Recipe Website: AllRecipes.com

You know occasionally I’m at a lost for how to make a particular flavor of cake or other food item.  Lately I’ve been dabbling at actually cooking meats and appetizers.  But not to worry, cakes and decorating them are still my first love.  I’ve just been doing a little cheating on the side.  Anyway, I mention this because I love the website AllRecipes.com.  Not only can you find good recipes submitted by your everyday cooks such as ourselves but the comments by others who have tried the submitted recipes are quite helpful.  I had tried one of the cake recipes and the comments mentioned that the recipe was too sweet and suggested reducing the amount of sugar.  Of couse sweetness is subjective but I felt the comment was correct and adjusted my baking according.

 

Tastier Decorator Frosting

We all learn the basic decorating frosting in our first cake decorating class, confectioner’s sugar, shortening, water.  This is fine for borders, flowers, and other decorations but if your going to serve it to guests you may want something a little tastier to frost the entire cake. 

While I use several different frosting recipes, such as boiled frosting and Italian meringue buttercream, here’s a little tip to make your basic decorator frosting more tasty.  Add 1 can of store bought vanilla frosting to your basic decorators frosting recipe.  I use Pillsbury Creamy Supreme Vanilla Frosting.  I find it accomplishes too things, it adds flavor that just adding clear vanilla extract doesn’t and it makes it easier to spread. 

I love using this for birthday cakes and someone always seems to comment on the frosting.  Note this is best to use when you are going to color the frosting.  Adding the can of store bought vanilla will give the frosting a slight ivory color and is not suitable if you are trying to achieve a pure white color such as with a wedding cake.

I suggest you experiment with the amount of store bought frosting you use based on the amount of frosting you are making.  You may want to added more or less to suit your taste and desired consistency.

 

Recipe: Lemon Cake

Every well decorated cake deserve a tasty cake underneath.  Here’s a great lemon cake recipe with lemon filling:

Lemon Cake Recipe
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
2 eggs
2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

Stir shortening to soften.  Gradually add sugar and cream until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and lemon extract.  Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each one.  Sift together dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour.  Beat after each addition.  Bake in 2 paper-lined 8-inch round pans in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Remove from over. Test for doneness with toothpicks.
Let cool then fill with lemon filling.

Lemon Filling Recipe
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Dash salt
1 slightly beaten egg yolk
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt; add egg yolk, water, and lemon juice; cook in double boiler till thick, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and add lemon peel and butter.  Cool.  Makes 1 1/2 cups.