My dear friend, Holly, celebrated a milestone birthday this month and we surprised her with a small dinner party. I baked her this cake and (if I must say so myself) it was really good!! Really good.
I’m not into the cakes-from-scratch thing. Call me lazy or uninspired, but I enjoy baking and eating cakes from mixes. Sometimes I’ll “doctor” them, and sometimes I just follow the label and go. For this cake, I used two boxes of Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix. I prepared each as directed and baked each in a 10″ round cake pan. (one whole box per pan). After the cakes cooled, I wrapped them in plastic wrap and popped them into the freezer. It is this step that, I believe, adds moisture to the cake. The next day, I removed the cakes and sliced each in half, horizontally, creating four layers.
The filling is chocolate bavarian cream, which I was able to purchase at my favorite new cake and candy supply store, Ladybug. It’s also available at Sugarcraft.
The frosting is Vanilla Buttercream, courtesy of Magnolia Bakery. (have you tried their famous cupcakes? YUM!) I had to double the recipe (which meant 1 lb. of butter…yikes!) but it was oh so creamy and tasty, and I substituted 1 teaspoon of almond extract for for one teaspoon of vanilla extract. The real secret to this recipe is to beat it until it is fluffy. No skimping here…beat it.
I’m still working on my piped roses, but a touch of disco dust on the petals and leaves added a sweet sparkle to the cake.
It was a fun gathering! Beth is an incredible cook and hostess. (You should have seen and tasted her orzo/roasted vegetable side dish! With her permission, maybe I’ll share it soon.) Holly was totally surprised and grateful, and she just loved her birthday cake.
(So did I, Holly 😉 Happy birthday!
“A”
Everything was wonderful- especially the cake! I was so happy that I was able to be among some amazing women!
It was a great evening, Joanne, and a pleasure spending time with you. Glad you enjoyed the cake!
It was DELISH!!!! Ann have u checked out Pinterest ? I think you’d really like it. If you have a smartphone it’s an app , otherwise google it!! You could put all your pics up and people can follow you!!
I have seen Pinterest, and I just love it! Some of my photos have been “pinned” by others, but I never thought about putting up the pics myself. Thanks for the great suggestion, and SO glad that you loved the cake! It was nice seeing you, Melissa, and thanks for taking the time to comment.
Ann