The Stash
As I was rearranging the contents in the freezer, I discovered several tubs of frozen chocolate frosting from last year. Time to do something with them!!
Also, Cookie and her husband (the Jellos) are remodeling their bedroom and in need of something sweet and tasty. This sounds like a job for [duh-da-dah-nah!] evil cake lady!
September 4, 2006
Occasion: Cheer Up The Jellos, and Get Rid of Some of That Frosting
Name of Cake: Yellow Cupcakes and Cakelettes with a Variety of Chocolate Frostings
Constituents: Yellow Cakes and Egg White Milk Chocolate Buttercream, Egg White Mocha Buttercream, Chai Chocolate Buttercream, and Sour Cream Ganache
My roommate's scale is freaking out. The battery is dying so it keeps flashing a little warning, and on top of that it has become completely unreliable. When I put something on it to weigh in grams, the digital readout flashes a number, and then about 30 seconds later, the number (which is the supposed weight) begins to slide downwards until it hits zero. Then if you take the thing off the scale, instead of resetting at zero, it resets at -9. Piece of crap machine.
The problem is, I am totally addicted to that piece of crap machine. I haven't measured ingredients in over two years...the thought of dipping and sweeping to get 300 grams of flour makes me shudder. Measuring cups...how medieval.
So I comically, and probably tragically, tried to get the scale to listen to reason: I would tare out my bowl and try really quickly to add the ingredients, thinking that if I didn't give the machine a chance to pause at a weight that the numbers wouldn't start to backslide...(didn't really work--any slight pause would start sending the numbers backwards. Stupid machine.)
So the anal baking ECL didn't get her exact grams like she prefers, and in fact spent a few minutes swearing violently at her roommate's doddering machine, and even once hit the machine as a way to get out her ridiculous frustrations at trying to make a broken machine do her bidding.
The cake making part was pretty easy, and quick, and uneventful. However, I will say this: when filling a cakelette pan, it is important to not overfill the cups. Even though 2/3 full is fine for a cupcake cup, for a cakelette 1/2 full is just fine.
This is an important thing to note because I eagerly filled each cup 2/3 full and they puffed up well over the pan, and when I took a closer look at the cakelettes as they cooled, I noticed the edges of the cakes were well baked, but the centers were not so baked.
I left them for about 20 minutes in the pan to cool/bake a little longer hoping that would help them solidify. I don't know if it worked, but the cakes didn't collapse, so....
The frostings all defrosted nicely; with a minimum of whipping up with a fork they fluffed up and became spreadable. The chai chocolate buttercream did need a little more whipping than the others, but eventually it too became nice and spreadable.
For the cakelettes I split each of them horizontally and filled them with buttercream. The cupcakes I left as is because Cookie expressed much excitement at frosting the cupcakes. And when I brought them over, she ran into the kitchen and came back with a variety of frosting utensils and immediately went to task.
I ate a cakelette filled with the mocha buttercream, and as a result didn't really get tired until around 4:30 am. Why don't I remember how sensitive I am to caffeine?? Duh!!
Also, Cookie and her husband (the Jellos) are remodeling their bedroom and in need of something sweet and tasty. This sounds like a job for [duh-da-dah-nah!] evil cake lady!
September 4, 2006
Occasion: Cheer Up The Jellos, and Get Rid of Some of That Frosting
Name of Cake: Yellow Cupcakes and Cakelettes with a Variety of Chocolate Frostings
Constituents: Yellow Cakes and Egg White Milk Chocolate Buttercream, Egg White Mocha Buttercream, Chai Chocolate Buttercream, and Sour Cream Ganache
My roommate's scale is freaking out. The battery is dying so it keeps flashing a little warning, and on top of that it has become completely unreliable. When I put something on it to weigh in grams, the digital readout flashes a number, and then about 30 seconds later, the number (which is the supposed weight) begins to slide downwards until it hits zero. Then if you take the thing off the scale, instead of resetting at zero, it resets at -9. Piece of crap machine.
The problem is, I am totally addicted to that piece of crap machine. I haven't measured ingredients in over two years...the thought of dipping and sweeping to get 300 grams of flour makes me shudder. Measuring cups...how medieval.
these are antiques from king henry VIII's personal baker
So I comically, and probably tragically, tried to get the scale to listen to reason: I would tare out my bowl and try really quickly to add the ingredients, thinking that if I didn't give the machine a chance to pause at a weight that the numbers wouldn't start to backslide...(didn't really work--any slight pause would start sending the numbers backwards. Stupid machine.)
So the anal baking ECL didn't get her exact grams like she prefers, and in fact spent a few minutes swearing violently at her roommate's doddering machine, and even once hit the machine as a way to get out her ridiculous frustrations at trying to make a broken machine do her bidding.
guess which finger that is?
The cake making part was pretty easy, and quick, and uneventful. However, I will say this: when filling a cakelette pan, it is important to not overfill the cups. Even though 2/3 full is fine for a cupcake cup, for a cakelette 1/2 full is just fine.
This is an important thing to note because I eagerly filled each cup 2/3 full and they puffed up well over the pan, and when I took a closer look at the cakelettes as they cooled, I noticed the edges of the cakes were well baked, but the centers were not so baked.
dang.
I left them for about 20 minutes in the pan to cool/bake a little longer hoping that would help them solidify. I don't know if it worked, but the cakes didn't collapse, so....
The frostings all defrosted nicely; with a minimum of whipping up with a fork they fluffed up and became spreadable. The chai chocolate buttercream did need a little more whipping than the others, but eventually it too became nice and spreadable.
For the cakelettes I split each of them horizontally and filled them with buttercream. The cupcakes I left as is because Cookie expressed much excitement at frosting the cupcakes. And when I brought them over, she ran into the kitchen and came back with a variety of frosting utensils and immediately went to task.
I ate a cakelette filled with the mocha buttercream, and as a result didn't really get tired until around 4:30 am. Why don't I remember how sensitive I am to caffeine?? Duh!!
I am totally with you on the scale. The satisfaction of weighing out, say, 152 grams of flour can never be matched by measuring a cup of flour.
ReplyDeleteBBC: yep. i'm glad you understand.
ReplyDeleteZetta: okay, okay, slowly, s-l-o-w-l-y, put your hands down and back away from the cake. everything's gonna be okay, understand? everything's gonna be okay.