Andrew is THREE!... and a cake

Andrew's birthday is Oct. 22. Ever since Judah's birthday in Sept., Andrew's birthday was a main topic of conversation. "When are we going to have Andrew's birthday?" And by "birthday" it was understood to mean "birthday cake". ;-)

When asked what kind of a birthday cake he wanted, he requested an ice cream cake! I was a little surprised, because I'm not sure where he thought of that, but hey, I was happy to oblige. There are many different recipes out there, but I received inspiration from a recipe (which I can't find anymore, so I can't give proper credit) that had a chocolate brownie crust, and then mixed peanut butter and peanuts and chocolate chunks in with the ice cream to put on top of the crust.

Since I've been staying away from chocolate for Enoch's sake, I endeavored to create a nearly chocolate-less ice cream cake. I know, life is empty without chocolate, so you'll notice the little "sprinkles" on top... that's shaved chocolate bar, and only just a little bit, for flavor.

And who would've guessed that his birthday in late October would be so warm!? We had a birthday lunch since the Dad was going to be gone that evening, and I pulled out the cake a little early to thaw, but I ended up sticking it back in the freezer a couple times so it wouldn't melt!

Ice Cream Cake, with Sourdough Bar Crust (A Non-Recipe Recipe)

1. CRUST: The crust is adapted from this Sourdough Blondies recipe. (I can't duplicate the recipe here because of copyright issues, so you'll have to visit that site to get the recipe if you're interested.) Instead of making it immediately, I modified the recipe to include an overnight "soak time" with the starter, flour, and melted butter. And then I mixed it up the next morning, adding the rest of the ingredients (sugar, egg, vanilla, and salt, but not nuts) and baked it in my smallest springform pan, I think it was 8" diameter. If I was doing it over again, I might've done it in the 10" springform, as I felt the bars were too thick, and therefore, too chewy, especially when you're serving this essentially right out of the freezer. (However, as you read on, you'll discover I didn't have much ice cream on hand, so I chose the smaller size pan...)
2. ICE CREAM: I took what ice cream I had left in my freezer, which was about 3/4 of a small tub of Breyer's vanilla ice cream. (Is it the quart and a half size?) If I would've had a full tub, all the better. I softened that and added to it 1/2 c. of peanut butter. Then I spread that over the cooled crust and stuck it in the freezer.
3. TO SERVE: I took some soy-free chocolate and grated a little over the top. This is pretty rich, so don't go crazy on piece size.

 Andrew is quite a little boy. He and Judah are good playmates... when all is going well. Andrew likes to wrestle more than Judah does, so oftentimes, Andrew will initiate a wrestling match. His favorite shirt is the one he is wearing in the photo (Bass Pro Shop shirt). He is a ball of energy, and likes to pit his strength and obstinacy against me. He likes to "do things himself". His smile brightens up a room. Andrew really likes to watch me work in the kitchen, usually hoping to score a taste of whatever I'm cooking.

Here's the birthday boy!

Judah had to get in on the picture too.

Tired birthday boy.

Judah is FIVE!

The birthday cake, or as Judah likes to call it, "The Birthday"

... because really, what's the point of a birthday without the cake?!

On September 21, Judah turned five. FIVE!  Here's the birthday boy with his cake. I asked him what kind of a cake he wanted, and he asked for a chocolate Star Wars cake. (His cousin Johnny had a Star Wars themed birthday party and cake, so naturally, so did Judah.) I told him, I could do chocolate and I could do Star.

Here's me and my three boys..

I made a chocolate sourdough cake, a recipe from one of my favorite blogs, A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa. I made it into two layers, the bottom being a 9 inch circle pan, and the top being a star pan that I got from Grandma and Grandpa Armbrecht!

I didn't follow the blog's recipe for frosting, because I wanted to use up some cream cheese I had put in the freezer a few months ago. The cream cheese frosting recipe I had posted on my birthday cake post was my intention.

Bad idea. If you make cream cheese from straining whey out of yogurt, and then freeze it, don't bother using it to make frosting at a later date. Because if you try to use it for frosting, the frosting will be all grainy, and runny, and yucky textured.

Sooo.... since I was bound and determined to use this cream cheese for frosting, I pulled out all the tricks I had up my sleeve. I tried adding some powdered sugar. I didn't want to add the entire bag, so I decided to try cooking it with cornstarch to thicken it. It helped some, but I really had to boil it to thicken it enough to make it a frosting consistency. And it still retained a wee bit of the grainy consistency.

It ended up being "saucy" in consistency, which I poured over the bottom layer before putting on the star, then poured it on top of the star layer.

It worked well enough, and now it's gone, but I only allowed myself one piece. Well, maybe one and a half. Because I was reminded that Enoch is STILL sensitive to the caffeine in the cocoa, and as I'm still nursing him.... caffeine is a no-no.

