Malinda Hayes (SweetCaker)

Mindy Hayes grew up visiting her grandmother’s baking kitchen, breathing cake fumes, and licking buttercream off Kitchenaid blades. She never intended to actually bake cakes herself, but the desperate desire to be a pinterest mom (before pinterest even existed) led her to build a princess castle birthday cake long before she had any business doing so...and, despite the terrible end product, she caught the bug. In a moment of weakness, she agreed to do her first wedding cake (for a friend who said, “I can’t afford a wedding cake.”), and the rest is history—about 15 years worth. Mindy is self (and youtube)(and random internet tutorial) taught, and would prefer never to pipe another buttercream wedding cake. ever. again. Because delivery is a BEAR. She has a passion for sugar flowers and learning new techniques, and rarely gets to do the same thing twice—custom work is pretty fun.

Mindy currently lives in Corning, NY with her husband Joe, and three teenagers...who are too quickly becoming adults. She recently opened a studio just to bake and decorate cakes (and frustrate all the neighbors who can’t just walk in and buy a cupcake), and made caking her full-time gig. She lives a strange double life of health and fitness and sweet treats, and is a bit of a walking contradiction. You can find pictures of her work on Facebook at SweetCakes Cakery.

Grandma Mattison's Chocolate Cake

2 c. all purpose flour
2 c. granulated sugar
1 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 c. boiling water
2 tsp baking soda
2/3 c. veg. oil
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 8" cake pans. Add baking soda to boiling water. Measure all dry ingredients, stir for 30 seconds in mixer bowl. Add water/baking soda mixture to dry ingredients, stir until well-combined. Combine eggs with oil, pour into batter mixture, mix well, one minute. Add vanilla, mix 30 seconds. Pour batter into prepared pans, bake 30 minutes or until surface springs back when touched (or toothpick comes out clean). Remove pan from oven, cool on wire rack, 10 minutes, turn out of pans, cool completely.

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