Dirt Track Racing Cake!

Yesterday was a double celebration as it was both Easter and my nephew's 4th birthday! So of course I had double the food hahaha jk but not really, I definitely felt the aftereffect earlier today (was really groggy and sluggish). Easter morning was spent on whipping up a car themed birthday cake from scratch, based on a recipe from Hershey's website and a basic buttercream recipe I found online. Are you ready to see it? Here it is! (Controlled sloppiness is key to this cake: it's supposed to emulate dirt track racing, after all!)

The dirt track is made out of crushed chocolate cookies while the grass is tinted vanilla buttercream frosting (kelly green gel tint, lots and lots of it)

I got these Hot Wheels candles from Party City, such a lucky find! I was looking for Cars ones but they were just logos and an odometer)

My hands got super tired from piping the grass, but it was well worth it :)

I think I'll try my hand at making cakes instead of cupcakes, they are just less stressful to make and look more cohesive. On a completely different note, I need to buy an actual dslr!!! These pictures would have been so much better :(

Look at that smile. You are welcome, dear nephew!

That's his dad (my cousin) trying to stop my nephew from squishing the "grass" with his car candle. He was able to take it on a few incomplete laps though, hahaha!

 

I'm so glad of how it turned out, except maybe for the chocolate frosting because I think I put just a little too much milk in it. I wanted to originally try another recipe, supposedly "The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe (ever)" but decided against it since it's asking for espresso (not good for a children's cake!). In the end I went with the recipe from hersheys.com, and made a 2-layer 10in cake with chocolate frosting in the middle and on the outside.

(taken from hersheys.com)

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

 
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
•   "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING (recipe follows) 

 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. 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. Cool completely. Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. 10 to 12 servings.
   
   VARIATIONS:
   ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.
   
   THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.
   
   BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.
   
   CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.
   
   
   "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING
   
   1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
   2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
   3 cups powdered sugar
   1/3 cup milk
   1 teaspoon vanilla extract
   
   Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.
   Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Easy Vanilla Buttercream Recipe from tasteofhome.com

(I halved the recipe then tinted it with kelly green gel tint from Wilton)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 5 to 6 tablespoons 2% milk

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the confectioner's sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Yield: About 3 cups.

Outfit picture:
Mint Ruffled Turtleneck Top - Ross (a long time ago)
Mint Cardigan - Nordstrom
Lace Skirt - Forever21
Black Sequined Flats - Forever 21
Ring - Ma's engagement ring (one of the perks of being an only daughter, hehehe!)

Last minute outfit, I was so busy with baking that I forgot to plan this ahead. Thank goodness for barely-worn, almost-forgotten tops specially bought for occasions like these! I was trying to call Ma, hence the weird pose hahaha.

 Bonus artwork:

I love this, it's at my nephew's grandparents' home

'Til next time! <3,