setsuntamew: art of Kohaku from [Innocent STORM], smiling happily, with light textures and illegible tiny text to the left of his face (Heartless → I need a hug)
Killian ([personal profile] setsuntamew) wrote2009-06-10 02:20 am

cake!!!!

CAKE MAKING EXPEDITION OF AWESOME:

So, last Thursday, Hannah and I made the most delicious cake I have ever eaten in my entire life. If you like peanut butter and chocolate, you must make this cake. It took all day but it was worth every second of it. Really. It's required for your life.

It was a baking day of fun. Hannah made delicious wings and I focused on the cake. The day began with making the cake batter and then baking the cakes. After they came out and cooled, the three layers were wrapped in wax paper and frozen. I had to run and take my brother to art class, but then I returned to her house.

Then, the building of the layers and the initial icing. The icing is a cream cheese peanut butter icing which basically tastes like clouds flavored with peanut butter. It was light and fluffy and just so perfect that I almost just ate the icing alone. God, so delicious.

Sooo after that I stuck the cake back in the freeze until it would be iced for real. Hannah had her therapist meeting so we went to that while the cake froze again. Upon return, I made the final part (the chocolate peanut butter ganache to be drizzled on it) and mmmmmm. SO TASTY!!! Holly showed up for the final bits to help us eat and finish the cake~

IT. WAS. AMAZING. If you never make any other cake, make this one. I cannot stress this enough. It's incredibly rich and delicious and just...I cannot put into words how good this cake was.

So now, PICTURES!!! And then the recipe :3


Measuring the cocoa powder. Oh yeah, no melted chocolate chips or anything, this cake takes straight cocoa powder.


Flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda, about to be sifted.


Hannah sifting. It took FOREVER so I needed to give my arms a rest.


Cakes in the oven! Notice that they are in pie pans...Hannah and I apparently cannot tell the difference, we are idiots.


The counter top...oh the messes we had to clean up...


Measuring peanut butter for the icing.


Whipping together the cream cheese and powdered sugar. mmmmmm...


The cake may have been lopsided but it was so still SO TASTY!!!


Inside of the cake! :D


And now the recipe, from Smitten Kitchen:

Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup neutral vegetable oil, such as canola, soybean or vegetable blend
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cakepans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.

2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Divide among the 3 prepared cake pans.

3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely. (Killian's note: FREEZE THE CAKE LAYERS OH MY GOD it helps so much, this cake is so soft and moist it will fall apart. Freezing them makes building the whole thing a billion times easier)

4. To frost the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or large serving plate. Spread 2/3 cup cup of the Peanut Butter Frosting evenly over the top. Repeat with the next layer. Place the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. (Killian's note: make a crumb layer of frosting. Basically you just lightly frost the cake, covering every bit of crumb, and then freeze it again. This makes putting the main layer of icing on easier AND you don't get little crumbs all over it, making it look nicer!)

5. To decorate with the Chocolate–Peanut Butter Glaze, put the cake plate on a large baking sheet to catch any drips. Simply pour the glaze over the top of the cake, and using an offset spatula, spread it evenly over the top just to the edges so that it runs down the sides of the cake in long drips. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes to allow the glaze and frosting to set completely. Remove about 1 hour before serving.

Peanut Butter Frosting
Makes about 5 cups

10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter (Killian's note: recipe suggests a commercial brand, but I only had organic and it worked FINE, so don't stress it)

1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

8 ounces seimsweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup half-and-half

1. In the top of d double boiler or in a bowl set over simmering water, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

2. Remove from the heat and whisk in the half-and-half, beating until smooth. Use while still warm.

[identity profile] arahith.livejournal.com 2009-06-10 07:09 am (UTC)(link)
CAKE! it looks gorgeous and I want to eat bits of it again. also pie pans so equal cake pans. they are both pans to make sweet stuff that you put in the oven.

(god you have to stop updating at 3 in the morning, all your friends who don't know me must think I am an idiot...)
ext_117472: (Bakura → thief's war)

[identity profile] setsuntamew.livejournal.com 2009-06-10 07:12 am (UTC)(link)
Pie pans curve outwards while cake pans just go straight up. There's a difference. Your cake will be amazing, do not worry.

