Cake, cake, cake...blondies!

And now, news from the cakefront...there are sweets to be had...even when life isn't so sweet. Not to be overly dramatic, but I find myself in the throes of yet another boy (or man, rather, since he's got 10 years on me...oh shut up) fiasco...living loving and losing. And still baking away. The dude is moving away far away...to WA to be a part of the reality that, unfortunately for me, does not include me. Apparently our feelings are very much not the same when it comes to pain of leaving/being left. I am incredibly unhappy to report that this incurable romantic, willing to go to the ends of the earth and beyond in her search for real true love, finds herself no more than simply a summer fling. Ouch. I think I need a cookie. That's right, everybody. The skinny girls gonna go eat her feelings. Think I might have two. Oh, Zack. You're a big ass. And now I'll be one, too.

And the beat goes on....

All right, folks...after much time spent slinging cocktails and spending daylight hours being hungover, thanks to free and cheap drinks, looking for work and generally BSing around (mostly watching HBO and eating peanut butter & jelly sandwiches) I find myself waiting for the meaning of life to hit me hard in the face. Not having any real luck here, I've finally found a couple of new jobs and things are looking up! And I'm baking again like crazy!

It's true, I'm not in school at the moment, but that doesn't mean I'm not still teaching myself everything I can about baking, cooking, and decorating cakes...I just started work at Juniors, waiting tables in the evenings, and started working over at the Fresh Market bakery. I've spent my first 3 days there mixing and scooping cookies, making crumb pies (cherry-raspberry-rhubarb & peach-blackberry!), decorating and putting together an 8" heath bar cake [chocolate cake with milk chocolate ganache filling, caramel, and brown sugar cream cheese frosting complete with crushed heath bars on the sides of the cake].

It's wonderful because everyone at FM is talented, knowledgeable, creative, and driven...what an excellent atmosphere in which I find myself continuing on the way to baking paradise...more to follow...this week should be a full one. My nephew, Colin, is turning 1 on August 19th so I'll be coming up with a great big yummy cake for him....plus I'm putting together a fondant tutorial for 2 friends in the near future...need to get more luster dust in gold and pearl...so much baking, so little time! A bientot, lovelies...in the meantime I'll be spreading the love, one cupcake at a time :)

Oy, no CIA for me....

I would like to cry...stamp my feet, throw myself on the floor and beat my fists against the incredibly unfortunate series of events that have just unfolded before me....however, I must be "mature" and tell myself that things happen for a reason...and that eventually whatever will be will be...it's part of the plan...whatever....I cannot be positive about it right now.

As it turns out, there will be no school for me at the moment...or anytime in the next year. Things just did not come together as planned...I need to work things out in my personal life and get my finances in order before that can happen. So, really it's not the fault of the universe that I can't attend school now. Actually it has a lot to do with me, and there are a couple things you should know everyone! I have decided after much deliberation that I would like to study the general culinary arts as opposed to just baking...there is time for baking in my future, but I don't want to exclude cooking in general...it's a dream of mine to open a "real" restaurant one day that will focus on local, seasonal ingredients and incorporate many ethnic ideas to make truly bangin' fusion food. And perhaps maybe one day go on Top Chef. and Win. And use the $100, 000 to open my bakery. Ha! Just wait, guys...it will happen! Victoria's not going down just because school is not in the cards just now...that's the great thing about cooking! You don't absolutely need to go to school...I think I'm motivated enough to be in charge of my learning for now. As long as I maintain my motivation and drive to succeed in the culinary world!!!

In the meantime, I will be working at a couple new places! I will miss Sneakers, but I will be cocktailing at the 1/2 Lounge, so if anyone misses me, you can come over to the lounge and I will serve you fancy drinks! I have an interview tonight at Drink as well, so wish me luck, guys! Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Countdown: to the CIA in 41 days!!!

