buttercream Archives - Twins And A Blog

Floral Wreath Cake

This is my SIL’s birthday cake for 2016! The last few years I’ve gone with icecream cakes since her birthday’s in summer, but this year I thought I’d make a proper cake with buttercream for her!

This cake consists of an orange chiffon cake, topped with rosewater buttercream icing and edible gold leaf.

1. The Cake – Orange Chiffon Cake

I cheated and my mum made this cake for me to decorate, as she’s the chiffon cake expert in the family! She has her own recipe which she uses (which I am yet to learn from her to post on the blog!), but here is a similar recipe on recipe community.

However, you can use ANY cake you like in a bundt tin (or even a round cake tin and cut a hole through the middle to form a wreath shape).

2. The Icing – Rosewater Buttercream Icing (x 4 batches)

I used my Perfect Buttercream Icing and made 2 x 2 batches at a time with 1 teaspoon of Rosewater (instead of vanilla) with each double batch (i.e. 1/2 teaspoon per batch).

I used the icing first to crumb coat the cake. Then whilst I let it firm up in the fridge, I divided the remaining buttercream icing into 6 small bowls and added 6 x different gel food colouring (pictured below) to create really vibrant colours.

3. Assembly of the cake is illustrated as follows:

December 11, 2016 By Sophia Brown

Baking/ Cake/ Thermomix

Coconut Ice Cake

This is my mum’s birthday cake for 2016! Her favourite sweet is coconut ice, and she also loves marshmallows – so I thought I would combine the 2!

This Coconut Ice Cake consists of two layers of Coconut Butter Cake, Coconut Buttercream, topped with toasted marshmallow, coconut ice balls, white roses, edible glitter, pink sugar rocks and edible gold leaf.

1. The Cake – Coconut Butter Cake x 2 Cakes

I used my 30 Second Vanilla Butter Cake recipe – and added 1 teaspoon coconut essence (instead of Vanilla) and 20 grams desiccated coconut.

2. The Icing – Coconut Buttercream x 4 Batches

I used my Perfect Buttercream Icing recipe – and added 1 teaspoon of coconut essence (instead of Vanilla) per batch.

3. Toasted Marshmallows

I used my Vanilla Bean Marshmallow recipe – dripped it onto the cake, and torched it, and poured and set the remaining in a slice tin (made a big batch!)

4. Coconut Ice Balls

I used my Coconut Ice Balls recipe and shaped it in various sizes to top the cake.

5. Assembly of the cake is illustrated as follows:

November 3, 2016 By Sophia Brown

Baking/ Cake/ Dessert/ Thermomix

Flower Power Cake

This was the cake that I made for my grandma’s 87th birthday!

This was a really easy and simple cake to make and includes:

1. 30 Second Vanilla Buttercake (x 2 cakes in 20cm cake tins) with toasted coconut in-between cake layers

2. Perfect Buttercream Icing (x 4 batches) piped with a Wilton 2D piping tip

3. Candy Melt Flowers (Red and Pink Candy Melts melted in ziplock bags and piped into flower shapes) with edible gold leaf.

I don’t speak/read/write in Chinese, however I copied some Chinese writing which says ‘Happy Birthday’ for my Chinese speaking grandma – and lucky she knew what it said! I was worried I copied the characters poorly lol!!

Assembly of the cake is illustrated in the photos below:

October 11, 2016 By Sophia Brown

Baking/ Cake/ Chocolate/ Non Thermomix/ Thermomix/ Twins

Car Drip Cakes – Ethan and Harley’s 2nd Birthday Cake

Car Drip Cakes for my 2 year old car loving boys!!

I wanted to incorporate the fun look of a drip cake, with cars which the boys are loving right now! My husband had doubts of it looking like a ‘car’ whilst I was making this, but the end result turned out better than I thought, and the boys kept on pointing at their cakes very excitedly saying ‘CAR!’ so mission accomplished!! 🙂

These are the first cakes that I’ve made using ALL of my recipes which is exciting and special for myI boys!!

The cakes consist of Milo Fudge Cakes topped with Perfect Buttercream Icing, drizzled with White Chocolate Ganache, and decorated with Fruit Jelly Lolly wheels, silver sprinkles and gold leaf windows, and a chocolate smiley face.

