Wednesday, October 24, 2012

3-D Pumpkin Bundt Cake!

If you happened to see the clip of my segment on Ch.22 ,WWLP, on the Mass Appeal show, making this 3-D pumpkin shaped bundt cake, you'll see that the ingredients were posted on their website.

Here are the basic instructions to go with it if you'd like to make this at home. 

Nordic Ware Pro Cast Original Bundt Pan

I didn't have time to demonstrate the face made out of gumdrops, but perhaps that will be a separate blog on "Fun with Gumdrops!" :)


Ingredients:

Cake:

2 classic spice cake mixes
2 ,15 oz. cans of solid pack pumpkin
(2 eggs optional-will improve texture and height)

Icing:

1 stick (1/4 lb) of pure butter
1 (8oz) pkg of cream cheese
4 cups confectioners sugar (1lb)
Scant 1 Tablespoon milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Red food coloring
Yellow food coloring
OR Wilton brand "orange"
Green food coloring


Decorations:
1 unpeeled banana
4 Green Airheads candy strips
OR, my favorite: approx..16-20 green tootsie rolls(found in candy by the pound section)

***Optional: (for jack-o-lantern face)
6 large white gumdrops or spice drops
6 large yellow gumdrops or spice drops
2 Tablespoons chocolate chips, melted
Granulated sugar (1/8 cup)


Cooking Directions:

Grease a 9-10 cup oven safe bundt cake pan, preferably with a shape similar to sections of a pumpkin. Set aside.

Mix one spice cake mix, with one can of solid pack pumpkin and blend well, (using a whisk or electric mixer) ,incorporating the dry mix thoroughly so there are no dry lumps. Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly and bake for approximately 30 min. at 350 degrees. It may take a few minutes longer depending on your oven and the size of the pan.

 Cake is done when the top appears slightly dry and feels firm to the touch, leaving no indentation. Or if a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out dry. Let the cake cool in the pan on a cooling rack until pan is only warm to the touch.

Human Brain Gelatin Mold Halloween Party Prop

Gently loosen sides of cake with a thin rounded metal spatula. Place cooling rack over cake pan and holding firmly, flip over and remove pan so the cake will continue cooling on the rack. Wash and prepare the cake pan for the second bundt cake. Repeat bundt cake pan prep and cake baking as shown above.


Make the icing:

While cakes are cooling, prepare cream cheese icing. Use an electric mixer for best results. Cream softened butter (not melted) and softened cream cheese until very smooth, scraping often, and there are no lumps. Gradually add confectioners sugar, one cup at a time and blend until smooth. Add vanilla extract, blend well.

 Add milk , one teaspoon at a time only if needed, until the icing reaches a smooth and thick consistency. It should hold its shape and not be too runny. You may end up not using any or all the milk.

Remove ½ cup of icing to a small bowl and add several drops of green food coloring until desired hue for a stem. This will cover half the banana.

Wilton 601-5580 1/2-Ounce Certified-Kosher Icing Colors, Set of 12

To the remaining icing , add at least 4 drops each of both red and yellow food coloring, mixing slowly and thoroughly after each addition until it has reached the desired hue for your pumpkin color. Or use Wilton coloring, “orange”. Just a dab with a toothpick until desired color is reached.


Putting it together;

When cakes have cooled completely; (you may even refridgerate them to help cool faster) set one bundt cake on a serving platter or plate,(use a pretty pedastal plate if you have one!)  upside down, so the flat side is on top. With a large serated bread knife, gently even off the top so it is level and very flat. Spread a thin layer of icing onto the cut surface.

For the second bundt cake, level the flat side as above, and gently place it on the first cake, right side up, so the cut sides are together, taking care to line up the ridges, and it now resembles a three dimensional pumpkin shape. 

3 Size Commercial Baker Icing Spatula Set, Baking Spatulas, Cake Decorating Spatulas, Stainless Steel, Flexible Resistant Blades

Carefully spread the orange colored icing over the entire cake, make sure it is not too thick, so it does not run down the sides. Follow the sections of the pumpkin with your spatula so it adds to the effect. Set cake aside.

Open the green airhead candies and microwave them on a paper plate for only 5 seconds at a time at half power, checking often, until they are slightly soft but not melted. You can also warm them with your hand before unwrapping, to make them pliable. Place side by side and flatten with your hands or a rolling pin to make one large piece. With a small sharp knife, cut out one large pumpkin leaf shape. Set aside.

Place whole banana, peel still on, and upside down, inside the center cavity of pumpkin cake and lean it to one side. If the banana goes too far down, you may wedge pieces of the leveled off cake into the center first, then the banana. With green icing, carefully cover only the part that shows. Place green candy leaf next to green iced stem, covering the center hole. Keep cake cool (not refridgerated) until ready to enjoy. Take pictures first! 

Rosanna Small 9-Inch Pedestal, White

***Optional decorations:

You may make a jack-o-lantern face with gumdrops. Place yellow and white gumdrops close together on granulated sugar covered board. Press down, then roll to make into one large flat piece.

 Add granulated sugar on top to keep from sticking to rolling pin. Turn piece often and sprinkle board with granulated sugar. With a small knife, cut out two triangle shapes for eyes, and with the remaining, cut a mouth shape. Set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips in a small mug in the microwave for approximately 60 seconds. Stir and brush just edges of gumdrop eyes and mouth pieces. This will define the shapes when they are on the pumpkin. Chill the pieces until the chocolate is set.

 Press the face pieces onto the side of the cake that you want as the front. If the icing has dried and it won’t stick, gently wet the icing first where you will place the pieces, with a dab of water on your finger, then press the pieces on.
Be sure to place them high enough on the pumpkin so the mouth will show.


Make a comment on my facebook page (see below) if you make this, or on my blog. I'd love to hear from you!

Making your life a little sweeter,

Liz
the Party Hostess Diva

http://www.facebook.com/partyhostessdiva

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http://www.twitter.com/hostessinheels

AND MY LATEST PROJECT;

http://www.diyweddingcakeunder50.com



Monday, October 15, 2012

SOUR CREAM PUMPKIN BUNDT CAKE, SOOO GOOD!

SOUR CREAM PUMPKIN BUNDT CAKE has gotten rave reviews, so here is the recipe! I found it on the Libby's (canned) Pumpkin website, just so you know I'm giving credit where it's due. I would want credit for MY recipe.

And I KNOW you were wondering how the name came about so here goes...this is my condensation of information gathered from Wikipedia. 

Nordic Ware Pro Cast Original Bundt Pan


The dessert cake known as a "bundt cake" is baked in a pan 
with a distinctive ring shape and a hole in the middle.
It appears that "bundt" comes from the German ring-shaped 
tea-time cake called, Bundkuchen The word Bundt is used 
instead of bund in a recipe for "Bundt Kuchen. The German 
word bund in bundkuchen was derived from the bundling or 
wrapping of cake dough around the center hole of the pan. 
 The aluminum bundt pan, was trademarked in 1950 by 
H.David Dalquist, the founder of Nordic Ware, based in St.
 Louis Park, Minnesota

 Pillsbury sponsored a baking contest in 1966  and a bundt 
cake won second place. An immediate scramble for the 
pans, prompted the bundt pan to become the most-sold pan
 in the United States. More than 50 million bundt pans have 
been sold by the Nordic Ware company, since it's 

 Let me say that a bundt pan is my first choice, because it is
 so pretty! But this could be made as a layer cake, or a 
simple 9x13. Me personally, I'd go for a fun shape, as shown
 above, in a mini bundt pan. Mine makes 6 minis and it 
bakes faster too.  And it's round like a pumpkin, how cute is

This recipe also makes wonderful cupcakes. Here are mine, 
coated with orange sugar, pretzel stick stems and piped 
buttercream leaves and vine tendrils. Makes a nice dessert 
presentation, don't you think?



Fall Pumpkin Patch: Orange Leaf Harvest Cupcake Wrappers - Set of 12 - Autumn or Halloween Decorations


SOUR CREAM PUMPKIN BUNDT CAKE
by Libby brand Pumpkin

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened (I did 1 stick + 1/2 cup shortening)
4 large eggs
1 cup Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 container ( 8 oz.) sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 deg.F . Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. 

Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat granulated sugar and butter in a large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin, sour cream and vanilla extract; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool for 30 minutes in pan on wire rack. Invert onto wire rack to cool completely. 
_________________________________________________
The original recipe also includes a streusel filling. I did not use it because I was icing it with cream cheese frosting and didn't want it too sweet. You could do the streusel and eliminate the frosting. Here are the streusel ingredients if you want to use it:

STREUSEL
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons butter or margarine

combine brown sugar, cinnamon and allspice in a small bowl, cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly.

OXO Good Grips Dough Blender with Blades

To assemble in cake, spoon HALF of the batter into prepared pan, sprinkle streusel over batter, not allowing streusel to touch sides of pan. Top with remaining batter. Make sure batter layer touches edges of pan.

_________________________________________________


Now to Make the Cream Cheese Icing:

CREAM CHEESE ICING

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened (not melted)
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In mixer,blend softened butter and cream cheese until very smooth. Gradually add confectioners sugar, mixing on low, and scraping bowl often. Add the vanilla extract. Add milk, one teaspoon at a time until desired consistency.

When cake has cooled completely, spoon icing over top edge and spread it partially down the sides, allowing it to run down in delicious, uneven rivers. Some of the cake should be exposed. This is the classic way to ice a bundt cake. Leftover icing? Store in a covered container and spoon additional gooey goodness onto slices if desired. Cream cheese icing is also lovely on toasted cinnamon raisin bread instead of butter or jam. 

Let me know if you've made this recipe and what you thought. I'd love to hear from you!

Making your life a little sweeter,

Liz
The Party Hostess Diva

my newly released book! :

http://www.diyweddingcakeunder50.com

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http://www.pinterest.com/lizcorbett

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Friday, October 5, 2012

12 Random Food Facts !

You may wonder why I have a photo of sliced cheese and foil....well, now that I have your attention, here are 12 random interesting facts about food. You will pick up at LEAST one tip you didn't know. Ready? here we go:

1. Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and no mold.


2. Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little "stringy things" off of it. Thanks how the primates do it.

3. Take your bananas apart when you bring them home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster. (unless you want them to)


4. Bell peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

5. Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

6. To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich, add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream and then whisk thoroughly.

7. For a nice brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty topping.

8. Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if you want a stronger garlic taste.


9. Leftover Snickers bars from Halloween treats make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up . Peel core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Serve alone or a la mode.

10. Reheating pizza; Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro-pizza.


11. Reheating refridgerated bread; To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refridgerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

12.  Goodbye fruit flies !! To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, put in 1/2 inch of apple cider vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid, mix well. You will find those flies can't  resist, and then they are "gone". 

Next post will be back to your previously scheduled sweets and recipes.

Making your life a little sweeter,

Liz
The Party Hostess Diva



AND my latest project: