Sometimes when I get a cake order....scerrriiiittttttsskkkk..... scratch that. Every time I get a cake order, especially for one that's a bit different than the norm, I always have aspirations to make an extra for our family. That being said, soon enough into the mere thought my brain comes to a screeching halt and gives me a look from within as if to say "what are you, nuts?! If you had a cake for yourself every time you made one to sell, you'd be 250 pounds and growing"!
Needless to say, I still mull over the idea. Most of the time I am pleased enough knowing it's delicious and beautiful and exactly what the customer wanted. However, there are those special cakes which make me proud and I wish at that point that I had actually made an extra for us. Partly because I know it would be tantalizingly delicious and partly because I think it would be intensely beautiful when sliced into. This is one of those cakes.
A luxurious golden, melt-in-your-mouth
butter cake, layered with lightly sweetened fresh blueberry filling and covered in a delicately honey-sweetened, silky buttercream. Hand crystallized violas gently settle into the buttercream as if to say they found their favorite nesting place and purple and violet ribbons wrap it all together.
That one would have been a nice one to take on a picnic, to a summer garden party, or just settle in with a nice cup of tea during the evening when the sun is down and the air is still warm. Blueberries and Honey. Purple and Lavendar. Flowers and Sugar. Sigh!
At least I know I've crystallized enough violas to make several others should the mood strike me.
Or, maybe they'll find their way onto another cake, for someone else, some other time.
After all, what is a cake if not a sculpture asking to be eaten?
This past weekend we saw temperatures reach nearly 90 degrees Fahrenheit (30C) and it was all we could do to contain ourselves from over doing it outside. Cleaning gutters, cutting back ivy and wisteria, trimming back the forsythia, cleaning the ponds, watering the garden, watering the garden and watering the garden some more, we spent nearly every waking moment outdoors. On top of this I was able to wash every scrap of dirty laundry in the house, sweep, vacuum and mop, dust and even pop a cake in the oven for dinner on Sunday! Aside of all of the work we accomplished, we also managed to spend a lot of time walking along some of the many footpaths surrounding our home, picking flowers for every room in the house and Justin even completed his newest song. Relaxing in the evenings with a lager shandy or a pint of Hoegaarden (a delicious Belgian white beer and one of my all-time favorites) with our homemade turkey burgers and vegetables grilling over the charcoal, we'd sip our drinks and throw a few darts. It was one of the best weekends we've had in a very long time. One of those rare weekends when everything goes your way. In a manner of speaking we got to have our cake and eat it too!
Hot weather isn't always conducive to having a kitchen oven on, nor does it make me want to eat any particularly heavy food. Ergo, the desire to cook out on the barbecue and eat fresh green salads. Baking a cake is not exactly what you think of when it's 90 degrees outside... or, is it?
This delightful, quick to prepare and quick to bake cake cools fast and is perfect with fresh berries and creme fresh or vanilla scented whipped cream. My favorite way to eat this is with loads of fresh blueberries!
The recipe? Four egg yolks mixed with 2/3 cup buttermilk and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla; 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt; 8 tablespoons softened unsalted butter.
The preparation? Easy peasy, just mix it all together, pour it in a 9" cake pan, bake for about 20-30 minutes in a 350F oven and let it cool in the pan until the cake begins to shrink away from the sides. Then, just flip it onto a cooling rack, allow to cool another 10-15 minutes before transferring it to your favorite cake plate. Adorn with creme fresh or vanilla scented whipped cream and loads of blueberries (or any berry will do!).
Bon appetit!
