Cranberry Bread

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Cranberries, beautiful little crimson red cranberries! They're in the market now and I'm stocking up on them to use in some great recipes that have been featured in many cooking magazines this season. I have an old perennial family favorite recipe and am anxious to try a lot of new recipes this year.

This weekend my mother and I baked batches of Cranberry Bread that our family just devours. Plus, it's so wonderful to know that something as delicious as cranberries have strong health benefits as well! These little red gems are packed with powerful antioxidants and cooking does NOT destroy their benefits!

So dig in, enjoy, and feel good about it all at the same time!

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Cranberry Nut Bread
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Here's what you need for the cranberry bread:

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1 cup fresh, sliced cranberries

2 cups flour

3/4 cups chopped walnuts

3 tsp. baking powder

1/4 cup melted butter

3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup whole or 2% milk
2 cups sifted flour

1/4 tsp. salt

Crisco/shortening

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Here's what you need to do to prepare the cranberry bread:

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Wash and slice the cranberries (can be sliced in a food processor).

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Stir in cranberries and nuts.

Beat eggs with a beater.

Add the beaten eggs to the milk, butter and vanilla.

In the center of the dry mixture, make a hole or well into which you pour in the egg mixture.

Blend together until all of the dry ingredients are moistened.

Spread Crisco/shortening on all sides and bottom of small and mini bread loaf pans.

Pour the mixture into greased loaf pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until golden brown on top, until a cake tester/knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let stand and cool in pans for 10 minutes.
Remove from pans and allow to cool on wire racks.
Decadent when spread with softened butter and sprinkled with sugar.

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Autumn Harvest Spinach Salad with Pears, Cranberries, and Pumpkin Seeds

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This week's theme in the 'I Heart Cooking Clubs' food blogging group is "Autumn Harvest" with Nigella Lawson's recipes. I selected her Spinach Salad with Pumpkin Seeds and Avocados because I just LOVE spinach salad and always serve it for special occasions and holidays. However, I've never made this particular recipe. So I decided to give it a go. And as usual, I made some changes for my own creativity by ADDING sliced pears, dried cranberries, and a cranberry balsamic vinaigrette instead of using Nigella's dressing. These additions truly made this salad more representative of autumn fare!

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Spinach Salad with Pears, Cranberries, and Pumpkin Seeds

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Here's what you need for the salad:

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2 packages of baby spinach leaves

pumpkin seeds

2 sliced pears with peels (my addition)

2 avocados, peeled and cubed

dried cranberries (my addition)
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Here's what you need for the Vinaigrette:

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Cranberry Balsamic Vinaigrette (my substitution for her dressing)

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2 - 3 Tbsp cranberries
4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp salt

fresh ground black pepper to taste
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Combine all ingredients in blender and mix until smooth. Adjust ingredients by adding what you prefer.

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Here's what you need to do to prepare the salad:

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Gently wash the spinach leaves with water and gently pat dry with a towel.

Add the avocado to the spinach.

Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds in the spinach.Add dried cranberries to your desired amounts.

Gently toss together well.

Place on individual salad plates and place several slices of the pears on top.

Add more cranberries or pumpkin seeds if desired.

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Either add the vinaigrette and toss lightly all of the ingredients again or pass the vinaigrette around in a pretty bowl or small pitcher for your guests to add their own dressing.

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Beautiful Blogs for Decor and Gardening!

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I don't know about you, but besides great recipes and cooking, I absolutely LOVE to visit decorating and gardening blogs. After all of our hard, dedicated, love-filled efforts in the kitchen, I think that our delicious creations deserve to be presented in a "frame" of beauty on the table and within the rooms they are served to our family and guests. Even if I don't ever use all of the ideas and tips, I just love drooling over the incredible ideas and photos!

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So in addition to the fabulous foodie/cooking blogs I've begun to follow, I've also found some superb decorating and gardening blogs. When I was updating my blog template a few weeks ago, I decided to add two new links on my sidebar: "Beautiful Decor Blogs" and "Beautiful Gardening Blogs". Here are a few of my favorites that I visit often and that I will add first to my list:

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Melissa's Heart and Home! Her link is: http://melissasheartandhome.blogspot.com/ . Melissa has an incredibly natural touch for adding small to large items to her home and gives you lots of photos to show you how to place all of the precious decorative items that she uses. Melissa also lets you know where to find them and some of the price ranges. She really inspires me to spruce up my nest!

