How to Make a Simple Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

How to make a simple chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting using ratios

As a ratio baker, I use weights and ratios to bake, so you'll find weights listed for most of the ingredients instead of cups. It's preferable to look at this as more of a how-to guide. The Story How to Make a Simple Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting The Recipe The Story When I … Continue reading How to Make a Simple Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Bookish Bakes: Ginger Cakes

Bookish Bakes: Ginger Cakes, as inspired by the historical thriller The Angel of Bishopsgate by Eloise Reuben

The Angel of Bishopsgate by Eloise Reuben made it easy for me. Tessie, one of the main characters in this historical mystery, bakes ginger cakes as her way of earning money. Life is tough for her and her husband in 1840s London, but she loves baking and selling her ginger cakes. I was delighted that … Continue reading Bookish Bakes: Ginger Cakes

Adventures in Ratio Baking: Making Mug Cakes

Last year, I made a ton of cakes while I was trying to perfect ratio baking cakes. This year, I still like cake, but would rather not have a whole cake staring at me day after day, wondering when I was going to get around to eating it. I mean, it can be very unsettling … Continue reading Adventures in Ratio Baking: Making Mug Cakes

Bookish Bakes: Lemon Meringue Cake

Lemon Meringue Cake - making a yellow cake, lemon custard, and Italian meringue frosting using ratios

On Monday I posted a picture of a slice of this cake accompanying my Kindle featuring my then current read The Baron of Magister Valley by Steven Brust, so I thought I'd share my ratio recipe for the lemon meringue pie. If you give me a choice between cake and pie, I'll almost always pick cake. … Continue reading Bookish Bakes: Lemon Meringue Cake

Adventures in Ratio Baking: Learn to Love Mini Cake Tins With Me

Learn to Love Mini Cake Tins With Me - why I love using 4 inch cake tins when baking

A few months ago I found myself wandering around a craft store. I believe it was summer because my husband and kids were with me, though the three of them were wandering elsewhere. As for me? I was in the baking aisle. Of course I was in the baking aisle. I mean, I like yarn, … Continue reading Adventures in Ratio Baking: Learn to Love Mini Cake Tins With Me

A Year of Adventures in Ratio Baking

A Year of Adventures in Ratio Baking

About a year ago, I got it into my head that I'd like a kitchen scale and I'd like to figure out ratio baking. The Husband got me a kitchen scale for Christmas, probably because I wouldn't shut up about it, and then my brain panicked because it meant I should actually use it. I … Continue reading A Year of Adventures in Ratio Baking

Adventures in Ratio Baking: Baking Gluten-Free Cakes

Adventures in Ratio Baking: Baking Gluten-Free Cakes

My mom has been gluten-free for years. It started when she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder called Myasthenia Gravis about 15 years ago. She made two attempts to be gluten-free before it finally stuck the second time. The first time around, there was an incredible dearth of gluten-free products, so it was difficult for … Continue reading Adventures in Ratio Baking: Baking Gluten-Free Cakes

Black Forest Inspired Cake

Ratio Recipe: Black Forest Inspired Cake

Ah, October. A fine fall month complete with Halloween. It's a time for pumpkins and apples, for sweaters and golden leaves ripe for crunching underfoot. So, uh, why have I chosen to post a ratio recipe for a Black Forest Cake? October is also the month for Oktoberfest. Since I grew up in Southern California, … Continue reading Black Forest Inspired Cake

Knock You Over the Head with Lemon Cupcakes

Knock You Over the Head with Lemon Cupcakes - a ratio recipe

The basic ingredients for a high ratio cake include flour, sugar, butter (fat), eggs, a liquid, and baking powder. Most of the time, I use milk as my liquid. A couple of times I've used some of the liquid that comes with maraschino cherries. One day I had a lemon, and wondered how lemony it … Continue reading Knock You Over the Head with Lemon Cupcakes

Adventures in Ratio Baking: The Downside

I love ratio baking. I find it much easier to whip up a cake this way than using a recipe. It's also easier on my brain when it comes to having to chat with my kids while measuring all the ingredients. It hasn't been the smoothest adventure, but what adventure should be? But as much … Continue reading Adventures in Ratio Baking: The Downside