The Cake Chica's Top 10 Recipes for 2021

January 12, 2022

It's that time of year again! Time to share The Cake Chica's Top 10 Recipes for 2021! These are the recipes YOU loved! Let's start with number 10.

10. Blue Lagoon Cocktail

This one has been making the cut since 2018. It's simple to make and so refreshing for the hot summer months sitting by the pool.

Making it's debut on The Cake Chica's top 10 list is my Pecan Praline Cake. With three fluffy layers of white cake baked with candied pecans it's not hard to see why this one made the list this year. Plus it's filled and frosted with cream cheese frosting and topped with more candied pecans.

8. Weeknight Ground Beef Stroganoff

This recipe is a family favorite of mine. It's been on the blog since 2019 and it's finally making its debut on The Cake Chica's Top 10 Recipes of 2021. As they say better late than never.

7. Hangover Cure

The Hangover Cure made its debut on The Cake Chica's Top 10 List since last year in 2020. This year it's holding strong at number 7!

6. Banana Cream Pie with Vanilla Wafer Crust

I'm so excited to see this recipe making its debut this year on The Cake Chica's Top 10 List! The crust is made with homemade vanilla wafers (not store bought) and filled with homemade banana filling and freshly sliced bananas. For the final touch I piped homemade whipped cream on top. Beautiful and tasty!

5. Topo Chico Cucumber Cocktails

Here is another refreshing cocktail to drink poolside this summer. These Topo Chico Cucumber Cocktails have been making the list since 2018 and is holding strong at number 5 in 2021.

4. Mexican Alphabet Soup

This one is perfect for when you're feeling sick. It's easy to make and instantly makes you feel better even if it's just for a little bit. This Mexican Alphabet Soup has been making the Top 10 List since 2017!

3. Best Big Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

Here's another one that is a family favorite of mine and I am happy to see it's a favorite of yours too! They're big, they're chewy and they're chocolatey and in my opinion that makes the perfect chocolate chip cookie. These cookies have been making The Cake Chica's Top 10 List since 2016! Check them out and you'll see why!

2. White Cake with Strawberry Filling

This is MY favorite cake and I'm happy to see it's yours too! I also use this cake for my Confetti Cake with Buttercream Filling recipe. The filling in this cake uses frozen strawberries but can easily be switched out for frozen blueberries, blackberries, raspberries or mixed berry fruit. Last year this cake was number 1. This year it falls to number 2. Keep scrolling to check out the new number one recipe!

1. Easy Seafood Stew

Last year this soup grabbed the number 3 spot. This year, these last two recipes kept competing with each other for the number one spot, but my Easy Seafood Stew recipe won! It's super easy and light, and served with a slice of crusty bread, it's a well rounded meal you can quickly put together on a weeknight!

Christmas Coconut Cake

December 14, 2021

Some might say this Christmas Coconut Cake is too beautiful to eat, but after one bite I bet they'd be glad they did! Even if you're not a coconut lover, this cake might change your mind.

The coconut is toasted then processed in a food processor to a fine ground. Which is perfect for those that don't like the texture of coconut. Next I soak the processed coconut in the buttermilk for a few minutes to infuse the flavor. This helps the coconut flavor flow throughout the entire cake!

Coconut Cake Ingredients

Sweetened shredded coconut: has been combined with sugar and is best for cookies, cakes and decoration.
Buttermilk: is used for adding acidity and a tangy flavor, and when there is baking soda in the recipe (like this one) the acid reacts as a leavener. Do not substitute regular milk for buttermilk. You can make your own homemade buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 cup milk, letting it sit for about 10 minutes.
Vanilla extract: the most versatile flavoring and helps enhance the flavors of any baked good.
All purpose flour: the most versatile flour there is for baking! All-purpose flour is a great choice for baked goods that require more structure.
Baking soda: a leavener for baked goods. Baking soda requires an acid and a liquid for it's leavening powers to activate, such as the buttermilk in this recipe.
Salt: enhances the flavors of the ingredients in the recipe whether it be sweet or savory.
Granulated sugar: dissolves quickly into batters and creams well with butter.
Unsalted butter: the amount of salt varies from brand to brand so I always opt for unsalted butter. Salted butter also contains more water than unsalted which can affect gluten development.
Canola oil: is an excellent all-purpose cooking and baking oil. It's mild and has a high smoke point.
Eggs: bind, thicken and leaven. I always use large eggs in baking for consistency purposes.
Heavy cream: in this recipe, heavy cream is whipped and then folded into the batter. Do not substitute with sweetened whipped topping or already whipped cream products.

Coconut Swiss Meringue Buttercream Tips

Don't get cream of coconut confused with coconut cream. They are not the same and can't be use interchangeably. I used cream of coconut by Coco Lopez for this recipe. You can find cream of coconut in cans near the mixed beverage section of the grocery store.
Make sure your mixer bowl is clean. There should be no grease or oil in the bowl.
Whisk together the egg whites and sugar before heating or the egg whites might start to cook on their own.
Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the simmering water when heating.
Your butter should be at room temperature and cut into tablespoon sized pieces before adding to the whipped egg whites.

Fondant Snowflake Tools

PME Snowflake Plunger Cutters
Small fondant rolling pin
White fondant mixed with Tylose powder or gumpaste
Mix of cornstarch and powdered sugar in a shaker to help keep fondant/gumpaste from sticking
Luster dust/disco dust
Small food only paint brush
Steamer (optional)

How To Make Fondant Snowflake

Roll out your fondant or gumpaste on a small work surface and press cutters into the fondant or gumpaste. (If you're using fondant I suggest mixing in some tylose powder to help the fondant firm up.)
Press out more snowflakes then you think you'll need to account for breakage.
Use a toothpick to remove excess fondant or gumpaste from the snowflake.
Use a food only small paint brush to gently brush snowflakes with luster dust and/or disco dust. I used luster dust and then added food grade glitter on top.
Let the snowflakes dry overnight.
I used a steamer to help set the luster dust and to give it a shine, but this is optional.

Christmas Coconut Cake Decorating Tips

Start with a crumb coat. When crumb coating the cake, be sure not to return any of that frosting to the original bowl of frosting.
Chill the cake for at least 30 minutes before applying the last layer of buttercream.
Apply an even layer of buttercream over the top and sides of the cake. I use an icing smoother and a cake turntable, and acrylic disc to achieve a smooth application of buttercream. These tools are optional and there is plenty of buttercream to play around with in this recipe.
Smooth out the excess buttercream at the top edge of the cake by gently pulling the buttercream towards the center of the cake with a small offset cake spatula.
Fit a piping bag with Wilton Tip #3 and pipe small dollops of buttercream to the back center of each snowflake before applying to the side of the cake.
Gently place a few snowflakes on the top of the cake and sprinkle shredded coconut on top to hide where the base of the snowflakes dig into the cake. I used flaked unsweetened coconut for decorating.
Sprinkle additional sprinkles and/or dragees over the top of the cake to give it a little more dimension.
Strategically place dragees on the side of the cake between the fondant snowflakes with food-only tweezers.
Switch out piping tip #3 with piping tip # 21 to add a few more elements to the top of the cake and anywhere else you feel it's needed.
Give the cake a final sprinkling of food grade glitter before serving.

