Pink Ombre Cake

The neverending winter of snow, frozen tundra, and prolonged sub zero temps.  That about sums 2014 so far.  This is the longest short month EVER.  Last year I joked about the things that winter does to a person in the Midwest.  Little did I know what we were in store for this year.  Crikey.  I’m just going to get in line with the dodos.

To beat the winter blues, I fancied up another cake on Friday to celebrate Valentine’s.  I am happy to report that I survived the encounter.  Y’all know I love to cook but baking is just not my jam.  Too precise for this cavalier cook.  But I love a good challenge so I keep torturing myself.  Icing is Public Enemy numero uno.  Outside of catching the oven on fire with overflowing batter on more than a few occasions, icing almost always gets me down.  Too many fails to chronicle.  And don’t even get me started on royal icing.   Middle finger to royal icing.  Those decorated Martha cookies of my dreams will remain squarely in the land of nod.

Any who – this time worked out just fine using a few tricks that I employed last year for my Cupid’s Arrow cake.  Tip one:  box cake is your friend.  Tip Two:  use smaller pans to give the cake a boutique bakery look. Tip Three:  make your cake the day before - after cooling completely, wrap your layers tightly with cling wrap and refrigerate.  Tip Four:  homemade frosting will go a long way toward fooling your guests into thinking you spent hours in the kitchen whipping up the cake from scratch.

 

Click here for specifics from my Cupid cake last year including an easy buttercream recipe that I used for both cakes.  This year I split the icing into 3rds to create a loose ombre effect using gel food coloring.  I don’t remember the exact amounts but I used about 15 drops of red gel to get the dark fuschia and 5 drops of red gel + 2 drops of yellow gel to get the lighter pink.

This cake would also be perfect for a shower, Easter, or Mother’s day, tinted accordingly.  Now go do your best Martha impression and get your box cake on.  Oh, and please excuse my tarnished silver, Momma. I couldn't find my way to the polish.

Do you ever cheat and use box cake?

All photos and styling by mrs. V.

kisses,  mrs. V

Fresh Blueberries Scream Crumb Bars to Me

We have been taking major advantage of all the seasonal produce, both from our little garden and nearby farms.  What to do, what to do when faced with a quart o’ fresh picked berries?!  Make blueberry crumb bars, of course.  O.M.G.  So good.  So easy.  Run right out and getcha some fresh blueberries.  Make.  Bury face in the middle.  The end.

Of course these are perfect for 4th of July but they are so tasty that  they are good any ol' time.  Last year I was preaching about how perfect this was for the 4th and it still is but so are these bars which can be made ahead.  Win. We may or may not have eaten some of this for breakfast during this photo op.  

And by ‘we’ I mean me.

kisses,  mrs. V  

My Blue and White needs some Coral and Mint

I am off in search of inspiration today.  While this classic blue and white is my go to combo, I am in need of some serious color right now.  With all the white on the ground, my blues need a lift.  Gonna get some Easter vibe up in this joint.  Back at ya tomorrow after I take care of my flower sitch and perhaps some baking.  Might as well add insult to injury.

Ahem, STILL Groundhog’s Day around here.

All photos and layouts by mrs. V

kisses,  mrs. V

A Fancied Up Box Cake

I did so do this.  And in doing so, discovered two very important things.  First, box cake is my new favorite friend.  Second, I should always make cake when ill.  I didn’t even enjoy so much as one lick of this delicious buttercream frosting.  My hips are thankful.  But back to the first important thing.

 

Let’s talk box cake.  Eddie rocks box cake.  Eddie Ross has long been my new Martha.  No surprises here as he worked for her.   I fell in love with him on Top Design - he had me at hello with his spin on granny chic and continues to amaze with his fabulous flea finds, gorgeous floral arrangements, STUNNING homes, even more stunning boyfriend, and don’t even get me started on his tablescapes.  Be-Yond.  Also, Eddie is funny, which you don’t necessarily get a flavor for from his blog.  If you aren’t following him on Instagram you are missing out.  How else will you know when he is channeling Joanna Stayton on his way to a fabulous trip on the Vineyard?  So if Eddie tells me that flaming turds are delicious, gonna try me some.  And if Eddie rocks a box cake every now and then, gonna do the same.  I mean, look at these beyond gorgeous monogrammed cakes he did!  Get out right now.

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I don’t consider using a box cake for this ‘cheating’ because I made the frosting.  Which is ironic because we all know that icing/frosting is the true nemesis in my kitchen.  But this frosting is ridiculously easy and delicious.  The recipe comes from an old Country Living recipe and I have used it in many applications.  

I used a yellow cake mix, following the instructions, and used two 6" x 2" round pans.  I cut the domed tops off the cakes with a serrated knife and then cut each cake in half, totaling 4 layers.  But I only ended up using 3 of the layers here.  For the record, the mr. said the cake was very good and moist.  That’s what he said alright.  None the wiser.

Mucho thanks to Style Me Pretty for the original inspiration although I have spent the last 45 minutes trying to find the original link on the SMP site to no avail.  I didn't have time to fancy up the skewers.  I just hand drew a heart and arrow tail on cardstock and attached each one to  an extra large toothpick with my daughter's glue stick. Cinch!

the inspiration cake

the Chez V version

One of these days I will get the hang of perfectly smooth frosting but today was not the day.  I am told the trick involves refrigerating the iced cake and then using a paper towel to smooth but that could be another urban legend.

PS if you're not following me on Instagram, you are missing out too!  Although I should warn you that I am not nearly as interesting or funny as Eddie!

All photos and layouts by mrs. V unless otherwise noted

kisses,  mrs. V

Happy Heart Day

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I so want to do this.  Aside from the fact that I cannot bake and that I am just getting over major vomitoso flu, I would indeed be doing this today.  Heck, maybe I still will.  But I can shop vicariously.  And shopping has been empirically proven to solve all ills, no?

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Squeezes to you and yours on this Hallmark day!

All layouts by mrs. V

kisses,  mrs. V