Cake!

If you're anything like me.. and many of you are.. in the top of your pantry/cabinet you have a host of random cake mixes left from birthdays, holidays or just random in-store cravings. You may decide to bake one ( or three ) for no other reason than hey, it's cake, but find yourself short an ingredient or two. Take Red Velvet cake for example. We all know it's good any way you make it, but especially glorious when gently swathed in a layer of tangy cream cheese frosting.

But wait! Oh no! all out of cream cheese! what are we to do?!?!
Fear not! with a few minor tweaks, a basic buttercream can come to the rescue with all that wonderful tangy tounge zapping goodness. Here's how I did it :

• 2 sticks of butter, softened
• 1c shortening
• 1 bag confectioner's sugar
• a dash or two of salt
• splash of vanilla
• about 1 tsp fresh ground ginger
• barest pinch of ground clove
• 1/2c plain yogurt
• 1 baker's square of white chocolate, melted and whisked with enough evap milk to make it pourable
• milk as needed to make the frosting creamy

beat the snot out of the butter and shortening on high until creamy and fluffy. slowly add the sugar about 1/3 of the bag at a time. Beat each addition well to ensure a lack of lumps. mix together everything except the milk in a small bowl and add all at once. beat until combined and add more milk ONLY of it's needed. If you want a little more tang, add a very very slight amount of white vinegar to your chocolate/milk mixture. no more than 1/2 a tsp or you will regret it.
This will be a very soft frosting so either add while the cake is hot to melt it, chill the cake fully to keep it solid, or do both and have layers of wonderful flavor and texture.

It's easier than it sounds, fast, and best of all, seriously awesome in your mouth.