Sunday, August 14, 2011

Lemon Cake

This cake needs a little bit of work still. It's a lemon cake with a raspberry filling and a white chocolate mousse icing. Next time I just need to make more mousse and add just a touch of sugar to the raspberry filling. Still, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. The only thing different from the recipe is I added a package of white chocolate instant pudding to the mousse, I made this before and without that it's way too runny.

Ingredients

  • 1 (18.25 ounce) package lemon cake mix
  • 1 (10 ounce) package frozen raspberries
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 8 (1 ounce) squares white chocolate, chopped
  • 3 cups heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup fresh raspberries, garnish

Directions

  1. Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions for two 9 inch round pans. Cool cakes completely, then split each in half to make 4 layers.
  2. To make Raspberry Filling: In a blender or food processor, puree raspberries. In a saucepan, heat pureed raspberries until boiling. Mix cornstarch with a small amount of water and stir into raspberries. cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, or until thickened. Set aside to cool.
  3. To make White Chocolate Mousse: In the top of a double boiler, heat white chocolate with 1 cup of the cream, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm. Whip the remaining 2 cups cream until soft peaks form. Stir in the vanilla. Fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the white chocolate mixture, then quickly fold in the remaining whipped cream. Do not over-mix, or the mousse will become grainy.
  4. Place 1 cake layer on serving plate and spread with white chocolate mousse. Place the next layer on top and spread with raspberry filling. Repeat next layer of cake with mousse. Cover with the final layer of cake. Frost top and sides with mousse. Pipe a border with remaining mousse. Garnish with fresh berries.



Tuesday, July 26, 2011

"Funny Face"


Audrey Hepburn is one of my favorite people; she was so classy and very intelligent and always very modest. I tried to draw the Audrey Hepburn picture that Fred Astaire took at the beginning of "Funny Face." It's been a long time since I've drawn so it was a little rough, I need a little more practice, but I'm really happy with how the eyes turned out.

"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles."
- Audrey Hepburn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI0ZHQON_IQ

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries


This is just about as close to heaven as you can get: cheesecake stuffed strawberries. They might be one of my favorite treats, and it only took about 30 minutes to make.

Ingredients
  • 2 quarts fresh strawberries
  • 1 box Jello No Bake Cheesecake
  • Graham cracker crumbs
  • Chocolate for drizzling
Directions
  • Wash berries and hollow out the centers
  • Mix cheesecake according to directions. Put cheesecake into piping bag and fill each strawberry until slightly overfilled.
  • Dip into crushed graham crackers to coat the top
  • Drizzle with chocolate
These are addicting, I can't get over how good they are! I got this idea from http://juneberry-lane.blogspot.com/

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Pinwheel Bouquet



My apartment needed a new summer center piece and what's more summery than pinwheels? I felt like I was back in first grade. I got the idea from http://juneberry-lane.blogspot.com/2011/06/tutorial-tuesday-diy-paper-pinwheels.html which is becoming one of my favorite blogs, I have so many new projects I want to do.





Saturday, May 21, 2011

Well...


I didn't make this, Mom did for me about two Christmases ago. I was excited though, when I moved out of my old apartment at the beginning of last summer we misplaced it...until a few days ago! It makes me smile, the kitchen is finally complete.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

"I'll Take You For a Ride on my Big Green Tractor..."



What's the quickest and most sure fire way to get me to do something? Pretty easy, tell me I can't. Someone told me I couldn't make a tractor cake and I had to prove them wrong. (And this has nothing to do with being a Shaw and slightly competitive...)

The tractor was pretty easy, I ended up making it out of rice krispies

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Cowboy Boots and Tractors


Chocolate, mmmh. White chocolate, wonderful. White chocolate with mint, even better. Then turn it into tractors and boots, oh it's marvelous.