it's all about the cake

a week ago i hosted a birthday party for my daughter, ava. she was turning three and (not surprisingly) had a fairly clear vision for the type of party she wanted: tons of balloons, pizza, a "freeze dance" contest and, most importantly, a pink cake.

now, i don't know about you, but i LIVE for special occasion baking. i could throw a great party, but my moment really comes when my guests taste the cake (or tart, or pie or whatever....). most of my excitement about birthdays comes from knowing that i get to make a cake.

this is not to say that my cakes are professional by any stretch. they are not. i think professional, really artistic cakes are beautiful. i admire the patience and dedication that goes into creating a visual masterpiece that gets to be eaten (gulp!). but these are not the type of cakes i'm talking about. my cakes are not visually perfect (or even special). that's not my thing. i love to bake and make cakes because i love cake. i mean i love eating it. when my friends come over and see i've made a cake they get giddy along with me because they know i've made SURE it tastes awesome. i'm not trying to win prizes; i'm trying to blow those store-bought, super sugary cakes out of the water.

so, when it came to ava's special cake, i decided to keep it particularly pink by incorporating raspberries. i love the combination of raspberry with orange, so here's what we ended up with - layered orange-buttermilk cake with a raspberry center, frosted with pink buttercream and sprinkles. it was perfectly girly. perfectly delicious. and the perfect centerpiece to my little girls' day.

Ava's Third Birthday Cake

or, Orange Buttermilk Cake with Buttercream Frosting

For the cake:

i based my cakes off of a recipe called Esther's Orange Marmalade Cake

1 c. unsalted butter, softened

3 1/4 c. cake flour

1 T. baking powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 2/3 c. sugar

5 large eggs, room temp

4 egg yolks, room temp

2/3 c. vegetable oil

1 T. grated orange zest

2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. buttermilk, shaken

Orange Syrup:

1 c. freshly squuezed orange juice

1/4 c. sugar

Raspberry Jam (for in between layers)

Buttercream Frosting:

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 stick salted butter, softened

1 pound confectioners sugar

1/4 c. milk

2 tsp. vanilla

Food coloring

preheat oven to 350. Lightly butter three 9-inch cake pans, line them with parchment paper, butter the paper and sprinkle with flour, shaking out the excess.

sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixture, beat the butter on medium speed until light in color. Add the sugar in a steady stream with the mixer running. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and the yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Be sure to scrape down the bowl at least once. Beat for another two minutes. Add the oil and beat well. In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk vanilla and orange zest. Fold half of the dry ingredients into the butter/sugar/egg mixture. Then add half the buttermilk mixture. Fold in the rest of the dry ingredients, the end by adding the rest of the buttermilk mixture. scrape down the bowl and divide batter evenly among the three pans. then carefully lift the about three inches off the counter and drop them down. do this three or four times to eliminate air bubbles (umm, this part is fun). Bake for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. let cool in pans on rack for 20 minutes.

while the cakes bake, prepare orange syrup by dissolving sugar into orange juice. while the cakes are still in the pans, poke holes into cake at 1/2 inch intervals with a skewer or toothpick. spoon syrup over cakes, making sure it soaks into each layer before spooning more on.

these cakes are incredibly light, moist and delicious.

while the cakes cool, loosen up the raspberry jam by warming slightly in a saucepan or the microwave.

for the frosting, place the softened butter in a stand mixer (note: my secret to the BEST frosting - i use part salted butter. it's subtle, but the difference is amazing and really yields the type of flavor i love). beat the butter and alternately add confectioners sugar and milk. i never, ever, ever use as much sugar as buttercream frosting recipes call for. i don't like it super sweet. adjust it to your taste and just add the sugar and milk until the desired consistency, creamy and smooth, but not runny. add the vanilla and any food coloring you want (it took 4 drops to get the pink i wanted).

To Assemble:

lay strips of parchment or wax paper on the edges of your cake plate. add the first layer cake, then spoon a little frosting in the center. spoon raspberry jam on top, making sure not to spread it all the way to the edges (i got carried away and it dripped everywhere once the other layers were on). continue with your second layer, frosting, jam, then third layer. do a coat of frosting all over the cake, just to bind it and hold the crumbs on. finally (i mean, FINALLY!) do your finishing work with your final layer of frosting, carefully covering the sides and top.

a dusting of rainbow sprinkles and a crown of red raspberries, and this cake made my daughters' day!

