Happy Birthday to Me
"Party for Me?" thought Pooh to himself. "How grand!"
Forgive me for drawing such attention to myself, but the thing about birthdays is that there is always birthday cake, and so I ask your kind indulgence by presenting to you a very special cake - in fact, a "Perfect Party Cake", as Dorie Greenspan so rightly names it in her Baking
Having unfortunately reached the point in my life where I may answer that it's not polite to ask a lady her age, I will just say I am accepting turning a year older, but what I'm really celebrating is a year full of baking and photographing and eating and blogging - and all the wonderful friends I've made through this little page.
While my birthday is tomorrow, I missed noting the anniversary of Dessert First, so this page is about a year and four months old now, and I can say that it is one of the very best things I've ever done. It's inspired me to continually challenge and improve my baking skills, to be more creative and confident in the kitchen, and to really appreciate the beauty of food, as I try to share in my photos. It's also caused me to spend a small fortune on baking books, ingredients and tools - it's a good thing I don't have a weakness for shoes, or I'd surely be in the poorhouse by now! Best of all, it's allowed me to meet all of you talented, like-minded people out there who also dream constantly of food and love sharing their creations. Thank you all for the lovely comments you leave, the e-mails, the gift exchanges, and for your own beautiful sites.
I wish I could have you all over to my place for a big birthday celebration, but I hope I can share with you at least a slice of dessert - Dorie's cake, which is a breeze to bake and assemble and tastes as special as a birthday cake should. The velvety white cake is moist, tight-crumbed, and flavored with lemon zest and extract - bakes up perfectly and slices like a dream. Layered with raspberry preserves and a silky, not-too-rich buttercream, topped with coconut, it looks like a tea-party fantasy (I always favored the white birthday cakes with fruit fillings, although thankfully I've outgrown the gaudy icing roses).
The recipe makes a typical 9" cake, but I've made little miniatures to highlight their adorableness. Even if you don't have a birthday coming up, I'd highly recommend it for any special occasion where you want a cake that looks and tastes like it took much more effort than it does.
My sweetie pie has already made this week quite a happy one for me, and I think there may be a few more birthday desserts in my near future, so I'll leave you all in hopes that you're having as wonderful week as I am! I look forward to making and sharing many more delicious desserts with you in the future!
Perfect Party Cake
adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours
makes 12 to 14 servings
Cake
9 oz cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 3/4 fl. oz. buttermilk
4 large egg whites
10 1/2 oz sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
4 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
Buttercream
7 oz sugar
4 large egg whites
12 oz unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1-in pieces
2 1/4 fl. oz. fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For finishing
2/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray or butter two 9" x 2" round cake pans. Line the bottom of each cake pan with a buttered parchment circle.
For the cake: Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
Whisk the buttermilk and egg whites together in a separate bowl.
Combine the sugar and lemon zest in a stand mixer bowl and rub together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and smells like the lemon.
Add the butter to the mixer bowl and beat together with the sugar for 3 minutes on medium speed until the mixture is fluffy and light.
Add in the vanilla extract.
Add in the flour and buttermilk mixtures in alternating additions, starting and ending with the flour mixtures. Be sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next.
When everything is added beat the batter for an additional 2 minutes.
Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for 30 minutes in the oven or until the tops are set and springy, and a cake tester inserted into the centers come out clean.
Transfer the pans to wire racks and let cool for a few minutes, then flip and unmold the cakes (run a knife around the sides of the cakes if necessary). Peel the parchment off and flip the cakes back over right side up on the wire racks to finish cooling.
The fully cooled cake layers can be wrapped in plastic and kept overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.
For the buttercream: Combine the sugar and egg whites in a medium heatproof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water.
Whisk the sugar mixture constantly over heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture looks smooth and shiny, about 3 minutes.
Remove mixture from heat and pour into a stand mixer bowl. Whisk on medium speed for about 5 minutes until the mixture has cooled.
Switch to the paddle attachment and with the speed on low, add the butter a few pieces at a time, beating until smooth.
When all the butter has been added, beat the buttercream on medium-high speed for about 6-10 minutes until it is very thick and smooth.
Add in the lemon juice and beat until combined. Add in the vanilla.
The buttercream is ready to be used. Place a piece of plastic wrap against the surface until you are ready to use it to prevent it from drying out.
To assemble the cake: Using a sharp serrated knife, slice each cake layer horizontally in half - see this post for tips on cutting cake layers.
Stir the raspberry preserves until it is loose and spreadable.
Place a layer on a cardboard cake round, cut side up. Spread about a third of the raspberry preserves on the cake layer.
