A Marble Falls Wedding

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly time can pass.

It seems like just yesterday Mountain Man came home and let me know he'd try to get me a wedding cake gig with a girl he met on his way home from a business trip.

Shortly after that, I was contacted by Diana and the wedding cake planning began. She went non-traditional, which I loved! She wanted just a small cake for the cutting, a cake for the groom and cupcakes for the guests.

We discussed flavors, fillings, frostings and numbers, the couple came for a tasting and just when we thought we had everything figured out a few last minute changes occurred.

For starters, we were originally going to use this delicious Mango Curd as a filling for the wedding cake, but about a month before the wedding the couple decided to switch it up and requested a Red Velvet Cake instead (no biggie). And as the number of guests increased, so did the number of cupcakes.

Red Velvet Wedding Cake

With 2 cakes, 90 cupcakes (3 flavors) and 30 mini banana creme pies to make, time management was key.

Needless to say, my kitchen became an assembly line of batters and frostings, but I got it all done.

Strawberry Cupcakes

 Va-Va Vanilla Cupcakes

Luscious Lemon Cupcakes

All packed up and ready to go!

I always get so nervous when transporting cakes and cupcakes. I don't know how Duff and his gang do it on the streets of Baltimore! Every bump and turn make me cringe, praying that nothing is happening to the sweets carefully tucked away in their boxes.

Thankfully we all got to the venue in one piece and I was able to set up the goods on the fabulously sweet dessert table. Along with my cakes and cupcakes, guests had a plethora of goodies to feast on throughout the evening.

 

Another wedding down and hopefully many more to come!

Don't forget to check out my new cake site: sweetsbye.weebly.com 

...serving the Central Texas area one sweet at a time!

Summery Lemon Squares

Much like gingerbread belongs to winter, lemon squares belong to summer.

I've mentioned it before, but Mountain Man and I love entertaining. We look for any excuse to share our love of food with our friends, eating and laughing the night away.

It just so happened that we had a BBQ this past Memorial Day weekend, which I mentioned before, but I'm mentioning it again... this time to display these tart and tangy lemon squares.

As MM fired up the smoker, checking on his various meats throughout the day, I spent the afternoon between the grocery store and in the kitchen prepping for the evening.

The green monster

The product of all my hard work (they're really quite easy actually) were these dessert bars straight from the Baking Bible aka The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion. If you don't have this cookbook I highly recommend it...it's amazing.

Lemon Squares

Recipe from King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion

Oven: 350 Bake time: 38 min total*

Fills an 11x13 pan

Crust

1 stick butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups AP flour

2 large eggs

Filling

1 stick butter, melted

1 1/4 cup sugar

2 TBS cornmeal

2 TBS cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

4 large eggs

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)

Preheat oven to 350 and spray baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy.

Add sugar, salt and vanilla, beating well.

Stir in flour and eggs, mixing until blended.

Press dough into pan, pressing up around the edges as well.

Bake crust in oven for 8 minutes (it won't brown too much, it's just setting).

In the meantime, start making the filling.

In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, sugar, cornmeal, cornstarch, salt, eggs and lemon juice.

Once crust has been removed from oven, pour filling over set crust.

Return to oven and back for another 25-28 minutes or until top and sides have lightly browned.

Once baked, remove from oven and allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Lightly dust with powdered sugar shortly before serving.

Happy Baking!  

Lemon Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream

For a few weeks it seemed like we were having a birthday (or 2) in the office at least once a week.

I didn't want to bombard you all with cake after cake though, so I've been trying to space them out a bit.

Now that everyone in the office realizes I'll never back down from a challenge, the cake flavors keep getting more and more fun.

When I told one of the new girls at work that she could have any type of cake she wanted for her birthday, she got all excited and said she needed some time to think on it.

"Lemon and White Chocolate," she said when she found me in the halls of the office the next morning.

Game on.

I went with a light Lemon Cake filled with fresh Lemon Curd and a White Chocolate Buttercream and couldn't have been happier with the result.

I also used the opportunity to try a new decorating technique that I had seen recently on Martha Stewart (ps. if anyone is planning a wedding.. her website is ah-mazing). The ruffle technique looks really neat and is sure to impress.. and it was pretty easy too!

