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I used to decorate cakes…
For other people. Real life people.
Do you know how stressful that is?
I am kind of a perfectionist (in some areas of my life).
So when I would have a cake order, it would make me kind of neurotic.
I would spend hours at a time making sure everything
looked absolutely perfect.
There were times I would scrape it off and start over if
there was a line that I couldn’t make right.
Then I had to make sure that I was doing it
exactly how the customer wanted it.
My most fun cakes were the ones that they said “just do whatever”.
Actually those were fun but VERY stressful…
because what if they hated what I came up with?!?!?
Reality set in and I realized that I couldn’t charge
enough to balance out the time I was putting into these cakes.
So now I just bake when I want to and what I want to.
There is waaaay less stress baking for my family.
Although every once in a while I will take a cake order
and then kick myself when I actually have to work on it.
In fact, I will try to talk people into cupcakes 9 x’s out of 10
because they are much easier to do.
Plop a swirl on top and they are good to go:-)
This bad boy was what I created for my birthday this year.
Yes, I know my birthday was almost a month ago
and I am just now sharing.
Remember what I said about less stress.
That is the fun about blogging…
I can share whenever I feel like it.
Today feels like a cake day to me.
Plus with all the veggies I have been eating…
I wanted to drool over some peanut butter frosting:-)
One of my favorite designs to do is the basket weave.
This is the one that I will do most times if I have my own choice.
It makes such an impressive cake AND
everyone thinks it took you hours.
Want to know a secret?
This awesome looking design is actually one of the easiest…
once you have mastered it.
I thought it would be fun to show you step by step
so you believe me when I say it is easy.
**One thing to remember…use a flat plate.
I had this one on a plate with an edge and it was hard
to get the bottom strips of frosting straight down at the bottom.
First gather your supplies.
You are going to need a round cake, a frosting bag, frosting,
a plastic coupler, and metal tip #47 .
You can purchase all of those at your local Michaels or Hobby Lobby
in the cake decorating aisle.
Level the cakes and completely cover the cake with a thin layer of frosting.
Put the bigger part of the plastic coupler in the inside of the bag.
Fill the bag with frosting.
Add the metal tip and the small screw part of the coupler.
Twist the bag at the top and hold it between the thumb and index finger
in the palm of your hand. (sorry I should have had pics of that too)
Make sure the bag is twisted so that the edged part of the tip is facing up.
Squeeze the bag gently while moving down the side of the cake.
Don’t worry if it isn’t perfectly straight.
When you get all the lines on, no one will even notice.
Go back to the top and start squeezing small strips across the line.
Make sure you leave a space the size of the metal tip in between each one.
You will have to continue twist the top of the frosting bag to keep it tight in your hand.
Always make sure the edged part of the tip is facing upward.
This is what gives your line the basket look.
Now squeeze another straight line over the ends of each small strip.
It starts to get a little tricky right about here.
You want to pipe your small strips opposite the ones you did on the first line.
Each time you add a small strip…
make sure the metal tip is down into the frosting.
In fact it will be slightly under the straight frosting line.
This makes it look like the frosting is all one piece.
Now I say this is seriously so easy…
and it really is.
But it does take a lot of practice to get it right.
My first cakes like this were sorry to look at,
but I kept trying and now I can whip one out in less than an hour.
Don’t give up!! They are so fun to do
and believe me, everyone loves them!!!
After you get all the way around the cake with your lines,
add a decorative border to the top as a finisher.
I usually do a backwards S using metal tip #18.
Each time you do another S, you need to make sure the tip is under the last one.
By starting under the frosting, it keeps it looking like one giant strip of frosting.
You could also just do a shell border or even a star border on it.
After all that hard work,
you deserve a GIANT slice of cake!
Yes, I know, that after putting all that time into making it pretty,
you will feel kind of sad to make the first cut.
