Crazy Week

It's Teacher Appreciation Week at Holden's school. In addition to all the cute homemade goodies I have been doing for Holden's teacher, I also volunteered to make a dessert to bring in for one of the lunches today. Of course me, the Martha Stewart wanna-be that I am, could not imagine taking a store bought dessert. So I decide on a cake recipe that was simple yet delicious and 100% homemade.


Off I go to the store yesterday, child in tow, to purchase the ingredients for this cake. That afternoon, I get the recipe out and start gathering the ingredients only to discover that I did not have enough butter. One quick phone call to David and he swings by the store on the way home to grab me another pound of butter. Again, I start gathering all of the ingredients since the recipe calls for the butter, cream and eggs to sit out for 30 minutes before beating. I begin to pour the whipping cream from the brand new, unopened carton only to discover that it is bad. Yep, curdled. Nice.


At this point I am thinking I will just throw in the towel, zip by the grocery store in the morning and pick up a pound cake. But once again, husband to the rescue and off he goes to the store to get some whipping cream. Back he comes and lo and behold he has bought the wrong stuff. Not his fault because really they do need to be just a tad clearer on whether that milky white substance is indeed HEAVY cream or WHIPPING Cream.


Now had this been just for my family, I would have tried to make do by mixing milk with the heavy cream but since it was for someone else, I got in the car and drove back to the store to make the exchange. No since taking chances that I would mess it up at this point in the game.


By the time I got home, it was after 8. The cake takes over an hour to bake after you do all of the slow beating and mixing and preparing. I figured I was n for a long night. But, I had help. Harrison added the eggs and licked the spatula when I finished mixing. He declared it was the yummiest cake batter ever. Shortly after 10, the cake was done and ready to cool.


This morning I got up and whipped up the glaze and poured it over the cake. I had it all ready to go when Harrison came downstairs. He took one look at my cake, nodded his head and said "Mom, I am impressed about that cake." So I guess it was worth all that trouble after all. I just hope the teachers liked it.


Here's the finished cake:



By the way, mom, aren't you impressed?



In case you are interested, here is the recipe (from BHG):


Butter Cake with Fresh Strawberries and Grand Marnier Glaze


Ingredients

1 cup butter
6 eggs
2 cups whipping cream
3 cups sugar
3 cups cake flour
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 Tbsp finely shredded orange peel
2 tsp orange extract
1 recipe Grand Marnier Glaze
1 pint fresh strawberries


Directions



1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch fluted tube pa; set aside. Let butter, eggs and cream stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. Place butter in a large mixing bowl, beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until well combined (this will take about 10 minutes). Beat 2 minutes more. Add eggs, one at a time, beating about 1 minute after each addition. Alternately add flour and cream, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Beat vanilla, orange peel and orange extract. Transfer to prepared pan.

3. Bake about 1 hour 20 minutes or until center springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

4. Place cake on rack over waxed paper. Drizzle with Grand Marnier glaze. Serve with strawberries. Makes 12 to 16 servings.



Grand Marnier Glaze: In a medium bowl, stir together 2 cups powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp Grand Marnier or orange juice. Whisk enough milk (1-2 tbsp) to make glaze consistency. (Note: I found that it took more like 3-4 Tbsp but you will want to add them one at a time so that the glaze doesn't get really thin).