Batty Bday

My friend Jen's son Ryan just turned six, so I wanted to make his favorite cupcakes--yellow cake with chocolate frosting.
But I wanted to do some "boy" decoration, and got inspiration from the bat they recently found in their house.
It was my first sight of a bat, and I had no idea they were so small and so freakin' cute!
The little guy was captured in a bucket (per a bat rescue website) and released at dusk.

I cruised Google Images for inspiration, and found a simple design using a cookie and a Hershey's kiss.
But there were variations.
I like to compare and contrast before I embark on any project, artistic or cooking-related.
Yep, I'm one of those detailed types who analyze all the options.

Initially I saw designs with the kiss turned with the base forward, but I can't seem to find an example now.
Most examples place the point to the front.
Here's one from Purple Kitty

Sometimes the kiss is close to the wings, and other times there's a big gap, like this one by Mommy's World

Usually the wings are chocolate cookies (like Thin Mints) but Finger Food Recipes used Shortbread

A photo on All Recipes used two kisses


Sometimes the wings were flat
From Chocolate Candy Mall

Or the wings were arcing down, which looks good
These from Creative Cupcakes

I really like the design on Gummibunny, though the wings are arcing opposite the previous example.
The red gel eyes (or orange) look best.

The Baking Pan had some gorgeous ones

Okay, now that I'd gotten a design figured out, I needed to choose a cake and frosting recipe.
When in doubt, I always go with something from The America's Test Kitchen, because they've done all the hits and misses and their recipes are excellent.

They have several versions of yellow cake though, so again I had to sort between several options.

One recipe was posted on Throwing Spoons, along with a frosting recipe by Hershey's.

I decided instead to go with a the Foolproof Chocolate Frosting on the Test Kitchen's site (note: this recipe is free to view, you just have to submit your email address. Other recipes on the Test Kitchen's and Cook's Country's sites are only available to paid members. I wouldn't mind that so much except they have more than one level of paid memberships. I mean, if I'm already paying for the magazine and access to the first level of recipes, um, isn't that enough? It turned me off so much I canceled everything with them. Honestly, I'd rather see ads. That's my opinion anyway).
Unfortunately, I thought the frosting was horrendous, so I dumped the whole lot.
What a waste of perfectly good chocolate.
But 3/4 cup of corn syrup? Really?

The Cookbook Junkie has a recipe for "the best yellow cake I ever made" that is supposedly based on a Test Kitchen recipe.
That one looked really good, but I had buttermilk on hand, so I thought I may as well use it.

The Test Kitchen site has one recipe for Fluffy Yellow Layer Cake, that is different from examples I was finding on blogs, so I was getting confused.
The recipe incorporates buttermilk, but I didn't want to bother with separating eggs (even though the dogs would have appreciated the leftover yolks).

I decided to go with the Classic Yellow Cake recipe on Gastronomer (she posted some great tutorial photos too).
I also used her frosting recipe, which oozed on smoothly like ganache.
The cake part was okay.
Next time I'll try Cookbook Junkie's recipe.

I ended up taking the cupcakes over to Jen's house late, when her son was already in bed.
We left the cupcakes on the kitchen counter so he got this fun surprise when he woke up.
She said her kids had cupcakes for breakfast!
I hope it was a little bit magical.

Grapefruit Cake

Jen gave me a cookbook as part of a swap, and it just rocks.
(sorry some of the original pics are no longer appearing on my blog. I think those are on a former computer. Not sure what the deal is with the disappearance though).
Anyway, everything I have made from The Los Angeles Times California Cookbook (1983) has been excellent.
Most of the recipes are tried and true favorites from local Southern California restaurants and hotels.
Honestly, the fact that Gullivers Restaurant's creamed corn recipe is in there, is reason enough to love this book.

Last Spring, a co-worker gave me some grapefruit off someone's tree, and I took the opportunity to use them in this recipe.
So when grapefruit season is in full bloom soon, consider this.
I live close enough to Borrego Springs (the desert) that I'm able to purchase super sweet fruit...so sweet no sugar is necessary.

This cake is light and refreshing.

Grapefruit Cake
"The historic Brown Derby at Hollywood and Vine numbers among its many legends a grapefruit cake recipe that has been circulating in Los Angeles for years."

