Oh wow! How cool is that!? Chapter 39 of Claire's Crazy Bakes and Kitchen Hacks coincides perfectly with my 39th birthday, and, it's all about cake!
this pic was taken when we did the other upside-down vanilla/ chocolate combo cupcakes for Nick's birthday: see below.
Well, the proof is in the pudding, and the pudding was delicious. We combined my gorgeous chocolate cake recipe with a lovely and rich vanilla buttercream icing so that Aime could experiment with colors and my new piping apparatus (which is a serious upgrade from the messy piping bags - which I can gladly say I have put to rest at the back of the cupboard).
apparatus ready for children to lick clean! Arguably their favorite part of helping me bake!
I decided to bake a ring cake using a springform tin - because we didn't have patience for fighting with layers and still wanted a pretty big cake. I love spring form tins because there's no fighting to get the cake out. You just let it cool down, undo the buckle, and out it comes! Obviously, I use baking paper and spray and cook to prevent sticking, but the spring form time just makes everything just that much easier. You do have to be careful that the base is properly locked in place though if you want to avoid cake batter or the entire cake falling on the floor.
I then purposefully kept some batter behind and used it to try out these awesome silicone heart-shaped cupcake molds! Aren't they amazing? They require no liners and just pop out. It still freaks me out a bit, putting them in the oven. I'm convinced they'll melt, but honestly, they're fantastic and the cupcakes just pop right out.
So I did the baking, and Aime and her friend did the icing, and I must say that the flavor of the rich dark chocolate base and the vanilla icing actually worked really well together. Like a Cadbury's Top-deck cake!
For Nick's Birthday, ( 
for my flop-proof, moist, and decadent chocolate recipe check this post out: Claire's Crazy Cakes, Bakes and Kitchen Hacks: Chapter 3 - Ultimate Chocolate Cake
For vanilla buttercream icing, check this post out: Claire's Crazy Cakes, Bakes and Kitchen Hacks: Chapter 21 - What to do when a Unicorn poops on your cupcakes 🦄🦄🍥🍥/ Moist Vanilla Cupcakes with Purple Glitter Unicorn Frosting
Well, it's almost time for Chapter 40 of this series. I'll have to come up with something really special for this one! Thank you for everyone who has been following and supporting me on my cooking and baking journey <3