made with love

a welcome and a birthday cake

Today I spent a big part of my time figuring out  a new "best" size for my blog photos (gracias Cristina por tu ayuda), adapting consequently the width of the text and trying out different script types for a watermark. No time at all for cooking and baking!
Nevertheless I also wanted to surprise my daughter with a freshly baked cake which would fill the house with a welcoming smell on her arrival.  Baucks' Lemon Cake Mix did the trick for me. I just needed to add eggs, mil and butter, mix the batter - and into the oven. More time for my readjusting endeavour....

Two thirds of the batter went into my welcome cake, the remaining third I filled into a little heart shaped form as a birthday gift. (I'm not a football fan, but I hope the television will be on tonight!)
The best part of baking is the decorating; the icing and the moment I browse the garden to collect edible flowers. Difficult today. Rododendron is definitely poisonous. The beautiful yellow daylilies (yes, edible) didn't even decide to open at only 12°C... Also the roses need a few more days of sun and WARMTH. Anyway, happy birthday, Christian!

from Sarabeth's Bakery: Expresso Cake

AUGURI  to all those who celebrate their birthday today!!  My kisses and wishes fly to Florence!

Sarabeth's Expresso Cake makes for  a true birthday cake: the batter tolerates the fanciest baking moulds, it's moist and smooth. With its subtle coffee flavour the cake is perfect for the birthday breakfast.

Expresso Cake ( from the book Sarabeth's Bakery)

butter for the pan
1 cup hot brewed coffee
3 tablespoons instant coffee, preferably expresso
3 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks)
2 cups superfine sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature, separated

for the coffee glaze:
2 tablespoons hot brewed coffee
1/2 teaspoon instant exoresso powder
1 tablespoon milk
2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 180°C (350°F).

Combine the brewed coffee and expresso powder in a glass measuring cup; let cool.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. In another bowl beat the butter until smooth.Gradually beat in the sugar, then add the vanilla, and beat until very light in colour and texture. One at a time beat in the yolks.

Reduce the mixer speed to low. Starting with the flour mixture, alternating with two equal additions of the cooled coffee, beat in the flour mixture, beating until smooth after each addition.

Whip the egg whites in a grease-free bowl until soft peaks form. Using a silicone spatula , stir about one fourth of the whites into the batter, then gently fold in the remaining whites.

Scrape the batter into the form and bake  30 minutes (small forms) or 55 minutes (one big form).

Cool on a wire rack.

To make the glaze, mix the brewed coffee and the expresso powder. Add the milk. Add the confectioner's sugar and whisk until smooth. It should be thin and warm to the touch.
Slowly pour the warm glaze over the cake. Cool completely.

♥♥♥