Cake recipe needed

[Vanquisher]

Nellie, I would like to do a TO DIE FOR cake for my b-day party this weeked. Something original. Something sweet. Something I can decorate.

I was thinking of doing one of the food network cakes from the wedding cake throwdown.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_bt ... 02,00.html

I like the idea of the mexican chocolate cinnamon vanilla one because we are doing a Mexican theme.

Do you have anything that will knock my socks off? Anyone?

That one does sound good. I wonder if it would be too peppery? I love the idea of the Mexican hot chocolate flavor. You could also reverse the flavors and do a mexican hot chocolate cake and a cinnamon buttercream.

Sounds like fun! Let me know what you decide.

The other cake -- chocolate blackout with coconut also sounds yum but I love coconut. Again with the ancho powder though?

I'm thinking of a few springish cakes but they don't really go with a Cinco de Mayo theme. I made a white cake with lemon curd filling and a marshmallow-y meringue frosting a few weeks ago. Or chocolate cake with peppermint whipped cream frosting. I'll keep thinking.

[Vanquisher]

That one does sound good. I wonder if it would be too peppery? I love the idea of the Mexican hot chocolate flavor. You could also reverse the flavors and do a mexican hot chocolate cake and a cinnamon buttercream.

That sounds good. How do you think I could do that? Should I use the chocolate blackout cake recipe and add peppers to it? How much? The cinammon vanilla buttercream seems easy enough to figure out on my own. I could also just use a Duncan Hines Cake and add some cayenne?

Sounds like you are interested in chocolate. Since that is my favorite I would want chocolate too. I did think of another idea though. You could do a coconut cake with lime curd in the layers and then a coconut frosting.

re: the mexican chocolate. If you want a stronger pepper flavor, I think those proportions in the recipe would work. I just don't like the super-peppery mexican chocolate that much myself. The first sip is interesting but it is overpowering after that. Just my two cents.

When I make Mexican chocolate brownies, I use the regular recipe and add some cinnamon, a pinch of cayenne, a grind of pepper, and a few drops of almond extract. I would do the same for a cake but add a little more because the recipe probably yields more. Maybe 1-2 tsp of cinnamon and two or three pinches/grinds of the other stuff?

[Vanquisher]

Thanks, Annie! I'm probably not going to do any very fancy decorating this time though! Just Happy Birthday written on top!

LOL

http://www.wilton.com/recipes/recipesan ... tacake.cfm

http://www.wilton.com/recipes/recipesan ... garita.cfm

Just thinking?

Margarita cake sounds good! Cute! Or margarita cheesecake?

[Vanquisher]

I'm still voting for the first Mexican Chocolate. Bob Flay usually has good recipes...although he's not exactly a pastry chef, you know? :huh:

The mexican chocolate one was the recipe of the pastry chef though.

I'm concerned though about it being too peppery, as Nellie mentioned. I loves me some chocolate though. Trying to think of how I can work that in. Yummmm.

Nellie, do you have any funky, fun chocolate cakes that are fantastic?

I'm not a fancy decorator like you and Jenn. I think the Rose Levy Beranbaum and another chocolate cake recipe I have are tried and true.

I love the mexican chocolate idea and think it would be a great fit for your theme. Maybe just cut the pepper back by half? Or keep the cayenne and skip the ancho?

[DCJenn]

OMG- you guys, seriously, keep the heat- the combination is amazing.

Theres a restuarant here in town that makes a spicy chocolate cake...orgasm on a fork.

it you want to do something fruity, make a margarita pie. I think you use pretzels for the crust of what is basically a key lime pie.

Jenn

Listen to Jenn and go for it or make a small batch.

I just don't like the heat that much. I think the first few bites are interesting and then... :huh: . But I do love the cinnamon and a subtle amount of heat. I'm picky.

[DCJenn]

The cinnamon in the frosting kind of counter balances the heat in the cake. Call the restaurant (Cafe Paladar) http://www.cafe-mariposa.com/page2.html and ask for Lisa. (She's the lead staff and she does her own catering as well. She's been attempting to perfect her own mexican chocolate cake but gave up because the one at the restaurant is perfect. She can give you the skinny (no pun intended) on which chiles the chef uses.

Tell her that you're a friend of a friend of the Gonzales'

Jenn

[Vanquisher]

Jenn,

I'm am way too big of a weenie to do that! Wanna do it for me for a birthday present?

[DCJenn]

I'll see what I can do.

(I do know a heck of a lot of people for not being from here, huh?)

Jenn

[Vanquisher]

Get me the whole recipe, and I will love you forever!

I need to make a field trip.