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A beautiful, updated decor AND gardening blog is Adrienne's at Adrienne DePitera: http://adriennedepitera.blogspot.com/. Adrienne is a daylily gardener/marketer, and who, like me, really enjoys Shabby Chic and aged/antiqued vintage decor. Her new blog layout is stunning as well! Ya gotta check it out!
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Another delightful decor blog is Barb's at Bella Vista. Her link is: http://barbsgoodlife.blogspot.com/. I enjoy visiting her lovely blog quite often as well; I never leave without some new idea and greater motivation to beautify my little world.

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Melissa directed me over to more blogs including Susan's "Between Naps on the Porch" . . . oh mama-mia, is this just a dreamy blog! Honestly, this lady's decorating is over the top! Gotta love it! Her link to my wishful thinking in interior loveliness is: http://www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

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All of these women have fabulous creative talents and sensibilities!

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I'm just starting to enter those sites that I think are "che bella" (how beautiful!). If you have a great site or KNOW of some favorite decor/gardening blogs that you would like me to include PLEASE send them to me. I really want to visit great decorating blogs, as well as let others know those blogs that you recommend. I truly appreciate that!

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Here's hoping that your day is beautiful and that you find continued inspiration from these lovely, lovely blogs!

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Pumpkin Brownies That Are Simply Sinful

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Happy November everyone!
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I want to thank all of you who wrote to me in the last few days. I missed each of YOU TOO! I just read on another blog that the author was 'missing in action' for awhile as she was also unable to post on her blog either . . . I thought that was humorous! Life does get busier at times, doesn't it?
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Well, before you know it, the holidays will be here. So I wanted to share a superb, incredibly cinnamon-y dessert recipe with all of you. I have never given this recipe away to anyone but my kids. I literally had to PRY it out of a friend when I lived in Scottsdale, Arizona back in the '80s.
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My mother says that these pumpkin brownies are simply sinful and that she just can't stop eating them! Personally, I think these are even better than pumpkin pie. These little delights have 3 layers of yumminess: a soft cake-y crust, a very pumpkin pie-like center, and and oh-so-cinnamony-crumb topping. And oh, yes, your kitchen smells better than any of those expensive scented candles! You be the judge if you decide to make them.
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Pumpkin Brownies
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What you'll need for the brownies:
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1 yellow cake mix
1/2 cup melted butter
1 jumbo egg, beaten
1 small can pumpkin
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 jumbo eggs, beaten
2/3 cup milk (I use whole or 2% milk)
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
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Here's what you need to do to make the brownies:
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In an ungreased square baking pan, combine the following:
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the yellow cake mix --- SAVE one (1) cup and set aside for the brownie topping!
1/2 cup melted butter
1 beaten egg
Blend these together and PRESS into the baking pan to form the 'crust' of the brownies.

In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the following:

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the can of pumpkin

pumpkin pie spice

2 beaten jumbo eggs

the milk

Blend well and pour over the 'crust' layer

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In a small bowl, combine the following:
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the cup of cake mix that was previously set aside

1/4 cup sugar

1 -1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup butter

This is very gum-my, so break it up and sprinkle this on the top of the pumpkin layer.

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Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.

Serve alone, with vanilla ice cream, or caramel sauce drizzled on top

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I hope that you try this sweet little recipe . . . and if you do, please let me know what you think! And now, I'm going to go and visit your blogs to do some catching up with you!

Autumn Color on La Bella Vita!

Oh my gosh, October has just been a crazy, busy month for me . . . on top of it being the time of the year when I advise students for spring semester, my parents have been settling into their apartment upstairs where they will begin spending more time with us away from the blistery winters of Iowa. It is wonderful to have them here and to help them in their 'golden years'.
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My mother has been doing alot of the cooking due to my very late days and nights at work, so I have no updates on 'la cucina' (the kitchen) or cooking!
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However, I DO have a few photos that I snapped lately that I just had to share with my nature lovin' friends. Aren't you just loving the eye-popping color that is such a FREE gift and natural treasure to enjoy during autumn?? To be able to capture these fleeting moments of beauty is just a delight!
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So grab a cup of cinnamon tea and take a walk with me around the acreage!

Yesterday, I woke up to this! It was truly a "grab my camera" moment!

My roses are still perfectly in bloom and will be until a hard freeze comes our way.

But, how can you celebrate fall without some happy, cheerful mums?

A close-up of a lovely pink rose bud! Luscious, huh?



When the sun sets, it shines through the leaves of the dogwoods and the reds are so vivid!



