My Favorite Party Buttercream

Baseballs for my nephew’s 12th birthday.

I know, it’s been some time since you’ve had anything new from me but this is one that I’ve been working on for awhile now, ever since my Tardis Cupcakes. Since then, I’ve had a few opportunities to make massive amounts of cupcakes and of course since we’re appealing to the masses for parties we go buttercream and since we are trying to do cute decorative things for various party purposes we go vanilla buttercream.
Let me just put this out there, while I really like the idea of a pure butter buttercream the truth is it really only tastes like sugar and butter. The texture can bug me too sometimes.  So, here goes…(dun dun duh!)

Soccer balls for my husband (coach) and daughter’s end of the spring season party.

I add in a bit of shortening.  It changes the flavor just a bit and the texture too.  It makes the frosting easier to work with.  When added to a traditional recipe for buttercream it adds a little more volume which allows for the little extra you might need when trying to go for that “professional” look without having buttloads left over.  I needed the extra volume for these two particular cupcakes because I was going for a ball effect.  Going for the look without adding too much extra frosting (I really HATE too much frosting and overall prefer a ratio of 1/3 frosting to 2/3 cupcake) requires a cupcake that bakes up into a nice dome.  For the baseballs I made Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes from Glorious Treats and for the soccer balls I made Simple Vanilla Cupcakes from the Joy the Baker Cookbook.  The “perfect” ones call for buttermilk and have a slightly bigger dome when baked.  The “simple” ones call for vanilla bean and so have a more pronounced vanilla flavor and a lovely dome.  Both are awesome recipes that I will be using again.

Joy’s Simple Vanilla Cupcakes destined to become soccer balls.

So, here is the long and short of it.  I use some salted butter.  Then I add the shortening.  I ALWAYS switch milk to cream because c’mon, it’s a party.  And then I add even a tad more salt.  Now, here’s the thing.  When you make this frosting and are tasting it as you go, you’ll be like, “Eh, it’s alright, nothing special” but once you stick whatever you frosted in the fridge to wait for party time, they transform.  The flavors really come together as it sits and well, it’s my favorite party vanilla buttercream!  If you are eating cupcakes from me topped with vanilla buttercream it is going to be this one.  This has been a real labor of love for me since it will be a real family recipe, one that will be used for our parties for years to come.  When you come across those recipes, those are the ones you treasure.  I hope it was worth the wait for all of you.

They look like a hit!

My Geekylink is just that I hope I get to see Star Trek Into Darkness at some point this weekend.  The Doctor Who‘s season ender is also this weekend.  Those lovely worlds will meld for me on Monday when the new Traveling the Vortex is released because they will be covering the finale and the Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 crossover comic books.  I have them but haven’t yet read them.  Thanks to those guys for giving me the kick in the butt to read them before then.  My daughter heard they’d be covering them and she said she wanted to read them too.  I told her no because I want her to watch a few episodes of Star Trek:TNG first and she said OK.  I’ve been waiting almost 10 years to hear that from her.  I’ll be looking for a good Netflix night for us to get started…eek!

Sundays with Joy/Mini Chamomile Cakes with Honey Frosting

These cupcakes were, as most things Joy makes are, quite lovely. Just the cutest, prettiest cakes packed with flavor and yet so dainty. I took care of that whole dainty thing with the way I ate them. They had to be unwrapped at least halfway and bitten into such that I got a mouthful of cake and icing. That method ensured that the cupcake was gone in about three bites and virtually inhaled, VERY daintily of course.

I took so long to get these to you because I ended up making them twice. I baked this weekend for a family party on Sunday. I made these right after I baked for the party on Saturday. Then when I came back to these on Monday to frost them, they just kinda looked sad. I hadn’t covered them or anything so it was just as well. So I remade them fully knowing it was gonna take me awhile longer to get them to you, but who wants to see sad cupcakes?

I was a big fan of this frosting in particular. You can taste the honey but it was not too much. Also, when I remade these I used two tablespoons less sugar in the cake batter. It just seemed the right adjustment after seeing how the first batch came out. Another thing about this post is that it finally features more pics with my husband’s camera (that I’ve been trying to learn) as opposed to my iPhone (that I’ve had to resort to). I was really pleased with them. They’re not perfect yet but at least it’s a start. Don’t forget, if you’re interested in the recipe buy Joy’s cookbook and check out the rest of our group’s efforts over at Bakeaholic Mama. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, our little group is one year old this week!

