Cake Testing – Day One

Dear Sis,

I’m so excited to be baking for your brother-in-law and your future sister-in-law’s wedding. To make sure everything turns out just right for the big day, I am testing recipes.

Confetti Cupcakes

b
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 3 dozen

Ingredients
  

  • 1 c unsalted butter soft
  • 1/3 c canola oil
  • 1 1/2 c granulated sugar
  • 5 eggs
  • 1 T vanilla extract
  • 3 c flour
  • 2 t baking powder
  • 1 t salt
  • 1 c buttermilk
  • 1/4 c rainbow sprinkles

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350. Line 3 dozen cupcake cups with parchment.
  • Cream butter, oil, and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla.
  • Whisk together dry ingredients. Add alternaturely to creamed mixture, with buttermilk. Fold in sprinkles.
  • Bake approximately 15 minutes. Turn out of baking pans and cool or wire racks.

Source Recipe: Confetti Birthday Cake by Courtney Rich

Taste of Home June/July 2020

Test Notes: Dry!!! Could use additional sweetness. Above recipe includes an additional 1/4 c of sugar, 5 eggs, instead of 3 whites and 3 eggs, and replaces cake flour with regular all-purpose flour. The fine crumb, seemed to exaggerate the dryness further. Additionally, baking temperature was raised 25 degrees so that baking duration can be shortened.

William photo bomb! He has frosting on his lips and everything… lol.

Vanilla Bean Cake

5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 c sour cream
  • 1 T vanilla bean paste
  • 1 T vanilla extract
  • 4 c cake flour
  • 2 1/2 c granulated sugar
  • 4 1/2 t baking powder
  • 2 t salt
  • 1 c unsalted butter soft
  • 1/4 c canola oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 6 egg whites

Instructions
 

  • Stir vanilla bean paste and extract into sour cream, set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 350. Line the bottom of 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with parchement.
  • Whisk together dry ingredients. Mix in butter and oil until crumbly. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat in sour cream mixture.
  • Pour batter equally between prepared pans. Bake less than the suggested 30 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans a few minutes before turning out on wire racks to cool completely.

Source Recipe: Best Vanilla Cake and Buttercream by Maggie Knoebel

Taste of Home April/May 2020

Test Notes: Baking time resulted in very overdone cake! I found the cake too dense and the frosting too sweet. 

Back to the drawling board for a good vanilla cake recipe!!!

Vanilla Bean Buttercream

5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 1 c white baking chips
  • 1/4 c heavy cream
  • 1 T vanilla bean paste
  • 1 T vanilla extract
  • 6 egg whites
  • 1 1/2 c granulated sugar
  • 1/2 t cream of tartar
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 2 c unsalted butter cubed

Instructions
 

  • Melt together baking chips and heavy cream in microwave, stirring every 20 seconds. Stir in vanilla bean paste and extract. Set aside to cool.
  • In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, whisk together eggs, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt until it reaches 160 degrees. Remove from heat.
  • Whisk cooked mixture in a stand mixer, on high speed until cooled to the touch. It will look like thick marshmallow cream. Reduce to medium speed, gradually beat in butter, a few tablespoons at a time, until smooth. Beat in cooked white chocolate mixture.

I saved this recipe because I really would love to try it again with semi-sweet chocolate chips!

Love,

b

2 comments

  1. Ellen says:

    5 stars
    Wow, these both look great!! So clean and professional! I cannot wait to eat them. You’re amazing!

Comments are closed.