Pencil Cake

A sweet end to summer vacation! Today I share a pencil cake to celebrate this "Back to School” month. I wanted to make pencil cookies, but ended up doing a cake by unanimous votes a home. It is a perfect surprise after school snack for kids! It also makes a perfect Teacher’s Day, school party or school meeting treat. This entry is dedicated to all the wonderful, hardworking teachers and students. May this year be a safe, intellectual growth, and a positive one for everyone.

I saw this cake  at Family Fun in 2008 and I loved the idea. It's made with a sculpting/ cutting technique to shape a cake without buying a specific mold. For those who are learning to decorate cake, this is a perfect shape because it's not that complicated. I used a 9 inch square pan that I already had. Feel free to use any of your favorite cake recipe, for me, it is chocolate cake! On this occasion I use the Easy Spongy Chocolate Cake recipe but this time adding a cup of vegetable oil in the mix to make it even softer. I didn't use a filling, but if you do prefer to use one I highly recommend it for this cake.

Steps:
Cut into a pencil shape. Glue two ends with frosting or jam. I use homemade strawberry jam.

Cover with a light coat of beige colored frosting as a crumb coat. Try not to get cake crumbs all over the frosting. What I do: I place a small amount of frosting in a separate bowl and use that to seal the cake, this way my frosting remains clean of crumbs!  Continue the process desired decoration.

It is easier to decorating with buttercream or fondant and I am sure it will come out MUCH nicer, but I used Italian meringue because lately I have no desire for anything butter. Also because I want to demonstrate different techniques that are possible with the typical Italian meringue frosting we constantly use here. For the brown details I used chocolate buttercream, now this is a frosting I never get tired of! I added one drop of black to the chocolate frosting to give it a darker tone.

Tips used: Ateco #4 and #22


Colors: Ateco (Soft Gel Paste food color) Marca Ateco (Soft Gel Paste Food Colors) Chocolate Brown, Electric Yellow y Deep Pink

En español: AQUÍ

Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you.- Amos 5:14

I hope you liked this idea, make a pencil cake soon, and don't forget to send me photos!
 

GRILLED PEACHES WITH CINNAMON SYRUP

I hope you are having a pleasant summer despite the heat wave that some regions have had. We have had  a few rainy days with nice temperatures :) Nice enough to continue to BBQ. As I stated in a previous post, Time for Barbecuing , I have taken a vacation from the "kitchen" and have been preparing almost everything on the grill. So when I saw this dessert, I went running to buy what I needed to make some grilled peaches PRONTO!

The recipe that I share below was inspired by Christina’s grilled peaches and cinnamon ice-cream recipe. Feel free two visit her blog Desserts for Two , filled with awesome southern recipes.

With Nectarines too!

Unfortunately, peaches are not a common fruit in Dominican Republic, and one is lucky to find a few peaches or nectarines in season. The only ones they had at the store were the cling type, so it was a difficult adventure trying to release the seeds from the nectarines, but I didn’t give up because this dessert is worth the struggle. We were delighted with the results, and I have prepared this recipe several times already. This dessert is to be serve warm with ice cream, but I warn you that the combination of flavors and texture in different temperatures makes it IRRESISTIBLE! Best of all is the aroma of warm peaches, is INDESCRIBABLE! I think this will become our favorite dessert for summer 2011.

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Grilled Peaches with Cinnamon Glaze

by Mari's Cakes August-01-2011

Great summer outdoor dessert for peach lovers! I am sure it will become one of your favorites.

Ingredients:

• 5 ripe freestone peaches or nectarines (do not use cling peaches)
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup Frangelico (hazelnut liquor) see notes
• Oil for greasing grille
• Ice cream of your choice (I used Vanilla)

Instructions:

1. For cinnamon syrup: In a saucepan combine brown sugar cinnamon and Frangelico. Let it come to a simmer, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat.2. For peaches: Cut the peaches in half and twist apart. Brush each peach with the brown sugar sauce and place on the grill, cut side down. When nice grill marks are formed, brush with syrup again, flip the peaches and cook for a few minutes until tender or to taste.3. Serve peaches topped ice cream or alone. I served with vanilla ice-cream, topped with chopped pecans and left over syrup. Notes:
a) For the cinnamon syrup you can use 40 ml of water or corn syrup + 2 teaspoons of vanilla instead of liquor.
b) DO use freestone peaches for a more pleasant experience and nicer finish.
c) Make sure the grates are clean and brushed with oil before the peaches go on, this keeps them from sticking.

Details:

Total time: 25 mins Yield: 5 servings

Receta de Melocotones a la Parrilla con Almíbar de Canela 

En español: AQUÍ

As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him. - Psalm 103:13

 

Chocolate Lamington Bar Cake

Today I will be sharing one of my favorites, the Chocolate Lamington Bar Cake. This cake consists of  a chocolate sponge covered with a light chocolate frosting and coconut flakes, is delicious and ideal to serve on a special occasion, meaning.... Any day! To me all days are special and worth celebrating the blessing of being ALIVE. I hope you bake this Lamington Bar Cake soon. Enjoy!

This cake is based on the traditional Australian Lamington cake, named after Lord Lamington, a former Governor of Queensland, in the era of 1900's , who is credited with the origin of this dessert. Lamingtons are sometimes served as two cubed halves with a layer of cream and/or strawberry jam in between. It is commonly found in Australasian outlets such as cafes, lunch bars, bakeries, and supermarkets.

But before we go to the recipe, I would like to show my daughter's new pet, Pochungo.....sometimes country life is just wonderful :)

Now let's continue with the recipe -

It is a great tasting cake.

Chocolate Lamington Bar Cake
This cake makes the perfect dessert for any special occasion. Just imagine a chocolate sponge covered with a delicious light chocolate frosting and coconut flakes... delicious right? Enjoy! Recipe adapted from Baking.

 
Ingredients: 
For Cake
¾ cup unsalted butter or margarine room temperature
¾ cup superfine sugar
3 eggs
1 ¼ cup self-rising flour (see notes)
¼ cup cocoa powder

Frosting:
2 oz (½ cup) dark chocolate broken in pieces
4 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon butter
¾ cup confectioner’s sugar

To decorate:
½ cup coconut flakes
½ cup heavy cream whipped
1 ½ Tablespoons sugar

Instructions: 
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease and line bottom of a 3 x 10 loaf pan.
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add eggs, beating well after each addition. Sift together flour, baking powder, cocoa powder.
3. Pour mixture into the pan and bake for 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in pan then turn on to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Mix chocolate chips, milk and butter in a heat proof bowl and place over a pan of hot water. Stir until chocolate is melted. Add confectioner’s sugar and beat until smooth. Let cool until frosting gets thick enough to spread. Cut a V shape wedge from the top of the cake, reserve cake wedge. Frost the cake and cover with coconut flakes.
5. Beat heavy cream with 2 Tablespoons of sugar until soft peaks are formed. Pipe a line of cream in the center, replace wedge back on, frost and ad coconut flakes, then pipe a row of cream on either side of the wedge of cake. Serve.  


Notes: 
a) If you do not have Self Rising Flour for this recipe you can substitute with 1 ¼ cup all purposes flour, ¼ teaspoon salt + 2 teaspoons baking powder. For more information on substituting Self Rising Flour see note i, at Dominican cake recipe.  
b) This recipe can be doubled easily.

Yield: 10 servings

En español: AQUÍ

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. - Matthew 6:33