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Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Blogger On Hiatus

As any frequent visitors might have already guessed, I'm taking a bit of a blog break - the new cake job is fun, but currently has a solid hold on my life.

Fear not, I'll be back!

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Fall Eats and Treats

Unless you've been living under a rock (or just aren't living in New England), you've probably noticed that the annual Pumpkin Spice Mania is well under way.  From Pumpkin Spice Lattes to Pumpkin Spice candles, or cheesecake, or Oreos (yes, that's a thing), it's hard to get through October without running into pumpkin spice in some kind of format. 

And if you're a little bit sick of it, I won't blame you.  So why not switch things up for the next foray into the kitchen?  Still squash, and still spiced, but with a sweet browned-butter-and-maple glaze....I bring you Kris Galicia Brown's recipe for Sweet Butternut Squash Doughnut Holes!

(Don't they look scrumptious?)
I've never made doughnuts at home before, but Brown's page also has some links to easy DIY Doughnuts instructions!  Go check it out!

Monday, October 6, 2014

The Tasty Side of Science

Woop, it's October, whaddaya know.  Things have been a little crazy (job hunts and such), but this fun article was too good not to share.

Source: Handle the Heat

Ever been frustrated by a cookie recipe? Maybe it wasn't fluffy enough, or chewy enough, or crisp enough (because there are strange folk out there who want crunchy cookies, shudder).  Never fear, science is here!  Baking is, after all, a kind of chemistry--so check out the full article by Anne Miller here!

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Friday, August 15, 2014

Caution: Cake Under Construction

Looking for a cake for the bulldozer fiend in your family? Have a Hard Hat theme for your next party? Simply looking for a fun way to incorporate stripes into your design?  Check out this awesome cake, and tutorial, from Fredellicious!

Fredellicious

Fredellicious
Get her cake recipe here, and learn how to do angled stripes here!
 
 

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Spotted: Oakleaf Cakes

Oh hey, guess where I am??  I'll give you a hint:

 
No?  How about...
 



!!!OH YEAH, OAKLEAF CAKES!!!

After work today I tracked down their brand-new store in the very convenient location of 12 Westland Ave in Boston, MA (for any Bostonians reading this blog, it's right near Newbury Street.)  

I've been a huge fan of Amanda and her crew ever since I attended one of their fondant classes as part of a birthday celebration (at which point it was still Amanda Oakleaf Cakes), a little over two years ago. (See the post here.)  When I found out they were moving, I couldn't wait to finally stop in, do some sampling, and see what classes were coming up.  Going in, I told myself I was only going to get coffee, and maybe one pastry type thing.  As you can see below, things did not go entirely according to plan.



The cupcakes were dispatched with the ladylike delicacy and class I reserve for public spaces (three bites instead of one).  On today's picks...

Peanut butter: (I snagged the last one from the case!)  Here is all you need for your peanut butter chocolate and/or Reeses craving: smooth peanut butter frosting (it was hard to remember it WAS frosting) on top of a light chocolate cake.  With a wee peanut butter cup on top. (So cute! So wee!)

Coconut lime: A light fluffy cupcake that I'm pretty certain was banana--a nice undertone (no overwhelming fake flavors here!) that added to the overall tropical feel of the cupcake.  The frosting had more lime than coconut, I think, but that can't exactly be called a drawback.  Definitely a good summer cupcake!   (And it had sparkles.)

Worth the $3.50 apiece?  Yes.  Yes they are.  This caffeine fiend also gives a double thumbs up for their coffee, which, from what I remember from the last store, is a new addition..  Each cup is brewed to order, so it really really doesn't get much fresher.  Today's cup tried was Yirgacheffe, a light roast that this reviewer happily describes as "most nombly, especially with a little bit of milk."

Another reason to stop by, especially if you're looking to acquire a cake: their fondant.

Now, I know the whole fondant-is-good, fondant-is-the-scourge-of-the-earth divide is still going strong in the baking and the consuming world of pastry.  If you fall into the latter category, but still like the clean lines of fondant cakes,  I do recommend stopping in to give their marshmallow fondant a try.  It's not as sweet as regular fondant; think a slightly less sweet marshmallow rolled over your frosting. 

To wrap up, look at some of the awesome new cakes up on their website!  A smattering of my favorites, from the classic to....well, Gandalf.





(Dinosaurs and lace. I want to hug whoever commissioned this one.)



(P.S. - want to take a class, but a little far from Boston? Check out their Hamburger Cake class on CakeMade, right here.)

Until next time!