latest birthday cake baked?

madameshawshank · Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2004 5:02 am Post subject: latest birthday cake baked?

The lumberjack cake I'm baking for my friend Marie's birthday has been in the oven for 10 minutes. After a little while, I'll take it out and cover the cake with a mixture of melted butter, brown sugar, milk, and coconut..the long strands. A little more baking. I'm glad Marie was born, 'cause it's given me the opportunity to bake a cake.

What was the last b'day cake c 'n zers baked? I attempted a dobos torte once, for my mother in law. The butter cream was delicious, however I just couldn't get the cake layers right. Nor the toffee top. She's coming for dinner next week, so after almost 25 years I just might give it another go. Maybe I'm more confident in the old kitchen nowadays.

ok, over to the gang...b'day cakes.

oh, I'll keep a slice for you all
_________________
"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

swan · Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2004 11:23 am Post subject:

it just happened to be my birthday yesterday Smile

....which was celebrated with my family in a really nice restaurant in the village where I live.
Tonight I'll celebrate with my friends (You'll only turn 35 once!) with a "stamppot en champagne"- party. The champagne speaks for itself, the stamppot is the very basic, very dutch mixture of mashed potatoes and vegetables which I mentionend with the braised meat-recipe in "comfort foods."
I'll make three different ones (sauerkraut, carrot-and-union and a dutch kind of cabbage), and have different kind of meats(smoked sausage, meatballs) and other goodies to sprinkle on top (bacon bits) on the side

The cakes I made for desert/coffee are: carrot cake (not very dutch), "gevuld speculaas"(very dutch), which is a seasonal kind of cookie/cake made with 'speculoos' or a mixture of spices like cinnamon, cloves, allspice, in a very thick dough, filled with a ground almond paste, and with almonds on top, yummie.
And an applepie, which I bought this time because the bakery around the corner makes an excellent one.
The fun in this kind of food is that we've seen al the nice quiches and tapenades and olives and so on for quite a while now at every party we go to, and I thought it would be nice to have an oldfasioned food-party.
With champagne Smile

Erin · Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2004 1:14 pm Post subject:

The last one I made was for my friend Carrie on her 25th b-day. I was being really careless and forgot to flour the pan, so the centers ripped out. I just so happened to have a fresh pint of raspberries, so I used them to fill in the middle. It worked perfectly! I frosted it with ganache, topped it with mint leaves and berries and it was perfect!

My own birthday is in two weeks. As my husband doesn't cook we will celebrate with baba au rhum and the classic creme brulee from Les Halles.
_________________
"It's watery....and yet there's a smack of ham."

"It's hot ham water."

David · Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2004 4:41 pm Post subject:

Well I can't really remember exactly what it was, but I was 12 or 13, it was for my Mom and it came in a box!!!!!!
_________________
Vivant Linguae Mortuae!!

Juliana · Joined: 01 Dec 2004 Posts: 5 Location: New York City

A few weeks ago, I made the Rococoa Cake from Nigella Lawson's new book Feast, for my dad's 92nd birthday brunch. It's a really time-consuming, labor intensive cake. First you make cocoa sponge layers, sort of like a cocoa genoise. Then you drench them in rum-espresso syrup. The layers get filled with a rum-mascarpone filling, and then the whole thing is glazed with a chocolate-espresso-rum icing. I decorated it with silver dragees and cocoa almonds, and it was both gorgeous and delicious. It's a biggie, but it's well worth the effort.
_________________
...and yes I said yes I will Yes.

rebecca · Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2004 12:51 am Post subject:

I made a huckleberry cheesecake for my friend Dave's birthday. The cheesecake was your standard recipe with a bit of lemon zest in the batter and a graham cracker crust. Once it cooled, I brought two cups of huckleberries (this wonderfully tart and pungent berry, for those that do not know, grows wild in the northern Rocky Mountains west to Oregon and Washington) with a bit of sugar and tapioca pudding pearls--my favorite easy thickener--to a boil in a saucepan on the stove and then turned the heat off. I stirred the fruit sauce gently until cool and thick and then poured it on top of the finished cheesecake. It was a hit with everyone at the party.

madameshawshank · Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2004 12:57 am Post subject: an order for David...

time my dear pal to bake a cake...get that mixing bowl out of the cupboard and get to it!

and Juliana, your cake sounds scrumptious. My father is approaching his 90th birthday ~ I think I'll make the Nigella/Juliana cake.

all the lumberjack cake has been eaten with gusto! We all had a night of much laughter and merriment...my kind of night.

remember Mr David...follow the order or watch out! The pixies of Oz could come visiting...
_________________
"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

David · Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2004 5:46 pm Post subject:

Madameshawshank--having the pixies from Oz come visit would be a treat, not a threat!

I promise to overcome my cowardice and get at it--cakewise---hmmm I've been thinking of asking for a Bundt pan(s) for Christmas.
_________________
Vivant Linguae Mortuae!!

Judy · Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2004 2:34 am Post subject:

David, I think you should ask for a Bundt pan. I made a fantastic raspberry cake in one a couple of weeks ago, using frozen raspberries. When you get your pan(s) I'll give you the recipe.

swan · Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2004 1:51 pm Post subject:

how'bout making a new tradition and all bake nigella's cake for the 'old daddy's' B-day? My dad will be 88 soon.....

madameshawshank · Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2004 10:37 pm Post subject: cakes for the oldies..

Swan...lovely I idea...and also for the old mommys as well I hope...will for sure make it for my dad's 90th in July...might also make it before ..a practice go if you will.

cheers
_________________
"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

Juliana · Joined: 01 Dec 2004 Posts: 5 Location: New York City

I'm so glad so many of you want to try Nigella's Rococoa Cake -- it's absolutely sumptuous -- but Madame Shawshank, you may not want to wait until July!
_________________
...and yes I said yes I will Yes.

David · Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 5:28 pm Post subject:

Just letting you all know that the very subtle hint "david really needs some Bundt cake pans for Christmas." has been dropped. NOw we await the big day!
_________________
Vivant Linguae Mortuae!!

madameshawshank · Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2004 4:49 am Post subject: subtle hints..

yep David..that's pretty subtle..

try this for size..I'd like a return trip to France ..specifically in May..however this beggar cannot be a chooser!

ok, hint has been dropped! Wink

methinks your odds are better than Pixie Shawshank's!
_________________
"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

David · Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2004 10:09 pm Post subject:

Wow, yeah, I can imagine the Sydney-Paris airfare is tragic! But may your dreams come true! (for our next major holiday, next October, I suggested Argentina in springtime----we've arbitrated and settled on Tuscany!)
_________________
Vivant Linguae Mortuae!!