Baking Recipe: Robin's Egg Blue Wedding (White Chocolate Chip Butter Cake + Vanilla Orange Buttercream)

Don't you just love the colour blue? And I mean not any colour blue.. to be specific Robin's Egg Blue. I really love this colour and found it to be rather calm, relaxing and adds some vintage flare.

Before it slip off my mind, to digress.. Lisa from Sweet As Sugar Cookies have invited me to join in the Treats Party. I've linked up 2 desserts of mine (Creamy Lemon Cheesecake and Scrumptious Strawberry Tarts). So go check out Lisa's website too if you love to get a sugar rush like I do.

Okay, now back to where I left off.. Over the weekend, I had a tiny project. Originally was to bake a 2 tier wedding cake, but I decided to make it a small 6 inches single tier cake with other tiny cuppies. Have not made those little ones in a while now.

To be honest, I really had no idea on how to decorate. I sketched so many designs and at the end of the day, I didn't even stick to what I drew, typical of me...LOLs. Instead, I decided that the cake has to be rustic and full shabby chic-ness. No clue what to call the cake yet, but I thought "Robin's Egg Blue" sounds catchy. What do you think?

At the end, the designs were impromptu, and if you love a good white butter cake, read on for recipe. Enjoy!

Recipe

For white butter cake

adapted from Joy of Baking

2 large eggs, separated

1 3/4 cups sifted cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup caster sugar, divided
1-2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup semi dark chocolate chips (optional)

To prepare white butter cake:

1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees approx 177-180 Celsius. Grease 2 6-inches round cake pan and line with parchment paper. With a whisk and clean mixing bowl, whisk egg whites until foamy. Then add in cream of tartar and 1/4 cup sugar and continue to whisk until stiff peaks forms. Transfer to another bowl, if you do not have a spare mixing bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, mix cake flour, salt, and baking flour together. Next, change to a paddle attachment, beat butter and remainder of 3/4 cup sugar at medium speed until light, creamy and fluffy.

3. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined. Divide cake flour mixture to 3 additions, starting with milk and ending with flour and continue mixing until well combined.

4. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in beaten egg whites into cake batter, and fold until well combine. Toss in chocolate chips (optional) and careful to not over mix and lose all the air. Otherwise cake will deflate.

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer or toothpick inserted comes out clean. Set aside to cool before transferring to a wire rack to cool off completely.

For vanilla butter cream with hint of orange flavour

4-5 tbsp of orange juice (freshly squeeze)
3-4 cups of icing sugar (or just enough for taste of frosting consistency)
1 1/2 stick of unsalted butter
1/2 stick salted butter
2 tsp of vanilla extract
1 cup milk
5 tbsp all purpose flour

To prepare orange vanilla butter cream:

1. With a paddle attachment, whisk butter until light, fluffy and creamy.

2. Add in icing sugar a little at a time, as you may not need 4 cups of icing sugar.

3. Turn speed down to slow to add in orange juice and vanilla extract. Then turn the speed up again and continue to whisk until frosting double in volume, as it'll be light and fluffy.

4. In a saucepan, heat up milk but not to boiling point. Let cool slightly, then toss in flour all at once and stir vigorously, until milk and flour is incorporated. You will notice that the liquid will thicken up and return to stove and let mixture simmer, while continue stirring.

5. Once liquid is thicker, let cool for a couple of minute. With a sieve, press the thicken liquid through into the butter cream. Discard the lumps. Turn the mixer back up and whisk the butter cream for the last time for 2-3 minutes until well incorporated.

xx