~.~ Little Lamb's Kitchen ~.~: 28 Mar 11 (Mon) - Red Velvet Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Slept really early on Sunday night coz I knew I have to be up early the next day to start my preparation for the event. That night I was contemplating if I should do a pink marble cake or red velvet cake. In the end I decided to do the red velvet cake coz I was going to do lemon cream cheese frosting which was going to be off white color. Got up around 7+am on Monday morning and started baking by 8am. My sis commented that I was so early in baking but I said nothing. It took me about 45 minutes to do the preparation of the ingredients to putting the cake batter into the oven.

Managed to put the two cake tins side by side in the oven and set it to bake at 160 degree celsius for 25 minutes. Chatted with my sis while waiting. The oven beeped when the time was up and again the cakes peaked like the one I had on Saturday. Did the satay stick test and it came out clean for both the cakes. However, the cakes still felt a bit moist so I let them baked for another 3 minutes before taking them out to cool. Took them out of the cake tins after 5 minutes and cooled them further on a wire rack.

My sis was eating her breakfast on one end of the table while I lined other end with papers. Used a knife to cut away the peaked portion from the two cakes and offered one piece to her while I ate the other piece as breakfast. The cake wasn't as red as I had intended it to be. Think I probably didn't add enough red food coloring. After eating, I went on to do the frosting using the other recipe with a higher proportion of cream cheese and added a bit of milk and lemon juice to it. Again, in my haste, I forgot to clear away the crumbs on the cake and to chill the frosting before use. So I had to work with a slightly runny frosting which tasted great but difficult to handle.

By then my sis was already done eating her breakfast and resting on the sofa while I did my best to do my frosting. Used one of the cake tins as stand, spread the top of one of the cake with frosting, then place the other cake on top of it. Frosted the side to seal the cake then spread the rest of the frosting all over the cake and it took me quite a while to make the cake looked decent. After I was done, transferred the cake to the cake plate which I had bought, brought it to the kitchen and sprinkled some colored rice crisp around the bottom of the cake before putting the cake into the fridge to chill.

Cleared the table and kitchen before heading out to Tampines to get lunch, flowers and some icing deco for the cake. Well, I had underestimated the amount of frosting to make and so it was only enough to cover the cake but didn't have extra for piping deco. Anyway, the frosting was not suitable to do piping or deco. Headed off to get lunch then to the flower shop at Tampines 1 basement to get a single stalk bouquet at $12 before going to The Icing Room to get icing deco in the shape of flower at $2 for 3.

Headed back and ate my lunch, took some photos of the cake before putting the three icing deco onto the cake and took a few more photos. Initially I thought I could hide the cake from my niece and nephew in the cake box that I bought but I underestimate the height of the cake so in the end I had to risk my nephew asking to eat the cake. The rest of the day was normal, went swimming with my sis and then helped her with the cooking. Ate dinner with the rest and then while watching tv, I couldn't resist and told my niece about my plan which was to set up the flowers and the cake with candle while my sis was taking her shower, then light the candle when she walked out of her room. My niece then passed the message to her older brother.

So finally my sis came out from her room after shower and it was already 9+pm. Lit the candle and waited for her. I thought my niece would come out with her but she didn't, my nephew was glued to the laptop, engrossed in his games while my BIL was snoozing on the sofa. Either my sis's didn't seem surprise by the cake and flowers or she had concealed it very well. I took photos of her with the cake and also when she cut the cake. Then I brought plates and forks to eat the cake.

My niece came out and my sis cut a slice for her, then for me and for herself. My BIL was not a cake lover and so didn't offer him any and after sometime, my nephew came over for the cake. My niece went for second helping and then my sis cut half of the remaining cake for me to bring to office as breakfast while the other half was kept in the fridge for the next day. My sis commented that the frosting was softer this time and not as sweet as the one I made last Saturday. After she cleared the table and cleaned the dishes, she went to rest on the sofa while my niece did her homework at the dining table. My BIL continued to snooze and my nephew continued with his games.

I had this idea of baking a cake for my sis on her birthday since last year and last year I failed miserably coz the cake came out hard as rock. I was glad this year the idea came through. Initially I thought we could all gather around to celebrate my sis birthday and I could have a photo taken with her and the cake but that didn't come true. I don't know whether I should be happy that I manage to accomplish the mission of baking a decent cake for my sis or disappointed at the outcome of my plan. Whatever the case, I hope she was able to feel the effort that I had put in and be happy.