Bake, Bake, Bake that Cake

I made a birthday cake.

I figured if I was going to get back into the baking process, I might as well go big. And what is bigger than a birthday cake? Well a wedding cake, but my baking prowess only goes so far.

My friend Linda was turning 28 and I didn't know what to get her, so I made her this:



It was a Chocolate Chocolate Cake, and I got the recipe at my favorite blog. The only modifications were reducing the amount of sugar needed from 3 cups (yes, 3 cups) to 2 1/2 cups and using different chocolate from what was suggested in the recipe. By different chocolate, I mean brand. It was a half and half mixture of generic semi-sweet chocolate and artisanal chocolate.

I also frosted and filled the cake entirely with ganache, which made it into a chocolate explosion - a very, very good thing.

Next cake - something with lemon.

I'm back baby!

My oven has finally been fixed and I could not be happier! I didn't realize how much baking meant to me until I was without the key to my baking.

Sure I had the toaster oven, but it was a sad substitute to my oven, where I could bake my mini-cupcakes, cookies, cakes and other goodies. I currently have a stash of recipes I've been collecting for the past two months and I cannot wait to try them out.

Yesterday I made my Orange Carrot Cupcakes and my Grapefruit Loaf. The latter I miniaturized and used my mini-muffin tin to make it. The baking time is reduced to 30 minutes and the icing needs to be thicker, but I brought them into work today and they have disappeared.

I'm as happy as a clam that just escaped the cooking pot!