Test Cake Series: #001

Finally getting around to doing an idea I've wanted to play around with for a while. This is what I call the "test cake series" wherein I make a cheap cake to practice decorating with, similar to what you do in cake decorating classes, if you attend them for an extended period of time. I tend to have a lot of cakes around, so that's the reason; too much cake on hand! Not a problem for some, I know.

Ten Years gone by

Congrats on 10 years Tricia!

Aaron it's your birthday, Happy birthday Aaron

Made these AWESOME cupcakes for Aaron's birthday! White cake, filled with a perfectly acidic lemon curd, then topped with a light, airy lemon-buttercream. YUM! Lined up and ready to devour. Single View Wubbs, cakes aren't for kitties!!

Score!

Made a cake for some HUGE soccer fans. This cake was life-size; it WAS a soccer ball with the bottom cut off. It was first iced in chocolate, and I like the "coloring book" effect of the icing of how it came out. Here's the final cake: Chopping the chocolate that went into the icing: I made three and a half chocolate cake recipes, translated into five cake layers to use to carve down: All carved: Final product was a chocolate cake with chocolate icing, then decorated with vanilla and chocolate, which was dyed black for the ball: This is the best part though, the final word from the cake receiver: "Your cake was a huge hit – it was wonderful to look at and delectable to eat!! Everyone was quite amazed. Thanks again!!!"

Reunited and it feels so good!

This golden carrot cake was a total joy to make! It was a last minute request I received (a lot of requests I get are this way, and I usually don't do it because I think it's dangerous!!) and decided to take, since I love carrot cake. I made it using organic carrots (this is a time-saver read: no peeling!) that still have their greens and roots attached, (these I find taste the most "real" and sweet) toasted whole walnuts, chopped, and golden raisins. The icing was cream-cheese; my favorite version. I take my classic buttercream (this isn't a "powdered sugar" version) and add in enough cream cheese to where I can really start to taste it, but it doesn't totally block out the buttery-lightness and perfectly-sweetness of the buttercream. Oh, this cake is so good.

Benny is so funny; she always "begs" on this small stool I have in the kitchen:

Loved how the colors turned out:

I was pleased with the ease at which I was able to turn this cake out; plus it was so fun and went so flawlessly!

Fall is almost here: Shepherd's Pie season!

I make this great vegetarian Shepherd's Pie; mostly with a mixed assortment of nuts, vegetables and beans. I also came up with this fun way of serving it (pic below). Here's some pics I took while on the Shepherd's Pie baking journey: Walnuts and cashews, unsalted and raw until I toasted them. Ton's of carrots! Roasted and salted sunflower seeds Paired this meal with this beautiful asparagus I ran the potatoes through a ricer (of course!) Using a large muffin tin, and mini loaf pans, the pies came out looking as good as it tasted! Upside-down cooling off

There's nothing wrong with cookies in the morning

This morning, I decided that "There's nothing wrong with cookies in the morning!" (I made up this dorky little song using the above sentence, and I kept singing it over and over again to Aaron, who gracefully ignored me.) I baked up the sugar cookie dough I've had in the freezer (just cut it from the frozen square-ish log it was molded in, which is why the cookies have the shape they do) and added some great homemade cream cheese icing, which I also had on hand in the freezer, and these tastey little cookies were the result.

Images from my kitchen

Here are some images from my kitchen that make it fun and happy to cook in. I jar everything I buy in bulk to both preserve it and because I love the way it looks. Fish magnets I made. Love this glass piece from the 70's for my produce. (They have these kinds of things in every thrift store in Utah.) Bendy stomach man bought from a toy show. My tribute to Benny in cartoon form. Wub the Wubbs! I collect salt and pepper shakers related to all things food. These ones are sitting on an onion plate. Funny food-related stickers from Botan Rice candy. Porcelain hamburger soap dispenser. Love red in the kitchen, and this gumball machine matches my kitchen aid. Potholders my sister made me! Can't post without a picture of Benny.

Shameless Plug....

Hey! Long time, no see, eh? Sorry 'bout that... I am the administrator for the Study Design and Biostatistics Center at the University of Utah. This means I get to edit the website :) Muahahahah. I've added tidbits of "personality" to this otherwise, informational website, one of which is my shameless plug for my blog (and the whole cake-making-for-money thing). See website here Do you need help designing your funded study? Do you need statistical consulting for said study? Note: funding-agencies like to see that you've done your homework, and stats is a HUGE part of said homework. Ok, long story short, my shameless plug WORKED! I made this cake for a birthday from a coworker who saw the site. This was an AMAZING cake; it was a chocolate cake filled with vanilla icing, topped with a layer of velvety-smooth rich chocolate icing, and frosted with vanilla on the sides. Mmmmmm. Sooo goood. I was so proud of myself too; I'd written "Happy Birthday" on the cake in really good handwriting, except upon closer inspection, I'd written "Happy Birhday". I shit a brick, then picked it off with a toothpick. I haven't been the same since. Here is my sweet bug trying to get a piece of the action. Sorry bug, Cakes aren't for kitties!

What NED did...

Or Rather, what Fall brought.