You Didn't Win at the Oscars? O Pobrecito! Here, Have Some Chocolate Cake!!

Chocolate Cake

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How's this for a consolation prize?

This recipe is very chocolatey.  Mmmmmm.....

Keep it in the refridgerator.

I cut mine into four layers, and used LOTs of frosting.

I did not hold back on anything, this is the "full monty."

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Recipe, adapted from Gooseberry Patch

Prepare 2  - 8 inch round cake pans (greased and floured) and set aside.

Cake

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 1/2 t. vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream

4 (1 oz.) squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled

1 cup buttermilk

(and Frosting--recipe below)

Cake:

     Combine dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and salt) in a small bowl, set aside.  Beat butter in a large bowl (or stationary mixer) at medium speed, until creamy.  Add sugars and beat one minute.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well, and then add vanilla.  Add sour cream, and beat 30 seconds.  Stir in melted chocolate, mixing well.  Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture alternatively with buttermilk, and beat well.

     Pour into prepared pans and bake at 350 degrees F oven for 25-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool on pans on a wire rack 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.

     I cut my two layers in half, using a piece of dental floss, and make four layers.

Frosting

1- 8 oz. package cream cheese

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 - 32 oz. powdered sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 oz. square unsweetened chocolate, melted

5-6 tablespoons half and half or heavy cream

Frosting:

Beat cream cheese and butter together, until smooth.  Add vanilla, powdered sugar,  cocoa powder,  melted chocolate, then the cream or half and half, and mix together well.  I like to do all this in the stationary mixer, and scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.

You can keep this in the fridge until the cake is cooled, then frost generously!

Keep cake in the fridge! 

Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Here's our version of Strawberry Cake!  Isn't it pretty?!  It would be fun to make this cake for someone's birthday.  This is a small recipe- enough for a 9 x 9 or 8 x 8 inch square pan, so it's not large-- but you could double the recipe and make it in a 9 x 13 inch pan or two 8 inch round cake pans.

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The pretty pink damask napkin is from my mother's collection of fancy napkins that we used on special occasions. Wow!  Does anyone ever use damask napkins anymore??  Dottie Rose took great pride in her dinner linens.  She had at least three matching sets of about 12 napkins to go with table cloths.  She had them stored in a linen closet, and would even go so far as to have them dry cleaned after use.  Along with her linens, she also would keep the bedsheets and pillowcases.  And guess what?  She ironed all the sheets after they were washed.  Can you imagine?  I don't know of anyone who does that anymore.... God Bless her!!  I miss her sooo much....
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Strawberry Cake
Ingredients:
½ box white cake mix (full box weight is 16.5 ounces). We like Duncan Hines brand, and Betty Crocker with pudding in the mix is good too. The most accurate way to find out what is half a box, is to weigh it. Pour out some of the cake mix into the bowl, then weigh the what’s left in the bag. When you reach half the weight of what’s left in the bag, that’s half.
½ of a 3 ounce box of strawberry jello. Again, weighing is the best way to determine what is half the box.
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
1/4- 1/3 cup mashed and drained fresh strawberries (you’ll need the same amount for the icing below- so make extra)

*Baking times will vary for different elevations and ovens. Please read notes about that below.* Bake at 350 degrees F. For 15- 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into middle of cake comes out clean.

Assembly:
1. Grease and flour a 9 x 9 inch square pan. (Grease with solid vegetable shortening OR shortening spray. Sprinkle in some All Purpose flour into pan and shake it around the shortening till covered in flour. Shake out excess flour.)

(**Notes: You may also use an 8 x 8 inch square pan. Cake will be higher than in the 9 x 9 pan, so your baking time may have to be increased. When baking, check the cake after 15 minutes. If cake starts to brown around the edges, carefully place a baking sheet under the baking pan.**)
2. Clean and mash strawberries in a colander, and set aside to let drain.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
4. In a bowl, place the ½ box white cake mix, ½ box jello and 1 tablespoon All Purpose flour. Mix together with whisk.
5. Add in vegetable oil, eggs, and milk. Mix together well with spoon or whisk. Add in mashed strawberries and mix well.
6. Place into prepared pan. Make sure mix is evenly spread into pan.
7. Bake in oven, according to instructions above.
8. Make icing while cake is baking.

With icing, you can put some of it on the warm cake, then let it cool off and put the rest of it on top.


Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened (room temperature)
1/4 cup (½ stick) butter (room temperature)
2 cups powdered (confectioners) sugar
1/4- 1/3 cup mashed and drained fresh strawberries
1 teaspoon vanilla or lemon extract
sprinkle of strawberry jello

Assembly:
1. Clean and mash strawberries and let drain in colander.
2. Combine cream cheese and butter till smooth. 
3. Add in confectioners sugar and stir well.
4. Add in extract and stir well. 
5. Sprinkle some strawberry jello over icing and add strawberries, and stir well.
6. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.
7. Spread some (or all) over warm cake, or wait until cake is completely cooled.

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Peony #7 "Summer Birthday"

Peony # 7 is here! She's all done.

Peony: She's my twin! (I'm Peony #3, the one you see on the web banner.) She looks a lot like me, but a little different. Her hatbox is a little different, and her crown party hat is a little different too, right, Bebe?

Bebe: Right, Peony! She has a special scalloped edge hatbox. That thing looks good enough to eat! Everything turned out so well on this special Peony!

Peony: What makes me so special anyway? (I think I know, but I'm asking anyway!)

Bebe: Well, you have several "signatures".

Peony: What's that?

Bebe: A signature is something special that is only yours. One of your signatures is your pretty little hair flower. Every Peony doll that's made has a flower in her hair. Another signature is the tag on your back. No pictures of this will be taken, as this is one of the things each new owner will take delight in looking for when she recieves her doll. You also have a belly button!!

Peony: I knew it!! That's what I thought was special about me!

Bebe: There's more - it's everything about you, how you are made, how you feel when being held. You ARE really special!!! I love you So Much!

Peony: I love you too, Bebe!