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-the kitchen curtains
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------On Memorial Day, we had a few of our close friends over for a little BBQ. The evening was enjoyable, filled with food, cornhole and a backstabbing game of phase10 twist. However, the evening was also a bit solemn as we said goodbye to two of our closest friends, Adam and Leslie Bean. A fabulous couple whom we feel privileged to have known these past 6 years. Adam was recently accepted to Johns Hopkins University so they will be moving to Baltimore after spending the summer at an archeological dig in Jordan.
I have never been good at saying goodbye to those I love. I usually end up awkwardly changing the subject. To this day I cringe when I remember my response to my favorite youth pastor of all time when he and his wife told me they were moving away...
"You're moving? Well, you sure didn't give us much time to throw you a going away party!" This is what I really wanted to say, "But, I love you! Why are you doing this to me! You can't go!"
As you can see, I am definitely not one for goodbyes. So, what is my secret to dealing with them now? Cake!
You can tell my degree of sadness by either the size of the cake or the amount of sugar added to it. I think the picture above should clue you in on how much we love the Beans.
This recipe is from the May issue of Real Simple magazine which had a section devoted to different cake, filling, and frosting combinations to mix and match.
This is what I came up with...
Mocha frosted double layer chocolate cake with white chocolate chips and chocolate shavings on top. If that doesn't make saying goodbye easier, I don't know what does.
Chocolate Cake Ingredients:
1 c. unsalted butter
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1-1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1-1/2 c. milk
Chocolate Cake Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two circular pans, line with parchment paper, butter and sprinkle with cocoa powder.
Mix butter and sugar on high until fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs. On low, slowly add flour, then milk, flour, then milk, until all ingredients are mixed together. Pour batter into pans and bake until toothpick comes out clean.
I used two 9-inch round pans and baked them for 30 minutes. Let the cake cool completely before trying to remove from the pan.
Coffee Frosting Ingredients:
1 tbsp. instant coffee powder
1 tbsp. hot water
2 c. butter
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Coffee Frosting Instructions:
Combine instant coffee powder and water. Stir until powder is completely dissolved. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix butter on high until fluffy. Slowly add sugar, coffee mixture, vanilla, and salt. Mix on low until smooth.
I ended up adding a second 1/2 batch of the coffee mixture to my icing (because I really like coffee), if you do this you must also add a little bit more powdered sugar or your icing will be too runny.
Frosting Tips:
1. Frost the top of the first layer, then stack the layers.
2. Frost the top of the cake before moving to the sides.
3. Allow the icing to firm in the fridge before adding toppings.
I hope your cake tastes as delicious as ours did. Happy baking!
