Homemade Piping Gel

Piping gel can be purchased in any cake supply or craft store, but it's easy and less expensive to make your own.  Piping gel comes in very handy when decorating a cake that does not have any leftover buttercream for writing, and it can piped on the surface of a cake frosted with a whipped cream icing, such as this strawberries and cream cake.

Uses for piping gel include:
1.  Writing on cakes - thin with water to desired consistency
2.  Stabilizing whipped cream - add 1 tablespoon at the end of whipping for every cup of whipping cream used
3.  Cake decorating when a representation of water is needed (dyed blue to resemble the water in a pool, lake etc)
4.  Edible "glue" for decorations on cakes.  It doesn't dry too quickly which allows for placement adjustment
5.  Adding sheen to fondant decorations

Piping Gel

from Craftsy blog 

Yields 1 cup

• 1/4-cup cold water
• 1/4-cup corn starch
• 1/2-cup light corn syrup
• 1 tsp clear flavor extract (optional)
• Gel food coloring (optional)

Combine the cold water and corn starch in a small saucepan. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in the corn syrup.

Heat until thickened.   Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature before adding flavoring or color.

If the piping gel becomes too thick, add a tiny amount of water until you achieve your desired consistency. Store piping gel refrigerated in an airtight container for up to three months.

Chocolate Birthday Cake {grain-free}

You absolutely cannot tell that this cake is made without any flour or refined sugars.  It is a wonderful option for anyone who cannot have gluten or grains.  There are recipes for frosting out there that have no refined sugar, but I opted to go with my standard Swiss meringue icing.  I'm sure I'll be trying out those other icing recipes before too long!  If you make this cake, please let me know if you like it as much as I did!

Wanna bite?  I know you do!!

Grain-free Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
adapted from Deliciously Organic
makes 2 9-inch rounds

8 ounces dark chocolate (I use Callebaut dark chocolate)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil or 4 more tablespoons butter
2/3 cup maple syrup
6 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 cups almond flour (I use Costco’s Kirkland brand)
2 teaspoons coconut flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder (grain free)

Preheat oven to 350 ºF and adjust rack to middle position. Place the chocolate, butter and coconut oil in the bowl of a double boiler. Melt, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool (the mixture needs to cool for at least 10 minutes before adding the egg mixture below). 

Place the maple syrup and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Whisk for 5-6 minutes until pale yellow and fluffy.  Slowly whisk in the cooled chocolate mixture.

Sift almond flour, coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder over egg mixture. Gently fold to incorporate. Divide batter between two buttered 9-inch cake pans lined with a round piece of parchment paper. Bake cakes for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool cakes for 10 minutes, run a knife around the edges and then remove the cakes from the pans. Cool completely.

Chocolate Buttercream
6 ounces egg whites
12 ounces granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 sticks or one pound butter at cool room temperature 
1 teaspoon vanilla
4  ounces melted and cooled dark chocolate

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine eggs whites, sugar and salt.  Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water.  The bowl should not touch the water.   Whisk constantly until the mixture reaches 160 degrees. Remove from the heat and place the bowl onto your stand mixer and whisk at med-high speed until the mixture comes to room temperature (feel the outside of the bowl to gauge the temp).   Replace the whisk with the paddle attachment and reduce the speed to medium.  Add butter one tablespoon at a time. When all of the butter is added, turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl (at this point the buttercream might look curdled, but don’t worry, it will turn creamy). Whisk the mixture on high until light and fluffy. Reduce speed again and slowly pour in the melted chocolate and the vanilla, and mix until incorporated.

To assemble:
Place one cake layer on a cake stand and top with one third of the frosting. Spread frosting evenly on the cake. Place second cake layer on top and use remaining frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake.

Chocolate Peppermint Ganache Layer Cake

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching and I can't think of a better way to show love than a chocolate peppermint ganache layer cake.  This recipe always gets rave reviews from family and friends.

