Yes, it's another Daring Bakers Challenge. This time we have Dorie Greenspan's recipe for Perfect Party Cake. I wondered if it would live up to it's name, and it most certainly did. I baked it for Easter dinner at my friend Nancy's house, and it was a huge success. It's always heart warming when people nearly give you a standing ovation. The cake was really a birthday cake for her mom, Katherine, and it cut beautifully and tasted...well, perfect. The recipe this
month was chosen by the wonderful Morven, of Food Art and Random Thoughts, and I thank her very much for choosing it. I'll be making this cake a lot. I think it is, indeed, the perfect party cake.
The recipe was simple to make and, and it provided me with lots of yummy batter and frosting. Enough to "sample" before I baked the cake and frosted it. I love raw cake batter more than when it's cooked, and drove my mother crazy as a child, by standing at her arm, begging for it as she tried to fill her cake pans. I'm glad I showed restraint and baked my layers, resulting in tender, yet resilient layers that easily handled being split in half before being filled and frosted.
That part went OK, but, as usual, I had some problems.
I baked my cake layers the day before Easter and figured I'd have enough time to leisurely fill and frost the cake before going to Nancy's house. Well, if didn't work out that way. I ran out of frosting, with a third of the cake to go. That was entirely my fault, because I whipped the delicious frosting too long, and it wasn't as aerated as it should have been. Also, each layer included raspberry jam, the frosting, and fresh raspberries. The cake was a lot taller than I thought it would be. Also, note that I got carried away with the jam. The picture doesn't capture the crisis that occurred when I tried to pull out the wax paper strips placed under the cake, to keep the cake stand clean as I frosted it. As I gently pulled them off, part of the cake began to break away and slide as well. It happened with each strip. But, I was able to push the cake back together, and it didn't affect the cutting or appearance of the cake.
At this point everything became very helter skelter. I had to make more frosting (which turned out beautifully) to finish the cake, and suddenly realized I had to rush to get it done, in order to get myself ready for the dinner. I finished the cake 20 minutes before the party was to start, grabbed my camera and fired off pictures as quickly as possible. Then, I inadvertantly deleted most of them, and couldn't take more, because my camera battery went dead. Eventually, my husband was able to resurrect a few of the pictures.
My pictures don't do the cake justice. You should go to the other Daring Baker sites, which you can find on the Daring Baker Blogroll. I've seen some of the cakes and they're amazing. Next time you're thinking of making a party cake, give this a try. I certainly will.
Thank you Morven and Dorie! You can find the recipe for this delightful cake on Morven's site.
Now go to Daring Baker Blogroll and prepare to be amazed. We have some true cake artists in our group.
I'm not one of them. But that's OK. Like I always say, I make great bagels.
Something is dawning...is that what whipping too long does to the buttercream? Aaargh! I remember looking at my bowl and thinking..
Love the raspberries against the white! MMmm cake and raspberries, it doesn't get any better!
Posted by: baking soda | March 30, 2008 at 12:13 PM
Nice looking cake! I loved the raw batter too :)
Posted by: Lisa | March 30, 2008 at 01:02 PM
Sometimes I have to wonder but always life seems to keep me on the edge of my seat! Love that you could push it back together!!
It is a wonderfully beautiful cake Sher! The raspberries are really lovely against all the white!
Posted by: MyKitchenInHalfCups | March 30, 2008 at 01:13 PM
Sorry to hear that everything didn't go well, but the cake sure looks elegant!
Posted by: Jerry | March 30, 2008 at 01:28 PM
Looks delicious and beautiful! :)
Posted by: Katie | March 30, 2008 at 01:29 PM
Sher, who wouldn't love an Easter dessert like that?! It's gorgeous!
Posted by: Ivonne | March 30, 2008 at 01:40 PM
Sher, I'm with you and unbaked cake batter. OK unbaked anything batter and dough. I would say your cake looks absolutely wonderful and full of fresh berries it must have been delicious!
