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Vintage Cakes: The Pink Cake

May 20, 2013 By + 29 Comments

“THE VERY PINK OF PERFECTION.”  Oliver Goldsmith

The Pink Cake | From My Sweet Heart

May I just start off by telling you how much I LOVE pink desserts?!  So when Paloma of The Coffee Shop, and leader of The Cake Slice bakers told us that The Pink Cake was up next, I was delighted. It most definitely is….a very pink perfection!  The book we are baking from is Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson.  And this particular cake is an original of hers and one that is featured at her bakery, Baker & Spice.  Pink to me is such a shabby chic vintage color.  And so this recipe fits really well into this book of retro cakes.

This is a rich, moist but light chocolate cake surrounded by a silky Swiss buttercream.  How does the buttercream get it’s beautiful pink color? [Read more...]

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Banana Cake with Coffee Walnut Buttercream

January 20, 2013 By + 52 Comments

“THINK ONLY OF THE PAST AS ITS REMEMBRANCE GIVES YOU PLEASURE .”  Jane Austen

Banana Cake with Coffee Walnut Buttercream | From My Sweet Heart

Have you ever felt that you were born in the wrong era?  I think about all of the kitchen appliances that I have that are meant to make my life so easy.  Yet, I am fascinated by vintage baking and vintage bake ware.  I find myself collecting as much as I can.  And I even enjoy looking at old recipes.  So I am thrilled that The Cake Slice Bakers are baking from Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson.  This book is full of recipes from the 1920′s that the author has “revived and updated.”

This month, the votes were so close, that we were allowed to choose between two recipes from the book.  But the combination of flavors for this particular cake had me quite intrigued.  Bananas and coffee?  Together?  There’s more?  Ok.  I’ll bite….. [Read more...]

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Chocolate Whoopie Pies

February 12, 2012 By + 59 Comments

Whoopie!!!  It’s time again, for Baked Sunday Mornings!!!

Chocolate Whoopie Pies | From My Sweet Heart

Every other Sunday a great group of bakers dedicate themselves to baking from a wonderful book, Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.  It’s a fabulous book by the owners of Baked in NYC.  Many thanks to Sheri at Pork Cracklins and Bourbonnatrix of Bourbonnatrix Bakes for their wonderful efforts in leading Baked Sunday Mornings!  Though I came in late to this group, I’ve enjoyed getting to know my fellow bakers as we eventually bake our way through this entire book!

This Sunday, just in time for Valentine’s Day, we’re making whoopie!  Pies that is!  I love whoopie pies for the same reason that I love macarons and cupcakes.  You can play with the flavors of the cakes and fillings to suit any season or special occasion.  Here’s what I did with mine… [Read more...]

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Caramel Apple Cake

September 11, 2011 By + 43 Comments

BAKED SUNDAY MORNINGS:  CARAMEL APPLE CAKE

Caramel Apple Cake | From My Sweet Heart

I am so glad to learn that the site for the Baked Sunday Mornings  baking group has been updated.  I always want to feature recipes that, even if they are not my own, are still accessible to everyone.   This scrumptious apple cake can, however, be found in the book, Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.

What initially seemed unusual to me about this cake is the frosting.  Because it contains flour!

Overall, this is really a good apple cake.  The cake itself is moist and flavorful and one that I am likely to use again, especially in cupcakes.  And the caramel buttercream  frosting is tasty.  But I don’t think it’s worth the cooking process to get rid of the flour taste, even if it was meant to thicken the frosting.  The recipe called for us to use the paddle attachment on our mixers for the frosting.  But I ended up swapping out for the whisk….just to get more air and volume into the buttercream.  I didn’t think the frosting had enough of a caramel flavor, yet I was reluctant to add more than the 1/3 cup it called for because I was afraid it would affect the texture of the buttercream.  So I decided to spread a thin layer of caramel on the cake layers before I frosted it.

All in all the cake is good and the frosting is lightly sweet.  But if I make this again, I will develop my own recipe for caramel buttercream……and leave the flour for the cake batter!

On a scale of 1-5…..I’m giving this 4 whisks!  And since the recipe did not make it to the site’s recipe page, it will follow here. . . . . [Read more...]

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‘I Wish It Were My Birthday’ Cake

July 25, 2011 By + 40 Comments

“IT TAKES AS MUCH ENERGY TO WISH AS IT DOES TO PLAN.”  Eleanor Roosevelt

I Wish it Were My Birthday Cake | From My Sweet Heart

Yesterday, I picked up a fabulous cookbook by Sherry Yard.  And in it, she talked about her earliest memories of baking.  And then I realized, there is no history of baking in my family.  In fact, my history of baking starts with me!  And it started rather late in my life.  So I tried to search back on any memories I had of instances where my curiosity about baking was piqued.  And I recalled a bakery near my home that I would go to for the most amazing cakes!  They only sold 4 or 5 different kinds.  But they were the kind of cakes I can only imagine a grandmother would bake!  And there was one in particular.  A yellow cake with chocolate frosting and pieces of penny candy and confetti and bows all over it.  Every time I saw that cake in the bakery I would think to myself…..‘awwww….I wish it were my birthday’!

And so yesterday, when I realized I was the beginning of the baking history in my family…I decided to start a tradition.  If you feel like celebrating your life….don’t wait till your birthday to do it! And so I give you…..‘I Wish It Were My Birthday’ Cake!  This is an adaptation of Sherry Yard’s recipe and one of the most delicious yellow cakes I have ever tasted!  The thing about making your own celebration cake is…….. [Read more...]

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Vanilla Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

April 21, 2011 By + 7 Comments

“ANYTHING SIMPLE ALWAYS INTERESTS ME.”  David Hockney

Vanilla Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting | From My Sweet Heart

In the culinary world, we speak so often to ‘depth of flavor’ and layering of seasoning and spices.  Honestly, to me, sometimes keeping it extremely simple is best.  I love to experiment with some over the top flavor combinations. But there are those times when I just want to enjoy a basic sugar cookie, or a piece of buttery shortbread, or a spongy madeleine.  And for the first snowfall of the season, I always bake a “snowcake”; a simple bundt cake lavishly dusted with powdered sugar.  The common ingredient in all of these treats? . . . . .

 

[Read more...]

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Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

April 3, 2011 By + 4 Comments

“LIFE IS UNCERTAIN.  EAT DESSERT FIRST.”  Ernestine Ulmer

Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting | From My Sweet Heart

 So I live in D.C. where there are an abundance of cupcake bakeries.  And it occurred to me one day….that I could do that!  Okay.  Maybe not in mass.  But I was certainly capable of making something better than a funfetti cupcake!  I am starting off the first post of this very new blog with this cupcake.  Because this was my first attempt at making a “fancy cupcake”.  And it is one of the most scrumptious things….. [Read more...]

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