I no longer blog about food. But don’t fret!

You can find the recipe for this 6-inch cake and frosting in this ebook:

Behold a petit two layer, 6-inch chocolate cake. Simple and delicious.

This cake is a shout out to simplicity – moist, flavourful and light.

The frosting has coffee in it. It makes the texture soft, silky and easy to spread. A hat-tip to the classic, homestyle frosting you probably gobbled up as a child. You get a little of the coffee flavour, but I’m reluctant to call it a mocha frosting as it doesn’t pack a weighty punch. You’ll taste a hint of java which pairs perfectly with the chocolate layers below it. Bonus: you’ll have just enough frosting to fill between the layers and frost the cake. No waste!

These are my go-to chocolate cupcakes. Rich, tender and chocolatey. A classic cupcake that never lets me down. And though I should probably keep ’em top secret, I’m not going to. Because I want you to succeed. I want you to win at baking. I want you to feel like you can be almost nearly as great as I am.

These cupcakes take only minutes to throw together and no stand mixer is required. Got a whisk? That’s all you need. Heck, you could use a spoon in a pinch. This recipe is easily doubled if you need extras, and you can top ’em with whatever sort of frosting you might like. So when you’re going through your kid’s backpack at 10 pm, and find that note requesting a buttload of cupcakes by 8 am tomorrow? MAKE THESE.

Need a frosting recipe? Don’t fret. I’ve got you covered. Hows about a soft, sweet, chocolatey number? It’s got a little gloss to it, and though it’s not suitable for piping, it is easily spread over the cupcakes with a palette knife or spoon. It, too, is extremely easy to throw together, making it a great last minute option. (Got a large pan of brownies that needs dressing up? This will work!) I’d recommend using a hand mixer to whip this frosting into a smooth, spreadable topping, but if you’ve got arms like Hulk Hogan? You could probably do it by hand.

Some of you keeners will be wondering about the fondant hearts. Well, they aren’t an exact science. You’ll have to play around a bit, and you’ll get different results every time. I’ll give you an idea of what I did below. I made the hearts two days ahead of time so they’d be nice and hard for standing up in the cupcakes. Buy some fondant if you don’t want to make it. (Seriously. Don’t be a hero. Just buy it.)

To make the striped hearts (this is merely a guideline):

1. Knead and dye some fondant with gel paste food colouring. Any colours you like. I’d recommend making four complimentary colours, but go ahead with that sports team tribute if you like. I don’t have quantities for you – it depends on how many hearts you need. You’ll be rolling the fondant out thin, so don’t make a pound of the stuff – a large handful of fondant will probably be enough – make a little extra if you’re unsure. I use shortening on my hands and counter to prevent sticking – just a thin coating.

2. Work quickly, as this stuff has a tendency to dry out – keep the portions you aren’t working with tightly wrapped until you need them. Roll a small portion of each colour into strips/snakes, each about the same length – 5-6 inches long. If you want one colour to be more dominant, use a larger portion of that.

3. Lay the strips beside each other, nice and snug, and pinch the ends together.

4. Twist a few times up the length of the rope.

5. Fold in half.

6. Twist again. Don’t worry if some of the strips break. You’ll be rolling it all out.

7. Roll out. Work from the centre out. Small cracks can be smoothed with your fingers. Roll to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut in desired shapes. (Again, I use a thin coating of shortening on my counter to prevent sticking.)

To make the tie-dyed hearts:

8. Use the scraps from the striped hearts. Gather the scraps into a ball.

9. Squeeze gently together (I only squeezed twice).

10. Roll and cut out.

If you want to skip the striped hearts – making only the tie-dyed – you could follow steps 1-6 from above, and then gently squeeze a few times before rolling/cutting.

2.0 and I don’t really believe in Valentine’s Day (we know it exists, we just think it’s dumb), so we’d like to suggest that you make these for Saint Patrick’s Day to throw people off.

. . .

Easy Chocolate Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes.

print and bake

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mise en place – start by getting organized. Read through the entire recipe before beginning. Measure out all of your ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake tins with cupcake liners – paper or foil.

Place the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, instant espresso (if using) and salt in a bowl, and whisk well to combine.

In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sugar, canola oil and vanilla extract until well combined. Add the flour mixture and whisk until well combined and no large lumps remain. (Tiny lumps are fine.)