Believe me, it gets easier each cake you do:-)
Chocolate Chip Banana Cake with Honey Peanut Butter Frosting
by Inside BruCrew Life
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 38 minutes
Ingredients (1 cake layer)
For the Cake
- 1 yellow cake mix
- 3/4 c. water
- 1/3 c. oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 c. brown bananas, smashed
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 c. mini chocolate chips
For the Frosting
- 1 c. butter, softened
- 1/2 c. peanut butter
- 4 tbsp. water
- 3 tbsp. honey
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 4 c. powdered sugar
Instructions
For the Cake
Combine the cake mix, baking soda, cinnamon, oil, water, and eggs and beat on low for 1 minute. Increase the mixer speed a little bit and beat for 2 more minutes. Stir in the bananas and chocolate chips by hand.
Grease and flour an 8×2 inch pan and pour the batter in. (I use a Wilton 8×2 round pan) Bake at 350* for 38 minutes. Check with a toothpick to be sure your cake is finished. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then flip out on a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat cake instructions if you want to make a double layered cake. Place the first layer on a plate and spread frosting on top. Place the second cake layer on top and cover the entire cake with frosting.
NOTE: One single layer can also be baked in a 9×13 pan for about 30 minutes if you don’t have an 8″ pan.
For the Frosting
Cream butter and peanut butter. Add 2 Tbsp. water, salt, and vanilla and cream again. Slowly add the powdered sugar. After all the sugar is added, beat in the honey until creamy. If the frosting is too thick, beat in another 1-2 Tbsp. water until creamy.
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Shared with: Mix It Up, Makin You Crave, Melt in Your Mouth, Making the World Cuter, Show Me How, Open Call
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Jocelyn is the baker, photographer, and writer behind Inside BruCrew Life. She is married to her best friend, and they have three great kids. She spends her days baking sweet treats, and then trying to find ways to give the treats away without eating them all. Grab a cup of coffee and visit while she shares life from their kitchen.
This looks absolutely amazing! I love it! Both the look and the ingredients!
Oh my goodness….. STUNNING.
I couldn’t help it. I had to Pin it. Darn diet.
WOW that looks DELICIOUS! And beautiful with all the pipework! I’d love if you linked this up to my Sweet Saturdays link party this week! Thanks!
http://lacreativitedelafille.blogspot.com/
I think its going to take me seven more lives to produce something as perfect as that cake. I’m gawking at your photographs in admiration!
AMAZING looking cake!!
You are a master in decorating
I must pin-it – so I’ll keep dreaming …
This is gorgeous!! Somehow, I got roped into making a (small) wedding cake next month, and I’m seriously about to stroke out over it. The basket weave it my favorite technique, so that’s probably what I’ll use…but you’re right, there’s really no way to charge appropriately for the amount of time/stress it takes to decorate!
I could definitely take a big slice of this cake right now! It looks perfect!
OMG, this cake is BEYOND gorgeous, Jocelyn! I LOVE banana and the frosting looks incredible! You did an outstanding job–bravo!
Also, when I did custom cupcake/cake orders I would always FREAK.OUT. I am SO bad about stressing around baked goods for others. What if the frosting melts? What if they got baked too long? What if there’s not enough sprinkles on one cupcake but more on another? The dumb things you think when cupcakes are stressing you I guess!
1. That’s gorgeous. 2. It’s super amazing. 3. It sounds so delicious I’m drooling and because it’s bananas and peanut butter, it counts as breakfast, right? 4. LOVE IT!!!
Joceyln! This looks AMAZING!!! And it looks so fun and fresh for summer. Thanks for sharing your tips!
Too funny! I was just searching for a recipe to use up my brown bananas! This looks delicious!
This cake is gorgeous, I am so glad you posted photos how to decorate it, I plan baking a cake for my birthday next week, I plan using this technique.
Jocelyn, you are so stinking talented! I always wondered how to do the weave, I’m totally going to try it! Thanks
Banana cake with peanut butter frosting?! Serious deliciousness
I never knew that the basket weave technique was that simple. I might have to start practicing…
Becca @ Crumbs and Chaos
beautiful! Yes, until you make many of these treats/cakes yourself, you really have no appreciation of the time spent! Thanks for the tutorial though, you’re right, it is much easier than it looks!
