Heather Baird's Blog, page 55

Triple Chocolate Devil's Food Cupcakes

Is there anything left for me to say about these cupcakes that the pictures don't already communicate? Maybe not, so I'll let them do most of the talking in this blog post. I'll just add that they are delightfully rich with hot fudge-drizzled dark chocolate buttercream. All of that richness sits atop lightly sweet black devil's food cake. I'd venture to say they are better than any bakery-made chocolate cupcake I've ever tried.

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Fruity Pebbles Crispy Treat Cake

Ah, Fruity Pebbles. My childhood in a bowl.

I'm still fond of this cereal. My favorite part is the purplish-grey milk that's left behind after all of the pebbles have been eaten. It's a last sip of super-sweet concentrated cereal flavor, which is delicious despite how weird it looks.

This was my first time making Fruity Pebbles Treats, which I should have been making all along. They are just as crave-worthy as their Krispie Treat cousins, but more colorful and bright-tasting. They look like a celebration, so of course I had to make a Fruity Pebbles Treat party cake!
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Blood Orange Winter Watercolor Cake

Winter citrus holds a kind of magic that is the antidote to dismal days. It doesn't take much, sometimes just a wheel of Meyer lemon floating in my Earl Grey is a fine pick-me-up. Blood oranges are my favorite of all the winter citrus. They tend to be extra-aromatic and their gorgeous ruddy peels hint at a deep crimson interior. Their flavor is more pungent than regular oranges and they tend to be less acidic. I'm prone to peel and eat one while standing over the sink (so juicy!) but lately I've been adding them to my morning smoothie. The flavor seems to give me an extra ounce of zip and I'm sure the vitamin C doesn't hurt, either.

I've never used blood oranges in my baking so I figure now is the perfect time to remedy that oversight.
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Love Ewe Coconut Cake (vegan)

My vegan baking repertoire is practically nonexistent and I'm not sure why. Maybe because I had some preconceived ideas about how the end result would taste. Maybe I'm just too into butter! I took a chance on this eggless, and all-around dairy-less cake. My hopes weren't very high, but I have to say it has quickly become one of my favorite cakes to make and eat!
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Bake This, Wear That! Gold Star Cakes Edition

I'm really excited to share a brand new feature we're adding to the blog this year, it's called Bake This, Wear That! It's all about pairing cute desserts with something cute to wear. My daily uniform over the past few years has become a t-shirt, yoga pants and messy ponytail, so I definitely needed some help with this project. I decided to enlist the help of my good friend who is a personal stylist.

I came up with the idea for these Gold Star cakes on New Year's Day. I felt that we all needed gold stars for making it through the crazy year that was 2016, and that we should also celebrate our small victories in life. I like to celebrate with cake and I bet since you're here reading this, you do too!

Ready to see what we picked to wear with our gold stars?
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Chocolate Chip Double Bundt Cake

I've made this bundt cake countless times, so it's hard to believe that I've never shared it with you before now! The batter molds beautifully in ornate bundt pans and the baked cake is cotton-soft in the middle. Brown sugar and mini chocolate chips sweeten the cake, so it tastes much like a chocolate chip cookie!
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DIY Dipped Strawberry and Rose Tower

Months before I'm scheduled to make a wedding cake I go into research mode. My desk becomes piled high with cake magazines and I scour wedding websites to get an idea of what's new in cake design. This year I'm making two wedding cakes so I've been scouting double-time. (And imagine the imminent clutter!) One thing repeatedly caught my eye wasn't cake at all, it was a table centerpiece.

Strawberry towers (also called trees) aren't a new idea. It seems they've been around for a while, but the new-ish addition of fresh roses and greenery makes a very pretty centerpiece.
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Yellow Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream and DIY Candy Heart Toppers

I once asked my friend what kind of cupcakes she wanted for her birthday and she replied "I'm boring, I like yellow cake with vanilla frosting." I think I may have scared her because I got really excited and maybe shouted "I'm boring too! We can be boring together!"

What I meant to say was "I like yellow cake with vanilla frosting also and I'm going to make us a batch right now."
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Love Letter Tuxedo Cake with Stamped Wafer Paper Technique

It feels a little crazy to be talking about Valentine's Day already but here we are, less than a month away! I've always supported the idea that this holiday should be for all kinds of love and not just the romantic sort. It should be celebrated elementary school-style. That means you buy a box of Valentines (bonus if they are scratch-and-sniff) and give one to everyone you know.

All of this Valentine's business made me think about tokens of affection. Love letters in particular. Are they a thing of the past? Have they been replaced by heart emojis and text messaging? Maybe, but I'd wager that there are still a few romantics left with the talent and patience to hand-script a beautiful letter.
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Mini Potted Cactus Cakes

I'm the sort of person that buys a savarin pan with the aim to use it as intended, which is to make a French savarin cake, but somewhere along the way my brain goes on recess. It chalk-draws on pavement and plays hopscotch. Savarin suddenly seems sooooo boring (because holy cow - this pan totally looks like a giant donut!) and so the Savarin cake has to wait because the Triple Stack Donut Cake feels 900% more fun.

True to form, this has happened again. I had every intention to make cannelés when I bought a cannelé pan, but hey! Let's make cute cactus cakes instead.
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