Fresh out of the Oven

Last Monday I went out to The Lobby to support our dear Aunt Flo in her time of need... and to have some drinks with my boys.

One of the fundraising activities was a raffle for various items. I bought my inseam's length of tickets for $10 and won a hot pink tool kit. Good feminist stereotype that I am, though, I already have plenty of tools, so Seth and I negotiated a trade for one of the prizes he won: the Peni-Cake Pan.

Of course, I've been a baker for as long as I can remember, so I immediately began looking for ideas on how to make a delicious (and sexy!) cake this weekend. I asked the boys at the bar, and (after I dismissed many silly suggestions about purchasing cake mixes) they decided to tip their hats at Steel Magnolias: they wanted a red velvet cake.

I'd never made a red velvet cake before, and haven't been much of a fan in the past. The red velvet cakes I've tried always seem to have too much vinegar, too much of a tang. So I was careful in my search for recipes, but I found one via Martha Stewart, and set out into uncharted territory this morning.

The batter turned out fantastic, but it appears the pan is shaped for novelty cold shapes, not so much for baking. When the shaft was baked to moist and delicious perfection, the tip was drying out, and the balls were still mostly liquid in the middle.

Undeterred, I turned the cake out of the pan, and while it cooled, I set about making a batch of pink cream cheese frosting.

I frosted the cake, and sampled the leftovers I'd put in a separate pan. If the small bonus cake was any indication, then I can't wait for the boys to make the first cut tonight. It's a masterpiece, and the carving will be gruesomely delicious!