Pink Ombre Vanilla Cake

This past weekend Butter Hearts Sugar turned 2!

Two years in I can't imagine not having this blog. Its my creative outlet, my recipe storage spot, a place to ramble, a place where I can talk cakes and cookies as much as I want without driving boyfriend nuts and sometimes its just my excuse to make yummy treats and not feel bad.

When I started this blog I had no idea anyone would actually read it, so thank you for all your visits, lovely comments and encouragement, you make me smile daily.

I've been making so many cakes for other peoples birthdays lately, sometimes resisting the urge to just cut a slice, sit down and enjoy it is pretty tough. I have never made myself a birthday cake, boyfriend's birthday is a few days before my own so I usually just make a cake for him. I decided my blogiversary was a great opportunity to make a cake just for me my blog. Nothing fancy just a fluffy vanilla cake with yummy airy vanilla buttercream exactly as I'd like it.

It might seem a little on the boring side, but I love vanilla cake. When that yummy vanilla cake is decorated with pretty pink ombre buttercream, well pretty sure you cant get any better than that. This recipe is very similar to the one I've mentioned in a number of recent posts (Lamington Vanilla Cake) with just a couple of changes to the ingredients. The main difference in ingredients is the changing from regular self raising to cake flour, I enjoy the texture cake flour gives and it takes it one step closer to a packet mix taste in a from scratch cake.

For the Vanilla Cake

3/4 cup milk 

5 egg whites 

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

2 3/4 cups cake flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 3/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

170 grams salt reduced butter (softened)

To make the cake- Grease and flour two 8 inch round cake pans and preheat oven to 180 degrees c.

Set aside 1/2 cup of the milk.

In a medium bowl combine the remaining 1/4 cup of milk, egg whites, vanilla extract and paste and set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the softened butter and the 1/4 cup of milk and mix on low to prevent flour going everywhere. When the ingredients come together increase speed to medium and mix until smooth, about a minute and a half.

Add the egg and milk mixture one third at a time, beating on medium for about 20 seconds between each addition. The mixture should be smooth and fluffy.

Divide the cake mix between the two prepared pans and smooth over the tops.

Place the cakes in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes keeping an eye on them toward the end to make sure they don't over cook. Test the middle of the cake with a metal skewer, if it comes out clean the cake is ready.

Allow cakes to cool in pans for about 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely. Cool top side up. While the cakes are cooling prepare the frosting.

Basic Vanilla Buttercream
200 grams salt reduced butter (softened)
6 cups icing sugar
pinch salt (optional)
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pink food colouring gel

To make the buttercream- Add the butter to the bowl of an electric mixer, beat on medium until fluffy and very pale, for around 3 minutes. Turn the mixer down to low so you don't fill you kitchen with clouds of icing sugar. Gradually add the icing sugar and milk along with the vanilla and salt and mix until combined. Add a little more milk or sugar if necessary to get your desired consistency. Turn the mixer speed up to medium and beat for another 2 minutes until fluffy.

Divide the frosting into four bowls and colour to the desired shades of pink. Spoon the buttercreams into four piping bags fitted with plain round tips with a 1cm opening.

Trim off the domed tops of the cakes and sandwich the two layers together with some buttercream. Before decorating the cake cover the whole thing with a thin coat of frosting. This will stop any crumbs showing up and ensure no naked bits of cake peek through the decorations.

Starting at the top pipe a straight line of dots vertically down the cake. Start with the lightest colour at the top and end with the darkest at the bottom.

Using a small offset spatula or round ended butter knife, press gently on each icing dot and spread horizontally in the one direction.

Pipe a second line of dots over the trails of icing, continue piping and spreading the icing around the rest of the cake.

When you get to the last gap between the icing, finish with a line of  dots.

For the top of the cake use the same technique but work in circles, starting at the edge complete one circle at a time.

Once again work through the colours from light to dark.

Continue until the entire cake is covered.

 Yum!!

Tricycle Birthday Cake

Last weekend I had such a great time making this tricycle cake for a little boys 2nd birthday. The inspiration for the cake came from these cute tricycle invitations and cupcake toppers from Esty shop The Green Grass Grows.

