Classic Dessert Cakes

Classic Dessert Cakes

In the past several months, I have enjoyed making (and adjusting) some classic cake recipes.  

It is a slight departure from my usual "decorated" cakes.

Although my decorated cakes taste as good as they look (if I may say so myself), the realm of classic dessert cakes shifts the focus entirely to flavor.  

Sour Cream Coconut Cake

My latest classic cake was the Sour Cream Coconut Cake.  This cake is VERY easy as it starts with a box mix.  If you have a scratch recipe for a very tasty vanilla or butter cake, feel free to use it.  I may try it with a scratch vanilla butter cake recipe I have next time.

You need to plan ahead for this cake as a big part of the flavor requires that it sit in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.  Here is a link to the recipe: Sour Cream Coconut Recipe

Here is what I did different (or would next time):

When I mixed the filling as the recipe directed, it seemed to "loose" to me.  I thought I would let it refrigerate overnight and see if it firmed up a bit.  It didn't.  My mother-in-law has made this cake many times so I called her to ask if this was how it was supposed to look.  She said she always adds extra coconut to the filling to thicken it up a bit, so that is what I did.  I also would probably cut back a little on the sugar in the filling (maybe 1-1/4 cups vs. the 2 cups called for).  I added about half of a 7 oz. package of dry coconut to the filling to make it a bit thicker.

Once the layers were stacked and frosted, I took some of the dry coconut and applied it to the sides and top.  There is no "non-messy" way to do this, but I think it came out looking pretty good.

Here are some of the other classic cakes I have made lately with links on how to make them.

Five-Star Chocolate Cake

Oreo Cake

Coca-Cola Cake

Buttermilk-Caramel Cake

Classic Southern Buttermilk Caramel Cake...with a twist

Classic Southern Buttermilk Caramel Cake

Caramel just seems to go with autumn.  Think caramel apples or Halloween caramel candy.  This buttermilk caramel cake is a VERY rich cake!  But oh-so-good.  There are quite a few steps but it really isn't all that hard.  It's perfect for a special occasion.  The traditional caramel cake icing is made partly in a cast iron skillet and is difficult to master.  This version uses a buttercream and easy caramel sauce.

Buttermilk Cake Recipe

The Buttermilk Cake is a Southern Living recipe that I changed up a little bit.  Here is how I made it.  You will need:

1 cup (205 g) hi-ratio shortening *

2 cups (396 g) sugar

4 large eggs (room temp)

2-1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/2 cups buttermilk (room temp)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

*I get hi-ratio shortening at a cake supply store.  You can use regular vegetable shortening or butter but your results will not be quite the same.

Beat the shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy.  Gradually add the sugar, beating well. I generally let this go for 4-5 minutes.  You will notice a definite change in the creaminess of the mixture.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition.

Combine the flour, salt, soda and baking powder.  Turn the mixer on low speed.  Add to the shortening mixture - alternating with the buttermilk.  Start with the flour mix (adding 1/3) - then add half of the buttermilk - then another 1/3 of flour- then rest of buttermilk - then rest of flour mix.  Between each addition, let the mixture come together but do not overmix or the cake will be tough.

Stir in the vanilla extract and pour into 3-8 inch pans that have been prepared.  You can either butter and flour them or use parchment paper.

Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes OR till toothpick comes out clean.  Once done, let cool in pans for 10 minutes then turn out and let cool completely.

It is important that the oven is preheated and that your eggs, buttermilk (and butter if you are subbing out the shortening) are at room temperature.  If you don't have time to bring them to room temp, here is a trick you can use:

Place your buttermilk and eggs in warm water.

Caramel Frosting

For the Caramel Swiss Meringue Buttercream, use your favorite Swiss Meringue Buttercream and use dark brown sugar instead of granulated sugar and use caramel flavoring instead of vanilla extract.  Here is a link to the recipe that I use - Woodland Bakery's SMBC.

Use the buttercream to frost between the layers and crumbcoat.  Put the cake in the refrigerator to chill the frosting for about 20 minutes, then you can give it a final coat of buttercream.  Put it back in the fridge for the final drizzle of caramel sauce.  The buttercream needs to be very cold and firm because the caramel will be quite warm when you pour it on the cake.

Caramel Sauce

The Caramel Sauce recipe comes from Sussie's of Mississippi, a bakery that I believe is not in business anymore.  The recipe was published in Taste of the South magazine.  I have halved it.

