20 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean.

Cool completely then spread Chocolate Cream Cheese Whipped Cream over cupcakes just before
serving, dust with cocoa if desired and top with fresh fruit.

For the Cream Cheese Whipped Cream Topping:

In a mixing bowl whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. In a separate mixing bowl, whip cream
cheese until light and fluffy. Add cream cheese to whipped cream along with powdered sugar
and cocoa powder and whip until stiff peaks form. Store in refrigerator.

*I'd recommend working with one egg in a bowl at a time to separate the yolk and white, then
pour that separated white into the mixing bowl and continue that process with remaining eggs. I
do this simply in case one of the yolks breaks and gets into the whites then you'll only have to
toss out 1 egg and not all of them if you can't get the yolk out. You don't want even 1 drop of
egg yolk in the cake mixture or it can prevent the whites from whipping to stiff peaks.
Topping

http://www.cookingclassy.com/2013/12/chocolate-angel-food-cupcakes/...

**I've listed cocoa powder as optional because you can simply leave it plain if desired. If using
the cocoa powder, you can also add in an additional tbsp or two of powdered sugar if desired to
make it a little sweeter (just whatever you prefer).

Recipe Source: cake adapted slightly from Alton Brown's Angel Food Cake, via Food Network.
Topping - Cooking Classy.

 

[DigMyChicks]

I made the 5-layer heart cake yesterday. Anyone want the cake tins? Probably won't be using them again.

According to the box, a "regular cake mix" would be right for the tins. So I made up our favorite cake recipe since that makes a "regular cake mix" size cake. Even though I didn't use all the batter, the tins still over-flowed in the oven (thankfully, I had put a baking sheet under them). They were almost impossible to get out of the tins without tearing. All those layers used 1 1/2 recipe of frosting. It took forever to get it all put together.

DH's comment? "You can't tell it's heart shaped unless you lean over it."

Definitely not worth the work or the time.

It's dissapointing to go to all that work and it flops! I've never had luck with dark pans like that. They always stick or burn. I know Wilton has a lot of good products but I don't care for anything but aluminum. I tried to make caramel rolls yesterday and they didn't rise so I have some mixed up again now and I'm waiting to see if they rise... It's not looking promising....

 

[DigMyChicks]

Lol @appps, glad they turned out good Maybe some people just have more touchy buds, or maybe didn't eat enough dirt as a tot ha-ha

An acquired taste, "earthy"


Ah, @DigMyChicks, just what I was waiting for, as I was too lazy to scroll back and find it

I won't, however, be too lazy to whip those right up and hoard them all to myself... Well, I'll make 2 batches; its so hard watching everyone eyeball me while I'm eating goodies that they can't touch



I might be taking the "eating for 2" thing too far already though lol; "Baby" has gained 12 lbs in 6 weeks from hoarding all those oreos and Doritos

And I haven't even tried the cinnamon roll pancakes yet!

Let us know how they turn out

 

[DigMyChicks]

Wish others were as careful. Years ago a worker gave us some jam. He sold it at the markets on weekends. I asked how he managed to keep enough jars, apparently he went to the garbage tip and got plenty from there. Sterilised or not couldn't quite eat it lol which was probably just as well as when I opened it before throwing a while later it was mouldy inside the lid.

Then the best one, lady at my mums work used to bring in slices to sell. Mum went to buy something then caught another lady giving her the don't do it look so left it. She found out later that the polystyrene that it was wrapped on was recycled from the ladies raw meat she bought and when you picked it up and inspected carefully there was still red in the edge grooves from the blood.

Someone brought farm fresh eggs to our fall festival at our church to sell on our baked good table and did not wash the poop off them...gag! Someone asked me if I had brought them, apparently they don't know me well enough that they would ask as I am a clean freak when it comes to that!!

 

[N F C]

I love it!

I am going to try:

Chocolate Angel Food Cupcakes with with chocolate cream cheese whipped topping

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 14 - 16 cupcakes

Ingredients

3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp (182g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup + 3 Tbsp (56g) cake flour
2 Tbsp (11g) cocoa powder
1/8 tsp salt
6 large egg whites (212g), at room temperature*
2 1/2 Tbsp (37ml) warm water
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups (12 oz, 360ml) heavy whipping cream
6 oz (170g) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (58g) powdered sugar
2 Tbsp (11g) cocoa powder, plus more for dusting (optional)**
Fresh strawberries, raspberries or blueberries, or chocolate covered berries

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, pulse sugar until super fine, about 2 minutes
(if you don't have a food processor caster sugar should also work).

In a mixing bowl, sift together half of the sugar, the cake flour, cocoa powder and the salt.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg whites, water, vanilla extract and cream of tartar until
well combined, about 2 minutes. Switch to a hand mixer and whip mixture on medium speed
while slowly adding remaining sugar to mixture, until medium peaks form (see link here for what
medium peaks are).

Sift just enough of the flour mixture in to evenly dust the top of the egg white mixture and using a spatula gently fold flour layer into egg white mixture and continue this process until all of the flour mixture has been incorporated (I did this in probably 12 batches).

Divide batter among paper lined muffin cups, filling each cup nearly full. Bake in preheated oven
18 - 20 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean.

Cool completely then spread Chocolate Cream Cheese Whipped Cream over cupcakes just before
serving, dust with cocoa if desired and top with fresh fruit.

For the Cream Cheese Whipped Cream Topping:

In a mixing bowl whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. In a separate mixing bowl, whip cream
cheese until light and fluffy. Add cream cheese to whipped cream along with powdered sugar
and cocoa powder and whip until stiff peaks form. Store in refrigerator.

*I'd recommend working with one egg in a bowl at a time to separate the yolk and white, then
pour that separated white into the mixing bowl and continue that process with remaining eggs. I
do this simply in case one of the yolks breaks and gets into the whites then you'll only have to
toss out 1 egg and not all of them if you can't get the yolk out. You don't want even 1 drop of
egg yolk in the cake mixture or it can prevent the whites from whipping to stiff peaks.
Topping

http://www.cookingclassy.com/2013/12/chocolate-angel-food-cupcakes/...

**I've listed cocoa powder as optional because you can simply leave it plain if desired. If using
the cocoa powder, you can also add in an additional tbsp or two of powdered sugar if desired to
make it a little sweeter (just whatever you prefer).

Recipe Source: cake adapted slightly from Alton Brown's Angel Food Cake, via Food Network.
Topping - Cooking Classy.

That sounds wonderful Ron. I hope you'll post a picture of the finished cake!

 

[N F C]

Someone brought farm fresh eggs to our fall festival at our church to sell on our baked good table and did not wash the poop off them...gag! Someone asked me if I had brought them, apparently they don't know me well enough that they would ask as I am a clean freak when it comes to that!!

Ugh, gross!

Maybe they were trying to "prove" they were fresh laid

 

[ronott1]

That sounds wonderful Ron. I hope you'll post a picture of the finished cake!

I will!

 

[N F C]

I kept debating whether or not to post the cake picture, but what the heck, here it is:



I alternated the 5 layers with chocolate and coconut buttercream frosting. It should at least taste good!