I can't believe that I will be at school baking every day in just a month and a half! I cannot tell you all how excited I am to be going for my dream...for real this time...I've only put it off since I graduated high school (I am still grateful to Nick for that one....long story) and nearly 5 years later, it's time to go for it! Unfortunately, what with the trying to hang out with friends and work and still manage some small amount of zzzz's, I haven't done much baking lately. I am going to try harder in the next month. Especially since I do get paid to do it at Sneakers...and they really want to have something pretty and tasty out on display. The grapefruit cupcakes actually went quickly...we sold out the second morning, thanks to Emily's table who purchased the 3 that were left from 15 the day before. Yay!
I loved the reaction people had to the idea of grapefruit cupcakes...not thinking it would be that great, maybe...but being quite pleasantly surprised. I must go to work now...sorry I haven't been as vigilant at keeping up with this blog...another thing, along with baking I must put more into. Thanks for staying tuned anyway...must think of a magical cupcake for tomorrow...maybe chocolate macaroon...! Love, Victoria

Brown Derby's Grapefruit Cake Cupcakes

The Brown Derby Restaurant of Hollywood is famous for its Grapefruit Cake with grapefruit frosting...served with a giant thin candied wedge of grapefruit! It's a citrus bonanza~ since we squeeze our own fresh grapefruit juice at Sneakers...I have decided to try this famous cake in cupcake form.

I wanted to come up with something a little different for Mardi Gras weekend and I think these will be great, decorated with purple, yellow, and green! I am debating on what I will make for fondant cut-outs this time...maybe stars, although I would like to make tiny crowns and paint them sparkly gold...I only have tonight to make these, so I am a little short on time to do any really great fondant decorations...should have started last night, but was in incredible food coma from L'Amante...Oh yeah. They didn't have any of the squash blossom fritters, which were actually the selling point for me...but we had pate, fritto misto, penne bolognese, roasted quail, truffled mashed potatoes, potato crusted sea bass w/citrus buerre blanc (!), grilled calamari w/raddicchio, gianduja mousse cake, and lastly...BASIL ICE CREAM W/STRAWBERRIES AND BALSAMIC REDUCTION!!! It was possibly the most delicious ice cream I've ever tried...sweet, herby, refreshing, soft, creamy bright! Ah...and lots of wine and cocktails! Primativo was a very nice, complex & slightly smoky red with a deep inhale but a clean finish... leaving the palate free to explore our feast...and I went with Abby and she got just as food-high as I did which is one reason why I just love her! ♥

Amaretto Cupcakes

This morning, after a fun-filled evening of dinner, movies, drinks and driving around (yup, literally all night...that was fun Katie!) I frosted little buttermilk cupcakes for work...last night I made amaretto frosting with a cup of butter, 1/4 cup amaretto, splash of vanilla, and a couple tablespoons of cream. I love making frosting because i usually just wing the recipe and taste along the way...every recipe i've tried has been different and i like ending up with something a little newer and better every time.

The cupcakes are decorated with star and leaf fondant cut-outs painted with food coloring and brushed with luster dust...over the cupcakes i sprinkled a few colored flake sprinkles just to brighten them up. We actually didn't sell a single cupcake today, although it was very slow...I wish I could just give my baked goods away...they are pretty and tasty and make people smile...I mean, who doesn't like a cute cupcake, anyway?

Triple layer Chocolate Mousse

This morning i am putting together ideas for a triple layer chocolate mousse cake for my friend and co-worker, Carol. Her birthday is today so it must be done by this evening...i think what i will do is mix up a buttermilk and brown sugar devils food cake and bake it in two 8" round cake pans...split each cake into two layers and make my now-"famous" chocolate mousse to fill the layers. I have a little left in my roll of acetate paper so I will lay down one layer of cake, wrap it with the acetate and proceed to layer delicious clouds of deep dark espresso and kahlua flavored mousse with moist dense and buttery-rich slivers of chocolate cake...i might just keep it for myself...

To top it all off, I am going to smooth over the top and edges of the cake and spread a thick layer of chocolate-kahlua ganache on top. This whole extravagant thing will be refridgerated to set the ganache and mousse and then i will decorate with some plain vanilla icing...and chocolate covered espresso beans, possibly....it will be befittting a great lady! woohoo! off to chocolate paradise!

Chris is turning 17!

After a very successful Valentine's Day, with sweet little red velvet cupcakes for both Sneakers and the Winter is a Drag Ball, the time has come to turn to my youngest brother Chris' birthday cake! He is going to be 17 this year! I still really think he's only 8...

