Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Inviting and Special Cake for Your Infant's First Birthday

By Sophie Betts


A year or so ago, we held a bridal shower for my cousin and the complicated chocolate cake recipe I used was a big success; then came the wedding itself. A few months after that we held a baby shower and all the guests were either excited or green with envy. A baby is, after all, the ultimate blessing for a couple joined in the sacrament of holy matrimony. Naturally, not everyone goes through these steps in that precise order. Nevertheless, the priority of events doesn't remove from the value of a first birthday, or most first anything really. The First Birthday Cake Recipe I shared with my cousin was easy enough for her to follow. I want to share it with you, as well.

Ingredients:

- Cake flour - 2 cups measured

- Granulated sugar - 1 cup

- Cocoa or chocolate powder - quarter of a cup

- Baking powder - one teaspoon

- Fine white salt - 1/2 tsp

- 1 whole egg

- Instant decaf coffee - one (1) tsp.

- Vegetable oil - six (6) tbsp.

- Vanilla flavour extract - one teaspoon

- Cold water - 1 cup

Method:

- You will have to preheat the oven to 350F.

- Thinly brush canola oil or spray oil on a 9-inch round baking pan.

- Sift together the dry ingredients in a large mixer bowl.

- Add the remainder of the ingredients and mix the batter by hand until it is evenly blended.

- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

- Cool the cake before removing from the pan to a wire rack. Cool completely.

Frosting ingredients:

- One cup cream cheese

- Third of a cup butter, not melted

- One and a half tablespoons sour cream

- One teaspoon vanilla extract

- 1 cup confectioners' sugar (sifted)

- Food colouring for the trim

Instructions:

- Beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer while adding butter until it becomes smooth.

- Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar.

- Add the sour cream and vanilla extract and continue to beat at medium speed.

- Put aside about half (1/2) cup of frosting for pipe trimmings.

- Spread the frosting over the cooled cake.

- Add food coloring (a small half drop of blue or green for boys and pink or yellow for girls is suggested) to the leftover 1/2 cup of frosting.

- Scoop the frosting into a pastry bag and trim the top edge or base of the cake.

- Chill for about ten (10) minutes before starting to decorate.

Have fun decorating the cake, but let's not forget the candle, okay?




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