peanut butter & jelly cake + one year modest marce

 

FIRST BLOGIVERSARY CAKE! what. i really cannot believe that i started modest marce one whole year ago. it was kind of an impulsive decision at the time, working a mundane bank job & desperately needing a creative escape from that 9-5 working life. i didn't know how much work a food blog was going to be if i wanted to do it right. prior to this blog, i started a pretty ghetto food blog in university. its main purpose was to document recipes for myself, because so many times i would bake something delcious & forget what i put in it. i feel like i have learned so much this past year & couldn't be more grateful for everyones support. from what started out as just my mom reading it (thanks mom!) has transformed into something so much more. thank you to everyone who has been following along my adventure & watching me grow (figuratively & literally.. hey, someones gotta eat all that cake)! i cannot wait to see what the future has in store for modest marce. now, i will leave you with this peanut butter & jelly cake! according to justin, the peanut butter cake taste like one giant soft & moist peanut butter cookie. if you want to leave the jam out of the layers, feel free to turn this into the ultimate peanut butter cake. if you are a peanut butter & jelly addict, than this cake is for you. now grab a slice & let's party!!!!

xo

ingredients

for the cake

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

for the frosting

  • 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 3-4 cups powdered sugar, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup jelly, for layering

directions

  • preheat oven to 325 degrees & grease/flour two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans.
  • in a mixing bowl cream butter, sugar & peanut butter until light & fluffy. add eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla extract.
  • mix in oil & milk until combined. sift in flour, baking soda & salt, beat until a smooth batter is formed.
  • evenly divide between batter between the two cake pans & bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick can be inserted clean.
  • once cakes have cooled, begin to make the frosting. using an electric mixture with the paddle attachment add butter, peanut butter, icing sugar & vanilla. mix until light & fluffy, about 5 minutes.
  • to assemble the cakes, start with a layer of cake followed by a layer of frosting & jelly. repeated until the final layer & frost cakes as desired.
  • to decorate as i have, i did a crumb coat & then used a star piping tip to create the zig zag edges. it is an easy technique that doesn't involve a rotating cake stand!

grey cake stand by mosser glass. 

blackberry mojito

 

mojito? mojito! MOJITO!

no.. no one get my OC reference? should i just stick to gilmore girls? okay, so it's pie day & here i am making us some fancy blackberry mojitos to kick off this gloomy monday. i don't know, i don't think i will ever nail one of these trendy or national food days. with how hot the weather has been here lately, i have to accept that winter is over & embrace spring to it's fullest.. starting with these fruity cocktails & fruit pies galore. as if a regular mojito wasn't good enough, i decided to crush some fresh blackerries into the mix. it makes more the most beautiful ombre drink! & everyone knows how much i love my ombre. serving it in the commons hand blown glassware just sweetens the deal even more!

ingredients

(makes one drink)

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon fine sugar
  • 8 fresh mint leaves
  • 8 fresh blackberries
  • 1/2 cup crushed ice
  • 2 ounces white rum
  • 2 ounces club soda

directions

  • in a clear glass add the lime juice, sugar, mint & blackberries. using a muddle, gentley press down ensuring the blackberries are sufficiently muddled & the juices have been released.
  • add ice, white rum & club soda.
  • stir & garnish with fresh mint & a slice of lime.

thank you so much to THE-COMMONS for the gorgeous hand blown glassware. check out the collection here!

MINI EGG EASTER CUPCAKES

 

it's that time of year again.. chocolate mini eggs season! instead of just eating them by the mouth full, i decided it was time to bake with them. this shoot quickly turned into a full blown mini egg shoot, i think i could have done a whole blog post on them alone! cupcakes seemed like the perfect little treat for me.. err the easter bunny. a vanilla based cake with chunks of mini eggs, topped with a creamy vanilla buttercream swirl.

ingredients
(makes 12 cupcakes)

for the cake

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cups sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup chocolate mini eggs, roughly chopped

for the frosting

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 cups icing sugar, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2-3 drops blue food colouring
  • 1/4 cup shredded coconut, for topping
  • 36 mini eggs, for topping

directions

  • preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • in the bowl of a stand mixer cream butter and sugar.
  • add the egg & egg white, mix until light and fluffy.
  • mix in vanilla and oil until combined.
  • in a separate bowl sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. gradually add to stand mixer at low speed, alternating with the milk.
  • beat until batter is smooth & fold in mini eggs.
  • divide batter evenly amongst 12 lined cupcake tins.
  • for the frosting add all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until light and fluffy, about 8-10 minutes.
  • frost as desired. sprinkle with shredded coconut & top with mini eggs.

like what you see? get it here. ceramics by the freaky raku!