***Warning***  Caramel Sauce is very hot and may bubble up.  It will burn!  Please be very careful.  

You will need:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 Tbsp. white corn syrup

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients.  Cook over low heat on stovetop, stirring until ingredients are dissolved.  Cook mixture until it reaches around 220-225 degrees.  Take it off the heat and stir periodically until it is cool enough to pour on your cold cake.

If you do not want to make your own caramel sauce, use a pre-made bottled caramel sauce or butterscotch.  This cake was made with Dark Brown Sugar in the caramel sauce and produced a very dark color.

Red Velvet Cupcakes X 2

Red Velvet Cupcakes X 2

Was wanting to play around with fondant cupcake toppers and piped chocolate decorations.  I had some red velvet batter on hand, so I made cupcakes with Swiss Meringue Buttercream.  If you want more information about the different types of icings, see my post That's the Icing on the Cake.  The SMBC (Swiss Meringue Buttercream) recipe that I use is one that pastry chef, Gretchen Price shared on her blog Woodland Bakery Blog.

After the cupcakes were baked and the buttercream was ready, I melted some dark cocoa candy melts from Wilton.  I used this to pipe a free-form flower on wax paper.  These will dry pretty quickly but they do need to be completely dry before they are handled.

Half of the cupcakes were going to be topped with fondant cupcake toppers.  Once, the fondant is rolled out, I cut out a round circle with a very old cutter that I have.  This cutter has a scalloped edge all the way around it.  Then, I took a #3 round tip and punched out a small circle at every other scallop.  This was so easy and made for a pretty cupcake decoration.

The other half of the cupcakes got two layers of icing with a chocolate piece inserted into the buttercream.  The icing was colored with two different shades of pink.  The bottom layer was piped with a large round tip while the top layer was piped with a 1M.

P.S.  When you make the chocolate decorations, be sure and make several extra - some of them WILL break while you are trying to get them off the wax paper :(

Different Types of Icing

Different Types of Icing

There are many, many types of cake icing.  In today's post, I will give a general overview of the 3 types that I primarily use.

American Buttercream

This type of frosting (a/k/a icing) contains a fat (all butter, all vegetable shortening, or a combination of both); powdered sugar and flavoring (vanilla extract, lemon extract, etc).  There are hundreds of recipes for American Buttercream.  I have tried dozens of recipe variations and for now, use one that uses a combination of butter, shortening and cream cheese for the fat component.  Personally, I like the little "tang" that cream cheese gives to American Buttercream.  If an all-white icing is required, I have a recipe I like for an all shortening icing that is bright white and tastes like soft ice cream.

American Buttercream is easy to make, takes coloring easy and is a familiar taste and texture to most Americans.  Here is a cake that is iced in American Buttercream:

European Buttercream

As far as I know, there are 3 basic types of European Buttercreams:  French, Italian, and Swiss.  I have never used and probably never will use French Buttercream.  It is made with egg yolks and sounds very complicated.  Nuff said...

Italian Meringue Buttercream is made by heating a sugar and water solution to 245 degrees then slowing adding it to egg whites that have been whipped to a soft peak stage.  Then you add butter and flavorings.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream is very similar to the Italian version.  Instead, you heat the sugar and egg whites over a water bath to about 140 degrees.  Then you pour that into a mixer and whip until stiff peaks form.  Once you have your meringue, add softened butter and beat with beater blade on low until fluffy, add flavorings of choice.

I prefer the Swiss version.  I have heard that the taste of the Swiss and Italian are very close and the Italian seems a little dangerous for a clutz like me (pouring a hot sugar syrup into beaten eggs).

The Swiss Meringue Buttercream is light and fluffy.  It works great for piping swirls on cupcakes.  Here is a cake and cupcakes iced with Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

Fondant

Fondant is more like a cake covering rather than a frosting.  It was not well known by most Americans until the popularity of cake decorating TV shows.  It is great for giving a smooth and elegant finish.  It is rolled out like a pie dough, then placed over the cake and smoothed.  Fondant is the cake covering of choice in England and Australia.  There are many commercial brands of fondant- some taste horrible and some pretty good.  I have also made my own, but prefer to buy it already made.  I am definitely not an expert in covering cakes in fondant.  I get a little anxious every time I give it a try.  It can be finicky and hard to deal with, especially with larger cakes.  Here are a couple of cakes I have managed to get covered with fondant without pulling all my hair out:

When I first started decorating cakes, I only knew about the American Buttercream and only one recipe for that (the one used in the class).  There is a world of cake icings out there and I have enjoyed trying (and tasting) many of them.