Tuesday Tip: Top 10 Awesome Cake Tips

Let's face it who doesn't like cake? It comes is so many flavors, shapes, and sizes and suits just about any occasion. From adorable cupcakes to towering wedding masterpieces, it can be made into anything. And, often, it can be made that much better just by adding a special touch or an extra easy bit of decorating. Here are my top ten tried and true favorite cake tips and tricks.

1. Quick Frosting: Have to make cupcakes at the last minute and no time to cool for frosting? Just place a large (not jumbo) marshmallow on top of each cupcake five minutes before they are done. They will melt into a yummy toasted marshmallow topping. This works especially well with chocolate cupcakes for a s'mores flavor!
2. Quick Frosting II: Another quick way to cut down on time (and sugar content) is to make icing using vanilla pudding mix. Mix the packet with half of the milk called for until thick and then mix in container of Cool Whip. This makes a fantastic light and fluffy frosting that is great for topping cupcakes and spreads easily over layer cakes. It is extremely easy to dye as well.
3. Magic Molten Middles: Another quick trick for making cupcakes extra special! Five minutes before your cupcakes are finished baking, place a Hershey's kiss on top of each one. The kiss will sink and create a chocolate molten center to your cupcakes. This is especially good when they are hot, but also works as a nice filling when they are cooled.
4. Using Bread so Your Cakes Aren't Toast!: If you find yourself having to refrigerate your cake layers (whether over night or for a few days),  this trick will ensure that your cake is just as moist as the days it left the oven. Place a fresh slice of bread on top of each layer and refrigerate. After a day, you'll notice that the cake is still soft and fresh, while the bread is hard as a rock! This will also keep your cake from cracking and will work on sliced cake to keep it from going stale (just place bread over the exposed areas).
5. Fat-Free from the Box: There are a lot of substitutions that allow for a one-ingredient substitution for a reduced fat cake from a box mix. My all time favorite (for price and coolness factor) is using a can of diet coke mixed with chocolate box mix. It creates perfect cake, though I have no idea how it works. This was a lifesaver for birthdays in college! Also, you can  use 1 cup of Greek yogurt and 1 cup of water instead of the oil and eggs (this also allows for slight flavor variations if you use a fruit flavor). For an easy pineapple upside down cake, you can use 1 can of crushed pineapple with an Angel food box mix! These are the ones I have tried, but the list goes on and on to reduce the calories in your cake.
6. Buff up That Box Mix: Alternatively, there are a few simple steps you can take to make a boxed cake mix extra rich and dense. Instead of oil, use butter and double the amount (ex: instead of 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, use 1 cup of melted butter). Substitute water with milk and add an extra egg (or two, if you want your cake to be very rich). Mix extra well, as the batter will be much thicker than it normally would be. Follow the baking time and temperature on the box. You will end up with a buttery, dense, and delicious cake with a lot less hassle than doing it from scratch.
7. Fluff up Flat Cupcakes: I have sadly had a lot of cupcake batches come out with the tops completely flat. This make decorating difficult and can make you feel cheated out of your batter's potential. An easy way to fluff up cupcakes is to fill them 3/4 of the way full (instead of the standard 2/3), lower your baking temperature by 25°, and bake 3-5 minutes longer. I've found that this works better with light batters and doesn't seem to make a difference with dark batters, but it is a fairly consistent "fix" for nice, round-topped cupcakes.
8. Start at Room Temperature: To ensure the your ingredients mix and bake well, everything should be at room temperature. It will take about 60-90 minutes for refrigerated items to reach room temperature (though you can puts eggs in lukewarm water for 30 minutes). This helps to prevent air bubbles and helps to ensure even baking.
9. Don't Skip the Salt: When a recipe calls for a pinch all salt, add a little salt. This oddly enough helps to bring out the sweetness in your cakes and can make all of the difference. If you find yourself following recipes to a T and they still taste a little bland, try adding just a little bit of salt the next time. This works especially well in chocolate and fruit flavored cakes.
10. Upside-Down Cake: This is my favorite trick for "leveling" layer cakes: cool your cake upside-down! The moment your cake leaves the oven, invert it gently onto a wire rack. The pressure on the no down-facing top of the cake will cool it flat, though it will cause some funny groove marks (perhaps you could even use this to a decorating advantage!). This is a bit easier than trying to wire or knife level a cake, but it still may poof up a bit after cooling. It is great in a pinch or if you are trying to multi-task.

