It’s warming up (for the moment) here on sunny (rainy) Vancouver Island. We had a chance to head out for a walk in the neighbourhood for a minute the other day. Boots were a must, but it was a fairly nice day for a walk.
I realized when we were walking, me holding camera, Adrian holding Cohen’s hand and sporting a small child strapped to his chest, that life is pretty good. We live in a beautiful place, surrounded by nature, chickens and a gorgeous lake. We have two beautiful children, who fill my life with energy and love (craziness). Both our parents are still together and not killing one another yet as they head farther down the road to peaceful retirement or whatever you get at the end of that road.
I married Adrian because he was perfect for me and came along at the exact right time. He asked me one windy night, late in December in a gazebo outside of a hotel down on the waterfront in Victoria. I said yes of course and the rest is history. We had a dream wedding, a fabulous honeymoon and then the kids started coming nine short months later.
I love weddings. I love engagements. I love the planning and the fanfare of it all. Really, if I had the oomph, balls and time (money) I would be in a college class right now learning the ins and outs of event planning so I could be a wedding planner. I thrived on that stress during the planning stages, I even had an accordion folder with everything organized alphabetically. I may be a bit obsessive, but it paid in the end.
So whenever anyone I know or am close to or even a friend’s friend is getting married, I want in. I want to help. I want to decorate, or help pick the dress or bake the cake or take the pictures. Me! Me! Me! Oh please let me help!
Which is why I baked two cakes on Saturday. That’s right, two.
Two friends of ours are getting married, to each other. We are excited for them and want to help. Not only did I volunteer to take the pictures, but I also want to make them cake! So I baked two and frosted them and let them decide which one was best. I’m cool like that. But then I had two cakes, which doesn’t bode well for my new diet and exercise program. So we split them, gave half to the lucky couple and then shared with the neighbour, and then we enticed our son to eat some and then we gave in and ate the rest.
First, we made my favourite carrot cake ever. It was a hit. In fact the last piece is dessert tonight and I could care less that we’re having this stuffed sole for dinner. Just give me the cake and no one gets hurt, alright?
The other cake is this cream cheese pound cake with mocha frosting. I made it last year for Cohen’s second birthday. Except I filled it with lemon curd and covered it with Elmo’s face. Only slightly less sophisticated then the way I made it this time. Originally, the bride wanted espresso buttercream, but I’m a sucker for chocolate and I talked her into my favourite buttercream frosting recipe ever. So next time you need to impress someone with a delicious cake and have only a short time to make it, this cake wins every time.
One Year Ago: Cochinita Pibil
Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Mocha Frosting
Yield: One 8″ round two layer cake
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutesFor the Cake:
3/4 cups unsalted butter, room temp
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 – 1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 vanilla bean
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups cake or pastry flour
1 tsp saltFor the Frosting:
1 cup salted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups icing sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp instant coffee or espresso
1/3 cup cocoa1. For the Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F and grease two 8″ round baking pans. In the bowl of a stand mixer with beater blade attached (or in a metal bowl using a hand held mixer), beat butter and cream cheese until well blended, about 3 minutes.
2. Pour in sugar and beat until fluffy, about five minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time and mix until completely combined before adding next one.
4. Split vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out seeds, add to mixer and pour in vanilla extract as well.
5. Turn mixer to low speed (to avoid sending flour into your sinuses), add flour and salt in two even additions.
6. Pour batter evenly into the two greased baking pans, tap to eliminate bubbles.B
7. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Cakes should be golden brown on the outside but not too brown. If it browns too quickly, tent it with aluminum foil. If you notice one cake browning more than the other, rotate the cakes in your oven (top to bottom or right to left) to eliminate hot spots.
8. Cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes, turn out onto cooling rack and cool completely.
9. When making into a layer cake, it is necessary to cut away the crispy edges to make a more uniform cake shape. What I do is take a bread knife and cut small pieces at a time until I have a perfect circle with no crispy bits. Then I put the second layer cake on top of the first one (the already cut one) and I use that one as a guide for the second layer. Works every time!10. For the Frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer with beater blade attached (or in a bowl using a hand held mixer), beat butter until fluffy, about five minutes.
