Holiday – Page 4 – The Ocelots' Den

It’s Time to Celebrate: A Very Preppy Tailgate

By Julia on 22 October, 2017

It’s Mr. Ocelot’s Birthday today! To honor him, we invited some friends that are also alums of his alma mater to tailgate with us yesterday at a home game! Later in the evening, we invited a couple more friends to join the group at our home for a simple dinner and a bonfire.

When I planned the menu, I wanted easy to eat finger foods that I knew Daniel would love. I also added a few autumnal flavors.

Since I moved to the south, I don’t think I have found a food more southern than Country Ham. It is salty and a very distinct flavor. Paired with Mini Homemade Biscuits and a Honey-Dijon spread, everyone was in for a treat! I also know how much Daniel enjoys Buffalo Chicken, so I made some bite-sized morsels!

I was enjoying the evening meal so much that I forgot to snap any photos! There is probably only one way that Mr. Ocelot isn’t traditional. He doesn’t want a birthday cake. Instead, he prefers pie, more specifically Derby Pie. If you aren’t familiar with Derby Pie, it is a Pecan Pie with Chocolate Chips and Bourbon. It also happens to be the only Pecan Pie I have ever enjoyed.

Baked Goods | Birthdays | Cake | Cookies | Holiday

Young, Wild, and Three!

By Julia on 12 August, 2017

This week was my youngest nephew’s third birthday! He asked me to make him a chocolate cake, with chocolate frosting! He is a little man after my own heart. I LOVE chocolate.

This week was my youngest nephew’s third birthday! He asked me to make him a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting! He is a little man after my own heart. I LOVE chocolate.

His birthday is also a few days before his dad, my brother-in-law Charles, so sometimes I like to add a nod to him as well. In years past, I heard about this cake they order for Charles. A chocolate cake, with chocolate ganache filling, the middle layer of the cake is a chocolate chip cookie, topped with a chocolate ganache frosting. I thought the little man would love his daddy’s favorite cake too!

So I set out to work. I baked my favorite chocolate cake recipe that has a little coffee in it to deepen the chocolate flavor. Then I used the same 9-inch springform pan to bake my chocolate chip cookie recipe. I molded it into the greased pan and baked it at 325 F for 20 minutes, and then I checked it every 5 minutes.

There are TWO essential keys to baking wonderful chocolate chip cookies. First, use high-quality chocolate. I like Ghirardelli because I can find them at most of the local grocery stores, and I can buy them in bulk at Sam’s Club. Second, when the recipe says to cream the butter and sugar, don’t just mix until it is combined. Use your stand mixer or hand mixer and truly whip it. The color will change! It makes a dramatic difference in the cookie!

For my filling, I made a lovely ganache. It is a simple 2-ingredient recipe. Warm the cream, pour it over the chocolate chips. Mix and whip until fluffy. (It can take some time because it needs to cool).

I stack and fill the cake, and as I was doing this, I realized I would leave it “naked,” and I didn’t frost the sides of the cake.

To top the cake, I made some more ganache, but I didn’t whip it. When it isn’t whipped, there isn’t as much air incorporated, which makes it less fluffy, and it is a darker color. I also made an adorable cake topper out of melted chocolate.

To make the topper, print out an image you want to pipe and tape it down. Lay a piece of wax paper over it and tape it down. Pipe the chocolate over the image and voila! A custom cake topper. I filled my topper because I wanted to place it on the cake in once piece. I probably could have gone over the white chocolate layer a second time after filling to bring out the lettering, but I ran out of white chocolate.

I added a #3 candle, and some fun chopped colorful candy melts around the edge as a more playful garnish. My youngest nephew is a wild-spirit. He is full of adventure and completely fearless! I think this cake sincerely captures his personality.

Update: Since making this cake, it has a new name. This cake will forever be known as “The Charles” in our family.