Sister's Choice Quilts

My interests are quilting, reading, cooking, family, decorating, and matters of style. I post regular quilting tutorials and book reviews of current fiction.

So, I Baked a Cake

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My husband had a fairly significant birthday over the weekend, which he wanted seriously downplayed.  We tiptoed around the occasion pretty well, but I felt that some observation of the event was appropriate.  So, I baked a cake.  

I've been watching the PBS show Great British Baking, and even though I don't really bake much, I wanted to try out something more than the usual Pillsbury boxed cake effort.  The recipe I chose was called Chocolate Mocha Caramel Cake, with a Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting.  I am not going to share the recipe here because it was fairly complicated, but if you want it, it is in the current issue of Paula Deen's Fall Baking magazine, available on newsstands right now.

I had my little helper with me of course, and she was extremely useful licking beaters and bowls as we worked our way through the recipe.

Eva waiting for frosting

I'd never made frosting in the way the recipe called for, which involved cooking 6 egg whites and a cup and half of sugar in a double boiler until it reached 140 degrees, then beating it for 10 minutes in a stand mixer before adding a pound (!!!) of butter and salted caramel ice cream topping.  It was the best frosting I have ever eaten!

Cake done

Eva was suspicious of the pecans on the top, but felt pretty proud of the finished results.  The cake was quite delicious, but I believe I could have baked the chocolate cake layers a couple of minutes less than the recipe suggested.  My husband had two pieces and I deviated from my "clean eating" regime and had a sliver as well.

The whole process of making the cake was very relaxing, and I believe next time a dessert is called for I will try something elaborate again.  We eat dessert so rarely, why not go all out when we do?  No sense in wasting the calories on something mediocre.

45 responses to “So, I Baked a Cake”

  4. It looks beautiful and delicious. I have never heard of that egg white thing! It sounds like a lot of work but worth it in the end!
    Mary

  5. It looks beautiful and delicious. I have never heard of that egg white thing! It sounds like a lot of work but worth it in the end!
    Mary

  6. It looks beautiful and delicious. I have never heard of that egg white thing! It sounds like a lot of work but worth it in the end!
    Mary

  10. If you’re having a ‘fairly significant birthday’ then, by all means, have a ‘fairly complicated’ cake to celebrate! No sense doing mediocre for something that important! That was a nice way to spend the last week before school starts with your adorable baker-in-training! Belated happy birthday to your husband! 🎂🎈🎉

  11. If you’re having a ‘fairly significant birthday’ then, by all means, have a ‘fairly complicated’ cake to celebrate! No sense doing mediocre for something that important! That was a nice way to spend the last week before school starts with your adorable baker-in-training! Belated happy birthday to your husband! 🎂🎈🎉

  12. If you’re having a ‘fairly significant birthday’ then, by all means, have a ‘fairly complicated’ cake to celebrate! No sense doing mediocre for something that important! That was a nice way to spend the last week before school starts with your adorable baker-in-training! Belated happy birthday to your husband! 🎂🎈🎉

  13. That looks like a significant cake!!!!
    My mother was never one to eat mediocre store bought cookie and as a result I never had an Oreo at home!!

  14. That looks like a significant cake!!!!
    My mother was never one to eat mediocre store bought cookie and as a result I never had an Oreo at home!!

  15. That looks like a significant cake!!!!
    My mother was never one to eat mediocre store bought cookie and as a result I never had an Oreo at home!!

  16. The cake looks amazing and yummy! I rarely buy a cake make them almost always myself because a) I know what’s in it then and b) they normally taste a lot, lot better then a bought one.
    Oh, and Happy Birthday to your hubby:-)

  17. The cake looks amazing and yummy! I rarely buy a cake make them almost always myself because a) I know what’s in it then and b) they normally taste a lot, lot better then a bought one.
    Oh, and Happy Birthday to your hubby:-)

  18. The cake looks amazing and yummy! I rarely buy a cake make them almost always myself because a) I know what’s in it then and b) they normally taste a lot, lot better then a bought one.
    Oh, and Happy Birthday to your hubby:-)

  19. I’ve been thinking about making a “from scratch” cake and have not had much luck. For some reason it turns out very dry. I read that using Cake flour will make it dry but that is what the recipe called for… my butter cream is waaayyyy too sweet and runny, so I need to work on that too. I’m not giving up though!
    Yours looked FANTASTIC. Your helper looks too big to be Eva. lol! They grow so FAST!!

  20. I’ve been thinking about making a “from scratch” cake and have not had much luck. For some reason it turns out very dry. I read that using Cake flour will make it dry but that is what the recipe called for… my butter cream is waaayyyy too sweet and runny, so I need to work on that too. I’m not giving up though!
    Yours looked FANTASTIC. Your helper looks too big to be Eva. lol! They grow so FAST!!

  21. I’ve been thinking about making a “from scratch” cake and have not had much luck. For some reason it turns out very dry. I read that using Cake flour will make it dry but that is what the recipe called for… my butter cream is waaayyyy too sweet and runny, so I need to work on that too. I’m not giving up though!
    Yours looked FANTASTIC. Your helper looks too big to be Eva. lol! They grow so FAST!!

  22. Isn’t baking fun? I totally agree with you, that if you don’t eat sweets too often, it’s okay to have a wee bit once in awhile, and that wee bit should be spectacular. Not a cake from a box! I’m glad everything turned out well, and that you had such a good helper.

  23. Isn’t baking fun? I totally agree with you, that if you don’t eat sweets too often, it’s okay to have a wee bit once in awhile, and that wee bit should be spectacular. Not a cake from a box! I’m glad everything turned out well, and that you had such a good helper.

  24. Isn’t baking fun? I totally agree with you, that if you don’t eat sweets too often, it’s okay to have a wee bit once in awhile, and that wee bit should be spectacular. Not a cake from a box! I’m glad everything turned out well, and that you had such a good helper.

  25. i hear you about not wanting to ‘waste’ calories on mediocre food. that is why i cook at home. it can be tiring but at least it is good. ;p
    happy bday to hubby!

  26. i hear you about not wanting to ‘waste’ calories on mediocre food. that is why i cook at home. it can be tiring but at least it is good. ;p
    happy bday to hubby!

  27. i hear you about not wanting to ‘waste’ calories on mediocre food. that is why i cook at home. it can be tiring but at least it is good. ;p
    happy bday to hubby!

  28. What a great looking cake, so glad it’s not a box cake. Those things have very little flavour. This cake however, looks like it has loads of flavour. What a lovely thing to do for your hubby, I’m sure this made celebrating his birthday so worthwhile.

  29. What a great looking cake, so glad it’s not a box cake. Those things have very little flavour. This cake however, looks like it has loads of flavour. What a lovely thing to do for your hubby, I’m sure this made celebrating his birthday so worthwhile.

  30. What a great looking cake, so glad it’s not a box cake. Those things have very little flavour. This cake however, looks like it has loads of flavour. What a lovely thing to do for your hubby, I’m sure this made celebrating his birthday so worthwhile.

  31. I saw your photos on Instagram. That cake looks delicious. I think you have a good point, we make dessert so rarely, why not go all out for a special occasion.

  32. I saw your photos on Instagram. That cake looks delicious. I think you have a good point, we make dessert so rarely, why not go all out for a special occasion.

  33. I saw your photos on Instagram. That cake looks delicious. I think you have a good point, we make dessert so rarely, why not go all out for a special occasion.

  37. Fab cake. Yum. I was looking through previous blog post and notice you are a collector of Frivil tins. Only one to go. Still have to start any of them. 🙂 Happy Stitching.

  38. Fab cake. Yum. I was looking through previous blog post and notice you are a collector of Frivil tins. Only one to go. Still have to start any of them. 🙂 Happy Stitching.

  39. Fab cake. Yum. I was looking through previous blog post and notice you are a collector of Frivil tins. Only one to go. Still have to start any of them. 🙂 Happy Stitching.

  40. We had cooked frosting on our birthday cake every year growing up. We always hoped for good weather as a damp rainy day impacted the frosting recipe. Yours looks delicious!

  41. We had cooked frosting on our birthday cake every year growing up. We always hoped for good weather as a damp rainy day impacted the frosting recipe. Yours looks delicious!

  42. We had cooked frosting on our birthday cake every year growing up. We always hoped for good weather as a damp rainy day impacted the frosting recipe. Yours looks delicious!