Christmas Coconut Cake Baking Schedule

Day 1: Make snowflakes.
Day 2: Bake cake layers.
Day 3: Prepare buttercream, assemble and serve.

Cake Storage

Cake layers can be stored wrapped in plastic wrap in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Assembled cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, or stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Let's Connect

The Cake Chica is on Facebook sharing sneak peeks of recipes to come, Instagram from your food porn desires to Pinterest for your board pinning needs.

Christmas Coconut Cake

Name: Christmas Coconut Cake
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 3 h 10 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 8-inch round cake pans; Nonstick baking spray; Stand mixer; Hand mixer; Candy thermometer; 8-inch round cake board; Cake turntable; Metal icing smoother; Small offset cake spatula; Snowflake plunger cutters; Luster dust; Small food only paint brush; Fondant/Gumpaste snow flakes; Steamer (optional); Festive sprinkles and dragees; Food only tweezers; Piping bag; Wilton piping tips #3, #21; Flaked coconut, for decorating; 1 1/2 cups lightly packed sweetened shredded coconut, toasted; 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature; 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 2 cups (10 ounces) all purpose flour; ¾ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon fine sea salt; 1 ½ cups (10.5 ounces) granulated sugar; ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature; ½ cup canola oil; 4 large eggs, at room temperature; ½ cup heavy cream, cold

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes

Three layers of homemade toasted coconut cake filled and frosted with coconut Swiss meringue buttercream, decorated with fondant snowflakes and edible glitter.

Ingredients

SPECIAL TOOLS

3 8-inch round cake pans
Nonstick baking spray
Stand mixer
Hand mixer
Candy thermometer
8-inch round cake board
Cake turntable
Metal icing smoother
Small offset cake spatula
Snowflake plunger cutters
Luster dust
Small food only paint brush
Fondant/Gumpaste snow flakes
Steamer (optional)
Festive sprinkles and dragees
Food only tweezers
Piping bag
Wilton piping tips #3, #21
Flaked coconut, for decorating

COCONUT CAKE

1 1/2 cups lightly packed sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups (10 ounces) all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 ½ cups (10.5 ounces) granulated sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup canola oil
4 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup heavy cream, cold

COCONUT SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

1 cup egg whites
2 cups (14 ounces) granulated sugar
3 cups (6 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon sized pieces, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
2/3 cup cream of coconut, such as Coco Lopez

Instructions

COCONUT CAKE

Adjust an oven rack the center position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cake pans with nonstick baking spray and set aside.
In a food processor, add 1 ½ cups toasted coconut (save the remaining for decorating) and process until finely ground, about 1 minute. In a 2 cup liquid measuring cup, combine processed coconut, buttermilk and vanilla and let sit until softened, about 10 minutes and set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the sugar and butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 7 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the oil and mix until combined. Add eggs one at a time mixing on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the coconut-buttermilk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Stop the mixer before the last of the flour mixture has been combined and mix with a rubber spatula by hand to be sure not to over mix the batter.
In a large bowl, add the heavy cream and beat with a hand mixer, until soft peaks form. Gently fold in the cream to the cake batter.
Divide the batter among the prepared cake pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake testers inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, rotating pans halfway through baking.
Remove cakes from the oven and let cool in their pans for 10 minutes on cooling racks. Invert cakes onto cooling racks and let cool completely.

COCONUT SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, pour in the egg whites and sugar and whisk by hand until combined. Fill a medium saucepan with about 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer. Place mixer bowl on top, being sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water and attach a candy thermometer.
Whisking occasionally, heat the egg mixture until the temperature reaches 160 degrees. Once the mixture reaches 160 degrees, transfer to a stand mixer and beat the mixture on high speed for 10 minutes or until medium-stiff peaks form. At this point the outside of the mixer bowl should be room temperature. Switch out the whisk attachment with the paddle attachment and with the mixer on low speed, add the butter one tablespoon at a time. Add the extracts and cream of coconut. Once combined, turn the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until the buttercream is smooth about 5 minutes.

ASSEMBLE

Place one cake layer on an 8-inch round cake board, place on a cake turntable and spread about 2/3 cup buttercream over the top in an even layer, spreading all the way to the edge of the cake. Place the second cake layer on top, and spread 2/3 cup buttercream on top in an even layer, spreading all the way to the edge of the cake. Place the last cake layer on top (bottom side up) and cover with a thin coat of buttercream, creating a crumb coat and chill the cake for 30 minutes.
Apply a generous layer of buttercream over the top and sides of the cake, saving remaining buttercream for decorating. Using your cake turntable and icing smoother, gently press the scraper against the side of the cake scrape around the sides to give it a smooth finish. Place excess buttercream back into the bowl. Fill in any holes with additional buttercream and repeat. Set cake in the refrigerator to chill for at least 15 minutes.
Attach Wilton piping tip #3 to a piping bag and fill with buttercream. Strategically place snowflakes on the side of the cake by piping a small dollop of buttercream on the back, and gently attaching it to the cake.
Pick a few of your favorite snowflakes to place on top and gently press into the top of the cake. Sprinkle some flaked coconut over the top and sprinkle with festive sprinkles and dragees on top.
With tweezers, carefully place dragees on the sides of the cake between the snowflakes.
Switch out piping tip #3 with tip #21 and decorate the top with a few more dollops of buttercream.
Carefully transfer cake to a serving platter and serve.

Fondant Snowflakes

See blog post for instructions and tips on making fondant snowflakes.

Notes

CAKE STORAGE: Cake layers can be stored wrapped in plastic wrap in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Assembled cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, or stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 588Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 123mgSodium: 464mgCarbohydrates: 56gFiber: 3gSugar: 31gProtein: 10g

*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*

Christmas Confetti Cupcakes

December 1, 2021

These Christmas Confetti Cupcakes are fluffy and festive and make a great center piece to your Christmas table. You'll love these fluffy white cupcakes baked with sprinkles inside. Next, I topped them off with a classic bakery style buttercream with sprinkles mixed in and a peppermint candy!