Gorgeous! Happy Belated Birthday!
nat
I love basket weaving as well, this is a great looking cake. I feel the same way, I rather do it for fun or family, when its a order and the pressure is on, its not as fun.
This is a really beautiful cake
and it sounds delicious!
Okay, just a few things…
1. Great minds think alike, and I posted a banana cake today too!
2. YOURS is GORGEOUS!!!
3. I LOVE that you showed how to do the basket weave. I’ve always wanted to try it out on a cake!
Awesome, awesome job Jocelyn!
This is so gorgeous, I just don’t think I have the patience to make such an intricate design. I love the look, though and these flavors are my favorite. Love this!
That looks absolutely amazing! I love it.
Beautiful cake! WOW!
Oh baby that looks so darn good. I just ate a big dinner and you have me drooling.
What a BEAUTIFUL cake!!!! The weaving (frosting) is beautiful, I always wondered how it’s done and now I know! You did an awesome job on it!
This is so pretty! A honey pb frosting sounds delicious…and it looks fantastic! I’m a total perfectionist too, and I cannot even imagine decorating cakes for others! I critique myself so much in practice, I’m often ready to give up.
Amazing job & Great tutorial! I would also love for you to link up to my Linky Party via http://ourdelightfulhome.blogspot.com/2012/04/live-linky-party-11.html
PS: I am your newest Linky Follower!
Mrs. Delightful
http://www.ourdelightfulhome.blogspot.com
This is gorgeous!!! I found you on Rook No 17 party and wanted to tell you how beautiful and delicious your cake looks!!!
Amber
http://www.recipeswelove.net
This is GORGEOUS!! I have yet to try a cake for all of the reasons you listed…not even for myself!! You are so talented.
Debbie @ Life Is Sweets
Love love love love this!! You are very talented. Not only does it look great but what a great combo of flavors!
This looks beautiful, and the recipe sounds divine! Thanks so much for sharing at Mix it up Monday
Your cake looks beautiful and SO yummy! Thanks for sharing. I found you from TidyMom’s link up.
Thank you for a wonderful tutorial on basket weave frosting! I never thought it was something I could do, but I really think I can now! Your cake sounds absolutely scrumptious, as well as looking just beautiful! Visiting from Rook No 17
That cake looks amazing. What a wonderful tutorial you have shared! Megan
I am using a 13 x9 cake mix. Do I still put it in a smaller pan?
I wondered that same thing… I’m guessing with a standard cake mix you are going to get 2 8″ cakes. or you can make in a 13×9. I’m going to try an 8″ pan and some cupcakes and hope it turns out ok!
The recipe is for one cake layer. If you want it to be layered, you need to double the ingredients!!!
The cake instructions don’t seem to include two ingredients – baking soda and cinnamon.
Also, the instructions say to use 1 8-inch cake pan, but this is obviously a 2 layer cake. Am I missing something?
The ingredients will make a one layer cake! If you want a double cake, you would need to double the ingredients. Thank you for catching the recipe mistake, I will fix that right away!!!
This looks great! But, I’m confused. I’m planning on making this in a 9×13, so do I need to double the recipe.
If you are only making a single layer 9×13, just make it as is. No need to double anything:-)
This did not turn out at all. First of all there is no way you can fit all the cake ingredients in an 8″ pan. It was spilling over so I poured it into a 9″ and it barely fit on there. Then after almost 50 minutes in the oven it was still not done in the center and it came out with the middle sunk in. I made two separate batches cause I intended to stack and make a double layer and they both turned out like that. Very disappointed! I was making it for an event tomorrow and now I have nothing!!
I am so sorry to hear that this recipe did not work for you. I have made it several times, and had a few others that have made it too without any problems. The pan I use for each layer is the wilton 8 inch round cake pan that is 2 inches deep. How deep is your pan? One cake mix should only fill the pan about 3/4 full. Again I am very sorry that the cake didn’t work for you.
I just made this tonight…major fail! While I am far from an amateur this one just didn’t work for me. I doubled the recipe to make two 9″ cakes and I may have overfilled the pans. However the frosting turned out AMAZING! My husband just wanted to dip the broken cake into it. I told him he’d have to wait because it had to LOOK pretty too
I am really sad to hear this didn’t turn out for you. How long did you bake it for? I have made it several times without any problems in an 8 inch Wilton pan. The frosting is the best part though:-)
After pinning this amazing cake months ago I finally decided to make this yummy cake tonight. I did not double the recipe and I wa able to make the double layer cake no problem. My frosting for some reason came out kinda runny but next time I think I jut need to use less water and a little more powdered sugar. Even with the runny frosting this cake tastes sooooo good. Thanks for this great cake recipe!
I am so glad to hear that the cake worked for you. I am curious about your frosting…it shouldn’t have been runny at all. In fact the peanut butter should make it thicker. I usually add most of my water or milk after I have all the sugar in so I can watch the consistency!
You know what, I did use my ninja to mix it. I’m thinking maybe it just got blended to much. Either way the cake tasted great and my husband loved it!
This recipe sounds delicious, but I wish I had read the comments prior to making it. The recipe calls for a pan which is clearly not a standard pan. Against my better judgement, I actually doubled this recipe and put it in two standard 9 inch round cake pans. Within 5 minutes of putting it in the oven, it baked over and made a horrible mess of my oven.
The recipe should be corrected to say that this makes one layer of an 8 inch x 2 inches tall pan, or two standard 9 inch round pans, or a standard 9×13. The instructions are very misleading.
However, I must add, the cake smells amazing! I haven’t tried it yet, but can’t wait!!
I am so sorry to hear that it made such a mess. There was a note on the recipe regarding what size pans to use. I went in and moved this note, so it is more noticeable for anyone reading the recipe. I even made the cake again tonight to see if something was wrong, but all the batter fit in my 8×2 baking pan just fine. My guess is that your 9 inch pan is not as deep…I would recommend never filling any size pan more than 3/4 full so it doesn’t spill over. Again I am truly sorry it spilled over for you. Hopefully you enjoy the cake anyway!!!
Thanks for the reply Jocelyn. In reading the other comments, it sounds like several of us used 9 inch x 1 inch pans, which are the only round pans I’ve ever used. The only other round pans I have are springform. Would those work?
I have some other bananas sitting in a paper bag to brown, and then I’ll try again, probably making two layers without doubling the ingredients. I was so disappointed that the cake didn’t turn out, as it smelled amazing!!
I am so glad that we were able to determine the problem. I will definitely keep the pan size in mind with any other cakes I post. Definitely try it again, but this time just make the one recipe and divide it between your pans. Your baking time will be closer to 30 minutes I would imagine, but keep an eye on it. I hope you love it as much as we do!!!
I found you several months ago via Pinterest. I have taken this cake to several events and now get requests for it. I just follow the recipe and put it in a 13 x 9 pan (none of this fancy decorating for me). Just wanted to say thanks for the great recipe. My coworkers and family adore it!
OH MY…..This looks gorgeous and sounds so delicious!! (You must have so much patience for the basket weave!) One day…one day, I will sit down and make one because I always admired how beautiful it looks!
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Thank you
It is seriously the easiest thing to do…it just looks so impressive. You should definitely give it a try sometime…I know you would rock it!!!
This cake recipe was so amazingly delish! Took to a church dinner & had many raves. Followed exactly & This recipe made 2 8inch round cakes. The frosting recipe was just enough to thinly layer between the two cakes & the remaining cake. I only added 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar & a couple more tsp of water as it got pretty thick. My husband is not much of a cake lover & got 2 thumbs up from him. Now, My favorite go to cake!!! Thanks for posting!!!!
I am so excited to hear that your cake turned out and had so many people like it!!! Thank you for letting me know