Perfect Party!

This weekend I made two cakes for a family party and they both turned out wonderfully! The first was Dori Greenspan's Perfect Party Cake and the second was an Apricot Carrot cake from my new Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes (which I'm now in love with). The only trouble I had was making the buttercream frosting for the Party Cake. It looked more like soup than frosting, but after adding some confectioners sugar and mixing and mixing and mixing it finally came together. Success!

The Cake Slice

I've always been a fan of the Daring Bakers and now I've found another tasty baking group called The Cake Slice. They choose a cookbook and use it all year long with one recipe every month. They are currently using Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes. All their reviews and pictures looked so good I had to order it! The first one I'll make will definitely be the Marbled Lemon Blueberry Butter Cake. Yum!

(photos by lick the bowl good)

Summer sandwich

What's better than homemade ice cream on a summer day? A homemade ice cream and snickerdoodle sandwich! I can't tell you how excited I am to eat this...

Snickerdoodle Recipe (Martha Stewart)

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs

2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Put butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture.

2. Stir together cinnamon and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into 20 (1 3/4-inch) balls; roll in cinnamon sugar. Space 3 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

3. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes.