My neighbor has a little girl whose birthday was today... and being the sweet neighbor that she is she asked if I would make the cake. I love when people ask me things like that! Baking for friends and family is one of my greatest joys.
Anyway, she just said, "Its Nevaeh's (Heaven backwards) birthday, she likes butterfly's and chocolate and girly stuff. Go to it!"
So being the daring baker I am I made a chocolate cake with vanilla frosting. (has anyone invented a sarcasm font yet?)
And used the colors of the rainbow. Except indigo. Does anyone use indigo anymore?
I just made some of my royal icing and piped on butterfly's.
Not including baking, it took about an hour.
Here is the recipe I used.. for half of the cake. The other half was from a box. Its a LONG story why I made a three level cake with only one level from scratch. But it is a boring long story so I will spare you the details.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups sugar
- 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks.
This is one of those cakes that anyone can do... so I hope you try it! Be sure to take lots of pictures...and make it yours!
***
On a totally unrelated topic, would you like to see my kitchen? I just posted some pictures that should have NEVER been made public. Yes, they are that bad!
Precious by Amazing Amanda!
Posted by: BethieofVA | Apr 02, 2010 at 09:37 PM
ahhhh! I LOVE it. how cute is that. you're amazing! Thanks for your sweet email you sent earlier today, and you are totally welcome! Im so happy to share your amazingness with everyone. :)
Posted by: libby | Apr 02, 2010 at 09:41 PM
the cake is BEAUTIFUL! you always do such amazing and creative things. :)
Posted by: Amanda | Apr 02, 2010 at 09:43 PM
What an AWESOME cake!! I want to just reach in the screen and take a little lick of a butterfly!!
Posted by: Liz | Apr 02, 2010 at 09:44 PM
What a beautiful cake. Naveah came over today and said "My neighbor Amanda......the one who's been on TV, is making my b-day cake for me" So cute, and she was all proud. Have a blessed Easter Amanda!!
Posted by: tammy | Apr 02, 2010 at 09:45 PM
Love it! Did you free hand the butterflies? Or did you use a template?
Posted by: Joy Ellis | Apr 02, 2010 at 09:46 PM
Sooooo pretty!
Posted by: Sue | Apr 02, 2010 at 09:57 PM
I love the bright colors. But now you HAVE to tell us about the three tiered cake fiasco.
And did you use a small cookie cutter to put the butterfly shapes on the side of the cake as an outline? That butterfly looks just like the one we used today when making sugar cookies!
Posted by: Lorie | Apr 02, 2010 at 10:04 PM
Wow. Wow. Wow. I LOVE your stuff. Wish you were my neighbor. :) I'd ask you to bake for my kids... birthday cakes or cookies... wouldn't matter. :) Andrew so badly wants me to make him a general grievous cookie... not gonna happen! LOL... I told him I'd make him some dough and he could have at it. :)
Have a blessed Easter weekend.
Kari
Posted by: Kari | Apr 02, 2010 at 10:15 PM
What a gorgeous fun cake! I love all of the rainbow colors :)
Posted by: Katie | Apr 02, 2010 at 10:19 PM
Pretty, colorful, and yummy I'm sure! Great job!
Posted by: Renee | Apr 02, 2010 at 10:42 PM
What a wonderful friend and neighbour you are and such a wonderful sense of humour too. Nevaeh must be the happiest little birthday girl. Your cake has the fresh sweetness of Spring all over it. Happy Easter Amanda.
Posted by: Paula | Apr 02, 2010 at 10:54 PM
You are wonderful.
Posted by: Kate | Apr 02, 2010 at 11:08 PM
OH my goodness. The cute factor is just killing me. Can you be my neighbor? Adorable.
Posted by: cherylene | Apr 03, 2010 at 12:27 AM
How adorable. I love the piped butterflies - I'm not sure I have a steady enough hand to pipe all those!
Posted by: Emma @ Poires au Chocolat | Apr 03, 2010 at 02:49 AM
I'm guessing that Neveah was thrilled with this cake - it is absolutely adorable!! Love all the bright colors! You are an awesome neighbor!!
Posted by: Aimee | Apr 03, 2010 at 07:13 AM
Simply beautiful! Bu tthat comment about only taking an hour???? Seriously??? Now you are just showing off!! Just kidding!! I love your decorated goodies and your web site!! Keep those recipes coming. Mine won't look like yours but they can maybe, just maybe taste like yours!! I really love this cake.
