TWD: Orange Loaf Cake

Here I was all excited about lemon loaf cake and I make orange loaf cake instead....so here it is orange loaf.... which doesn't sound as enticing as the lemon, but was good. Just for comparison sake I will make the lemon too just to see which is better... you know for scientific purposes.

I used the juice from the oranges to make a simple syrup to pour over the hot loaf as it cooled so the edges were nice crunchy sticky and a little gooey all at the same time. Yum!

You can grab the recipe from Treats who has a fantastic picture with candied fruit and a beautiful glaze or The Beauty of Life, again awesome picture. I'm jealous... I think I need to seriously hunker down and find some better lighting, and maybe a new camera and photography skillz...........

TWD: Earl Grey Madeleines

Now I don't know if the baking gods were smiling upon me (because it's my turn to host) or my pleas to Madeleine from a few weeks ago did me good but these cookies slipped right out of their little shell cups like a dream!
Now I did buy something I never ever buy.... baking spray, with flour. In this case the Pillsbury type and as soon as I put it in my cupboard the other "all natural" ingredients shoved its chemically laden butt right off the shelf and it smashed to the ground and the lid broke into a million pieces (true story) and so I figured it was the beginning of the end. I assumed my little buttery mini cakes of goodness were doomed....but alas they came out beautifully. So thank you; can of things I can't pronounce, or baking gods or general crying and whining to Madeleine because what ever it was my cookies came out great. They are buttery and floral and perfectly yummy. I used Stash Tea Double Bergamont Earl Grey and if you haven't had a cuppa this you should. It's my current favorite and I've been telling people about it all week...they probably think I'm crazy... or English.

Anyhoo enough about that....on to the recipe!

Earl Grey Madeleines
Makes 12 cookies ~ Page 169 from Dorie Greenspans BAKING From My Home to Yours

5 tbsp unsalted butter (2.5 oz)
2 tbsp Earl Grey tea leaves
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (3.25 oz)
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup sugar
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

To flavor the butter with the tea, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat or in a microwave oven. Stir in the tea and allow it to infuse for 15 minutes. Line a small sieve with a double layer of damp cheesecloth, then strain the butter into a small bowl; discard the tea leaves.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Put the sugar and lemon zest into a mixer bowl or in another large bowl and using your fingertips, work the zest into the sugar until the mixture is fragrant.
Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and zest together until pale and thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the honey and vanilla and beat for 1 minute more. Switch to a rubber spatula and gently fold in the dry ingredients. When they are incorporated, fold in the butter. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter and refrigerate for at least 3 hours for for up to 2 days. This long chill will help the batter for the hump that is characteristic of madeleines. (For convenience, you can spoon the batter into the molds, cover and chill, then bake the cookies directly from the fridge; see below for instructions on prepping the pans.)

Getting Ready to Bake: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter 12 full-size madeleine molds, dust the insides with flour and tap out excess. Or if you have a nonstick pan, give it a light coating of vegetable cooking spray. If you have a silicone pan, there is no prep needed. Place the pan on a baking sheet.
Spoon the batter into the molds-don't worry about leveling the batter, the oven's heat will take care of that.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the madeleines are golden and the tops spring back when touched. Remove the pan from the oven and release the madeleines from the mold by rapping the edge of the pan against the counter. Gently pray pry any recalcitrant madeleines from the pan using your finger or a butter knife.
Transfer the cookies to a rack to cook to just warm or room temperature (and try not to eat them all yourself, be nice and share.)

Thank you Dorie for not only teaching me how to be a better baker but also teaching me a new word this week. I work with many people who are recalcitrant and up until now I didn't know what to call them.

TWD: Mini Madelines

Oh Madeline... why must you stick? I take every precaution and your cakey goodness still taunts me. Maybe I need to do the unthinkable and ditch my current Madeline pan for silicone but its so hard to get rid of what should be a good decent pan. I have to peruse all the other Madeline baker posts this week to find out what they did to avoid the stickage because the thought of silicone makes me cringe.

Well regardless of their reluctance to leave the coziness confines of the pan, they were yummy and possible worth the trouble. Should you be so inclined you can get the full recipe from Di over at Di's Kitchen Notebook this week.

Pirate vs Ninja 2: Pirate Bob's Revenge

This is the second installment of the Pirate vs Ninja cake series... haha I kid there is no series... but this is the second Pirates vs Ninja themed cake I've done. The first year (clicky click here if you want to reminisce) it was unclear who the would be the victor, but in the second cake its pretty clear who has the upper hand. You can go check out the details here.

Since the pirates had the upper hand I needed a second hand and recruited my mom to help. She helped make the ninjas heads for while I made the full body pirates, if you see the more serious ones were hers. Mine were the country bumpkin ninjas. She also made all the doubloons that were stacked inside the cake and the swords and legs for the ninjas. She drew the line at making hands... unless I wanted Canadian ninjas with mittens on she wasn't going to make them. I finished up all the details and painting of eyeballs and tiny things a couple of days later. It was really fun to get her involved, she's super creative but I think she's scared of cake... I might convert her yet!

TWD: Honey Nut Scones

I'm not sure about scones. I know people that love them but I just find them sorta boring. So boring that I forgot them in the oven while I was watching the last episode of Top Chef Just Desserts. They just need more... more fat, more flavor, more moisture... eh I dunno. The last time I liked a scone it was full of bacon and Asiago cheese so I think there maybe no pleasing me when it comes to scones unless its full of bacony goodness.


So, Halloween! How was yours? Ours was as fun as can be expected when you don't have little ones running amok. The hubster answered the door most of the night as I was super exhausted from the company Halloween Potluck. I didn't have the energy to be cheery for the cute little whipper snappers that came in search of treats all evening. Not to mention the strength to stop myself from smacking all the surly (un-costumed) teenagers.... geesh at least make a darn effort, lazy shits!

Anyhoo this was the dessert table at work.... I made the (un-costumed...hehe speaking of lazy) red velvet in the middle with an experimental cream cheese butter cream that I will tweak to make perfect because it was super delicious and can be delicious-er with a few adjustments. I have no idea how many cupcakes we ended up with, I think everyone that didn't officially sign up for the potluck ended up bringing in cupcakes, I think there were twice as many as in this photo! It was quite the choice to be made. 

Baby Bag Cake

Before I get behind myself, I better post this finished cake from September....

I've been on a tufting kick for awhile and after this cake I think I'm done with tufting for awhile, holy crap its been a lot of tufting, I'm surprised I didn't tuft the shoes or the bag too.....

You can see some more closeups here http://www.nichicakes.com/baby_bag.html

TWD: Flip-Over Cherry Cake

So my plum cherry cake is in the oven cooking right now. I wasn't going to make this until I saw Andrea's version with Morello cherries and the pictures changed my mind.  I'm kind of scared tho, the Morellos from Trader Joe's are pretty blah... but maybe that's always the case with canned cherries. I honestly don't know what you'd use canned cherries for so its not something I typically buy. But you put enough butter and sugar on anything and its bound to be good right? right! Because I was using the canned cherries I cut out the sugar your supposed to toss the plums in and cut out a bit of the butter because really it seems like a lot even with my Paula Dean standards on butter (I swear I'm keeping Costco in business just from the amount of butter I get from them).

 The verdict...

Well it sure isn't photogenic but its mighty tasty. Mine turned out sort of like a sticky cakey cobbler and it would be amazing with ice cream or a dollop of fresh whipped cream. 

Considering how easy it is to make, its a perfect good friends over for dinner sort of thing. You know the sort of friends you don't have to impress with a pretty dessert.

You can grab the full recipe from our hostess (mmm... hostess cherry pie...that's what this sorta tasted like) this week, Becky from Project Domestication.

Queen Esther

Finally finding a few minutes to edit and post some finished cake photos to my website. Check it out ;)

A few close ups here http://www.nichicakes.com/queen_esther.html

TWD: Classic Brownies

Truth be told I should be making icing for decorated cookies... but always the procrastinator... I would rather write about Brownies for this weeks Tuesday with Dorie recipe. Besides I haven't had the time to join the group lately, be it sweltering temperatures or lack of time keeping me from my duty to bring you tasty treats.

Heck there probably isn't anyone reading this darn blog anymore as it is but its still is fun to write and with some the crap I say its probably best if it is only me reading it anyhow ;)

This recipe is brought you by the letter C for super Chocolately and the number 2 which is how many times Miss Anne Strawberry, who was out picker extraordinaire for the week, has gotten to choose a Tuesdays with Dorie recipe! You can grab the recipe from her here.

BTW, this is 4 points on the WW Richter scale if anyone cares to know, recipe as written, sans nuts.

September Cakes

The summer has had me very busy making lots of special order cakes and cupcakes and spending the rest of the time trying not to be hot which includes not turning on the oven unless someone is paying me! So no TWD lately :( boo!  Oh and we are getting new windows in our house Saturday! Im most excited, I will have to share the before and afters.

I have two more upcoming cakes in September which will be lots of work but lots of fun too.

The first is for a gal that is having her very first birthday party and the very young age of 70!

The second will be for a baby shower with an Orange and Pink Dress theme. This one will a lot of cute baby paraphernalia and some cute dress cookies to accompany it.

Kat's First Birthday

This is one of my most favorite cakes that I've made in a long time. The colors just made me happy and her parents loved it.

You can read a little more about this cake and see the detail photos here http://www.nichicakes.com/kats_first.html

Tufted Rose

This little bridal shower cake was for my nieces friend... the idea that my niece is old enough to have a friend that is old enough to be married just makes me feel old old old...

You can see more photos here http://www.nichicakes.com/tufted_rose.html

Lemon Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

These were for my friend Jenn's Surprise Birthday party on Saturday. They turned out so tasty and were a little hard to ignore sitting on the table all night.