1-1/2 cups sifted cake flour
3/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup oil
3 eggs, separated
3 Tablespoons fresh grapefruit juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 grapefruit, peeled and sectioned, or one can (1 lb) grapefruit sections

Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 (3 ounce) packages cream cheese
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
6 to 8 drops yellow food color (optional)
reserved grapefruit sections

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
Make well in center and add water, oil, egg yolks, grapefruit juice, and lemon peel.
Beat until very smooth.
Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff but not dry.
Gradually pour egg yolk mixture over egg whites and fold in gently until just blended. Do not stir.
Turn batter into an ungreased 9-inch springform pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until top springs back when touched lightly with finger.
Invert onto rack and cool thoroughly.
Loosen edges of cake carefully and remove from pan.
With a serrated knife, cut cake crosswise to make two layers.
Reserve a few fruit sections for frosting.
Fill between layers with part of cream cheese frosting (see below) and grapefruit sections.
Spread top and sides of cake with frosting and decorate with additional fruit sections.

to make frosting:
Soften cream cheese at room temperature. Beat until fluffy.
Add lemon juice and peel.
Gradually blend in sugar and beat until well blended.
Stir in food color if desired.
Crush enough grapefruit sections to measure 2 teaspoons and blend into frosting.

Mosaic for Tracie

I think she liked it!


I started a mosaic project for my friend Tracie a couple of years ago.
I got this idea to do a glass-on-glass using shards of stained glass scrap.
I chose greens and reds because Tracie loves jewel tones, but when I started gluing these...they just seemed over-the-top.
I wanted to start over with amber-colored glass, but I couldn't get the pieces off that I had already glued.
Too, truth be told, amber is something I would like, but the project wasn't for me--it was for Tracie, and she likes the bright colors.

Anyway, initially I was going to use a vase, but I found this pretty clear crystal bowl at the thrift store for only $3 because the rim was chipped.
It seemed the perfect foundation.
So, I started gluing, didn't like what I was seeing...
and it sat in my garage for over two years just gathering dust.

This year, I really needed a birthday present but was limited on funds.
It just made sense to use what I had, so I pulled it out and started gluing again.
Initially, it was just too muchy much, but then it somehow just got better and better.

I grouted it in black to simulate the lead on stained glass, which toned it down beautifully.
I added rectangular black opalescent tiles to the top edge to cover the chips.
I took the irregular, organic glass shapes and arranged them on the bowl using a glue that dries clear so the bowl can be illuminated and the flame will shine through.
But let me tell you, irregular shapes on a curved surface...whew, what a puzzle!

Here's the back:

(click on image to enlarge)

Here's the right side.
I made no attempt to form designs on the whole, though that would have been nice.
I did, however, form a flower on this side since I had these teardrop-shaped pieces.


Left side:


And for the front, I followed a section of the bowl that was frosted, and I attached all sorts of charms that represent Tracie--karate girl (she's a black belt), coffee and wine lover, Viking ship (her husband's heritage), a Greek coin (her dad), US Airways button (she used to work there), cross and sand dollar for her Christianity, swimsuit for her former beauty queen title, her love of baseball, pilgrim pig (joke between us), etc.
My mom's comment to this was "wow, it looks like a real artist made that!". Uh, thanks (I think).

(you can click on the image to zoom the detail)


For her birthday cake I usually make a German Chocolate, but since we combined Christmas with her birthday this year, I thought it more festive to make Red Velvet.

I posted about this before. Recipe here.

Creative cake

I'm totally out of the loop on this...the results are in and the contest is way over. Actually, I'm not sure if it's over.
The site crashes my computer or I'd give more info.
Maybe someone can give me an update.

But it's still so cute I thought I'd mention it.
(besides, my scanner is at home, and I'm not...so no new pics to share).

I watch, as I've mentioned, Ace of Cakes, so I know you can make ANY design in frosting and fondant.
It's the coolest thing ever.

Here's an entry cake (from blogger A Muffin Story) to the Threadcakes contest--a challenge to make the best cake based on one of the Threadless tee shirt designs.

This cake is based on the Insomnia tee:


Read about it here.