Spread a layer of buttercream on top of the preserves. Top with a second cake layer. I found that if you have problems with this, you can spread the buttercream on a second cake layer and flip it over onto the preserve-covered layer - but you have to be very careful doing this or you'll break your cake layer!
Spread preserves and buttercream on the second cake layer as you did with the first. Top with a third cake layer.
Spread preserves and buttercream on the third cake layer as you did with the second. Top with the last cake layer, cut side down.
Use the rest of the buttercream to frost the sides and top of the cake.
Press the coconut over the sides and top of the cake.
The cake is best served a couple of hours after it is assembled to let the flavors develop. You can refrigerate it for up to 2 days, but be sure it is well covered or the cake will dry out. You should also let the cake come to room temperature before you serve it as it does not taste as good cold.
Tagged with: Dorie Greenspan + party cake + birthday cake
Happy 1st Birthday, Dessert First! Anita, you have a truly amazing blog. I love your writing and photography , it's very inspiring. Here's wishing you another year of beautiful blogging!
Posted by: Carol Rode | May 03, 2007 at 08:47 AM
That really is the cutest little birthday cake. Happy birthday on your blogging. I really do enjoy your site.
Posted by: cheryl | May 03, 2007 at 09:22 AM
Happy Birthday!
The cake looks lovely.
Jennifer
Posted by: Jennifer | May 03, 2007 at 10:04 AM
Happy Blog Birthday!! It's been so grand reading your lovely posts and enjoying your awesome photography. I look forward to more of it. Hugs!
Posted by: Meeta | May 03, 2007 at 10:42 AM
Happy birthday to you!! I believe that it's perfectly acceptable to draw attention to oneself on their birthday (otherwise I should be extremely ashamed of my blog posts during the last 10 days:)
Posted by: Pille | May 03, 2007 at 11:59 AM
Happy Birthday to you!! The cake looks great. I have been eyeing this one in Dorie's book. I like how you did mini cakes! Very cute! I hope you had a great birthday!
Posted by: maria | May 03, 2007 at 12:12 PM
Happy Birthday, Anita! May your future birthdays be as sweet or even sweeter than this one. Reading your entries has definitely been one of my recent favorite past times. ;)
And I just got my copy of Dorie Greenspan's "Baking" cookbook too, so I'll definitely have to try some of her recipes out!
Posted by: dreamsicle | May 03, 2007 at 12:26 PM
Happy, happy birthday! I love your miniature-ized versions of this beautiful, celebratory cake.
Posted by: Dolores | May 03, 2007 at 01:17 PM
Happy Blog Birthday! That cake looks amazing! I love the raspberry and the coconut.. yum!
So I'd like to know.. what did we do before we had Dorie's Baking book? hehe
xoxo
Posted by: Lisa | May 03, 2007 at 01:40 PM
Happy happy birthday Anita! I wish you a year full of joy and sweet things! This cake is absolutely lovely.
Posted by: bea at La tartine gourmande | May 03, 2007 at 02:10 PM
Happy Blog B-day, Anita! I look forward to another year of your inspiring recipes and delicious photography! All the best to you.
Posted by: Kat | May 03, 2007 at 04:45 PM
Happy Birthday! Your cake is beautiful.
Posted by: maura | May 03, 2007 at 07:07 PM
OK, the recipe looks really long, but the cake? Adorable. Happy birthday!
Posted by: Cate O'Malley | May 03, 2007 at 07:47 PM
Happy Birthday! Happy blog birthday...another May baby!
What a lovely lovely cake!!
Posted by: Helen | May 03, 2007 at 08:50 PM
Happy Birthday Anita!
Best wishes for a great year. I have really enjoyed reading your blog...keep the yummy desserts and awesome photography coming! That cake is on my LONG list of recipes to try from Dorie's book.
Posted by: T | May 03, 2007 at 11:03 PM
Happy birthday, Anita! Be very, very happy and keep on doing!
The cake is gorgeous, it's also a beautiful present for us from you :)
defifnitely a try on one! :)
Thank you! :D
Posted by: alita | May 03, 2007 at 11:26 PM
Happy Birthday Anita,
I have noticed that there are quite a few blogger birthdays this month...point being we are all Taureans, and we all love to bake.
May you have a great day and a wonderful year ahead.Looking forward to many more wonderful posts from you .
Posted by: kate | May 03, 2007 at 11:52 PM
Happy Birthday! That cake is adorable! :)
Posted by: joey | May 04, 2007 at 01:43 AM
Happy Blog Birthday! Your cake looks absolutely divine. I want to reach right through the screen and start eating.