There is always more than one way to bake a cake and infinitely more ways to decorate them, but I hope that you can find some of these neat tricks helpful!

What is your favorite tip or trick to baking cake?

Fandom Friday: Doctor Who Adipose Scones

Out of all of the fandoms I've come to know and love, Doctor Who is by far my favorite. The writing is impeccable, the characters are family, and the shared love/hate of Steven Moffat brings us all that much closer together. One of my favorite episodes is the beginning of season 4. Not only do we get a very satisfying reunion of Ten and Donna, but we are introduced to the adorable, if a bit weird and parasitic, adipose. These chubby little squeak-boxes and their story are so bizarre that you can't help but love them (even if the thought of walking alien fat-babies is just the tiniest bit unnerving).

"I'm waving at fat."

 I thought that I would mix together two very British things that I love: Doctor Who and scones. Dalek scones would be too complicated and a blueberry TARDIS scone just didn't work, so I went with one of the most basic, but recognizable figures in the Doctor Who world and that was the Adipose. They are already a bit scone shaped (unless you are used to your scones as wedges). All I had to do really was add arms, legs and a face! I used a super simple and delicious scone recipe and left the rest up to my imagination and fun.

Lemon-Poppyseed Adipose Scones

Yields 6 scones

Equipment:

• Large mixing bowl
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Fork
• Cookie sheet

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups of flour
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp lemon extract
• 1/4 cup poppyseeds

1. Preheat oven to 425°
2.  Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Use a fork or bare hands to mix (an electric mixer isn't effective because the dough becomes very sticky).
   
3. Flour your counter and knead dough into a smooth mound.
   
4. Separate a lump from the dough and roll into a round, thick puck to form the Adipose body.
   
5. Form two small tear drops to create the arms and two small pucks for the feet. Use flour on the dough and your hands to keep it smooth and not sticky.
   
6. Transfer to an ungreased cookie sheet. Use a toothpick dipped in flour to create the face.
   
7. Repeat until you have your army of Adipose.
   
8. Bake for 12-14 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and let cool.

These are really easy to make and I love the way that they turned out. Be sure to enjoy properly with a cup of tea and some lemon curd. If you like, you can even define the faces with a little black icing (though I prefered mine plain).

 

What is your favorite alien creature from Doctor Who?

Tuesday Tip: Bento 101 (With Recipe!)

Bento boxes seem to be the latest trend in quick, healthy, and delicious lunches. There is a ton of variety and customization available and you can even get a little creative with their presentation. There are, however, a few guidlines that should be followed to ensure that your bento nutritious, appealing, and wallet-friendly!

For this example, I am using a two-tier bento box with Chicken Kijiyaki, ginger-sesame rice, and soy green bean soboro. I'll include the recipe at the bottom.

Bento Basics

There are a few, but very important, rules to follow for making bento boxes. For me, it is about making sure that the food is not only nutritious and affordable, but also that it is safe to eat in the first place. The rules that I follow are:

1. K.I.S.S. (Keep It Super Simple): Most of us don't have the time or patience to make and pre-cook a lot of different food items, especially if you are making bentos a few days ahead. Keeping it to a maximum of 3-5 items not only cuts down on preparation time, but saves money and calories as well
2. 2:1:1 Bento Balance: For an ideal bento, use the ratio 2:1:1. This is 2 carb to 1 veggie to 1 protein. Your carb can be anything from rice to noodles to potatoes, and should take up a large portion of your box. The veggies and protein can be anything you wish to add. This balance makes for a nutritious and generally low calorie meal, averaging around 600 calories for an adult-sized bento box.
   