11. Dissolve instant coffee or espresso powder in vanilla extract.
12. With mixer on low, add 2/3 cup icing sugar to butter and blend until completely incorporated.
13. Add vanilla and coffee to butter and beat in remaining 2/3 cup icing sugar.
14. Beat in cocoa until completely incorporated. You may have to scrape down the sides of the bowl at this point.
15 Frost cake (instructions follow).How to (simply) Frost a Two Layered Cake:
1. Position your first layer on whatever plate or platter or cake stand you will be displaying the cake on when it’s done. If you want it to be clean and fancy looking, make four strips of wax paper and lay them in a square pattern under the edges of your cake. This will keep the plate clean and you can remove them easily when done.
2. Spread the frosting over the top of the first layer with an offset spatula as thick as you can manage. This is the filling.
3. Place the second layer on top of the frosting and coat the two layers (top and sides) with a very thin coating. This is the crumb coat and will keep crumbs out of the final finished cake.
4. Frost cake with remaining frosting and cover. (Tip: If you don’t have a cake stand with lid, place four toothpicks in the cake, leaving half of the toothpick exposed. Lay plastic film over the toothpicks and around the cake lightly. When ready to serve, simply smooth out the holes from the toothpicks.)
Similarly delicious recipes from other fabulous food blogs:
Chocolate Mousse-Filled Chocolate Layer Cake on Cookin’ Canuck
Perfect Pound Cake on The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Eggnog Pound Cake with Crystal Rum Glaze on My Baking Addiction
Avocado Pound Cake on Joy The Baker
Mojito Pound Cake on Eric Cooks
I’d be happy with the stuffed sole, carrot cake or this cake. They all look amazing! Wedding planning would be a fun job (until you encountered Bridezilla!). 😉
bunkycooks recently posted..Meyer Lemon Drop Martini
Agreed! And I was probably totally a bridezilla a few times. It was the stress I swear!
I vote for the cream cheese pound cake!!!! You are a wonderful friend to do the photography and bake the cake.. your friends are truly blessed!
BTW.. next time you need someone to take some cake off your hands, let me know:-)!!!
Nancy@acommunaltable recently posted..Kale Salad with Dates- Pine Nuts and Feta and a Giveaway!
Will do Nancy! I LOVE me some cake, but so do my thighs….
My gosh girl, I want to make every single recipe you post! As it so happens, I’m supposed to make a cake this weekend to celebrate a small event. Guess which one I’m making?!
We loved the beef stroganoff, by the way. I wish there were leftovers. Served it with the most delicate tagliatelle I could buy -and it was fantastic.
Aimee @ Simple Bites recently posted..Weekend Links
Oh, I’m so glad you loved it Aimée! And this cake, I hope you love it as much as I do…such nice flavours.
Ugh, this looks too good. But I’m on a diet of no processed sugar (just to see if I can!). It’s killing me. 3 more days…..
ZoeDawn recently posted..Oatmeal Carrot Cookies
Good for you Zoe! You are a better woman than I….
I adore your photos. So pretty. It has a vintage-y feel to it. The cake looks so good. It’s 3 am and I’m drooling right now. ;*>
I think I thrive on stressful projects also. If something is slow going, I completely lose interest and procrastinate. But then again, I don’t have the slightest idea how to sit still and a meditation class would probably serve me well.
More importantly, how fabulous does that cake sound? From head to toe. For the record, I wouldn’t be passing up the lemon curd version either, if it was placed in front of me. Lemon curd and I have a thing.
Amy recently posted..Let’s Dish- What’s Your Guilty Pleasure Food
I liked the lemon curd, but this mocha blows my mind! I’m a big fan of chocolate and coffee…oh yeah.
What a great story, so very happy for you. I love good love stories. And that chocolate cake looks amazing. Where were you when i got married? I got married in Whistler, BC. I LOVE whistler. .
Oh lucky! Whistler is gorgeous! I’ll make a cake for your 10 year vow renewal..:)
Delicious looking cakes – good thing I have a garlic tooth, not a sweet tooth! Gotta ask you though – Was it the gazebo just a short walk down from Fisherman’s Wharf? I don’t know the hotel exactly but there’s a cute white gazebo on the water and MY hubby proposed to me there!! Sooo weird if it was the same place!!
Ummm…Nadia…I do think we were proposed to at the same place. Hilarious! It was dark and windy and I don’t quite remember the exact hotel’s name, but yes it’s VERY close to Fisherman’s wharf!. Ha!
That cake looks lovely! I love weddings, too; they’re so fun!
Awww such a great love story! 🙂 I wanna visit Vancouver sometime, your pictures transport me there. The cake sounds so good. I know my mom will love it 🙂
Ben recently posted..Market Monday- Mercado Medellin
Well I hope you make her this cake then Ben, maybe her anniversary?
Awwwwwww 🙂 I love you Elizabeth! great pictures, great cake. And coming from someone that doesn’t really like pound cake, it didn’t last 2 days in our house.
Life is pretty good isn’t it?
I blame you Mr. Guilty for all the forkfuls of cake shoved in my direction from your standing position next to the cake stand in the kitchen. I was just an innocent observer.
Aw, what a nice story. Your family looks very sweet together. I, too, like to plan and organize, but I could never deal with those brides! Maybe I’d make a good executive assistant :). It’s great of you to take photos and bake. It makes the occasion so much more personal. I’d go with the mocha poundcake myself 🙂 It looks so good!
Irina@PastryPal recently posted..Extra yolks Extra whites
Thanks Irina!
What a beautiful story! I could see how something as delicious as this cake would make someone fall in love all over again. Just divine!
Brian @ A Thought For Food recently posted..Silent Sunday- Our Sunday Routine
Aw, thank you Brian!
How can you live in such a beautiful place and make such a beautiful cake? All things are wrong with me I guess 🙂 Gorgeous!
The beauty around me inspires me I guess!
I absolutely love pound cake, and your version looks delicious…not to mention the mocha buttercream! Also, I adore your blog 🙂 I’ve been frequenting it for quite some time now; love the recipes, stories and photos. It’s always a good part of my day to come around here, thanks!!
Well thanks for coming out and saying something Katie. Don’t be shy! I love to hear from my readers!
This sounds delicious! I’m making this for my next friend’s birthday!! sounds incredible!
Maddie recently posted..Golden Globe Party
Oh my goodness… This cake looks absolutely incredible!
We should have a cake baking party!
Really beautiful pictures! I love that one with the bright green napkin, it adds an unexpected punch of color that’s really appealing.
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen recently posted..kitchen inspiration tools of the trade
WHy thank you very much Sylvie, coming from you (and your beautiful photos) that means a lot to me!
Just to let you know, we were at a Paella party the other night. (With a real paella pan and burner and everything and yes I got the recipe) And I made Chocolate Truffles. Thanks for teaching me to make ganache, they were a real hit! Now if I can just figure out how to bake a cake on top of the stove….
That’s awesome Mom! YES! Bring the paella recipe for sure! Maybe we can figure out a stove top cake recipe…hmmm.
Love the pop of green in the second last collage pic. Cake looks fabulous too!
Sukaina recently posted..Pigeon Peas in a Mild Coconut Curry
Thank you!
What a wonderful heartfelt post, Elizabeth! And then there’s the cake…oh my! I am going to do my best not to bookmark this page. I don’t think my waistline can take it.
Oh come on Dara… a little cake won’t hurt…;)
You are a kind soul and a hell of a baker!
norma recently posted..ALASKAN SEAFOOD IGLOO
OH I could SO eat this right now. Yummy!
Leanna @ Raptortoe.com recently posted..Vietnamese Inspired Shrimp and Noodles
Beautiful story, and beautiful cake!
And it’s so funny, I am the complete opposite! I just got engaged and I am dreading the wedding planning…prolly because of all the craziness that I know it will bring. I think I’ll make this cake…it will help.
Larie recently posted..Smashbox Layer Lash Primer
Ohhhh…how I loved getting married. So much that we are doing it again in 6 years! Yay! Have fun planning yours!
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by merry-jennifer and Adryon's Kitchen. Adryon's Kitchen said: I die. RT @GuiltyKitchen A delicious vanilla and cream cheese pound cake slathered in decadent mocha frosting. http://fb.me/OLuv8EkT […]
[…] One year ago: Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Mocha Frosting […]