Cake Decorating and Buttercream

I wanted to share a picture of the latest cake I've decorated for my Wilton cake decorating class. This is the last cake of course 1, and I start course 2 on March 9th, and that will be flowers and borders. I'm not too excited for that one, but in a month's time, hopefully I will move onto fondant. Yay!



Also, this cake is nothing special. It's a reduced sugar yellow cake from Pillsbury, and I don't really know if it tastes good. The buttercream is the wilton recipe, which is:
1 cup solid vegetable shortening (Crisco, but NOT in the can. They have packs that look like creamcheese)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon meringue powder
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
2 tablespoons water (this is probably wrong. I've only been making double recipes, but I've had to add 7-8 tbsps to get the right consistency, so just start with 2, and add more as needed)

I don't particularly like this recipe because shortening has always seemed unpleasant to me. It still tastes good, though! And since it doesn't use butter, it a) doesn't need to be refrigerated, and b) won't turn to sugar soup.


(Exhibit A: buttercream made with all butter)

The buttercream I am used to making, and prefer, is a Swiss meringue buttercream from Martha Stewart. I don't know if it's the meringue that keeps it together, but it works well and everyone seems to like it. Also, there is only a little bit of sugar (compared to a full pound as in the previous recipe), so it isn't overly sweet. It takes a little more time to make, but it's worth it.

5 large egg whites
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons white (granulated) sugar
pinch of salt
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp, cut into pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

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 mixer stand. Using the whisk attachment, beat on high speed until mixture has cooled completely and formed stiff and glossy peaks, about 10 minutes.
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 beat just until combined.
3. 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. Make sure you refrigerate your cupcakes/cake after using this, since it has real butter in it.

I haven't iced a cake with this buttercream, but here is a cupcake:



Phew, sorry this post was so long! I'll have a yummy recipe next time!

Mini Oreo Cheesecakes!

So really the title should be "Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes," but I always feel weird saying cake twice. I decided to make these for my first recipe post because a) they're delicious, and b) they were the first cupcakes I made using a Martha Stewart recipe. I have Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, and it is fantastic. I have tried several of the recipes, and she hasn't steered me wrong yet. I wish mine would come out as flawlessly pretty as hers, but they are yummy nonetheless.

So, here is the recipe (straight out of the book):
Ingredients:
42 cream-filled sandwich cookies, such as Oreos, 30 left whole, and 12 coarsely chopped (or 14 if you're feeling daring! I used doublestuf oreos for the bottoms and regular oreos for the batter)
2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
Pinch of salt


1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.



2. With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.

3. Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.

(Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the batter! There was a lot though. I ended up with 40 cookies, even though the recipe estimates a yield of 30)

4. Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.



Enjoy!

PS- If you have a roasting pan big enough for your cupcake tins, perhaps you should try baking these in a water bath. I had a few of mine crack =(

So, I have decided to start a baking blog to showcase my confectionary exploits. Basically, I plan to post pictures of what I bake, and include the recipes I used.I will also actively work on my blog writing skills, so that I can at least keep my readers entertained. In other words, comments are encouraged!

Here's a treat to get the ball rollin':