The cake was Perfect Party Cake from Dorie Greenspan's Baking from my Home to yours. It really is a perfectly nice cake for any occasion. Since the recipe has lemon in it, I paired it with a Lemon Vanilla Bean Butter Cream below. They turned out nice and light and citrusy.


Lemon Vanilla Butter Cream

• 8 oz. Granulated Sugar


• 4 oz. Water


• 4 ea. Egg Yolks plus enough egg whites to make 4 oz. (This is roughly 3 yolks plus 1 whole egg, give or take the size of the yolks)  


• 1 ea. Vanilla bean (you can use a bit of extract if that's all you have, should result in the same mellow flavor with out the specks)


• 1 lb. Unsalted Butter - Softened


• 1 ea. Large Lemon (juiced)

Put sugar and water in a stainless steel pot and set it on the stove to cook to 238 degrees. While the sugar is cooking, separate your eggs and start to whip in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. The airy-ness of the eggs usually reach their proper consistency by the time the sugar is cooked to the right temperature, for me anyways. With your mixer on high, slowly pour the sugar mixture into the eggs and continue to beat on high until the whole thing is cool to the touch. While your egg/sugar mix is cooling, reduce the lemon juice down to a syrup consistency and scrape your vanilla bean. I usually scrape the vanilla and stick it onto the butter, so that I don't loose any of those precious beans, its easier than trying to scrap them off a knife into the mixing bowl. Add the butter to the cooled sugar/eggs  mixture a little at a time, making sure to incorporate it before adding the next nub of butter. Lastly add in your reduced lemon juice and incorporate completely.

This was plenty of butter cream for 30 regular sized cupcakes.

Oreo Cupcakes

Oreo cupcakes lined up like little solders for a co-workers party!

I wasn't quite sure what really qualifies as an Oreo Cupcake in the first place. When in doubt Google it! There are so many variations on the web it boggles the mind! Oreo crushed and cooked into the batter, whole Oreo placed in the bottom for an oreo surprise, minis, filling, pudding, whip cream, cream cheese... the ideas go on and on.  Ahhh deep breaths...

In the end I topped my best chocolate cake with luscious Oreo butter cream and crowned the whole thing shebang with a whole Oreo for good measure. I got a thumbs up this morning! I'll have to take his word for it because I was a good girl and made just enough ;)

Ni Hao!

This sweet little Ni Hao, Kai-Lan cake was for my friends daughter Lorraine who was turning 2. It's a simple 8 inch chocolate layer cake covered with almond vanilla butter cream. The little Kai-Lan character was a bear to duplicate. Odd proportions and her eyeballs set in her head like ET required a plethora of cutters and serious dexterity to get her finished. For awhile she was looking an awful lot like Tommy from Rugrats but in the end I think I captured her likeness pretty well and I hear little Lorraine was a happy girl!

TWD: Sour Cream Chocolate Cake Cookies

I haven't had a lot of time lately to bake with the TWDers. With special cakes to make and being all Hawaii Five 0 for a for a quick minute... sadly a lot of fantastic recipes have past me by never to be seen again.

This week I really wanted to make the effort and bake along with everyone. The recipe sounded really good but really these cookies were a pain in the arse! They stuck to whatever I tried to bake them on, until finally I gave up.

You see that little plate there with approximately 6 little itty bitty sandwich cookies... that's all I managed to finish.... hmph! whatever sticky cookies from hell.  I shall rewind a few weeks and make a date nut loaf instead just to spite you.....:P

Despite my shady outcome you can always give it a try yourself by going over to Spike Bakes for the recipe... I'm sure they didn't dare stick to a thing in her kitchen.

Princess Hailey

Finally getting this posted..... just a couple of weeks and a Hawaiian vacation later!

If you want to see the full cake you can check it out here. A few elements never made it to the cake and a lot of rearranging happened but I still loved it in the end.

Cakey Sneak Peek

 This is a cake I'm making for this weekend. Can you guess what movie its from?

There's been a few changes to the design so it won't look exactly like this in the end, and I think I might add another tier just for the heck of it.

 I finished sculpting the frog last night. He looks really ghostly with no color. I was really frustrated with this little guy, he started out looking like HR Pufnstuf then looked like Slimer from Ghostbusters before he had his arms & legs. I wish I had gotten a bit of a better tilt of his head but sometimes i just doesn't work out that way and you have to let the sugar do what it want to.

TWD: Brown Sugar Bundt Cake

Not much to say about this yummy little bundt cake. I used almond for the nutty bits and replaced 1/2 of the A/P Flour with whole wheat for good measure. The brown sugar lent enough moisture that it wasn't obvious at all... or maybe it was all the butter that disguised it.

This recipe begs to be made again and again because it was really easy and from all the other posts this week, its fun to dink around with and switch things up.

You can grab the recipe this week from Peggy over at Pantry Revisited.

Nick's 16th

Finally had time to show off this fun cake! You can go see the details here and read all about this cake here....

Nick's 16th

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