Initially, i planned on building a skateboard cake, decorated to look like his skateboard, but his description of what he wanted was basically "just something special." I am honestly not sure how the skateboard idea would work out....i haven't really had much experience sculpting cakes...although there's no better time to start. He did request chocolate cake... so i think today I am going to mix up a batch of homemade fondant and make a couple chocolate sheet cakes and see where it takes me! If it doesn't work out so well, I have a few good ideas for a fondant covered two tier cake...more later!

Valentine's Cupcakes

So, I nixed the gold hearts idea and went with pink and red hearts instead. These came out so cute! And with some of the extra batter i made a 6" two layer cake with the same marshmallowey frosting....for my valentine. That's right, i have one!

The pictures on my phone did not come out great but I hope you'll be able to come to Sneakers or the Winter is a Drag Ball if you live nearby!

Still working on finding out why the baking soda/vinegar mix....i'll get back to you!

Love, Victoria

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

First off: I want to express my love for all of you out there. I don't think we show enough love for each other on regular basis...and no, i'm not a huge fan of valentine's day, except for baking purposes because mostly i feel it exists to make those of us who are single and happy that way feel alone, unfinished and inconsequential. Sorry for the downer shpiel. I am actually in a good mood this morning :)

That is because i am getting my mis en place ready to bake some serious love potion cupcakes after work today...right now i am measuring up flour, baking soda, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, oil, eggs...portioning it all out so that when i get home, i can bake away! The cupcakes are red velvet, which is a deep, moist bright red (thanks to large quantities of red food dye) cake with just a hint of chocolate and the hearty twang of buttermilk. Using oil lends a moist crumb and a lingering freshness, which is great for making cupcakes at work because except for the apple cider/caramel cupcakes, we rarely sell out the first day.

Baking in general is all about science, but this recipe feels particularly like a science experiment because when you add the dry to wet ingredients, the last step is to mix baking soda and 1 tsp vinegar, let it fizz and foam up and then add it to the batter...i am going to go look up what this does exactly and get back to you later when i add the photos...which you won't want to miss.

The cupcakes are going to be topped with a fluffy marshmallow n brown sugar frosting...and crowned to finish with fondant hearts of different sizes and colors. The frosting will be pink and the hearts will be of pink, burgundy and gold...so pretty!

Last night's baking project (I know, i usually don't bake at night, but Chris needed them for his class...) was no-bake cookies. These are the most ridiculously easy and delicious cookies ever. Seriously. If you "can't bake" and you want to make something delicious...try these! I will post recipe later...for now i must begin rolling and cutting fondant hearts...

Cupcake Pictures:

Here are some photos of the cupcakes i made for Ben & Ruby...i threw in 6 chocolate in addition to the vanilla bean...with the same vanilla buttercream. The stars are made of fondant with fondant letters...

the single cupcake has a mini sculpted camera on it! Ruby's individual cupcake had a mini sculpted dog bone...they are so cute! Although the camera is not too realistic :(

Birthday Cupcakes for Ben & Ruby

Sorry about the little facebook-induced hiatus from baking & blogging everyone: facebook is a dangerous tool...highly addictive. For those of you on the network....you know what i mean. And who isn't on facebook nowadays? It's...ok i'll stop...moving on...because I am actually back in the kitchen this morning!!!

I am currently making the decor for two dozen cupcakes that my friend Molly asked me to make for her boyfriend and dog's birthdays, which happen to be a day apart. Ben is into photography and Ruby is into, well rawhide i suppose and doggy bones...so I am making little cameras and dog bones out of fondant for a couple of the cupcakes...the rest have giant stars with slightly smaller sized stars on top with letters spelling out "happy birthday..." I had planned on making a large cake and sculpting a mini Ben & Ruby out of gumpaste, but I found out that actually Ben prefers cupcakes...and they really are more practical anyway...everyone can just take one and no worrying about messy cake cutting (although i really don't mind doing the cutting bit...)

The cupcakes themselves are going to be basic vanilla bean butter cake, rich and moist and simple...topped with vanilla italian meringue buttercream. Molly asked for simple and basic...and I think there is really no beating classic and elegant flavor of vanilla bean...so what the cupcakes "lack" in flavor originality will be made up for in appearance! After work today i will be painting the stars and letters...it's pretty far from my original concept of having miniBen & miniRuby playing on top of a cake but honestly it was much harder to sculpt them than i anticipated...I really need to work on the ratio of good ideas & conceptions vs. the actual physical manifestation of conception...after all, that's what really makes a successful artist (in my opinion)...the ability to conceive an idea and represent it in the physical realm with accuracy and precision....

I will return with more later as the cupcake making continues...the cupcakes won't be baked until late tonight...i want them to be as fresh as possible but there isn't time before work tomorrow when I have to bring them in for Molly to pick up...I will definately get a photo...unfortunately no digital camera yet...will have to make due with cell phone photos...:(

Dinner, Drinks, Comedy, More Drinks...and I Spy

Today is a rare day...a day completely off! Free to mould people, dogs, and bunny butts out of gumpaste! Chris is going to play around with some sculpting tonight...we are making dinner....yesterday was devoted to working from 7-4 and then having dinner at Asiana House (sooo yummy!). We got the usual pink lady and volcano maki and also tried the super bowl maki which is a flash fried veggie spring roll rolled inside topped with crab salad and i think lightly torched tuna? Wow! Way too much food...i must warn you: do NOT order the Fire Mountain cocktail....ever. Unless you want to get your ass kicked in under 15 minutes by a $10 drink. I couldn't even drink it...first I tried a mango martini, which was strong (& only slightly sweet!) but maintained low levels of intimidation....however, the fire mountain came literally on fire as a bacardi gold shot inside a margherita glass full of cuervo and what they said was pineapple juice, midori, and lime juice. It definately was bright green. I took a couple sips after dumping the shot into the rest of the emeraldy concoction, but it was straight alcohol! nothing to cut the foul tequila...and I should have known better than to go with cuervo, but our table was near the door and it sounded warm...
We went to see the comedy battle last night after dinner at Higher Ground...it was great! The winner Kevin had me in tears...literally: lines of mascara down the face funny. We had more drinks there and then drinks and the best nachos of all time (california nachos, sans the chicken) at daily planet. After which Chris dropped me off at home and I went online and chatted with some friends. Oh, yeah and I DRUNKENLY I-SPIED THE GUY I'VE HAD A CLOSET CRUSH ON FOR LIKE EVER WHO COMES INTO SNEAKERS SOMETIMES AND WORKS SECURITY AT HIGHER GROUND AND HE WAS THERE LAST NIGHT AND I BUMP INTO HIM EVERYWHERE AND HE LOOKS LIKE A HUNKY VERSION OF MICHAEL CERA AND I THINK HE'S MY SOUL MATE (ON THE DAYS THAT I BELIEVE IN THAT). oh shudder, gasp, sputter, cough...god let me choke on my own saliva and drop dead now so I will not have to live that one down. I actually had the audacity to say in said I SPY that I work at sneakers. Now, hmmmn. Who could have written that one, guys. Could it be the only single girl @ Sneakers?

Seriously, why can't you drop dead from embarassment?!

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Sparkles & Color...the best part?

This morning I gathered up all of my food dye and edible luster dust to decorate my sculpted pieces, which will be my project for the next two days, since I have them off!!! Nothing but cake and cooking for two whole days! Can I get a "woohoo"?

So, for decorating, I use Wilton food dyes and luster dust. Unfortunately, that's all I can find around Burlington...there's really no shop for cake decorators around here. I really need to get some online shopping done, since I'm quickly running out of resources for my ever-expanding techniques: it's great to try to teach yourself, but you can hit a wall when you can't find what you need anywhere in this state. I still haven't gotten an airbrush kit...I'm hoping we'll play with them at school so I can see if it's something I really want. Not having one, I color everything by hand. It's not bad and I've heard many people say that airbrushing should be reserved for car paint and not cakes...

Now, not to talk Wilton down or anything (it's great for the betty crocker based home cook) but they're too simple...too directiony...made for people who spontaneously say "I want to make some rockin' cupcakes with minimal effort." Sorry, I really have no problem with that or with Wilton but I feel like it's too cutesy for taking cake making seriously. Not to mention, they're very limited with sparkly dusts and colors...and cutters, and other assorted tools.

There are these crystal colors that you can find online that are pretty expensive, but they are like superconcentrated powdered color that contains shimmer and a little sparkle and I really want them...maybe I will get them for my going away present to myself!

Shown in the picture are my tools: paintbrushes for administering sparkle and shine, cutters (in the form of letters, numbers, circles, leaves, butterfly, star), paste colors, gum paste mix (for sculpting pieces), shimmer powder, and sparkle-luster dust in every color I could find...it's easiest to knead color into the gumpaste or sugarpaste before it's molded and then go over it with shimmer powder...I like everything to shine and sparkle! The hardest part of the process is waiting for things to dry. Gumpaste can take a couple days...I hate waiting!!!

Anyway, I'm saving the sculpting and coloring fun for tomorrow and tuesday, because tonight after work I'm going to Asiana with Chris for sushi dinner and then the comedy club at higher ground...yay for sunday night plans!

Oh, Robert...and MORE...

So, unfortunately there will be no baking discussed today for two reasons: #1 being I did no baking this morning, and #2, I am way to pissed to talk about cake. I just want to get this out there: if you are a guy and you like a girl then do NOT be a flakehead douche bag to her. Know why? She will get annoyed and then confused and then pissed and her self esteem will teter and then she will realize that she was crazy to spend time being emotionally well, ANYTHING at you anyway since you're not worth a dirty old french fry stuck on the bottom of her payless nonslip work clogs. SO there. Oh, and when you say you're going to call someone, THAT DAY might be a good time. The rest of the world is not awake at all hours of the evening, and just because I wake up at 3 am does NOT mean that I am still awake at 11, 12, or 1 so STOP CALLING ME AT NIGHT!

wow, I feel better. sorry, dating sucks. i'm over it. I just want to marry Edward from Twilight and live happily ever after in vampire ecstasy. goddamn reality, you suck too...

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Oatmeal Coconut Heath Cookies

This morning I'm making some oatmeal cookies with toasted coconut and heath bar bits thrown in. Oatmeal cookies are so versatile and I feel like as long as there's a little cinnamon and enough brown sugar you can really add anything else at all. I've never had an oatmeal variation that I haven't loved...

Still haven't gotten too far with the cakey-type stuff...but I really gotta get on that...so these cookies are going with me to work today...and then after work I get to do more sculpting!!!

See the cookie deliciousness happenin' here?!? I actually wanted to make some cuppies this morning, but I was a little short on time and the cookies seem to be a safer bet for sales anyway...

GIANT GINGER COOKIES!

Hoorah for giant ginger cookies! I finally went to the store and bought butter, flour, eggs, milk, 10x sugar...well, just about everything since I was out of everything...and now my house smells of ginger, spice and everything nice about cookies! (As a bonus, the oven is also making it much warmer in here :) )

I also bought crushed up heath bars to make oatmeal coconut toffee cookies! And next on the menu (for tomorrow morning) is a batch of buttermilk cupcakes with (what else...since I have a handle of it) Bailey's buttercream! I'm opening up the restaurant tomorrow so they will be nice and fresh for work!

Here's a picture of the finished cookies I just made...makes you want one, huh? YUMMMMMM!!!

Gingersnaps...to make or NOT to make....

So I woke up this morning yearning to fill the house with the spicy earthy scent of gingersnap cookies and I got everything ready and realized that I have no ginger. It's only 4 in the morning so I will not be going to the grocery store.
I then decided on coconut cookies, which are another deeply comforting cookie...they smell tropical and they are buttery and melt in your mouth and have a crisp outer edge so you get a little of everything. Then I realized that in fact, I have no butter. So there will be no cookies. I forgot about the cookie bonanza the other day that I came home to after work...Dad and Jo and Colin were home all day baking assorted cookies. And that's where my butter went. You know, for someone whose passion is baking and cooking...I haven't been doing very much of either lately.
Lucky for me I'll be doing nothing else for the next couple years and then hopefully, my lifetime. So, I guess it's ok to take a little break now! Sorry guys...

Playing With Your Food

So mission handmade cake toppers was, um, NOT a great success. I didn't take any photos because no one should be subjected to that. Really. We're talking brightly colored blobs of what looked suspiciously like dog poop rather than miniature people. Hmmm...not to worry! I have just under a month to get that under my belt. and I will do it! Ben & Ruby, Chris, and the drag ball with have the kickassiest cakes....MORE LATER!

