Monday, April 17, 2017

Confetti Cake with Homemade Sprinkles (Jimmies)

Whether you call them Sprinkles or Jimmies, as my friends from New England do, you have to admit they make any cake festive.  Non-pareils or sprinkles date back to the late 18th century, but a company called "Just Born" located in Brooklyn, NY is credited with calling them "Jimmies, which were chocolate-colored; not necessarily containing chocolate. Jan Freeman from the Boston Globe wrote, after mentioning the word "Jimmies" in a column, got several letters stating the term shouldn't be used because it was a racial slur for African Americans. However, after much research, that was a theory that could happily never be proven. These sugar strands of confection have made cakes, ice cream, and other desserts pretty popular as a topping and I so enjoyed making up my own colors for a dessert on Easter Sunday.

Confetti Cake with Homemade Sprinkles (Jimmies)

Homemade Sprinkles (Jimmies)
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 T Light Karo Syrup
1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
1 -2 T water (add slowly since you need only make the consistency of "glue")

In a small bowl, stir the Karo Syrup and vanilla extract into the confectioners' sugar. Add water just until you achieve the consistency of glue.
Separate the "glue" into 3 bowls and add a few drops of food coloring.  Place the icing into a pastry bag with a #3 or #4 tip and pipe lines on a sheet of parchment.

Best results if you do this the day before, but allow at least 8 hours for drying.
I made these early morning, then went out to spread mulch in my flower beds for the day:-D

Confetti Cake
Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Brush a 9" x 13" cake pan with melted butter, line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper that extends 2" on either of the long sides (helps remove the cake after baking), butter the parchment paper, then dust the pan surface with flour.  Set aside.

I used the "reverse creaming" method on this cake and it turned out perfect!

3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour (plain flour)
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 T baking powder
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups whole milk
4 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract

2/3 cup Homemade Sprinkles (Jimmies)*
*I added 1/3 cup of the Homemade and 1/3 cup of "store bought" for Easter!

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, mix the first four "dry" ingredients.  While the mixer is running, add the soft butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Mix until the mixture is crumbly.
Mix the milk, eggs and vanilla in a 2 cup measure and, while the mixer is on low, add half.  Beat 1 minute until fluffy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, if needed, then slowly add the remaining liquid. Stir in the Sprinkles and pour batter into the prepared pan.  Smooth the batter out and place in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes.


Bake until golden brown and a tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.  Transfer pan to a rack and cool completely.  If you like, you can remove the cooled cake to a serving platter, using the extension of the parchment on the sides.  While the cake cools, make the frosting.

Cooked Milk Frosting (this was a recipe my mom made when we had run out of Confectioners' (icing) sugar)
1/4 cup King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla

In a small sauce pan, whisk together the flour, milk and vanilla.  Whisk constantly until mixture comes together, the consistency of thick pudding.  Transfer to a glass bowl, pressing a piece of plastic wrap against the surface.  Place in the refrigerator to cool completely--30 minutes.
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar

In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together, scrapping down the sides as needed.  Add the cooled milk/flour mixture and continue to beat until it resembles whipped cream--about 2 minutes.  Frost the cake and add Sprinkles (Jimmies).
 I will certainly make these Sprinkles (Jimmies) again because it was fun to customize my own colors.  I hope you all had a lovely Easter and Spring is showing it's colors-mine have come to an end, but here are some of the beauties that appeared early with our warm temperatures.  Enjoy!





20 comments:

  1. wow you even made your own sprinkles!! Thumbs up for you, Susan, and the cake looks splendid!

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    1. Thanks, Angie. It was so easy...I'll never go back to buying them (after the ones I have are used up, of course, XOXO)

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  2. This cake looks so fun! Thanks for sharing.

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    1. You're welcome. Hope you had a lovely Easter!

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  3. I would never attempt to make my own sprinkles! You really are amazing!

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    1. You'd be surprised how easy they are and now that you're a watercolor artist, you might want to put your own touch to coloring them, XOXO

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  4. Home made Sprinkles! Who would have thought it? We call them Hundreds and Thousands, and the chocolate ones we call Vermicelli. Such fun!
    ~~~Deb in Wales xoxo

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    1. I have heard them called Vermicelli too! Really fun and I'm anxious to experiment with other colors.

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  5. Gorgeous cake and flowers! Happy Easter, my friend! lv, me

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    1. Happy Easter to you, my friend. Maybe this is something you can do in your Fair entries...just saying, XOXO

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  6. Wow, making your own sprinkles!!
    It looked like a happy spring cake...
    Roxy

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  7. Oh my goodness, Susan, what fun making your own sprinkles!! I really must try your reverse creaming method of making a cake. I have to tell you that the cooked milk frosting is one that I absolutely adore. I started making it when I was a teenager and put it on a red velvet cake. I made a mini heart cake for my boyfriend (who I later married) and took it to school for Valentine's Day. What sweet memories of my late Beloved were brought about, all from the frosting!

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    1. I love the cooked milk frosting because it's not as sweet as "American Buttercream." Perfect for this festive cake, XOXO

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  8. I am beyond impressed Susan....you have made your own sprinkles? However, I love the name jimmies too! You are just above the moon excellent at your baking skills! Happy, happy, happy cakes!!!!

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    1. I'm more like Fearless and will try anything; my mother taught me that there was no such thing as failure, just a lesson to be learned! Happy Spring, my friend, XOXO

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  9. Awwww...flowers! Yes, we call them jimmies, though I was told that it was a racial slur. Not sure how that can be so am glad that it can't be proven. I really like the quality of yours because they look like grass...think of the possibilities!

    Wonderful to see the beautiful flowers blooming in your garden! I have some grape hyacinths. 😏

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    1. I know when we lived in Massachusetts, they were called Jimmies and there were countless reasons why...usually named for someone name Jimmie who had discovered them! I'm glad the racial slur didn't pan out either, XOXO

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  10. Susan, your talents amaze me. Homemade sprinkles! Very pretty and so creative.
    Your daffodils are lovely.. So many varieties to enjoy. Happy Spring. xoxo ♥

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    1. Sadly, my daffodils bloomed so early and there were only a few left for Easter, but I have Vibernum, Coreopsis, Columbine and other perennials starting to pop some color in the yard. Hope you had a lovely holiday, XOXO

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