I made this cake gluten-free by using Cup4Cup gluten-free flour substitute and it turned out great. You'd never know it was gluten-free.

Make a heart on top by sprinkling crushed peppermints in the shape of a heart (use a stencil or template made of parchment for the perfect heart shape).   Have a Happy Valentine's Day!

Chocolate Peppermint Ganache Layer Cake
Make one 3-layer 6-inch cake

For the chocolate cake:
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons hot water
1/3 cup sour cream
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (substitute Cup 4 Cup flour for gluten-free version)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
10 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
peppermint ganache, recipe follows
peppermint buttercream, recipe follow
crushed peppermint candies for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, or 325 degrees for convection setting.

Coat three 6-inch round cake pans with spray oil, line the bottoms with rounds of parchment, and spray the parchment.

In a bowl, combine the cocoa, hot water, and sour cream with a whisk and set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well, and scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.

While the mixer is running on low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture in 3 additions and the chocolate mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour.  Increase the mixer speed to medium and mix until just combined.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix again until batter is homogenous.

Divide the batter evenly among the 3 pans and bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 25 minutes.  Allow to cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then remove the cakes from the pans and cool completely.

For the peppermint buttercream:
3 large egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 sticks or 1 cup unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Fill a medium saucepan with about an inch of water and bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer (this will be your double boiler).

Whisk together the egg whites, sugar, and salt in the metal bowl of your stand mixer and place the bowl over the simmering water but do not let the bowl touch the water.  Whisk the mixture while cooking until the mixture reaches 140 degrees F.

Remove the bowl from the double boiler and place it in your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Whisk the egg mixture on medium high speed until the outside of the bowl is room temperature.

With the mixer running on medium low speed, slowly add the butter one tablespoon at a time, allowing each piece of butter to become incorporated before adding the next.  After all the butter is added, increase the mixer speed to med-high and beat until the mixture is stiff and smooth, another minute or two.  Add the peppermint extract and mix to combine.  More extract can be added to taste.  Use at room temperature.

For the peppermint ganache:
4 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons creme de menthe liqueur or 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Place the chocolate in a small heat-proof bowl.  Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until just simmering around the edges of the pan.  It should be hot but not boiling.  Pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes.  Whisk the mixture together briskly starting with small strokes at the center of the mixture until the mixture is shiny and smooth.  Whisk in the creme de menthe or extract and set aside to cool until the mixture is firm but still spreadable.

To assemble the cake:
Place one cake layer on a cake stand.  Spread about one half of the ganache on the bottom layer, then spread a thin layer of buttercream.  Repeat this with the second cake layer, and then place the third layer on top.  Cover entire cake with buttercream and garnish with crushed peppermint candies.

A Tennis Cake and A Shortcut: Using Candy Melts for Writing

A problem I run into when I am making chocolate ganache icing for a cake is that I have to make another icing which can be colored with food coloring for the writing on the cake.  This means thinking ahead and getting the butter out to soften, making a fraction of a recipe for buttercream, dirtying another bowl and beaters, and adding food coloring to the right shade.  

So here's a shortcut for you:  If you have candy melts on hand (such as the Wilton brand you can get a JoAnn's), you can place the melted candy coating in a decorator's bottle or a plastic baggie with a small hole cut in the corner and write away!  The candy coating is already colored so there's no need to mess with food coloring (in fact, don't try to add regular gel food coloring to candy melts, or the candy coating will seize.)

Tennis anyone?

Ganache-glazed Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Buttercream

Happy Valentine's Day!  I hope your sweetie showers you with a gift of chocolate, raspberry, and chocolate ganache ... maybe with pink and red and white jimmies on top.  Or make this cake for someone you love - they won't soon forget it - they may even thank you with a great big hug and a kiss!

