Pumpkin Roulade

I've always wanted to make a roulade cake. The idea of rolling up a cake with a delicious filling is just fun. Its so oh so pretty once you slice into it and reveal the pinwheel shape, everyone will think you've worked so hard while all along its such a simple cake.

You can make this cake with any flavor combination but since its the holidays and pumpkin is so widely available, it just seemed fitting. I filled mine with a spiced swiss buttercream that enhances the spiciness in the cake; fresh ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest. These flavors merry so well together.

Chocolate Cake Trifles

I made this cake in my last post, and everyone should take note that when you make a cake and you have left over trimmings, you should always make a trifle! Forget the cake balls, and go with something a little more sophisticated. They are delicious, so versatile, making them individual sizes is all the better.

 

Every since I first made a french pastry cream in my first baking class its been one of my favorites because its basically pudding, and who doesn't love pudding? Also, the flavor combinations you can add this simple vanilla-based custard are endless. I decided to go with a salted caramel and a spiced Mexican hot chocolate flavored pastry creams.

Giraffe Birthday Cake

Last week was my best friend's birthday and she asked for a giraffe cake, because she is a giraffe :)

I haven't worked with fondant too much and this was my first time molding it and I was pretty happy with the results. I used this picture and used it as a guide for molding my giraffes and put them on top of a milk chocolate cake, filled with cherry Italian buttercream, and iced with Italian buttercream.

A few roses, and some grass and voilà! its now a giraffe in a rose garden cake.

Happy Birthday Yoohoo! <3

Rainbow Birthday Cake

 One of my besties birthday was this past weekend and naturally I wanted to make him a birthday cake. I saw this layered rainbow cake on a blog I follow a few months ago and I knew at that moment him + the rainbow cake = a match made in heaven. He loved it, everyone loved it, I was happy and considering my blog is in dire need of an update,  I'm going to talk about it.

This is such a fun cake, especially for summer or birthdays or anything festive to celebrate. Some birthday cakes can be so one-note, so instead of just layering cake/frosting/cake, I soaked each layer  in a vanilla syrup and filled it with some blackberry preserves as well. The purple frosting piped on the top and sides is also a blackberry buttercream to keep with the theme. If you don't like blackberries, you can use strawberries, raspberries, etc.

'Spaghetti & Meatballs' Cake

I was skimming through an issue of Food Network Magazine a few months back and I saw a tutorial on this cake. Immediately I knew I wanted to make it for my boyfriend's mom, because she is an Italian New Yorker and I didn't think anyone could appreciate it more. Well her birthday was about two weeks ago and I finally had the chance.

I was a little apprehensive at first because I haven't decorated too many cakes, but it really isn't hard at all. First, I found delicious chocolate cake and vanilla buttercream recipes and swapped them out for the boxed cake & canned frosting recommended in the magazine. I took my time with it and I was very happy with the results. Her jaw dropped, she smiled & loved it and thats all I was hoping for!

"Eggnog" Bundt Cake

I was really looking forward to making another eggnog flavored cake and after searching for what seemed like forever, actually found a recipe that didn't use a prepared box cake mix or instant pudding (yuck!). As I prepared my mise en place [*which in french translate to "everything in place"] I realized the eggnog had a use by date of that day. So, instead of chancing it- I just replaced the eggnog with heavy cream (which the recipe called for in that instance) and my own idea of adding an extra egg yolk to up try and still capture an eggnog flavor.

Well, it didn't quite taste like eggnog. It was more of a spiced bundt cake, so we'll just call it a holiday bundt cake. Don't be put off though, it was still very good! With cinnamon, nutmeg, dark rum, and orange flavors- no one really missed the eggnog.

Bananas Foster Banana Bread

Banana bread is one of those things that's always good. Whether its piping hot and fresh out of the oven, smeared with butter or cream cheese, or just plain at room temperature- its always delicious. And when there are a lovely bunch of super-ripe bananas sitting in a fruit bowl on my kitchen table, you know I'm going to bake banana bread with them! Extra ripe bananas are key for an amazing banana bread. The ones that are really soft, brown, and aesthetically unappealing make for the best concentrated banana flavor.

Well, then I got to thinking about how I could make one that's not just any ol' banana bread. Somehow it hit me to make one that resembles the classic dessert, bananas foster. That bubbling brown sugar caramel and spiced rum essence would be great on this banana cake bread, since its so yummy on just plain bananas.

Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake

Remember when I said I had lots of left over caramel from the other night, well I found this recipe for a caramel peach upside down cake, but since I also had a couple apples I decided to make it a Caramel apple upside down cake!

The recipe does have its own caramel recipe included, but I just used the cake batter part and used my own caramel