Sweet Giveaway: How to Make a Dog Cake

You love your dog. Your dog is part of your family. You'd do anything for your dog. Wait...you've NEVER made a cake with its canine likeness?!?! Do you really love your dog at all? 

Let's remedy this situation STAT. The way to do it, naturally, is by taking a Craftsy Course on How to Make a Dog Cake. Since it's taught by "cake whisperer" Elisa Strauss (a nickname I just chose this instant, because it's true) of Confetti Cakes, you know you're going to learn some good stuff. I mean seriously, she's the decorator of cakes like this:

and this. (there's a course on how to make this one, too!).

Now, the course does come with a charge (free preview here), but here and now we're going to host a giveaway, and we're offering the class for free to one lucky entrant! 

But before we get into the giveaway, I'm sure you're curious about Elisa and the course. So I asked some of the most pressing questions. Here you go:

What is the hardest part about making a dog cake? Getting the face right so it looks similar to the dog (it usually is all about the eyes!) -If you could go back in time to when you first started making cakes and give yourself a cake decorating trick or tip, what would it be? Everything takes longer then you think- be prepared.  

I recently learned that most people eat animal crackers in a particular order: hind legs, forelegs, head, then body. What part of a dog themed cake do people typically eat first? Probably the head or the tail....starting at one end or the other :-)

What is your next great cake adventure? Excited to release a FREE course on the basics of fondant (out June 19th) And a series on YouTube this Fall, hoping people will subscribe to my channel so they will be one of the first to know! (CakeSpy Note: Follow the Youtube Channel here!) 

Now, back to the giveaway. Do you want to win a free Craftsy course on How to Make a Dog Cake? Here's how you enter.

What you need to do to enter: Post a picture of the dog you'd like to immortalize in cake form, and briefly state why your pooch would make the cutest cake! You can do this in one of two ways.

Either via email: cakespycontest@gmail.com. If you do email a photo, please include "Dog Cake Contest" in the subject line, or your entry may be lost! 

or by posting the picture: do that on the CakeSpy Facebook wall, ok?

CakeSpy and company will collect the photos over the next week or so, and one week from today, June 24, we will decide which dog we think will make the cutest cake--that's going to be the winner!! 

Since this is a virtual course, entrants from all over the world are welcome. Good luck! 

Book Events in Albuquerque, the Jersey Shore, and Philadelphia!

You GUYS! I have some more book dates coming up to promote my fantastic new book, The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts! Here's the lowdown on where I will be and what I'll be doing.

 Albuquerque, NM! 

 Thursday, June 20 

• What: Discussion and signing and FREE TREATS!

• Where: Bookworks, 4022 Rio Grande NW, Albuquerque

• When: 7-8 p.m. 

- - - - - - - - - - - -

 New Jersey!  June 29th: 

• What: Signing and Discussion and FREE TREATS!

• Where: Booktowne, 171 Main Street, Manasquan NJ

• When: June 29th, 11 a.m. 

- - - - - - - - - - - -

 Philadelphia!  June 29

• What: Signing and Discussion and...you guessed it! TREATS! Potluck-style! More details on their website!

• Where: Towne Book Center, Collegeville

• When: June 29th, 4 p.m.

June 30:

• What: Cake Baking Class! (there is a fee)

• Where: COOK, Philadelphia

• When: June 30, 2pm

Hope to see you at one (or if you're a super-fan, ALL) of the events! And in case you forgot what the book is or where to buy it: The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts. 

Cake Byte: Pillsbury Bake-Off Voting Now Open

This is hardly a news flash, but last year when I went to the Pillsbury Bake-Off, it was basically the best thing to ever happen to me. And I have had a lot of things happen to me.

There have been some changes to the contest, and it has made me more excited than ever! Let me give you a brief primer.

As I was alerted by finalist Brett Youmans, creator of the "Heavenly Hazelnut Torte with Mascarpone Cream" recipe (which is pictured above--and the maker of which was also a finalist in the last Bake-Off, for his Orange Cream Macadamia Torte), for the first time ever, the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest organizers are allowing America to choose the recipes that get to compete in the Contest finals.  These finalists are on view at www.BakeOff.com, and it's open for public voting June 13 - June 27 at 1:00 pm ET!

New this year, to encourage simpler, original recipes, submissions were limited to seven or fewer ingredients and must take 30 minutes or less to prepare, not including baking or cooling time.  A difficult task, I should say!

