Sunday, December 25, 2011

Christmas Red Velvet Cake


This Christmas, I baked my most challenging cake yet.

I covered it with homemade fondant. I piped icing poinsettias and leaves. It took a lot out of me, but it was so worth it.

Because this cake wasn't about me. It was about a very special church...who really knows how to serve God and celebrate his love.

With each day that passes by, the more I come to adore this group of people. I respect them for what they have endured. I remain humbled before their unbelievable kindness and little acts of care.

I am honored to serve them, and I wish them nothing less than the good Lord's absolute best in the year 2012.





The cake I made as the base is none other than the recipe I used for my Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.

If you like, you can make the below fondant and icing decorations the night before and bake the cake in the early morning. That way you can roll out the fondant while the cake layers cool and become ready for assemblage.

When you are ready to arrange your cake, frost the cake layers with a thin layer of buttercream.  The buttercream helps the fondant stick to the cake.


Now, for the icing poinsettias and leaves.

What you see here is the metal decorating tip on the pastry bag that's been secured with a plastic coupler.
Fill the bag with icing, and gently press or gather the icing toward the tip to eliminate air bubbles.



 










I actually used the flower petal tip to make my leaves. I piped one half of the leaf, then flipped the tip in the opposite direction and piped the other half.

I finished the leaf by piping a thin line down the middle where the two halves of the leaf met in the center.

Confession: I didn't really count my leaves. I just made, um... a lot.






Hmmm. Petal tip for leaves, and leaf tip for flowers.

It's a strange decorating world.

Anyway, here are the poinsettia leaves, piped in four cardinal directions, then (after hardening just a bit), piped again in intermediate directions, right on top.

Royal icing dries to a consistency where you have no problems picking up the pieces and decorating with them.

Be careful with the poinsettias, though. You don't want to break the delicate points of the petals.

When all the leaves and flowers are ready, set them aside until time of arrangement.





Now, for the fondant:


Super simple, super fast.

Just get yourself a big bag of mini marshmallows, sprinkle water on them, and microwave until melted and smooth.
Mix the melted marshmallow with powdered sugar, and start to mix, like so.








With plenty of Crisco shortening on hand, knead away and away and away until...
Ta-da! You have yourself a lovely pillow of fondant.
Make sure you roll out a big enough circle to cover the top and side of your cake. Mine turned out a little too big, but better safe than sorry.



Smooth the fondant on your cake, and carefully cut away the unneeded portion at the bottom.






Smooth the edges and the bottom one more time.



Here the magic comes together.

Carefully dip the bottom edges of the leaves in leftover buttercream or royal icing and glue onto the cake. Place a little bit of icing on the backs of the poinsettias and glue onto the leaves, like so.

I tinted the leftover buttercream with red food dye and piped my letterings. You have so much freedom in how you choose to arrange and decorate your cake. It was a difficult yet fun project for me, and I was very pleased at the finished product.

Practice makes perfect, but most of all, the real joy is in being a venue of blessing to a group of very deserving people.

Merry Christmas! 

Christmas Red Velvet Cake 

For the Cake:

Ingredients:

  • Unsalted butter, for cake pans
  • 2 1/2 cups cake flour, not self-rising
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups canola oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 fl oz red food coloring
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons white vinegar

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk cake flour, salt, and cocoa; set aside.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and oil, and beat on medium speed until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add food coloring and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
  3. In a small bowl, mix baking soda and vinegar until combined. Add to batter, and beat for 10 seconds. Evenly divide batter between the prepared muffin pan that's been lined with foil cupcake tins.
  4. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Remove from the pans, and return to the rack to cool completely.
1/2 Buttercream recipe from Wilton
    Royal Icing for poinsettias and leaves:

    Ingredients:
    • 3 Tbsp Meringue Powder
    • 4 cups confectioner's sugar
    • 6 Tbsp warm water
    • Green, Red, and Yellow food coloring
    Directions:
    1. Beat all ingredients until icing forms peaks (7-10 minutes at low speed with a heavy-duty mixer, 10-12 minutes at high speed with a hand-held mixer)
    2. For stiffer icing, use 1 tablespoon less water.  
    Fondant recipe from Bake at 350
        Source: cake recipe slightly adapted from Martha Stewart, Royal Icing recipe from Wilton

        3 comments:

        1. im starting to think that you're some magical, mystical sort of baking fairy....in short, you're AMAZING!

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        2. omg!! I can't believe you made that!!! dude you sent me the picture for it!! but wow!! seeing all enlarged and w/ all the steps!! wow!!! and I saw your cute little hands in the pitures!!!! <3. I think its so amazing that you bake for your church!! It is a great way to share your talent!! lucky ppls!!! :)

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        3. LOVE YOU and love the cake! You are such an artist at art Keep doing great things!

          ReplyDelete