....oh come on, you never make sense :P

[identity profile] arahith.livejournal.com 2009-06-10 07:17 am (UTC)(link)
that matters?

and i make total sense. I am super logical and shit, why even now I am waxing loquacious about manga in my senior project essay..... god I hope no one reads it.....
ext_117472: (Sora → chocobo and heart)

[identity profile] setsuntamew.livejournal.com 2009-06-10 07:27 am (UTC)(link)
Oh god yes it matters, please don't make me rant about baking and cooking and everything...just know that it matters and that your cake will be fantastic.

...oh god. Yeah, I cannot WAIT to see that :P

[identity profile] arahith.livejournal.com 2009-06-10 07:30 am (UTC)(link)
i shall avoid a rant.... they are taxing to the mind

yeah... me too.....

also my arm still hurts from where you bit me!
ext_117472: (Default)

[identity profile] setsuntamew.livejournal.com 2009-06-10 07:32 am (UTC)(link)
om nom nom I bite everything!

[identity profile] arahith.livejournal.com 2009-06-10 11:28 pm (UTC)(link)
you never let me bite you.....

[identity profile] drop-down-dead.livejournal.com 2009-06-10 10:39 am (UTC)(link)
Not too fond of peanut butter but fuck it looks tasty XD I love that it's lopsided too X3 Just makes it all the more epic and cute!
ext_117472: (Malik → mmm pretty)

[identity profile] setsuntamew.livejournal.com 2009-06-10 04:27 pm (UTC)(link)
My girlfriend doesn't like peanut butter either, so I'm making her one with a different icing and fresh strawberries. mmmmm.

It came out all lopsided and we were sad. But about 5 minutes later most of the cake was GONE so it didn't matter XD

[identity profile] drop-down-dead.livejournal.com 2009-06-10 05:56 pm (UTC)(link)
XD As long as its edible it doesn't matter what it looks like. I learnt that with my first batch of cookies ^^

And om nom nom, strawberries. I love strawberries <3

[identity profile] caidentity.livejournal.com 2009-06-10 11:16 am (UTC)(link)
O-oh my god this cake will kill me the moment I take a bite but damn if I don't want to make it right this instant if not sooner ;___________;

I know the first thing I am making when I get back home *A*
ext_117472: (Riku → in paradise)

[identity profile] setsuntamew.livejournal.com 2009-06-10 04:28 pm (UTC)(link)
That cake alone is probably responsible for an inch on my hips but damn it's worth it. I drank milk with it in 1) a vain hope to be healthy and 2) because it's SO RICH. But mmmm I'm drooling just thinking about it now...

[identity profile] superjuniorkry.livejournal.com 2009-06-10 01:09 pm (UTC)(link)
YOU GUYS. That looks so good. :3
ext_117472: (Default)

[identity profile] setsuntamew.livejournal.com 2009-06-10 04:29 pm (UTC)(link)
It IS so good...make it make! :3

[identity profile] nystateofmind.livejournal.com 2009-06-11 07:59 pm (UTC)(link)
That cake looks so yummy! Yay for baking! :)

I'm about to make a cake too. Hehe.

[identity profile] dreidels.livejournal.com 2009-06-15 07:59 am (UTC)(link)
EW thanks for catching me at my best.

[identity profile] caidentity.livejournal.com 2010-05-20 04:34 am (UTC)(link)
So, nearly a year later... I totally made this cake tonight for my friend's birthday. :) It was pretty freakin' awesome; we stuck the candles that re-light themselves on it and put on a couple sparklers XDDD

But I thought you might be amused to know that every single person in this apartment was going "OH MY GOOOOOOOOD *_____*" over it. ♥
ext_117472: (Demyx → music note happy)

[identity profile] setsuntamew.livejournal.com 2010-05-20 04:38 am (UTC)(link)
Oh sweet! I'm glad everyone enjoyed it!! It's definitely a solid chocolate cake recipe; all you do is change the icing/put things inside the layers to get something different. YAY FOR CAKE!! :D