   
3. Keep it Safe: If your bento box is going to be sitting at room temperature for some time, ensure that you have practiced proper food safety. Before packing or storing any cooked foods, be sure that they have cooled down completely. Packing hot food creates a warm, moist environment ideal for bacteria. If your bento is going to be out at room temperature for a long time, an ice pack is another good way to keep harmful bacteria at bay and to keep food from spoiling. There are some foods that should just be avoided in bentos to begin with, such as raw fish, raw tofu, rare meat, soft-boiled eggs or any dressings made with eggs. You can also use your best judgement. If a food seems "off", it is probably best to not eat it.
4. Cut Costs: Bentos are a great way to avoid the cost of going out to eat. The best ways to save when preparing bentos are to buy economical or bulk cuts of meat (you can always freeze what you don't immediately use), buying local and seasonal ingredients, and trying not to imitate the bentos you see online. While they are cute and intricate, they are time consuming and also use a lot of ingredients, many of which might not be available where you live. This isn't to say that you should ditch creativity (on the contrary, keep it colorful and eye-catching!), but try not to get caught up in a shopping spree just to make a rice ball that looks like your favorite movie character.
5. Plan and Prep: One of the greatest aspects of bentos is that many of the components can be made ahead of time and used throughout the week. You can cook an store just about anything from rice to veggies and meats to noodles. One of the best ways to streamline bento making is to plan out your week of lunches and cook it all in one go ahead of time. On my first try, I was able to cook a week of lunches for two in about two and a half hours. To be fair, it was mainly watching rice boil and panicking when oil popped in the pan when cooking chicken, but it kept us full, fed, and happy.

Chicken Kijiyaki with Ginger-Sesame Rice and Soy Green Bean Soboro Bento

 Chicken Kijiyaki

• Chicken thigh with skin, boneless/deboned
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• Ginger, chili powder, garlic, spices to taste

1. Place a frying pan over medium-high heat and add chicken skin side down. Fry until skin is crispy and browned.
   
   
   
   
2. Using tongs, flip chicken over and cook until done (juices run clear or inside has reached 160°F)
3. Once chicken is done, remove to plate and remove pan from heat.
4. Mix soy sauce, spices, and sugar in a small cup or bowl. Either wipe the frying pan clean or use a new frying pan and place the sauce over medium heat until it bubbles.
5. Add chicken to the pan and coat both sides thoroughly. Remove to plate and let cool. If any sauce remains in the pan, pour it over the chicken.
   
   
6. Once the chicken has cooled completely, slice into strips and store.

Ginger-Sesame Rice 

• 2 Cups of medium-grain rice 
• 2 1/2 Cups water
• 1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• Ginger to taste

1. Add water, rice, and spices to a large cooking pot over high heat.
2. Once mixture has reached a rapid boil, reduce heat to low-medium and cover. Allow to steam for 15-20 minutes, checking occasionally to be sure that rice on the bottom of the pot is not burned.
3. Once all of the water has been absorbed, place rice in containers and allow to cool completely.
4. Cover and store.

Soy Green Bean Soboro

• 2 Cups finely diced fresh green beans
• 3/4 Cup of water
• 1 Tbsp Soy sauce
• Pepper to taste

1. Add all ingredients to a medium cooking pot over medium heat.
2. Cover and allow to simmer for 8-10 minutes (green beans should be cooked, but not mushy).
3. Drain liquid and remove green beans to container. Allow to cool completely.
4. Cover and store.

This makes enough for three balanced bento lunches, though you could certainly add/subtract amounts to suit your dietary needs.

I do hope that this guide is helpful and inspires you to create your own bento lunch!