Posted by: breadchick | March 30, 2008 at 01:44 PM
Your cake looks wonderful! I'm loving all of the versions with whole berries -yum!
Posted by: Deborah | March 30, 2008 at 02:22 PM
Wow, that looks absolutely gorgeous. I kind of prefer it with the raspberries showing, they look so delicious! I wish I went to your party! I did do the cake twice, so I probably had plenty though!
Posted by: jennywenny | March 30, 2008 at 03:03 PM
Yum. What more can I say? Yum. Yum. Yum. Think I should go and eat breakfast before I try to lick my computer screen! Ela
Posted by: Ela Beach | March 30, 2008 at 03:49 PM
It looks wonderful! I think I beat my buttercream a tad too long too :(
Posted by: RecipeGirl | March 30, 2008 at 05:24 PM
The cake still looks great Sher! I too used fresh raspberries. Well done!
Posted by: Meeta | March 30, 2008 at 08:50 PM
I think the jam and then buttercream caused many person a problem. I rebelled and went buttercream then jam and didn't have the sliding problem.
It turned out just lovely.
Posted by: peabody | March 30, 2008 at 09:13 PM
Mmm...I would take a bagel, yum! Your story is great, what a challenge to make this cake. It looks like it tasted fantastic with all the flavors and textures. Art is in the eye of the beholder. Great job!
Posted by: Gretchen Noelle | March 30, 2008 at 09:51 PM
Your cake looks very pretty! Your overcomed your problems very well... Great job here!
Cheers,
Rosa
Posted by: Rosa | March 31, 2008 at 12:16 AM
I'm sure that what your cake lacked in frosting it made up in berry-licious flavour. It looks great.
Posted by: Morven | March 31, 2008 at 12:53 AM
Beautiful -- like a giant strawberry shortcake!
Posted by: Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) | March 31, 2008 at 05:22 AM
Messy cakes taste the best though....
Way to pull out last-minute buttercream! I would have probably given up and served it without icing on the outside, and called it a torte or something.
Posted by: JennyBakes | March 31, 2008 at 07:12 AM
It looks like you salvaged the cake quite well. Yum!
Posted by: kristi | March 31, 2008 at 07:54 AM
Your cake looks really good. I like the thick layers with the raspberries in the middle.
Posted by: Kevin | March 31, 2008 at 08:14 AM
Your cake looks tall and beautiful!
Posted by: Jenny | March 31, 2008 at 09:22 AM
I think you cake looks great despite your issues!
Posted by: HoneyB | March 31, 2008 at 09:56 AM
That looks incredibly good and difficult to frost! I am giving you a standing ovation for just covering the sides...and you can bake killer bagels?
Posted by: Callipygia | March 31, 2008 at 01:17 PM
that is a beautiful cake..tall and proud :-)
Posted by: sunita | March 31, 2008 at 02:04 PM
This cake looks fabulous! great job and i love the fresh berries in the layers. i however suffered with the buttercream, twice, but i'm determined to get it right soon :)
Posted by: Randi | March 31, 2008 at 03:22 PM
I had the same problem with running out before the rest of the cake was spackled, er frosted. Yours looks lovely and beautifully tall!
Posted by: Butta Buns | March 31, 2008 at 03:23 PM
I had the same problem with running out of icing before spackling, er frosting, the cake. Problems or not, it looks wonderful and you definitely earned that ovation!
Posted by: Butta Buns | March 31, 2008 at 03:26 PM
I have to agree... I love raw cake batter too. Your cake looks great!
Posted by: heather | March 31, 2008 at 05:36 PM
gasp!
breathtakingly beautiful.
the towering creation -- a little scary. ;-))
as in, oops - too bad it fell over, now i'll have to eat the whole thing at once.
thanks for the prettiness.
Posted by: whaleshaman | March 31, 2008 at 06:54 PM
even just with these two photos, I already cried out this cake being beyond perfect! Anyone who recieves this cake is the luckiest person on earth!
Posted by: gattina | April 01, 2008 at 02:20 AM