White Confetti Cake

I used the same cake batter for my White Cake with Strawberry Filling to make these cupcakes, and added in sprinkles to the recipe. Processing the sprinkles in a food processor before adding them to the batter helps keep the cupcakes tender crumb.

American Buttercream

I decided to top these cupcakes with a sweet and fluffy American buttercream or sometimes called Decorators buttercream. American buttercream can be made with all shortening for more humid climates or a mix of shortening and butter. This style of buttercream crusts once air is exposed to it, creating a crispy crust on the outside but a fluffy and sweet buttercream on the inside. American buttercream is much sweeter than Swiss meringue buttercream or Italian meringue buttercream since it consists of mostly powdered sugar.

For these Christmas Confetti Cupcakes I decided to add a touch of peppermint extract to the buttercream, but you can use vanilla extract if you prefer.

How To Decorate Christmas Confetti Cupcakes

Fit a piping bag with Ateco piping tip #827
Fill piping bag with buttercream.
Hold the piping bag at 90 degrees and pipe a swirl of buttercream on top of each cupcake.
Add a few more festive sprinkles on top.
Add a peppermint candy on top for the finishing touch.

Christmas Confetti Cupcake Baking Schedule

Day 1: Prepare the cupcakes.

Day 2: Make the buttercream, decorate and serve!

Let's Connect

The Cake Chica is on Facebook sharing sneak peeks of recipes to come, Instagram for your food porn desires or Pinterest for your board pinning needs.

Christmas Confetti Cupcakes

Yield: 24

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

An ultra tender white cake baked with Christmas themed sprinkles and topped with Christmas confetti American buttercream.

Ingredients

SPECIAL TOOLS

2 12-cup cupcake pans
Cupcake liners
Stand mixer
Food processor
Spring loaded ice cream scoop, 3 tablespoons in size
Ateco 827 piping tip
Piping bag

CUPCAKES

1/2 cup Christmas sprinkles
1 cup whole milk
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ¼ cup (9 ounces) cake flour
1 3/4 cups (12.25 ounces) granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces, at room temperature

BUTTERCREAM

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
6 tablespoons water
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 pounds (12 cups) powdered sugar
¾ cup Christmas sprinkles, plus extra for garnish
24 peppermints

Instructions

CUPCAKE

Adjust and oven racks to the upper third and lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with cupcake liners and set aside. In a food processor, pulse sprinkles until coarsely ground, about 8 pulses and set aside.
In a 4 cup liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk, egg whites and vanilla.
With a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt on low speed until combined. Add butter one piece at a time and mix until the mixture forms pea sized pieces, about 1 minute. Reserve ½ cup of the milk mixture. Pour remaining milk mixture into the batter and increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add reserved ½ cup milk mixture and beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Give the batter a final stir by hand and stir in ground sprinkles.
Divide batter among prepared cupcake pans filling each cup about two-thirds full. Bake until a cake tester inserted on the top comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 15 to 20 minutes, switching and rotating pans twice during baking. Let cupcakes cool in their pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes then invert on a wire rack to cool completely, about 2 hours.

BUTTERCREAM

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter, shortening and extract on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes.
Add the water, salt and half of the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
On low speed, slowly add the remaining powdered sugar and more water if needed to achieve the desired consistency. Use frosting immediately or cover with a damp cloth, as the frosting will start to harden as it sits.

ASSEMBLE

Using an Ateco 827 piping tip, pipe frosting on top of each cupcake and garnish with a peppermint candy.

Notes

STORAGE: Frosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight cake container at room temperature for up to 1 day or stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1202Total Fat: 71gSaturated Fat: 24gTrans Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 40gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 1093mgCarbohydrates: 141gFiber: 5gSugar: 104gProtein: 10g

*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*

Family Favorite Cakes and Bakes Cookbook Tour

November 28, 2021

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by CreateMyCookbook; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Cake Chica's Family Favorite Cakes and Bakes Cookbook has arrived and I couldn't be more excited to share a few peeks with you! Don't forget to check out my previous post on How To Create A Family Cookbook where I share more details of how I created this cookbook, along with some tips and tricks for acing your food photography with just your smart phone!

CreateMyCookbook Campaign Book Tour Front Cover

My Favorite Features From CreateMyCookbook

Arrange Pages Feature: This feature allows you to easily move pages around in any order you like.
Table of Contents Page: This feature works alongside the Arrange Pages feature by automatically updating the page number when you arrange pages in your cookbook. Hello timesaver!

Available Book Style and Paper Options

Book Style Options: Wire-O Soft Cover (260 page max.), Hardback Casebound(260 page max.), Ringed Binder (200 page max.), Hardback Wire-O (200 page max.) eCookbook (999 page max.).
Paper Options: Standard Matte, Premium Gloss Finish, and Rite in the Rain Matte with water resistance.

My Experience Using CreateMyCookbook

Anything that allows me to create something unique is a fun one! It's easy to upload your recipes and photos using their cookbook designer.

If you have handwritten recipes, CreateMyCookbook has a feature called WeTypeIt where they will type the recipe for you, and in 1 to 2 days the recipe will be in your account, ready to place into your cookbook.

You'll have the chance to choose binding styles, paper type, review your proofs and then order your cookbook.

The Cookbook

When I received my cookbook I posted a picture of it on my Facebook page and many people assumed I published a cookbook for sale! It does look pretty professional and it's kind of a dream of mine to one day have a published cookbook. But I'm not there yet.

I chose the Hardback Wire-O book option with Rite in the Rain paper option.

As a cookbook collector I had a lot of fun making this personalized cookbook. I will proudly display this cookbook in my cookbook library for years to come. Plus, CreateMyCookbook saves your cookbooks in your account so you can easily order more copies later to give as gifts or make updates to it in the future. And speaking of gifts...

The Gifting

I purchased an additional copy to give as a gift to my mother for Christmas. She is probably my number 2 fan, coming in second to my husband of course. ☺️ For her book I selected the Hardback Casebound book with the Premium Glossy Paper.

But this cookbook isn't just a gift for her but a gift for me as well. These recipes are family favorites and I know I'll be grabbing this cookbook off the shelf for years to come.

Don't forget to check out my post on How To Create A Family Cookbook to see how this cookbook came together!

Giveaway Time!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winner will be chosen randomly and will be announced on this post.

Hot Cocoa Cake

November 18, 2021

This is one of my favorite cakes during the holiday season. My Hot Cocoa Cake has 3 layers of dark chocolate cake that's filled with marshmallow filling and frosted with hot cocoa flavored whipped cream. Heavenly! Since I had more than enough marshmallow filling, I piped dollops of marshmallow filling on top.

Dark Chocolate Cake

If you're looking for a chocolate cake that delivers in flavor and in color, then look no further!

