My Hobby

This is what I was doing when I found out I was pregnant. I had just got a job doing this full time and then turned it down because God had another plan for me. I had taken some time off from working in the home building and real estate business and decided to pursue something that was fun and took the classes. Well at least I can use it on Grace's and family birthdays if anything. I didn't post the first cake I ever made because it was so ugly. It was however, the best freaking cake I have ever tasted! My husband still talks about how good that cake was and he hates cake. The Sesame Street cake is the one I am most proud of. Not the way it is decorated since I did it at 2 in the morning but, because I made it for Grace's first birthday. It was trans fat free and organic. When I looked at the ingredients on a store bought cake I cringed. I was going to buy one from whole foods, but for $60, not going to happen. This was also the first cake I had made in over a year and the first one I made from scratch. It was so yummy, if you like yellow cake. Personally, I am a chocolate girl. Here is the recipe for that cake. From baking911

Scratch Yellow Cake with Box Qualities

INGREDIENTS

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter, cold

4 large eggs

1/2 cup whole milk, can be cold

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or 1 teaspoon almond extract or lemon or orange extract)

1 3/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)

1 1/2 cups sugar2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Position oven shelf in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two, 9 x 2-inch cake pans. Set aside. Remove the butter sticks from the refrigerator, and cut into approximately 10 - 12 evenly-sliced pieces. Set aside, and let soften slightly, but must remain cool.In a one or two-cup measuring cup or a bowl with a pouring spout, beat together the milk, eggs and vanilla, and beat together with a fork. Set aside. SARAH SAYS: I measure the milk in a one-cup liquid measuring cup and to it, I add the eggs and vanilla extract.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Add the sugar. Fit a paddle attachment to the mixer, and mix on low, about 10 to 15 seconds to combine the ingredients. Make sure you get all of the ingredients mixed in from the bottom of the bowl.

3. With the mixer on low speed, add the butter 1 tablespoon or piece at a time at a time into the flour mixture. Keep adding each butter-piece about 10 seconds apart, until all has been incorporated. The flour mixture should begin to clump together and look moistened slightly. You should not see any butter pieces in the mixture.

4. With the mixer speed on low, add 1/2 of the egg/milk mixture slowly at the side of the bowl. Mix until incorporated, taking about 5-10 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about a minute.With the mixer on low speed, add the remaining egg mixture in a slow steady stream at the side of the bowl. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Beat at medium speed until thoroughly mixed and light and fluffy, about 1 minute. The batter will look fluffy and slightly curdled, it's ok.

5. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and gently smooth the tops. The batter will fill the baking pans about half-full. Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs but not batter. The sides will shrink slightly from the sides of the pan. Do not over bake. The cake is not a high riser and the cake bakes flat. Remove cakes to cool on wire racks for 10 to 15 minutes and then unmold onto wire cake racks, right-side-up, to cool thoroughly. Be careful, the cakes are delicate when warm.