SWEETENING LIFE WITH VANILLA...and Memories

 ~CAKE MAKING AT IT'S FINEST~

This weekend I'm hosting a little dinner party in honor of my daughter, Adrienne.  We've always celebrated birthdays BIG in our family and this year I've found so much joy in planning something extra special for her.  She's in her last year of college (YEAH!) and is looking forward to graduating and getting on with her life.  I am so proud of her and all she has accomplished. (More about my girl coming this weekend!)

~WHIPPED VANILLA CREAM CAKE~

I'm not a "store-bought-cake-" kind of gal! :)  Not that I don't like bakery cakes...some I've tasted have been truly amazing.  And if the truth be told many, many times during my kid's growing up years I purchased (usually on the fly) a visually beautiful cake that looked fabulous on the outside only to find it tasted like cardboard on the inside (I've never actually tasted cardboard...but you know...)

 ~RECIPE FROM VICTORIA MAGAZINE~

While flipping through one of my aging (and vintage) issues of Victoria Magazine I came across a recipe for a Golden Whipped Vanilla Cream Cake and thought it sounded perfect for my girl's day.  And so...I gathered together all the ingredients for me to recreate the recipe in the kitchen of my La Chaumière de Briarwood.  Since the cake called for a tablespoon of "Vanilla Brandy" I had to plan early.  Not only did I not have a whole Vanilla Bean I also didn't have any Brandy!  And so I set in motion just what it would take to create such a concoction!

The recipe for the cake can be found below:

~YUMMY VANILLA~

Vanilla Brandy

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1 Cup Brandy

1.  Pour brandy into 1-pink glass jar with tight fitting lid.  Add vanilla bean.  Seal jar and store at least 1 week in cool, dark, dry place.

Use in recipe below for Vanilla Cream Cake.

~*~

Vanilla Cream Cake

2 1/4 cups cake flour

2 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp Vanilla Brandy (above)

4 eggs

1 1/4 cups Vanilla Granulated Sugar

Vanilla Confectioners' Sugar

1.  Butter and flour 10" tube pane.  Line bottom of pan with waxed paper.  Butter and flower paper.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  In medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Mix well and set aside.

3.  In small mixer bowl, beat heavy cream and Vanilla Brandy until stiff.  Cover and refrigerate while mixing batter.

4.  Wash beaters.  In large mixer bow, beat eggs at high speed with electric mixer until foamy.  Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until thick and lemon colored, about 5 minutes.

5.  Add flour mixture all at once.  Beat at low speed until moistened.  Fol in whipped cream.  Pour into pan.  Place pan on baking sheet.

6.  Bake on bottom rack of oven at 350 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes until skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean.  Cool on Rack. (Cake will not fill pan.)

To Serve:

1.  Invert cake on serving platter.  Remove pan.  Peel off waxed paper.  Dust cake with Vanilla flavored Confectioners' sugar.  

Yield:  12-16 Servings 

There is just something about a cake made by Mom...don't you think?  Just to be safe I made a test-cake ahead of time to be sure it was going taste as fabulous as the recipe sounded!  

It did!

It's raining here today in my Oklahoma town and drizzly or not, I'm excited my Miss K is coming over this afternoon for a visit!  Tonight she'll be helping me prepare for her beloved Auntie Adrie's party.

Memories is the making.  Nothing finer.

Not even Vanilla Cream Cake.

Love to you...
PS:  DID YOU ENTER MY GIVEAWAY ON MY LEFT SIDEBAR?