If I ever want something to NOT happen, all I have to do is blog about it and that will most surely put an end to any big plans I had.
Don’t believe me? Allow me to demonstrate.
Yeah, that didn’t happen. (Maybe in the spring.)
We caved about a month later. (Still no cable though!)
The marathon that I spent all summer training for?
Yup, that’s right. I had to bail. A now resolved but still unexpected crisis unfortunately brought my marathon plans to a grinding halt. (Definitely bummed, but there’s always next year.)
I guess if the blog is gonna jinx me, I might as well make a claim that I will never hit the jackpot, I will not ever enjoy cookies for breakfast and I will most certainly not make a Barbie cake for Maxine’s 4th birthday.
Dammit.
So here’s my take on cake:
We all eat it. We all like it. (Don’t try to deny it because I already don’t believe you.) So if you’re gonna eat it, you might as well control what’s in it. Why not put quality, organic ingredients into the sugar laden treat you are about to serve your family and friends? I couldn’t agree more.
This is not an extraordinary cake… it’s not fat free, dairy free, gluten free or guilt free. It’s not at all healthy. But it is simple and easy. And tasty too. Best of all, I had all the ingredients, it didn’t have any high fructose corn syrup corn sugar (give me a break!) or loads of additives or preservatives like monoglutawhatchmacallit or any partially hydrogenated awesomeness.
Easy Peasy White Cake Recipe
2 cups of white sugar
1 cup of butter
4 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 cup of milk (I used almond milk)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cake pan(s) or line with parchment paper (as I did) or muffin tins with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder, sift or whisk together and then slowly add flour mixture to butter/sugar/egg batter. Once well combined, pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, checking frequently toward the end. 20 to 25 minutes for cupcakes.
Makes one 9″ x 13″ cake, two 8″ round cakes or 24 cupcakes.
And to frost it all off?
Easier Peasier Cream Cheese Frosting
2 8 oz packages of cream cheese (softened)
1/2 c butter (softened)
2 cups of confectioners sugar (sifted or whisked)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Cream together cream cheese and butter, add vanilla and then slowly stir in sugar.
Smear a bunch on your cake, leave a little left over to add some red food coloring to (Food coloring was fake! Phew, conscience cleared.) for a little bit of pink to match Barbie’s fabulous birthday gala gown.
And for crying out loud let the birthday girl lick the beaters, would ya?
The blog is jinxed? Oh well. At least there’s cake!
Sorry to hear about your marathon. Can’t you sign up for another one that happening before the end of the year? All that training you’ve been doing..
And cake makes everything better!!
I did think about that Fallon… except the next closet marathon is sold out, as is the second closest one. Unfortunately there just aren’t a ton to choose from around here right now…
Nothing like a big chunk of cake to end the day! Especially one made with butter;)
Happy Birthday to Maxine. Home-made cake is the best – partly cause it’s made with love :-).
Sounds like life has been throwing you some curve balls.
Libby
I”m so sorry to hear about your marathon Alison! Like you said there’s next year. I hope everything is ok love! xoxo
And the cake was SOO good!
we shamelessly eat fresh baked treats all the frigging time.
life is too stinking short to not smile and eat cake!
and yes how much better to control the monoglutawhatchmacallit that gets put in and make it yourself!
HAPPY BDAY MAXINE!
I though about you and the girls (and HISSY) all day!
xo
That cake is beautiful…..as is the birthday girl.
happy bday maxine!
i completely and utterly know what you mean. i feel like people say to put things out the universe that you want. every time i seem to do that on the blog, it falls through. c’est la vie because you have cute kids, one slammin’ barbie cake and killer wit.
heart you mama!
I made this cake today because I liked the ingredients.
One thing, although, I fixed it. You forgot to add in the milk. I just alternated it with the flour and eggs.
Otherwise it is nice.