Modeling Clay vs. Sugarpaste vs. Marzipan

Today's project is figure modeling!!! I have a couple cakes coming up that will have miniature sculpted figures and assorted small objects hand sculpted out of sugar, so today is a practice run.

What I'm trying to decide before I begin is which medium to use. I've done a little sculpting before (snowman on gingerbread house) and for that I used marzipan...however, many people recommended using modeling clay. That is candy melts melted down and mixed with corn syrup to form a sort of "chocolate" clay, which then dries and can be painted (white chocolate). It's not difficult to make but I've never really worked with it.

Sugarpaste is simple and pliable and I like making it because you get to stick your hands into a huge bowl of 10x sugar (that's powdered sugar) and squish it up with warm corn syrup and gelatin...I don't know about you but I like having sugar up to my elbows!
Marzipan tends to be not as pliable, but it definately beats the others in taste...It's drier and doesn't take to paint as well, so coloring the pieces in advance by kneading in color paste is the best idea...

The other project for today will be mixing gumpaste! Gumpaste is sugarpaste with things added to make it dry quicker and harder. I will use this to make the wheels and trucks for the skateboard cake...

Check out these cakes that I posted...the flowers snowman and "ribbon roses" are all handmade. The snowman is marzipan, the flowers and roses are sugarpaste (fondant).

Down the Rabbit Hole...

So this morning I am sketching designs for an Alice in Wonderland Tea Party themed cake...I looked at some really neat pics of cakes on Flickr and got some really great ideas. Chris Valyou said I should begin with the cake very plain on the top tier, with just a rabbit's back end, going down the rabbit hole...and then make the cake crazier as you go down the next layers...which I think sounds like a good idea...

Still haven't officially baked anything really noteworthy...I've actually been a little under the weather the past couple of days...and I don't want to touch food in between hacking up my lungs and fighting the urge to shoot neon boogers everywhere. Gross.

I'm in the middle of trying to plan a few good projects...Abby is having a super bowl party, so I'm making some cupcakes for that and Chris' 17th birthday is February 19th...I'm going to make him an upside-down skateboard painted to look like the underside of his board...complete with sculpted gumpaste trucks and wheels...sweet!

Aside from those, I'm making Ben Sarle's birthday cake, also for February and I want to make a last kick ass Sneakers cake for my going away party, which Mike and I decided is going to be huge and ridiculous...maybe at the monkey? Not a private party or anything...I just want to get my partying out before school starts. It's going to be intense and I can't afford distractions like that...so more to follow later in the day....unless I get completely ambushed by aforementioned neon boogers...which is entirely possible...I feel better but still like poop...

Cookies and Cupcakes and Cakes...Oh My!

Today there will actually be some baking done! It will be a little later in the day than normal for me, but I'm starting some prep in the kitchen this morning so I have to be at work by 5:30, where I would have actually had today off...

I made some cookies at work on Thursday...yeah...it was that slow...and for the recipe I took a basic Mrs. Fields Oatmeal cookie recipe: tripled the batch, added chocolate chips, coconut, candied walnuts and a splash of Kahlua for some of the vanilla....they were so delicious!!! We ran out yesterday and people were still asking for them off the specials, saying they sounded so good! I had two requests for making them again....maybe later today...

However, I really haven't made cupcakes in awhile...since Christmas I think...so I believe I will be making devils food cupcakes with either marshmallow frosting or creamsicle buttercream...and some marzipan decor...for FUN!!! More to follow after work when the baking begins!!!

3 AM Blues...

So this is the first post for the coming Oven Adventures...unfortunately this morning is devoted to writing scholarship essays, instead of baking...however, tomorrow baking will ensue...

For those of you who don't know, I'm going to the CIA in April (that's Culinary School of America) for Baking/Pastry Arts. In the meantime, I'm teaching myself baking science and decorating styles/techniques. Which is awesome and great fun and pretty hilarious actually. I've photodocumented some of the cakes I've made thus far, though, due to an unfortunate incident involving a disposable camera and me trying to flaunt my nonexistent photography skills, many of the other pics didn't come out...

I tend to ramble, this is nothing new to my friends, but I promise at the end of it all there's a point, and usually, a really cool cake.

So, everyone: stick with me on my learning and caking adventures!!! You're in for a sweet treat...!