Project "Test" - Party Cake

Taaadaaa!! This is what I've been doing from Sunday and Tuesday. You all know by now, I will try to bake or make something once a month at least to improve my baking skill. This I call Project Test since it my first attempt to do this kind of cake and decorate too.



Thank you Kak Rima for sharing this recipe and also to Wendy for her buttercream step by step picture. Eventhough it's first time but worthwhile to try and feels of good achivement since I usually bake simple and easy cake. So here goes the cake recipe that I bake on Sunday:



Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk ( 1 cup of milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice and sit for 10 minutes)
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
Gel or powder food coloring (I used Star Brand colouring and 1/4 tsp each colour)

Method:

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter two pans and line with buttered parchment paper.

2) Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

3) In another bowl, whisk together the egg whites and buttermilk.

5) Cream the butter, zest, and sugar in a mixer on medium speed for a full 3 minutes until very light and fluffy.

6) Beat in the lemon extract, then add 1/3 of the flour mixture, still on medium speed.Beat in half of the egg-buttermilk mixture, then half of the remaining flour mixture, then the last of the egg-buttermilk mixture, and finally the last of the flour, beating until the batter is smooth. Beat the entire batter on medium high for two minutes until completely smooth and mixed.

7) I'm using 8' x 8' x 1' pan, so I divide the batter in three (it’s about 6 cups total batter.) Dye each batter a different color of the rainbow and scrape into the two pans.

8) Bake 20 minutes, rotating halfway through, or until a stick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pans five minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack. To ensure moistness, once the cakes are cooled, wrap immediately and chill. I spread raspberry jam for each layering.

Source: http://www.bisousatoi.com/2010/03/foodie-pics.html



As for buttercream, it's best you click Wendy's blog as she shows clear step by step pic:http://wendyinkk.blogspot.com/2010/05/swiss-meringue-buttercream.html



I finished assemble and decorate the cake on Tuesday night and since today is my Mom's birthday, I just asked her to cut the cake. Well..., Mom's not so fond of this cake because it too sweet for her taste but Aqie love it and enjoy the buttercream. Definitely, I will try again this cake!






This is the night I prepare the buttercream. Yep!! Mika feel so boring. He just stay at the sofa while watching me mixing the buttercream and decorating it. He wait until I finished, so I allow him to take few lick of the buttercream as a reward for waiting me 1 hour without fail.