Bakin it Homemade and Semi-Homemade Style

Getting ready to start baking!

Yes I baked my FIRST homemade cake!! I am a HUGE believer in a cake out of a box. Doing this I will add some extra ingredients to make it Semi-Homemade (yep Food Channel plug). I baked because our son Gabriel turned one. I was going to blog each day the events that took place but between baking, party plans, decorating, hosting, Christmas, and ya da da...time got away. So I am updating everything now.

Mmm, cake batter! It looks like Red Velvet

I always wanted to make his cake. Even before I had kids, I knew I was baking the 1st cake. This being said, there were many times I semi dialed a local baker for them to do it! In the end I am glad I did it myself. I accomplished something I have never down before (baking a homemade cake) and learned a GREAT lesson in the process - TAKE CAKE DECORATING CLASSES NOW!!

Ready to go into the oven *Fingers Crossed*

I knew I was going to have two different flavors of cake - one was chocolate for sure and the other one took awhile to come to me. Then I was looking up Red Velvet cakes and I decided to use Paula Deen's recipe. The recipe calls to make cupcakes but I just used round cake pans. I personally didn't care for the cake. Maybe because I didn't have a sifter, didn't really taste red velvet to me, or who knows. Guests said they enjoyed it so that is all that matters. I also used her frosting and it was good, but I am a Butter Cream lover. Next time I will make a Butter Cream Frosting.

Now we are talking - CHOCOLATE!!!

For the Chocolate Cake I used Granny Root's (Granny Thank You for sharing this recipe) Vulgar Chocolate cake. Every time I make this I get so many "ohh" "WOW" and have even turned a non chocolate person into a chocolate person with this cake! I have made this cake so many times I could do it with my eyes closed. This being said I messed up the cake (pictures to come)!!!! Maybe it had something to do with being on my feet for 12 hours cooking food, baking, decorating house, while entertaining a one year old (Nathan worked the night before so he was asleep). 9:30 at night came and I told the Cake gods I am through.

Looking good and smells devine

BTW - if you are bored reading this, don't give up on me yet!!!!! I have a wonderful story about turning my kitchen into Smurf Land and even myself ;)

Cooling...truly hope they taste as good as they smell


WTH!!!!! This has never happened before

So here comes the Smurf Land Kitchen. After doctoring the cake-cutting top layer to make flat, filling in the hole since part of chocolate decided to stay in the pan, making the frosting, and making room in frigerature to hold the cake-came the part of decorating. I got the cake idea from one of my favorite blogs Everyday Celebrating.

So I bought Wilton's Cake Spray in color of blue-matched color theme. To give credit to Wilton, on the can it does say cover working space. However, they fail to mention to cover the whole FREAKIN kitchen!!!!! I just covered the area I was working on. I didn't cover the floor, cabinet doors, sink, other side of counterspace, or the inside of my nose!!! Yes you just read that correctly - inside of my nose!

See after I was done spray painting the cake blue, I looked up and saw this blue tint on everything. At first I thought my eyes were still seeing blue from the cake but after 5 minutes, nothing changed. I ran my hand on things, and I realized my eyes really did see blue and it was EVERYWHERE!!!!

Now, I know you are about to scroll down looking for the blue picture but I have to break it to you...there is not a picture. See at this time, Gabriel was in bed asleep dreaming of balloons and opening present the next day, Nathan was on his way home (any minute) from picking up his mom from the airport, and the only thing running in my was "Ohhh, Snap" (honestly it was really the bad word but I will keep it clean here), clean this mess up before Nathan and Beverly get here!!!!!! So I started scrubbing and cleaning and asking myself "Why O' Why didn't I just call the baker" and returned the kitchen back to white - whiter than it was when we moved in I say!

So some of you may be thinking, Rachel will never do this experience again....WRONG!!!! I laugh about it now. I look at pictures from the party and just smile. I truly am glad that I made the cake. It was a huge hit and hubby just smiled at me.

The cake!

~*~The cake stand I created. I do not own a cake stand-weird I know considering how much I host parties!! Anywho, it was super easy and gave the table and cake a little something extra. Plus, I can put it under the tree each year as a reminder how time flies raising your children!~*~

Side View

**I will confess though that Gabe' smash cake came from Kroger** We have given Gabriel cake twice - 1st birthday pictures and actual day of his birthday (17th). Both times he refused to touch, play, and eat the cake. So I justified that making a 4 layer cake that was homemade, I could serve him a store bought cupcake. Day of party I was glad that I didn't stress or worry over his smash cake because after blowing out the candle.....he again didn't touch it!!!!

Candle came from a seller off Etsy

Almost forgot.....if you use the spray (I will again but now I know to cover everthing), I highly suggest wearing gloves, apron, and a mask...yes a mask. See the day of the party I got up ready to par-tay!! Before I jumped in the shower I blew my nose and saw how I had blue-BLUE-snot!! Lordy I just laughed, shook my head, and took a extra long shower to make sure all blue was gone from my body.