Brown sugar: helps develop a deep chocolate flavor.
Espresso powder/instant coffee powder: in combination with the brown sugar help deepen the chocolate flavor.
Dutch-processed cocoa powder: is less acidic than natural cocoa powder and enhances browning.
Eggs: help bind, thicken, emulsify and leaven a cake.
Sour cream: is an acidic ingredient and helps tenderize the cake. Yogurt can also be used as a substitution.

Marshmallow Filling Tips

You will need a candy thermometer for this recipe.
Make sure your egg whites are free of yolk. If there's even a small amount they will not whip up.
Your mixer bowl must also be clean. If there's any oil residue left in your bowl, the egg whites will not whip up.
When pouring the sugar syrup in the mixer bowl with the egg whites, be sure to pour it down the inside of the mixer bowl, making sure not to hit the whisk attachment.
The Marshmallow Filling is best used the day it's prepared.

Hot Cocoa Whipped Cream

This hot cocoa flavored whipped cream is what brings this cake all together! It'a a basic whipped cream recipe with Dutch-processed cocoa added to it. Plus this recipe has a bit more sugar than a typical whipped cream recipe, which helps it become shelf stable for a few hours longer.

Hot Cocoa Cake Assembly Tips

Be sure to use a frosting dam to keep your filling inside the cake and not falling out of the sides.
Don't over fill your cakes. I usually keep my filling from 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup between each layer.
Use a crumb coat even if you think you don't need it. A crumb coat not only helps catch loose crumbs but also seals in any gaps in the cake and gives you a solid base to work with when it comes time to apply the final layer of frosting.

How To Add Cake Topping Decoration

Fit a piping bag with Ateco piping tip #808.
Place remaining Marshmallow Filling in the prepared piping bag.
Hold your piping bag at 90 degrees and pipe concentric circles starting from the outside edge of the cake, moving all the way in the center.
Dust cake with cocoa powder right before serving.

Hot Cocoa Cake Baking Schedule

Day 1: Bake cake layers.
Day 2: Prepare filling, frosting, assemble and serve.

Cake Storage

Cake layers can be stored wrapped in plastic wrap in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or wrapped in plastic wrap, then wrapped in foil and stored in the freezer for up to one month. Defrost cakes in their wrapping at room temperature.

Assembled cake can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one day.

Let's Connect

The Cake Chica is on Facebook sharing sneak peeks of recipes to come, Instagram for your food porn desires and Pinterest for your board pinning needs!

How To Create A Family Cookbook

November 9, 2021

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by CreateMyCookbook; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Why Create A Family Cookbook?

As a food blogger I have tons of recipes typed up on my computer over the years. I started blogging in 2010 as a way for my friends and family to access my recipes. Before blogging, I used to use a computer program that I had to type my recipes into and then email the recipe to anyone that wanted one. But, my how times have changed!

Over the years while blogging I collected a library of cookbooks that have inspired me to create new recipes and piqued my interest into food photography. And surprisingly, I think I love food photography just a smidge more than baking, just a smidge though. ☺️

The Cake Chica's Cookbook Library — Smart phone image edited with a photo app.

With all that said, I think it was about time to create my very own cookbook that showcases some of my families favorite baking recipes that I’ve made, as well as a few of theirs.

I hope that my family cookbook will inspire you to create a family cookbook of your own to give as gifts, or to pass down through generations.

How To Gather Recipes For Your Family Cookbook

Gather recipes from within your household.
Request recipes from your extended family.
Don’t forget your friends. They also make appearances at family functions as well.
For me it made sense to also include my most popular recipes from my blog.

Once you have all the recipes together, it’s time to let the fun begin.

Create An Account with Create My Cookbook

Create an account with CreateMyCookbook by either registering with your email or by connecting with Facebook.
Click on the “Create a Cookbook” button.

Get Started Making Your Own Cookbook

Here are a few things to think about when getting started with your cookbook.

Choose a book title.
Decide what type of cookbook you’re making: Personal or family, Fundraiser, Corporate, For sale in stores, Ebook, Other
Select your theme. (Themes can be changed later.)

I chose to use the “Blank” theme. I prefer to have as much control as possible when I’m creating something but CreateMyCookbook has a few options to select from if you want a theme already set for you.

Blank
Country
Modern
Elegant
Kid friendly
Heirloom

Add Recipes

As a blogger I have most of my recipes all typed up so it was easy to copy and paste into the cookbook designer. However, you may have some recipes that are handwritten. Luckily, CreateMyCookbook has a cool function called WeTypeIt, where you just snap a picture of the handwritten recipe and they will type it into the cookbook designer for you.

As I mentioned above I have all my recipes all typed up, but I wanted to try out the WeTypeIt feature. So I wrote a recipe by hand and snapped a picture of each page of my recipe and uploaded the pictures using the WeTypeIt feature.

After a day or so, you’ll receive an email confirmation that your recipe has been added to your Recipe Box and it’s ready for you to place into your cookbook.

You can upload all your recipes at once or add them in one by one as you create your cookbook. I chose to load them up one by one.

Create My Cookbook also has the option to set up Contributors to your cookbook. I personally reached out to my family members for their recipes so I didn’t get the chance to use this feature but it is there to use if you would like.

How To Format Longer Recipes With Spacing Between Paragraphs

You can skip this section entirely if most of your recipes are short and only about 2 pages long. Mine on the other hand involve a lot of from-scratch-baking so my recipes run about 3 to 4 pages on average.

To make my recipes easier on the eyes I like to space out the steps as much as possible. Here is a quick run down of what I did.

Screen Shot Long Recipe Page with Numbered Steps

When choosing the layout, select Long Recipe Page With Numbered Steps

Once you have your recipe entered, you’ll want to select Hide the Direction Step Number. This will get rid of the numbers but will keep the paragraph spacing. If you want numbers you can manually add them afterwards.

I wanted this format on all my recipe pages so I chose All Pages on the Edit Styling selector. If you want this format on only certain pages, then be sure to select This Page Only in the drop down menu.

Add Pictures

The cookbook designer has some stock images you’re free to use for your cookbook; however, I love the personal touch that an original photo brings, so I made sure to use all of my images for my cookbook.

It was’t until I started cooking and baking that I found my passion for food photography. I typically shoot with a DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex) camera, but you don’t have to have a big or fancy camera to take mouthwatering food photographs.

Tips And Tools For Taking Food Photos With Your Smart Phone or DSLR

I think everyone has access to a smart phone so with a few tips and tools I can show you how to use your smart phone (or DSLR) to take some great pictures of your recipes.

Smart Phone Image of Cinnamon Roll Layer Cake — Smart phone image edited with a photo app.