Posted by: kj | May 04, 2007 at 03:41 AM
Happy Birthday....have a ball....great cake...hmmmm...wish I could have a slice right now....thanks for sharing
Posted by: Dilip | May 04, 2007 at 04:37 AM
Anita,
Happy Birthday to you and a happy belated birthday to your lovely little blog!
I know that I can say very truly that "getting to know you" has been one of the highlights of my blog experience.
You are baking sweetness and joy all wrapped into one.
I wish you much happiness and good baking in the year to come!
Tanti auguri!
Posted by: Ivonne | May 04, 2007 at 07:56 AM
Gorgeous, Anita! I love that you make the cake into miniatures - so delicate and adorable... Happy Birthday!
Posted by: gilly | May 04, 2007 at 10:07 AM
Hi Anita! happy birthday to you and many happy returns...i wish i could come to your house and take a bite of the cake!
Posted by: eliza | May 04, 2007 at 10:56 AM
Happy birthday, sweetie!
Posted by: Patricia Scarpin | May 04, 2007 at 03:31 PM
Best wishes!
This is one of the few Dorie recipes that I haven't tried yet, but it will happen.
Posted by: Brilynn | May 04, 2007 at 04:15 PM
Happy Birthday, Anita! What a sweet cake, and a special day to celebrate. Along with baking, photography and styling, you need to add your lovely lyrical writing to that list of accomplishments.
Here's to another delicious year to come--for you and your blog!
Posted by: Tea | May 04, 2007 at 05:17 PM
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANITA!
And thank you sharing your beautiful creations - both photos and desserts with us.
It's always a pleasure to come here and see what's you've been up to.
Is there any cake minus the coconut icing? :)
xxcg
Posted by: parisbreakfasts | May 04, 2007 at 05:40 PM
I probably live close enough to drop by for a bite of that cute cake. =) Happy Birthday Anita!
Posted by: Mary | May 04, 2007 at 05:44 PM
Happy Birthday Anita! I adore your cake, it's so beautiful! Coconut and raspberry sounds so yummy. I love your blog too, your creations are always so breathtaking!
Posted by: Amy | May 04, 2007 at 10:14 PM
Hi, I'm a little late to the party but wish you a Happy Birthday!
The cake looks so gorgeous and cute! Have a nice day!
Posted by: baking soda | May 05, 2007 at 12:51 AM
First time to your site. It's beautiful and I love your adorable little cake. Happy birthday to you and your blog!
Posted by: Lynn | May 05, 2007 at 07:35 AM
Happy Birthday Anita! What a lovely birthday post. I have not long ago come to know your blog and it is already a spot I am very fond of. Your talent is inspiring.
Posted by: valentina | May 05, 2007 at 01:52 PM
That does indeed look like a perfect party cake.
Posted by: peabody | May 05, 2007 at 08:42 PM
How delicious! happy birthday!
Posted by: Garrett | May 06, 2007 at 08:37 AM
Lovely cake and happy birthday!
Posted by: catherine | May 06, 2007 at 02:21 PM
Happy Birthday Anita! I hope all your birthday and blog wishes come true! : )
Posted by: Anali | May 06, 2007 at 09:33 PM
wondefull idea for your birthaday great cake .... hum .... gnam gnam very delicius .... my compliment !!!!!!!!! paoly
Posted by: paoly | May 07, 2007 at 10:09 AM
To all of my lovely friends near and far, thank you so much for your birthday wishes - they made my day so much happier and fuller. It wouldn't have felt right celebrating without you! I'm glad I got to know you all and wish I could thank you in person!
Pille,
A belated happy birthday from me! I'm sorry I missed it! Your cake looks lovely!
Lisa,
Dorie's book is like my bible - I agree I don't know what I did before it!
Cate,
The recipe may look long but it is actually very easy to make and put together - don't be intimidated by it!
Kate,
Did I miss your birthday? I love finding so many fellow Taureans and bakers!:)
Ivonne,
Thank you - you are such a sweet and wonderful friend!
Tea,
Thank you for such nice compliments on my blog - I love yours and it sounds like you had a great trip up to Seattle - can't wait to read about your new adventures!
Carol,
Of course you can have yours without coconut!:)
Mary,
We should meet up sometime - I should have saved some cake for you!
Posted by: Anita | May 07, 2007 at 10:09 AM
dear anita, happy birthday! may the year ahead be filled with much happiness, love, and of course, divine desserts! your perfect birthday cake looks simply perfect, as always! xoxo,joycelyn
Posted by: J | May 07, 2007 at 08:24 PM
Happy Birthday - a real achievement! That cake looks a real winner!
Posted by: Freya | May 07, 2007 at 11:07 PM