Italian Cream Cake

Last week a girlfriend called to order an Italian Cream Cake for her daughter's birthday; only thing different with this order was that this young girl loves to bake and she wanted to participate. I figured 'why not...she can also do the dishes, right?"

Saturday morning arrived and at 11 AM Erin showed up ready to work. We put on aprons and got busy. The recipe we used was one my mom recommended, so we started by getting everything together.



After mixing together all of the fresh ingredients we whipped the egg whites into a frenzy and gently folded them into the batter.

After turning the batter out into two 9-inch pans, we popped them into the oven for 30 minutes till done.

We finally got Erin's mom to leave and while the cakes cooked, it was time for some girl talk. I was so surprised to find out that this darling, smart, intelligent and fun young girl loved so many of the same things that I loved as a young girl: musicals, classical music, reading and baking. Maybe deep down, all bakers are the same. Erin can divide an egg quick as can be without breaking the yolk and she's very comfortable in the kitchen. Maryanne and Dan, you have raised a lovely young girl and I'm sure you are so proud.

Back to the cake...

While the cakes were baking, we mixed up the cream cheese frosting and with 4 layers we didn't want to run out, so we doubled the recipe. By this time the scent of coconut was throughout the house and we really wanted to taste this cake.

One of these days I'll be able to cut the cakes evenly. No worries....icing can repair any errors.

We heaped the icing between all layers and then applied a crumb layer, letting the cake cool in the fridge so the icing could set. After 15 minutes we removed the cake from the fridge and then finished it with a nice, thick layer of icing topped with coconut and chopped pecans.

Happy 15th Birthday, Erin! I was my pleasure to bake this special birthday cake with you.

The Birthday Girl

ITALIAN CREAM CAKE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Set aside.

Ingredients:

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup Crisco

1 stick sweet cream butter, room temperature

5 eggs, divided - room temperature

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chopped pecans - extra for decorating

2 cups sweetened flaked coconut - extra for decorating

Cream together the sugar, Crisco and butter. Then add the egg yolks.

Blend well, scraping down the sides as needed.

Add the vanilla, stir well.

Blend in the buttermilk, stiring well into incorporated.

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour and baking soda. Add to the mixture about 1/2 cup at a time. Mix well and scrape down the sides as needed. Add the coconut and the pecans.

Beat the egg whites until they form medium peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter and then divide the batter evenly into the two cake pans.

Bake cake for 30 - 35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted comes out clean.

Once done, remove cakes from oven and let the cake rest in the pans for 15 minutes and then turn out onto cooling racks. Cool thoroughly.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese (not the fat free kind); room temp.

1 stick butter

1 pound powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix together until smooth.

Frost the cake and then top with more coconut and chopped pecans. Enjoy!

Special Men

I don't know about you, but I have several special men in my life who have always been there for me and taken care of me in ways I can't take care of myself. Naturally, I think of the man I've known and loved the longest, my Dad, Mr. Superman. The guy can do anything and I mean anything.

Then there is the guy I've also known and loved for many years, 24 to be exact. My wonderful son, Steve. Of course I'll do just about anything for him.

And last, but certainly not at all the least, is my dear husband, aka Mr. Man, who, like my Dad can do just about anything that needs to be done around the house. Where my dad is the best at carpentry and showcasing his Master Carpenter skills via gorgeous furniture, Mr. Man will actually tackle plumbing and electricity jobs, although, thank God, not at the same time.

Above and beyone these special guys in my life are my two sons-in-law whom I love dearly and the grandsons, who, well...if you have to ask what they mean to me you just don't know where my heart is.

But then there are those "other" guys; the ones who have seen me through many ups and downs and who have kept me and my business 'in line' for over 15 years. At the top of the heap is my wonderful CPA, who keeps me on track and out of trouble with Uncle Sam.

Last week he requested my December paperwork, and along with those financial details he also requested a Coconut Cake. The man has good taste. Coconut is my absolute favorite and of course I complied with his request. Since I've been wanting to bake a coconut cake, but had yet to do so, I first turned to the Internet and Googled "coconut cake." Ina Garten's recipe popped up straight away and it was decided right then that hers would be the recipe I would follow.

Out of the oven the 9 in. cakes came, filling the house with the mouth-watering aroma of coconut and oh so much butter. What could be better?

After the cakes cooled it was time to top them with cream cheese frosting and 10 ounces of sweet coconut. That Ina..she doesn't scrimp on the butter, even in the frosting! Two sticks of butter to a pound of cream cheese! Yikes. Don't think I'll be taking this baby to the cardiologist.

I got a little excited and poured about 4 ounces of the coconut into the frosting before I realized that I wasn't supposed to do that...oops! That just means I would have to use more coconut on top to finish off the cake.

Thank goodness I could still spread the icing even with the coconut mixed in. Doesn't that look yummy?

Here we go. Maybe I'll make one of these for that Dad of mine. If anyone deserves a big slice of whatever kind of cake he likes best, it's my Pop.

The feedback from my wonderful CPA was all good - Enjoy!!

