Wednesday, September 21, 2005

(sylphmom) CJ's Birthday Cake

This isn't exactly a homemade recipe, but it's what I used to make for my mom for her birthday. Sometimes I still make it on her birthday, to share with my family.

Make two layers of a good, moist, white cake. If you use a cake mix, replace two tablespoons of the water with a favorite liqueur such as amaretto, grand marnier, or fra angelico--even my kids bake with liqueurs; they think of them the same as vanilla extract, and know better than to taste them uncooked. If you make the cake from scratch, don't change the milk volume, but add a tablespoon of liqueur. When the layers are cool, spread one of them with made-up instant pistachio pudding. Top it with the other layer, and frost it with this recipe:

6 tablespoons butter melted and cooled
1 pound powdered sugar sifted with
6 tablespoons cocoa
1 tablespoon liqueur (if you just use a flavoring extract, use 1 tsp, and slightly increase milk volume)
3-5 tablespoons milk (put some in a cup and measure from that)

Sift powdered sugar and cocoa in a medium bowl, add cooled melted butter and blend; add liqueur, then milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach a spreading consistency; beat until smooth and creamy. Spread this liberally over the cake, and then garnish it with some crushed pistachios, or sifted powdered sugar.

Unlike most cakes, this one should be stored in the refrigerator, but wrap it very carefully. Breads dry out quickly when refrigerated.

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