Lighting

TIP 1: My number one tip I can give to someone who doesn’t have a lot of photography equipment is to pick a window in your home that gives great natural lighting. Keep in mind that the location of the window (North, South, East, West) will have an effect on the type of natural lighting you’ll get.

Smart phone image of Chocolate Raspberry Cake — Smart phone image edited with a photo app.

TIP 2: Remember the time of day you take your pictures. This will also effect the lighting in your pictures. I try to take my food photos at the same time everyday to get the most similar lighting as possible. This also sometimes means if it’s a stormy day, I might hold off on taking photos until the next day.

Smart phone image of Bubble Gum Layer Cake — Smart phone image edited with a photo app.

TIP 3: Once you’ve picked your window and the best time of day to shoot, next is choosing the direction of your natural lighting. There are a few types you can choose from: side lighting, back lighting or corner lighting. Side lighting is the easiest and most forgiving in my opinion and that’s what I use.

Food Photography Props And Tools

I have a few favorite food props that consistently make it in my food photos:

Antique marble cake stand
White cake/salad plates (Tip: smaller dishes are easier to photograph.)
Small handmade pottery plates
Small milk glass
Small white dish for showing off sprinkles or any garnish used in the recipe
Antique silverware (the tarnished silverware not only gives the pictures some character but it helps with keeping reflections away.
A few cotton and linen napkins.

The Set Up

My set up is pretty simple. Just a couple of wood photography boards and a reflector set up on my dinning table. That’s where I get the best natural light. If you don’t have photography boards you can check out your local hardware store for some wood boards and paint to create your own.

If your don’t have a reflector you can use a white poster board instead. I use the reflector to bounce light back into the scene to soften some of the shadows.

My photography set up. — Smart phone image edited with a photo app.

Food Styling

I like to use some of the garnish of whatever recipe I’m shooting and sprinkle some over the photography board. Whatever makes sense for your subject. Examples can include:

Sprinkles
Cocoa powder
Candy
Marshmallows
Fresh parsley
Fresh veggies
Fresh fruit

Cotton and linen napkins are also a great way to add texture to your subject. I prefer to keep my scene pretty simple so the food is the star.

Smart phone image of Cosmic Brownies — Smart phone image edited with a photo app.

Editing Smart Phone Images

I use a photo app on my smart phone to edit my phone pics. This way I can adjust lighting and white balance, which also helps keep my photos looking similar. You can use whichever photo app you like but I suggest using one to make improvements on white balance and lighting. The goal is to have your image look like it does in real life.

A Short List of Do’s And Don'ts Of Food Photography

Do take your time looking for lighting.
Do analyze the lighting in your photos.
Do practice.
Don’t shoot with your kitchen lights on.❗️
Don’t shoot in direct sunlight. ❗️

Arrange Your Cookbook Pages

Once I uploaded all of my recipes and photos I wanted to include in my cookbook I went to the Arrange Pages screen and arranged the recipes and pictures exactly how I wanted them. Since I didn’t upload the recipes in the exact order I wanted them to appear in the book, this page is very helpful.

The cookbook designer also automatically updates the Table of Contents page as you arrange the pages which is a huge time saver! After you have triple checked your cookbook for errors and formatting, it’s now time to Preview and Order.

Preview and Order

Choose Binding Style: Wire-O Soft Cover, Hardback Casebound, eCookbook, Ringed Binder, Hardback Wire-O. I chose the Hardback Wire-O.
Choose Paper Type: Matte Finish (standard), Gloss (premium), Matte Rite in the Rain (water resistant.)I chose Rite in the Rain paper option.
Choose Options for Your Book: eCookbook, Remove CreateMyCookbook Branding
Review Proofs
Order Cookbook

Shipping Information

CreateMyCookbook has a detailed list of shipping estimates according to the style of cookbook selected as well as transit times and a shipping estimate calculator. I’m looking forward to receiving my cookbook very soon!

The Cookbook Tour!

Update! My cookbook has arrived! Check out the preview of my cookbook and don't forget to enter the giveaway while you're there for an $80.00 gift certificate from CreateMyCookbook!

Chocolate Orange Spice Cake

November 3, 2021

Recipe updated 10/2021. Same great recipe with just a little more frosting to play with!

This Chocolate Orange Spice Cake is the perfect holiday recipe. It's sweet and warm at the same time thanks to the almond flour, ground cinnamon, cloves and orange zest baked inside!

Orange Spice Cake

Almond Flour: You'll notice the addition of almond flour in this cake. Nut flours can be pricey, and they also turn rancid quickly so be sure to store nut flours in the freezer and bring to room temperature before using.

Room Temperature/Softened Unsalted Butter: 65 to 67 degrees is the perfect temperature for baking. You can also cut the butter up into pieces to speed up the softening process. To check if your butter is ready you can either stick a thermometer in it or bend it. If it bends without breaking then it's ready!

Buttermilk: Sometimes you might see buttermilk in some cake recipes. Buttermilk helps add a tangy flavor and texture. When used with baking soda and/or baking powder it add fluffiness to the cake. You'll usually just need a cup or 2 of buttermilk per recipe, and you probably don't want to buy a whole carton of buttermilk. There are a couple of options to use:

Buy shelf stable powdered buttermilk
Add one tablespoon of lemon juice or distilled white vinegar to one cup milk and let sit for 10 minutes. Viola, buttermilk!

Chocolate Frosting

Per request I updated this recipe (10/2021) to allow for more frosting to play with. This chocolate frosting is sweet and a little on the thick side. If you need help spreading the frosting over the cake, use a metal offset cake spatula warmed with hot running water and wiped dry. But as long as you apply a crumb coat and your cake is chilled the frosting should go on pretty smoothly.

How To Make Candied Orange Peel

3 oranges, scrubbed
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
¾ cup water
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup (3.5 ounces) granulated sugar

Using a vegetable peeler or sharp paring knife, remove the peel of each orange in vertical strips, being careful not to include any of the bitter white pith. If you do get a little pith on the peel, place the strips on a cutting board and using a paring knife with the blade parallel to the board, carefully slice it off. Cut the zest into julienne strips.
Half fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the zest strips and reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse the zest.
In the same saucepan, combine sugar, water and cream of tartar and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar. Add the zest, cover the saucepan and reduce the heat to low. Let the zest simmer for another 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and drain zest. Toss zest with sugar, breaking up any lumps of sugar with your hands. Spread the zest onto a baking sheet to let dry at room temperature for about 2 hours before using.

Note: The dried orange slices used on the top of this cake were picked up at my local Sprouts grocery store.

Assembly Tips

Applying a crumb coat is helpful in achieving a smooth final coat of frosting. A crumb coat helps catch any loose crumbs as well as fills in any gaps sealing up the cake and keeping it fresh. Plus a chilled cake is easier to work with when apply the final coat of frosting.

I would be lost without my cake turntable. A good cake turntable is a worth while investment. It helps me get my icing on smoothly as well as a bench scraper.

With the remaining frosting I added to a piping bag fitted with my favorite Ateco piping tip #827 and piped a basic shell border around the cake.

Next, I garnished the top center of the cake with dried orange slices and decorated the bottom edge with candied orange peel.

Plan It Out

Day 1: Make candied orange peel and bake cake layers.

Day 2: Prepare frosting, assemble cake and serve.

Let's Connect

The Cake Chica is on Facebook, sharing sneak peeks of recipes to come, Instagram for your food porn desires and Pinterest for your board pinning needs.

Chocolate Orange Spice Cake

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 32 minutes

Three layers of orange spice cake, filled and frosted with chocolate frosting and topped with candied orange peel.

Ingredients

SPECIAL TOOLS

3 8-inch round cake pans
Nonstick baking spray
Stand mixer
Small offset cake spatula
8 inch cardboard cake round
Cake turntable
Cake pedestal
Piping bag
Ateco piping tip #827

CANDIED ORANGE ZEST

3 oranges, scrubbed
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
¾ cup water
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup (3.5 ounces) granulated sugar

ORANGE SPICE CAKE

2 ½ (12.5 ounces) cups all-purpose flour
1 cup almond flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoons ground cloves
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups (14 ounces) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
¼ cup fresh squeezed juice from about 2 oranges

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

16 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups (16 ounces) powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup (1.5 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sour cream, at room temperature

GARNISH

Candied Orange Zest (optional)
Dried orange slices (optional)
Flaked sea salt (optional)

Instructions

CANDIED ORANGE ZEST

Using a vegetable peeler or sharp paring knife, remove the peel of each orange in vertical strips, being careful not to include any of the bitter white pith. If you do get a little pith on the peel, place the strips on a cutting board and using a paring knife with the blade parallel to the board, carefully slice it off. Cut the zest into julienne strips.
Half fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the zest strips and reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse the zest.
In the same saucepan, combine sugar, water and cream of tartar and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar. Add the zest, cover the saucepan and reduce the heat to low. Let the zest simmer for another 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and drain zest. Toss zest with sugar, breaking up any lumps of sugar with your hands. Spread the zest onto a baking sheet to let dry at room temperature for about 2 hours before using.

ORANGE SPICE CAKE

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick baking spray and set aside.
Sift together the flours (Toss out any of the almond flour that does not sift through the sieve.), baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda and salt and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth about 1 minute. Add the sugar and orange zest and mix on medium-high speed until the butter is light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the mixer bowl as needed.
Turn mixer speed to medium-low and add the vanilla extract, almond extract and eggs one at a time. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
With the mixer on low speed, and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk in 2 batches, starting with the flour mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Add the orange juice and mix on low speed for no more than 30 seconds. Give the cake batter a few stirs by hand and divide evenly among the prepared cake pans. Using a small offset cake spatula, smooth the tops of the batter in the pans.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cakes cool in their pans for 15 minutes. Then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler and set aside to cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt and vanilla until combined. Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and mix until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the mixer bowl as necessary.
Once the chocolate is cooled to room temperature, stir the sour cream into the melted chocolate. With the mixer on low speed, add the chocolate mixture to the frosting. Turn the mixer to medium speed and mix until combined and frosting is creamy.

ASSEMBLE

Place one layer of cake on a cake board and place on a cake turntable. Spread about 1/2 cup frosting on top and level with an offset cake spatula to smooth out frosting. Top with the next layer of cake and spread another 1/2 cup chocolate frosting on top in an even layer, spreading frosting all the way out to the edges of the cake. Place the last cake layer on top (bottom side up) and spread a light coating of frosting all over the top and sides of the cake creating a crumb coat. Once the crumb coat has been applied, chill the cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Apply the final layer of frosting over the top and sides of the chilled crumb coated cake. Place remaining frosting in a piping bag fitted with Ateco piping tip #827. Pipe a shell border around the top edge of the cake. Place candied orange peel or dried orange slices in the middle of the cake. Sprinkle cake with a little flaked sea salt if you like. Carefully transfer to a serving platter and serve.

Notes

This cake will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 770Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 456mgCarbohydrates: 129gFiber: 7gSugar: 93gProtein: 12g

*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*

Cinnamon Roll Layer Cake

October 27, 2021

Okay this Cinnamon Roll Layer Cake is going to be a new family tradition for the holidays in my family. With 3 towering layers of fluffy cinnamon cake, filled with cinnamon roll flavored cream cheese frosting, topped with cinnamon ganache and mini cinnamon rolls it's the perfect addition to your Christmas dessert table this year! Keep scrolling to see how YOU can put it all together!

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Pecan Pie Layer Cake

October 20, 2021

I've got a Texas favorite in the form of a cake! The much loved Pecan Pie gets a Cake Chica makeover this week! My Pecan Pie Layer Cake consists of 3 layers of fluffy brown sugar cake, filled with pecan pie filling and frosted with brown sugar Swiss meringue buttercream!

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Brownie A La Mode Layer Cake

September 28, 2021

Imagine a brownie in cake form filled and frosted with Vanilla Ice Cream Frosting, topped with Chocolate Drip, rainbow sprinkles and cherries. Those are the stars that make up this Brownie A La Mode Layer Cake!

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Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake

September 27, 2021

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Bubble Gum Layer Cake

September 22, 2021

This Bubble Gum Layer Cake is not only fun to look at but tasty too! You'll be the hit of the party bringing this beauty to the dessert table.

Thanks to the reverse creaming method and cake flour this cake is delicate with a fine crumb. I've added frosting stripes for a fun and whimsical look. Plus the addition of a white chocolate drip takes this Bubble Gum Layer Cake to the next level. Bespoke sprinkles and pink bubble gum balls finish off the look.

Bubble Gum Layer Cake at a three quarter angle on teal cake pedestal.

Bubble Gum Layer Cake Ingredients

Whole milk: thins out the batter, generates steam during baking and helps gluten develop when it interacts with the flour.
Egg whites: this cake uses egg whites instead of whipped egg whites to reduce the holes in the cake layers.
Bubble gum flavoring: gives this cake it's fun flavor but use it sparingly, it's strong.
Sour cream: lends a tangy flavor to the cake and creates a moist texture. Buttermilk or yogurt can be substituted for sour cream.
Cake flour: also known as soft flour, contains less protein than all-purpose flour. And creates a delicate and fine crumbed cake.
Granulated sugar: sweetens the cake and easily mixes into cake batter.
Baking powder: is a mixture of baking soda and cornstarch. Baking powder works twice by coming in contact with liquid and then again when it comes into contact with heat.
Baking soda: is an alkali and must be used with an acidic ingredient such as sour cream.
Salt: enhances the cakes flavor.
Unsalted butter: adds a rich flavor and creates texture in the cake.

Three quarter angle of the top of the Bubble Gum Layer Cake.

What Is Reverse Creaming

Reverse creaming is when you combine all the dry ingredients together, and then add softened butter to the dry ingredients, followed by the wet ingredients. This creates a cake that is tender but sturdy. And creates an ultra fine crumb. During this process the butter coats the flour particles, minimizing the gluten development, creating a tender and fine crumb.

Bubble Gum Layer Cake overhead shot of colored cake batter in pans. — Colored cake batter in pans

Bubble Gum Layer Cake overhead shot of cake patter swirled in pans. — Colored cake batter in pans

How To Make Bubble Gum Frosting

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached, beat the butter, shortening and salt on medium speed for 8 minutes. Add the bubble gum flavoring, heavy cream and place a fine mesh sieve over the mixer bowl. Gradually add the powdered sugar to the sieve and stir until it’s all sifted and in the mixer bowl.
Reduce the mixer speed to low for one minute then increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 6 minutes until light and fluffy.
Reserve about 3 cups of frosting in a medium bowl and color with pink gel food color.

Overhead shot of the top of the Bubble Gum Layer Cake.

Vanilla Bean Pastry Filling

This is a new addition to Bubble Gum Layer Cake. I thought adding a more luxurious filling instead of just frosting would elevate this cake to the next level. And you know what, I was right! Vanilla beans can be pricey so if they're not in your budget you can substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, mixing the extract in with the butter.

Close up shot of sliced Bubble Gum Layer Cake with vanilla bean filling.

Crumb Coating

Place a medium dollop of frosting on top of the cake.
Using a small offset spatula, start spreading the frosting out.
Continue to spread frosting on the sides of the cake. The frosting does not have to be perfectly smooth.
Freeze the cake uncovered for at least 15 minutes to set before adding the final coat of frosting.

How To Make Frosting Stripes

Starting at the bottom of the cake, pipe a ring around the cake with one color of frosting. Moving up the sides of the cake continue to pipe rings of frosting around the cake in alternating colors.
Smooth the sides of the cake with a cake scraper or icing smoother, one rotation at a time, cleaning your cake scraper with each rotation. Fill in any gaps with coordinating buttercream and smooth again. ❗️ WARNING ❗️The more the cake is smoothed, the more the stripes will run together.

Bubble Gum Layer Cake frosted on turntable. — Frosted cake

Bubble Gum Layer Cake with piped stripes. — Frosted cake

Tips For Achieving The Perfect Chocolate Drip

Chill your cake before adding the drips. The chilled cake will help slow down the drips, giving you more control.
Make sure the chocolate is the right temperature. It should be fluid but not warm.
Find the spot on your cake that will be the back and run a test drip on it. If the drip slips off the cake it's too hot. If the drips clump, it's too cold.
For more controlled drips, use a spoon or a squeeze bottle and add the drips to the sides of the cake first. I prefer using a spoon for my drips.
Once you have your side drips done, gently pour the remaining chocolate on the top and spread out until it meets the edges. Reheat the chocolate if needed.

Bubble Gum Layer Cake overhead shot of white chocolate melts. — White chocolate melts

Bubble Gum Layer Cake overhead shot of white chocolate melts chopped. — White chocolate melts

Cake Decorating Tools

3 8-inch round cake pans
Nonstick baking spray
4 cup liquid measuring cup
Stand mixer
Wilton Pink gel food color
Spring loaded ice cream scoops (2), optional but helpful
Sieve
Nonslip mat
Cake turntable
8-inch round cake board
Piping bags (4)
Couplers (2)
Offset cake spatula
8-inch round acrylic disc
Parchment paper
Cake scrapper (metal preferred)
Ateco piping tip #827
Bespoke sprinkles
8 pink bubble gum balls
Wilton piping tip #1M

Shop My Favorite Baking and Cake Decorating Tools Here!

Close up overhead shot of the top of Bubble Gum Layer Cake.

Bubble Gum Layer Cake Baking Schedule

Day 1: Bake cake layers and make the vanilla bean pastry filling.
Day 2: Prepare frosting, assemble, make white chocolate drip, decorate and serve cake.

Wide open shot of Bubble Gum Layer Cake slices on pink plates.

Cake Storage And Make Ahead Options

Assembled cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day or stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Cake layers can be made up to 3 days in advance, wrapped in plastic wrap, stored in an airtight cake container in the refrigerator.

Vanilla bean pastry filling can be made up to 3 days in advance, stored in the refrigerator.

Frosting is best made the day of assembly.

Close up of the inside Bubble Gum Layer Cake layers.

Let's Connect

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Sliced Bubble Gum Layer Cake on pink plate.

Suggested Recipes

Close up of Pink Bubble Gum Cupcakes on teal cake pedestal. — **Pink Bubble Gum Cupcakes**

Bubble Gum Layer Cake

Yield: 16

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Bubble Gum Layer Cake filled with vanilla bean pastry filling and frosted with bubble gum flavored frosting. Garnished with white chocolate drip, sprinkles and pink bubble gum balls.

Ingredients

SPECIAL TOOLS

3 8-inch round cake pans
Nonstick baking spray
4 cup liquid measuring cup
Stand mixer
Wilton Pink gel food color
Spring loaded ice cream scoops (2)
Sieve
Nonslip mat
Cake turntable
8-inch round cake board
Piping bags (4)
Couplers (2)
Offset cake spatula
8-inch round acrylic disc
Parchment paper
Cake scrapper (metal preferred)
Ateco piping tip #827
Bespoke sprinkles
8 pink bubble gum balls
Wilton piping tip #1M

BUBBLE GUM CAKE

1 3/4 cups (420g/10.6 ounces) whole milk, at room temperature
6 large egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons LorAnn bubble gum flavoring
2/3 (150g/5.3 ounces) cup sour cream, at room temperature
4 1/3 cups (498g/17.3 ounces) cake flour
2 1/2 cups (500g/17.7 ounces) granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups (282g/10 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon sized pieces, at room temperature, about 65 degrees
Pink gel food coloring

PASTRY CREAM FILLING

2 cups half and half
1/2 cup (99 grams/3.5 ounces) granulated sugar, divided
1/2 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds removed and reserved
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon size pieces

