A couple weeks ago was the one year mark since my first venture into Vegan baking. It was my step-father’s birthday, and instead of making him cupcakes like last year, I was now able to bake him a cake. The next leg of this journey was to begin learning how to decorate. I find cake decorating fascinating, and enjoy watching TV shows like Ace of Cakes and Cake Boss. On the other hand, I also find cake decorating to be quite intimidating. But how was I to know how difficult it is unless I gave it a try? I purchased the necessary tools and watched videos on YouTube for tips and technique. Next, I whipped up a small batch of frosting to practice with, and found that it wasn’t as terrifying as I originally perceived it would be.
I wasn’t satisfied with the lemon cake recipe the first time, so I took advantage of this opportunity to give it another shot. Since this was a birthday cake, I needed to make two layers. Along with the frosting, I also filled the cake with a Lemon Curd recipe. Again, there were a few miscues. The day before the birthday celebration, I was becoming antsy so instead of waiting for the curd to chill thoroughly overnight, I cooked it in the morning and filled the cake later that day. As soon as I stacked the second layer, the curd started to ooze out the sides of the cake. I quickly wiped it up and placed the cake in the freezer. In a half hour, the curd had set and I was ready to proceed. Misstep thwarted, phew. I frosted the cake, busted out the cake decorating tools and went to town. I have to admit, it was fun piping lines, dots and squiggles, and I found it to be quite therapeutic. With the cake completed, all I needed to do was transport it to my Mom’s house the next day.
The cake arrived safely and we had a couple of hours until my step-father returned home from work. It was placed safely on the counter while we waited for his arrival. Huge, glaring error! As the cake was revealed, I noticed that the curd was starting to seep from the bottom of the cake. It should’ve stayed cool in the fridge. Mistakes aside, the lemon cake had a nice balance of sweet and tart, creating a refreshing sensation with each bite. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
(Lemon Cake and Whipped Frosting recipes from a previous post.)
Lemon Curd Filling
(Recipe halved from Vegansaurus!)
Lemon Curd Filling
(Recipe halved from Vegansaurus!)
1/2 cup Lemon Juice
1/4 cup Water
3/4 cup Sugar
2 tbs Corn Starch
Zest of 1 Lemon
Pinch of Sea Salt
5 tbs + 1 tsp Soy Milk Creamer
1 tbs Earth Balance Vegan Margarine
Whisk all ingredients except soy milk and margarine in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When it comes to a boil, stop whisking and allow to boil for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and stir in soy milk and margarine. Place in a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap to avoid skin being formed. Let cool to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator and chill for 8 hours or overnight.
Whisk all ingredients except soy milk and margarine in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When it comes to a boil, stop whisking and allow to boil for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and stir in soy milk and margarine. Place in a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap to avoid skin being formed. Let cool to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator and chill for 8 hours or overnight.
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