Baking Joys In Houston

My niece, Laura, turns 8 yesterday.

A few weeks ago, I told her I will make her a birthday cake.  What would you like?  I like a blue cake, she said.  Eh?  Blue?  I thought she may like to make it a sweeter colour like pink or purple.

The day came nearer, I only knew I was going to make her a Princess Cake or A Doll Cake.  Still clueless exactly what piping I would put on the dress, if fondant will be used etc.

Thursday came, I decided to use Peggy Porschen’s recipe for a rich chocolate cake as the “gown” for the princess.  The folding in of flour could be better done using a mixer paddle as recommended, I used a spatula and believed the end result was due to my over-folding.  But it didn’t not matter since the base needed something stable.

That night I decided that I will bake cupcakes for all, so that the princess will not be cut up to pieces upon blowing the candles.  By midnight I was flipping through a Wilton cake decorating book and decided on the letterings.  I made a batch of royal icing, yes at 2am, and started working on it.  It takes 12 hours for the icing to dry out propoerly.  By the time I was done, I was satisfied and exhausted.

The next morning, I bought a packet of Buttermilk and started working on the cupcakes.  The recipe turns out soft, dense and vanilla flavoured cake – lovely.  It was Martha Stewart’s Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes.

By afternoon, I still did not have an idea how the piping will turn out.  I just got everything ready, cut the cake to shape, did a batch of Italian Meringue Buttercream, tinted some fondant blue and walah, I was ready to go.  I just worked on the cake fervently.

By evening I was done, and was really happy to see the finished product.  I sent my sis-in-law a message “May you be impressed with the Blue cake she requested!”.  So blue can turn out a sweet cake indeed.

And I was so happy to see many happy faces that evening.  Enjoy the Blue Cake, and Enjoy the Princess Cake (or do you call this a Doll cake).