Chocolate Cake

from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

For the cake:
3/4 Cup Dark Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 1/4 Cups Hot Water
2/3 Cup Sour Cream
2 2/3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
3/4 Cup or 1 1/2 Sticks Unsalted Butter, softened
1/2 Cup Vegetable Shortening (or substitute softened butter)
1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
1 Cup Firmly Packed Dark Brown Sugar
3 Large Eggs, room temperature
1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract


1. Preheat the oven to 325F.  Spray three 8- or 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray, line the bottoms with parchment paper and then spray the parchment.  Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl combine the cocoa, hot water and sour cream. Whisk together and set aside to cool.

3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

4. Add the butter and shortening to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle and beat on medium until light and fluffy - about 5 minutes. Add the sugars and beat for another 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. Give the sides of the bowl a scrape and give one last mix for 30 seconds.

6. Add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the cocoa mixture in two additions, starting and ending with the flour.

7. Divide the batter equally among the three pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 35 to 4o minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes before removing cake from the pans to cool completely.  Wrap the cake layers and freeze for 30 minutes or up to one week.  Allow to thaw slightly before applying icing.

Raspberry Buttercream

adapted from Katherine Seeley/Fine Cooking

Yields 7-1/2 to 8 cups enough to fill and frost a 9-inch four-layer cake or about 5 dozen cupcakes

5 large egg whites
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. light corn syrup
1 lb., 4 oz. (2-1/2 cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup raspberry puree, strained

Place the egg whites in the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk on medium-high speed until foamy. Sprinkle in 6 Tbs. of the sugar and beat on high speed to medium peaks (the whites should be smooth, full, and shiny, and the peaks should curl a little). Turn off the mixer.

Combine the remaining 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. sugar and the corn syrup in a medium (3-quart) saucepan over medium high heat, stirring briefly to dissolve the sugar. Continue to cook just until the mixture comes to a rolling boil.

Immediately remove the syrup from the heat, turn the mixer onto medium-high speed, and slowly pour the syrup down the side of the bowl in a steady stream, being very careful not to let the syrup hit the whisk.

Reduce the speed to medium and continue whisking until the whites are barely warm, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the butter 1 Tbs. at a time. Add the vanilla and continue beating until the frosting is smooth and creamy.  Add raspberry puree and beat until combined.  Add additional pink food coloring if desired.  Use at room temperature.

Chocolate Ganache Glaze
from Allrecipes.com via Sweetapolita.com

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream

Place the chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl.  Place the heavy cream in a small saucepan and heat until the cream starts to bubble at the perimeter and feels hot to the touch.  Pour the heavy cream over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for one minute.  With a whisk, begin whisking the mixture in the center and continue outward until the mixture is shiny and smooth.  Allow to cool 15 minutes before using.  Pour the ganache on top of the cake about 1/4 or 1/3 at a time and use a large offset spatula to cover the top and as the ganache drips down the sides of the cake, carefully spread it around the sides in a thin layer.  Decorate with jimmies.

Just How Soft is Softened Butter? (Tip for Making Buttercream Icings)

{I dedicate this post to Ellen and Courtney.}

I wanted to give you one all-important tip to consider when making buttercream icings.

It all has to do with the temperature of the butter.

Recipes for buttercream usually call for "softened" butter, or "butter at room temperature".  More recently, I've noticed that recipes are getting more specific and list "butter, at cool room temperature" or "butter, softened but still cool".  Confused yet?

It's simple really.  When using butter for cooked buttercream icings (meringue icings, French buttercreams, or boiled icings), the butter cannot be too warm, or the frosting will not set up properly and will probably stay a liquidy mess, not worthy of any cupcake.  (There are ways to try to remedy this if this should happen .)

For this reason, you should never, ever, microwave your butter to soften it - no matter how quickly you need the softened butter.  The microwave heats the butter unevenly and you'll have some cool spots, and other areas that are melted.  Your buttercream will reject you if you do this.

