my journey to bake the perfect cake

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A Bella Cake Home

The Cupcake Pan

cupcakepanI’m so happy to have gotten this new cupcake pan — it’s not for single serve cupcakes, it’s a cupcake that serves a dozen or more!  Isn’t this fun?!?

acupcakebirthdaycake2

So… my first attempt was fine – but I should have just stayed with the original plan — instead of continuing to play in the frosting to see what different styles look like.  You know, I find that that’s often my problem — especially with frosting, swirls or flowers.  It’s like: one more, one more, just one more… ooops, too much!  So that’s how this cake was.  I should have stopped with the giant piped swirl.  But I didn’t. ♥

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A Bella Cake Home

Blanching Almonds

A recipe called for blanched almonds.  I had raw.  So, instead of going to the store to buy blanched almonds, I explored how to process the almonds myself.  So now, I’ve discovered that when it comes to blanching almonds: there is nothing to it!  You simply boil some water in a saucepan and then drop the raw almonds into the water, boil (blanch) for a minute and then pour off the water and place the almonds on a clean kitchen towel.  Then just slip the skins by sort of ‘pinching’ the almond between your fingers – the skin just slides right off.  Easy!

Later, I will share with you the recipe that called for blanched almonds.

blanchingalmonds

love. ♥

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A Bella Cake Home

White Velvet Butter Cake

This one’s from The Cake Bible, p. 46-47.  I wanted to make a special cake for a couple of girlfriends who have birthdays this time of year.  I wanted it to be light, not too sweet and not too strong in flavour.  So… browsing  TCB I remembered a cake I’d made a couple of times before — but not for this cake journey — so that’s the one I chose — the White Velvet Butter Cake.

I think it’s a bit dry – very light and tender, but a bit dry.  It’s a white cake – except for the insignificant colouring from the butter and vanilla.  I think I’d add a tad more butter next time.   But I think it baked up beautifully — and when I asked my daughters how they liked it, they thought it tasted good.    Still… ISO… the perfect cake.

To frost it, I knew I needed something that wouldn’t be too overpowering for the simple cake – so I decided to make the Mousseline Buttercream (TCB p. 244-245).
mousellinebuttercream mousellinebuttercreambowl

I’m pretty sure Mousseline Buttercream could be just the right thing for anything… as a spread for muffins, toast, crackers or fingers.  It’s smooth as silk, buttery and soft.  And yet! I used it to pipe the edges and base and to make the little dots after I used it to frost the Raspberry filled cake.  I don’t know if I like it as much as the other buttercreams, but it’s very nice!

The funniest part of making buttercream is the almost suspenseful process!  You make the syrup and add it to the stiffly beaten lightly sugared egg whites and then when it’s cooled, by continually beating, you add butter by the pound tablespoonful.  You continue to add butter — even though you might feel just certain the process is failing and you’re wasting a pound of butter.  It’s not until you get three fourths of the way through that you finally see some marvelous progress!  At this point, it really does seem as Rose says… (even though my heart is beating faster at the suspenseful process) the frosting is finally a “luxurious cream.”

It was delightful to stack the cake (filled with raspberry filling) and frost it with this marvelous dreamy frosting – piped the edges and added flowers.  I decided not to pipe the roses, but to make them from fondant — which I love doing!

mousselinebuttercreamlisa

♥ love.

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A Bella Cake Home

CuppyCakes

So yesterday I thought I’d bake up some cupcakes — maybe even attempt to sell a few at our book-sale.  Yes, we have an ongoing book sale in the yard this week as (oldest son) Daniel acquired several thousand used books from a guy who apparently buys old library cast off”s. I decided to bake …

A Bella Cake Home

my inspiration

I cannot say this often enough… and so I want to begin this series of letters in my ABellaCake journey by reiterating that I’m so grateful to the Lord for the great blessing of His love and for the opportunity of my life — and I’m so grateful to and for my husband and family.   …

A Bella Cake Home

at long last…

I’m smiling as I sit here typing about my journey… and seeing this blog & cake site is FINALLY becoming a reality is one of the first steps on this journey!!   This is such an important thing to me… and, as with most things, in my life, I can’t seem to do something until …

A Bella Cake Home

Welcome to A Bella Cake

Thank you for coming by today!  I hope you’ll enjoy this site I’ve dedicated to *Cake!* I love to bake cakes and cookies and treats of all kinds and am on a journey to bake the perfect cake. Along the way, it’s been such a delight to make desserts and cakes for people I love. …