The Cake Merchant

Blackberries and Cream Cake

Even though it’s still sweltering, I’m happy to be baking again. I’m even happier to that this cake literally took minutes to put together. Up until recently, I was a cake purist. Cake should always be made from scratch, right? Anything else would be sacrilegious.

Well, sometimes life gets in the way, and there just isn’t time for a scratch cake. There’s a reason that cake mixes have been around for so long. They are fast, easy, and really hard to mess up. And just because you are using a cake mix does not mean you have to follow the directions on the package. There are all sorts of doctored up cake mix recipes that taste really good. This recipe is a variation on a doctored recipe for a strawberry cake. I happened to find some blackberry gelatin at the store, but you could really use any kind of berry. The pureed blackberries give it a beautiful purple color, and who doesn’t love purple cake?

And don’t even get me started on this frosting. It’s so good, I could eat it by the spoonful. It’s a cross between a cream cheese and a whipped cream frosting. It’s light, but still sturdy enough to hold it’s shape, and not too sweet.

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One Bowl Red Velvet Cupcakes


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before I moved to Texas, I had never heard of red velvet cake. I’ve lived here from almost 4 years now, and I have yet to really understand it. What flavor is red? There are a few tablespoons of cocoa powder in it, but hardly enough to call it a chocolate cake. And why is it red? Why not green, blue, or purple? I’m not sure I’ll ever really understand, but I do know that it tastes good, and the cream cheese frosting that is usually paired with it is really good. I also know that people here go bananas for it, and when I ask for cake requests, this is what comes up most often.

Needless to say, I have made my fair share of red velvet cakes over the last few years, and this recipe is one of my favorites. Not only is it delicious, but it’s also easy to make and doesn’t create a lot of dishes. The original recipe is for a layer cake, but I halved it to make a smaller batch of cupcakes.

On a side note, I used my newly constructed light box to take these pictures since the sun had already gone down when I finished making the cupcakes. After I finished cleaning up the kitchen, I went to put up the light box, and guess who I found lounging inside? This is Miss Violet, Queen of the light box (or any cardboard box, for that matter).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Violet is a fierce jungle cat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Actually, I just caught her mid-yawn.

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Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes

I am a hopeless procrastinator. This can prove to be a problem when baking, since I rarely plan my recipes in advance. I never seem to have butter or eggs and room temperature when I need them.

Have you ever tried to bring butter to room temperature in the microwave? I never seem to be very successful at it. I always end up with a big gloopy mess on my hands, no matter how careful I am. I’m convinced that microwaves hate me.

Fortunately for me, there are vegan cupcake recipes that require no butter or eggs. In fact, I didn’t even need a mixer for this recipe. Just a mixing bowl and a whisk will do. Cupcakes in the oven in 5 minutes flat? Yes, please. And they’re delicious, too. I’ve won plenty of friends with these bad boys. And not just vegan friends.

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