But if you only have cold butter on hand, you don't need to think ahead an hour before starting your buttercream either. When I start to make a buttercream icing, I pull my butter out of the refrigerator, unwrap it and slice each stick of butter into 6-10 pieces (or more - smaller pieces soften faster than large pieces),  making sure that the pieces of butter are mostly sitting by themselves and not touching each other too much. This increases the area of each piece that is exposed to the air, allowing them to soften faster.  By the time I have cooked the egg whites or sugar on the stove, and then whipped them until cool (about 20 minutes total), the butter is usually ready to go.

If you're looking to release some pent-up energy, you could pound on the stick of butter with a rolling pin until it is thin and let it stand for 20 minutes.  But be prepared to explain what that pounding is to the rest of the household.  I like to slice it, because you'll be adding the butter to the mixer in pieces anyway.

So how can you tell if the butter is ready?  Take a piece of butter between your thumb and finger and squeeze it a little.  You should be able to make an impression in the butter with your fingers, but it should still provide some resistance.  The butter should feel more waxy than greasy.  If the butter is still too cool (too hard to press into), wait a while longer.  Sometimes I'll flatten each piece with my hand before it goes into the mixer.  If it gives way without any resistance, the butter is too soft.  Get it back into the refrigerator for a few minutes until it passes the test.

Buttermilk Cake with Caramel French Buttercream

Christmas has come and gone and here we are at the last day of the year!  December brought a bad case of the too-busy-to-blogitis, combined with an extended case of writer's block, days too dark to photograph anything well, two kids with pneumonia, and then a terrible cold the week before Christmas - the week which I had set aside to get everything done.  So I went to the stores and shopped for hours when I should've been home in bed.  I even managed to get some Sticky Buns made - for that is a Christmas morning tradition that cannot be skipped!

I've decided that next year we're going to Key West for Christmas.  We'll leave all the Christmas hustle and bustle behind (we'll bring the sticky buns with us if necessary!)

December also brought a lot of baking, mostly Christmas cookies such as these.  But this cake is what's been on my mind to tell you about.  The combination was suggested by a friend who asked me to make this cake for her daughter's birthday. It was a fantastic combination! The basic vanilla buttermilk cake is a cake I've made umpteen times before.  This time, I made one recipe and divided the batter among six 6" cake pans to bake.  The bonus is that I could make one cake for my friend, and we could keep the other as a special treat.  Six-inch cakes are adorable and can serve a surprising number of people (you can easily get 10 more-than-big-enough slices.)

The frosting is a new addition to my repetoire and a welcome one.  This French Buttercream differs from Swiss Meringue Buttercream and Italian Meringue Buttercream in that it uses whole eggs and not just egg whites.   The caramel is brought to soft ball stage on the stovetop and poured over the whipped eggs, then the butter is added once the mixture has cooled.  It's silky and smooth and rich, but not too dense or sweet.  It was delicious!

Vanilla Buttermilk Cake

from Sky High, Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne

makes one 8-inch triple later cake or two 6-inch triple layer cakes, or about 36 cupcakes

4 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

3 cups cake flour

2 cups sugar

4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cake pans or six 6-inch cake pans with vegetable oil spray such as Pam.  Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and spray the paper.

Put the eggs and yolks in a medium mixing bowl, add the vanilla and 1/4 cup of the buttermilk. Whisk to blend well.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixer bowl; whisk to blend. Add the butter and the remaining 1 cup buttermilk to these dry ingredients and with the mixer on low, blend together. Raise the mixer speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Add the egg mixture in 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl and mixing only until thoroughly incorporated. Divide the batter among the prepared pans.

Bake the cake layers for 28-32 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let the layers cool in the pans for 10 minutes; then carefully turn out onto wire racks, peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely.

