Vanilla Cake with Buttercream

400.  And for my next trick 🍰a soft, moist, deliciously amazing Vanilla Cake with Buttercream.  Over the years I have made many cakes, tried dozens of recipes and was never very happy with the way my vanilla cakes would turn out.  It seemed they would be too sweet, dry out too quickly, be too crumbly or just not be an A+.  In my endless search, I found this recipe.  I can not take credit but can direct you to the link.  I have to say...THIS IS a delicious vanilla cake.

I made this cake for my daughter's 22nd Birthday and it was a hit.

I baked the batter in a large sheet pan and then cut out 5 layer circles from the baked cake.  Doubling the buttercream recipe was important for the extra layers.  In the center layer, I placed boysenberry filling that I made from boysenberries picked this summer.  Then I boiled the berries in a small saucepan with 1/4 cup water and 1 cup sugar till berries fall apart.  Then strained them to remove the seeds and ultimately added back into the sauce a few spoonfuls of seeds but not every seed...because we like them.  Next I added a corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce.  I cooled it and then placed the sauce in the center on the third layer.

The process was perfection...the cake baked so well and the buttercream was the best I have ever worked with!

I decorated the sides roughly with strokes of butter cream and then added golden flakes to one side.

What a wonderful experience and so rewarding!  Not to mention the taste...So Good!

Here is the link to the recipe for this amazing Vanilla Cake with Buttercream!  

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you're short on time and cost conscious.  You just need to cook clever and get creative!

~ Nagi of RecipeTin Eats

Apricot Sorbet

378.   It's summer and what better use of fresh apricots than to make a refreshing sorbet.  I found a recipe that was simple with a small amount of ingredients.  It was delicious and so satisfying.

With a bowl filled with apricots that ripened overnight, I selected the softest ones.  I cut them in half, pitted them and placed them in a 4 quart pot with a bit of water.  Brought to a boil and then simmered them until they became a smooth mixture.  In order to remove the skins, I pressed the mixture through a sieve.  It separated the skin and fibers from the beautiful pulp once the apricot mixture became soft.

This helped the texture to be consistent and smooth.  Then, added honey and vanilla and tasted for sweetness, placed the mixture into a freezer safe container and placed in the freezer.  It took about 5 hours to harden the sorbet.

The small amount following a delicious meal was so perfect, a pallet cleanser.  It was sweet, tart and the apricot flavor was so authentic and beautiful with a small shot of espresso.

"Keep calm and eat Sorbet!" ~ Anonymous

Vanilla Cake

313. My summer beach reading has meandered through a few classics, food magazines and a surprising memoir by NY Times Food Critic Ruth Reichl, "Garlic and Sapphires"

A dear friend sent me this book and suggested it as good reading.  Thanks Colleen!  Not only have I enjoyed following Ruth all over Manhattan disguised in pseudo personalities but reading the descriptions of the decadent foods she ingested.  My desire to cook, bake and create culinary delights has increased significantly.  My favorite chapter was following Ed Levine, "the ultimate connoisseur of New York food."  

It was a captivating book that was hard to put down.  A delightful addition to this book are the recipes sprinkled throughout the book.

So this is my homage to Ruth Reichl, making her son's favorite recipe "Nicky's Vanilla Cake"

I cut the recipe in half and used my small vintage fluted tube pan.  The batter was thick, glossy and beautiful and oh so aromatic.  Baking for 30 minutes was perfect.

The cake came away from the pan without a fight and was beautiful.

I then made a blueberry syrup using 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water and 1 Tablespoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice.

Once cooled the cake sliced easily and even the crumbs were irresistible.

I whipped heavy cream with a touch of vanilla and powdered sugar.  A drizzle of blueberry syrup and a dollop of whipped cream on top.  Delicious ★★★★

"Always do right. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest." 

-Mark Twain

Crème Brûlée

136. Here is a delicious recipe by Alton Brown for:

Crème Brûlée

• 1 quart heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 1 cup vanilla sugar, divided (make vanilla sugar by placing a vanilla bean into a container with sugar.)
• 6 large egg yolks
• 2 quarts hot water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks

until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually.

Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top.

Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with fresh fruit, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries or anything of your choice. Whipped Cream is a wonderful accent.

"Some people like to paint pictures, or do gardening,

or build a boat in the basement.

Other people get a tremendous pleasure out of the kitchen,

because cooking is just as creative and imaginative an activity as drawing,

or wood carving, or music."
~ Julia Child