Friday, April 29, 2011

A Royal Tribute and an Anniversary Memory

I admit it...I love a fairy tale and yes, I stayed up to watch the Royal wedding between William and Catherine as millions of others did.   It was on at 1:00 a.m. here in the Pacific Northwest, but the fascination of what Catherine's dress would look like, her bouquet, and seeing the kiss (or two) on the balcony kept me wide awake.
April 29th also marked the memory of my own parent's wedding.  William Joseph Tierney and Helen Margaret Huekels were married in 1938 and today would have marked 73 years for them.  Also a fairy tale, my father said he knew from a kiss in the cloakroom in 5th grade that he would one day marry my mother.
So, I baked these "happy" little cakes from a Nordic Ware mold I purchased last year.  (At the time, I just thought, one day I'll need this pan!)  The recipe for the cake comes with the pan, but I added a strawberry filling and glazed the little cakes with a pourable fondant--a King Arthur Flour recipe.  I couldn't help but add a few decorations and the edible stardust to make them sparkle.

Tiered Cakelets
12 T (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups Queen Guinevere Cake Flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup Strawberry Jam (or your favorite)

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray the Tiered Cakelet Pan with a non-stick spray (one with flour in it)
Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 3 minutes.  Gradually add the granulated sugar and beat 3 minutes more.  Scrape down the sides, then, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the vanilla extract.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt.  On low speed, add half the flour and all the milk, then, end with the other half of flour.  Scrape down the sides once more.  Divide the batter evenly among the prepared wells.  Tap the pan on the countertop to release any air bubbles.  Using a small spatula, spread some of the batter up the sides of the wells.
Bake until the cakelets are golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean--20 to 25 minutes.  (Mine took exactly 22 minutes).  Don't overbake!
Cool in the pan about 10 minutes.  Invert the pan onto a rack and life off the pan.  Let the cakelets cool completely before glazing.

Poured Fondant Icing
5 oz. (1 cup) white melting chocolate pieces or white chocolate chips
1/4 cup Light Karo Syrup
1/4 cup hot water
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Melt the white melting chocolate pieces in the microwave.  In a bowl, sift the confectioners' sugar, then, add the Karo Syrup and hot water.  Mix on low speed, being careful not to incorporate too much air into the fondant.  Add the melted chocolate pieces and mix once more.  Add the vanilla and if mixture is too thick, additional hot water.  You should be able to pour the fondant over the cakelets.

Use an apple corer to remove some of the cake to allow for the filling.  Save the plugs!
 Fill a piping bag with jam and fill the center cavity that has been created with the corer.
 Place the "cake" plug back over the hole to cover.
 I placed the fondant icing in a squeeze bottle and began pouring it over the cake.
If you keep pouring over the top, it should cascade down.  For the decorations, I mixed up a small batch of buttercream:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups of confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup of leftover fondant icing.

Using a #7 tip, I piped little dots around the tiers.  The shell border is done with tip #18 and finally, the top rosette was tip #6B.

I used a little rose colored stardust to brush over the cakes for some sparkle.
I was thinking about Kelly today when I was making these little cakelets.  She had a job once where she worked as a server for a caterer.  She would tell me the best events were weddings because she'd get to have a piece of wedding cake.  As I take a bite into one of these little cakelets, I'll imagine I was a guest at the royal wedding, toasting the bride and groom with a lifetime of happiness.  Enjoy!








15 comments:

  1. Really gorgeous cakelets! I watched the wedding too. It was beautiful and dreamy! -Cares

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  2. I love the cakes, but the story is even better. A kiss in the cloakroom how great! You are a great baker to take on this challenge. They look perfect. Thanks for stopping by my porch.

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  3. Beautiful cakes and a beautiful story!!! I LOVE cake pans...actually I am quite obsessed and I buy new, fun pans all the time because I never know when I'll need to make a special cake!!! I don't have this one-these are too cute!!

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  4. The story telling and cakes are both BEAUTIFUL!

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  5. These are just little treasures. I saw them earlier on Pink Saturday as your post was right next to mine and wanted to come by and see them. What a great mold and I love your recipe for the fondant frosting and how you used the squeeze bottle. I would love to have seen them in person. Now I want that mold. Just perfect to celebrate your parents and the fabulous wedding today.

    I am so sorry to hear about your daughter's passing. I know she would have loved the pie. May you feel her near you always.
    Jacqueline

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  6. That is so sweet that your Dad knew he'd marry your mom in 5th grade :) Your cakelets look so cute!

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  7. my goodness you have been busy, how stunning are they, wow.
    as always its a joy to catch up and see all your fab treats, family smiles and feel the love.
    dear friend, know i think of you, many, many times, can't pass a bakery or kitchen store without smiling at the thought of you, which leads me to send love out on the wind to kelly and her loves and then ofcourse when passing a cafe, i dream of the pot of tea, scones, cream and jam we will one day share together
    have a lovely weekend my darling, will email soon xx

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  8. i was not into the wedding at all, until i started watching and thinking of her becoming a true princess then i sort got carried away. her sister's dress was AMAZING.

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  9. Oh my gosh, your cakes are incredible. I don't think I'd even have the ability to do what you do. They are fit for royalty indeed!

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  10. A beautiful story and a delicious cake!!!

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  11. Wow, beautiful cake and story!

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  12. Such pretty little cakes and I love the story too!

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  13. OH MAN! I bet these cakes tasted better than the one made by the royal baker! And they are so beautiful to boot!

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    five foot drop, just so she can be a youtube sensation. My
    iPad is now destroyed and she has 83 views.

    I know this is totally off topic but I had to share it with someone!



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