We had a super bowl party, so I had to make a sweet treat to go along with all the other goodies. My diet and my love of baking do not get along. As a matter of fact, my love of baking is probably what got me in trouble in the first place. I've never met a brownie batter that I didn't absolutely love.
My solution this time...I made banana flavored cupcakes. I loathe bananas (every little thing about them sends me reeling - yech). Perfect solution. I can still enjoy baking and not be tempted by the batter or the cupcake (in this case) itself.
To make banana cupcakes: I used a box of yellow cake mix added the amount of oil and water called for on the box, then add the pudding powder from one box of instant banana pudding. (no eggs). The hubs, a devote banana lover says there was just a hint of banana and that they were delish.
Adding the pudding powder to any cake mix will make your cake super moist.
What you need to Decorate this Cake:
Chocolate Frosting
Vanilla Frosting
Edible Glitter
Plastic Spiders
Make your favorite round cake recipe (mine happens to be chocolate) and frost it with chocolate frosting. Remember, the first layer of frosting should be very thin. Allow that layer to harden, then go over it with another thicker layer of frosting.
Before the second layer of chocolate frosting hardens, pipe white frosting in thick concentric circles around the cake. Using a butter-knife, drag lines inward to the center circle, thus creating a cob-web like effect. Wipe your knife clean after each line.
Sprinkle the web with white edible glitter. (This stuff is amazing! If you don't have any, I recommend buying some. It doesn't add any flavor, but just gives your cakes that little extra sparkle.)
Top the cake off by placing plastic spiders all over the cake. I used plastic spider rings that I found at Wal-Mart. The rings made it easy to poke the spiders into the cake.
Enjoy the cake with your family and friends!
I enjoy making cakes. Baking, in general, relaxes me. I was delighted when a friend let me bake the cake for her son's 6th birthday party. He didn't request anything other than chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. I knew I had to do something a little special for him, so I decided to make a number 6.
I have 16 inch round pan, so I made the cake in that. I baked the cake, as I would any cake - using a mix (hey...I need to take help from somewhere) and using powdered pudding mix in lieu of eggs to accommodate my Little Man's egg allergy. A 16 inch cake pan requires 2 cake mixes.
Tip: even though the chocolate cake mix boxes say to grease the pan only...use flour too. If you don't use flour, you run the risk of the cake sticking to the pan. It's going to be covered with frosting anyway, so a little flour on the outside won't hurt.
I baked the cake at 300 degrees and began checking it every 10 minutes after 1 hour of baking. When the cake began to pull away from the edge and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, then I knew the cake was done. I let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then turned it out onto a cardboard pizza round, which I wrapped in foil. I let the cool completely.
We had pizza the night before I made the cake. The cardboard round the pizza came on was 16 inches, so the hubs drew a number 6 on it. I put wax paper over the top of it, traced it and cut it out. After the cake was completely cooled, I placed it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Placing it in the freezer will make it easier to cut.
I placed the cut out 6 on top of it and used it as a guide to cut the cake. I used a large serrated knife to cut the cake.
Once it was cut according to the 6 pattern, I took the time to do some trimming by free-hand to make it a little thinner in shape.
When frosting cut edges of a cake, it is very important to do a very thin layer of frosting and let it harden. That thin layer is called the crumb layer. The crumb layer seals the crumbs to the cake and makes the 2nd, thicker layer of frosting smooth.
With this cake, I piped the edges, sprinkle it with jimmies and finished it off with balloon candles. the cake was a hit.
Aimee has featured our kitchen in her Favorite Spaces Sunday post. I do love my kitchen. I love to spend time there with family and friends creating memories and dishes that my family will love.
Let me also say, if you looked at the picture, that's probably the only time it has looked so clean. Now it's covered with stuff. I should work at making it look this way again.
Visit me in the Blog Mommas Baker's Nook today. I posted one of my favorite cakes to make.
