Yes…we CAN!

We CAN BAKE it! Cakes….cupcakes….pies….anything! I have often looked at a recipe and instantly categorized it as “too hard” or “too many steps”.....and then file it away for another day….then almost always kick myself for not trying it when I had the time and ingredients. Today I wanted to bake two things….I wanted to try a Blueberry Meringue Roulade … I didn’t have any blueberries….and a St. Clemens Cake…which I had EVERY ingredient for! Somehow I allowed myself to file it away… and now I wish I had tried it…..Later on I got an email with a request for …you guessed it….a CITRUS CAKE! Really?! It would be my luck! Sheesh! So tomorrow I will attempt it….and if all goes well…(and even if it doesn’t) I will report back how it all went down;)

I would like to share the recipe I have for this cake because it just seems like it would be a delicious cake for spring or summer…..citrus flavors…orange and lemon…AND the best part…...you don’t have to sift or set anything aside to be added later! You just mix up all the happy little ingredients in ONE bowl..pour..bake…and PRESTO! DONE! Now that’s my kind of recipe! =)

St. Clemens Cake Recipe:

3/4 cup of soft margarine

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups of self rising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 huevos (eggs) ;)

powdered sugar (for dusting the cake)

Put all of that in a mixing bowl and mix it smooth.

Now grab a good sized lemon …and zest it…all of it!

Then grab an orange and do the same thing into your mixture and mix it all up.

Now pour that into two greased and floured 7 inch pans …SPANK the bottoms to make sure you get even cakes and any air bubbles out…..now pop em in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes until it has risen nicely=) Let it cool and dust it with the powdered sugar and VIOLA! You have a cake! If your not in a rush I bet some lemon curd filling would delicious! You can make it at home or buy it… I suggest you make it….I know I know…if your pressed for time just buy it …but really you gotta try to make it at least once! =) It’s so yum. Oh..you don’t know how to make lemon curd? Well why didn’t you say so?! here is that simple recipe…..

Lemon Curd Filling (Alton Brown’s recipe)

Ingredients:

5 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
4 lemons, zested and juiced
1 stick butter, cut into pats and chilled

Directions:

Add enough water to a medium saucepan to come about 1-inch up the side. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, combine egg yolks and sugar in a medium size metal bowl and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. Measure citrus juice and if needed, add enough cold water to reach 1/3 cup. Add juice and zest to egg mixture and whisk smooth. Once water reaches a simmer, reduce heat to low and place bowl on top of saucepan. (Bowl should be large enough to fit on top of saucepan without touching the water.) Whisk until thickened, approximately 8 minutes, or until mixture is light yellow and coats the back of a spoon. Remove promptly from heat and stir in butter a piece at a time, allowing each addition to melt before adding the next. Remove to a clean container and cover by laying a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Oh My …all this lemon zest talk is making my mouth water! i can’t wait till tomorrow …i really want to try this out! =) I hope you all enjoy trying it too! Please let me know if you make it and how you liked it! Oh and one last thing…..if you don’t like powdered sugar on cakes…whipped cream works great for citrus-y flavors. I feel heavy buttercreams don’t let the flavors sparkle. ;) have fun! And remember “WE CAN BAKE IT!”

Dear Sugar Diary,

Hi again! I have decided to share my most favorite cupcake ever…..EVER. Also..whenever that picture is at the top..from now on…it will be to let you know a recipe will be shared..ok? Ok. So ..today I am feeling so DRAMATIC…I woke up dramatic and held that emotion through out my day….so what do I do when DRAMA tries to ruin my usually happy disposition? Well I BAKE…and I bake what I want. And then I eat however much I want to. LOL…and then my world is all better again and the Disney birds return to sing on my shoulder….=) and my mice help me with my chores.

Well today I baked my most favorite cupcake….and while I usually bake from scratch…this one guilty pleasure is from a BOX! Oh the SHAME! But when you eat it…all that shame goes right out the door and is replaced with a happy fuzzy feeling right in your tummy! Besides it was just for me…and saves tons of time.

I baked what I call my “Therapy” .... I buy a brownie mix….you can buy whichever is your favorite…for me my favorite is what my mom used to make….and she always bought Duncan Hines everything. Ok so first your going to want to make a cake batter…it can be whatever flavor you want..I choose yellow. You can make it from scratch or if your feeling stressed and on the verge of a melt down… like me …run to the store and BUY a BOX MIX…I promise the sky won’t fall on you and no one will point a finger…well they may point …but who cares! Your about to go make some of the best nom noms in the known universe! Remember to grab the brownie mix! Now hurry home and set your oven to 350. Follow the directions on the boxes…once you have those all mixed and prepped…go find your cupcake pan and line it with the prettiest wrappers you have…(it helps..trust me) Once your papers are all sittin’ pretty- scoop a tiny amount of the CAKE BATTER into the cups….now switch over to your brownie mix and scoop some of that in on top of the cake batter..keep doing that in alternating layers till it is 3/4 of the way full…by now your oven should be at 350 so pop em in there for let’s say 12-15 minutes….I know you guys know when it is ready…but remember the brownie mix will be slightly gooey-er and the cake mix will bake up normally. By the time they are in the oven for 10 minutes you will start to smell your anti-meltdown treat. At 12 minutes they will look done but make sure you check because some of the cake batter may be slightly undercooked. Okay now that it has been almost the full 15 minutes open the oven and …hear that? Its an angel chorus! I hear it every time! Ha ha ha…what!? I do!

