Garden Bug and Flower Cakes

These cakes required a cast iron mold. I had to learn to not over fill the batter into the mold. Just above 1/2 full seemed to be right. The batter is a basic vanilla butter cake recipe using sugar, butter, flour, baking soda, salt, milk and eggs. The rose cakes had jam dobbed and swirled into the top half of the cup before baking. I hope to impress the office with these "garden" treats. Hopefully it won't BUG them!

Vanilla Butter Cake Recipe - Insects
(makes 8 small molded cakes)

1 stick unsalted butter (room temperature, more for pans)
¾ cup all purpose flour (I used 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour and ¼ cup cake flour)
¾ cup cake flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup + 2 tablespoon sugar
2 lge. eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup + 2 tablespoon milk
Milk glaze recipe follows

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter pan molds; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flours, baking powder and salt; set aside.

2. In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed. Beat in eggs one at a time; then beat in vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts alternating with the milk, and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined after each addition.

3. Divide the batter between molds. Tap mold to release any air bubbles. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until cakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool 15 minutes. Invert cakes onto the rack. Let cool completely.

Milk Glaze
¼ cup milk
1 ½ cups confectioner sugar

1. In a medium bowl whip together the confectioners’ sugar and milk until completely smooth. Dip cakes, topsides down, about ¼ inch down into the glaze. Hold upside down and let glaze drip off. Transfer cakes to wire rack and let stand until the glaze is firm.

Vanilla Butter Cake Recipe - Raspberry Rose Cakes
(makes 24 molded cakes)

1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup butter
5 eggs
3 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
1 ¼ cups milk
2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup raspberry jam divided

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour pan. In a large mixing bowl combine sugar and butter; mix well. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add remaining ingredients except the raspberry jam. Mix well scraping bowl occasionally. Spoon into individual cups until these are 2/3 full. Spoon dollops of ½ the jam on top of the batter, dividing evenly among the cups, reserving the other half of the jam for the second batch of cakes. Using a small knife gently swirl jam just into the top of the batter. Bake for 20 t0 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool ten minutes in pan. Turn out onto cooling rack and continue to cool. Repeat for second batch. Dust with powdered sugar or use glaze topping lised above.