Cake--- Fail

Last night I tried baking a cake for Sarah's birthday party tonight.  It was supposed to be a chocolate chip cake with milk chocolate chips and flakes of German chocolate in it.  I cooked it for at least 55 minutes and by all indications was done.  The crust was golden brown, the edges pulling away from the pan and the tooth pick came out clean.

I took the cake out and let it cool.  Once cooled, it looked funny because the whole middle had caved in on itself.  I tried to salvage it as you can see in the picture but the center was still completely gooey.  It has since landed squarely in the trash can and another, better cake was produced.  Picture of it to come but until then enjoy the sight of my cake fail!

Kathy's Breakfast Cake

This week was Eric's, our co-worker, last week in the department.  In his honor I made him a cake.  Kathy's Breakfast Cake to be precise.  It went over very well because by the time I could take the picture it was halfway gone!  This recipe is also from the Cake Doctor cookbook. I've included it below.

Ingredients:

• 1 package vanilla cake mix
  
• 1 package (3.9oz) vanilla instant pudding mix
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil -I used canola oil
•  2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 additional teaspoon vanilla extra

Steps:

1. Place rack in center of the oven, preheat to 350 degrees. Lightly spray Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray and dust with flour.  Shake out excess flour.
2. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl thoroughly and set aside.
   
3. Place cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, vanilla extract, water and oil in large mixing bowl. Blend with mixer on low speed for 1 minute then scrape the sides of the bowl.  Increase speed to medium and beat for 2-3 minutes.  Batter will look thick, fluffy and well combined.
4. Pour 1/3 of the batter in the prepared pan.  Then add 1/2 of the cinnamon/sugar mixture.  Repeat until complete.
   
5. Bake the cake until it springs back when touched lightly and just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 45-50 minutes. 
6. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes still in the pan.  Run a sharp knife around the edge and invert it onto the rack to cool completely 30 minutes more.
7. Once the cake is cool, mix the confectioner's sugar, milk and remaining vanilla together until smooth and then spoon glaze over the top of the cake.
   

Big Bang

On Saturday night after Vanderbilt's abysmal loss to Mississippi State, I joined Chad, his girlfriend Erin, his sister, brother, brother's girlfriend and Dad downtown at Big Bang.  Yes, a family affair. We had been there a couple hours and were having a great time.  Chad and Erin had gone to Wine on the River that afternoon and were very "happy" by this time of night.  The Big Bang is typically a "get a table with some friends and enjoy the dueling piano's type of place" not a "get up and shake what your mama gave you type of place."  Well after drinking since lunch time, Erin thought it was time to get our entire group plus everyone around us up and dancing.  This picture is of me and Chad "shakin' it" right before Erin knocked his ENTIRE cup of Jack & Coke all down the front my shirt completely soaking it, my jeans and my flip flops.  That was the end of me shakin' it!

People at Walmart

Jayna pointed me to the People at Walmart website.  It's so funny I laughed all afternoon.  The best part is that this picture is from MY Walmart!  The address shown in the picture is 5824 and the one I use is 5824 Nolensville Road!  But no, I have never valeted my car at Walmart!! ;)

Wig--- FAIL

So I sat across from this lady at Logan's yesterday....  I don't know how to describe it aside from FAIL.  The picture isn't as good as it looked in real life, but you can get the point.  Her hair is really that grey and white and her hair "piece" is really jet black.  Wow!

Wicked

Last night Sarah, Jon and I went to see wicked.  It was my second time seeing it but I think I liked it better this time around.  It just amazes me how well Gregory Maguire was able to write this book that so perfectly tied up all the loose ends and made it so effortlessly flow into the real story of The Wizard of Oz.

I have learned a couple of tidbits of interesting information since the last time I saw the musical:

1. Gregory Maguire named the Wicked Witch of the West Elphaba as a tribute to the author of The Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum. L. F. B. became El Fa Ba or Elphaba.
2. Due to copyright laws, they are not allowed to mention Dorothy's name in the musical, so they refer to her as "the girl who blew in on the cyclone" or "the little girl."

If you haven't seen it yet, GO NOW!! You won't regret it!

Darn Good Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 package plain devil's food or dark chocolate fudge cake mix -I used dark chocolate cake mix
• 1 package (3.9oz) chocolate instant pudding mix
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil -I used canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips -I used 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips and 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Steps:

1. Place rack in center of the oven, preheat to 350 degrees. Lightly spray Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray and dust with flour.  Shake out excess flour.
2. Place cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, water and oil in large mixing bowl. Blend with mixer on low speed for 1 minute then scrape the sides of the bowl.  Increase speed to medium and beat for 2-3 minutes.  Batter will look thick, fluffy and well combined.
3. Fold in the chocolate chips. -I used the hand mixer on low since the batter was so thick.
4. Pour batter in the prepared pan.
5. Bake the cake until it springs back when touched lightly and just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 45-50 minutes. 
6. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes still in the pan.  Run a sharp knife around the edge and invert it onto the rack to cool completely 20 minutes more.

You could serve warm after the initial 20 minutes of cooling and it would be amazing.  This cake is tasty and moist enough it does not need a glaze or icing.  Enjoy!

Jen's Birthday Cake

On Wednesday we celebrated Jen's Birthday at Big River Grille downtown.  I baked a "Darn Good Chocolate Cake." It really lived up to its name and was darn good and incredibly sinful tasting.  I got the recipe from The Cake Doctor cookbook.  Go buy it, it is awesome! :) I'll post the recipe.

Happy Birthday, Jen!!!

I wish you the happiest of 28th birthdays!  See you tonight!

Hail to the Victors!

Oh and I forgot to mention, Michigan won in glorious fashion.  Michigan's freshman QB, Tate Forcier, threw a TD pass with 11 seconds left in the game to give the Wolverines the W! I think Weis threw the game away with his terrible play calling but glad to see such a great game with the team I was cheering for getting the win!

PS: I'm also glad that Clasusen boy lost!  I've been rooting for his older brothers to lose for what seems like an eternity!