The Cake Merchant

Chocolate Birthday Cake: Devil’s Food Cake with Rich Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Chocolate Birthday Cake

Has February come and gone already? I’m not sure when that happened, but I have one last birthday post for you (I told you I could really drag out the celebration). In previous years, I have made elaborate cakes exotic flavor combinations, but this year, I kept it simple. One vanilla cake and one chocolate cake. And while I have become more open to vanilla cakes in my 30’s, chocolate is where my heart is and always will be. Is there anything better in the world than a good chocolate cake? I think not. The more chocolatey, the better.

Chocolate Cake-2

After scouring through some old recipe books, I came across a few different recipes in Baking Illustrated. I love making cakes from this book, since it gives a long explanation and the science behind each recipe. I have made the Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake and the Sour Cream Chocolate Cake and loved them both, but I was looking for something richer for my birthday cake. This Devil’s Food recipe boasted “a velvety, more intense chocolate experience” than regular chocolate cakes, so I was sold. I also loved that it made a 3 layer, 8-inch cake, which is my favorite cake profile. Is it weird to have a favorite size for a cake?

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Fluffy White Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Cake, glorious cake!

Purple Vanilla Birthday Cake-3

It’s hard to believe that until recently, I rarely made vanilla cakes from scratch. In fact, I rarely made them at all. I found them to be too tempermental, bland in taste, and not worth the effort. All I can say in my defense is, what was I thinking?! It’s true, when not done right, vanilla cakes can be dull and dry, but they can also be magnificent! The recipe I’m sharing today is my favorite so far. It’s light, fluffy, and full of vanilla flavor.

I think that the turning point came for me when I got a kitchen scale. If you bake often, it’s worth the investment. Your cakes will turn out so much better if the measurements are accurate. I do everything by weight when I bake now, especially cakes. The results are so much more consistent. Oh, and if you don’t want your cake to be dry, don’t over bake this cake. Dry cakes are a sad, sad thing.

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19 Random Things About Me

Natasha in Peru

Since today is my birthday, I thought I would take a moment to tell you a little bit about myself. I always wanted to do one of those 25 random things about me notes on facebook, but I never got around to it, so, better late than never! I love getting to know my readers, so feel free to leave a comment with a random or interesting fact about yourself.

1. I was born on February 19th, 1982. That falls right on the cusp of Aquarius and Pisces, but I’m a Pisces in every way. And I only sort of believe in that stuff.

2. I am a coffee addict. I buy espresso beans from a local coffee shop, grind them fresh everyday, and make a 1 shot, 6 ounce cappuccino with organic 2% milk every morning.

3. I’m a certified scuba diver.

4. I have 2 cats that I love dearly, but I’m a dog person at heart. I hope to adopt one in the near future.

5. Layer cakes are my favorite desserts to make. I find the process of baking, frosting, and decorating them to be therapeutic. That being said, the dessert I crave the most (and make the most often) is chocolate chip cookies. Does that count as 2 things?

6. I’m a night owl, and the only time I will voluntarily get up early is when I have jet lag.

7. I have never liked milk, and the only time I will ever drink it is in my coffee or with warm chocolate chip cookies. I rarely put it on my cereal, and I will absolutely never drink cereal milk.

8. I’ve never met a vegetable I didn’t like. As much as I love sugary treats, I also love broccoli, brussels sprouts, and spinach.

9. By day, I’m a musician. It’s not the most lucrative job in the world, but I can’t imagine doing anything else.

10. I love British period dramas. I’ve read all the Jane Austen novels, I have a crush on Mr Darcy, and I’m completely obsessed with Downton Abbey.

11. I’m still trying to get my students to teach me how to use Twitter, and I totally don’t get the hash tag thing.  #iamreallyold

12. I’ve been playing tennis since I was a kid, and even though I’m still not especially good at it, I love to play. I’m currently on a women’s doubles team called the Lob Stars.

13. I am a pescetarian, which basically means I’m a vegetarian who occasionally eats seafood. I’ve tried to convince myself that it was because seafood is more sustainable, but really, it’s just because I haven’t found the discipline to give up sushi.

14. The only soda I like is Cherry Coke, and I will only drink it at the movie theater. With buttery popcorn. And Buncha Crunch.

15. I’m not much of a girly girl. I still don’t know how to put on makeup, I can’t walk in high heels to save my life, and I don’t like shopping (unless you count grocery shopping).

16. After grad school, my friend Cat and I wanted to take an international trip. We chose the location by the cheapest plane ticket we could find, and ended up having the trip of a lifetime in Peru.

17. My secret dream is to be a ballerina. I think ballet is an amazing form of art, but I’m way too old and not coordinated enough to take ballet, so I live vicariously through movies and documentaries about ballet dancing. I have seen Center Stage at least 50 times.

18. I turn into a whiny baby when I’m cold. I grew up in Indiana, so I’m happy to be living in a warmer climate now.

19.  When I was a kid, the only acceptable cake for me was chocolate. Now that I’m older, I have a new respect for vanilla, and this is the first year that one of my birthday cakes (I always make 2) will be vanilla. I can’t wait to share the recipe with you!