Red Velvet Cupcakes ---Sweet!
A baker knows how to measure ingredients; flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. Sometimes the cup is short, other times it's filled to over flowing. But, True love can't be measured with a measuring cup. That's where some awesome Red Velvet Cupcakes come in handy! Feeling blue? Have a cupcake! Got great news? Have a cupcake. Found out you're pregnant? Have a dozen cupcakes! They really do make life worth living, especially the Red Velvet Cupcakes!
Heart Shaped Red Velvet Cake
As Valentine's Dat got closer this year, I missed making the heart shaped Red Velvet Cakes we were so well know for in Vermont. Thing is, we always got orders for hundreds, which to many of you would say, "That's a good thing, right?" YES, and NO! You see, we decorated them ALL by hand. Everyone of them were personalized with a loving, or not so loving, sentiment.
Wilton Heart Shaped Non-Stick Pans
I loved these pans! They were clean and shiny, and for the most part, the cakes slid right out of the pans. There were 6 hearts to a pan, and we had 4 pans, so we were in business. John made the batter and baked them, and baked some more, and baked again, and again, until we had enough for our orders, and then some.
The Cake Assembly Line
The cakes were popped out of the pans and placed upside down on sugar-dusted parchment lined baking sheets. Then they wre frozen over night. That made it easier to ice and decorate. In the morning, John would trim the bottoms so they layed flat. He than iced them tops and sides, and placed them back on the sheet for me. He'd lick his fingers, I would get after him, it was the things memories were made out of!
Can I Take Your Order, Please?
I had my pastry bags, each one with a small star tip, and the other had a round writing tip. I piped a border all around the top of the cakes. Very simple but it gave it a finished look. Next was time for the messages. We would take specific orders with names of loved ones, something funny or something off-the-wall. I did put my foot down though, when I was asked to do some REAL naughty things. Nope, not going there! If I felt wide awake (which was questionable), I would make red rosebuds with green leaves. They were so sweet and cute!
The Cakes With No Names
After all the ordered cakes were done, I had my fun! I had a whole slew of slogans and sayings I thought up. Some were the standard messages like "I LOVE YOU" or "Be MINE". But then I got my mo-jo on, and started writing, "TONIGHT?", and "HOT STUFF", or "YES, YES, YES!". That lead to "BITE ME", and "RED HOT", or "ON FIRE", and "OH, BABY!" You get the picture? Every Valentine's Day, we'd go into all our regular stops with blank cakes, and the customers would tell us what they wanted. I did this ON THE SPOT, in the ice cold van with numb hands (remember, it was February in Vermont). John and Brad would bring the list out to me, and after blowing on my hands for 5 minutes, I could get them to work my magic with the pastry bag. And, when I say we did hundreds, I mean hundreds!
Do I Miss Playing Bakery?
Yes, I do. I asked John that question the other day. He didn't even hesitate. It was a very firm, NO! He loved making the customers happy, but hated the LONG hours, like 40-48 hours without sleep. We were like the walking, talking, decorating dead! But everybody was happy. And, I'll bet if we walked back into those businesses tomorrow, it'd be like old times again. We'd be sold out in a matter of hours! To the good times! If anyone from Burlington, Shelburne, Charlotte, Ferrisburg, Vergennes, Panton or Middlebury are reading this, "HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY - WE MISS YOU!"
Red Velvet Cake Recipe
Oh, you were wondering where the Red Velvet Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting was? As usual, run on over to Suite101, and it's right there, ready for you to crank up the oven and get baking. Print it off for yourself, email it to a friend and tell them you love them! All the buttons are at the bottom of the recipe. Click away happy bakers! Click away!
LOVE, DONNA - XOXO
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