There was this one cookbook that I fondly remember as a kid that was especially for kids. Inside was a pretty picture of a chocolate cake with a design and balloons in the background associated with birthday parties.
(One thing I've learned through the years is that the picture may look pretty but it doesn't make the food taste any better once it is made.)
Eventually one day I found a recipe that sounded good with what I imagine a yellow cake to taste like with chocolate butter cream frosting. I stumbled upon a website ( King Arthur Flour) that provided an easy homemade golden vanilla cake. I use to receive their magazines and I remember the recipes within them but forget to clip them out. Well low and behold, they are now on a website with pictures!
Since it was my husband's birthday, I wanted to try it out but I checked with him to see if he would rather have oatmeal cookies with a marshmallow filling. The cake won!
Anytime I am going to plunge into the kitchen to start cooking, I like to write down my instructions and ingredients. This helps tremendously in making sure I don't miss a step. Sure- I could have printed it out and read it before trying it; however, the process of re-writing the recipe helps imprint it in my memory. I strategize on what steps to take. I group my ingredients and methods.
As soon as I got home from work, I started my task after being barreled down my two 40 pound puppies. I tied my hair back, pushed up my sleeves, put on my apron, and washed my hands. I was ready to start cooking! Since I had both desert to make and a dinner to cook, I acted upon an important piece of advice: Mediate a minute just to put into perspective the timing of a meal plan.
Thoughts that go through my head...
What needs to be done first?
What is second? If I get this task done, what is my next?
Can I overlap cooking times for a meal?
Timing is crucial in the kitchen. If the timing goes well it translates to sitting down for dinner at our regular scheduled time. Just like a restaurant, the guests like to have their meal at a certain time. So I treat my family the same way because in reality the body likes routines and starts the digestion process in the same timely manner each day.
Homemade Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Butter cream Frosting
Back to baking a cake. Here's how I started this process. Grabbed the butter, eggs, and milk for both the cake recipe and chocolate butter cream recipe. Just like baking cookies, room temperature ingredients blend together much butter than cold.
Preheat 350 degrees.
In a large bowl- whisk together the following:
2 cups of sugar
3 1/4 cups of flour
2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
Next- grab your very soft butter and your hand mixer.
3/4 cup butter, softened
Mix this with the dry ingredients and it will turn the mixture sandy.
Grab the milk and vanilla.
1 1/4 cup milk, room temperature
2 teaspoons of vanilla
Add all at once and turn on the hand mixer - 30 seconds at low, 30 seconds at medium.
Scrap down the sides.
Grab your eggs. I place them in warm water to bring them to room temp.
4 eggs
Crack 1 egg at time and add into the mixture. Blend for 30 seconds. Scrap time the sides. Repeat this process 3 times.
With the last egg cracked and added. Turn on the mixer for 30 seconds on medium high.
Time to pour your batter.
You can choose to use either cupcake pan or bundt or cake pans. It just depends what you would like. Just make sure to use parchment paper or cupcake holders.
Place in the oven and bake until just about light brown.
Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Once it pulls away from the side a little, remove from the pans and place on a cooling rake.
Chocolate Butter cream Frosting
The frosting to top it off. I found this recipe after a quick google search. I decided to halve the recipe as I went along. Seriously what do you do with too much frosting and in my case I'm not a big fan of the sugary topping. So I tried to make it to my liking. I taste tested it along the way. I found this important but I went into a sugar shock at certain moments.
It helps to use room temperature butter and room temperature milk. A microwave can assist if you run out of time but make sure not to let the butter get too melted into soupy liquid phase.
Place into the mixing bowl:
1 stick of butter, cut into pads.
3 cups of powder sugar
3 Tablespoons of milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/8 teaspoon of salt
Use the hand blender on low and let it blend together for about 30 seconds. About a little bit more milk if it is too chunky. Smooth it out just a little with about 30 seconds more.
Chocolate- I used my unsweetened cocoa powder. On the side of the package, it provides a chocolate square equivalents= 3 Tablespoons cocoa + 1 Tablespoon canola oil
I grabbed a small pot and heat it up on low. Added in 6 Tablespoons of cocoa powder and 2 Tablespoons of canola oil. I mixed it together until it became smooth and warm.
Pour it into my frosting mixture.
Next I turned my hand mixer on medium high to whip up the frosting.
Frost your cake once it has cooled with the chocolate butter cream frosting.
Once the cake is frosted place the candles for a birthday wish!