Have you ever made a bento lunch? What ingredients did you use?

Fandom Friday: "Chewie" Oatmeal Cookies

May I suggest a new strategy? Let the cookie win.

Whether you are saving the galaxy or simply hunkering down for a movie marathon, cookies just always seem to be the way to go for a snack. Sweet, chewy, and you can never have just one. And, as if they weren't great enough, they can be decorated any which way you like! What better way to celebrate a fandom than with a sugary, delicious treat?

Today I present to you the "Chewie" oatmeal cookie (or "Wookiee cookie", if you like). A simple and tasty take on a traditional oatmeal cookie in the guise of our favorite fuzzball. These are super easy to make and decorate and make the perfect addition to any Star Wars event you might have.

"Chewie" Oatmeal Cookie / Wookiee Cookie

Yields 24 cookies

Equipment:

• Large mixing bowl
• Mixer (hand or stand)
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Cookie sheet
• Spoon

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 cups quick oats
• Black and white icing

1. Cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and then add vanilla. Add flour and baking soda and mix until completely blended. Add oats one cup at a time and mix until consistent dough has formed.
   
   
2. Cover dough and refrigerate for 1 hour (or overnight for convenience) 
3. Preheat oven to 375° F.
4. Grease cookie sheet (butter works best for these). Roll the dough into ping-pong sized balls and place 1-2 inches apart (12 to a sheet). Wet a spoon, dip it in sugar, and gently flatten the cookies to about 1/2 inch thickness. *The sugar on the spoon will keep the dough from sticking and allow you to flatten the cookies more evenly*
   
5. Bake for 9-12 minutes. 
6. Let cool completely before decorating.
   
   

Decorating:

*Before you decorate, make sure your icing hasn't melted, like mine did. Keep it in the fridge as long as possible before using. A #1 or #2 icing tip should work perfectly for these, depending on the size of your cookies* 

To decorate, simply take your black icing and draw a stripe diagonal along the bottom half of the cookie. Go over the stripe again in the middle to make it a bit thicker. This is Chewie's belt. Add two eyes, a round nose, and a mouth using the black icing. Take your white icing and add details to the belt and teeth to the mouth. Voila! an adorable little cookie wookiee!

All that is left to do is enjoy these to your heart's content!

You should have another cookie. You've earned it. Search your feelings, you know it to be true.

Tuesday Tip: Keeping Cakes Level

Leveling cakes can be one of the most frustrating and disater-prone steps of baking. Improper leveling can lead to a cake that is too short or a cake that crumbles. It is amazing how much trouble a bit of extra cake can cause! From a slight bump to a towering dome, we've all had to deal with uneven cakes out of the oven. Here are a few tips to keep your cake (and your head!) level.

Overmixing your batter can lead to air bubbles that not only create a large dome, but also a crumbly cake. The trapped air puts more space between the batter, which in turn destroys the structure of your cake. I've ended up with gaping holes in the middle of cupcakes because of this and even had cakes that deflated! Overmixing can lead to a plethora of issues, so simply mix until the batter is smooth. Any more than that is flirting with disaster!

Start with a good recipe! Using a recipe that results in a nice, dense batter will reduce the risk of a dome. Having the proper ratio of baking powder and/or baking soda will result in a cake that comes out perfectly flat every time. Raid your grandma's recipe cards, watch some cooking shows, read a cookbook, just don't use a box mix...unless...

If all else fails, use bake-even strips. If you are using a box mix or your recipes are still coming out uneven, you can use bake-even strips. This is the surest, easiest way to make level cakes and it is very affordable. You can either buy some, which have worked great for me for the past three years, or you can simply wet some strips or an old dishcloth and secure them around your cake pan. They must be soaked, just wring out the excess water before wrapping.

Any combination of these methods should lead to a perfect, lovely, stackably flat cake every time without the hassle of having to trim (or lop off) the tops.

What is your favorite trick to keep cakes level?