Creamy Fire Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

I'm all about comfort food. And, in the winter I love eating soup. You know, the traditional tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich and chicken noodle soup... But, I wanted something different. I was perusing the Betty Crocker website and came across this recipe. It reminded me of a tomato basil soup I had in Hasta La Pasta down in Texas. So, I gave it a shot. I used my new knife to chop the onion and my new dutch oven to cook the soup. It really makes a difference to use high quality kitchen utensils and cutlery... FYI, I don't like hot and spicy, so I omitted the red pepper flakes. I also doubled the recipe so that I'd have leftovers.

Well, here it goes:

1 tbsp butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cans fire roasted diced tomatoes, 14.5 oz can, undrained
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup whipping cream

In 3 quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until tender. Stir in tomatoes, broth, 1 tbsp of the basil, the sugar and red pepper flakes. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat; pour mixture into a large heat proof bowl; cool slightly for 15 minutes. Place half the mixture into a blender. Cover, blend until pureed. Return to saucepan; repeat with remaining mixture. Heat over medium heat until hot. Remove from heat. Stir in cream and remaining 1 tbsp of basil.

Vegan Celery Root Soup

Like everyone else on our planet right now, I'm pondering ways to be healthier for 2010. So I decided I want to start adding some vegan or vegetarian meals into our meal rotation. Yes, I concede it may not last too long and it may just be a phase. (especially because the hubby isn't that into it) But I'm hoping I'll find some good "keeper" recipes and learn some things along the way.

In my first quest, I stumbled across this recipe on the Oprah show and it's a "keeper." I love that the soup becomes thick and creamy from raw cashews, as opposed to heavy cream. This rich soup is complimented greatly with the garnish of tart granny smith apples! (don't omit them.) Though, in my humble opinion, the chive oil didn't really add to the soup and was just extra work. (although it did look nice.)

*Try substituting the celery root with broccoli or asparagus

Celery Root Soup with Granny Smith Apples

Recipe from The Conscious Cook Cookbook

Sea salt
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium celery roots , peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 stalks celery , chopped
1 large onion , chopped
2 quarts vegetable broth (try Better than Bouillon brand)
1 bay leaf
1 cup thick Cashew Cream
Freshly ground black pepper
1 unpeeled Granny Smith apple , very finely diced
Chive oil

Place a large stockpot over medium heat. Sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and heat for 1 minute. Add the oil and heat for 30 seconds, being careful not to let it smoke. This will create a nonstick effect.Add the celery root, celery, and onion and sauté for 6 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until soft but not brown. Add the stock and bay leaf, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the Cashew Cream and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.Working in batches, pour the soup into a blender, cover the lid with a towel (the hot liquid tends to erupt), and blend on high. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls. Place a spoonful of the diced apple in the center of each serving, drizzle the Chive Oil around the apple, and serve. (serves 6)

"Pressure Cooker" Soy Chicken

I got a new Pressure Cooker for Xmas and was waiting to make something good in it. So, I browsed through the recipes and found Soy Chicken (made with soy sauce). I wanted something quick, and if any of you have a pressure cooker, you know how quick they cook! I made it and tasted it, I have to say this is the juiciest chicken I've ever had. It was fast and easy and most important, super yummy!!!!

Recipe courtesy of Presto Pressure Cooker Recipes
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 cup sliced celery (i didn't put any in)
3 tbsp brown sugar

Place all ingredients in cooker. Close cover securely. Place pressure regulator on vent pipe and cook 4 minutes with pressure regulator rocking slowly. Let pressure drop of it's own accord.

That's it!!!! It literally cooked in 4 min.... Why didn't I get one of these sooner!!!!

I also made a side dish of steam in a bag peas and mushrooms and chicken flavored pasta. I had dinner ready in 15 minutes all together. I love it! I hope you try this if you own a pressure cooker. ;)