Caramel Buttercream

Adapted from The Cake Book by Tish Boyle

Makes enough to fill and frost one 8 or 9-inch cake or two 6-inch cakes

1 1/4 cups (300 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

1 pound (4 sticks/454 g) unsalted butter, slightly softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In medium saucepan, combine the sugar, heavy cream, corn syrup, and salt. Place the pan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, just until the sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring, and increase the heat to high.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, begin beating the eggs at medium speed while the syrup cooks to the correct temperature. When the sugar syrup reaches 225°F on a candy thermometer, increase the speed of the mixer to high. Continue to cook the sugar syrup until it reaches 238°F on a candy thermometer. Remove the pan from the heat and with the mixer off, immediately pour about 1/4 cup of the hot syrup over the beaten eggs. Beat at high speed until blended, about 10 seconds. Turn the mixer off and add another 1/4 cup syrup. Beat at high speed for another 10 seconds. Repeat this process until all of the syrup is used. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the side of the bowl and continue to beat at medium-high speed until the egg mixture is completely cool, about 5 minutes.

At medium speed, beat the softened butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, into the egg mixture. Add the vanilla extract, increase the speed to medium-high, and beat the buttercream until it is smooth and shiny, about 4 minutes. (The buttercream must be used at room temperature.)

Lemon Cake with Lemon Curd Filling and Real Raspberry Buttercream

In my last post, I showed you a little trick for filling a cake with lemon curd. Now you can put it into practice and make this special cake with the delicious combination of lemon and raspberry. It's a great summertime cake - the flavors are light and refreshing.

Cake...filling...buttercream...homemade raspberry puree...it sounds like a lot of work. It is. Baking from scratch almost always is. All those bowls and strainers (stuck with raspberry seeds! ugh!) and pots to wash - that's the part I could do without.  But the work is all worth it once you taste the result of your efforts.

Here's a tip...if you have freezer space, it helps to make more than you need and freeze the rest, for quick assembly of defrosted components. No bowls or strainers or pots to wash the next time around. Or use the freezer to space out the work over a week's time, making each component as it is convenient.

Make more puree than you need, then freeze the leftover puree in 1/4 cup portions and save yourself from making puree each time you make raspberry icing, or raspberry ice cream, or raspberry sauce. I poured 1/4 cup of puree into each section of a muffin tin, froze it, then transferred the puree chunks to a plastic baggie for long term freezer storage. If I could find raspberry puree in the store, I would definitely consider buying it.

You can certainly freeze the cake layers. I do that anyway, whether I'm using the cake the next day or the next month. I don't recommend freezing cake longer than a month, however.

You can freeze Swiss meringue buttercream. Freeze it with only the vanilla added and add the raspberry puree when re-whipping the icing after it comes to room temperature.

I've heard you can even freeze lemon curd, although I've never tried it. Have you?

The photo below is not an actual slice from the cake above, but I wanted to show you what the inside of a lemon curd-filled cake looks like. See where I made the "dam" of icing when I filled the cake? A lot of work? Yes. Delicious? Definitely yes!

Lemon Cake

adapted from Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman

3 cups cake flour
2 cups sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons (9 ounces) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/3 cups milk
5 egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 3 8" cake pans with cooking spray, line the bottoms with parchment and spray the parchment.

Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest and salt in a large mixer bowl. With the mixer on low speed, blend well. Add the butter and 1 cup of the milk and mix to blend. Raise the mixer speed to medium and beat until the batter is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites with the vanilla extract and the remaining 1/3 cup milk. Add this to the batter in 2 or 3 additions, scraping down the bowl well and mixing only to incorporate. Divide the batter evenly among the pans. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert them onto wire racks and cool completely, about 1 hour.

Wrap each cake layer with a double layer of plastic wrap and freeze for at least one hour or up to one month.

Lemon Curd
adapted from The Secrets of Baking by Sherry Yard
makes about 2 cups

2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped or grated lemon zest
3 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
3/4 cups lemon juice, or 1/2 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup lime juice
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Fill a medium saucepan with about 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer. Combine the sugar and lemon zest in a food processor and pulse for about one minute. Combine the lemon sugar, eggs, and egg yolks in a medium heatproof bowl such as a stainless steel mixing bowl and whisk together for 30 seconds. Place the bowl over the simmering water and immediately begin whisking and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the lemon juice and continue to cook and stir with a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom of the bowl, until the curd has thickened and reached a temperature of 160 degrees F.