Out of the 60 recipes selected for the online vote, only 34 will advance to the next round to compete for a chance to win the $1 million grand prize to be held at the Bake-Off Contest finals, November 10-12, 2013, at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

It's a 1 time only vote (not daily!) so make yours count. 

Will you vote for Brett's tasty-sounding Heavenly Hazelnut Torte with Mascarpone Cream (pictured top of post)? Or perhaps the Hot Pink Raspberry and Cream Cake (pictured above this paragraph)? Or maybe the Creamy Peanut Butter Truffles? Or perhaps the Spicy Churro Crescent Bites? Gosh, they all sound so good!

Do your part: View the finalists and vote here!

Sweet Discovery: Mexican Wedding Cake, Mary and Tito's Cafe, Albuquerque

 I'd like to share with you the most interesting dessert I've had in a while.

It's called Mexican Wedding Cake. But this is kind of a funny name, for a few reasons.

First off, when I think "Mexican Wedding Cake", I think of a cookie--a snowball sort of cookie. Not an actual cake.

Second, it doesn't really look like a wedding cake. It actually more resembles a Hummingbird cake, with walnuts and pineapple and cream cheese frosting...but without the banana. It's baked in a bundt type pan.

Third, we're not in Mexico. We're in New Mexico, at an eatery specializing in New Mexican food. It can't be denied that New Mexican cuisine is heavily influenced by that of Mexico, but they're not *quite* the same. Although to this last point, I feel as though at least one of the employees referred to it as "New Mexican Wedding Cake".

But who really cares about the name when a cake tastes this good?  

 As previously mentioned, it's a nice, dense, sort of Hummingbird-esque cake, but without the banana. It is dense with spices, fruit, and buttery cakey goodness. When I say dense, I mean it. It's almost gooey, like the texture of a baked pudding. Upon reflection, it's like having a glimpse at the evolution between fruit cake and fluffy layer cakes, with delicious results. And the frosting, oh, the frosting. Here's a posterior view to give you an idea:

 It's somehow light, almost with the texture of whipped cream, but rich in cream cheese flavor. It's applied thickly, and you'll be so glad it is. This is a very, very special cake, served in an unassuming spot (picture below): 

What a find!

As I learned from the fantastic site NM Gastronome, (owner) Antoinette has been making this cake for better than 30 years (though she doesn’t look much older than 30 herself) and says she’s made it thousands of times.  You won’t find any better in New Mexico.  You won’t find anything close.

As I learned from the same post,

In the February, 2013 edition of Albuquerque The Magazine  celebrated the Duke City’s best desserts. The fabulous Mexican wedding cake was recognized as the “to die for dessert to remember.”  I’m not too sure what that means, but if it means the Mexican wedding cake is unforgettable, the honor is certainly well deserved.  It’s certainly one of the very best desserts in New Mexico. 

You've got to try this one if you find yourself in Albuquerque! 

Mary & Tito's, 2711 4th Street, N.W. Albuquerque, NM; Mary & Tito’s Facebook Page.

Batter Chatter: Citi of Sweets, North Carolina

Oh, hi. You know what kind of city I love? One made of sweets. That's sort of the idea behind Citi of Sweets, a boutique baking business which specializes in homemade treats like whoopie pies, cake truffles, and other decadent goodies. 

Now, it's exciting to share this business with you for two reasons: one, it's always fun to discover a new baking business. Two, they're offering a giveaway! See the bottom of this post for how to enter. 

Please describe your business in 6 words or less? Non-traditional, sweet, fun, creative, challenging and friendly.

What's your personal favorite item on your menu? Ayesha: whoopie pies(strawberry with buttercream) Chanel: Cookies N Cream cake truffles

What made you take the jump from amateur to professional baking? Chanel:It started as just something i wanted to try and i asked my best friend ayesha to help me experiment and it turned out horrible at first the cake was just not staying on the sticks and it was just a chocolate disaster so we left it alone and then we ended up trying again a month or so later and we were way better at it and we started doing them more and getting better and better with practice and time. We then came up with our name and menu and we've been baking ever since we started with our co-workers at our job and we haven't had a bad complaint ever in 2 years. We like being creative and making our customers happy.

What's the best thing to happen to you in the past 48 hours? We went grocery shopping to get more supplies to make more sweets!