This is our Tigger, a 14 year-old grey Tabby, that we took in as a stray about 10 years ago.

He truly does sleep on his back. We have very entertaining pets!



Here's another shot of roses growing through a pergola that hubbie built for my garden.
This was taken just today, yup, October 30th!

Intense color from our young Maple tree (Autumn Blaze).

All of our friends come in the BACK DOOR . . . my parents balcony of their apartment is above the garage. We completed it this spring. It's just so cozy and sweet!

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I just think that this is such a sweet autumn arrangement to greet us

when we come home each day . . .

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I picked it up at a local Hobby Lobby . . .

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I stopped along the Interstate on my commute home to snap this picture.

It is a bit blurry, cuz I took it very quickly while standing on the side of the freeway!

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And lastly, one more view of yesterday's sunrise.

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I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE REMAINING DAYS OF THIS BEAUTIFUL SEASON!!!

Cinnamon-y Zucchini Cake with Creamy Cream Cheese Frosting!

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FINALLY, it is Fall Break at my university and I've got a little time to do some cooking, baking, and catching up on reading all of those yummy, inspirational blogs of yours! A few days off for a break really does a soul good, huh?

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I'm in the mood for baking something cinnamon-y, sweet, yet super simple this time of year. A cake that came to mind, that I haven't made for some time, is Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. I was over reading 'girlichef's' blog and came across her post for a Zucchini Bread/Cake recipe that she considers is one of the best. So I commented and told her that I, too, had a favorite recipe that I had to BEG to get from a friend . . . Then I told her that I was going to compare our two recipes and do some combining here and there to see how that would work out. (Girlichef's blog is listed on my sidebar if you'd like to read that recipe post). But first, here is the recipe that I've been baking ever since 1979 . . . oh gosh, that was 30 years ago!

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Cinnamon-y Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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What you need to make the cake and frosting:

For the cake:

2 cups grated zucchini

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

3 jumbo eggs

1 cup oil (we use canola)

2 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

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For the frosting:
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2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1 small 3 oz. package cream cheese

1 tsp. butter flavoring
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What you need to do to make the cake and frosting:

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Mix all ingredients together for the cake. Stir well. Bake in 350 degree oven for 50 minutes.

For the frosting, beat all the ingredients together until light and fluffy.

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I just love the colors of this gorgeous, green and white shredded zucchini! So fresh and crisp!
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So after you make this, have a cup of your favorite flavored coffee or tea with a slice of cinnamon bliss!

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I hope that you ENJOY this cinnamon-y, creamy treat!!

Girlichef's and Roz's Zucchini Cake Combination

Now, here is the NEW re-do recipe of 'girlichef' plus my friend's recipe above. Here's my thoughts of each cake (plus my taster-husband's as well).

The new combo recipe is more moist when it first came out of the oven, but drier later on . . . we think it is because of the use of butter and not oil PLUS the use of brown sugar (which contains molasses) and not just white sugar alone. The new cake recipe is also more sweet and less nutty.

Which one did we like better?

Both my husband like the FLAVOR my friend's recipe (above) better, but I like the moistness of the new 'combo' recipe better (however, it did dry out faster as well. We both decided that my friend's recipe was the real keeper of the two. So here's the new combo 'bella/girlichef Zucchini Cake' recipe:

Bella/Girlichef Cinnamon-y Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

What you need for the cake:
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1 stick of butter (from girlichef's recipe, instead of oil in my friend's recipe)
1 cup brown sugar (added from girlichef's recipe)
1 cup white sugar (granulated)
3 jumbo eggs
NO HONEY -- (eliminated from girlichef's)
2 tsp. vanilla (added from girlichef's recipe)
NO YOGURT -- (eliminated from girlichef's)
2 cups flour -- (and NOT 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour from girlichef's)
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt (added from girlichef's)
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups shredded zucchini
NO CHOCOLATE CHIPS, NO NUTELLA -- (eliminated from girlichef's)
1/3 cup walnuts or pecans (less nuts from my friend's recipe)
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No cream cheese frosting was included for this recipe, so I ADDED THE SAME FROSTING!
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What you need to do to prepare the cake:
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The procedure is identical to my friend's recipe that I provided above.

Signs of Autumn -- Hello October!

