11.09.2014

thoughts on birthday cakes.

{ naked red velvet cake with peanut buttercream }


each and every day is a good day for birthday cake.
 

it's been a long week of waking up at half past six,

then weekend was gone in a snap of a finger,
but I finally found the time to post.

-
i've had a thing for fancy cakes since i was a little kid.
i mean... multiple layers, different frostings, toppings
every time i'ld bake a cake, i wanted to cut it, frost it, top it

(however...)

to my father
- strict defender of the simple naked cake -
frostings and toppings were silly,
even ruined the whole cake,
so i'ld actually seldom go through with those wishes.

(i guess that my withdrawal from baking as a young teen,
leaving the my baker skills underexplored for many years,
may very likely be attributed to these remarks.)

even when i finally decided to take a hold on it
and started making layer cakes and more elaborate desserts,
it took me a long time to finally pick up a piping bag,
or even to try more daring frosting flavours.

-

well today i have no baking fear
(except to lose a finger on a hand mixer)
no silly prejudices
and also no one to nag me on what i should do or not

(now that i come to think about it... that ain't true at all
i cannot forget the 'wise' thoughts
on how i should leave sugar/dessert/candy/cakes/chocolate aside,
which more often than not are expressed by flatmate
- damn.)

-

so today the question is...
does one need an excuse to bake a fancy layer cake?
well here one does.

did i have one?
kind of. i did take half for breakfast with my work colleagues.

is it unhealthy and inappropriate?
i guess so.

was it worth it?
totally.

-

and finally, i am looking for some opinions on an important issue:
what do you think about baking your own birthday cake to offer other people?
i dread this german tradition of having to bake your own birthday cake to offer coworkers and so!
i truly dread the idea of baking a 'birthday cake' for myself.
i was brought up to believe that it is both a really egocentric thing of you to do (like: hi there you all people who work with me - it's my birthday today!!!) and a really rude thing of other people not to offer you a cake!

(awaiting your ideas)

-

and now - at last - the recipe:

Bolo Red Velvet com Creme de Amendoim
2 + 1/2 chávenas de farinha
1 + 1/2 chávena de açúcar
1 colher de sopa de cacau
1 colher de chá de bicarbonato de sódio
1 chávena de buttermilk
2 ovos
1 + 1/2 chávena de óleo vegetal
2 colheres de chá de vinagre
30 ml de corante vermelho
aroma de baunilha

150g de manteiga, à temperatura ambiente
250g de açúcar em pó
150g de manteiga de amendoim
1 colher de sopa de maple syrup

Misturar a farinha, o bicarbonato de sódio e o cacau,
Bater os ovos com o açúcar,
Misturar o óleo, o vinagre, o corante e a baunilha; juntar à mistura de ovos e bater até obter uma mistura homogénea,
Adicionar a farinha e o bicarbonato de sódio a esta mistura, à vez,
Dividir a mistura em duas formas de fundo amovível com 20 cm de diâmetro, untadas com manteiga; batê-las contra a banca da cozinha para libertar bolhas de ar e levar ao forno a 180ºC cerca de 25 minutos,
Preparar o creme de amendoim: bater a manteiga até estar cremosa e pálida, juntar o açúcar em pó aos poucos, batendo sempre, por fim incorporar a manteiga de amendoim e o maple syrup,
Deixar os bolos arrefecer antes de desenformar e quando estiverem completamente frios empilhar, recheando com o creme de amendoim,
Finalizar com açúcar em pó e algumas nozes grosseiramente picadas.

Naked Red Velvet Cake with Peanut Buttercream
2 + 1/2 cup flour
1 + 1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp coca
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 + 1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vinegar
30 ml red food colouring
vanilla

150g butter, room temperature
250g confectioner's sugar
150g peanut butter
1 tbsp maple syrup

Mix flour, baking soda and cocoa,
Beat eggs with sugar,
Mix oil, vinegar, food colouring and vanilla; beat into the egg mixture until well combined,
Stir in the flour and buttermilk, bit by bit,
Pour batter into two detachable bottom cake pans (20 cm), greased with butter; tap pans against the counter to release air bubbles and bake at 180ºC for about 25 minutes,
Make the buttercream: cream butter, beat in the confectioner's sugar and combine the peanut butter and maple syrup,
Let the cakes cool in the pans, unmould, top one of the cakes with the peanut cream and then with the second cake,
Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and coarsely chopped hazelnuts.

6 comments:

  1. Um bolo maravilhoso! Já imagino o sabor! Nhamy! :D

    Beijinhos*

    ReplyDelete
  2. adoro o bolo está com ar tão fofo, mas não gosto da ideia de oferecer um bolo no meu dia de aniversário! :)
    Quando vivia em portugal a minha família ficava encarregue do bolo, agora cá fora, eu encarrego-me do bolo, até no meu aniversário! Gosto de comer sempre o mesmo bolo e ninguém o sabe fazer, por isso eu trato do assunto :)
    beijinho

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ora nem mais! Coisas boas como esta deviam ser todos os dias :)
    -
    Diogo Marques
    Blog: A culpa é das bolachas! | Facebook | Instagram
    -

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ahah, nós na farmácia quando fazemos anos levamos o lanche! Logo sim, um bolinho!
    Não cantamos os parabéns, mas lanchamos todos, um lanche diferente, que se torna agradável!
    Para mim acaba por não ser um problema, porque tenho mais um motivo (apesar de motivos nunca me faltarem) para fazer um bolo!!!
    Este teu bolinho está lindo querida :)
    (Eu já fiz o teu bolo! Falta só publicar!)
    Um beijinho

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hummmm fiquei aqui um bom bocado parada a olhar esse bolo lindo! :)
    Deve ser delicioso! Quem me dera ter aqui uma fatia :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Espectacular la tarta! Igual que la entrada... Emotiva y de calidad... Enhorabuena!

    ReplyDelete