Cake or Pie? Cake

If you had to wear one pair of shoes for the rest of my life what would they be? Chanel: Purple Fuzzy Slippers Ayesha: Angry Birds Slippers

What's your favorite non-sweet food? Ayesha: hot wings Chanel: fries

What quality do you most value in others? Honesty

What is your biggest dream? Our biggest dream is to have Citi of Sweets all across the world.

What's your next hope for your business? to open our first storefront in Charlotte.

Now... back to that giveaway! Here's what two lucky winners will receive: 2 Cake Pop Samplers Dozens one to each winner. They will be available for pick up, or shipping. The flavors will be (3) trrriple threat(chocolate) (3) butter pecan, (3) cookies n cream and (3) french vanilla.

Yum! So how to enter? It's easy. Just do this:

1. Simply "like" Citi of Sweets on Facebook or follow them on Twitter

2. Leave a comment on this post (don't worry if it doesn't show up right away, moderation is enabled!) stating your favorite flavor of cake.

I'll choose a winner at random 1 week from today (Saturday, June 23, 12pm PST). To ensure fresh tastiness of the prize, we're only going to allow US entrants on this particular giveaway!

For more, check 'em out online: Citi of Sweets! 

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!

Above: A real life custom order I did: cupcakes in their undies, eating soup, and watching Dawson's Creek. For more of my artwork, shop here.

A sweet reflection, after 20 years in the baking biz.

In case you missed it: part 2 of my book tour was awesome.

Raspberry rhubarb muffins? Sounds tasty to me!

A bakery I love: Make My Cake, NYC.

Marshmallow panna cotta. Fantastic!

Sweet n summery: watermelon pudding, served in a watermelon shell.

Buttercream fundamentals. A delicious education.

I love that this recipe combines fancy wine and cake mix.

16 ice cream sandwich recipes. Yum!

DOUGHNUT HOLE CROQUEMBOUCHE. OMG.

The Poor, Misunderstood Wendy's Frosty.

Do you own my first book? If not, buy it now: CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life

CakeSpy for Craftsy: How to Level a Cake

What does it mean to level a cake? Well, cakes don’t magically bake flat. In general, they will puff up a bit around the center, making for something of a “dome”. Leveling the cake is the process of slicing the top off of the cake so that instead of a dome, it is a flat surface.

Why level a cake? Leveling a cake has a few purposes. First, the flat surface will make for easier stacking of layers–they won’t wobble when stacked. Second, it creates a more professional look, as well as an easier surface for decorating.

Ready to Level a Cake? Read my full post on the subject at craftsy.com!

Caramel Chocolate Pecan Ebelskivers

Where there's a well, there's a way. No, that was not a spelling error. I mean "well". Actually, I meant seven wells, because that's how many you'll need in your ebelskiver pan to make these tasty treats.

But...first things first. What the eff is an ebelskiver?

Well, first, picture a pancake. Now, shrink it to about the size of a ping-pong ball and puff it up a little bit, and fill it with something tasty. You're starting to get the idea. They're a traditional Danish pancake, and they're mighty tasty. They're filled with any number of different flavors and ingredients, but I think they're best when they're served sweet.

True or not, there is a rather charming story behind the history of the ebelskiver. As it goes, they were created by the Vikings following a long day of unsuccessful battle. Gathering around the fire, the weary soldiers set to making some pancakes (just what I want to do after a long day of battle, how 'bout you?). But they couldn't find the griddle! Instead of admitting defeat, a quick-thinking soldier thought to pour the batter into his dented shield. The batter settled into the dents and baked up as nubbly little pancake popover-type puffs. The ebelskiver was born! 

Truthfully, it's much more likely that the Danes picked up the idea in the course of their trade and travel in Asia, where one of the regional specialties they came across were a sort of pancake puff, notably the takoyaki, a savory pancake puff popular in Japan. It required a specific type of pan. In China, a pancake-y treat called gai daan jai, similarly called for a pan with wells. Likewise, in India, the paniyaram pan is used to make tender puffed breads called kuzhi paniyaram. It's likely that these concepts were adopted and adapted in Denmark, and it was a sort of evolution that led to the ebelskiver.

In case you didn't grasp it yet...with ebelskivers, you *do* need a specific pan. It's called (wait for it) an ebelskiver pan. It looks like of like this: 

Here's a recipe for chocolate caramel pecan ebelskivers, care of the book 150 Best Ebelskiver Recipes.  