Rinse and dry the bowl of your food processor. Using a mesh strainer, strain the curd into the food processor bowl. Pulse the food processor while you add the butter a piece at a time, until the texture is homogenous. Transfer the curd to a container with a lid and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the lemon curd. Allow the curd to cool completely and then place the lid on your container and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours or up to 5 days.

Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

6 ounces egg whites

10.5 ounces granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

16 ounces (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 cup raspberry puree

Place 2 inches of water in a medium saucepan and bring the water to a simmer. Choose a saucepan that your mixer bowl will fit on top of without touching the water. In your mixer bowl, place the egg whites, sugar, and salt and whisk to combine. Place the bowl over the simmering water and continue to whisk until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture is very hot to the touch, about 130-140 degrees F.

Remove the bowl from the double boiler and place on your stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk at medium-high speed until the outside of the mixer bowl is room temperature. It is very important that the meringue be completely cool before adding the butter.

Add the butter, a tablespoon at a time, letting each tablespoon disappear before adding the next. After all the butter has been added, switch to the paddle attachement and beat until the mixture becomes fluffy and thick. This could take up to an additional 5 minutes or so. The mixture will go through a stage where it looks curdled before it reaches the proper consistency.

Add the vanilla and the raspberry puree and beat until completely combined, about a minute.

Raspberry Puree

a bag of frozen raspberries (a gallon sized bag yielded about 2 cups of puree)

a sprinkling of sugar

Place the rasperries and sugar in a saucepan and bring them to a simmer. When the raspberries are softened and liquidy, pass the mixture through a strainer (I used a chinois) to remove the seeds, trying to get as much of the seedless pulp and liquid as possible through the strainer by pressing on the solids with a spatula or spoon. Return the strained liquid to the saucepan and reduce the liquid so that it becomes a little thicker and has a syrupy consistency. Pour 1/4 of the liquid into each cup of a muffin tin and freeze. (Reserve 1/4 cup if you will be using it right away. Let it come to room temperature before adding to the icing.) Transfer the frozen puree portions to a plastic bag for long term storage in the freezer.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

I just love the way these red velvet cupcakes turned out. I used a Wilton 21 tip to pipe the cream cheese icing into little swirls - 5 or 6 swirls around the edge and then one in the middle. The cupcake papers are made by Reynolds and are sold in our local grocery store. They are high-quality papers which don't become translucent after being baked and they cling nicely to the cupcakes. They're beautiful too. I highly recommend them.

On Friday, I'll be showing you two cupcake towers you can make at home to display your cupcakes!

Red Velvet Cake from the Baked Cookbook

Cream Cheese Frosting

from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes
Makes 4 cups

1 pound (4 cups) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

With a stand mixer on medium-high speed, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix until smooth and combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.

Almond Macarons with Chocolate Swiss Buttercream

Alert the press!

Strike up the band!

I'm celebrating here at Marzipan!

Why? Because I made fabulous French macarons!

I've bookmarked so many posts and tutorials about macarons that they have their own folder in my bookmarks. I tried them last year and the result was a flat, undercooked cookie that wouldn't let go of the Silpat they were sitting on. I was completely psyched out after that.

Until Irina from Pastry Pal published her free tutorial, Master the Macaron. Not only is it a drop dead gorgeous and comprehensive primer, but it works. And the first and most important thing she tells you to do is to stop being intimidated by these little confections! Those were the words I needed to hear. I am intimidated no longer. And neither should you be.  Get on over to Pastry Pal to download her e-book for the recipe for macarons.  

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

From Martha Stewart's Cupcakes
Makes 5 cups

1 1/4 cups sugar
5 large egg whites
pinch of salt
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 ounces good-quality chocolate, melted and cooled, but still liquid

Combine sugar, egg whites and salt in mixer bowl, and set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture registers 140 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.

