Monday, January 27, 2014

Happy Birthday Nate!

 Nate turns 33 today. His Jesus year. (Maria that comes from you)
I might have had to use the calculator to figure out his age. I can't remember how old we are anymore. 



 Six Layer Malted Chocolate Roasted Marshmallow Cake
 adapted from: All Sorts of Pretty I saw her pin on pinterest.
It seems like the original recipe comes from Sweetapolita.


Um... it was good. Most honorable mention goes to the Marshmallow Frosting layer. It has bits of roasted marshmallows in it.




My Very Favorite Chocolate Cake Recipe
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
2 cups Flour
1 pinch Salt
2 cups Sugar
¾ cups Dark Cocoa Powder (sifted)
2 whole Eggs
½ cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Hot Coffee
1 cup Milk
2 teaspoons Vanilla

Mix dry ingredients and then add eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Add hot coffee and stir until lumps are gone. Pour into 3 8 or 9 inch greased pans lined with wax paper and greased again.  
Bake at 350 for 25 min or until cake springs back from touch in center. Do not over bake. 
Cool. I stuck mine in the freezer to make them easier to slice in half. Have fun with that step. 


Malted Chocolate Frosting:
1 1/2 cups butter  at room temperature
4 cups  confectioners sugar
3/4 cup Ovaltine Classic
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
8 oz  quality  chocolate, chopped, melted and cooled
1/2 cup  whipping cream

Melt chocolate, remove from heat and allow to cool while starting on the next steps.
Beat butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
Add confectioners sugar and beat until well combined, about 1 minute.
Add malt powder, vanilla and salt, and beat on low until well combined. Add the melted chocolate and beat on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes).
Add whipping cream and beat on medium-high speed for another minute.
Move to another bowl so you can make the marshmallow frosting.

For the Roasted Marshmallow Frosting:
25 large white marshmallows
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 jar (213g) marshmallow cream


Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray with cooking spray (so the marshmallows don’t stick).  Place marshmallows on baking sheet and broil marshmallows until nice and brown on top. Turn the marshmallows over, and broil until they are golden.  When they’re ready, set them aside to cool down (you don’t want them  hot when you add them to the rest of the ingredients or they’ll melt the butter)

In your stand mixer with whisk attachment, beat butter and confectioners sugar on medium-low until blended.
Add vanilla and mix on medium-high for about 3 minutes.
Add marshmallow cream and mix for another minute.
Add toasted marshmallows and mix until just combined.  You want bits of marshmallow, so no smoothness going on this time.


Put it all together:
  1. Cut the three cake layers each once horizontally with a long, serrated knife, so you have a total of 6 layers.  If layers still feel a little flimsy, use two long serrated knives to help lift the layers after cutting.
  2. Place the first layer on your cake plate and cover with an even layer of marshmallow frosting (starting w/ marshmallow is important so you are left with chocolate on top).  Make frosting layer smooth and press out the very outer edge.
  3. Carefully add the next layer and cover with thick layer of chocolate frosting, being sure to push the frosting all the way to the outside edge.
  4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the final layer which will be placed face down and coated with a thick layer of chocolate frosting.
Share with friends!




 Shoes all over the place! 



 Ellie got glasses last week. 

 Saturday morning Stuart, Mia, and I baked Nate's birthday cake.




 How we love our Olive. 

Stuart went to Sunday school yesterday! Although he had gone to Sunday school for 2 years in a row... something about the new baby put him in a funk and he refused to go for a few months before and after Olive's arrival.
Aunt Sheri as a baby. I can see Olive a little.

Yay for kids art. 

Stuart does adore her. Mia making a dash to get on the picture. Did she hear about photo bombing?

 Dear Nate,
You are stubborn you know, the way you circle a parking lot looking for the best spot. A bit aloof sometimes like when you lose you credit cards. Intense as you run your hands through your hair when you are playing a game, the way you play games! Long suffering the way you look at me when I don't get your joke and then you explain it to me hours later.

You are compassionate, slow to speak, patient, forgiving, loyal and loving.

You're a funny guy and I'm so happy to celebrate you today.



18 comments:

  1. That cake looks so very good! Mmm!

    As always, enjoyed the pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cake is making my mouth water. . . just finished my coffee. :) Jed just informed me that he doesn't want a cake this year?!? I'm feeling a little desperate, cause it seems I should have something to put candles in. (cake is too sweet. . . is his reason for not wanting any. . . . is he normal? :) )
    Ellie looks nice w/ glasses.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey does Jed have health class at school or whats up with the health kick? You could always put candles in something else. A bouquet of apples? Ellie keeps forgetting to put her glasses on so I don't think she needed them all that much.

      Delete
    2. Not sure what his deal is. . . .might have something to do w/ trying to cook/eat healthy when R 'had' lymes? Not sure, wish I could figure it out. Was thinking of fruit. . . he does want donuts for school snack, so he's not a complete health nut! :) Guess we could put candles in an extra donut. . . . (just sounds lame. . . .)

      Delete
    3. Go to pinterest and search for "donut birthday cake" Can be easy and cute! And bless his heart for being healthy.

      Delete
  3. Oh wow, that cake. I am not a chocolate lover but that one is pretty enough to want to eat it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. That cake! I'm rubbish at cake baking, but that cake... oh that one is tempting!

    Lydia, your pictures are delightful, fun, colorful, and even though I don't know you well (yet!) I think that "delightful, fun, and colorful" might be a good description for your entire family :)

    PS- the picture were Mia is photo bombing... did you make the outfit she is wearing? I think I recognize that fabric as some I almost bought for Miss Eliza!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey April, that fabric is from Girl Charlie. Do you shop there too? I made the dress drop waist-ed using a pattern that my Mom used for me as a child, so... vintage! ha ha. I wasn't sure I liked it at first, it seemed so wide under the arms but Mia broke it in and it fits her well. She wears it all the time.

      Delete
  5. That cake...makes me want to make one! Way to include your children in the cake making process.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sorry I meant to say "where Mia is..."

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh goodness, the CAKE!!! Seriously! Yum! I have got to try that! It would be the perfect excuse to try a technique I read about a couple days ago for cutting cake layers. Wrap a string around the cake where you want the cut to be, cross the string and pull the the ends opposite ways, and (allegedly) voila! cake layer evenly and non-crummily cut! :) Love your pics. Cute kiddos.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh man! I so would have tried that. I imagine it would work great. I had a tough time keeping the knife level.

      Delete
  8. i have a veeeery serious weakness for cake. but i am also horrible at baking them, plus when I do, they are never as good as what I think they should be.
    and your baby, why is she growing up so fast? was she not just born?

    have i ever said how much I enjoy your blog? well, now I did:-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. that CAKE. oh my word. Your guy sure is lucky!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I"m glad I got lucky enough to taste the cake- it was even better than it looks! Glad you shared the recipe, although I'm sure mine would not turn out so good as yours did

    ReplyDelete
  11. SUCH an adorable post! The cake looks gorgeous and your babies are beautiful, too. yay for kid's art, and happy birthday to your hubby!

    ReplyDelete
  12. ummm....now Keith is wishing he could have a birthday! Told him we cant get Ovaltine or marshmallow cream. (= Looks like a lot of work. Olive is so adorable.
    Christine

    ReplyDelete