A Typewriter Cake Escapade (plus Vanilla Buttercream)

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen the slew of in-progress photos I posted of the epic typewriter cake my friend C and I created last weekend. This was my first cake construction project, and it was a huge success. Worthy of a feature on Chip Chip Hooray? You know it!

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Brownie-Cookie Surprise Cake: My Take on the “Slutty Brownie”

Baked goods are spiffy. You know who else is spiffy? My friend Erin over at The Spiffy Cookie. So when she needed a few guest posters to hold down the sweet fort while she’s away being science-y, I was more than happy to step up!

A soft cookie bottom and a fudgy, chocolatey brownie layer, all sandwiched together by a crumbled Tagalong Girl Scout cookie filling–it’s clear that this little cake packs a punch that puts the much-hyped slutty brownie to shame.

Stop kidding yourself. The end of your week is just calling out for some layer cake with questionable morals–go get the recipe!

"The most dangerous cake recipe in the world…"

Well, it’s another manic Monday. Although my day way bookended by events that normally would bum me out (namely, (a) my eyeliner broke at 6 a.m. so I looked either extremely ill or like an insomniac all day long and (b) the LIRR had massive delays system-wide thanks to a stall in the tunnel, so I had to make a mad dash via an express subway to Brooklyn and hope I made a different connection there [I did]), I am still flying high from my awesome weekend.

Why so awesome, you ask?

Well, my delightful college roommate sent me a message at 11 p.m. on Friday night, putting forth the proposition that we go back to campus to visit. The next day. As in, I would get on a train in eight hours and come meet her in NJ and we’d head to PA together.

Now, those who know me well know that I am not a spontaneous girl. My nickname in high school among my friend group was The Planner (yeah; not very catchy) because if I didn’t pick a time, name the place, and call everyone, nothing would ever happen. To quote a line from a scandalously overused Broadway musical that’s stuck in my head thanks to Glee, “I make lists in my sleep, baaaaaby.”

But on Friday, I asked myself, “Why the hell not?” I had no plans this weekend. I haven’t seen my roommates in forever. And it just sounded like fun. So I threw some clothes in a beach bag, grabbed a few hours of sleep, and hopped on a train at 7:30 the next morning en route to good old alma mater.

I think I need to start incorporating more impulsiveness into my life. We surprised a bunch of people who had no idea we were coming, braved a monsoon just to get from campus to the car, and ate pizza and chocolate eggs at 3 in the morning. Glorious, simply glorious.

Anyway! In honor of my college throwback weekend, I’ve got a Monday night treat for all of you who might not be riding the wave of happiness that I’m lucky to be surfing. Courtesy of the very same college roommate who convinced me to step outside my box of routine…

And here goes…let the chips fall where they may.

I’m starting with the bad puns already…that can’t be a good sign.

So, I actually created this blog a few months ago. Buuuuut I’ve been putting off writing my first entry because I got cold blogger’s feet–what did I actually have to say? Maybe this was a terrible idea. And why did I ever think that was a cute name for a blog, anyway?

I finally told myself to shut up (inside me, that is. Blogger me, we want her to talk).

What is Chip Chip Hooray? Well, on the one hand (and on the most literal level), I want it to be a record of my culinary exploration. I’ve always had a healthy (or perhaps unhealthy) appreciation for baked goods, and, more recently, really excellent food of the savory variety as well. I’m fascinated by food blogs, sometimes to the detriment of my actual, paid employment. And I love the idea of having a sort of e-storage of my ponderings and musings about all things yummy. New recipes I tried? Particularly interesting article on food I saw? Delicious restaurant or rogue food cart I think everyone should visit rightthisminute? Now I have a place to write all that! But on the other hand, I don’t want to just limit it to baking and food shtuff. Because, frankly, I don’t always have all that time to dedicate just to ogling pretty dishes (much as I may wish I did). So you may occasionally get bits and pieces from my Real Life, aka the world of books that dominates my 9-to-5 day, or whatever miscellany may be bouncing about when the writing urge should strike. You have been warned!

The recipe I decided to use for my very first post is a bit of a family affair…follow the jump!