Caramel Chocolate Pecan Ebelskivers

This recipe makes 28 puffs.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecan halves
• 1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips (works best for the small puffs)
• vegetable oil
• 14 individually wrapped soft caramel candies, unwrapped and cut in half
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Procedure

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, egg yolks, milk, butter, and vanilla until well blended.
3. Add the egg yolk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just blended (the batter will be slightly lumpy). Gently stir in pecans and chocolate chips.
4. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat egg whites until frothy. Increase speed to high and beat until stiff, but not dry, peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, gently mix one-third of the egg whites into the batter. Gently fold in the remaining whites.
5. Brush wells of pan lightly with oil. Set pan over medium heat. When oil begins to sizzle, add 1 tablespoon of batter to each well. Place a caramel candy half in the center, and top with 1 more tablespoon of batter. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Using two skewers, flip the puffs over. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown and the puffs are firm to the touch. Remove pan from heat and transfer puffs to a plate. Let pan cool slightly.
6. Repeat with remaining batter and caramels, brushing wells with oil and reheating the pan before each batch.
7. Dust the ebelskivers with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Secret Lives Tour, Part Two

Part two of my book tour supporting The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts is now complete! Philadelphia and Chicago...you were great!

Now, if you're curious about what happened on the first leg, check out this post; for still-upcoming dates, look at the left side bar of this site! 

Now, let me tell you about what I saw, what I did, and very importantly, what I ate on leg 2 of the tour, in New Jersey, Philadelphia and Chicago.

First, I headed down to New Jersey. I didn't have an event here but I was staying with my parents, and using their kitchen to bake treats for the Anthropologie book signing in Philadelphia. I made three batches of Katharine Hepburn Brownies from the book. I had a little assembly line going!

Oh, yum. Then, we packed up the car and went to Philadelphia. I was greeted by this sign...I felt pretty cool...

Here I am getting out of the car and getting ready to share brownies and fun!

Wow, what an amazing event! Not only was it excellently attended, but there were brownies and prosecco. Lots of prosecco.

The crowd was enthusiastic and we had a lot of fun!

Here I am with my big sister Kelly.

I also got some unexpected treats at the signing. Bredenbeck's sent over some cookies just for me...

and (big hero moment!) Zoe (there's an umlaut in her name, but I can't find the symbol on my computer) from Whipped Bakeshop came, too! For an example of how awesome she is, just look at one of her cakes:

and Ginny of LivyLu's Gourmet brought some treats, too!

This was a signing that just made me feel great to be alive. Thank you, Anthropologie!

Let's just say I slept well that night, and it was a good thing, because I had to get up pretty bright and early to head to Chicago!

On my way to the airport, I had a surprisingly tasty (considering its healthy status!) cookie called the "Shazaam", purchased in Spring Lake Heights.

Next stop...Chicago! My reading was actually in Vernon Hills, but I had some time to spend in the Windy City beforehand. I made good use of it.

I popped in an Anthropologie store in Chicago...and guess what they had? My book! yay!

My first stop for sweets in Chicago was Glazed and Infused. You can read more about my visit there if you read this post, but suffice it to say I left fat and happy and SO excited to have finally met my (until now, online-only) friend James. 

Next, I headed over to Swirlz Cupcakes. Wow, Pam of Swirlz is so supportive! She had a little altar to me out to make me smile and share my work with her customers! AND she was kind enough to donate cupcakes for my event later that day.

Here's a picture of me with owner Pam!

Before I headed to Vernon Hills, I simply had to drop by to say hi to my friend Stephanie, owner of Angel Food Bakery. She has the same birthday as me, and she bakes cupcakes. What's not to love? We chatted and I picked up a few treats, including a brownie and a flourless chocolate cake. For later.

Then I headed to the Aspen Drive Library! I was greeted by this beautiful sign:

And then got to unpacking the sweets from Swirlz!

HERE'S WHAT WAS IN THE BAG. OMG ALL CAPS NEEDED.

Putting together this stand was easier said than done, but we figured it out (yes, it took more people than just me).

I had a great talk with a large audience at the library, and Lake Forest Book Store was on hand to sell copies of my book. Here I am doing my reading--don't I look like a kindergarten teacher?

An especially meaningful guest was my friend Sandy, who drove all the way from Milkwaukee. I miss this girl! We were able to have dinner and catch up. <3

Now, I know you're concerned that I'm getting enough calories, so I am happy to tell you that I was able to make one more sweet stop before I left the next morning, to pick up a cinnamon glazed old-fashioned doughnut at Do-Rite Donuts. Whew!

