An Afternoon Of Cake Decorating

Red velvet cakes ready to be baked. Look at that color!

Some of the baked cakes cooling. The most common mistake made when it comes to frosting cakes is not letting the cakes cool completely. Warm cakes fall apart when you try to transfer and stack them. And, don't forget that warm cake melts buttercream. Be patient and you'll have success.

Today is the day that the generous family who purchased a private cake decorating session with me at a recent benefit auction claims their purchase.

I spent yesterday baking four kinds of cakes - red velvet, carrot, chocolate and vanilla cupcakes.  By late this afternoon they all will be decorated by others with me acting simply as a guide and I have no doubt they will all be beautiful since cake decorating isn't hard it just takes learning a few tips and some patience and practice.

I promise to share the results.

In the meantime, here is a review of some of my decorating tips:

1. Cool your cake completely before even attempting to frost it. The colder the cake, the better the icing will adhere. Plus, watching your frosting slip and melt on a too warm cake can induce tears.
2. Use a serrated knife to even out a cake if necessary. You can't hide an uneven cake with icing. Start out with a even cake and you'll end up with an even cake.
3. Crumb coat your cake and then chill it before doing a final icing. A crumb coat is just a quick thin layer of icing to hold the crumbs in place. It's an extra step but well worth it.
4. Invest in a revolving cake decorating stand. Being able to turn your cake as you decorate makes a world of difference.
   
5. Invest in a long thin spatula for spreading the frosting.
   
6. Invest in a heavy offset spatula for lifting the cake layers.
7. Make a frosting that's light and easy to spread. The following recipe for Chocolate Buttercream is ideal.

Chocolate Buttercream
3 large egg whites
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of fine sea salt
1 teaspoon espresso powder, dissolved in 1 teaspoon hot water, cooled

1/2 cup dark chocolate pieces, melted and cooled

Place the whites in a clean mixing bowl. Whisk in sugar and cream of tartar.

Place bowl over a double boiler on medium heat, stir frequently until the mixture is very hot (120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit).

Move to mixer and whip whites on high for 2 to 3 minutes; turn down to medium low until cool (use the bowl as your guide).

In a separate bowl with a wooden spoon, stir butter to soften.

With mixer on medium/high speed, add the butter one tablespoon at a time, adding the next tablespoon just as the previous one is blended in. Once all the butter incorporated, add in vanilla, salt, coffee and chocolate whip on high speed until fluffy.

Chocolate Almond Cake

I christened my new kitchen by baking a cake for my friend Bill who was a huge help to me throughout the remodeling project.

It was important to me that the first cake out of the oven go to him since I seriously don't know what I would have done without his help. You know you have a true-blue friend when they are willing to spend days helping to remove lath plaster walls in the summer heat.

So first cake out of the new kitchen is this Chocolate Almond Cake that is very similar to my most requested Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Filling and Chocolate Buttercream except that instead of using peanut butter I used almond butter.

I made one batch of "The Greatest and Easiest Chocolate Cake" and divided it among three 8-inch cake pans. After the cakes baked and cooled, I cut each cake into two layers so that I had a total of six cake layers.

I used three layers for the Chocolate Almond Cake and I wrapped and froze the remaining three layers for a future cake.

"Flowers" made out of slivered almonds and mini chocolate chips add a nice decorative touch and give a hint as to what's in the filling.

The flowers are pretty and so easy to make. Just stick five slivered almonds in a round to form petals and add a mini chocolate chip center.

Here is the recipe:

Chocolate Almond Cake

"The Greatest and Easiest" Chocolate Cake:
3 1/3 cups flour
1 1/3 cups cocoa powder
3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoons salt
12 ounces butter
3 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans.

Place all ingredients in electric mixer bowl and beat on high speed for 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl once during mixing. Pour into prepared pans. Bake cakes for 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

When the cakes are cool, slice each cake into two layers. Three of the layers are needed to assemble the cake so you can wrap and freeze the three remaining layers for later.

Almond Butter Filling:

3/4 cup almond butter

1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk

In a mixing bowl, whip almond butter and butter together. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Finally add milk and beat just until the filling comes together and is spreadable. Don't over beat.

The almond butter filling comes together quickly and it's important not to over beat it or it will dry out.

Chocolate Buttercream:

3 large egg whites
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of fine sea salt
1 teaspoon espresso powder, dissolved in 1 teaspoon hot water, cooled
1/2 cup dark chocolate pieces, melted and cooled

Place the whites in a clean mixing bowl. Whisk in sugar and cream of tartar.

Place bowl over a double boiler on medium heat, stir frequently until the mixture is very hot (120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit).

Move to mixer and whip whites on high for 2 to 3 minutes; turn down to medium low until cool (use the bowl as your guide).

In a separate bowl with a wooden spoon, stir butter to soften.

With mixer on medium/high speed, add the butter one tablespoon at a time, adding the next tablespoon just as the previous one is blended in. Once all the butter incorporated, add in vanilla, salt, coffee and chocolate and whip on high speed until fluffy.

Garnish:
"Flowers" made out of Almond Slivers and Mini Chocolate Chips

The garnish ingredients.

To Assemble:

Once cakes have cooled, set one layer on a serving platter and top with 1/2 the almond butter filling. 

Add the second layer and top with the remaining filling. Finally, add the third layer and chill the cake until the filling is set.