Let your cupcakes cool…(probably one of the hardest things to do EVER) but wait …it is so worth it….Now that they are out and cooled….pick one up…they are so yum they don’t even need icing or anything on top! Peel back that wrapper and sink your teeth into pure happiness….I like to eat them while sitting on the kitchen floor….right next to the warm oven…..bare feet …and I close my eyes…I simply ENJOY. I really feel sooooo much better and calm after these! I do! If you want to go ahead and make the cake and brownie batter from scratch by all means do that…but every once in a while taking a short cut won’t make the world stop turning…I pinky promise! I hope you try these and enjoy them as much as I do….Happy Anti-Melt Down Baking ya’ll!;)

There are things you don’t know when you get into caking. Things no one can prepare you for. So I have put together a list of the top 10 things I have learned the HARD way since I began caking…...

1) Everyone is NOT going to be nice to you. Not everyone will like your cakes…and not everyone will have something nice to say. And it will get you down…it will fester for a while and hurt your feelings…You will need to grow a tough skin and do what you do…because in the end there is more friendly ju-ju out there than negative….use the negativity as creative fuel.

2) Not every recipe you bake will turn out brilliantly. And it isn’t always your fault. Sometimes weather…ovens…geography…mood….and ingredients conspire against us….and sometimes it IS our own mistake….don’t let one botched cake drag you down…it isn’t the end of the world…it’s experience…next time that cake will turn out delicious and you will be a better baker for it.;)

3) Don’t try to be a caking super hero. Trying to do more orders than you can handle will only reflect in your work….if you can handle 5 cakes in a weekend then fine ….but if you can handle 1 …that’s fine too! Your clients are after quality …so quantity isn’t really important.

4) Don’t compare yourself to other bakers/decorators. You are YOU…and what YOU have to offer and what you bring to a project is YOURS and unique and amazing. Sure we get inspired by our peers and their work….but if you are trying to “compete” your going about it all wrong and should re-evaluate your priorities.

5) Be honest about your skill level and abilities. Don’t try something NEW on a real project …a real order…..leave the NEW stuff for practicing at home when you have the time….

6) It’s OK to spend time on caking …its ok to set time aside to practice…but don’t forget that you have a life OUTSIDE of cakes too….so while you have projects…make sure you set some break time in there for your family … your pet….and your friends…or you will be one lonely caker.

7) Remember that your non-caking friends don’t get your passion as much as your caking buddies do. Try not to bore them with cake talk….I get that we have a million things running through our minds…ideas we want to try out…but if it is ALL you talk about people stop listening…..

8) If your not in a caking mood…if the vibe isn’t there on any given day…don’t try out that “THING” you’ve been wanting to try…because if the mood is off you are only going to be frustrated …. so cake when your in your caking mood…=)

9)Saying No to an order is OK….you don’t have to take every single order that comes your way. You may not have the time…or are already booked. Let your client know…tell them in a nice way that while you appreciate the inquiry you are unable to accept at this time and hope they keep you in mind for next time. I promise people won’t hate you for that…they actually appreciate your honesty.

10) Have fun. In baking patience is a requirement….almost a law. Breath and remember to have fun…after all when you decided to be a caker….the “fun” aspect of playing with buttercream and fondant is what pulled you in. If it isn’t fun anymore then something is wrong …. find out what is wrong and fix it. Cakes are meant to be fun…=)

I hope this helps a little if you are experiencing any of these things…..we are human….and I really believe that projects should be fun and satisfying…NOT frustrating. Happy Caking !!

Hey again! How is it going?? Things will be back to normal soon and I will blog more I promise! Thank you for still finding time to email me ! You all are always so encouraging and just awesome! I have been at my table making decorations while having my “forever full”cup of coffee and answering all your emails makes me smile. I know we are all online and in different parts of the country and world even but it really has sparked some friendships that make me wish I lived everywhere! A true cosmopolitan citizen of the world! I laugh with you via “lol’s” and “ha ha ha’s” and we are sad together via ”=( or =’(” We even get happy for each other via “Yays! and Hooray’s!” We exchange pictures and critique each other and even just chat about whatever…not even cake related.