By the way, it wasn't til that night that I got to one of my other goodies from Angel Food Bakery, the brownie. Hold on to your hats, sweeties. It might look like just a brownie, but it is nothing ordinary once it's in your mouth. It's fudge-filled chocolate overload decadence awesometown, the experience of eating this brownie. I think they're some of the best in the nation!

Whew! So glad to have had these awesome tour times, but I'm happy to be home, too! See you next time, sweeties!

Places Mentioned:

Anthropologie, multiple locations; online here.

Bredenbeck's, 8126 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia; online here.

LivyLu's Gourmet; online here.

Whipped Bakeshop, 636 Belgrade Street, Philadelphia; online here.

Nature's Corner Natural Market, 2407 Hwy 71, Spring Lake Heights NJ; online here.

Glazed and Infused, multiple locations in Chicago; online here.

Swirlz Cupcakes, 705 W. Belden, Chicago; online here.

Angel Food Bakery, 1636 Montrose, Chicago; online here.

Aspen Drive Library, Vernon Hills, IL; online here.

Lake Forest Bookstore; online here.

Do-Rite Donuts, 50 W. Randolph Street, Chicago; online here.

How to Make Doughnuts Using Biscuits from a Tube

Want to make homemade doughnuts for National Doughnut Day (that's today, btw) but feel like it sounds, well, too hard?

Well, listen up, sweeties, because I've got a tip that can take you from zero to doughnuts in less than 15 minutes. Seriously. This scene could be your life in less time than it takes to watch an episode of the Simpsons:

The secret to this sweet success? Pop-n-bake tube of biscuits! Totally not kidding!

They're a fantastic shortcut to surprisingly tasty doughnuts that you can make at home. And they're so, so easy! All you need is some oil, a skillet, and whatever sweet garnish you like on your doughnuts. 

Donut believe me? Well, that's your right. But I can prove it by telling you how to make this delicious dish, right here and now. I donut know who invented this recipe, but I am so glad they did. And I'm happy to share it with you. You'll be rewarded with cakey, lightly sweet doughnuts that really do pass quite well for "real" doughnuts!

How to Make Doughnuts Using Biscuits From a Tube (Printable version here!)

Makes 8 doughnuts, and 8 doughnut holes

Equipment: 

• A heavy, large skillet
• Tongs or a slotted spoon
• Paper towels
• Several shallow bowls or plates for putting toppings

Ingredients

• 1 tube (usually 8 to 10) pop-n-bake biscuits. The brand doesn't matter.
• Vegetable Oil, for frying (you want about 1/2 inch or so in the pan)
• If desired, melted butter (to help toppings adhere)
• Toppings: confectioners' sugar, crushed cookies, honey, nuts, chocolate sauce, sprinkles--whatever you want!

Pop open that tube of biscuits. Separate them.

Using an apple corer (or, like me, the top from a bottle of water), cut the holes out of the centers. Gently remove them and set to the side (doughnut holes!). 

Pour the oil in your skillet until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Heat the oil on medium heat until it has reached 375 degrees. Don't have a thermometer? You can also break a small piece of dough off and toss it into the pan. If it starts bubbling assertively right away, you're probably ready to rock and roll.

Gently transfer a couple of the doughnuts at a time into the pan (don't crowd them!). When they start to rise in the oil and turn brown.

This won't take long--about a minute, if that. Now, turn them over using tongs or a slotted spoon. Once you've flipped them, the second side will take a slightly shorter amount of time.

Once fully fried, transfer to the paper towels to blot excess oil. Continue with the remaining doughnuts and holes until everything is fried. Turn the heat off. 

Now, you're ready to decorate! What I did was set up a little toppings bar / decorating area. I had shallow plates with confectioners' sugar, chocolate sauce (ice cream sauce), rainbow sprinkles, crushed cookies, pecans, honey, et cetera.

If you want to dust them with confectioners' sugar, simply place them in the dish, and turn until coated. Tap to dust off excess. If you're not going to eat them right away, roll them again once more before serving because the sugar can become gummy if it sits for a few minutes on the doughnut. Some people find that brushing the tops with melted butter can make the sugar stick better.

If you want to make a frosted doughnut, dip one side of the doughnut into the chocolate sauce; lift, and let the excess drip off. Once dripped off, dip it in the sprinkles gently, and transfer to a plate to set. 

You could also garnish with honey and pecans...

or crushed cookies...

or a little bit of everything.

But either way, you're bound to have a ball. Enjoy!