Frost with the chocolate buttercream and garnish with the almond slivers and mini chocolate chips.

I like to fill and stack the cake layers and chill them for about 30 minutes before frosting. When I frost a cake I  usually start by adding a big pile of frosting on top.

Cake Frosting Tips

Frosting a cake can be frustrating so here are some tips to make it a more pleasant experience. And the recipe for my favorite frosting - Chocolate Buttercream.

1. Cool your cake completely before even attempting to frost it. The colder the cake, the better the icing will adhere. Plus, watching your frosting slip and melt on a too warm cake can induce tears.
2. Use a serrated knife to even out a cake if necessary. You can't hide an uneven cake with icing. Start out with a even cake and you'll end up with an even cake.
3. Crumb coat your cake and then chill it before doing a final icing. A crumb coat is just a quick thin layer of icing to hold the crumbs in place. It's an extra step but well worth it.
4. Invest in a revolving cake decorating stand. Being able to turn your cake as you decorate makes a world of difference.
   
5. Invest in a long thin spatula for spreading the frosting.
   
6. Invest in a heavy offset spatula for lifting the cake layers.
7. Make a frosting that's light and easy to spread. My recipe for Chocolate Buttercream is ideal.

My revolving cake decorating stand is nothing fancy. It's just plastic but it makes decorating so much easier.

A heavy offset spatula is a must for lifting cake layers.

A thin spatula for spreading the frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream
3 large egg whites
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of fine sea salt
1 teaspoon espresso powder, dissolved in 1 teaspoon hot water, cooled

1/2 cup dark chocolate pieces, melted and cooled

Place the whites in a clean mixing bowl. Whisk in sugar and cream of tartar.

Place bowl over a double boiler on medium heat, stir frequently until the mixture is very hot (120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit).

Move to mixer and whip whites on high for 2 to 3 minutes; turn down to medium low until cool (use the bowl as your guide).

In a separate bowl with a wooden spoon, stir butter to soften.

With mixer on medium/high speed, add the butter one tablespoon at a time, adding the next tablespoon just as the previous one is blended in. Once all the butter incorporated, add in vanilla, salt, coffee and chocolate whip on high speed until fluffy.

"The Greatest and Easiest" Chocolate Cake

Two chocolate cakes moist enough to be eaten as is or as I prefer — stacked with a peanut butter filling and chocolate buttercream.

 Sometimes the best recipes aren't in cookbook — They're on a package.

Nestle Toll House Cookies, Rice Krispie Treats, Kellogg's Bran Muffins — you know what I mean.

And now add another bona fide hit to those — "The Greatest and Easiest Chocolate Cake" from the package of Trader Joe's cocoa powder.

When I saw the title, I was immediately intrigued. Well, I've made it many times and it's no lie. It's a fabulous chocolate cake and it is indeed easy.


You put all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and beat on high speed for 3 minutes, scraping down the sides once during mixing. Pour into your prepared pans or cupcake cups and that's all there is to it.

But, there is one very very important thing you should know and it's not included with the recipe.  This "dump and blitz" method is only easy if you have a 7 quart bowl (mine is 5 quarts) for your stand mixer or use a big deep bowl and a hand mixer.

Too small of a bowl = big mess!

This cake is so moist, there's no need for icing but if you must, here's the way I like to do it.

I like two layers of peanut butter filling before a final coat of chocolate buttercream. 

"The Greatest and Easiest" Chocolate Cake 

with Peanut Butter Filling 

and Chocolate Buttercream  

Cake:

3 1/3 cups flour

1 1/3 cups cocoa powder

3 cups sugar

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 teaspoons salt

12 ounces butter 

3 cups buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla 

5 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans that are at least 3-inches deep. (Note: For my cake, I used 2 round 8-inch pans that were 4 inches deep.)

Place all ingredients in electric mixer bowl and beat on high speed for 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl once during mixing. Pour into prepared pans. Bake cakes for about 55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Peanut Butter Filling:

1 1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky)

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/3 cup milk

In a mixing bowl, whip peanut butter and butter together. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Finally add milk and beat just until the filling comes together and is spreadable. Don't over beat.

Chocolate Buttercream:

3 large egg whites
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of fine sea salt
1 teaspoon espresso powder, dissolved in 1 teaspoon hot water, cooled

1/2 cup dark chocolate pieces, melted and cooled

Place the whites in a clean mixing bowl. Whisk in sugar and cream of tartar.

Place bowl over a double boiler on medium heat, stir frequently until the mixture is very hot (120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit).

Move to mixer and whip whites on high for 2 to 3 minutes; turn down to medium low until cool (use the bowl as your guide).

In a separate bowl with a wooden spoon, stir butter to soften.

With mixer on medium/high speed, add the butter one tablespoon at a time, adding the next tablespoon just as the previous one is blended in. Once all the butter incorporated, add in vanilla, salt, coffee and chocolate whip on high speed until fluffy.

Garnish: 

1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, crushed

3 ounces dark chocolate, chopped fine

Chopping the chocolate for garnish

To Assemble:

Once cakes have cooled, set one layer on a serving platter and top with 1/2 the peanut butter filling. 

Add the second layer and top with the remaining filling. Chill the cake until the filling is set.

Frost with the chocolate buttercream and garnish with the peanuts and dark chocolate.

Frosting the cake.

Ready to eat!