BUBBLE GUM FROSTING

2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon LorAnn Bubble Gum flavoring
1 cup heavy cream
6 1/2 cups (820 grams/26 ounces) powdered sugar

WHITE CHOCOLATE DRIP

1 cup (180 grams/8 ounces) Wilton Very White chocolate candy melts
1/4 cup (2 ounces) heavy cream

Instructions

BUBBLE GUM CAKE

Adjust an oven rack to the center position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 3 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick baking spray and set aside.
In a 4 cup liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk, egg whites, extract, flavoring and sour cream.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment attached, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low speed until combined. Add butter one tablespoon at a time until the mixture forms pea-sized pieces, about 1 minute. Reserve 1 cup of the milk mixture and pour the remaining to the flour mixture and mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the reserved 1 cup milk mixture to the batter and mix until combined, about 30 seconds. Do not over mix. The batter may look curdled. Give the batter a final stir by hand with a rubber spatula.
Pour about half of the batter into a medium bowl and color with pink gel food coloring. Divide batter between cake pans using spring loaded ice cream scoops, alternating colors. Using a wooden skewer or butter knife, swirl figure 8 patterns in the cake batter in each pan to create a swirl design.
Gently tap cake pans on the counter to settle the batter and bake until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 30 to 35 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Let cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes.
Place a sheet of plastic wrap over a plate, making sure the plastic wrap is long enough to wrap the cake in. Then invert a cake layer on to the plate. Wrap up the cake right away.
TIP: Wrapping the cake while it’s still warm will help trap the steam in, keeping the cake moist. The plate helps keep the cake layer together. Repeat this process with the remaining two cake layers. Store the cake layers on a flat surface, such as a rimmed baking sheet in the refrigerator. Don’t store them on top of each other or the cakes will bow and won’t sit level when stacking.

PASTRY CREAM FILLING

In a medium saucepan bring the half and half, 6 tablespoons of sugar, vanilla bean, vanilla bean seeds and salt to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently.
As the half and half mixture comes to a simmer, combine the egg yolks, cornstarch and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
Once the half and half mixture comes to a simmer, pour about 1 cup into the egg yolk mixture to temper, whisking to combine. Pour the tempered yolk mixture into the half and half mixture and whisk to combine, whisking constantly, until the pastry cream is thick, about 30 seconds.
Remove from the heat and whisk in butter. Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream. Refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.

BUBBLE GUM FROSTING

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached, beat the butter, shortening and salt on medium speed for 8 minutes. Add the bubble gum flavoring, heavy cream and place a fine mesh sieve over the mixer bowl. Gradually add the powdered sugar to the sieve and stir until it’s all sifted and in the mixer bowl.
Reduce the mixer speed to low for one minute then increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 6 minutes until light and fluffy.
Reserve about 3 cups of frosting in a medium bowl and color with pink gel food color.

ASSEMBLE

Place a nonslip mat on top of a cake turntable. Place a 8 inch cake board on top. Spread a small amount of buttercream in the center to act as glue for the cake. Center one cake layer on the cake board.
Fit a piping bag with a coupler and fill with uncolored frosting. Pipe a frosting dam around the edge of the cake.
Spread about 2/3 cup pastry filling over the top with an offset cake spatula, spreading in an even layer until it reaches the frosting dam. Place the second cake layer on top, gently pressing to adhere. Pipe a frosting dam around the edge of the cake. And spread another 2/3 cup pastry filling over the top in an even layer. Add the third cake layer on top (bottom side up). TIP: Resist the urge to over fill the cake or your layers will start to slide.

CRUMB COATING

Place a small dollop of buttercream on top of the cake and using your offset cake spatula, spread a thin layer of frosting over the top and sides of the cake catching any loose crumbs and sealing them in. Freeze the cake for 15 minutes or refrigerate for 30 minutes.

CAKE DECORATING

Apply a large dollop of uncolored frosting on the top of the cake and smooth out. You should have excess frosting hanging off the edges. Line an 8-inch round acrylic disc with parchment paper and place on top of the cake, parchment paper side down, making sure the disc is even with the bottom cake board.
Prepare two piping bags with couplers attached. (TIP: Use the same piping bag you used for your frosting dam for your uncolored frosting.) Place uncolored frosting in one piping bag and pink frosting in the other piping bag.
Starting at the bottom of the cake, pipe a ring around the cake with one of the frostings, followed by the other frosting and work your way up, alternating with the frostings. Fill in any gaps with coordinating frosting color before smoothing out. TIP: You’ll only get about 3 turns before your stripes start to blend together.
With a cake scraper, smooth the sides of the cake, rotating the cake on the turntable one rotation at a time, reserving the excess frosting for decorating the top of the cake. Check to see if you need to fill in any gaps with pink or uncolored frosting and with a clean cake scraper, smooth the frosting one more time. The more you smooth the cake the more the frosting will blend together, so don’t over smooth. Chill the cake in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before removing the acrylic disc.
With an offset spatula, carefully remove the acrylic disc on the top to the cake by sliding the spatula under the disc but over the parchment paper and gently rotating the cake turntable until the disc releases. Peel off the parchment paper.
Use a tooth pick to clean up the edges if needed. Chill the cake in the refrigerator while you prepare the White Chocolate Drip.

WHITE CHOCOLATE DRIP

In a microwavable bowl combined candy melts and heavy cream and microwave for 20 second intervals, stirring between each interval until melted, about 2 minutes total.
Let chocolate cool at room temperature for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the melted chocolate reaches 85 to 95 degrees.
Add chocolate drip to a squeeze bottle, piping bag or use a spoon to apply to the sides of the cake. Pour remaining white chocolate drip in the center of the cake and spread to meet the edges of the dripped chocolate.
Chill the cake in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes so the chocolate drip can set before adding additional decoration.
Place both buttercreams (colored and uncolored) in one piping bag fitted with Ateco piping tip #827 and pipe 8 swirls around the top edge of the cake. Top each swirl with sprinkles and a pink bubble gum ball. Carefully transfer cake to a cake pedestal. If you have remaining frosting, transfer the extra frosting to a piping bag fitted with a Wilton piping tip #1M and pipe a shell border along the bottom edge of the cake and serve.

Notes

Assembled cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day or stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Cake layers can be made up to 3 days in advance, wrapped in plastic wrap, stored in an airtight cake container in the refrigerator.

Vanilla bean pastry filling can be made up to 3 days in advance, stored in the refrigerator.

Frosting is best made the day of assembly.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 753Total Fat: 54gSaturated Fat: 29gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 205mgSodium: 348mgCarbohydrates: 57gFiber: 1gSugar: 24gProtein: 11g

*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*

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