A couple of weeks ago I asked a question on my Facebook Fan page asking what group or clique you belonged to in high school….I was looking for a common thread ….something that may link all of us even if we didn’t bake or decorate cakes back then….and the most common pattern that kept recurring in answers and in emails was this: Most of us weren’t the “cool” kids….or the most popular kids…..we were creative types…band geeks…and the ones that had friends in many circles. I myself was a friend of every group…..and very artistic and creative. It is nice to NOT be in High School anymore..but sometimes Facebook makes it seem like we still are huh? You start noticing certain cliques and friends that “hang” together online…like popularity contests….and rivalry. It really is all so funny to me now that I am in my 30’s. I don’t bake to make anyone upset and I don’t bake to get approved by anyone. I don’t post pics because I am striving to have a pic “liked” the most …. I have friends and family and clients that really do want to see what I am up to…so for them I post. Pictures and video are the only way to get noticed for what you do online. I mean …I could describe a cake in words but I don’t think it would have the same effect as a pic…LOL!

All in all the online caking community has been amazing….a place to go where EVERYBODY knows what you are talking about all the time. If I was to call a non-caker friend and say:

” I just spent 2 hours answering email orders and then spent 2 more hours re ordering supplies online…and 4 hours making batches of fondant”.....they would (and have) most certainly look at me and say “Well..Shey it sounds like your life is very HARD…chit chatting with friends…shopping and playing with play-doh..while some of us actually get up and GO TO WORK” =\ ...=\

So today on the agenda are 84 cupcakes and a cake. My kitchen will smell like heaven starting this afternoon. =)

Orders Going Out 2/25/2012:

1- Peanut Butter/Chocolate Cupcakes(12)

2-Banana/Caramel Cupcakes(6)

3-Coca Cola Cupcakes…..YES….COCA COLA!(6)

4-Vanilla/Vanilla Cupcakes(30)

5-Chocolate/Chocolate Cupcakes(30)

6- Vanilla Cake/Caramel Buttercream(15×11)half sheet)

I am currently constructing a custom stand for a cupcake order….and have begun decorations …...I have a friend….(I will change their name in this Blog to “Jane” ....

Jane asked me: “Why do you take so many small orders….and you don’t even post all the pics online anyways?” Well Jane….for starters SMALL ORDERS pave the way for BIG ORDERS…..SMALL ORDERS keep my business IN business…..and to me no order is a SMALL order…..sometimes a small humble order is being taken to someone who will be surprised by it and the gesture….sometimes a small order is for saying Thank You….or Sorry for Your Loss…..sometimes these SMALL orders make a world of difference to the one receiving it…so I have no problem making a single order of 12 cc’s for someone. I have even baked and decorated 4 cupcakes for someone…that led to 2 full cake orders….Sometimes people just want to sample your product before committing to an actual cake. So you see….I never turn away an order because of “size” or quantity. =) If you are in business out of your home like I am…..you know that not everyone wants a giant cake for every occasion…sometime a cute delicious cupcake is enough….I mean ….biting into peanut butter buttercream (from scratch and kid approved) and then finding the surprise of dark chocolate inside your cupcake must be very nice…;) I like surprising my clients…...=) So I must get back to work….I may pop in later and post pics of progress….=) Have a wonderful day fellow cakers and friends….Stay Busy and look sexy the whole time! =)

I am having a super late dinner….and thinking about the things I hear on a daily basis…some are genuine….some are insulting….some are just outrageous! So I will share my list :

TOP 5 THINGS THIS CAKER HAS HAD ASKED OR SAID TO HER:

1- “Hi Shey… I was wondering how much for a cake?”

...yup just like that…no details…no explanation…just the cost of a cake in general I guess…..--

Current time is 8pm…What goes thru my mind: Hummm…yeaaaahhhhh..--..IT IS SHORT NOTICE .I wasn’t thinking of sleeping ..eating or even bathing this weekend…...Let me wave my magic spatula and whip that right up for you…..--

Me: ” Well 80+ servings? That would start out at $$$.....and bells and whistles are $$$ and all different flavors? and a txt banner? Well some more $$$....and delivered to WHERE (somewhere way out of town)and SET UP?? That will be $$$. Usually this is followed by a moment of silence before I hear ” How much would a 1 tiered cake be in those same colors?” --

4- “Hi there I am so and so and was wondering if I could bake the cakes and you would decorate them for me?

“No”

5- “Hi I would love a cake for such and such date…I am going to pay you with a personal check…could you not cash it till next Monday?”

“Okay …well how about I just bring you that cake next Monday?”

Okay Okay Okay! Don’t get the wrong impression! I never answer that way! I don’t!(pinky promise ;) I usually take every single last minute order as long as my work load isn’t already super full….BUT sometimes you just wonder about what people think I do all day…..I love baking and decorating but I also have 1,000 other things to do in between. lol, It is called MY LIFE. I don’t think it is fair to take time away from a clients cake who placed their order 2 months ago for next Friday when you wait to order yours next Thursday! Also if you have no idea what it takes to create a cake time wise and money wise I suggest you research first. Idk …people are just different and think different….These were just examples of things I get asked and told daily and I hope you get a chuckle out of it. Well I better get back to my prep for weekend orders! Hope you all have a blast making your weekend orders….I know I will! =) I love my clients!!!