Holiday Cakes

This week, I made a couple small cakes for a good friend of mine for her holiday get-together.  She was nice enough to let me design them to help build my portfolio.  Here they are!

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Chocolate Cream Cheese scrollwork.  Topper is silk.

Chocolate Cake with Cookies-n-Cream filling and Buttercream Frosting and decorations.

In other news, Sweet For Sirten now has a Facebook!  You can find the link on the left side of this blog - I would love for you to 'Like' it =)

Happy Baking!

Microwave Mug Cake

Today, I was in desperate need of something chocolate and cakey, but also feeling really lazy - I did not want to pull everything out and bake a whole cake; I just wanted a bite to satisfy me.  Being as I gave away all the cake I had in the house (I'm trying to lose 5 pounds for a holiday party, HA!), so I started thinking about this episode of Rachel Ray I saw one time where this lady made cake in a coffee cup in the microwave.  I looked around online and found a few sites that had pretty basic sounding recipes, so I combined a few of them for what sounded like a good first try!

I baked in my ACS mug because it is the biggest one I own.  

Mug Cake Recipe:
4 tbsp. All Purpose Flour
4 tbsp. Sugar
2 tbsp. Cocoa
1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
1 Egg
3 tbsp. Milk
3 tbsp. Oil
Splash of Vanilla
*Next time I am adding chocolate chips.

Method:
Mix everything together in the mug and pop it in the microwave for 2.5 minutes.  EASY! However, next time I will mix mine up in a small bowl and then pour it in the mug - its hard to get everything incorporated within the mug, and that can make flower spots and hard spots.

The top

It was surprisingly easy to pop out of the mug with a spoon!  You can see I got a few flour spots. 

I added a couple scoops of vanilla ice cream, and I was all set! Its not the prettiest presentation, but it surely hit the spot and took all of 5 minutes to make =) Somedays, that is just how its got to be.

Happy Baking!

My New Most Favorite Dessert!

Chocolate Souffles!  Yes, I attempted them.  Yes, they fell after sitting 25 minutes out of the oven. And, oh my goodness, they were so decadently delicious! My husband suggested them, in joking I believe, and I decided to go for it. 

Fresh out of the oven - pretty 1.5 inch rise!

The recipe I used made enough batter for 4 ramekins, with a little left over for tasting! 

Chocolate Souffles:
3.5 ounces finely chopped, good quality, unsweetened chocolate (any chocolate will do, bittersweet or semisweet.  I just had some fancy unsweetened on hand.)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus for preparing the molds
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1.5 large egg yolks
1.5 tablespoons warm water
1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoons, plus approximately 8 tsp.
4 large egg whites, room temperature

Directions:
Brush 4 ramekins with soft butter, then coat with sugar. Set an oven rack in lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

Put the chocolate, approximately 8 tsp. of sugar (omit this sugar if you are using bittersweet or semisweet chocolate), and butter in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water. Stir the chocolate occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Taste chocolate to make sure sweetness is correct - add more sugar to mixture if necessary, according to your tastes. Set aside.

Combine the egg yolks and warm water in a bowl and beat until frothy. Gradually add 1 tablespoon sugar, and continue beating until ribbons form, about 5 minutes. Very lightly fold the yolks into the chocolate mixture. (Rinse the bowl well, if using again for beating the egg whites.)

Put the egg whites in a large non-reactive bowl. Beat on medium until frothy; then gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and increase speed to high. Beat until the whites hold a stiff but not dry peak.

Working quickly, fold about a third of the egg whites into the chocolate to lighten; then fold in remaining whites until blended. Gently ladle or spoon the souffle mixture into the ramekins, and place on a baking sheet. The shape on the top of your finished souffle will reflect the unbaked shape exactly, so, if you want a straight top, flatten it and, if you want a rounded top, mound it up.
Immediately bake until the souffle rises about 1 1/2 inches from the ramekins, and the tops are touched with brown, about 14 - 16 minutes.

So pretty out of the oven! They smelled like the most perfect brownies.

The top of the souffle had the crunch of a meringue cookie, while the inside was light and airy.  Mix those wonderful textures with a smooth, dark chocolate taste, and we have the most perfect desert ever invented!

Both mine and my husband's souffle ended up like this - all gone!

We have two souffles left.  I stored them in the fridge overnight, and I am really excited to see how they are when fallen and cold.  I'm expecting a pudding, kind of.  =)

Happy Baking!