Wherever you are, you're probably feeling a little chillier temps, maybe shorter daylight time (sigh!) and possibly decorating your home and gardens with autumn colors. Don't ya just love the cooler nights to sleep with the windows open! Ahhhh, the fresh air does a soul good!
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I stepped outside my classrooms and kitchen yesterday to snap a few shots of some signs of fall on the acreage. I'll cook something up later this weekend, but for now I'm just in the mood to savor the beauty and the splendor of Mother Nature's slowing down outside.
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Who doesn't love mums in the fall? This huge monster of a mum was planted last year and came back even bigger! .

Hello Yellow....the blooms looks so happy and this is my favorite mum color of all!

Next stop on the acreage, a photo of our garage turned into barn . . . we only have a stable for the horses, so our cars stay outside in the winter while the horses' hay stays dry in the garage! We have to stock up on hay to get the horses through the winter months when the grass goes dormant in the pastures.

And lastly, some of those gorgeous tall grasses! These have a slightly "Italian" name: Adiago! Sort of close to Asiago (cheese). They are so shimmery and wispy when the breeze sweeps through them. We know that autumn is here when these plumes are displayed in the grasses.

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Well, that's my welcome post for October . . . it will only get more beautiful as the month goes on.....yes, the colors do change down here in the Carolina's....and although it may not be as vivid as the colors in the Northeast, its still pretty stunning!

Chat with you later!

Steak Diane (ala Julia Child)

. If you're looking for a fast, but impressive dinner for either you and your sweetie or for your guests, Steak Diane is a real winner. It is so good AND so easy that my kids made it (with some supervision) for their dates before they would go to a school dance. One of the beauties of Steak Diane is that you can do all of the prepping before guests come to your house, have appetizers and cocktails with them (instead of being stuck in the kitchen), and THEN quickly saute the steaks and SERVE!

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The only changes I made to Ms. Julia's respected recipe is: I added garlic! Sometimes, I'll also saute sliced mushrooms in butter and throw those in the sauce, but this time, I didn't want another trip to the store to get the mushrooms! So you decide. Some recipes even add a little bit of cream, which sounds wonderful to me, although I've never added it.....just kept to Julia's recipe plus my addition of garlic.
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So in honor of the book that so many people are reading (or have read) about Julia Child and the movie debut last month, I made Steak Diane for W.D. last weekend. It is the first recipe of hers that I ever made and is from her Julia Child & Company series.

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You can still see all of the spill stains on my cookbook below!

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Steak Diane
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Here's what you need to make the dish:

4 .8-oz steaks, cut 1/2" thick (use filet mignon/tenderloin, New York strip or rib-eyes)

1-1/2 Tbsp. capers OR green peppercorns packed in water, drained

a couple drops of soy sauce

olive oil

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Ahead of time: For placing on the side of the stove area, put all of the following on a tray or platter; place them in the refrigerator and when ready to begin cooking, take this tray/platter of ingredients directly to the stove area:

1 Tbsp. canola or olive oil (if you use olive oil, do not heat too high or you'll burn it)

1 stick of butter

1/4 cup minced scallions

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 - 2 Tbsp. fresh, chopped garlic

a small bowl containing a blend of: 1 Tbsp. cornstarch blended with 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard and 1 cup of fragrant beef bouillon

parsley for garnish

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Also ahead of time, place on the side of the stove:

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A bottle of Worcestershire sauce

Half of a lemon

Cognac

Port or Madeira

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Also have ready by the stove:
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12" frying pan

2 large forks for turning and rolling up the steaks

2 large spoons (one for the sauce stirring, and one for tasting only -- no double dipping)

a butter knife

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Here's what you need to do to prepare the steaks:

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Ahead of time:

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Trim all of the steaks of fat and gristle.

With a meat mallet, pound steaks to slightly enlarge and tenderize them; don't make very thin.

Crush the drained peppercorns with the back of a spoon.

Spread a little on one side of each steak.

Add one drop of soy sauce and olive oil on that same side of the steak.

With the forks, roll up each steak and place on a platter.

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Cover and refrigerate until cooking time.

These only take a few minutes to cook, not hours!

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So just when you're ready to cook the steaks:

Make sure that the side of the stove has everything set up and ready within easy reach.

Preheat the frying pan to a reasonably hot temperature.

Pour 1 Tbsp. of oil into the pan with 2 Tbsp of butter.

Butter will foam up and then subside.

Just as the butter begins to brown, unroll 2 steaks and immediately place in the pan.

Saute' for 30 - 40 SECONDS on one side.

With the forks, flip and saute' the other sides of the 2 steaks.

The steaks will barely have a color and will become slightly springy to the tough -- for RARE. Don't overcook these little things!

