Fresh Strawberry and Blueberry Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting

I have had so many requests for this recipe I just had to post it!



Basic Yellow Cake

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (do not sift the flour)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk
Vegetable oil
1 stick butter (not margarine), softened
1-tablespoon vanilla extract
1-teaspoon almond flavoring
3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350°

Cut wax paper to fit the bottom of (3) 9 x 1 1/2-inch round pans. Spray the pans with cooking spray, place the wax paper in the pans and spray the paper.

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, mixing well.

Measure the 1-1/4 cups of milk in a 2 cup measuring cup….then add enough vegetable oil to bring the liquid up to 1-1/3 cups.

Add the milk/vegetable oil mixture, butter, vanilla, and almond flavoring to the flour mixture and beat with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high speed for 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl as needed.

Add the eggs and continue beating an additional 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near center of cake comes out clean, or until cake springs back when touched lightly in the center.

Cool cakes on wire racks for 15 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely.

For the frosting:
1 package of Dream Whip prepares according to package directions
1- 8 oz package of softened cream cheese
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
1 cup sifted powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese, heavy cream, and vanilla bean paste until light and fluffy. Best in powdered sugar. Fold into dream whip. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

To assemble:
You'll need 2 cups of fresh strawberries and 1 cup of fresh blueberries. Chop 2/3 of each to use between the cake layers. Leave the other 1/3 whole to top the cake.

Place one cake layer on your cake stand and put half of the chopped berries on top, spread about 1/4 cup of frosting over the berries. Repeat with second cake layer, and top with the final layer. Frost the top and side of cake and arrange the whole berries nicely on top. Refrigerate overnight. Cut and enjoy! This would be a GREAT 4th of July recipe!

To Adam, Happy Anniversary Love

One year ago today I walked down the isle and promised to love and cherish, be faithful to, honor and respect Adam. For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. Over this last year we have had the opportunity to practice all of these things and much, much more. We haven't been perfect. Far from it. We've fought, cried, laughed, smiled, questioned, reassured, enjoyed, hated, savored, loved... you name it. It has been so hard, but so good. Adam, I wouldn't trade anything for this last year together. I have grown to love you more than I ever thought I could love. Thank you for making me a better person and for loving me through the process. Thank you for reminding me to pray and grow closer to God even when it's been hard and I haven't wanted to. I am so proud of you for studying so hard and working toward our dreams. I love you :)

Red Velvet Cake

One of my favorites things--EVER!-- is Red Velvet Cake. But I know someone who likes it even more than I do: my brother Josh. So this post is dedicated to him :) I love you bro!

Red Velvet Cake Recipe 

1 1/2 cup sifted flour

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 teaspoon cocoa

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

2 eggs

1 (1 oz) bottle red food coloring

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

 

Sift together dry ingredients.

Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl...

don't forget lots of red food coloring.

Add the wet to the dry...

and mix well.

I chose to bake cupcakes this time, but this recipe also makes a fabulous cake :)

So if you're making cupcakes be sure to line the pan with cupcake liners.

Fill the muffin tins 3/4 full with batter, and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

When the cupcakes are done remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

Now to make the cream cheese frosting. I added a little something special this time :) vanilla bean! It made the icing SO YUMMY!

Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Icing:

2 stick butter, at room temperature

16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

2 1/2-3 cups confectioner's sugar (add according to your taste)

2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste

Beat together butter and cream cheese with a hand mixer until fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla bean...

then beat in the powdered sugar until nice and creamy.  

Oh yeah baby!

All that's left is to ice the cupcakes!

The only thing that would make these babies better would be some toasted pecans :) Trust me on this one. 

I hope you all are having a great Friday! Happy weekend!

Our First Christmas Tree!

 Adam and I have always said that our first Christmas tree together would be a live tree. We also said that we wanted to go out and cut it down ourselves. Our dreams came true! We found the cutest little Christmas tree farm where you can cut down your own tree! Here are some pictures of our little outing which took place the day after Thanksgiving. Adam's parents were in town so they went along with us. We so enjoyed them and my parents coming up to visit :)

Here is Jane and Steve waiting for the tractor to take us to the back lot of trees.

I just love him!

Fun times!

Which one, which one?

\

I think we like it!!

Yep! this is definitely the one.

My favorite picture :)

\We made it to the top of the hill! The tree was surprisingly light.

We tagged our tree with a number, and it got loaded onto a truck so we could pick it up at the front.

Isn't this place just too cute?! We went inside, paid for the tree, bought an ornament or two and...

then I went outside and milked a fake cow.

Yep. You are seeing this right. haha

We took our tree home and Adam and his mom started stringing on the lights.

Cutie :) 

We ran out of lights, so we went to Home Depot and bought some more. But before returning home we went out to dinner. It was sort of a farewell dinner with Steve and Jane before they went home the next day... so sad to see our families leave-- but we had such a fun time!!

Here we are at dinner. The River Company-- oh so good.

We we got back home and we finished trimming the tree. The first ornament to be put on the tree was the "Our First Christmas" ornament we got this past week.

Isn't it adorable?!

Here I am hanging our engagement ornament that I bought last year.

We had so much fun :) every time I look at our tree I get a big ole smile on my face!

Thanks for reading friends! Till next time.