Baking Day: German Chocolate Cake

When it comes to birthdays I am a die-hard fan of the birthday cake.  It's tradition and we have to make one from scratch for every birthday (they're so good).  My husband, Craig, is a big fan of coconut so when I asked him what kind of cake he wanted this year I wasn't at all surprised when he said German Chocolate Cake.  After the craziest Tuesday, and a Wednesday that took a close second, I finally was able to finish his cake on Thursday, two days after his birthday.  So sad, right?  I felt awful.  Thankfully, it was worth the wait. 

We tried this version from the Bridge Street Bakery in Vermont.  Instead of three layers I opted for two just to make things a little bit simpler.  I think it still has a stunning presentation.

Here's an interesting bit of information about German Chocolate Cake: it's not actually German.  In 1852 an employee of Baker's Chocolate Company, Sam German, created a new type of dark baking chocolate.  The company named the chocolate "German's Sweet Chocolate" in his honor.  Then, in 1957, a Texan housewife sent the recipe for a chocolate cake she had made using this chocolate in to a local newspaper, calling it "German's Chocolate Cake."  It was an instant success.  Since then, the possessive has been dropped but it's still a popular recipe today.

It's really rich and decadent and Craig loved it.  I think it'll be on the menu again next November.  Personally, I always choose carrot cake for my birthdays.  What's your favorite?

How to Ship Muffins (or Cupcakes)

Recently, my father-in-law was involved in a boating accident and injured himself enough to land in the hospital for a few days.  Happily, he is home now and starting the long road to recovery.  To help cheer him on his journey my son and I decided to send him a little package full of one of his favorite treats: Banana Crunch Muffins.  (If you've never tried these, please do.  They're so good.)  I wanted to package them in an aesthetically pleasing way that would also help them stay intact during their travels.  My solution: an empty cereal box.

1.  Select an empty cereal box that is the same width as the box you'll be using for shipping.  Mine happened to be Frosted Cheerios.  Using scissors, cut holes just wide enough to securely hold your muffins.

2. Wrap your cereal box in some pretty paper.  I used Kraft, but some patterned wrapping paper might look even better.  Once wrapped, cut holes through the paper, too.  Lay tissue paper inside your shipping box and slide the cereal box in on top.  It should fit snugly and not wiggle.

3.  Nestle frozen, wrapped (plastic secured with a bit of tape or a sticker) muffins into their spaces.  Freezing them before shipment will help keep them fresher for their destination.

 

4.  Fold over the tissue and secure a pretty card on top.  To keep the muffins from sliding out if the box gets turned up side down, pad the remaining space at the top of the box with bubble wrap or bunched plastic grocery bags.  Be sure to fill it up to the top before closing the box and test drive it at home to make sure your muffins are truly secure. 

You could also use this method to ship cupcakes, although I would highly recommend sending them unfrosted.  Put frosting in a separate, small plastic container for the recipient to add on themselves. 

Have you ever shipped baked goods before?  What are your favorite methods?

{images by me}