Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Pizza Cake


What do you get when you have an excited birthday girl and a very tired mommy? Pizza cake! Sammy had a few of her friends over for a sleepover birthday party and let me tell you, it was a hoot. And even though we had loads of fun, I didn't have the energy to put together a fancy birthday cake, so instead I made a basic round cake that I sliced in half to create a skinny round cake, topped it with cream cheese frosting {that I tried to dye red, but got pink}, then added yellow Startbursts candy for the pineapples, black licorice for the olives and fruit roll-ups for the pepperoni. Oh, and I grated white chocolate for the cheese. I think it turned out great. I served it on a pizza peel. HA!

Here's the recipe for the cake:

Yellow Butter Cake
from Martha Stewart's Cooking School
Ingredients:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
3 cups cake flour, sifted
2 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat over to 350, with racks in the middle oven.
Brush two 9-inch round cake pans with softened butter and line bottoms with parchment paper; butter parchment. Dust pan with flour, and tap out excess.

Whisk together both flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 6 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

Reduce speed to medium and add eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate fully after each and scraping down the sides of bowl as needed. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk and ending with the flour. Beat in the vanilla. The batter should be smooth and very thick.

Divide batter between prepared cake pans, smoothing tops with an offset spatula. Bake, until cakes spring back when lightly touched, and a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

Transfer to wire racks; let cool 20 minutes. Carefully run a paring knife around the edge of the cakes to loosen.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
from Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans
Makes 3 cups

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups powered sugar

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly blended, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing.

Add the powdered sugar, mixing until smooth, about 1 minute, then beat on medium speed for 1 minute to lighten the frosting further. Add flavor or food coloring as desired.

1 comment:

  1. I'm so glad you posted these two recipes. I've been meaning to ask you for them. Will you post your chocolate chip cookie one too if you haven't already! Gloria

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