Quickly roll the steaks back up with the forks and replace on the platter (or a warm platter, since the original platter was chilled).

Continue to saute the remaining steaks, 2 at a time, with the same amount of oil and butter as before.

Continue to roll them back up and place on the platter.

When finished sauteing the steaks, add 2 large spoonfuls of butter into the pan.

When butter foams, stir in a 1/4 cups of scallions and parsley.

Cook for one minute.

Add the garlic.

Stir in the bouillon.
Stir for one minute.

Add a few drops of Worcestershire sauce.

Squeeze a small amount of juice from the 1/2 lemon.

Add one drop of cognac.

Add one drop of Port or Madeira.

Throw in about another Tbsp or two of capers or green peppercorns to float around in the sauce.
With the forks, one by one, unroll each steak and bathe them in the bubbling sauce for about one minute, turning and dipping with your forks.

Place immediately on warm dinner plates.

Spoon sauce over them.

Garnish with parsley.

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Serve with your favorite vegetable. I prefer asparagus and Dauphinous Potatoes (recipe on side bar).
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Don 't let all of these ingredients scare you! Seriously, my kids made this in high school for their dates. It's all about having everything done ahead of time and placed right next to the stove when you're ready to cook. These steaks are literally on your table in less then 5 minutes!

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So there you have it! Straight from the French Chef, Julia Child with a little extra garlic from me! ..

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Wah Lah!

"Blog of the Week" Recognition -- Many Thanks!!!

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I want to give a BIG SHOUT OUT to Wanda over at her blog, "Only Cookware Blog" http://www.only-cookware.com/ for her kind recognition of my little blog, by selecting it as "Blog of the Week".... if you haven't visited her blog, you really must check it out. So many tips, recipes, and cookware reviews for all of us foodies to help us in our cooking and baking! I just wish I could get everything she recommends!

Here's her generous write-up:

Blog of the Week – La Bella Vita
Sunday, September 20th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
http://www.only-cookware.com/blog/2009/09/20/blog-of-the-week-la-bella-vita/ .

"Recently I was doing some research on cooking blogs and came across a cluster of absolutely wonderful blogspot recipe blogs that I will be bringing to you over the next little while.
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Now this week I have another dream of a site for you to check out.
La Bella Vita – The Beautiful Life, is chock full of mouthwatering recipes that you are just going to want to dive right in and try.
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Last week I was taken with the Peach Melba and Raspberries and I was going to talk about this recipe this week when I added La Bella Vita as our blog of the week.
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However, when I went back in I was captivated by the Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake. In fact you could say that this recipe is a dream come true for a chocolate cake lover like myself.
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The recipes are well set out with beautiful photos to accompany each one. There are tips and hints to help you out where the author has found something doesn’t quite work in the original recipe, plus there are interesting snippets about life on country acreage in the Carolina’s.

So my advice is to get out those baking pans and start cooking up a treat that you and your family are just going to love."
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So Wanda, here's a big hug and "mwah" for being such a sweet, kind bloggin' friend! You've got a great blog going on too!!!!

Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake

This month for The Cake Slice Bakers, the selected cake for September is this Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake. Wow, what a doozie this cake is. Rich, dense, and hefty, small pieces are all that is needed before you surrender to its power.

It is always so much fun to make chocolate cakes, the aroma of the kithen is just blissful! The beauty of shimmering, creamy melted chocolate is a visual delight!

The cake did have its challenges, I must admit. The white chocolate mousse filling wasn't as thick as I would have liked, so you can barely see it in the "slice" photo below. It sure is tasty though, so if you know of a way to thicken a mousse without ruining it, that's what I'd recommend. The frosting was a wee bit too bitter for our taste preferences, so I'd add sugar to take out some of the bittersweetness.

But besides those two issues, it's a tremendous and IMPRESSIVE cake! Plus it was just so much fun to bake and chat back and forth with Monica over at "Lick The Bowl Good". She's much more of a master baker/decorator than I am, and so my learning curve is rising as I chat with her and the other bakers.

Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake

(from Sky High Irresistible Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne)

Here's what you need for the cake:

2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ¼ tsp baking soda
1 ¼ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 ½ ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup milk
1 ¼ cups hot, strongly brewed coffee
2 eggs
1 cup mayonnaise (not low fat or fat free)
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups sugar

White chocolate mousse (below)
Sour cream chocolate icing (below)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 9 inch round cake pans. Line the base of each pan with parchment.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

Put the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Bring the milk to a simmer. Pour the hot coffee and milk over the chocolate. Let stand for a minute, then whisk until smooth. Let the mocha liquid cool slightly.