Posted by: Judy Moyer | Apr 03, 2010 at 07:37 AM
i wrote to you a while ago about seeing if you could make cookies for my sons party that is next sunday..you never answered back..would it still be possible?? you should have 2 emails from me..thanks!
julie
Posted by: Julie | Apr 03, 2010 at 08:30 AM
Your piping skills are unbelievable. But, I already knew that :P
Beautiful cake!
Happy Easter!
Posted by: Kaitlin | Apr 03, 2010 at 08:41 AM
That is an absolutely gorgeous cake - I am sure your neighbor's little girl was thrilled to have such a beautiful cake for her birthday!
Posted by: Shelley | Apr 03, 2010 at 08:59 AM
Beautiful! I'm amazed by your talent. The design is fantastic. Oh, and indigo doesn't count. I say so.
Posted by: Mrs. Mordecai | Apr 03, 2010 at 10:21 AM
Awesome again Amanda! BTW, my daughter's middle name is Nevaeh.
Posted by: Crystal | Apr 03, 2010 at 12:12 PM
You must have one steady hand! I would have smashed half the cake trying to do that. Incredible :)
Posted by: Mary | Apr 03, 2010 at 04:25 PM
Amanda! :]
I don't speak english...:( but, google translation :D
I love your ART! =D - (eu amo sua arte!)
Congratulations! (Parabéns!)
B-l-e-s-s-e-d hands !! Your Flickr is beautiful :}
Kisses from Brasil for you :}
Vinni
São Paulo - Brasil)
http://amehliadigital.blogspot.com
Posted by: Vinni | Apr 03, 2010 at 05:53 PM
Love your cake...so fun with all of those vibrant colors! Thanks for sharing your kitchen pictures too! Don't feel bad, my kitchen gets just as messy whenever I take on baking projects too...sometimes all your energy is drained during the baking and decorating that you just need to wait a day or two to clean up the clutter!
Posted by: Lauren @ Crave. Indulge. Satisfy. | Apr 03, 2010 at 06:13 PM
I don't know HOW you made all those butterflies look so identical to each other. Fantastic!
Posted by: MommyTopics.com | Apr 03, 2010 at 06:55 PM
What a cute cake! I bet she loved it. Here's a question for ya... how do you store your cakes when you make them the night before? I just made your faith cake for Easter tomorrow and I don't have a glass dome be enough to cover it. So, I had to stab it full of toothpicks so that I could keep the saran wrap off the icing.
Posted by: Lisa | Apr 03, 2010 at 09:22 PM
The butterFLIES look perfect! Wow. I love the girl's name!! What a fantastic idea.
Posted by: Memoria | Apr 03, 2010 at 10:45 PM
so, so pretty...my daughter (and son for that matter) loves butterflies...so wish you were my neighbor so i could recruit your baking skills on our birthdays...you have such a steady hand to do so many fine details so perfectly alike...pretty rainbow colors...
Posted by: denise | Apr 04, 2010 at 12:41 AM
My daughter's BD is coming up and she loved this cake. It is beautiful! Looks like a lot of work to put all of those butterflies on...wow!
Posted by: Michelle | Apr 04, 2010 at 01:43 PM
I am SO stealing this idea! My daughter would love it!
Posted by: Grapefruit | Apr 05, 2010 at 01:29 AM
Amanda, You continually inspire me....really. Every time I stop by I cannot get over your creativity. Hope you had a blessed Easter.
Posted by: Almota Roses | Apr 05, 2010 at 12:59 PM
What a totally girly pretty cake!!
Posted by: holly | Apr 05, 2010 at 05:51 PM
Oh, how darling!
Posted by: Villagedonut | Apr 05, 2010 at 05:56 PM
This is beautiful!! The colors are splendid. I'm sure she absolutely loved this cake!
Posted by: Maranda | Apr 05, 2010 at 08:03 PM
What a nice neighbor and a very lucky little girl. Your cake is a work of art.
Posted by: Ciaochowlinda | Apr 06, 2010 at 09:41 AM
I would DIE for that cake OMG rainbow overload<3<3<3
Posted by: Maurie | Apr 07, 2010 at 05:30 PM
So pretty!
Posted by: Diane {createdbydiane.blogspot.com} | Apr 12, 2010 at 12:51 AM
Wow amazing! Super gorgeous cake!
Posted by: Year Old Birthday Party Ideas | Mar 29, 2011 at 07:22 AM
Rather actually! And did you use a small cookie cutter to put the butterfly shapes on the side of the cake as an outline? That butterfly looks just like the one we used today when making sugar cookies!
Posted by: Camarad | Sep 06, 2011 at 05:00 AM