Divide the batter evenly between the 12 cupcake wells. An ice cream scoop makes this easier. Don’t fill more than 3/4 full.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

. . .

Simple Chocolate Frosting

Yields enough to frost 12 cupcakes – this is a soft, spreadable frosting, not suitable for piping.

print and cover stuff with frosting

• 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (you can use chocolate chips)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mise en place – start by getting organized. Read through the entire recipe before beginning. Measure out all of your ingredients. This frosting can be made with a stand or hand mixer.

Melt the butter and chocolate in a stainless steel bowl placed over a pot of simmering water, stirring until completely melted and smooth. You can also do this in the microwave – use a low power setting, and heat gently to melt.

Place the sifted icing sugar, salt, heavy cream and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the melted chocolate and butter and mix with an handheld mixer (you can do this in a stand mixer as well). Mix on low speed at first, and then increase speed to medium and beat until well combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl at least once during mixing to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.

Use a palette knife or spoon to spread the frosting onto cupcakes.

Let’s talk buttercream, shall we? More specifically, Swiss Meringue Buttercream. European buttercreams, as many of you know, tend to be less sweet than their American counterparts. Some people find them too buttery, but I think this is because many North Americans grew up eating sugary frostings made with copious quantities of confectioner’s sugar. We were cautioned about this at baking school, just as we were warned that some people don’t “get” crusty European breads. (They prefer that soft, white stuff that can survive on your counter for two weeks.) I like to think that European buttercreams are more sophisticated. Swiss Meringue Buttercream probably understands abstract art and wouldn’t be caught dead in sweatpants at the grocery store.

I adore classic, sugary frostings – especially on cupcakes and cakes for kids – but I think you’ll fall in love with Swiss buttercream if you give it a try. We’re talking meringue mixed with butter, and lots of it. Swiss buttercream is smooth and satiny, lovely on celebration cakes, and doesn’t overpower cake flavours and fillings. It does taste buttery – but with a pound of sugar in the mix, I don’t think you’ll find it unsweet. Swiss buttercream can be coloured and flavoured in a variety of ways, spreads like a dream, and pipes well.

A note or two: Swiss buttercream will harden up in the fridge (like many frostings) and should be served at room temperature. (Cake, too, tastes best when the chill is gone.) When cold, this frosting really is a bit like eating cold butter, which might be a deterrent if you’re trying to convince someone that a) Swiss buttercream is best, and b) jogging pants shouldn’t be worn to the grocery store. Also, due to the high butter content of Swiss buttercream, it doesn’t hold up particularly well on hot summer days. Some pastry chefs replace a portion of the butter with shortening and add in some confectioner’s sugar for stability – once summer rolls round, I’ll try putting some ratios to the test.

As for the rest of my spring offering, the Easter egg sitting atop my buttercream-laden cake was made out of gum paste, and is entirely edible (though not particularly tasty). The teeny-tiny flowers and embellishments were made out of a 50/50 gum paste and fondant mix, and affixed with royal icing. If you haven’t worked with gum paste and fondant before, I highly recommend buying it pre-made. You’ll get a feel for the textures and how to work with them before attempting to make them from scratch, and it’s a little less intimidating. The egg was filled with a nest of cotton candy, and some teeny-tiny chicks. The piped icing details are old school, but I think Easter treats should be reminiscent of old-fashioned bonnets and Sunday suppers, don’t you?

Also, you should know that this entire cake was developed so I could buy a bag of cotton candy. 2.0 and I saw some at the movie theatre a couple of weeks ago, and I figured if I could find a use for even the tiniest quantity, I could justify eating the rest of the bag. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

If you’re looking for another awesome European frosting, try German buttercream. It has a pound of pastry cream in it. ‘Nuff said.

. . .

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

print and make

Yields enough to crumb coat, frost and embellish a 2 layer, 8-inch round cake.

• 1 pound granulated sugar
• 8 ounces egg whites, room temperature
• 1 pound + 4 ounces butter, cut into cubes, soft
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Mise en place – begin by getting organized. Read through the entire recipe before beginning. Measure out all of your ingredients – a kitchen scale and candy thermometer are recommended. 