So many GeekyLinks lately that I had to pick and choose. The first mixes Doctor Who and musicals, “Doctor Who” Star Arthur Darvil Will Make Music in Broadway’s Once. I am a super huge fan of that movie. Its such a romantic story, and with one of my TV crushes in it?! However, it’s on the wrong coast for me. I hope I can somehow get a glimpse or two of him in the show. OK, wanna know what happens when you wring out a wet cloth in space? I had a good guess, I thought, but I was totally wrong and it is totally cool.

WonderCon, Easter, and Birthdays (My Spring Break)

Only a portion of the entire haul, we are missing a couple of Creeper pins, another Minecraft pickave pin, a Nyan Cat pin, a Wii U Bag, a Rainbow Dash thingy and all the stuff my nephews got.

For any of you that didn’t know, the nerd/geek community apparently really SUCKS at planning things. Otherwise WonderCon would not have been the weekend of Easter and TableTop Day would not have been the day before Easter. Luckily for me, WonderCon started on a Friday and I was able to participate and still do the mom/family stuff the rest of the weekend. If it wasn’t Easter weekend, I would have totally ditched my little ones and run to this place that was hosting TableTop Day games that was super close to my aunt’s bar & grill. I could have eaten a nice lunch and then gone and played board games. It would’ve been a great day. It still was, we did some fun family stuff and I was able get home early and bake for Sunday. O well, maybe next year…

 

Onto WonderCon…

 

A Harley Quinn, some Wreck-It-Ralphers, Guardians, and a Wolverine.

Last year, the first year it moved to Anaheim, I totally regretted not going even though it was pouring torrential rain that weekend. After we parked and walked as far as we did to get into the venue, I don’t regret it as much. Because of Easter, I wasn’t even sure I was going to go. Just so much going on, lack of money, blah, blah, blah. But I had already mentioned it to my nephews, my niece got to go Gallifrey One, my husband has been on this “its just money/life’s too short” kick, and two days before Easter I am NOT baking and am out of town for the entire day. I had a blast.

I helped Captain America zip up in the ladies room. Her back “shield” is a purse. That little Iron man was PERFECT.

The programming was a bit light because well, it wasn’t a Saturday, but we still made it to a Geek and Sundry panel. We tried to get into a Regular Show panel but apparently that was the same room they were going to preview the season premiere of Doctor Who and so was longest line EVER and we couldn’t get in. I was bummed for the kids because they really wanted to see that one. So even though there wasn’t much programming for our group, who doesn’t LOVE the convention floor? Super crowded at times but mostly fine, we navigated most of it really well. I was able to hold the kids off on buying stuff till we actually saw most things and then we went back and bought. They all bought posters (our group bought Modern Warfare III, Adventure Time, and Regular Show) and some pins. I had been bugging Angela about a poster since Gallifrey One. She didn’t get why till we got home from Gally and I pointed out her many years old High School Musical 3 poster behind her door. Since then she had been on the lookout for a new poster. I bought pins and a Walking Dead trade paperback for my sister/me. I spent the bulk of my money on bows, seriously. Ponies, Hunger Games, and Adventure Time hairbows for my girls. One vendor, who didn’t sell online, had some great deals so I just HAD to get them.

Felicia Day, John Saxon, Noel Gugliemi, my nephew and Lou Ferrigno,

There was NO Fringe love AT ALL. I was SO bummed. The lady who we bought our pins from said she might help me out with that but I haven’t contacted her yet. I mean, for a series with so many iconic images and phrases (the glyphs, Red Vines, a white tulip, the RedVerse Fringe division logo, a frickin Fedora for goodness sake!) there was nothing. And it JUST ended! Did I mention that she made zipper pulls and bracelets as well from her pins? Yeah, I also bought my Sarah a My Little Pony bracelet for her birthday and zipper pulls for Sarah and Robert as well. A Fringe bracelet and zipper pull for momma sounds just dandy.

The kids and some stormtroopers and Angela inside a Tardis tent.

The kids loved looking at the cosplay until Angela realized that she had a Hermione costume she could/should have worn. Then she was just bummed. We got some free Wii U bags for trying games, lanyards and pins from the Geek and Sundry panel, and a paper ship from Oblivion (oh yeah, the full size ship was there too) and I think that is about it for the free. Not bad for showing up, walking around, and having a good time.