In a mixer bowl, beat together the eggs, mayonnaise and vanilla until well blended. Gradually beat in the sugar. Add the dry ingredients and mocha liquid alternately in 2 or 3 additions, beating until smooth and well blended. Divide the batter among the 3 prepared pans.

Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the centre comes out almost clean. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10-15 minutes before un-molding onto a wire rack and carefully peeling off the paper. Leave to cool completely.

White Chocolate Mousse

4 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 egg white
1 tbsp sugar

Melt the white chocolate with ¼ cup cream in a double boiler. Whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and let the white chocolate cream cool to room temperature.

When it has cooled, beat the remaining ¾ cup cream until soft peaks form. In a clean bowl whip the egg white with the sugar until fairly stiff peaks form.

Fold the beaten egg white into the white chocolate cream, then fold in the whipped cream until blended. Be sure not to over mix.

Sour Cream Chocolate Icing

12 ounces bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate, chopped
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
2 tbsp light corn syrup
¼ cup half-and-half at room temperature
½ cup sour cream, at room temperature

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Melt the chocolate with the butter and corn syrup in a double boiler over barly simmering water. Remove from the heat and whisk until smooth.
Whisk in the half-and-half and sour cream. Use while still soft.

How to assemble the cake:

Place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or serving plate. Cover the top evenly with half the white chocolate mousse, leaving a ¼ inch margin around the edge. Repeat with the second layer and the remaining mousse. Set the third layer on top and pour half the sour cream chocolate icing over the filled cake. Spread all over the sides and top. Don’t worry if some of the cake shows through. This first frosting is to seal in the crumbs, and is known as a crumb coat. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes.

After this time cover the cake with the rest of the icing, smoothing it down the sides. It should be the consistency of mayonnaise. Use a palette knife or the back of a spoon to swirl the frosting around the cake.

Makes a 9 inch triple layer cake; serves 12 to 16

An Italian Cream Cake for Blogoversary!

Well, it's hard for me to believe that it was just one year ago today that I said hello to all of you beautiful friends in the blogosphere. I have had just a great time meeting new friends and sharing my thoughts on recipes and the beauty of life around us. It's been simply a wonderful, rewarding experience.

So for this memorable day, I decided that the one and only birthday cake to make and enjoy is the very special Italian Cream Cake. This cake is very near and dear to Southerners' hearts and I can't quite figure that out, because there are so few Italians in the region, at least there's not many in South Carolina! But no matter, the recipe is a real treat, and Southerners have the best food taste and skills to boot! .

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Although many of you have your own versions of this delectable goodie, my recipe is straight from Southern Living magazine (I don't remember which issue, but it is also featured in many of their cookbooks). I have never seen a recipe for this cake in any Italian cookbook -- Italians don't use cream cheese or coconut in Italy, so it's my humble little hunch that this cake is really Southern in origin and not from Italy. Set me straight on this origin, anybody. . . I hate to speak incorrectly.

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The only adjustment that I make is to DOUBLE THE FROSTING!
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Italian Cream Cake

Here's what you need to make the cake and frosting:

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Cake

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1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

5 eggs, separated and at room temperature

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup milk

2/3 cup finely chopped pecans

1 (3-1/2 oz) can flaked coconut

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

6 Tbsp light rum

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Cream Cheese Frosting

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1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 (16 oz) package powdered sugar, sifted

1 cup chopped pecans2 tsp. vanilla extract

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Here's what you need to do:

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For the cake:

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Grease and flour three (3) 9" round cake pans. Line with wax paper and then grease the paper also.

Cream the butter; add sugar, beating well with an electric mixer at medium speed.

Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each is added.

Combine the flour and baking soda.

Add to creamed mixture alternating with milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Stir in pecans, coconut and vanilla.

Beat the egg whites (need to be at room temperature) on high until foamy.

Add the cream of tartar; beat until stiff peaks form.

Gently fold beaten egg whites into batter.

Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes.

Remove from pans; peel off the wax paper, and let cool completely on wire racks.

Sprinkle each layer of cake with 2 Tbsp. of rum.

Let stand 10 minutes.

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For the frosting:

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Combine cream cheese and butter, beating until smooth.

Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

Stir in pecans and vanilla.
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This cake is just OH SO EXCELLENT!

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