The Roughest Days Often Have the Sweetest Endings

Today was an especially harrowing day. I still have no voice, my throat is sore, and when I tried to work out, I felt like I'd been hit by a sledgehammer. I literally could draw no air down into my lungs. My computer died a painful death and had to be taken away to the Promised Land of "Possible Repair at Certain Expense". My sons car had to be towed away for repair. I had to deal with a troublesome situation with a child that I really didn't want to handle, and some money that I had been expecting for quite a while hasn't materialized.

And then dinner happened.

I cook when I'm stressed. I cook when I'm troubled. I cook when I'm happy.

I like to cook.

So today I made Bolognese Sauce and Perfect Party Cake - a lemon cake from scratch - with Swiss Lemon buttercream. I prepared Hollandaise sauce over Fresh Broccoli. (Yes, I ate some of everything. I work out A LOT and today, I just did.not.care.) I introduced my kids to Hollandaise sauce and they all hated it.

Dessert time came and the cake wasn't finished - seriously, this cake recipe, which I'll post below, should be renamed 4 hour cake, because that's how long the blamed delicious thing takes - and so my kids chose ice cream.

Yes, they have dessert almost every night.

Gabriel cleared his bowl after he was finished and he threw his arms around me. Gabe is a quiet kid, a thinking kid, and he's a soft, solemn soul who wants everyone to be happy all the time. He smiled up at me and said, "Thanks, Mom." He squeezed me in a giant hug and I asked him, "For what? The ice cream?"

He looked at me with a serious expression and said, "No, Mom. Thank you for taking care of us."

He continued, "You must have a really big heart, because you have a place in your heart for all of us."

And, just like that, the day got exponentially brighter.

______________________________

This is not my recipe. I found it online more than a year ago. I've made it twice and each time I enjoy it more than I think should be legal. The notes in orange aren't mine, but they came from the original post. If I could find it to credit, I certainly would. UPDATE: Except for the fact that I can't seem to get the page to link, From the site How To Eat a Cupcake - search in the search bar from "Josh's Perfect Party Cake" - I've relinked it three times and it keeps giving me a 404 error.

The original recipe has been located and it is here. 

Perfect Party Cake
For the Cake
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups whole milk or buttermilk (I used milk)
4 large egg whites
1 ½ cups sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (I zested a whole lemon)
1 stick (8 tablespoons or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ teaspoon pure lemon extract
4 tablespoons buttermilk powder (My secret ingredient!)

For the Buttercream (This is just enough to thinly frost the cake, but if you want to enough to play around with, go ahead and times the recipe by 1.5)
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature (I recommend reducing this to 2 sticks [1 stick for every 2 whites is my general rule])
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons) (I used 2 teaspoons lemon extract)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I omitted this)

For Finishing
2/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves stirred vigorously or warmed gently until spreadable (I used slightly less [just enough to thinly coat each cake layer] and it was just the right amount of flavor)
About 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans (I used 8x2) and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt (and buttermilk powder, if using). Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl. Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter and working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light. Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Finally, give the batter a good 2- minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated (This sounds opposite of what most cake recipes tell you, but DO IT!). Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean.

Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unfold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature, right side up (the cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to two months).

To Make the Buttercream
Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or another large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes (160F on a candy thermometer). The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream (unless you whisked the eff out of it, it won't look like marshmallow cream YET!). Remove the bowl from the heat. Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes. Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth. Once all the butter is in, beat the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes. During this time the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again. On medium speed, gradually beat in the lemon juice, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more, and then the vanilla. You should have a shiny smooth, velvety, pristine white buttercream. Press a piece of plastic against the surface of the buttercream and set aside briefly.

To Assemble the Cake
Using a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each layer horizontally in half. Put one layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. Spread it with 1/3 of the preserves. Cover the jam evenly with about 1/4 of the buttercream. Top with another layer, spread with preserves and buttercream and then do the same with a third layer (you'll have used all the jam and have buttercream leftover). Place the last layer cut side down on top of the cake and use the remaining buttercream to frost the sides and top (This cake is super crumbly, so I recommend doing a thin crumb coat first). Press the coconut into the frosting, patting it gently all over the sides and top.

Serving
The cake is ready to serve as soon as it is assembled, but I think it's best to let it sit and set for a couple of hours in a cool room – not the refrigerator. Whether you wait or slice and enjoy it immediately, the cake should be served at room temperature; it loses all its subtlety when it's cold. Depending on your audience you can serve the cake with just about anything from milk to sweet or bubbly wine.

Storing
The cake is best the day it is made, but you can refrigerate it, well covered, for up to two days. Bring it to room temperature before serving. If you want to freeze the cake, slide it into the freezer to set, then wrap it really well – it will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer; defrost it, still wrapped overnight in the refrigerator.

Comments

[Lindsey]

A bit of Googling, and your recipe is found. It appears the original recipe is a rather famous recipe from Dorie Greenspan's "Baking from My Home to Yours." Your particular version of the recipe can be found here: http://www.howtoeatacupcake.net/2009/02/joshs-perfect-party-cake.html.

All you had to do was ask!

[MB Squared]

How sweet of Gabriel! Children do the most amazing things at the most unexcepted times. It's what keeps a Mom going sometimes.

[Headless Mom]

That Gabe is a good boy!

[Kari]

I'm amazed at how kids can sometimes know just what to say.

[Debby Pucci]

How sweet of him, what a charmer. Sounds like he will make a nice husband someday, hope he remembers to compliment his wife like that.

[Nicole]

How very sweet!

[kyooty]

Awwwwww! sometimes those hugs are the best thing about the day.

[Karen]

What a great ending to a crappy day. (BTW, I love Hollandaise sauce, so next time your kids won't eat it invite me over...)

[Kerry]

"I introduced my kids to Hollandaise sauce and they all hated it. "

I hate to be the one to have to tell you, but your children, they are broken!

(Except for Gabe! What a sweet moment!)

[jaelithe]

You do have a really big heart, to fit so many people in it.

And also more energy than I can fathom to make a 4-hour cake after a day like that.

[Nicki]

I would have eaten the Hollandaise sauce, uh, not that it makes a difference. Sorry, hungry. :) I'm glad you have a sweet little boy who knows just when you need that little bit of extra love and assurance.

[Elizabeth Maxwell]

I like.

[Cassie Baker]

Hey there! Thank you so much for coming to meet me and have a cupcake! ;) I'm glad you love this recipe. It's one of our favorites.

The link at the end of your sentence "The original recipe has been located and it is here" isn't working because a period is included after the URL! ;)

[amie]

Awwww , Gabe is soooo sweet. The cake sounds divine.

[Misa]

Wow, first, that is QUITE a cake recipe. Wonder if can go gluten free and still be a party cake?!

I feel your pain with the bad day. Cake always makes everything better (an excellent cake, anyway). ;)

Misa

http://booksonthehouse.com/kids

[The Only Girl]

awww . . . those are moments you never want to forget.

[Ginger]

Must be the name. My son Gabriel (14)knows when I am stressed (I bake) and always has a hug, a kiss, a joke, or an encouraging word for his Momma.

[Kate]

Awwww! What a sweetie. I think all mama's could use a few more of those moments to help recharge our mommy batteries!

[UKCraftySal]

We all need a Gabe in our lives. So glad he cared enough to give you what you needed when you most needed it.

Get well soon!

[Paige]

What a sweet kid. I'm so glad he told you that.

[MamaCas]

That Gabriel sounds like a keeper! What an adorable, loving little boy. This brought a tear to my eye because I have a "Gabriel" in my family....quiet and thoughtful and sweet beyond all reason.