Coconut Cake

2006. Barefoot Contessa at Home. All rights Reserved

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 extra-large eggs, at room temp.
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup milk
• 4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

For the Frosting:

• 1 pound cream cheese, at room temp
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks ) unsalted butter, at room temp
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Great 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, thenline them with parchment paper. Grease them again and dust lightly with four.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 - 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. The mixture might look curdled; don't be concerned.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda dn salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the 4 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 - 55 minutes, until the tops are browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.

For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted wtih a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until just smooth (don't whip!)

To assemble, place 1 layer on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with frosting. Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides. To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top wiht coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Serve at room temperature.

Guilty Pleasures

What are the things that you just can't pass up, no matter how much you try? We all have them, those little guilty pleasures.

You leave the house, telling yourself that no matter what, you are not spending a dime. I mean nothing, no matter what. You get in the car, pull out of the driveway with the very best of intentions about not bringing anything home.

Is it purses? Shoes? Maybe it's jewelry?

For me, it's sprinkles. I love sprinkles. All shapes, all sizes. I see them lined up on the shelves, all bright and shiny and they come in so many shapes and sizes; I just can't resist. Somehow, they find themselves in my hands and next thing you know I'm heading home, giddy with delight.

Especially these shiny, round beautiful little dragees, just like little pearls.


Aren't they beautiful. I do worry that they could take out a tooth or two, but that doesn't stop me from bringing these gorgeous little darlings home.

This past Fall I saw these precious little leaves and just had to have them,

And then I ordered the exact same type, only larger, and perfect for the top of cake balls and petit fours.

These little Gingerbread guys....aren't they cute? I mean how in the world do you resist?

They are just waiting in the container and so very hopeful they will soon top chocolate cupcakes or be sprinkled all over fluffy icing on top of a cake.

And now my favorite baking holiday, Valentine's Day. I just love these little hearts and have them in all sizes.

Whenever I go to Cake Carasoul, Michael's, Hobby Lobby or JoAnne Fabrics, I quickly head to the baking section, take a look to see what new Sprinkles have arrived, all the while telling myself that no, you are not going to buy anything, you have more than enough at home. Just stop, back away from the shelf, and walk away.

But it just doesn't work. The Sprinkles win, every time.

Now I have an entire drawer just for sprinkles of all shapes, sizes and colors.

Aren't they beautiful?

You ought to see my collection of cupcake liners.

Secret Lives

I wonder if most people have a secret life outside of work that is completely different from what they show to people between 9 and 5 everyday? You know...what does the woman behind the USPS counter do at the end of the day? Is she on a bowling league? Maybe taking tap dancing classes? Or, is she learning Russian in order to be a Secret Agent for the CIA?

For so long my passion has been baking and many of my friends are fully aware of that. A handful of my clients-turned- friends are the happy recipients of the occasional box of Christmas cookies, but the majority of the people I come in contact with have no idea that I am a cookbook and baking junkie. Yes. If there were a 12-step program for bakers I would be a life-long member. Hi, my name is Ginger, I own 45 cookbooks and I am a baker.

The challenge for me is how to balance the baking 'thing' with my regular job and whether or not to even let my clients know that sometimes, during 'business' hours, I do something other than recruiting. Would they take me seriously if they knew I was up to my elbows in a 25 lb. sack of flour, scooping cupfuls to fill the plastic bin? I don't know if they would be so understanding. So here I am, every day, trying to balance baking and recruiting. All I can say is thank you God for giving people the technology to create cordless phones and headsets. The loud beeping of the oven timer sometimes throws the folks I'm on the phone with, but I think it's kindof endearing when they find out I have a cake in the oven. At least that is what I am telling myself.

Today, while working in my office, doing what I do, I found my mind wandering into the kitchen and the next thing I knew I was dipping frozen cake balls into melted chocolate and topping them with a mixture of pink, red and white dots and some with giant sized heart-shaped quins in anticipation of a meeting tonight. For me, there is no greater joy than creating something completely yummy out of butter, eggs, flour and mounds of chocolate. It is such a beautiful thing. Then, to bring them to the meeting and watch the faces when they take that first bite. The slow turn of the head, the meeting of the eyes and then, the lips mouthing the words..."did you make this?" YES! Joy courses through my being and I know, right then, that I have done a good thing.

I do have an ulterior motive. It's easier to make everyone else fat than it is for me to lose these last 10 lbs. I'm hopeful the strategy will work.

Welcome to Miss Gingers Kitchen

Welcome to Miss Ginger's Kitchen!

My little baking company is slowing gathering steam and this is a wonderful place for me to share my love of baking with the rest of the world and other bakers.

This past weekend was all about Valentine's Day and to me that can only mean one thing....CHOCOLATE and lots of it. I gathered all of my favorite chocolate, and one non-chocolate, recipes and created a baking feast for the senses. My good friend Mel, and his lovely wife came by to shoot pictures of everything that was created over the past two days. More photos to come but for now this is what we have.

So welcome to my site, enjoy and I hope to see you again soon!

Miss Ginger