Adventures of an Amateur

Vanilla Spice Cupcakes filled with Chocolate-Cinnamon Ganache

2010-04-01T01:33:00.004-06:00

The name says it all for these little cups of joy! I made the Vanilla Spice cake again for my cake class tomorrow. This time I filled it with a chocolate ganache and iced it with vanilla buttercream. With the extra batter I made some cupcakes and did them the same. I would definitely make them again!

I have had cinnamon in all the recipes I've posted on here. I will make it a goal to not have cinnamon in the next two recipes I post :)

Last week in cake class we made a bunch of royal icing flowers. Morning glories, Easter lilies, petunias (which we all agreed look more like hibiscuses), and poinsettias. Some turned out better than others.

Tomorrow in class we start working with fondant, which I've worked with a bunch at work and I love it! It's like an edible playdough! I'm excited to decorate make my cake tomorrow, it's going to be spring themed and I hope it turns out cause I'm serving it to my grandparents for Easter!

This was my first time making ganache, it sounds so deluxe I never knew it was so easy! I have leftovers that I'm hardening in the fridge and going to roll into truffles! Yum!

Enjoy the cupcakes!

Touch of Cocoa Vanilla Spice Cupcakes

Chocolate-Cinnamon Ganache

250 grams/9 ounces dark chocolate chopped (good quality)

1 cup heavy cream

1 tsp cinnamon (or more to taste)

Place chocolate in a medium bowl.

In a small saucepan, over medium heat bring cream to a boil.

Watch carefully and take it off the heat as soon as it begins to boil.

Pour cream over chocolate and whisk until chocolate is fully

melted. Add cinnamon and whisk until smooth.

Let cool, then refrigerate to thicken.

Vanilla Buttercream

1 cup butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups icing sugar

1 tbsp meringue powder (optional)

2-3 tbsp water or milk

In a large bowl cream butter and vanilla. Add icing sugar (with meringue

powder mixed in) slowly, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat on medium speed

until well combined. Add water/milk on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add additional water/milk if icing is too stiff.

Makes about 3 cups.

After the cupcakes have cooled, cut a piece out of the middle of them,

about a loonie size around and going as deep as halfway through the cupcake.

Spoon cooled ganache into cavity.

Spread or pipe vanilla buttercream onto cupcake, covering ganache filling.

If desired, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Makes about 24 cupcakes.

Monster Cookies!

2010-03-26T00:04:00.005-06:00

I have the strangest new obsession with Jewel lately. Yes, Jewel of 90s fame "These hands are all I own, they're not yours they are my own" or "You were meant for me, and I was meant for you". That Jewel. A number of years ago I borrowed her album "Goodbye Alice in Wonderland" from a friend. I enjoyed it at the time but then completely forgot about it. A couple of weeks ago I started to listen to it again, and let me tell you, it is amazing!! She has such a unique sound, I love it. So I'm learning "Good Day" and "Goodbye Alice in Wonderland" on guitar. I'm starting to get them down, but believe me, I'm no Jewel.

On to baking. I made some amazing cookies last week, only now am I getting around to posting about them.
They are a delicious combination of oats, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and m&ms, better known as monster cookies! How I have never made them before, I do not know.

My brother, Matt, is gluten intolerant, so I'm trying to explore more gluten free baking alternatives. Some of the recipes I've seen for these type of cookies don't contain any flour at all, but I was scared that they wouldn't stick together properly, so I added a bit of the gluten free flour mixture we have. If you're not gluten intolerant, use regular flour. If you are intolerant, or celiac, be careful with the oats as some have traces of flour, make sure you get ones that say they are completely gluten free!

I put coconut in them to add to the chewiness and flavour. I also added cinnamon, have I mentioned how much I love cinnamon?? For the peanut butter I used 1 cup smooth and 1/2 cup crunchy for some added texture. Use your favourite, or a combination of the two :)

These cookies were delicious, and stayed chewy for days! They freeze very well too (although I had to take them out of the freezer after a couple days because all the other ones were already eaten!).
Enjoy!!

Nomnomnomnomnom the Cookie Monster would

LOVE these monster cookies!

Monster Cookies (Gluten Free)
recipe by me

1/2 cup softened butter
1 1/4 cups packed brown
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp honey
1 1/2s cup peanut butter
2 tsp baking soda
1 or 2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup gluten free flour mixture
4 1/2s cup rolled oats
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream butter and sugars together.
Beat in eggs, vanilla, and honey.
Add peanut butter and blend until smooth (about 2 minutes).
In a separate bowl, mix together baking soda, cinnamon, salt, flour, oats, and coconut.
Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until well combined.
Stir in chocolate chips and M&Ms.

Roll into balls and place on greased or parchment lined cookie sheets.
(Place balls far apart, these spread quite a bit)
Flatten balls slightly.
Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until golden and slightly puffy.
Take out of oven and let sit on sheets for 3-5 minutes (they will flatten a bit).
Transfer onto wire racks to cool.

Makes about 35 cookies.

Touch of Cocoa Vanilla Spice Cake

2010-03-19T00:53:00.001-06:00

So I wanted to post a cookie recipe, but I can't find my camera cord! How those two are related might not make sense, expect that I took cookie pictures that I want to put up with the recipe, and I can't put them on my computer without my camera cord...see, I make sense.

But I do have a cake recipe for you!
I try not to use cake mixes, but when I need a cake for a Thursday night and have to go from school to work to cake class, I have to bake it wednesday morning, go to school & work, and then ice it wednesday night. So cake mixes make my life a whole lot easier!
I like to add things to them though, make them a bit more special. I love spice cake, but I’ve never tried one from a mix. I had bought my cake mixes all french vanilla when they were 3 for $5 at Safeway (oh how I love deals). So I figured I’d make a spice cake from that.
I loved it so much I made it twice! One I iced in vanilla buttercream, the other in chocolate buttercream. I preferred the vanilla with it, but the chocolate brings out the cocoa more.
One thing about the Wilton classes is that they tell you to use the “class” buttercream recipe, which uses shortening...blechhhh. As disgusting as shortening is, it really does work better when you’re learning the techniques, especially for the roses (ack those pesky Wilton roses!!!). My recommendation? Make REAL buttercream to base ice your cake with, then make the crappy shortening stuff if you’re gonna get really fancy with your decorations.

I would have liked to use ground cloves in the cake, but we were out, and I forgot to buy them the second time I made it. I’m putting it in the recipe so I don’t forget next time!
I didn't put in the amount of oil/eggs/milk because it sometimes differs per cake mix. I usually just do 1/4 cup oil, 2 eggs, and 1 1/4 cups milk....I think...
I baked mine in an 8 inch pan (3 inches high) and had enough left over batter to make 4-5 cupcakes.

Touch of Cocoa Vanilla Spice Cake
recipe by me

1 box french vanilla cake mix

vegetable oil

eggs
milk
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
3 tbsp cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour chosen pan(s).
Prepare cake according to directions on box.

Add spices and cocoa powder, blending until fully mixed in.

Pour into chosen pan(s) and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

(55-60 minutes for 8x3 inch pan, 15-18 minutes for cupcakes)

Wilton Classes

2010-03-15T18:44:00.002-06:00

For Christmas my wonderful brothers, Adam and Matthew, registered me in course one of the Wilton Cake Decorating classes at Michaels. So for the past 2 months I’ve been going to the classes every Thursday night. I have finished course 1 and 2, course 3 starts this week!
The first course was a lot of review of things I already knew, but a good foundation, and I learned some cool new tricks.
Here are my cakes from course one!

I was going for ironic with what I wrote....

My clowns fell over in the car, so they look a little drunk!

Course 2 focused on royal icing flowers and colour flow designs. So for three of the 4 classes we made different flowers. In the last class we learned basket weave and assembled our finale cake....here it is!

I’m excited for course 3 to start, we get to work with fondant (which I use at work, but it’ll be nice to learn the basics, at work I’ve just been figuring it out as I go)!

