Cake decorating is not my forte, at all. You might remember that when I took a cake decorating class through Wilton several years ago, I made roses that looked like cabbage heads. My skills are quite comical.
Well, my daughter, Kelly, is currently taking a cake decorating class for 4-H. She seems to be a natural, whipping out pretty designs with little effort. She obviously doesn’t take after her mom. Watching her practice has given me the bug to try and learn again, which is perfect since a couple weeks ago I received an email from Amanda with I Am Baker asking if I would be interested in participating in a Food Styling Challenge. Each month, she has asked one blogger to take on the challenge of making a cake and styling the photo for it on a strict budget. It’s been a fun challenge and if you head over to her blog you can read about my experience with the challenge. You can also see the other pictures I submitted, which include all of the props I purchased and used on my budget.
I decorated the cake above using Amanda’s Rose Cake Tutorial. I can’t believe how incredibly easy it is to make a beautiful cake using her technique. I finally made something that looked less like cabbages and more like roses! I can’t wait to practice the technique more!
Oh, and this recipe? If you love white chocolate like we do, you will love this moist, yet dense cake. Since the kids were the ones eating it, we put a little whimsey in it by adding some sprinkle confetti. The pastel colors don’t show up very well in the photo, but you can imagine the confetti is a fun addition to such an elegant cake.
Thanks, Amanda, for challenging me in such a fun way… I pushed myself to decorate a cake and stick to a budget. Those things don’t happen very often. Friends, make sure to go check it out!
White Chocolate Confetti Cake
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 4 ounces high quality white chocolate squares coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 cups butter softened
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup pastel sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare your baking pans by sprang with Pam Baking Spray (see note at end of recipe regarding pan size).
- Sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt.
- Heat milk in a microwave safe bowl until hot (not scalding or boiling). Stir in the chopped white chocolate pieces and stir until melted.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat butter, sugar and sour cream together until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs and vanilla until well incorporated.
- Turn your mixer to low speed and add melted chocolate mixture followed by the flour mixture. Mix until just combined.
- Turn off mixer and remove bowl. Using a wooden spoon, fold in pastel sprinkles until just incorporated.
- Pour batter into prepared cake pan(s). Note: I baked mine in mini 5 inch spring form pans for 20-23 minutes. For 2 8 inch round pans, bake for 18-20 or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Top with your favorite vanilla buttercream recipe (like this one from I Am Baker)
You are so talented! Thank you so much for sharing your skills and style to this 1st annual challenge… you are the BEST!! Seriously. The best. THANK YOU!!!
Thank you for having me, Amanda! It was a fun challenge 🙂
I think that you did a good job! I would be intimidated by those rose petals.
Thanks, Meagan! It was actually easier than I anticipated. However, next time I’m using Amanda’s crusting buttercream instead of what I did. The frosting was too soft!
It’s so pretty. You did a fantastic job and I love the color!
This looks GORGEOUS. I don’t know what you mean when you say you don’t have any talent,, girl. 😉
I am VERY impressed!!!! I no bakey. 🙂 Or decorate-y.
I am so impressed – that cake is stunning! My Papa used to make wedding cakes as a hobby and I inherited all of his decorating supplies. I really would love to take a class so I can put them to good use!
I love the background and how the pink really pops.
Gorgeous cake, and gorgeous photos! You definitely nailed the project! Beautiful work!
I think you did an amazing job on this cake! It’s gorgeous! And sooooo much better than I could ever do, but that’s not saying much. 😉
You prove that you don’t need a lot of money to style something beautifully! Your cake is so darn pretty! Love Amanda and love you!
What a festive, pretty cake! That’s so great your little girl is getting into baking too. 🙂
Looks beautiful Kristen. I am deco challenged too. I’d rather eat cake than decorate one. Great work.
Sounds good to me!!! You know I can’t say no to cake.
well i think it looks so pretty and sweet…that is such a fun challenge…makes one step out of their comfort zone! kuddos! and you get to eat cake too. yeah
That is such a beautiful cake you did a great job. I took cake decorating classes almost 24 years ago. One cake we had to make was making clowns out of frosting draped on the cake. All my clowns looked drunk. I ended up buying the miniature plastic beer cans, beer mugs and champagne bottles and placed them on the cake with my drunken clowns, it looked so much better.
That is a gorgeous cake! I love the pink color of the icing and the fun sprinkles you added in the batter. Such a fun challenge – you did great!
You did a great job! Better than I could do! I give you major props. I suck at icing and do not even attempt cake, cookie, or cupcake decorating.
It’s beautiful!!!! I love the pink….you conquered the challenge!
What a fun idea Amanda had! I love that you accepted the challenge and then rocked it! That’s amazing…… looks beautiful and I can imagine it tastes equally delicious. PS ~ I love that you shared with Amanda how you purchased the items at Goodwill… great tips!
Oh my goodness! I think your cake is perfect! What a fun challenge from I Am Baker too. Your pictures, as always, are beautiful.
This is absolutely gorgeous, Kristen – and the styling is perfect!
What a fun challenge and a really pretty cake.
Loved your post…and pictures!!! So pretty! And I think you did a great job decorating the cake 🙂
It’s beautiful! I’m a terrible cake decorator, did those Wilton classes too, and I can say… that cake looks lovely. 🙂
And white chocolate in the batter… yay! Love it.
This cake is gorgeous…I think you did a fantastic job. I’m sure it tastes even better too! 🙂
I like the background, looks kinda vintage and there’s a giant slice of cake missing??
I meant to say what lucky person got the missing slice 🙂
It’s beautiful, so feminine and has a vintage touch.
Simply gorgeous, really a beautiful cake.
You’re obviously a natural, because it turned out beautifully Kristen! Also, what a fun way to challenge yourself!
I am curious to find out what blog system you are using?
I’m having some small security problems with my latest website and I would like to find something more risk-free. Do you have any suggestions?
That cake looks great! Of course anything with pink buttercream is awesome in my book 🙂
Hi! Just tried this recipe with my own twist. I added a secret ingredient (I do it to ALL of my cakes). It came out AMAZING. I tried in an 8″ square pan and a jumbo muffin tin. The muffins came out PERFECT! However, on the cake, the sprinkles sunk to the bottom and drifted to the sides. Next time, I’ll coat them with a little flour to avoid that issue. Otherwise, an awesome recipe! Thanks!
Today, I went to the beach front with my children. I found
a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She placed the shell to her ear and screamed.
There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear. She
never wants to go back! LoL I know this is completely off topic but I had to tell someone!