Place the sugar and egg whites in the bowl of your stand mixer, and whisk to combine. Set the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water and heat, whisking gently and constantly, until the mixture comes to 160°F. This will take several minutes. The water should not be boiling and should not touch the bottom of the bowl – just an inch of water will do – as you don’t want the eggs to cook/scramble. (Note: you could also do this in a stainless steel bowl set over the bain marie and then transfer to your mixer’s bowl once heated. If you don’t have a thermometer, be sure to heat until the egg whites are hot and the sugar has completely dissolved. If you rub some of the mixture between your fingers, you should feel no grit.)

Wipe any condensation off the outside of the bowl and then place on your stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. (If you used a stainless steel bowl, transfer to your mixer’s bowl.) Begin mixing on low speed (30 seconds) and then increase speed to medium high. Continue beating until the meringue is thick and glossy, and doubled in size. The bowl should be cool/neutral to the touch, which takes 10 minutes or more. The meringue needs to be cooled so the butter won’t melt when added.*

Replace the whip attachment with your paddle attachment, set on medium-low speed, and gradually add the butter, one piece at a time. (Let the butter get incorporated before adding each piece.) The meringue will deflate and get thin at first, and may begin to look curdled. As you continue to slowly add the butter and beat, it will come together and thicken up. Once all of the butter has been added, increase speed to high and beat until the buttercream thickens and gets smooth/silky. Give the bowl a good scraping and mix again to be sure everything is incorporated. Beat in the vanilla.

Colour and flavourings can now be added if desired. Store covered in the refrigerator. Swiss meringue buttercream also freezes well. When using chilled buttercream, allow it to come to room temperature and then beat in your stand mixer for a few minutes (until smooth) before using. Frozen buttercream should be at room temperature before re-whipping.

Decorated cakes can be stored in the refrigerator, but should be served at room temperature.

*If you added the butter while the meringue was too warm (or your butter was too soft), and the mixture doesn’t thicken, you may be able to save your buttercream by placing the bowl in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes and then beating again on low speed. Additional butter can also be added – just add a few cubes, one at a time, until the buttercream thickens up.

Happy birthday, Pumpkin! To mark this, your seventh birthday, I made you a cake. A cake topped with lots of teeny-tiny things. Because teeny-tiny things are the bestest.

For example, kittens are teeny-tiny and way awesome. So were you when you were born. Also, rats holding teddy bears. And pixie portals. Good things come in teeny-tiny packages.

I’m guessing you’re old enough to hear a few teeny-tiny things about your father (my brother) now. Some things that might help you understand why he is… the way he is.

First off, as a child, your dad had an imaginary friend named Peter Wife. No, not White. Peter’s last name was Wife. It caused a lot of confusion, because everyone thought your dad was saying Peter White, when he was actually saying Peter Wife. Your dad would get super irritated about the confusion, but in fairness, I think he was feeling some heat from Peter. Anyhoo, Pete spent some time with us at a rental cottage one summer, and I believe he moved there permanently (along with your dad’s sense of humour about the whole thing) in the early 1980’s. So, the next time your dad is staring off into space, give him a little hug. He’s probably missing Peter Wife.

Second, your Aunt Haddy and I used to call your dad Dumbo. Like, for a long time. (Years.) It made him pretty self conscious, so maybe get him a dvd of Dumbo for Christmas.

Third, your dad was hit in the face with a garage door when he was little. It basically knocked his front teeth out. So, when he does really embarrassing stuff, assume that has something to do with it. He ain’t right in the head.

Finally, your dad is pretty cool. He knows a crapload of stuff about junk most people couldn’t care less about. I hope it will serve you well one day. Or, at the very least, fill in any awkward silences at the dinner table.

So, sweet girl, I made this cake for you because it’s a one bowl cake. That means it’s easy to make, even if you’re only seven years old. (Maybe Dumbo could help you out.) Also: lemon buttercream. Because lemons taste fresh and springy, and buttercreams are perfect for making birthday cakes look extra special. I made you some teeny-tiny party hats, because they are way cute (like you), and then customized some ballerina toppers to match the teeny-tiny sprinkles.

And for today, I’m going to overlook the fact that you’ve opted for taekwondo lessons over ballet.

Happy birthday, wee Pumpkin!

. . .