Transfer bowl to mixer; whisk on medium-high speed until whites are fluffy and the outside of the mixer bowl no longer feels warm to the touch, about 10 minutes.

Reduce speed to medium-low; add butter by the tablespoon, whisking well after each addition. The icing will look curdled for a bit after all the butter has been added, but just continue to beat until the icing is fluffy and smooth. Switch to the paddle attachment and add vanilla extract and melted chocolate and beat until smooth. Pipe the icing onto the macarons with a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip.

Romantic Rose-Covered Red Velvet Cake with Cinnamon Buttercream Icing

I needed to make a treat to donate to our school's annual auction and this seemed like the perfect thing to pack a visual punch to get the highest bid possible. I made a red velvet cake with cinnamon-vanilla swiss meringue buttercream and covered the whole cake with romantic roses - just in time for Valentine's Day.

I'm proud to say that several people bid on the cake to raise money for our school! Thank you everyone!

Red Velvet Cake

adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

Makes one triple layer 8-inch cake

(My recipe adjustments are in parentheses.)

1/4 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons or up to 2 tablespoons red gel food coloring, depending on how red you want the cake
1/4 cup boiling water
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, at room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans (I used 9-inch pans), line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust with flour, and knock out the excess flour. (I didn't flour, just used cooking spray in place of the butter.)
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, food coloring, and boiling water. Set aside to cool. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and shortening until smooth. Scrape down the bowl and add the sugar. Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Stir the buttermilk and vanilla into the cooled cocoa mixture. Sift the flour and salt together into another medium bowl. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture, alternating with the cocoa mixture, to the egg mixture in three separate additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat until incorporated. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and baking soda and stir until the baking soda dissolves; the mixture will fizz. Add to the batter and stir until just combined.
4. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the rack, remove the pans, and let cool completely. Remove the parchment.

Cinnamon-Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream

from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

7 extra-large egg whites or 8 large egg whites

1 3/4 cup sugar

pinch of salt

6 sticks (1 1/2 pounds) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Place sugar and egg whites in the heat-proof bowl of an electric mixer. Set bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, and whisk until sugar has dissolved and egg whites are hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. Test by rubbing the mixture between your fingers; it should feel completely smooth.

2. Transfer bowl to a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat on high speed until mixture has cooled completely and formed stiff and glossy peaks, about 10 minutes.

3. Add the butter, one piece at a time, and beat until incorporated after each addition. Don't worry if the buttercream appears curdled after all the butter has been added; it will become smooth again with continued beating. Add vanilla and cinnamon, and beat just until combined.

4. Switch to the paddle attachment, and beat on the lowest speed to eliminate any air pockets, about 5 minutes. If using buttercream within several hours, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature in a cool environment. Or transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator, up to 3 days. Before using, bring buttercream to room temperature, and beat on the lowest speed with the paddle attachment until smooth, about 5 minutes.

Homemade Marshmallow Fondant and Homemade Poured Fondant

These cupcakes were designed by a special 5-year-old girl for her kindergarten class to enjoy on the last day of her week as "Student of the Week". I did my best to deliver exactly what she wanted.

The request: a carrot cupcake with smooth, shiny, white icing decorated with a pink heart inside a bigger red heart.

Immediately, my mind starts churning. It's a little more complicated than it seems. I couldn't use cream cheese icing or buttercream and achieve the smooth and shiny she was looking for. So I came up with two alternatives: a white chocolate ganache or a poured fondant (the icing generally used on petit fours), neither of which I had any experience with. I decided the white poured fondant would be the better choice considering the age group. Had I been serving to adults, I might have tried the white chocolate ganache.

I found a recipe for poured fondant and thought it looked easy enough. It required four ingredients, plus a candy thermometer and a food processor, all of which I had on hand. The result was good, although I wished it had been a little thicker as I had a few cupcakes that had icing running down the sides. Next time I'll reduce the water by a tablespoon or so. This icing is very sweet, much like royal icing so it's not packing a lot of flavor. For kids, though, sweeter is just fine and my testers didn't seem to mind the sweetness at all! Poured fondant doesn't dry hard like royal icing, however. It stays soft, similar to the consistency of a thick honey.

I chose the best looking ones to give away, and these are what were left. As you can see, the icing was a little thin and drippy on a few. The consistency would have been perfect for petit fours as you want the icing to drip down and cover the sides in that case.

The next decision was how to do the red and pink hearts. I'd wanted to try my hand at homemade marshmallow fondant for a while and this was my chance. I already had some marshmallows and plenty of powdered sugar. Surprisingly, that's all you need!

You wouldn't believe how easy it is to make your own fondant. If you like to knead dough or play with playdough, you'll love making this.

Below are the red hearts, ready to be placed on the cupcakes. Food coloring is kneaded into the fondant (wearing latex-type gloves help keep your hands clean) and the dough is rolled out super thin with a fondant rolling pin and then cut with a cookie cutter. The fondant will dry out when exposed to air, so I keep them covered in plastic wrap until they're ready to be used.

I placed the red hearts on the cupcakes while the icing was still wet. I brushed the pink hearts with a little water and sprinkled on some pink shimmer dust. Then I brushed the underside with water and placed them on top of the red hearts. I ran out of red hearts for the leftovers, but I think the single pink heart is adorable too.

Why not try your hand at fondant hearts for Valentine's Day this year? Get your kids to help out too - it's like playing with edible playdough! It's fun and the results are worth the effort!

Food Processor Poured Fondant
Adapted from The New Pastry Cook by Helen Fletcher

2-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water (or a little less)
1/4 cup corn syrup

Heat sugar, water and corn syrup to the soft-ball stage (238°F; 114°C). Pour into the food processor fitted with the steel blade. Wash the candy thermometer well and reinsert into the syrup. Let the syrup cool undisturbed in the workbowl to 140°F (60°C), about 30 minutes. Remove the thermometer.

Add any coloring or flavoring (vanilla, almond extract, etc.) and process 2 to 3 minutes, until the syrup completely converts from a glassy syrup to an opaque paste. Transfer to a container with a lid. Allow to cool slightly and then press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the fondant and cover with the container's lid. Store at room temperature for 24 hours. Use or refrigerate for later use.

Marshmallow Fondant

adapted from The Decorated Cookie and Cake Journal

Note: This recipe makes enough fondant to cover an entire cake. If you only need a small amount of fondant, it would be easy to cut this recipe in half and make only what you need.

10 ounce bag mini marshmallows
1 to 2 pounds confectioners sugar
2 tsp flavorings (vanilla, lemon, etc)
2 Tbs. water
vegetable shortening for coating hands and bowl

Measure out confectioner's sugar into a bowl and whisk to remove lumps. Use some vegetable shortening to coat the inside of another bowl. Add marshmallows to the coated bowl. Add 2 tablespoons water to the marshmallows. Melt the marshmallows in the microwave, stirring and checking every 30 seconds until completely melted. Once marshmallows have melted, add any flavoring and then add the confectioners' sugar a little at a time and stir to incorporate. When it becomes too thick to stir, transfer the dough to a surface greased with a little shortening. Continue kneading in the confectioners' sugar, a little at a time. Stop adding sugar when the dough is no longer sticking to the counter as you knead. Lubricate hands with shortening from time to time to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands as you knead. Divide the dough if needed and knead in any colorings at this point. Once the color is incorporated, rub a small amount of shortening all over the dough and wrap in plastic wrap. Let the fondant rest at room temp for 30 minutes. It is then ready to use. Wrap any unused fondant tightly in plastic wrap and place inside a resealable plastic bag. Fondant will keep at room temperature for up to 6 months.