Sadly it rained non-stop the day of the Birthday so the original party plan of all the kids bringing their tricycles/ bikes to the local park to play didn't work out. It sounds like the birthday boy still had a great day and the cake was a real hit.

The cake was my favorite vanilla cake, double the recipe was enough to make the two layer 8 inch cake, the 6 inch cake and 8 cupcakes to match. Both the cake and cupcakes were frosted in yummy vanilla buttercream and covered with fondant. 

Happy 2nd Birthday Rocco!!

Anzac Biscuits

I feel like I had to post this recipe before the end of April, last Wednesday was Anzac Day so of course I made Anzac Biscuits. Anzac Biscuits were originally sent to Australian soldiers during World War I, due to them be egg free they didn't spoil and lasted the trip. Anzac biscuits make a great anytime cookie, it is pretty likely you have all the ingredients needed already in the pantry and they take hardly any time at all to make.

Anzac biscuit fans can be be divided into two teams, some go for hard crispy cookies while others prefer the soft chewy variety. I am happy with either way, its the oaty golden syrup flavour that I really enjoy, though this recipe makes flat chewy biscuits.

For the Anzac Biscuits (for the full recipe scroll to the end of the post)

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup pain flour
3/4 cup caster sugar
125 grams butter (chopped)
2 tablespoons golden syrup
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 1/2 teaspoons bicarb soda

To make the Anzac biscuits- Line baking trays with baking paper an preheat oven to 170 degrees c.

Add the oats, flour, sugar and soda to a large bowl and mix together.

Stir the butter and golden syrup in a medium saucepan until melted.

Turn off the heat and add the bicarb soda and give it a little stir. The mixture will froth and expand, so make sure you use a big enough pan so it wont overflow.

Pour the butter and syrup mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients.

Mix until well combined.

Take tablespoons of the mixture and roll it into balls, place the balls of mixture onto the prepared pans and flatten slightly. Space the unbaked cookies about 5 cm apart on the trays as they will spread quite a bit.

Bake the Anzac biscuits for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are a nice golden brown. Keep and eye on them toward the end they will brown quickly, I got distracted and ended up over cooking my first batch. Take the biscuits out of the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking trays.

Chewy Anzac Biscuits
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup pain flour
3/4 cup caster sugar
125 grams butter (chopped)
2 tablespoons golden syrup
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 1/2 teaspoons bicarb soda

• Line baking trays with baking paper an preheat oven to 170 degrees c.
• Add the oats, flour, sugar and soda to a large bowl and mix together.
• Stir the butter and golden syrup in a small saucepan until melted. Turn off the heat and add the bicarb soda and give it a little stir, the mixture will bubble and froth.
• Pour the butter and syrup mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until all combined.
• Take tablespoons of the mixture and roll it into balls, place the balls of mixture onto the prepared pans and flatten slightly. Space the unbaked cookies about 5 cm apart as they will spread quite a bit.
• Bake the Anzac biscuits for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are a nice golden brown. Remove biscuits from oven and allow to cool completely on the baking trays.

Lemon Lime White Chocolate Mudcake

I started this year with the best intentions, way back at the start of January I sat down with a calendar and wrote down all those 'must try one day recipes' floating around my head. I had this Lemon Lime White Chocolate Mud Cake written down for January thinking its flavours would make a yummy summer cake. I acutally made this cake a couple of weeks ago and learnt something, this is not just a summer cake its a cake I would happily anyday or everyday even.

It baked perfectly forming a nice domed shape top, with a super moist inside. The lemon and lime flavor in the cake was nice without being to strong, but the real winner is the ganache. I love white chocolate so really fell for the ganache, with the subtle coconut, lemon and lime flavours it was amazing!

For the Lemon Lime White Chocolate Mudcake 
(for full recipe scroll to end of the post)
250 grams butter
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons lime zest
180g white chocolate
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup self-raising flour
2 eggs lightly beaten

To make the Mudcake- Preheat the oven to 170 degrees c. Grease a round 20cm cake pan and line the base and sides woth baking paper, leaving a 2cm overhang at the top.

Add the butter, lemon, lime, chocolate, sugar and milk to a medium sized saucepan. Stir all the ingredients over a low heat until smooth. Transfer in a large mixing bowl and allow to cool.

Add the sifted flours and the eggs to the butter and chocolate mixture, stir until combined.

Pour the cake mixture into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 1 hour and 30 minutes, until cake tests done. Allow the cake to cool in the pan.

While the cake is cooling make the coconut ganache.

Turn the cake out of the pan top side up, cover with the white chocolate coconut ganache.

For the Coconut White Chocolate Ganache
140ml can coconut cream
360 grams white chocolate
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lime zest

To make the Ganache- Finely chop the white chocolate, combine the chocolate, lemon and lime  in a medium bowl.

Pour the coconut cream into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until smooth.

Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for about half an hour. Stir the mixture occasionally until spreadable.
Spread over the cooled cake.

Enjoy!

Lemon Lime White Chocolate Mudcake 
(based on recipe from Womens Weekly, Cakes Biscuits and Slices)
250 grams butter
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons lime zest
180g white chocolate
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup self-raisin flour
2 eggs lightly beaten

To make the Mudcake

• Preheat the oven to 170 degrees c. Grease a round 20cm cake pan and line the base and sides woth baking paper, leaving a 2cm overhang at the top.
• Add the butter, lemon, lime, chocolate, sugar and milk to a medium sized saucepan. Stir all the ingredients over a low heat until smooth. Transfer in a large mixing bowl and allow to cool.
• Add the sifted flours and the eggs to the butter and chocolate mixture, stir until combined.
• Pour the cake mixture into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 1 hour and 30 minutes, until cake tests done. Allow the cake to cool in the pan.
• While the cake is cooling make the coconut ganache.
• Turn the cake out of the pan top side up, cover with the white chocolate coconut ganache.

Coconut White Chocolate Ganache
140ml can coconut cream
360 grams white chocolate
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lime zest

To make the Ganache

• Finely chop the white chocolate, combine the chocolate, lemon and lime  in a medium bowl.
• Pour the coconut cream into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until smooth.
• Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for about half an hour. Stir the mixture occasionally until spreadable.

Pastel Hydrangea Cake

A little bit of pretty to end the week! This cake was a request for a 60th Birthday, I was told the brithday girl loves all things vintage, especially in the colour blue. The theme was a great chance to use the hydrangea flower cutters I bought recently. Hydrangeas are some of my favorite flowers and they're both blue and vintagey so they fit perfectly.

Cute Easter Cakes

Happy Easter!! I hope you are all having a lovely break.

Rather than gifting people chocolate eggs and bunnies this year I made loved ones cute little cakes.
Oh no! Some sneaky bunnies have got into the carrot patch! The little critters are popping up everywhere stealing the carrots. I don't mind that the rabbits are pinching the carrots, everyone knows they swap them for chocolate. The two bunny cakes crack me up everyime I look at them. The little bunnies with their butts in the air made me giggle a lot as I put these cakes together .I do have tutorials for each of these cakes but I think I will save them for next year, I am sure you've all been baking, dipping, painting and decorating all weekend and today just want to sit down and eat chocolate. When you are ready to get back into the kitchen you might want to try out this recipe though. With two of the three cakes having cute little carrots on them I thought it would only be fitting to make yummy carrot cake for the centers. The recipe is one of my Mum's old favorites with a few of my own little tweaks. My Mum's version of carrot cake includes sultanas, but they are yucky so I left them out and added some pistachios and extra spices.For the Carrot Cake

185 grams butter (softened)

1 1/2 cups caster sugar

3 eggs

2 cups grated carrot (about 2 large carrots)

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup copped pistachios

3/4 cup self raising flour

3/4 cup plain flour

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

I doubled this recipe to make two six inch cakes and one 8 inch round cake.

To make the cake- preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease and flour cake pans.

With an electric mixer beat the butter and caster sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add one egg at a time beating well after each addition, the mixture will lighten an increase in volume.Stir in the grated carrot and nuts.

Sift in the remaining flours and spices, stir until combined.Spoon the cake mixture into prepared pans and smooth over tops with a spatula. Bake the cakes for about one hour or until a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean. Remove the cakes form the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.Frost the cake with your favorite orange cream cheese or buttercream frosting.