It's someone's birthday somewhere.

I typically fail at making layer cakes because they never come out of the pan whole. With lots of effort, oil, and flour, I made it happen. It's the Elvis birthday cake! My cakes turned out pretty thin but nonetheless, layers!

One of the qualms I have with layer cake recipes is that they never tell me how much to put in each pan so I measured it out for YOU. I found that four a 3-layer cake, each pan will have about 1 1/3 cup batter.

I used 8 slices of turkey bacon. There was not really enough oil from the bacon to fry my bananas so the Evan Williams bourbon whiskey helped a lot in provided some juices. Peanuts are really optional. I bought a whole container and used few of them.

You can't tell but I had problems with the buttercream like always. I used faux butter so I get this watery mess and even without the mess, my buttercreams turn out pretty buttery even with a cup of peanut butter. By the way, I used The Bee's Knees cause a cake like this calls for honey not just Smooth Operator.

Doesn't it look delicious.

It was pretty good and moist.
I can't wait to tackle my next layer cake! I can do it!

Goji berries, kind of

I mentioned in my previous post that I bought goji berries. I made goji berry cupcakes with chocolate ganache and Himalayan pink salt, a recipe from the same woman from whom I got the cream cheese rugelach recipe.


I used the baking cups given to me by my Secret Pal. I even added the smooches sprinkles along with the Himalayan salt.


In terms of taste, the cupcakes were rather hard and the goji berry taste didn't quite shine through since there are only bits of it inside. The ganache was basic so nothing to call home about.

Go-to

I have a first stop for groceries and I go once a week to Amazing Savings downtown. I found some great stuff including organic canned pumpkin which I can never resist buying.

I picked up baking goodies like organic spelt flour and pastry flour, brown sugar, and decorating chips. I rarely ever use white chocolate, but a new employee at Bake it Pretty and baker of vegan cupcakes for Sugar Bomb Bakery spotlighted decorating chips made of cocoa butter and sugar. For 99 cents a pack, I grabbed two.


A great surprise this week: zero-calorie sugar - the good stuff.


Also, Dagoba chocolate!


Finally, goji berries. I never see these. I baked with them and will share very soon... as in the next few minutes!