I made this cake for my niece's engagement party. It was in the Fall in Brooklyn over looking the East River. She wanted a snickerdoodle cookie inspired cake. It has three components, the cake, the the filling and butter cream. All the recipes are below. It was delicious and I use this recipe all the time. You can use different flavorings and the cake options are endless. This cake is great for stacking cakes and carving! Using cake mix adds sturdiness, a tight, velvet crumb and moistness.
Snicker-doodle Cake
1 Duncan Hines Vanilla Cake Mix
1 cup sugar
1 cup cake flour
1 cup full fat sour cream, room temperature
4 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup whole milk
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
In a stand Mixer, add all ingredients and mix well. Add batter to prepared pans. Bake until cake is springy to the touch. Use a tooth pick. If I am using 8 inch pans it usually take s about 25 minutes.
French Butter Cream
4 cups sugar
1 cup water
6 whole eggs, room temperature
2 1/2 pounds unsalted butter (room temperature and very soft, cubed into small pieces)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
In
a heavy Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, whip eggs with whip attachment until
double in size. While whipping eggs, at this time bring 4 cups sugar
and 1 cup water to a boil in a sauce pan. Have a pastry brush with a
cup of water to gently brush sides of sauce pan as it is boiling. This
prevents the sugar from crystallizing and ruining the syrup. Using a
candy thermometer bring the temp to 236 degrees Fahrenheit.
Please
be super careful, hot syrup can be very dangerous and you should have
experience in the kitchen to do this. When sugar reaches temperature,
slowly pour in to egg mixture while the mixer is on high and whipping
the eggs. Keep the stream of sugar away from the whip while mixing.
You must be careful when doing this.
The eggs will
deflate, continue beating after syrup has been added for another 15
minutes on high until the bowl is cool. I sometimes place a tea towel
on top of my mixer because the mixture is whipping on high and this
helps from having it go all over your kitchen. Keep a close watch. I
would not leave kitchen at this time.
When cool to
touch, you can add the soften butter a cube at a time. Continue to
beat for 8 minutes until it thickens to the consistency of butter cream.
Add vanilla, cinnamon and whip until incorporated. This is just the best butter
cream ever.
My Favorite Easy Cake Mousse Filling
This
mousse is my favorite cake filling. It is super easy and taste great.
I use it all the time. I make different combinations to match my cake
flavors.
Ingredients:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup milk
1 large package of instant jello pudding (any flavor to complement your cake)
1 tsp. vanilla extract or substitute any flavor to complement your cake
3 T. Coffee Creamer to complement your cake flavor
I Added 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Directions:
Mix the milk, heavy cream and pudding mix very well, add extract and
creamer and whip until mixture is thicken. Place in fridge for a few
hours to set.
If you want a fluffier mousse whip another cup of whipping cream until stiff peaks form and gently fold into mousse.
Special Note: You can fold in Oreo Cookie Crumbs, Coconut, Nuts, Jams, Puree, etc.
Make it your own.
Cheese Cake Mousse: You can make a cheesecake mousse by adding one 8 oz. soften cream cheese block to the mousse.
You can use different extracts, coffee creamer flavors. The possibilities are endless.