Cinco de Mayo

Margarita Cake ft. Tequila-Lime Frosting

If you're not watching the Kentucky Derby with a mint julep in hand this weekend, then you must be celebrating Cinco de Mayo with a margarita in that very hand. Though Cinco de Mayo has only been officially observed in the United States since 2005, this year actually marks the 150th 'anniversary' of the significant 1862 victory over the French in the quest for Mexican independence.

I've made many batches of margarita cupcakes and it's an all-time favorite. Margaritas come in so many flavors now - I chose to use a margarita mixer for this recipe, but you can substitute with any type of juice to suit your taste.

If you use an actual white cake mix and only egg whites, the cake comes out light and fluffy so you won't feel guilty if you go for another round. Garnish with lime, sugar on the rim, and a little protection from the elements.

margarita cake
1 box white cake mix
3 egg whites
3/4 c. margarita mix
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. tequila
1/2 tsp. salt
--
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease pans with butter or a non-stick spray like PAM. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric beater to combine cake mix, egg whites, vegetable oil, tequila, margarita mix and salt, on a low speed for 1 minute and a high speed for 1 minute. Pour batter into pans until each is 2/3 of the way full. Bake according to the times on the back of the mix box, depending on the types of pans you are using.

tequila-lime frosting
1/2 c. vegetable shortening or butter
4 c. confectioners sugar
2-3 tbsp. tequila
2-3 tbsp. lime juice (~ 2 limes, squeezed)
dash of salt
--
Beat shortening, tequila, lime juice, and salt in large mixing bowl until blended. Add powdered sugar into bowl one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition until frosting has thickened. Add water by the tablespoon if frosting is too thick.

The Derby

Chocolate Bourbon Cake ft. Mint Julep Frosting + Walnut Streusel

This beaut came about by the mare suggestion of my co-worker Jeff, who mentioned the upcoming Kentucky Derby and how it could serve as a source of inspiration for a cake creation. The 138th Kentucky Derby will take place this Saturday (coincidentally coinciding with Cinco de Mayo and thus dividing party-goers between their mint juleps and margaritas - or maybe they'll just resort to double-fisting).

The mint julep cocktail (mint, bourbon, sugar, water) originated in the South sometime during the early 20th century and has been linked to and promoted by the Kentucky Derby since 1938. Then there's that chocolate and walnut pie-that-shall-not-be-named (R) which is also infamous around those parts.

To top it all off, I got the chance to practice making frosting roses to represent the garland of red roses which is presented to the winning horse and jockey. Garnish with mint leaves and it's off to the races.

chocolate bourbon cake
1 box chocolate cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. bourbon
dash of salt
--
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease pans with butter or a non-stick spray like PAM. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric beater to combine eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, salt, and bourbon, on a low speed for 1 minute. Slowly add in cake mix and  beat on a high speed for 1 minute. Pour batter into greased pans until each is 2/3 of the way full. Bake according to the times on the back of the mix box, depending on the types of pans you are using.

mint julep frosting
1/2 c. vegetable shortening or butter
4 c. powdered sugar
1-2 tsp. mint extract (creme di menthe)
1-2 tbsp. bourbon
water as needed
--
Beat shortening, mint extract, and bourbon in large mixing bowl until blended. Add powdered sugar into bowl one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition until frosting has thickened. Add water by the tablespoon if frosting is too thick.

walnut streusel
1 c. walnuts, chopped
1 tbsp. bourbon
1 tsp. mint extract
1 tbsp. brown sugar
--
In a small dish, mix bourbon, mint extract, and brown sugar. Toss walnuts in this mixture, lay on baking sheet and and bake in oven on low temp (200 degrees F) for 5-7 minutes.

Thai Curry

Chocolate Curry Cake ft. Peanut-Sesame Frosting + Ginger-Candied Basil

The inaugural cake in this Cake (Re) Mix stemmed from Caroline's Thai-flavored birthday cake - which, though based on Bruce Springsteen's Wrecking Ball tour, first gave me the 'a-ha' idea of creating concept cakes inspired by flavor combinations, typography, graphic patterns, pop culture - anything.

Thai cuisine has become one of my favorites in the past year with fresh ingredients like ginger, basil, sesame, lemon, peanut, curry, coconut... the list goes on. I narrowed it down to a few for this recipe but it's only a matter of time until another Thai-theme cake finds its way into the line-up.

chocolate curry cake
1 box chocolate cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 c. vegetable oil
3/4 c. water
1/4 c. coconut milk
1-2 tbsp. curry powder or paste
--
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease pans with butter or a non-stick spray like PAM. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric beater to combine cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, water, coconut milk, and curry powder, on a low speed for 1 minute and a high speed for 1 minute. Pour batter into pans until each is 2/3 of the way full. Bake according to the times on the back of the mix box, depending on the types of pans you are using.

peanut-sesame frosting
1/2 c. vegetable shortening or butter
1/2 c. peanut butter
2 tsp. sesame oil
4 c. powdered sugar
3-4 tbsp. coconut milk
--
Beat shortening, peanut butter, sesame oil, and coconut milk in large mixing bowl until blended. Add powdered sugar into bowl one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition until frosting has thickened. Add water by the tablespoon if frosting is too thick.

ginger sugar
1 piece of ginger root, peeled + diced
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. sugar
--
In a small saucepan on the stovetop, mix water and sugar over low heat, stirring for 5 minutes until the sugar dissolves and a syrup forms. Add in sliced ginger and continue stirring until the ginger begins to crystallize. Once most of the water has evaporated, remove from heat and let mixture set for several hours until it hardens. Use a knife to chop the ginger crystals into smaller sugar particles.

ginger-candied basil
individual basil leaves, washed + dried
egg whites from 1 egg
ginger sugar (from above)
--
Lay basil leaves on a sheet of wax paper atop a baking sheet. Beat egg whites in a small bowl and use a small brush to paint one side of basil leaves, toss in ginger sugar, and let dry overnight. Garnish cake with leaves right before serving.