Monday, December 31, 2012

Happy birthday to me :)

i don’t usually scream about my birthday. but this is it guys: i’m 25. the last milestone of can-do’s has been reached – i can now rent a car. that’s it. the last piece. all i’ve been waiting for. my age is no longer a barrier to legal recreation. hip hop hurray!

i’ve been brainstorming cake flavors for the past few weeks, and everyone keeps asking, “why are you making your own birthday cake?!”

‘cause i wanna.

and there you have it – i made my own cake for the big 25:

Coconut Banana Ginger Birthday Cake - BTG-008

i know what you’re thinking – what a SWEET cake stand, sonya!! its amazing, i’m aware. i just got back from a month long trip to palestine and while i was there, i visited a glass and ceramic shop where you could watch the owners and employees blowing glass and shaping dinnerware. i saw just a handful of cake stands but refrained from buying it at first glance. then i realized that for the next week, i couldn’t stop thinking about how much i wanted that cake stand (i got issues). so, i went back and bought it. don’t judge. i mean do youuu have a cake stand from palestine?

oh she’s so pretty.

Coconut Banana Ginger Birthday Cake - BTG-009

i tossed around a few ideas for cake flavors but finally settled on one that i’ve made before in a simple muffin form: coconut banana ginger cake. previously, i made these with a simple ginger glaze, seen here:

Banana Coconut Muffins with Ginger-006

this is my new go-to cake. i mean that. it can be a bread, a muffin, a cupcake, or a cake. it’s fast, easy, tasty, fast, and easy and tasty. yes, doubly so. instead of muffins, i decided to bake up two layers, throw some bananas in the middle, and frost it. something grand to display on my beautiful ceramic stand. but rest assured, this recipe can be modified to be baked in any pan of any shape however you please.

to make it the birthday-way, first, you bake up two layers of coconut cake mix that’s been mixed with ginger powder, bananas, and water (nothing else). preferably, you overtly tell your sister that you need two new 8-inch round cake pans for your birthday that can be used to make your birthday cake.

Coconut Banana Ginger Birthday Cake - BTG-001

then you make some caramelized bananas by stirring up some butter, brown sugar, bananas and a touch of ginger over the stove.

Coconut Banana Ginger Birthday Cake - BTG-002

slap that on a cool bottom layer of cake.

Coconut Banana Ginger Birthday Cake - BTG-003

get photo-bombed by the sister.

Coconut Banana Ginger Birthday Cake - BTG-004

stack your cakes, then make the “best frosting ever recipe from pinterest” that you realize too late is actually really runny and not suitable for a layered cake …

Coconut Banana Ginger Birthday Cake - BTG-005

you basically do your best to make the frosting work because you’re too lazy to whip up the buttercream you know you should have made.

Coconut Banana Ginger Birthday Cake - BTG-006

after, you relish in the fact that your cake is still kinda cute despite the runny frosting because you’re such an artist (pronounced ar-teest).

Coconut Banana Ginger Birthday Cake - BTG-007

bake up and enjoy! and have a wonderful and safe and joy-filled new year :)

ginger coconut banana cake
(makes 2 8-inch layers)

1 box coconut cake mix (duncan hines make one to die for)
1 tbsp ginger powder (or more if you like the kick)
3 medium ripe bananas
1 cup water

  1. mix together the cake mix and ginger powder.
  2. in a small blender, whiz together the bananas and water until pureed.
  3. fold the banana puree into the cake mix until well incorporated.
  4. split the batter into two greased 8-inch round pans and bake at 350F for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  5. allow to cool for a few minutes before flipping the cake out of the pan onto a cooling rack. cool completely.

caramelized banana-ginger filling
(makes enough for 1 thin layer)

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 ripe banana, sliced
1 tsp ginger powder

  1. in a pan over medium-high heat, stir together the butter and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.
  2. add the mashed banana and continue to stir until the mixture thickens, several minutes.
  3. throw in the sliced banana and ginger powder and stir. the slices may break apart and that’s okay. the bananas add a lot of moisture so if you find you’re stirring a lot but there’s still some liquid, don’t worry. i just pulled out the solidified mixture and kept the liquid in the pan.
  4. remove from heat and allow to cool. spread the mixture onto one layer of cake, then stack the second layer on top.

not-the-greatest-pinterest-find cool whip frosting
(makes enough to top your cake, pour over individual slices, or re-freeze to be eaten as ice cream)

1 box coconut cream instant jello pudding mix
1 cup milk
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tub cool whip, slightly unthawed

  1. stir the pudding mix, milk, and ginger together in a small bowl until it starts to thicken.
  2. fold in the cool whip. put in fridge until ready to use, to allow it to set back up a little.
  3. pour over your cake stack… then pull bits of frosting into the large crevice created by your uneven layers. to make them look even. this is easiest with an offset or rubber spatula.
  4. use the left over “frosting” by spooning over individual slices, then serve.

Coconut Banana Ginger Birthday Cake - BTG

25th Birthday
man i am cheesin’ hard…

happy new year folks!

No comments:

Post a Comment

Blogging tips