Light Lemon Cake

recipe from epicurious.com
Oven: 350 Bake time: 35 minutes
Makes 2 8-inch cakes

1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp lemon extract
1/2 TBS lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour cake pans and line bottom with parchment paper.
Place sugar in large bowl and while mixer is on low slowly pour in oil until well combined.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
Add lemon extract and lemon zest, mixing well.
In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt.
Add flour mixture to wet ingredients, alternating with milk- beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Pour into prepared pans and place in oven for 30-35 minutes or until tester toothpick comes out clean.
Transfer cakes to cooling rack and allow to cool in pans for about 20 minutes before removing from pans to complete cooling.

Once cooled, level and fill with Lemon Curd and frost with White Chocolate Buttercream.

White Chocolate Buttercream
1 cup butter, softened
4-6 oz white chocolate
4-5 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup whipping cream

In a large bowl, beat butter and vanilla until light and fluffy.
In a microwave safe bowl, melt white chocolate for about 2 minutes or until smooth, stirring at 30 second intervals.
Add melted chocolate to butter and mix until combined.
Slowly add powdered sugar, one cup at a time and whipping cream until smooth frosting consistency is reached.

Happy Baking!

Homemade Lemon Curd

Once you learn how to make things yourself, buying it in the store just seems silly.

Like this past summer when I dabbled in jam making... I loved the whole process of canning your own jams and jelly and now you should see our fridge. I had to start writing down flavor combinations because we ran out of space and I don't have enough friends to give the stuff away to. 

Same goes for this Lemon Curd.. who knew curd would be so easy? A few weeks ago I actually made Mango Curd (a post to come soon) and was so happy with the result that I had to try this Lemon Curd... I can only imagine what's coming next.

This lemon curd was an integral part of a birthday cake brainstorm and I used the left over in last month's Daring Bakers' Challenge.

The cake will be coming later this week...I hope you'll be able to survive the anticipation.

Lemon Curd
Recipe from Joy of Baking
Makes 2 jars

3 eggs
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 TBS lemon zest
3/4 cup sugar
4 TBS butter

Whisk eggs, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan.
Over medium heat, cook until mixture thickens and reaches 160 degrees with candy thermometer (about 10 minutes)
Remove from heat and sieve for lumps.
Cut butter into small cubes and whisk into warm mixture.
Add zest and allow to completely cool before using.

Happy Baking! 

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

I have mixed feelings about our Food Network friend Giada... there is just something about her... maybe it's the way she over pronounces every syllable or how, out of nowhere, she has an Italian accent when she's talking about certain ingredients and how does she stay so thin when she's making all that delicious Italian food!? It just doesn't make sense! Despite these quirks her food always looks fantastic and I still find myself watching her show when scrolling through the channels.

The first time I tried out one of Giada's recipes it was an epic fail..I found myself drawn to the TV as she went on and on about how great these sandwich cookies were and how the family she used to cook for would beg for them so of course I was intrigued.. I went out and got all the ingredients excited to finally try something of hers out, only to be highly disappointed. Long story short, I ended up throwing out an entire batch of cookies.. they were horrible.

 Lucky for her, I forgive..I'm a big believer in second chances.

She couldn't have redeemed herself any more than with these delicious lemony cookies. In one word? fabulous. They're light and fluffy, a lot like my Black and White Cakies (cakie(n): A light and fluffy cookie that has the consistency much like cake, easily eaten in one or two bites; like eating the top of a cupcake). The lemon flavor is incredible, you could smell it while it was baking and the glaze is even better.

Mountain Man took one bite and let me know "It's a keeper" (the recipe that is).

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze
Recipe by Giada found on Food Network.com
Oven: 375 Bake time: 15 minutes

2 1/2 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 stick butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 container (15oz) ricotta cheese
3 TBS lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 lemon, zested

Preheat oven to 375.
In a small bowl whisk flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer and cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add one egg at a time, beating after each addition.
Mix in ricotta cheese, lemon juice and lemon zest until incorporated.
Slowly mix in dry ingredients until combined.
Spoon cookie dough (about 2 TBS worth) on parchment paper lined baking pans.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Transfer to cooling rack for at least 20 minutes before applying glaze.

Look at that fresh lemon zest!

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 TBS lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

In a small bowl whisk ingredients until smooth.
Spoon over cooled cookies, using back of spoon to spread.
Allow to cool for at least an hour before trying to pack or stack.

