Hello beautiful people,
I have said this before and I will say it again - baking is an act of love. It's a vehicle for expressing generosity, gratitude, and appreciation. And you guys, it's love month!!! So I think it's kind of a must that we get our booties in the kitchen and get to loving on our people.
For me, the big day, February 14th, VALENTINE’S DAY, is about so much more than just celebrating being in a romantic relationship with someone. In my eyes it's about celebrating being in relationships with all of the people that I love. This is the perfect time for cupcakes made with our Pink Velvet Cake Mix and Classic Vanilla Frosting or cream cheese frosting. (Make them mini and make the cute factor soar.) Reach for our Chocolate Cake
Mix and Chocolate Sea Salt Frosting and make the day of the chocolate lovers in your life. Or! Make the knockout cake I dreamt up for this month, which consists of alternating layers of our luscious chocolate and delightfully sweet pink velvet cakes, made complete with our vanilla frosting. This cake is one for the books and so so fun to take on if you’re in the mood for a wondrous time in the kitchen.
I also know that this can feel like a lot. Believe me, I get it! We get these grand ideas of all we want to do and then time slips away from our lofty intentions. That is why Wild Rye exists. When you start with Wild Rye Baking mixes, we have already done the heavy lifting for you. Wild Rye Baking Co. is about making it easier for you to get to the good stuff and LOVE the experience of celebrating life. With how busy we get, it can be easy to forget, but you guys, life and Love are truly worth celebrating.
Here are two cakes to inspire you to get into the kitchen and Love on your people. I encourage you to be generous, have fun and, of course, share the Love!
Big Love As Always,
Sarah
Double Chocolate Raspberry Cake
This is a cake that celebrates chocolate. It is glorious. It’s so simple to make and is so much greater than the sum of its parts. If you want to be over the top, you can dollop little bits of raspberry jam amongst the swirls of chocolate sea salt frosting to up the raspberry flavor.
Ingredients:
1 box Wild Rye Chocolate Cake Mix - classic, vegan, or gluten-free
1 box Wild Rye Chocolate Sea Salt Frosting Mix *check out the box for plant-based alternatives
1⁄4 cup freeze-dried raspberries
Flaky sea salt such a Maldon
Cake Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Prepare a 9x3” round baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
3. Make the cake batter according to the instructions on the box and bake! *Use the trusty toothpick method printed on the box to know when the cake is baked!
4. Allow cake to cool completely before frosting. *Pro tip: if you’re in a hurry to frost your cake, pop it in the freezer or refrigerator to speed up this process!
Frosting & Decorating Instructions:
1. In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, whip 2 sticks of butter until soft and fluffy.
2. Add in the frosting mix along with 2 tablespoons of milk, and combine according to box instructions. Set aside.
3. Once your cake is cooled completely, remove it from the pan and peel the parchment off the bottom. Then place it on your serving platter or plate.
4. Dollop frosting on your cake and smooth across the top, leaving the sides bare. This rustic look is all the rage, and it makes for a really easy time decorating. I like to swirl and swoop the frosting without worrying too much about it being perfect. In this case, imperfection is what I’m going for.
5. Once your cake top is frosted to your liking, crush up your freeze dried raspberries and scatter them across the top of your frosting. Finish by sprinkling the cake with your flaky sea salt.
6. Slice and enjoy!
Four Layer Love Cake
This recipe is for those of you who love the process of baking. Taking simple steps and ending up with a masterpiece. It is a true delight slicing into this cake and seeing the alternating layers of pink and cocoa. It's delicious. It's over the top. And it's a cake to Love!
Ingredients:
1 box Wild Rye Pink Velvet Cake Mix - classic, vegan, or gluten-free
1 box Wild Rye Chocolate Cake Mix - classic, vegan, or gluten-free
2 boxes Wild Rye Classic Vanilla Frosting Mix *check out the box for plant-based alternatives
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Prepare four 8” or 9” round baking pans with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
3. In one large bowl, make the pink velvet cake mix according to box instructions.
4. In a second large bowl, make the chocolate cake mix according to box instructions.
5. Divide the pink velvet batter equally between 2 cake pans and place in your preheated oven. Do the same with the chocolate cake batter and bake your sweet cake layers!
6. Check for doneness after 30 minutes and pull the cakes as they are finished. The chocolate cake may take longer to bake, so keep your trusty toothpick handy to check for doneness.
7. Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting. *Pro tip: if you’re in a hurry to frost your cake, pop it in the freezer or refrigerator to speed up this process!
Assembly Instructions:
1. In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, whip 4 sticks of butter until soft and fluffy.
2. Add in both frosting mixes along with 4-6 tablespoons of milk, and mix until your frosting
comes together! Then set aside.
3. Once your cake layers are cooled completely, remove them from the pans and peel the parchment off the bottom.
4. Level off the tops of your cake layers with a serrated knife, working slowly to create an even top to stack each layer upon. If your cake layers came out flat or even sunken slightly, you can skip this step.
5. Place one layer of pink velvet cake on your cake plate or turntable and cover the top evenly with 1⁄2 cup to 3⁄4 cup frosting.
6. Place one layer of chocolate cake on top of the frosted pink velvet layer and frost with 1⁄2 cup frosting. Repeat twice more until you have a layer of pink, a layer of chocolate, another layer of pink, and another layer of chocolate.
7. Place your cake in the freezer for 10 minutes. This step makes frosting the outside much easier.
8. Remove cake from the freezer and frost the outside of your cake. Take your time, be creative, and don't worry about being perfect!
9. Once your cake is completely covered in frosting, freeze one more time for 10-15 minutes. You can store your cake in the refrigerator until you’re ready to enjoy, but allow it to come to room temperature before serving for best taste and texture.
10. Slice, admire, and enjoy! (And tag us in your pictures so we can see the wonders that you create!)
