Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Baking with AG

In addition to the adorable raincoats, my mom also got Jonathan his very own apron. We do a lot of baking when AG is in town and he loves to help out. I need to include him more when I cook and bake when AG isn't here but so often I've already started dinner by the time they get home from school that there is nothing left for him to do. Anyway here he is in his adorable Hatley Dinosaur Apron.
The first thing he got to bake wearing his new apron was mommy's birthday cake. Normally mom and I go for a boxed cake mix but this year we got brave and made a cake from scratch. We made this Chocolate Cake. It was tasty but a little dry. Mom thinks we might have over mixed it but having never made a cake in the food processor before we had no idea what we were doing. I think we're lucky it came out as a cake and not a chocolate brick!
Jonathan thought the food processor was pretty cool. Sometimes loud noises freak him out but not this time. He just covered his little ears and watched the cake batter go round and round, maybe a little too long!
The next morning, after the cake had time to cool completely, it was time to make the frosting. We have used the same buttercream recipe for years. It's divine, I could eat it with a spoon.
1/2 cup butter
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
4 - 5 tablespoons milk or cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Salt, a few grains
Cream butter; add sugar, gradually, stirring or mixing until well blended. Add salt. Stir in liquid, a little at a time, adding just enough to have a good creamy consistency. Beat until light and fluffy. Add flavoring.
This kind of mess is what will happen if you don't add the powdered sugar gradually. I put a little much in and Jonathan turned the mixer on to a high speed. Poof!
Of course everyone knows the best part of making frosting is licking the beater when you are done. Don't worry he thoroughly brushed his teeth when we were done.
Then he got the opportunity to try his hand at frosting the cake. This didn't last too long. We didn't add all the cream and the frosting was a little too thick to spread easily. He got frustrated and moved on to better things.
And of couse really the best part is the eating the cake. Jonathan decided to abondon the fork method and just eat the cake with his hands. Cute kid!

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