After the birthday meal and cake (I think we had potatoes, carrots, and a pork roast), Judah and his Daddy got to go out for a birthday deer posting. They got all dressed up in their invisible best, and got to see a lot of wild life on their outing. Andrew was quite upset that he didn't get to go along, though he got to go with Daddy by himself the next night.

I know this is out of order... but we also celebrated the boys' birthdays over Labor Day weekend, beginning of September with my parents. I couldn't find the candles then, so we lit these two candles and had shortcake with raspberry sauce. That's when Judah got his grand-daddy of birthday gifts... a bow!

My 31st birthday, a cake, and two frosting recipes

July 16, 2012 was my 31st birthday. Time marches on. So I might as well make my cake and eat it too!

I wanted to do something sourdough because, well... I love my sourdough.

I settled on this recipe from the GNOWFGLINS blog for Sourdough Spice Cake. I mostly followed the instructions. Can't help myself... must. alter. directions.

Instead of 1 cup of Rapadura/Sucanat (a "healthier" granulated sugar), I used about 2/3 - 3/4 cup of honey.

I love making layer cakes, so that's how I wanted to make this one. I have two 9-inch round cake pans, instead of the suggested 8-inch rounds for making a layered cake. It didn't make that much of a difference, thankfully.

I didn't make the suggested frosting, since I didn't have any coconut butter. Instead, I used a recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, "Healthy Choices" put out by Keepers at Home. It was a nice frosting that presented well, but only for short term. It didn't have any real staying power.

Honey Frosting

• 1/3 c. honey
• 2-4 egg whites
• dash of cream of tartar
• 1 tsp. flavoring (vanilla, almond, anise or lemon)
• salt to taste

1. Beat egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.
2. Gradually add honey and flavoring.
3. Use to frost 9x13 cake or 2 layer cake.

A frosting that I would use if I made this cake again, is a cream cheese frosting from the same cookbook. I didn't take the initiative and drain the whey off of some yogurt, so I didn't have any cream cheese on hand. You could also use cream cheese from the store.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz. cream cheese
• cinnamon
• honey

1. Soften cream cheese.
2. Beat with potato masher until smooth.
3. Add enough honey to make creamy and add cinnamon to taste. Use food processor if you have one.
4. Spread on cooled cake.

It was a tasty cake, one that I will probably make in the future. I'd maybe try making it in a bundt pan next time, just to make it a little fancier than in a 9x13.

Here I am with Andrew and Judah. Enoch was too tired to make it for the picture.

Boys are excited at prospect of eating birthday cake.

Orange Cake recipe

We got some citrus in bulk back in December, and now we're hurrying to get it eaten up. So I was looking for ways to use up some oranges, and I came across this recipe in Nourishing Traditions, which calls for the juice and rind from two lemons and two oranges. While it was a little putsy to grate the rinds off four citrus (hey, a little physical activity never hurt anybody), the results were quite tasty. Waiting for this cake also takes patience. I

t took one day to soak the flour, letting the cake cool overnight, and then waiting another 24 hours (at least) to let the juice soak into the cake before it was ready to eat. But it was so wonderfully moist and had such a pleasant citrus taste.

Orange Cake

from Nourishing Traditions, my adaptations and comments in parentheses

2 1/2 c. freshly ground and sifted spelt, kamut or whole wheat flour (the flour I used wasn't freshly ground, but I get it from an organic mill in the area, and they grind flour fresh and then we keep in cold, so until I can afford a grain grinder, this will have to suffice)

1 c. piima cream or creme fraiche (I only had kefir, so that's what I used)

1 c. whole plain yoghurt (this I did have!)

1/2 c. water

1 c. butter, softened

1 1/4 c. Rapadura (This is the commercial name for dehydrated cane sugar juice. I don't have that brand name, but I did use some organic cane sugar, processed in the same manner. And actually, I only used 1 c. I usually go on the skimpy side of sweeteners, because I don't like things too sweet.)

2 eggs (from our chickens, of course!)

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. sea salt

1 t. vanilla extract

grated rind of 2 oranges and 2 lemons (if these aren't organic, make sure you scrub the waxy coating off the rind. Yuck.)

1 c. crispy pecans, finely chopped (I didn't have any, so I used finely chopped crispy cashews. I put them in my food processor and grated them just long enough to powder them. Any longer would've made them into a nut butter!)

juice of 2 oranges and 2 lemons

1/4 c. of whey (I made some by straining some kefir.)

1/2 c. raw honey (I only used 1/4 c.)

1/4 c. of brandy or dry sherry (this is optional, and I didn't use it because I didn't have any)

This delicious cake incorporates the principles of both lacto-fermentation and enzyme nutrition. The flour is soaked in cultured cream and yoghurt and, after cooking, the cake is soaked for another day or so in a mixture of oranges juice, lemon juice, raw honey, whey and brandy or sherry. This imparts enzymes to the cake along with flavor and moistness.

Mix flour with yoghurt, cultured cream and water. Cover and leave in a a warm place for 12 to 24 hours. (I started the soaking process mid-afternoon on Day 1.)

(Evening of Day 2.) Cream butter with Rapadura and eggs. Beat in baking soda, salt, vanilla and grated rind. Gradually incorporate the soaked flour and fold in the nuts. Pour batter into a well-buttered and floured fluted bundt pan or angel food cake pan. (I used an angel food cake pan.) Bake at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or more, or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool. (overnight)

(Midmorning of Day 3.) Place lemon juice, orange juice, honey, whey and optional sherry or brandy in a container and set in simmering water until honey is dissolved. Slowly pour this mixture over the cake until the liquid is absorbed. Cover with a towel and leave at room temperature for 1 or 2 days. (Cake will look like it's swimming in liquid, that's okay, it will soak in eventually.)

(Noon of Day 4, liquid had soaked in and I was ready to eat!) To serve, loosen sides with a knife. Turn over onto a serving plate and tap pan until cake falls out.

This cake was moist and tasty, though the 3-year-old didn't seem to like it... he said it was "tough." I wonder if he got a piece of nut that he wasn't expecting. From the picture, you may be tempted to frost the cake, but I'd say resist the temptation, it doesn't need it! Also, I was glad that I skimped on the sweetener, I liked it, and so did my husband. If you are used to sweeter things, you may want to use the full amount.

Birthdays and the cakes that go with them

I wanted to take a moment to share the birthday cakes I've made for myself, my husband, and Judah.

My birthday was July 16, and I made a double layer sourdough cake with a recipe out of the cookbook "Healthy Choices." Pretty tasty. I used a regular powdered sugar frosting and had a few small raspberries I used to decorate it.

My husband's birthday was August 6, and he requested a coffee cake. I wanted to make a healthier version of the coffee cake he likes, so I made a Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake recipe from "Healthy Choices" into a Sourdough version. I pulled it out of the oven and stuck candles in. Dumb idea. Candles are made of wax and wax melts when your cake is hot. Otherwise, it tasted really good. Got a good review from the birthday boy.

Yes, I'm obsessed with sourdough.

Because I even made a different sourdough chocolate cake recipe for my son Judah's 3rd birthday party this past weekend! (We celebrated early... maybe i'll make another one for his actual birthday... :-) ) This recipe came from A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa's blog. I just couldn't resist. And I made it in a bundt pan, which turned out really great! Again, I used a powdered sugar frosting, which wasn't my first choice, but we've been having a hard time finding local maple syrup and honey, which are my sweeteners of choice.

Andrew turns "one" in October.... what kind of cake will he get. I'll leave you hanging... to be continued...

Chocolate cake with my new springform pan!

On Monday this week, we entertained some guests from Virginia (Aaron Ferkenstad and his fiance Djem)! And I wanted an excuse (as if I needed one) to use one of my Christmas presents: some springform pans. Those of you who don't know what those are, here's a picture. This kind of pan is usually used for cheesecakes.

Aaanyway, so I chose to make this recipe called Flourless Chocolate Cake. But I made a few modifications. It was delish. I thought it tasted kind of like fudge, it had that type of a consistency. Read on for my version of the cake.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

• 1/8 c. cocoa powder
• 4 oz. sweet butter (one stick)
• 10 oz. unsweetened baker's chocolate
• 8 eggs, separated
• 1/2 c. honey
• Pinch cream of tartar
• 9 inch springform pan

1. Heat oven to 275 degrees. Lightly butter the pan and dust with the cocoa powder, shaking off excess.
2. In a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter until smooth. Remove from heat and quickly beat in egg yolks. (And when they say quickly, they mean QUICKLY, because the eggs make the chocolate mixture thick in a matter of seconds!)
3. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy with an electric mixer on high speed. Slowly add honey and beat until medium peaks form when beaters are lifted. Don't overbeat. (I'm not sure what will happen if it does get overbeaten... but here's a picture of what I think are medium peaks...)
4. In thirds, gently fold egg whites into melted chocolate mixture. Pour into prepared pan and bake for at least 30 minutes, probably more like 40-45. You can test for doneness with a toothpick, but in the end, I went by look and feel. The top shouldn't look wet at all, and it shouldn't feel super squishy in the middle when you lightly touch it.

I thought about frosting it or dusting it with powdered sugar, but never got around to it. I actually didn't think it needed frosting, just a scoop of ice cream. The cake tastes like dark chocolate fudge. It's definitely not very sweet, but just sweet enough, at least for my tastes. If you prefer sweeter desserts, you may want to follow the original recipe which calls for semi-sweet chocolate and white sugar.

I give myself a C for presentation, but an A for taste. I definitely plan to make it again in the future! I especially like that the amount of sugar is minimal, and that there's no flour. And I love eggs' versatility.