A FEW DAYS BEFORE…

A few days before the boys birthday, I made 4 x Milo Fudge Cakes (I only needed 3, but made 1 spare) – each ‘car’ consisted of the Milo Fudge Cake baked in a loaf pan, and a 15cm round cake pan (cut in half for the top of the car shape). I cooked the cakes a few minutes longer so it was more like a Milo mudcake (less gooey fudgy) so that it was firm to decorate. Once the cakes were cooled, I double wrapped the cakes in plastic cling wrap, double wrapped them in foil, then popped in them in the freezer.

TWO NIGHTS BEFORE…

I made 1 x batch of Fruit Jelly Lollies – I used apple and blackcurrant juice, added edible black glitter, and blue gel food colouring to make the jelly really dark. I then poured it into a silicon baking pan and set it in the fridge overnight.

THE NIGHT BEFORE…

I made another 1 x batch of Fruit Jelly Lollies – this time with coconut water (so it was a light colour). I then used cookie cutters to cut out ‘E’, ‘H’ and ‘2’ from the dark blue/black glitter Fruit Jelly Lolly mixture. I then placed the cut out ‘E’, ‘H’ and ‘2’ into silicon muffin trays, and then poured the coconut water Fruit Jelly Lollies over them to set in the fridge. I could see the colouring spread into the light coloured coconut water jelly, however only the colouring spread into this, not the glitter, so the ‘E’, ‘H’ and ‘2’ were still quite visible.

I took out the cakes from the freezer and decorated the cakes whilst frozen/defrosting. I cut the circle shaped cake in half with a large sharp knife. I attached the bottom loaf shaped cake to the cake tray with melted chocolate (so it doesn’t move around).

I then made 2 x batches of Perfect Buttercream Icing at a time (2 x batches per Car Drip Cake = 4 x batches in total for the 2 cakes) with Wilton ‘Teal’ Gel Food Colouring. I iced a ‘crumb layer’ of the cakes, and attached the cakes with a wooden skewer to keep them in place. I then placed the cakes to set in the fridge for an hour.

Once the crumb layer was firm, I iced another layer of buttercream icing, and smoothed the icing with a dough scraper (this took the looongest time out of everything!)

I then let the cakes set in the fridge overnight.

IN THE MORNING…

I made the White Chocolate Ganache, and let it sit on the bench for about an hour to thicken. I then dripped it on the sides and middle of the cake with a metal teaspoon, then placed the cakes back in the fridge to set. I added white chocolate melts/dark chocolate chips for eyes, and dark chocolate piped on as a smily face. I then added silver sprinkles in the shape of windows, gold leaf on the drips inside the ‘windows’ and then attached the Fruit Jelly Lolly wheels with toothpicks.

August 30, 2016 By Sophia Brown

Baking/ Cake/ Thermomix

Easy Watermelon Cake

This Easy Watermelon Cake consists of my 30 Second Vanilla Buttercream Cake (with chocolate chips ‘watermelon seeds’) and iced with Perfect Buttercream Icing.

This is very easy to make and ice, looks amazing as a whole cake, and looks spectacular in individual cake slices – making it fantastic for a bake sale, or to take pre-cut into the office or school.

Add all ingredients (EXCEPT for the chocolate chips) into the bowl.

Mix 30 seconds/Speed 6.

Pour and spread into a greased/lined baking tin.

Weigh out chocolate chips.

Pour dark chocolate chips over the top of the batter and gently stir into the top of the mixture (don’t stir in too much or the choc chips will sink to the bottom).

Bake for 35 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.

Wait to cool before icing.

ICING – make 1 batch of ‘Perfect Buttercream Icing‘. Divide the batch of icing into thirds = 1. White, 2. Red (add ¼ teaspoon red food colouring), and 3. Green (add ¼ teaspoon green food colouring). Ice cake as per pictures and top with a handful of dark chocolate chips.

Easy Watermelon Cake

Print Recipe

Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

210 grams self raising flour
190 grams butter
170 grams sugar
80 grams milk
40 grams cornflour
3 x eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste/extract
1 teaspoon red food colouring
150 grams dark chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 160 degrees.

Add all ingredients (EXCEPT for the chocolate chips) into the bowl. Mix 30 seconds/Speed 6.

Pour and spread into a greased/lined baking tin.

Pour dark chocolate chips over the top of the batter and gently stir into the top of the mixture (don’t stir in too much or the choc chips will sink to the bottom).

Bake for 35 minutes or until skewer comes out clean. Wait to cool before icing.

ICING – make 1 batch of 'Perfect Buttercream Icing' (click on link in photos). Divide the batch of icing into thirds = 1. White, 2. Red (add ¼ teaspoon red food colouring), and 3. Green (add ¼ teaspoon green food colouring). Ice cake as per pictures and top with a handful of dark chocolate chips.

Notes

This looks amazing as a whole cake, and cut in slices - is great for a bake sale, or to take into school/office pre-cut into 'watermelon' slices.

August 19, 2016 By Sophia Brown

Cake/ Thermomix

Special ‘K’ Rose Cake

This is a birthday cake that I made for my SIL’s sister – the Special ‘K’ Rose Cake!! I wanted it to be feminine with the rose buttercream, but also a little different and funky – so added the cachous, sprinkles, edible glitter, and the Hershey’s Kisses to add a bit of an edge, and so it was different from the standard rose buttercream cakes!!

1. Chocolate Cake:

A few days beforehand, I made 1 x batch of the Delicious Chocolate Cake (Easy) from the Recipe Community. It makes a big batch, double of what I needed for the ‘K’ but it was good to have back up! For the ‘K’ I used Wiltshire Bake-A-Number Cake Pan (which you can also use to make letters).

When the cake cooled, I then wrapped the individual cakes in 2 x plastic wrap and 2 x foil, and put them in the freezer.

2. Buttercream Icing:

Just before assembling the cake, I made a double batch of my Perfect Buttercream Icing. Half I left white, and the other half I coloured with Wilton Gel Food Colouring – Teal colour.

3. Assembly:

I took the cake pieces out of the freezer, and whilst frozen, I placed the cake pieces on the cake board, attaching with melted chocolate (so it doesn’t slide around).

I then covered the cake with a ‘crumb’ layer.

Then piped the icing into rose shapes on with a Wilton 2D tip, with the piping bag filled with half white and half teal icing.

I topped the cake with blue cachous, sprinkles, edible glitter and Hershey’s Kisses.

June 20, 2016 By Sophia Brown

Cake/ Sweets/ Thermomix

Perfect Buttercream Icing

This has been the buttercream icing recipe I have been using in my Kitchenaid ever since my start of cake decorating. This is easy to pipe, tastes great, sets nicely and is very versatile with colours and flavourings of your choice!

I’ve tried a few Thermomix buttercream icing recipes but always come back to my own that I make in the Kitchenaid. I haaate using the butterfly whisk with icing recipes as there always tends to be lumpy bits of butter in there – plus scraping the icing off it, and having another thing to wash just isn’t my thing!

You can make this with butter straight from the fridge, but you will just need to mix it for about 3 minutes, and scraping down after 1 minute.

This recipe can also be easily doubled – mix for 1 1/2 minutes, scrape down, the mix for a further 1 1/2 minutes.

Add the above ingredients into the bowl

Mix 1 1/2 minutes/Speed 5

This was a batch of 20 cupcakes – I used 2 x batches of the Buttercream Icing recipe – scraped pink icing on one side, and white icing on the other side of the piping bag to get a dual tone effect

To pipe roses – start from the middle in a circular motion to the outside edge of the cupcake using Wilton 2D tip

Perfect Buttercream Icing – easy to pipe and sets nicely!

Perfect Buttercream Icing

Print Recipe

Serves: 12

Ingredients

120 grams butter (room temperature)
340 grams icing sugar
20 grams milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or flavour of your choice)
Optional - food colouring

Instructions

METHOD (Thermomix):

Add the above ingredients into the bowl - mix 1 1/2 minutes/Speed 5.

METHOD (Electric Beater):

Place all ingredients into bowl and beat until light and fluffy.

Notes

Note: buttercream icing can be refrigerated/frozen, and defrosted at room temperature to pipe 🙂

May 19, 2016 By Sophia Brown