1 Year Blogaversary & A Giveaway!

UPDATE: And the winner of the cupcake goodies...

Comment #7 - Mollie

Mollie said: Happy Blogaversary! I know it's generic, but I LOVE chocolate cake!

Congratulations Mollie!

Please email me at crave4cake@gmail.com to claim your prize!

Wow how the time has flown by since a year ago when I first started this blog to track my baking & decorating adventures. I really had no clue what a blog even was until I stumbled on to Bakerella's site and my eyes were opened to a whole new world of baking, decorating & photographing. Not long after finding Bakerella I discovered the amazing dessert tables of Amy Atlas, talk about some remarkable sugar displays! These two ladies have absolutely changed my world and inspired me to follow my true passion for creativity, baking and bringing happiness to others through my sweet confections!

So on the 1st anniversary of my blog I'm excited to share with you a fabulous new cake recipe and my very 1st GIVEAWAY! This is my way to say THANK YOU to all of my amazing readers that follow my blog regularly or even those of you that are new to this site. I hope you enjoy the recipes, photos and ideas that I have been sharing with you over this last year and I hope you continue to stick around for many more to come!

So let's eat some cake to celebrate!

I have created a cake like I have never seen before and it enormous and delicious! A few months ago I made some Neapolitan Cupcakes so I decided to take this cupcake idea a little bit further and create a 3-layer strawberry, vanilla and chocolate cake! We are talking about 3 cake & 3 icing flavors all layered together into one cake. Do you think you can handle this? So for those of you that often crave something both chocolate and vanilla or something with a hint of fruit...this cake is the ultimate solution because you can have all those flavors in one bite!

This recipe is definitely a little labor intensive since you are making 3 different cake and 3 different icing flavors, but one bite and you will realize it is definitely worth every second of the prep and extra dirty dishes to make this delicious 3-striped cake!

Neapolitan Cake

Makes one 8" 3-layer cake

Strawberry Cake Layer
-2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
-1 tsp baking powder
-1/4 tsp salt
-1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
-1 cup sugar
-1/4 cup milk
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 egg
-2 egg whites
-1/2 cup strawberry puree
-pink food coloring

• Combine flour, baking powder and salt in bowl, set aside.
• Using electric mixer beat butter and sugar until creamy.
  
• Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
• Mix in strawberry puree.
• Add flour mixture and milk alternating, starting and ending with flour.
• Beat in vanilla.
• Add a few drops of food coloring and mix to give it a deeper pink color.
• Bake at 350 degrees in 8" cake pan lined with parchment paper and sprayed with cooking spray for 30 minutes or until cake tests done.

Vanilla Bean Cake Layer
-1 1/2 cups cake flour
-1 1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/4 tsp salt
-6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
-1/2 cup sugar
-1/2 cup milk
-2 egg whites, beaten to stiff peaks
-1 tsp vanilla bean paste

• Combine flour, baking powder and salt in bowl, set aside.
• Using electric mixer beat butter and sugar until creamy.
  
• Add flour mixture and milk alternating, starting and ending with flour.
• Beat in vanilla bean paste.
• Beat egg whites on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into batter.
  
• Bake at 350 degrees in 8" cake pan lined with parchment paper and sprayed with cooking spray for 25 minutes or until cake tests done.

One Bowl Chocolate Cake Layer (adapted from Martha Stewart)
-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-3/4 cup cocoa powder
-1 1/2 cups sugar
-1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
-3/4 teaspoon baking powder
-3/4 teaspoon salt
-2 eggs
-3/4 cup milk
-3/4 cup warm water
-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
-1 teaspoon vanilla

• Sift flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in bowl of electric mixer.
  
• Add eggs, warm water, milk, oil and vanilla and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes.
  
• Bake at 350 degrees in 8" cake pan lined with parchment paper and sprayed with cooking spray for 25 minutes or until cake tests done.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing (makes enough to frost 1 layer of cake)
-4 oz cream cheese, softened
-3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
-2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
-2 tablespoons strawberry puree
-pink food coloring

• Mix cream cheese and butter with electric mixer until creamy.
• Gradually add confectioners' sugar and mix well.
• Mix in strawberry puree.
• Add a few drops of food coloring for desired pink color.

Chocolate Buttercream (makes enough to frost 1 layer of cake)
-1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
-2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
-1/4 cup cocoa powder
-2 tablespoons milk
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla

• Beat butter with electric mixer until creamy.
• Gradually add confectioners' sugar and mix well.
• Add milk and vanilla and mix.
• Add cocoa powder and mix until well combined.

Vanilla Buttercream (makes enough to frost entire outside of 3 layer cake)
-2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
-7 cups confectioners' sugar
-1/4 - 1/2 cup milk
-1 teaspoon vanilla

• Beat butter with electric mixer until creamy.
• Gradually add confectioners' sugar and mix well.
• Add enough milk and mix until desired consistency.
• Mix in vanilla.

Whew! I know that was a lot of ingredients and a lot of steps but you are going to be in cake heaven once you eat a slice of this, I promise!

Here's how to assemble the Neapolitan Cake layer by layer from the bottom to the top:

Chocolate Cake
Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing
Vanilla Bean Cake
Chocolate Buttercream
Strawberry Cake
Vanilla Buttercream (outer layer of frosting)

So who's ready for the giveaway? As you all know by now I am a huge CUPCAKE lover so what better way to celebrate than with a cupcake themed giveaway featuring some of my favorite products.

Giveaway Includes:

-What's New Cupcake book
-75 cupcake liners (red, yellow, blue)
-1 jar of Rainbow Nonpareil Sprinkles (my favorites!)
-#21 Wilton Star Tip
-#2D Wilton Flower/Shell Tip
-#10 Wilton Round Tip
-#233 Wilton Multi-Opening Tip

To participate in this giveaway join my blog as a Follower if you haven't already and leave me a comment letting me know what your favorite cake flavor is!

Winner will be chosen on Sunday, August 15th at 11:00PM (CST).
Any entries received after this time will not be considered.
Open to US residents only.
Make sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you are the winner.
Winner will be chosen using random.org.

Good Luck and happy cake baking!