This week started off pretty fun with the announcement of the Royal Baby being born! I know I probably shouldn't even care, but I can't help it. My whole life I've been drawn to the English Royal family. As a tween I would sneak a look at my friend's mom's People magazines whenever Price William was in them (he was my celebrity crush, haha!). I remember getting up in the middle of the night with my dad to watch Princess Diana's funeral and wiping away tears as the family walked behind her coffin. I even woke at 4am with baby Lily to watch William and Kate's wedding back in 2011. If that wasn't enough to bolster a Royal interest, my recent trip to London, England (I still haven't blogged about it, but I promise I will!) hurled me over the edge into fully fledged fandom. Morgan and I even saw Princess Anne boarding a helicopter on the Kensington Palace lawn while we were digesting a lovely High Tea. We were in a frenzy and maybe haven't ever calmed down since. Thus, Royal Baby hysteria.
I love making cakes so the kids and I decided it was necessary to have one for the baby Prince on Monday. Obviously. I made angel food cake, inspired by Anna Olsen's recipe and topped it with Martha Stewart's No Fuss pastry Cream and various blue coloured berries, because IT'S A BOY. Also before they announce the name, I have to get my prediction out! I think he'll be Albert Philip William. Boom. ***UPDATE: I was wrong, as you've probably learned by now. I can't say I love the name Louis, and certainly not Charles only because I know he's named after Prince Charles who wasn't the greatest back in Princess Diana's days.
ANGEL FOOD CAKE:
NO-FUSS PASTRY CREAM:
1. Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan.
2. Whisk together milk and egg yolks in a glass measuring cup.
3. Add milk mixture to the saucepan, along with butter. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Let boil 1 minute.
4. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
5. Strain pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.
6. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Just before using, whisk until smooth.
from Martha Stewart
This pastry cream is truly so simple and fool-proof. Just make sure it gets hot enough for the corn starch (a thickener) to start working. It's my new favourite way to top a cake, and much healthier than butter cream or whipped cream! Top with berries or chocolate shavings.
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| source: @drawadriandraw |
ANGEL FOOD CAKE:
- 1 cup cake & pastry flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 8 large egg whites, room temperature
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- pinch salt
- ½ cup icing sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Preheat the oven to 325 °F
- Sift the flour and granulated sugar, set aside.
- Whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar and salt until foamy, then gradually add the icing sugar (lower the speed when adding), whipping until the whites hold a medium peak when the beaters are lifted. Stir in the vanilla.
- Add the flour to the whipped whites in 2 additions and using a whisk to fold in the flour evenly and easily. Scrape the batter into two 9-inch cake pans, spread it to level and bake the cake for 30-35 minutes.
NO-FUSS PASTRY CREAM:
- ½ cup sugar
- 1⁄4 cup corn starch
- pinch of salt
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 cups milk
- 2 table spoons butter
- 1 table spoon vanilla extract
1. Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan.
2. Whisk together milk and egg yolks in a glass measuring cup.
3. Add milk mixture to the saucepan, along with butter. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Let boil 1 minute.
4. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
5. Strain pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.
6. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Just before using, whisk until smooth.
from Martha Stewart
This pastry cream is truly so simple and fool-proof. Just make sure it gets hot enough for the corn starch (a thickener) to start working. It's my new favourite way to top a cake, and much healthier than butter cream or whipped cream! Top with berries or chocolate shavings.
My prediction: Arthur James Phillip.
ReplyDeleteAlso, that cakes looks divine. The best new-baby gift someone gave me was a cake. Hunger + sweet tooth = GIVE ME ALL THE CAKE. You should probably send this to Kate.