A perfect summer cookie.. 

light, refreshing, fabulous.

Who's your go-to Food Network star?

Happy Baking!

This Week at the Sweet Factory

Have I mentioned how much I enjoy my part time job? 

I don't even care about having to come into work early a couple days a week.

And my boss at The Sweet Factory is great.. she's always open ears to my ideas and pretty much lets me do my thing in the kitchen when it comes to baking and decorating (awesome).

This week: Lemon Cupcakes with Buttercream and Oreo Cupcakes with Oreo Cream Cheese Icing.

Lemon Cupcakes w/Buttercream  
Adapted from recipe found on CakeCentral.com

Oven: 350 Bake Time: 25 minutes

Makes 24 cupcakes

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

2 1/2 tsp vanilla

Juice from 1 whole lemon

lemon zest from whole lemon

1/4 tsp salt

2 3/4 cup AP flour

1 TBS baking powder

1 cup warm half and half or heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350.

Line 24 cupcakes with paper liners.

Beat butter and shortening and sugar until fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated after each.

Mix in vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt.

Alternate the addition of flour mixture and warm cream, beginning and ending with flour.

Blend until smooth.

Fill prepared cupcake liners about 2/3 with batter.

Transfer to oven for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and cake bounces back to touch.
After baking, remove from pan and place on cooling rack.


When cool, frost with Best Buttercream.

Best Buttercream
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
1 cup crisco
2 tsp vanilla
1 TBS meringue powder (optional)
8 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
*juice from 1/2 lemon (optional)


Beat butter and crisco until creamy and combined. Stir in vanilla. Add sifted powdered sugar, meringue powder and whipping cream. Beat until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
(I added juice from about 1/2 a lemon for a hint of lemon flavor)

 

Oreo Cupcakes w/Oreo Cream Cheese Icing 
Semi-homemade with Duncan Hines Devil's Food Cake Mix

Oven: 350 Bake time: 25 minutes
Makes 24 cupcakes

1 box Duncan Hines Devils Food Cake Mix
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup crushed Oreos

Preheat oven to 350.
Line 24 cupcakes with paper liners.
In a large bowl, beat all ingredients (expect Oreos) until blended and smooth.
Fold in crushed Oreos until incorporated.
Fill prepared cupcake 2/3 full with batter.
Transfer to oven and bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and cake bounces back to touch.
After baking, remove from pan and transfer to cooling rack.

Completely cool before icing with Oreo Cream Cheese Icing.

Oreo Cream Cheese Icing
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup finely crushed Oreos

In large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
Sift powdered into cream cheese/butter mixture and beat until smooth.
In small bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form.
Add whipped cream to cream cheese mixture and beat until incorporated and fluffy.
Fold in crushed Oreos.

You got a sneak peak and a couple recipes out of it...

So.. when are you coming to visit me at the Sweet Factory???

Luscious Lemon Cupcakes

These light lemon cupcakes would be perfect for a nice spring afternoon.. maybe this was my subconscious' attempt at saying it's ready for the warm weather promised when the move to Texas was made?? Whatever the case may be, these cupcakes are wonderful little bites of Luscious Lemon Cake, topped with Lemon Buttercream. 


Luscious Lemon Cake
Adapted from Epicurious 
Yields 24 cupcakes
Oven: 350 Bake time: 30minutes

1 cup oil
2 1/2 cups AP flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBS baking powder
3/4 cup milk
4 TBS sour cream (If you don't want to buy sour cream, you can just use 1 cup of milk)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 TBS lemon zest
Juice from 1/2 lemon *if you just wanted a regular cake don't add the lemon

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt.
In another bowl mix milk, sour cream and vanilla extract.
Beat oil, sugar, and add eggs one at a time. Reduce speed and alternate adding flour mixture and wet mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix in lemon juice and zest.
Pour batter into prepared cupcake pan.
Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and transfer to cooling rack.


Once the cupcakes have baked and cooled, it's icing time.


Lemon Buttercream
1 cup Crisco
4 cups powdered sugar
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1 TBS lemon zest *depending on how tart you want the icing, feel free to add more lemon juice


Beat crisco and powdered sugar. Mix in juice and zest.


Think happy spring thoughts and enjoy :) Happy Baking!