![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Nolan and I have been married twelve years as of June 6th at 5:59 p.m! (Why 5:59? I didn't want the 6th month, 6th day 6th hour. Too weird.) So to commemorate the occasion, we went out of town on a romantic getaway!
Well, no, we didn't. We all got the flu, and I canceled my parents trip so that they could stay with the boys so that they wouldn't get sick, too. So instead, we're getting well and going to my in-law's house for dinner tomorrow. I asked if I could bring dessert, because I wanted to recreate the amaretto cake we had at our wedding. Nolan said it was the "best cake he ever had," and that, my friends is saying something. Nolan Kyle has tried a lot of cakes. :)
So like so many things I do, on a whim I went and got a bottle of amaretto, some cake decorating stuff, and ...voila! Amaretto cake with buttercream frosting. Pictures and all that how to stuff follow.
Cast of Characters:
Amaretto Cake
* 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
* 1/2 cup shortening
* 2 cups sugar
* 5 large eggs, separated
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 teaspoon almond extract
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 cup buttermilk
Preparation
1. Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add vanilla and almond extracts; beat until blended.
2. Combine flour and baking soda; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition.
3. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter.
I love this stuff. Use it.
Spray your pans and bake at 350 for 25 minutes or so.
I love this dog. You can't have her. She didn't even look up when the flash on the camera went off.
Then you take this:
And make this:
Amaretto Buttercream Frosting
* 1 cup butter, softened
* 1 cup shortening
* 2 (2-pound) packages powdered sugar, divided
* 1 tablespoon meringue powder
* 1/4 cup almond liqueur
* 1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 to 3/4 cup whipping cream
Preparation
1. Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in 1 package sugar and meringue powder; add liqueur, vanilla, and salt, beating until blended. Gradually add remaining powdered sugar alternately with 1/2 cup whipping cream, beginning and ending with sugar. Continue to beat at medium speed, and gradually add more whipping cream until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Cover frosting to prevent drying.
Then I got creative and started this:
And ended up with this:
This was my first foray into cake decorating. Those little flowers were tougher than they look. And our wedding cake wasn't purple, it was white. And tiered. But come on. I'm crazy, but I'm not doing that.
And just so you know... I like to keep it real. I made a HUGE mess.
Don't think I didn't take a sip of that stuff without the lid on it, sitting there. 'casue AH DID. :D
***I have no idea why my pictures won't resize to something less insane. It's late, so I'm calling it a day. :)
Well, no, we didn't. We all got the flu, and I canceled my parents trip so that they could stay with the boys so that they wouldn't get sick, too. So instead, we're getting well and going to my in-law's house for dinner tomorrow. I asked if I could bring dessert, because I wanted to recreate the amaretto cake we had at our wedding. Nolan said it was the "best cake he ever had," and that, my friends is saying something. Nolan Kyle has tried a lot of cakes. :)
So like so many things I do, on a whim I went and got a bottle of amaretto, some cake decorating stuff, and ...voila! Amaretto cake with buttercream frosting. Pictures and all that how to stuff follow.
Cast of Characters:
Amaretto Cake
* 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
* 1/2 cup shortening
* 2 cups sugar
* 5 large eggs, separated
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 teaspoon almond extract
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 cup buttermilk
Preparation
1. Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add vanilla and almond extracts; beat until blended.
2. Combine flour and baking soda; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition.
3. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter.
I love this stuff. Use it.
Spray your pans and bake at 350 for 25 minutes or so.
I love this dog. You can't have her. She didn't even look up when the flash on the camera went off.
Then you take this:
And make this:
Amaretto Buttercream Frosting
* 1 cup butter, softened
* 1 cup shortening
* 2 (2-pound) packages powdered sugar, divided
* 1 tablespoon meringue powder
* 1/4 cup almond liqueur
* 1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 to 3/4 cup whipping cream
Preparation
1. Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in 1 package sugar and meringue powder; add liqueur, vanilla, and salt, beating until blended. Gradually add remaining powdered sugar alternately with 1/2 cup whipping cream, beginning and ending with sugar. Continue to beat at medium speed, and gradually add more whipping cream until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Cover frosting to prevent drying.
Then I got creative and started this:
And ended up with this:
This was my first foray into cake decorating. Those little flowers were tougher than they look. And our wedding cake wasn't purple, it was white. And tiered. But come on. I'm crazy, but I'm not doing that.
And just so you know... I like to keep it real. I made a HUGE mess.
Don't think I didn't take a sip of that stuff without the lid on it, sitting there. 'casue AH DID. :D
***I have no idea why my pictures won't resize to something less insane. It's late, so I'm calling it a day. :)
Tags: