Pokemon Birthday Cake

For my family, I am the resident birthday cake maker.

It wasn't always this way. I only started baking and decorating cakes within the last couple of years, and I don't decorate cakes as often as I would like. But that's neither here nor there.

My Older Sister has 3 kids. One girl, 2 boys. Both of her boys have birthdays in June. We celebrated her older boy's birthday last weekend and her younger boy's birthday this past weekend.

The ages between her 2 youngest children are kind of funny. Her older son just turned 17 and her younger son just turned 5!

As you can imagine, the birthday cakes were decidedly different.

My little nephew decided he wanted Pokemon for his birthday. And since I'm the resident cake maker, it was up to me to figure out what to do. My sister gives me full creative license. LOL!

Luckily, her oldest (my niece) is a lot like me so we brainstormed together. This is what we came up with. A Pikachu cake with Poke-ball cupcakes.

The cake was a two layer chocolate cake with buttercream icing rippled through the center and enveloping the cake layers. I printed a picture of Pikachu off the internet and used that to make the outline.

For the cupcakes, I found a white cake recipe to try. I colored half of the batter yellow and the other half blue. I layered the batter in the red cupcake liners and baked them up. Each cupcake was yellow and blue inside and topped with the same buttercream icing I used for the cake.

The Poke-balls were made from red and white fondant. My niece made the Poke-balls and I think she did an amazing job! She took equal amounts of red and white fondant, matched up the edges, and evenly rolled it out. She then took a small cookie cutter and made the rounds. I bought some black edible ink for the "seam." It was pretty runny and some of the seams melted in the 100 degree F Texas heat on the way to the party place. Oops. Oh well.

My little nephew seemed pretty pleased with the cake. He said it was "awesome!"

The chocolate cake is my go-to chocolate cake so it was, of course, delicious.

My niece and I were unhappy with the white cake. It tasted too eggy to me. But everyone else said they were great. Of course, this could be because I messed up when making the batter. AND the batter ended up getting over mixed due to having to color it. It was most likely my fault that I didn't like the taste.

This was my first time using this buttercream recipe as well and I must say, I have found a winner. It was easy to work with and held its shape quite well...even in my hot house and the Texas heat!

I was able to snap a quick picture of the inside of the cake. Sadly, I didn't cut it so it was pretty messy. But whatever, it's birthday cake. This was my piece. After I took this picture, I was standing next to a table enjoying my first two bites and my Baby Sister walked by and accidentally hit my plate with her arm. Everything went in slow motion as my plate leaped from my hands and landed face down on the floor as I tried to catch it. She quickly turned and realized what happened. She started apologizing and all I could do was laugh my head off! What can you do??

I didn't get a picture of the inside of the cupcakes. But they were pretty fun.

All in all, everyone seemed happy with the cake and cupcakes. I was pleased with how they turned out. And the birthday boy was happy so that's all that matters.

One Bowl Chocolate Cake
Adapted from Sky High via Lick the Bowl Good

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Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans with baking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
3. Add the oil and 1/2 cup of the water to the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.
4. Add the remaining 1/2 cup water, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
5. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared pans.
6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Basic White Cake

Adapted from The Cake Book

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Ingredients:

• 3 1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 6 large egg whites
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups milk

Directions:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two muffin tins with cupcake liners (24 cupcakes total).
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, on medium-high speed, beat the butter until creamy, about 30 seconds. 
4. Gradually add the sugar. Increase speed to high and beat until light, about 2 minutes.
5. Reduce speed to low and add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary.
6. Stir in the vanilla.
7. At low speed, alternating between the flour mixture and the milk, add the flour mixture in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions. Mix just until incorporated. 
8. Evenly distribute batter into the 24 cupcake liners. Each liner should be about 2/3 full.
9. Bake 16-18 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
10. Allow to cool in the pans for 15 minutes then cool completely on wire racks.

Classic Buttercream Icing

Adapted from Savory Sweet Life

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3-4 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk

Directions:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, on medium speed, beat the butter until creamy, about 2 minutes.
2. Add 3 cups sifted powdered sugar. Place kitchen towel over bowl and mixer and turn mixer on low speed. Wait 30 seconds, remove towel and increase speed to medium.
3. Add vanilla, salt, and 2 Tablespoons of cream or milk. Beat for 3 minutes.
4. Turn off mixer and text icing. Adjust to desired consistency as needed. If icing needs to be stiffer, add remaining sugar. If icing needs to be thinner, add remaining cream one Tablespoon at a time mixing thoroughly and testing before each addition.

Brooklyn Blackout Cake

Life.

Life is messy.

It is hard.

But it's the messy and hard things that get us where we need to be.

Nothing that is worth having comes easily right??

My life feels a bit of a mess lately. The Hubble was home for a couple weeks but now he's gone again. We won't see him for another 5 months (hopefully).

Currently, the kids and I are struggling to get back into our groove. Little Butt has been a bit wild and Baby N has been a bit whiny. To me, it feels like it's been weeks since he left instead of days. Has it only been days? Or has it been weeks? Who even knows anymore?

You want to know what else is messy? Baking.

Or at least, baking this cake was messy.

This cake and I?? We have this love hate thing going on.

I hate this cake because it is messy...and hard and ridiculous. I had to bake the cakes twice because the centers on the first batch sank so low there was no way to make layers. I dropped chocolate all over the floor when I was making the pudding. When I assembled the cake, it was slipping and sliding all over the place because the pudding center is soft instead of firm.

I love this cake because it's messy...and rich and forgiving. Yes, I made the cakes twice, but that meant I had sunken cakes to cut up and make into a trifle for Father's Day. Yes, I dropped chocolate all over the floor, but it was easy to clean up and the pudding didn't suffer for it. Yes, it was slipping and sliding all over the place and when I frosted it the pudding mixed with the frosting in some parts, but I didn't have to worry about the pudding showing or a crumb coat because you cover the whole thing in crumbs anyway!

This cake was the top pick for June for The Cake Slice Bakers. It is a 3 layer cake with a chocolate pudding filling and chocolate frosting smothered in chocolate cake crumbs. The cake itself is dense and fudgy, almost like a brownie. The pudding filling was smooth and creamy. The chocolate frosting was fluffy and rich. The whole thing was a chocolate lover's dream (though I was asked where the chocolate syrup was, the syrup made it onto the Dad's Day trifle).

Personally, I thought it was too rich and only had a bite or two. I don't believe my opinion should count though since I don't really care for chocolate. Give me lemon or pumpkin over chocolate any day and I'll be happy.

However, I didn't really make this cake for me. My nephew recently turned 17 and he asked for something chocolaty and fudgy. So, I obliged. And I didn't hear any complaints from the many chocolate lovers in my family (I've always been the odd ball in my family so there are a lot of them).

If you are looking for a rich, delicious, messy, forgiving cake to enjoy and share with the chocolate lover in your life look no further. I have the recipe you need!

Let's bake!

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla.

With the mixer on low speed, add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients in a steady stream.

Then mix in the hot coffee until just blended.

Using a rubber spatula, stir the mixture up from the bottom to make sure it's thoroughly combined.

Evenly distribute among your 2 prepared pans and bake them up. Then cool them down.

Now we move on to the pudding filling. Beat together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt.

In a medium saucepan, combine the water and cream then bring to a boil.

Whisk half the cream mixture into the yolk mixture...

Then turn around and whisk that all back into the saucepan. Whisk constantly and bring the whole thing back to a boil and whisk and boil for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and whisk in the chocolate until fully melted.

And of course, stop to take a picture of the huge mess you made while dumping the chocolate all over the floor and table.

Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl. Then stir in the vanilla.

Cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight. You want this to be thoroughly chilled.

And finally, the frosting.

Melt some chocolate then cream your butter and add in the powdered sugar. Beat that up until light and fluffy...

Then beat in the vanilla and chocolate. Viola!

Now to assemble the cake. Cut the 2 cakes horizontally to make 4 cake layers. Set one layer aside.

Place one cake layer on a serving platter, cut side up. Top with half the chilled pudding mixture. Add a cake layer then spread remaining pudding on that layer. Top with the third layer and frost that 3 layer cake with the frosting.

Place half of the fourth cake layer (eat the other half) into a food processor and process until you have cake crumbs. Press the cake crumbs into the sides and top of the cake.

I made this cake for my nephew's 17th birthday. I mean, what's messier than a 17 year old boy anyway?? LOL! He loved that it was chocolate cake with chocolate pudding with chocolate frosting with chocolate cake crumbs. The only thing missing was the chocolate syrup!

Slice, serve, and enjoy!!


Brooklyn Blackout Cake
Adapted from The Cake Book

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Ingredients:

For the Cake

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 cup low fat buttermilk
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup hot brewed coffee

For the Pudding Filling

• 4 large egg yolks
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 3 ounces bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Frosting