The coolest WORKING tardis console EVER! I should have taken video.

Easter and Birthdays…

I would make this a whole separate post but I didn’t take any pictures of my Easter goodies. A whole post about goodies without pictures is just mean so I’ll just have to tell you what I made. For our Saturday celebration, I just made some Joy the Baker Cookbook’s Simple Vanilla Cupcakes and Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. I love those cookies. I added some festive M&Ms and that was it, Easter cookies.

I took the rest of the cookies over for Sunday. I made the same shortbread cookies I made last year and I brought over some Apple Fritter Cake for brunch.

The week after Easter was our big party for Justin and Sarah. I remade Joy’s Simple Vanilla Cupcakes with the Best Chocolate Buttercream (what Sarah wanted) and even though Justin said he didn’t want anything, I knew exactly what to make him. And yep, he finished what was left over the next few days.

See, I told you I could do the ganache right.

Oh yeah, Geekylink? There are only days left to preregister for Equestria LA. I don’t know if I’m going. I hope since its Mother’s Day weekend my husband wouldn’t mind us maybe going to our THIRD convention this year?! I am not really a My Little Pony fan myself but my girls are huge ones. I’m just not sure we can make it that weekend (Mother’s Day weekend? Again with the bad planning?). We’ll see…

Sundays with Joy/Brown Butter Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Treats

I’ve just been trying to get back into the swing of things. After the long weekend last week, then my two Gally posts, then my igamemom post, then I made these crispy rice treats, and then it was Oscar Sunday and I had my party. It was a big turnout this year. Instead of just my friend and I we became five this year.  Exciting!  It was also the first time I asked my oldest to watch the babies upstairs with monetary compensation.  She did alright.  Next time I will stipulate that she must also help me get ready for the party if she wants to see any cash.  But the main goal was to keep the babies’ (please realize they are 4 and 5, but my babies) visits downstairs to a handful a piece and that goal was met.

Butter browning, then with added peanut butter and marshmallows.

No cash actually exchanged hands, mind you.  I promised a $10 transfer to her bank account and $10 cash but she had been bugging me about going to the comic book store for a few weeks so yesterday I ended up buying her $12 of books and we finally got put on a “pull list” for her comics.  We actually had a really great time just looking around and seeing all the stuff that was available and what she was into.  All this was after having a breakfast date with the husband while my son was in preschool.  We ate and I thought we were going to go home and I was going to write this post but then we went to the mall and did some shopping. And I’m sorry but I must admit it, I am really glad this post is even later than I was anticipating because we had a really nice time.  The girls got out of school early and then my oldest and I went on our comic book excursion.  The girls had dance after that and while we were gone my husband got the names for our daughter’s spring soccer team.  To me, it is so adorable when my husband has to talk to parents and stuff since he is normally really shy with new people.  It was also just nice to see him so excited for a change.  The only thing that could have made yesterday better was capping off dinner with one of these.  Sadly, we finished them off almost a week ago now.  Time to buy some more cereal…!

Sadly, I don’t think I will be having an Oscar post this year.  I asked one of my guests to bring the appetizers and I just made a simple roast.  I made a lovely cake but it was only 85% of what I wanted.  I know what I want to do to fix it but I need a break from chocolate cake.  That one was like the third in about a month.  I’ll leave a sneak peak at the bottom of the post.  However, if you’d like the recipe for these treats all you need to do is buy Joy’s Cookbook.  Also, don’t forget to check out Bakeaholic Mama for variations.  I’ll just say someone dipped them in chocolate…

For my GeekyLink this week, well, its me!  Here is my first post for igamemom!  I am so excited that I started this and yes, the particular app I reviewed Game For Two, is totally addictive (Tiles, I can’t quit you, and medium is even BETTER than easy!).  It looks like I’ll only be posting every other week, at least till after soccer season and the girls’ dance recital (dang you real life!) but please check it out!  Also the best video I have seen recapping Gallifrey One 2013.  Thank the kid for finding this one.  And yep, I realize I still owe her $8.

Look! Proof I can make a pretty ganache. Unlike my last attempt.

Valentine’s Cake (Chocolate Cake with Whipped Cream, Strawberries, and Chocolate Ganache)

O yeah, I am just putting it out there.  Make this cake for your Valentine.  Today or any day of the year.  They will thank you.  My husband’s second piece yesterday was all the thanks I needed.

Chocolate cake.  You saw a wonderful chocolate cake up on this blog yesterday.  Here is a completely different one but with some of the same components and it makes for a completely different cake.  There are a couple of things that, no matter what the recipe, must be in my chocolate cake.

1. Buttermilk (I discovered this little gem in my Cake Doctor days)

2. Coffee or espresso powder (just DO it)

This particular recipe had both and it also had cake flour!  It just kept getting better and better…

First layer of strawberry filling…

So, I broke down and made it for my aunt’s birthday a few weeks ago and paired it with Joy’s Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.  My aunt was in heaven!  And I was impressed that with how light and perfect this cake was, it held up to travel, a sturdy frosting, and a baker who forgot to use wax paper in her cake pans when she was greasing. (OK, it did kinda fall apart upon cutting because of that last part but it made it there and tasted wonderful.)

I knew I would be making this cake again.  But in what capacity?  Hmm…

The only other cake that I ever dreamt about and just had to get up the next day and make it was this one.  So I took my inspiration from there.  I switched the chocolate whipped cream for vanilla.  Since I was going to use less strawberries on the cake I made sure to cram a few extra into the filling.  The chocolate ganache is just a bonus.

My GeekyLink today is iGameMom.  She writes reviews and recommendations for educational children’s apps.  I love this site and have been following it for a long time and have found many an app through her.  My 9 year old even won a science experiment kit from the site.  Well, guess what?  I am going to begin reviewing apps for her as a guest blogger!  I think this is gonna be pretty cool.

Now go make some cake!

Sundays with Joy/Red Velvet Chocolate Marble cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

When it rains, it pours.  I skipped an entire week, I know.  I hadn’t done it in awhile and I am sorry.  However, coming up, you are going to wish I would just shut it.

Today I have Joy’s lovely Red Velvet Marble Cake, then I have something for tomorrow, and this weekend is Gallifrey One!  I am spending the night this year!  This year I have a handful of twitter friends I am aching to meet.  This year I have an iPad and a hotel room with free wifi.  Now, I am not promising anything but I just may post during the weekend.  At least it is possible.  Whether or not I post this weekend, I am going to post next week with a big recap and lots of pictures!  Then, the next Sundays with Joy is really simple so I will actually post on time.  I have been working on some breads lately and by the time all that stuff is over and up I should be back on track with a recipe for one of those.

Another issue with my not posting is still figuring out that darn camera.  It is a good camera.  I should be using it.  I HATE IT.  I hate editing the photos I take with it.  Most of them end up in the trash anyway.  I need to start using it for stuff other than blog posts, maybe that will help.  I don’t know…  I think that having a few baking fails also put a damper on my blog content and its just made worse when you are in a photography rut.  I need to be posting.  I want to be posting!

Anyways, onto the cake.  Well, the marbling didn’t really work out for me.  I did swirl but I guess not enough.  To make matters worse, leveling my cake pretty cut in half the amount of chocolate cake I got.  O well.  As for the frosting, looking at the pictures I am sure you can tell that I didn’t sift my cocoa powder.  Rookie mistake, Celina.  I wasn’t the biggest fan of this cake only because I wasn’t in the mood for a lovely moist one.  I had been dreaming of this airy one that I made a few weeks before and was preoccupied thinking about what I could do with it. (Find out tomorrow!) So my head wasn’t clear.  I had just fallen in love with another chocolate cake so Joy’s didn’t stand a chance at being anything else but a rebound.  Also, I am not the biggest fan of cream cheese frosting either (especially with Joy’s Best Ever Chocolate Buttercream on the other page!) but it was on the schedule and I hadn’t made a chocolate one before so I wanted to do it.  I think the red velvet part turned out very well especially considering I hadn’t made one of those either.  Joy matched the texture of the different kinds of cakes perfectly.  As always you can find the recipes in Joy the Baker Cookbook: 100 Simple and Comforting Recipes and please check out Bakeaholic Mama for the other variations.  I heard there were a couple of mini cakes!

My GeekyLink for this week is more like a warning…If you are not a Whovian you might want to avoid the site, my Facebook page, or my twitter feed for awhile.  Wait till after tomorrow of course but the week after that it is going to be all Who all the time.  So now can I whine that Sir Derek Jacobi and Arthur Darvill aren’t going anymore?  However, for some reason (because he has never been on the show) John Noble, yes, Dr. Walter Bishop from Fringe is going to be there?!  I don’t care why but I am THRILLED!

Late to the New Year’s Party (Top 5 Recipes of 2012)

In between the Christmas aftermath and my son’s birthday four days later and New Year’s Eve two days after that, you can imagine the last week being VERY busy.  We were going to do a smallish Chuck E Cheese thing for my son with cake at the house after and then that turned into not doing anything and then that evolved to a big party at our home.  Whatever.  I have three kids worth of Christmas presents to put away and a house to finish organizing today.  Luckily I have stayed away from my computer and I do have most of the stuff done but today is the last day and I am organizing the garage and making the comprehensive grocery store list for food prep and cupcake making tomorrow.

While I may not have been writing anything I have certainly been reading a few blogs here and there.  I am late with my Sundays with Joy for last week.  I have baked Mommom’s Chocolate Bourbon Spiked Banana Bread and it is FANTASTIC!  I can’t get my son to stop eating it.  I just haven’t had the time to take pictures or the time I have is after the son has gone down.  This Sunday is our last week off for our holiday schedule and I shouldn’t have much of a problem getting it to you by then.  I also missed posting on New Year’s when everyone posts their tops for the year.  That was something I really wanted to do.

I do have a disclaimer though.  These are the top posts FROM 2012.  My top post for the year was actually from 2011, back when my pictures were yucky.  Let’s keep it interesting and go backwards shall we…?

5. Cream Cheese Wontons

Now I am not a fan of remaking things that I have made for my previous Oscar “parties” but this one was SUCH a hit with my friends, I may not have a choice.  Also, if you are a fan of Pick Up Stix Cream Cheese Wontons I have cracked the code people!  I have cracked the code!!!

4. Nutella Banana Cream Pie

Do I really have to go into it?

3. Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Wontons

This was my attempt at making a sweet version of the Cream Cheese Wontons, and it worked so well it beat out the savory one in views.  Don’t forget the caramel dipping sauce!  Is it bad that next time I make them, I want to fry them?

2. Chocolate Cake with Strawberries and Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting

This came with just wanting to make a cake one day.  The family called for a short notice get together so I changed the whipped cream to chocolate whipped cream and I couldn’t have been happier.  I would LOVE to make this again just to get prettier pictures of it…and then EAT ALL THE CAKE!

1. Tea, Earl Grey, Cupcakes with Lemon Scented Whipped Cream

Proving that the Wheatons win at everything, my #1 post for this year is something I made for Anne Wheaton and other humans that like to order their tea with the line “Tea, Earl Grey, hot” made famous by my FAVORITE (deal with it, Justin!) Captain Picard during the show run of Star Trek: TNG.  Along with the batter from Joy’s Avocado Pound Cake this batter (although I know I shouldn’t encourage it) wins the award for most likely to disappear before baking.

For my GeekyLinks today, we will keep with the Wheaton theme.  This was tweeted by Ryan Wheaton the other day and I thought it was pretty cool, a Back to the Future/Doctor Who mash-up.  The next is about how Wil Wheaton’s Web show brings people together, TableTop, his You Tube show on the Geek and Sundry channel.  I rewatched the Ticket to Ride episode with my 9 year old the other day (yay for You Tube on the Wii!) and when THAT PART happens (if you’ve seen it, you know what I mean) the kid was in stitches!  Plus it was a game she loves on my iPod touch and that we play together when we can.  I still have yet to buy it in non digital form.

Sundays with Joy/Orange Gingerbread Squares with Cream Cheese Frosting

The quest for this cake began early last week when one of our group had an overflow making this cake and the group was trying to figure out what went wrong (if anything) in this fabulous concoction.  The group determined that pretty much it was just the variance in depth of pans and such.  So I was good to go.  My 8×8 pan has two edges that come out too, so I figured if there was any spillage, it would most likely rest on those edges and not spill over.

Curiouser…

Well, I was wrong.  I didn’t have a big spill at all but any spill in an oven needs to be taken care of right away or else SMOKE EVERYWHERE!  Unfortunately for me, the minute or two it took to carefully pick up the spill resulted in a deflated cake.  I saw it.  It was all nice and baking and as I go to close the oven door when I was done with the spill, I saw my middle sink.  And then so did my heart.  There was no doubt I was going to make it again because well, this particular cake just looks perfect and takes the most perfect picture.  I wanted that opportunity.  Then after I took my ruined cake out of the pan well of course I nibbled.  My idea of the kind of cakes I like would NEVER be the same.  My Top 5 took a turn.  This is just an impossible cake not to love.

…and curiouser…

Let me tell you, while making this cake I was VERY skeptical.  The dough is super dark.  The molasses made it smell funny.  Honey, and sugar, AND molasses?  I made a few faces.  I harbored some doubt.  Even with the icing I wasn’t too sure because I don’t really like cream cheese icing but I had skipped it before for the Zucchini Cream Cheese Pound Cake so I figured I’d better go all in.  I really cannot express to you how glad I am that I did.  On the one hand with baking and receiving cookies for the Cookie Swap so I am chock full of cookies right now, I should skip the cake.  But I just can’t.  The cake has a spice that is so spot on and with the frosting?!  Oh my goodness!  This is one of those cakes where you take your fork down the side of the cake for that perfect bite because it is there EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.  Joy really should call this cake the Perfect Bite Cake.  It just is.

Hmmm…

My only issue was that I didn’t have quite enough orange zest for the second cake.  I only had about half left of what the recipe called for.  But don’t worry it is great either way however I did enjoy the cake with the correct amount of zest a bit more.  It really makes the cake sing.  Yes sing.  Also, if you are worried about spillage just eyeball it and if your batter comes up more than halfway up the sides of your pan well then stop pouring and put the rest in another small pan to bake along with the 8×8.  If you would like this incredibly fantastic recipe, please buy Joy’s eye opening cookbook!  This week our link roundup is going to be over at Indigo Scones so check out everyone’s adaptations and pictures of the cake that is just screaming to be photographed.

My GeekyLink today is going to be all about Fringe.  Last week they had a Wrap Party (with pictures and Seth Gabel!) for the series and to celebrate its 100th episode.  I only have about 45 days left till the finale on January 18th.  I am in super bummed mode because there hasn’t been a new episode in two weeks.  Luckily there will be one this Friday but with the end looming and my lack of current episodes, I just don’t know what to do with myself.  Oh yeah, watch old episodes of Fringe on the Science Channel, right!

Yum!

Sundays with Joy/Peanut Butter Birthday Cake with the Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

I finished putting together this cake on one of the busiest and most fun days I’ve had in awhile. Some friends of ours needed someone to watch their kids for the day and most Sundays include my kids and I just hanging out and having a lazy day so I offered. I know how hard it is to unload 3 kids so I didn’t hesitate. The only time don’t feel guilty about leaving them with someone is when my dad watches mine because he makes it look so easy. My son could set his house on fire and dad would laugh and say he was just being a boy.

I mix my Ovaltine and cream in this shaker and it gets so nice and thick and yummy. I almost try and make sure I don’t use it all in the frosting.

But I’ve known these kids since forever and two of them since before they were born, in fact, the last two times their mom and I were pregnant together. When our oldest girls were dancing at age 4, she had her son and I had my Sarah. The next year I had Bob first and she had her second little girl a few months later. So I figured with a kid a piece, it would be smooth sailing. It was! Everybody played a little with everyone and I even got the big girls to play with some Play Dough (which made me so happy I couldn’t even tell you). I let them make their own pizzas for dinner and then everyone got a slice of this cake.  The only time it got to be a bit much was when all of the sudden it was 8 pm and I had to get 6 kids ready for bed in an hour with baths/showers included.  I basically just ran up and down the stairs that whole time.

Back to the cake. everyone liked it but both boys DEVOURED it.  Bob just about had a panic attack when he saw me clearing plates.  He ran back to his spot and made sure he got his last bite.  Also, this week I figured since we were doing a cake that I would finally buy a cake stand.  It is okay if I don’t used one for my cakes but…this wasy’s Joy’s cake.  So I went to our new Home Goods that I had been looking for an excuse to go see.  I only found a couple of cake stands and only one I liked.  However, I also found a marked down copy of Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours.  I was torn but eventually (seriously I walked the isles for an hour debating) the book won.  I have only gone through half of it and am already so excited!  More and more and more baking!

The only picture I have of the entire frosted cake.

As always please buy the Joy the Baker Cookbook: 100 Simple and Comforting Recipes.  It has already given me so many wonderful surprises and I can’t wait to see what else we get to make!  Check out Bakeaholic Mama and see what spin other bloggers have put on this wonderful cake.  Indigo Scones cake looks so pretty, I can’t even tell you!

Your GeekyLink for today is Story of the Week: Free Fall.  If you were at all enthralled as I was by Felix Baumgartner’s flight last week, check out the story of Lieutenant Colonel William H. Rankin.  Fifty years ago he ejected from his plane without a pressure suit about nine miles above sea level and into a storm.  The link leads to an excerpt from the book that recounts that particular story.  See if you can get passed the part about his distended full term pregnant looking belly or the blood coming from all orifices…

Then eat some cake.

A Baby Shower…

So I am finally giving you a glimpse into all the stuff I got into two weeks ago.  Back before most of my kids were born, I was way more into crafting than baking.  Mostly because it is way easier to craft at night.  If I cook or bake at night for the blog my pictures turn out terrible.  However, it still is a good time if I have baked goods to take somewhere.  I still craft from time to time but mostly it is the odd barrette for one of my girls.  I used to take plain boxes and use wallpaper borders to decorate them and make little toy boxes, cut out shapes and decorate all over.  It would have worked better if I had Mod Podged them all but…no one complained (they were just for close family) and they still held toys so…  Then I started  painting them which for overall effect, worked out way better.  I think it ends up being just a bit more time consuming though because you want to paint a few coats for bright colors but you need to wait for colors to dry in between coats.  I mostly like painting because it is fun.  I feel like a first grader painting a school project.  I do it with an adult eye but mostly it is just fun.  Then I stopped.  I didn’t make one for one of my baby cousins or my son.  Things just got too busy for a few years.

Sugar cookies on top, chocolate chip on the bottom.

So I was doing all the desserts for my cousin’s baby shower and I decided that I was going to make a toy box for her too…and a diaper cake…the week before the shower that I had to do all the desserts for.  Luckily for me the desserts were not too elaborate.  She wanted the pie that I had made for my Grandmother’s birthday in November.  She decided on Oreo cupcakes (sorry, no pictures) for everyone else and I decided I would make some cookies.  I used the New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe which is my favorite for an event.  It requires that you make the dough ahead of time and so that helps if you have lots of things to do.  I used the Pioneer Woman’s recipe for Angel Cookies too.  See, simple, a chocolate chip and a sugar cookie, some cupcakes and a pie.  Everything worked out really well and timed just right.  Except for one thing.  The caramel that went in the pie.  I tried that at least three times till I was almost out of sugar and for my last attempt typed “foolproof caramel” into my search bar then Alton Brown came to the rescue.  I don’t think I will ever use another caramel sauce recipe again.  Again as with my first attempt in November, the pie fell apart upon serving (this time I am SURE it was the heat) but was still AMAZING!  That pastry cream is just the best ever!  She took about a quarter of the pie home and so did I.  It didn’t make it another whole night in my house.

No pictures with the lovely pastry cream, sorry.

I love the way the toy box came out and so did my cousin and I could tell by her reaction when she opened it and that is always a good feeling.  The only thing I didn’t like was the lettering.  I wish I could have gotten wooden lettering and put those on but outlining the letters helped hide some of the flaws.  The painted animals I ordered from Hobby Lobby but they do have them at Michael’s (just not my Michael’s and they didn’t know when they would get more).  I had to pay extra for shipping but it is my own fault for starting a project last minute.  The lion on the diaper cake was from JoAnne’s Fabric. The diaper cake was way easy.  I used to roll them separately but found a way to make a spiral diaper cake on Pinterest.  It took NO time at all.  I would’ve decorated it more but by then I was out of money.  I still like how it turned out.

So not only do I bake but sometimes I get the urge to craft.  A great thing to do while crafting late at night is to catch up on some TV. My GeekyLink for this week is a Robot Chicken DC Comics Special coming up on September 9th.  Robot Chicken always cracks me up!  And of course let us not forget the premiere of Series 7 Doctor Who Asylem of the Daleks Saturday September 1st!  Also, don’t for get to check out the Nerdist Channel’s All Star Celebrity Bowling featuring the cast of Doctor Who, premiering on Friday August 31, and while you’re there check out all their other programming for Doctor Who premiere weekend.