One Bowl Yellow Cake

print and bake

Yields two 8-inch circular cakes.

• 2 1/2 cups cake/pastry flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, room temperature

Mise en place – begin by getting organized. Read through the entire recipe before beginning. Measure out all of your ingredients. 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch circular baking pans and line with parchment paper.

Sift the cake flour into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer). Add the sugar, baking powder and salt, and mix for about 30 seconds on low speed to combine.

Add in the butter and mix for about 2 minutes on low, until it’s incorporated, and no large lumps remain.

Add the milk and vanilla, mixing on low speed to blend the ingredients, and then on medium speed for about 1 minute. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl well. Add the eggs and beat for about 1 minute on medium-low speed. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl well. Mix for an additional 10 seconds to ensure no lumps remain.

Divide/spread the batter evenly between the two prepared pans (a kitchen scale is handy for this), and then smooth the tops a little with a spatula or bowl scraper.

Bake for about 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. The tops will be slightly golden, and the edges may pull away slightly from the pans. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes and then remove from pans to cool completely on wire racks.

. . .

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

print and make

Yields enough to crumb coat and frost a two layer 8-inch cake with minimal embellishments.

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 4 cups icing (confectioner’s) sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons heavy (whipping) cream

Mise en place – begin by getting organized. Read through the entire recipe before beginning. Measure out all of your ingredients. 

Cream the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer) until light and floofy (3-5 minutes).

Sift 2 cups of the icing sugar into the bowl and add the salt. Blend on lowest speed to bring the ingredients together and then increase speed to medium, mixing until well combined.

Sift the remaining 2 cups of icing sugar into the bowl. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice, and mix on low speed to bring the ingredients together, and then on medium speed until well combined.

Add the heavy cream and beat until well combined, light and floofy.

Add additional icing sugar or heavy cream to adjust for desired consistency. (Add in very small quantities, as it is easy to over-correct.)

Hold on to your hats! It’s time for birthday cake!

I know it’s not your birthday yet, Haddy. But I also know that you’ve got some special visitors tomorrow, and I’ve seen them eat. Odds are, you’ll be too full for cake tomorrow.

I was going to recreate the cake in that photo up there, but lighting Barbie’s crotch on fire just seemed soooo political. After considering a number of options, I settled on this instead:

I know what you’re thinking: it’s not a very fancy cake, especially given that it’s your 40th. I mean, you’d hardly know I went to baking school, would you?

You probably thought I’d make you a 10 layer genoise topped with French buttercream. Or a life-sized dog cake scultped to look exactly like Lucas J. McSnuggles. Perhaps you were expecting 3D replica of one of your book covers.

Alas, none of those options seemed right. A birthday cake, after all, must be carefully selected. For the look on someone’s face when you bring out the perfect cake, and set it before them on a table? Well, that photo at the top of this post does a pretty good job of summing it up. And when you light some candles for someone you love, and then give them a wish? A wish for anything they want? Priceless.

So, I made you a bundt cake. It’s rich and chocolatey. And I topped that bundt cake with a glossy frosting – made with unsweetened chocolate. The frosting is sweet, but not cloyingly so. Then I topped your cake with a few Smarties and lit two candles on your behalf.

I dunno. I took a chance.

Make a wish, Haddy!

. . .

For the cake, I used this recipe for Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake at Two Peas & Their Pod. It was decadent and easy to make – I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a rich, chocolate bundt cake.

The recipe for the frosting is below. It is rich and chocolatey, and has a lovely creamy texture.

Glossy Chocolate Frosting

print and bake

Yields enough to frost a bundt cake or a two layer 8 inch cake (with no piping).

• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate (4 Baker’s squares)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cups icing (confectioner’s) sugar, sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (35% milk fat)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Mise en place – begin by getting organized. Measure out all of your ingredients. 

Melt the chocolate and butter in a medium sized saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat.

Add the icing sugar, salt, heavy cream and vanilla and beat with a hand-held electric mixer. Start on low speed and increase to medium speed as the ingredients begin to incorporate. (You could also use a stand mixer, or beat by hand – this will take much longer.) Beat until the frosting is smooth, glossy and of spreading consistency.

Use immediately, and don’t overwork – it will cut down on the gloss. Re-beating the frosting will bring it back to life and add luster should it be required.