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

2010-03-11T10:46:00.002-07:00

I have always loved cinnamon, especially with sugar on buttered toast! What makes that better? Having cinnamon right in the bread! I remember when I was younger I'd always beg my mom to buy cinnamon raisin bread, but she rarely did because when we had it I would eat at least 4 pieces a day. It was my favourite!
A couple of weeks ago I was scanning through some of my favourite blogs and came across Baking Bites' post on Cinnamon Raisin Bread. My mouth started watering immediately! I needed to make that bread!!!

Luckily we had all the ingredients so I got started right away. It was my first time making a yeast bread from scratch so I stuck to the recipe exactly (usually I like to doctor recipes to my liking). It was pretty easy, and turned out absolutely delicious!

Mmmm I want to make more now! It was fantastic toasted with butter. I also made a batch of french toast with it one morning. Delightful!
One thing I'm considering for next time is adding nuts, I really enjoy walnuts in breads. Also I need to make sure to roll it tighter so there aren't gaps in the swirl and the sugar doesn't leak out!

Here is the recipe: Cinnamon Raisin Bread I highly highly recommend it! And if you've never made bread before and are intimidated by it, don't be! If I didn't screw it up, neither will you!

A Little Bit About Me

2010-03-11T01:11:00.004-07:00

I figured I should tell you a little bit more about myself!
I grew up in Calgary, Alberta. A wonderful city, although I can't stand the traffic anymore.
I'm currently 19 years old, living in the fine city of Lethbridge, Alberta.
I live with my two older brothers, Matt and Adam, as well as Matt's girlfriend (of almost 6 years!), Courtney.
I'm in my second year at the University of Lethbridge, not sure what I actually want to do. I'm an Anthropology major, but who knows if that's what I'll get a degree in?!
I work at a wonderful specialty cake/ cupcake shop called Crazy Cakes (website, pictures). At the shop I mostly ice and sell cupcakes and make coffees. But I also make random decorations for cakes. I love it there.
I am the secretary/treasurer of the Musical Theatre Society at the university. We have a show coming up, I'm very excited :)
I'm a vegetarian, I have been for almost three years. I had really wanted to be for a long time, so a few years ago I decided to cut out meat for a month, I never went back! I stopped eating meat for animal rights, and also to help the environment. It's a personal choice and I hate when vegetarians try to force their choices onto meat-eaters. I will not do that, I promise!
In my spare time I bake, play guitar, hang out with friends, and watch seasons of tv shows on my computer.
Unfortunately lately my spare time has been limited by school and work. Maybe I'll win the lottery and then have all the spare time in the world? Good plan Tamara!

Here's me!

That's all I have to say about myself currently! Now I should go to sleep, oh how I love sleep....
Goodnight!

Welcome to My Life

2010-03-09T22:03:00.003-07:00

Hello world! My name is Tamara, and I am an amateur.

I initially wanted to call this blog Adventures of an Amateur Adult (oooo what an alliteration!) because as a soon to be twenty year old with just a year and a half of experience living away from my parents, paying monthly mortgage, and living pay cheque to pay cheque, I truly am an amateur at being an adult, learning as I go. But I rethought the Adult part of the title because I didn’t want to have people think I’m an amateur adult film star...that would not be good. Scandalous!

This is all about my life as an amateur. I’m an amateur baker, an amateur cake decorator, an amateur musician, and an amateur in the musical theater world, among many other things. (I really should have looked up a synonym for amateur...) Also, I am an amateur blogger...

I have a feeling that as the school year ends and I have more time to bake this will evolve into more of a baking blog seeing as how I am currently obsessed with them (favourites include Sugar Plum, Baking Bites, Cookie Madness, Bakerella and more). But it will also be about my life.

So, welcome to my life, thank you for joining me!

Love Tamara

ps-- the url adventuresofanamateur was already taken, so I just took the amateur off. When you say it fast it sounds like adventures oven...yay for baking!