Cue the Mennonites

     Thursday, one more sleep until.... You guessed it, Movita's deadline. I feel like a kid at Christmas. Because I'm sure there will be doubts as to the veracity of my claim I did indeed make said cake, the pure awesomeness, I have carefully documented the process. Each. Painful. Step.

     Having fumbled my way through perfected the decorating, it was time to turn to the frosting. It had to be good. It had to be great. I knew what I had to do. Bring out the big guns. Cue the Mennonites.

     I had my people call their people, explaining the situation. Knowing of Movita they understood my dilemma and sprang into action. And what to my wondering eyes did appear? Fresh churned Mennonite butter, just what I needed for an incredible buttercream frosting.

     I had already decided on the cake, sorry no spoilers, you'll have to wait until tomorrow, but I had to decide between chocolate or vanilla frosting. Being the trooper I am, I made both. Tested both. Ate both.These are the lengths I'll go to, the trials I will endure. How I suffer for my art.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1 pound icing sugar, sifted about 3-4 cups

3 tablespoons of milk/cream

1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions

Place butter in a bowl and beat until light, like you would if creaming butter and sugar together.

Add the icing sugar one cup at a time, beating until the sugar is well incorporated each time.

Add vanilla

Add milk/cream one tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

Thin with milk/cream, thicken with icing sugar. 

     I only used 3 cups of sugar and 2 tablespoons of whipping cream and it was perfect. I also used 3/4 cup of butter and 1/4 cup of vegetable shortening. Mixing the two gives the amazing taste of the butter with the stability, higher melting point, of the shortening.  You can mix it half and half if it is going to be hot where you are taking the cake. Don't want the icing to melt and run.

    Mine tasted like French vanilla ice cream. I had to stop eating spoons of it or there would have been none left to ice the cake.

     Don't soften the butter in the microwave, just don't. Plan ahead and leave it out to bring it to room temperature. Micowaving melts part of the butter as it softens it and that can make everything greasy and curdled looking. Not what you're looking for.

     To make chocolate add 1/2 - 3/4 cup of cocoa powder or 3-4 oz of melted chocolate to the above recipe. 

     Whipping the butter and shortening

I should have been using the paddle attachment

Adding the sugar

Switched the beater

Sugar all in

Stiff and a little grainy looking

After a little cream, smooth and delicious

You can see the texture difference, right?

Getting down to some serious chocolate

     I used recipes and tips from two sites, here and here and kind of combined them. Both are great reads, full of all kinds of good stuff. Be sure to stop by both if you are looking for recipes, tips or ideas on cake making or decorating. You'll be glad you did.

     Thank you to my aunt Susan for getting the butter for me and the Mennonite community around Meaford for making it. My waistline might not thank you but my taste buds sure do.

     Don't forget to tune in tomorrow for the finale, the grand reveal, the cake.