Baking

Autumn Inspired Red Bird Buttercream Cake

0 · Nov 5, 2013 · 6 Comments

This buttercream cake post brought to you by Craftsy // Have you ever had that experience of learning a new skill, and then the excitement of wanting to practice, practice, practice? That is totally how I felt after taking the FREE Modern Buttercream Class on Craftsy. I have always wanted to create beautiful cakes and I have learned some skills over the years, but this class really helped to take me to the next level. I learned how to shape the cake so that it looks more professional, not all rounded and wonky. That amazing trick of adding simple syrup to the cake to keep it moist. So many fun fabulous tricks. Not to mention the step-by-step instructions on how to make Swiss buttercream. That helped me with my first practice my simple buttercream cake. You can check it out here. You can tell in that picture I still had some stuff to work on. With all of that, I had to try my hand at another cake. This time I was going to conquer a challenge of mine… FONDANT. In the class Joshua John Russell teaches how to make gum paste embellishments, but I decided I wanted my decor to be made out of fondant. I didn't want my fun graphic elements to be hard I wanted them to be soft but, the steps are pretty close.

For this cake, I was inspired by the beautiful time of year we are in. When we first moved here to Lincoln last year, we arrived at this time of year. It was so fun to actually have a real fall for the first time in 8 years. I had a very special morning one day early on here. I was feeling a little blue with the move and looking out the window at the new scenery. The trees and the leaves were beautiful, but I was feeling weighted down. Then all of a sudden a beautiful Cardinal flew right up next to my window and just sat there for a moment. My spirits soared! I hadn't ever seen such a beautiful red bird. From that time forward, Cardinals have been a special fall friend for me. I decided to make a modern little red bird cake to celebrate the season…

Now remember, I have a little bit of a fear of fondant. For some reason, it has always been one of those elements that only really cool cake decorators could use. I just didn't feel like I was at that level yet. I lacked confidence. After taking Modern Buttercream I felt like it was time to tackle this skill!

I found these fondant cutters from Wilton that are normally leaves, but I thought they could easily turn into cute modern looking birds. I used a fondant roller with rolling pin guides to make sure I had a uniform thickness just like Joshua did while working with the gum paste. He made little butterflies and affixed them to his amazing cake…

I cut out my little birds in just the same way…

Then I pinched the front of the shape to make it look a little more bird like…

I used a little gold Gragée for the eye and then affixed it to the side of the cake.

Because the cake is buttercream, it's super easy to affix the fondant birds right to the side of the cake. I kept things simple with the cake to keep the modern feel. I didn't want a completely smooth cake so I kept a little bit of movement in the buttercream, but not a ton.

It turned out so cute… It also helped that I had the cutest little red bird cake plate that I found while I was at the Smucker's Company Store in Ohio. I just adore it!

Now, as Joshua teaches in the Modern Buttercream class on Craftsy… You can have the most beautiful cake, but if I doesn't taste good, you've missed the mark. Here's one of my little secrets… If you don't have time to bake a cake, but you want to decorate your own cake, go to your favorite bakery! You may want to call a day or two ahead, but you can purchase pre-made cake rounds that are generally frozen and ready to decorate. For sure a time saver, but if you have a good bakery, you know you will always have a scrumptious cake to serve.

I CAN'T WAIT to practice some more. I also can't believe how just a little bit of education can help boost my confidence. I now love cake decorating and can't wait to learn even more though Craftsy. Have you guys checked it out yet? What classes would you like to take?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Craftsy. The opinions and text are all mine.

Modern Buttercream with Craftsy

2 · Oct 31, 2013 · 1 Comment

This post brought to you by Craftsty // I LOVE learning new skills and one of my go to places for that is… Craftsy. Have you discovered Craftsy yet? Craftsy is your premiere online learning resource for anything creative. They have sewing, knitting, jewelry making, cooking and cake decorating to name just a few. They have gathered top experts in their field to create high quality classes for you to enjoy and learn from right in your home and on your own time schedule. The other day I took one of their free classes that they have available, Modern Buttercream…

Now, I'm no stranger to cake making, but… I am no expert. I am self taught, I have been dying to learn how to make my cakes look a little more professional. I knew it was time to take a class, but who has time to take a class? I sure don't. That's why Craftsy is perfect! I logged onto my class while sitting on my couch in my PJ's with Gage (my three year old tag along) hanging out with me. It was perfect, I didn't have to find a babysitter or even get dressed. I was able to learn the finer points of creating a buttercream cake from Joshua John Russell. He is an amazing cake artist who I've been watching for several years on the Food Network. He is super talented and a fabulous teacher…

I am blown away every time a take a class through Craftsy. They are indepth and create a class that you can really learn from. I learned a ton from Joshua. Like how to carve a cake so that it not only looks good, but tastes even better too.

I have always used a "buttercream" that is simple to make, but it's not a real buttercream. In this class Joshua teaches how to make a traditional Swiss Buttercream and then how to frost your cake so that it looks like a professional decorated it. Another tip I learned, drizzle a simple syrup on your cake before you assemble. this way your cake stays nice and moist…

I was able to watch right along with Joshua on my iPad while I worked right along with him…

Craftsy even has their very own app so it's even easier to watch your classes on your mobile device.

I was able to practice my carving skills (which I still need more practice.)

Then I practiced my crumb coating skills. Do you know why you use a crumb coat? You'll have to come take the class to find out.

