The first cake was for a woman in my church whose age I was told not to make public though if I look and live half as good as her at that age I hope to have it shouted from the mountaintops on my birthday. Let's just say this woman will tell stories of my mom bringing me to the nursery as a baby and I was by no means the first of the babies she watched - she had been doing it for years before I was even born. She has a great sense of humor - loves to laugh - yet has a sensitive side she is never afraid to show. Perfect example of this - when I first presented her with the cake, she laughed and laughed. She was as giddy as a child - unbelieving that someone had made her a cake. Yet, when we lit a candle and sang to her, she was so overwhelmed with emotion she hid her face and had to work through tears just to be able to blow the candle out. Sight hindered by tears, though, when she went in to blow the candle out she knocked her face in the top edge of the cake, laughing the whole time. Laughing and crying and so full of life, further inspiration for the life I hope to grow into.
Oh wait, did you want to know about the cake too? It was a vanilla cake with lemon curd filling and a pearly white meringue icing. Admittedly, I did not have any. As it is, on the whole I do not like cake, but I especially do not favor any lemon desserts (With the exception of those lemon Girl Scout cookies. Tried them for the first time and am obsessed. Cursed bubbly girls in uniform get me every time with those cookies). Sorry, I'm digressing into the woes of Girl Scout cookie season (which are hardly woes) - the cake! Despite not trying any myself, I can tell you I brought it to this church dinner a whole 8in cake and - despite the chocolate, marble, and coconut cakes and brownies it had for competition - I received a clean plate back at the end of the night. To even further it's credit, I rushed this recipe to it's breaking point - literally. I was in such a hurry, I took the cake out far before cooling, managing to keep one layer somewhat in tact but having to strategically piece the other back together on the plate. I also hurried the cooling process of each step in the freezer. But all was well - cakes are strong like that.
The other cake and it's recipient - completely different tale. She's an old gal as well, but I can say this only because she manages to beat me to 27 by two months. Kim was my best friend in high school, keeping close though hours apart throughout college, bridesmaids in one another's weddings, pregnant with our first kids only a couple months apart, and continue having dinner with two of our other childhood bests every month. Each month has a cuisine theme, and February being Kim's birthday month she chose a Caribbean island dinner. She particularly chose an espresso chiffon cake which may not sound very fitting but that's only because I have yet to inform you that while each layer of cake was soaked in sugar-laden espresso they were soaked in an equal amount of rum. I've watched enough of this guy to know rum is enough of an island drink to satisfy our dinner party. As if espresso and rum weren't enough, it was further layered and covered with a fudge icing that made my chocolate-loving heart melt.
So quick, find yourself a friend to make a cake for. Or a stranger. Or yourself. Not sure if most people need a reason to make a cake as delicious as these.
Lemon LayerCake
Espresso Chiffon Cake with Fudge Frosting
I think this was the best cake you've made for the Hewlett's. It lasted about 15 hours after we took it home! WELL DONE!
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