Happy Birthday Becca & Casey

Happy Birthday Ladies! There really isn't anything better than cooking for people that you love! I wanted to make my ladies a really tasty cake for their birthdays, so I was able to come up with a cake that layered Classic Yellow Cake (see the recipe below) with my Candied Pistachio Brownie Cake. I alternated the layers with Apricot Frosting and then swathed the whole cake in Vanilla Bean Frosting, topped with Chocolate and Pistachio Brittle dipped Meringues


Here's the cake before the meringues are added (and before it almost fell on the floor, Yikes!).


Here is the end result, not only was I able to treat the ladies to a tasty birthday cake but I was able to use my tin cake carrier that I bought this summer in Montana. The most stylish way to transport a cake, I think I will be arriving at more parties with this in tow!


We celebrated with the ladies at Dante's Kitchen for Brunch! As always it was a scrumptious meal, Chef Emmanuel Loubier really knows how to run a kitchen (even if he may not have been in the house that day). From the spicy, clove laced Pickled Green Beans and Okra in our Bloody Mary's to the house made Hot Sauce it was all delicious.
nola bean yellow cake
yields: 2 nine inch cakes or 24 cupcakes

1/2 pound Butter, unsalted and room temperature
2 cups Cake Flour ( I use Swan's Down)
1 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt, (I use sea salt for baking, since it is finer)
1 3/4 cups granulated Sugar
4 eggs (remember, cage-free is best!)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, butter cake pans and dust lightly with flour.

In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk lightly to combine and set to the side. In the bowl of a standing mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy on a medium high-high setting. Reduce the speed to medium and add the eggs, one at a time, waiting to incorporate the next until the first is well mixed in. Add vanilla, beat to combine. Turn off the mixer and add 1/2 of the prepared dry ingredients, beat on a low setting and slowly add 1/2 of the milk. Turn off mixer and add the remaining dry ingredients, beat on a low setting and slowly add the remaining 1/2 of the milk. Scrape the sides of the bowl, mixing for 30 seconds on medium high speed to combine.

Divide the batter between the two prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking time. The cooked cakes should be golden brown, and just firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the cake pans and cool completely. Frost and decorate to your hearts delight!