Then I did my final coat and a simple decoration and a rustic finish for my first buttercream cake…

It turned out pretty good, but I'm ready for some more practice so I can make a cake just like Joshua. The nice thing… it tasted amazing! I did add a little more sugar to his buttercream recipe because I like my buttercream a little sweeter, but overall this class was excellent. I am going to work on another autumn themed cake this weekend to practice my skills. I'll let you know how it turns out next week. In the mean time… You should head over to Craftsy and take one of their free classes to see how amazing the platform is. They have this Modern Buttercream class and Fondant and Hand Painted Cake classes… You'll be amazed!!

Come back next week for my second cake, I have a few more secret tips that I will be sharing!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Craftsy. The opinions and text are all mine.

Salted Caramel Apple Pie Recipe

2 · Oct 17, 2013 · 18 Comments

Salted Caramel Apple Pie Recipe // Hello Whipperberry readers! It's Jenn here from Clean and Scentsible. I'm so excited to be visiting again today and have brought along my new favorite dessert – salted caramel apple pie! I normally prefer desserts with chocolate so you know this has got to be good! 🙂

This would make the perfect dessert for Thanksgiving or any other fall dinner party!

Ingredients

Crust

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup vegetable shortening {cut into 1/2 inch cubes}
6-8 tbsp ice cold water

Filling

2 tbsp butter
8 medium apples peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. all purpose flour
1 can Dulce de Leche Caramel sauce {available in the sweetened condensed milk section}
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt

Topping

one egg, beaten
1-2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions

Crust

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the shortening, working it into the mixture using a pastry blender until course crumbs form. Fill a bowl with water and some ice cubes. Sprinkle about 2-3 tbsp. of the water over the mixture distributing it evenly. Continue to add water 1 tbsp. at a time until the dough will hold together when pressed. Divide the dough into two balls, one slightly larger than the other and then flatten into 1/2 inch thick discs. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Filling

Cook the cubed apples with 2 tbsp. of butter in a large skillet for 10 minutes over medium heat. Allow to cool. In a sauce pan, melt 1 tbsp. of butter with the flour and cook on low for 1 minute. Add the caramel sauce, cinnamon and salt. Continue to cook for approximately 3 minutes. Combine approximately 3/4 of the mixture with the cooled apples. Save the remaining caramel sauce for the topping.

Putting it Together

Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly flour your workspace and roll out the larger ball of dough into a large circle to line the bottom and sides of your pie plate {approximately an 11 inch circle}. Place the dough in a nine inch pie plate and fill with the apple mixture. Roll out the remaining dough to form the top of the pie. Brush the edges of the pie with the beaten egg and press to seal. Cut some vent slits in the center of the pie. Brush the top of the pie with egg and sprinkle with the sugar and salt. Bake for 55-60 minutes until the crust is golden brown.

Top with vanilla ice cream and drizzle with the remaining caramel sauce. Pure deliciousness! I promise that you won't be disappointed!

If you are looking for some other Thanksgiving ideas, you might like these posts as well…

Chocolate Turkey Fruit Fondue / Thanksgiving Decor / Turkey Treats

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Thanks so much to Heather for having me! Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Brown Butter White Chocolate & Cinnamon Chip Cookies Recipe

1 · Sep 24, 2013 · 6 Comments

// Brown Butter White & Cinnamon Chip Cookies Recipe //

Thanks again Heather for having me!

When September arrived a few weeks ago, I absolutely loved knowing my nieces, nephews, and dear little friends were starting up school again. This time of year is so nostalgic for me. It's hard to beat the thought of freshly baked cookies ready at home for our hard-working school kids, right? My little ones aren't quite there yet, but before I know it I'll be sending them off to school, and I hope they'll enjoy coming home to a sweet treat every once in a while.

I recently discovered Hershey's Cinnamon Chips (I've only been able to find them at Walmart) and wanted to try them in cookies. Brown butter anything is a winner in my book, so I looked up my favorite brown butter cookie recipe found here and adjusted the recipe a bit. They have a delicious nutty flavor, rich with the white chocolate, and the cinnamon chips add a wonderful fall flavor. I think they'd be a great after school snack, for kids and parents!

BROWN BUTTER WHITE CHOCOLATE & CINNAMON CHIP COOKIES

{Adapted from Ambitious Kitchen's Nutella-Stuffed Brown Butter + Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies}

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoons of salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon plain greek yogurt or sour cream

2/3 cup white chocolate chips

2/3 cup cinnamon chips

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. The butter will begin to foam. Make sure you whisk constantly during this process. After a couple of minutes, the butter will begin to brown and give off a nutty aroma–smelling heavenly. Immediately transfer the butter to a bowl to prevent burning. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

With an electric mixer (I used my kitchen aid with the paddle attachment), mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, vanilla, and yogurt until combined. Add the dry ingredients slowly and beat on low-speed just until combined. Gently fold in all the chocolate chips.

Chill your dough in a covered container for about 2 hours in the refrigerator. Just before the dough is done being chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Scoop balls of dough (about 2 tablespoons) onto a lined baking sheet. Bake for 9 minutes (a little more or less depending on your oven). They will look a bit underdone in the middle, but will continue to cook once out of the oven. Let cookies sit on baking sheet for a minute or two, then remove them and let them fully cool on a wire rack. Or, if you're like us you'll enjoy one or two straight off the pan, being sure to "blow blow blow" as my little boy would say. 😉 Repeat with remaining dough and enjoy!!

xo,

Haley

And here are a few recipes and projects that make my autumn-loving heart all sorts of happy: