March Break Baking Camp Recipes

Cake Decorating

Equipment:

• large straight edge or offset spatula, 10"+
• rolling pin or empty glass wine/beer bottle
• bowls to warm buttercream
• bendy spatulas/spoons
• sharp paring (small) knife
• scissors
• whisk (recommended)
• cake turntable (recommended & optional)

Vanilla Cake: Yields one 6’’ cake

• 160g or 1 ⅓ cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp of baking powder
•  ¼ tsp of salt
• 2 Eggs at room temperature
• 120ml or ½ a cup of oil
• 150g or ¾ of a cup of granulated sugar
• 1 ½ tsp of vanilla extract
• 150ml or ⅔ cup of milk at  room temperature

Method:

1. Using the cake pan, trace the bottom onto parchment. Cut 2 parchment circles. Place circles in the pan so that it lines the bottom. Using 1 teaspoon of butter, grease the sides of the pan.

2. Move the rack into the middle position of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325F.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt, mix together with a whisk and set aside.

4. In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the oil and sugar until it is well combined.

5. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

6. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk, folding together with a spatula between each addition. Mix the batter until combined. Be careful not to over mix, which will lead to a tough dense cake.

7. Bake the cake for approximately 20-25 minutes.  Each oven at home is different. Use your oven light to check in on the cake, instead of opening and closing your over door.  

8. Cakes are done when you test your cake with a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean. Let the cakes cool on the counter in their pans. Once fully cool, you can remove them from the cake pans, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the freezer. Do not stack soft cakes.

American Buttercream: Yields enough buttercream to stack and mask a 6” round cake

• 900g butter (room temperature)
• 480g icing sugar (sifted)
•  Up to 250g whole milk(room temperature)

Method:

1. Mix the room temperature butter using an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth and fluffy

2. Add sifted icing sugar in 2-3 parts. Mix each time starting on low speed and mix until the mixture is homogeneous, light and fluffy.

3. Add milk a little at a time on low speed, thoroughly incorporating any liquid before the addition of more milk and scraping down the sides of the bowl from time to time. You can add more milk for a looser texture or less milk for a firmer texture.

4. Use buttercream to decorate on the same day or transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to one week or the freezer for up to three months.  LET’S BAKE!

 TIPS AND TRICKS:

• you can heat up your milk to room temperature in the microwave or in a saucepan
• icing sugar is also called “powdered” or “confectioner’s sugar” in some countries
• granulated sugar can be used in place of icing sugar, but the frosting will be a little bit granular in texture from the sugar crystals
• pair bold flavors which go well with butter for an ‘American’ buttercream

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Carrot Loaf Cake with Cream Cheese Icing and Fondant Carrots

Cake: yields 9inch round cake pan

• 250 ml brown sugar
• 200 ml cooking oil
• 4 jumbo eggs
• 375ml cake flour
• 2ml salt
• 10 ml baking powder
• 5 ml bicarbonate of soda
• 5 ml ground cinnamon
• 2.5 ml ground ginger
• 500ml grated carrots
• 250 ml canned crushed pineapple, drained

Cream Cheese Icing and Fondant :

• Sifted Icing sugar: Start with 60ml add till get the right consistency 
• 250g cream cheese
• 80ml lemon juice – add slowly 
• Orange and Green Fondant/modeling paste
  

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
2. Beat together the sugar and oil in the bowl of an electric mixer until light, or whisk by hand. Add the eggs one at a time.
   3. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, and ginger together in a bowl and add to the sugar mixture together with the carrots, and pineapple.   Mix until combined.
3. Pour the mixture into a greased and floured 9inch  round cake pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Alternatively, divide it between two loaf pans and bake.
4. Set aside to cool in the tin.
   To make the icing

1. Cream the butter and icing sugar together. Add the creamed cheese and enough lemon juice until it tastes nice.

(To assemble)

1. Once the cake has cooled, turn it out and spread the top with the cream cheese icing, allowing it to fall naturally down the sides. Top with Fondant Carrot Toppers

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Cake Pops

Cake:

• 390g or 2 ½  cups of all-purpose flour
•  4 tsp of baking powder
•  ½ tsp of salt
• 4 Eggs room temperature
• 240ml or 1 cup of oil
• 300g or 1 ½  cup of granulated sugar
• 3 tsp of vanilla extract
• 300ml or 1 ⅓  cup of milk at room temperature

Frosting:

• 100g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 210g confectioners’ sugar
• 2–3 teaspoons heavy cream or milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Coating:

• 32 ounces candy melts or coating (or pure white chocolate)*
• Sprinkles

Method:

1. Using the cake pan, trace the bottom onto parchment. Cut 2 parchment circles. Place circles in the pan so that it lines the bottom. Using 1 teaspoon of butter, grease the sides of the pan.
2. Move the rack into the middle position of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt, mix together with a whisk and set aside.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the oil and sugar until it is well combined.
5. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
6. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk, folding together with a spatula between each addition. Mix the batter until combined. Be careful not to over mix, which will lead to a tough dense cake.
7. Bake the cake for approximately 20-25 minutes.  Each oven at home is different. Use your oven light to check in on the cake, instead of opening and closing your oven door.  
8. Cakes are done when you test your cake with a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean. Let the cakes cool on the counter in their pans. Once fully cool, you can remove them from the cake pans, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the freezer. Do not stack soft cakes.)
9. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack.
10. Make the frosting: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 full minutes.
11. Crumble the cooled cake into the bowl on top of the frosting. Make sure there are no large lumps. Turn the mixer on low and beat the frosting and cake crumbles together until combined.
12. Scoop 1 Tablespoon of cake-frosting mixture and roll into a ball. Place balls on a lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 2 hours, or freeze for 1 hour to set the shape. Re-roll the chilled cake pop balls to smooth out, if needed. Place the tray back into the fridge, as you’ll only work with a couple at a time.
13. Melt the chocolate or candy melts in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup (best for dunking!) in the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after each increment, until melted and smooth. 
14. Coat the cake balls: Remove only 2 or 3 cake balls from the refrigerator at a time. Dip a lollipop stick about 1/2 inch into the coating, then insert into the center of the cake ball. Only push it about halfway through the cake ball. Dip the cake ball into the coating until it is completely covered. Make sure the coating covers the base of the cake ball where it meets the lollipop stick. Very gently tap the stick against the edge of the measuring cup to allow excess coating to drop off. Decorate the top with sprinkles and place upright into a styrofoam block or box (as explained above). Repeat with remaining cake balls, only working with a few out of the refrigerator at a time. The cake balls must be very cold when dipping!
15. Coating will set within an hour. Store cake pops in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

NOTES:

Make Ahead Instructions: I always make the cake 1 day ahead of time. Cover and keep at room temperature. You can store the undipped cake balls in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or freeze them for up to 6 weeks. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator, then continue with step 9. You can also freeze the finished cake pops for up to 6 weeks once the coating has fully set. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Coating: You can use candy coating/candy melts, or chopped pure white chocolate. I typically use Ghirardelli brand white chocolate melting wafers. Semi-sweet, dark, bittersweet, or milk chocolate baking bars work, too. Coarsely chop the chocolate and place it in a microwave-safe bowl or glass liquid measuring cup, along with 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil to help thin it out. Microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after each 20 seconds, until melted and smooth. Keep warm over a double boiler.

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Garden Focaccia : Yield 9 x 13’’ pan 

Dough:

• 5 tablespoons (60g) olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 cups (340g) water, warm
• 1 1/4 teaspoons (8g) salt
• 3 1/2 cups (420g) AP Flour 
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast

Topping Options:

• 1 tablespoon (13g) olive oil, for drizzling

• 3 cups (269g) sliced red onion (about 1 large red onion)
• 3 tablespoons (35g) olive oil, divided
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 teaspoons (12g) salt
• 1 pound (454g) red bliss and/or Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or basil, for garnish

Method:

1. Use non-stick vegetable oil spray to lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons (25g) of the olive oil atop the spray; the spray keeps the bread from sticking, while the olive oil gives the bottom crust great flavor and a bit of crunch.
   
   
2. Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Combine the remaining 3 tablespoons (35g) of the olive oil with the rest of the dough ingredients, and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 60 seconds.
   
   
3. Scoop the sticky batter into the prepared pan, cover the pan, and let it rise at room temperature for 60 minutes — it should be quite puffy, but not fragile-looking.
   
   
4. While the dough is rising, prepare your toppings 

Prepare your toppings:

While your dough is rising, prepare your toppings by washing, peeling, slicing, and/or de-seeding your vegetables based on how you want to eat them. It helps to leave some pieces large and others small so you end up with a variety of colors, sizes, and textures.

Arrange the scene:

Now comes the fun part! When the dough is almost finished rising, gently dimple the surface with your fingertips. (Usually the dimples in focaccia are quite prominent, but you want to create a relatively flat surface to work on, so go easy on the dough.)

Preheat your oven to 375.  Then drizzle olive oil over the dough. 

Place your toppings on the surface of the dough, using colors, patterns, textures, and flavors to your advantage. Remember, there's no right way to create art — feel free to be creative

Bake:

Bake the bread until it's golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove it from the oven, wait 5 minutes, then turn it out of the pan onto a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Cookie Cake: yields a 9inch pie plate cookie

 ½ cup butter, room temperature

 ¾ cup brown sugar

 ¼ cup sugar

 1 egg

 2 teaspoons vanilla

 1 ⅓ cups flour

 ½ teaspoon baking soda

 ¼ teaspoon salt

 ½ cup chocolate chips

 ¾ cup chocolate candies (I used M&M's and mini Cadbury eggs), divided

Decorations:

Royal icing

Mini marshmallows

Pretzels

Funfetti Sprinkles

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350º. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Cream the butter in a bowl, mix in the sugars, then the vanilla. Then stir in the egg.
3. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Then mix into the butter mixture just till combined. Add the chocolate chips and ½ cup of the candies. Reserve the remainder of the candy to garnish the cookie cake when it comes out of the oven. Mix well.
4. Scrape the dough into the prepared pan, then smooth the top with an offset spatula.
5. Bake for 25 minutes or till the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and gently press the remaining candies across the surface of the cookie cake while it's hot.
6. Cool and decorate. Slice like a cake and enjoy!