• 4 ounces unsweetened or semi sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 11 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 2/3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. MAKE THE CAKE: Position rack to the center of the oven. Preheat to 350 degrees F. Spray two 9-inch round baking pans with baking spray.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar until blended.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, buttermilk, butter, and vanilla.
4. With the mixer on low speed, add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients in a slow, steady stream.
5. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula then mix on medium speed until well blended, about 1 minute.
6. Add the hot coffee and mix until just blended.
7. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and, using a rubber spatula, stir the batter up from the bottom of the bowl a few times to thoroughly blend. (The batter will be quite runny by now).
8. Evenly distribute the batter into the cake pans and smooth tops if needed.
9. Bake the cakes for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
10. Cool cakes in the pans for 10 minutes then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
11. MAKE THE PUDDING FILLING: In the clean bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, on medium speed, beat the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until pale, about 1 minute.
12. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine the water and cream, bring to a boil.
13. Remove pan from heat and whisk about half the mixture into the yolk mixture then whisk the yolk and cream mixture back into the saucepan and the remaining cream mixture.
14. Whisking constantly, cook over medium heat until mixture reaches a boil. Continue to whisk constantly and boil for 1 minute. 
15. Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate until completely melted. 
16. Pass the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl then stir in the vanilla extract.
17. Cover with plastic wrap making sure the surface of the pudding mixture is well covered. 
18. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
19. MAKE THE FROSTING: Place the chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Microwave chocolate, stopping to stir every 10-15 seconds, until fully melted. Set aside.
20. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, on medium speed, cream the butter about 1 minute.
21. With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar until just blended, increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
22. Beat in the vanilla and chocolate until well blended and creamy, about 1 minute more.
23. ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Using a long, serrated knife, cut each cake in half horizontally to make 4 layers. Set one layer aside.
24. Place one cake layer, cut side up, on a serving plate. Stir the chilled filling until smooth then spread half of the filling over the cake layer.
25. Top with another cake layer and spread the remaining filling over it. Top that with the final cake layer, smooth side up.
26. Take the fourth cake layer and break it in half. Place half of this layer into a food processor and process until it becomes crumbs (go ahead and eat the other half of that layer, you know you want to).
27. Using a small, offset metal spatula, frost the top and sides of the cake with frosting.
28. Pat a generous amount of cake crumbs along the side of the cake, pressing the crumbs lightly into the frosting. Then sprinkle and pat the crumbs onto the top of the cake.
29. Slice, serve, and enjoy! 

Lemon Pudding Cake

Summer, Summer, Summer time. Time to sit back and unwind.

I have always loved Summer.

It always meant the end of the school year, getting older, moving on, and love.

When I was little, I would spend Summers at my Grandma's house. We would jump in the car and head to Lawton, Oklahoma. We would always arrive around 2 or 3 in the morning.

The stifling heat and humidity that hit us as we groggily stumbled out of the air conditioned car signaled that Summer vacation had truly begun.

I remember little details. The heat. The sound of the bug zapper hanging above the porch. The locked screen door, my grandma sleeping on the couch waiting for us to arrive. The smell of Pine Sol and Bengay upon walking into the house. It all meant Summer.

This Summer, I'm excited to say that Little Butt will begin making her own Summer memories. This Summer, Little Butt will be heading to her Grandma's house to spend some time. I hope that one day she will look fondly on her Summer's as I do.

Before Grandma's house though, is our visit with The Hubble!

The Hubble is here with us for his mid deployment leave and we couldn't be happier.

I picked Little Butt up early from school on her last day so we could drive to the airport to pick up her Daddy. She was surprised and thrilled that he was finally home!

Today, they went out to ride horses. Little Butt LOVES horses so The Hubble thought it would be a fun Daddy/Daughter adventure date. I can't wait for them to get home and tell me all about it.

Another wonderful thing about Summer is the fresh fruit that is available. There is nothing like cold, juicy watermelon on a hot day.

The fresh berries on this lemon pudding cake is just the thing to satisfy on a Summer afternoon. The cake itself is sticky and moist while the berries pop and crackle on the tongue. This dessert was...perfection. The lemon in the cake provided the perfect amount of tart to counteract the sweetness of the berries and sugar.

I doubled the recipe and made 8 cakes instead of the 4 it originally served and the cakes were devoured within 10 minutes of being plated.

If you are looking for a lovely dessert that is simple to put together after a day at the pool, grab some lemons and fresh berries and whip these babies up!

Let's bake!

Butter or spray some ramekins. Then dust them with sugar. This recipe only makes four cakes, I have a large family so I doubled the recipe.

Beat together the buttermilk, egg yolks, lemon juice, and lemon zest until well combined. Then beat in your flour, sugar, and salt.

In a separate, metal mixing bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Gently fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter. Then fold in the rest of the egg whites until well incorporated.

Evenly divide the batter among the ramekins. Place ramekins in a roasting pan then fill with water until water reaches halfway up ramekins.

Bake about 45 minutes until cakes spring back when lightly touched and are a golden brown color.

Allow to cool slightly then invert onto plates.

Top cakes with fresh berries then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Serve and enjoy!!


Lemon Pudding Cake
Adapted from The Food Network

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Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter or Butter flavored cooking spray
• 2/3 cup superfine sugar, plus more for dusting
• 2 eggs, separated
• 2/3 cup reduced fat buttermilk
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 1 cup fresh blackberries
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Butter or spray 4 1-cup ramekins then dust with sugar.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, on medium speed, beat together the egg yolks, buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest until well combined.
4. Reduce speed to low and beat in flour, sugar, and salt. Beat until combined.
5. In a separate, metal mixing bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form.
6. Gently fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter. Then fold in the remaining egg whites until well mixed.
7. Divide the batter evenly among the ramekins. Place in a large baking dish and pour water into the dish until water reaches halfway up sides of ramekins.
8. Bake for 45 minutes, cakes should spring back when lightly touched and have a golden color.
9. Allow cakes to cool slightly then invert onto a serving plate.
10. Top cakes with fresh berries and powdered sugar.
11. Serve and enjoy!