Strawberry Frosting

I made cupcakes for Laurie's birthday. We didn't end up eating a single one at her little party. When I finally tried a cupcake I loved the frosting!

1/4 C. butter softened
4 oz. cream cheese
2 C. Powdered Sugar
1/4 C. pureed strawberries (can used freeze dried strawberries)

Beat butter & cream cheese in mixer. Sift powdered sugar into bowl. Whip. Add more powdered sugar if consistency isn't right. Add strawberries. Use spatula to scoop into ziploc bag and cool in refrigerator. Cut corner of bag and frost cooled cupcakes. Top with sprinkles.

Strawberry Filled Angel Food Cake

I can't remember the first time I had this cake. But I remember thinking it was dangerously delicious. My Mom made this for every birthday since...once again I can't remember! It has become my traditional birthday cake. Since I have had to make it myself I appreciate my Mom so much for all the times she made this for me. I have the best Mom!

THE CAKE...
ANGEL Food Cake

1 1/2	C. powdered sugar
1	C. white flour (use cake flour if you have it)
1 1/2	C. egg whites (about 10-12)
1 1/2	tsp. cream of tartar
1	C. granulated sugar
1 1/2	tsp. vanilla
1/2	tsp. almond extract (optional)
1/4	tsp. salt

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	Set one dozen eggs on counter for 30 minutes. They whip up better when they are closer to room temperature. Be careful to keep all egg yolks out when you separate so it will whip up better. Move oven rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 375ºF.
	Sift powdered sugar and flour together 3 times; set aside. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until foamy. Beat in granulated sugar,tablespoons at a time, on high speed, adding vanilla, almond extract and salt with the last addition of sugar. Continue beating until stiff and glossy meringue forms. Do not underbeat.
	Lightly sprinkle sugar-flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, over meringue, folding in just until sugar-flour mixture disappears. Push batter into ungreased angel food cake pan (tube pan), 10x4 inches. Cut gently through batter with metal spatula.
	Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until cracks feel dry and top springs back when touched lightly. Immediately turn pan upside down onto heatproof funnel or bottle. Let hang about 2 hours or until cake is completely cool. Loosen side of cake with knife or long, metal spatula; remove from pan.

I made the cake the night before.
Whip 1 pint heavy whipping cream adding about 1/2 C. brown sugar as you beat it. If you beat it too long you will have butter. You want it to form soft peaks.
When cake is cool, hollow out a "tunnel" around the inside of the cake (as shown in picture below).

Break or cut removed cake into small pieces.

Mix together 1 1/2 C. sliced strawberries and 1/2 of whipped cream with broken cake pieces.

Fill tunnel and center of cake with this mixture.

Use remaining whipped cream to frost the cake. Decorate with strawberries. Refrigerate until serving.

Fondant!

This fondant recipe is from my friend Lyndsie Field. I thought I'd give it a try for Laurie's birthday cake. It worked really well. The worst part was working in the food coloring (it took a while!). When you roll it out just sprinkle the table with powdered sugar.
There are so many possibilities with fondant!

the easiest & probably best tasting fondant recipe:

1 (2 lb.) bag powdered sugar
1 bag of mini marshmallows
2 Tbsp. water
crisco

*put marshmallows & water in a large microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until the marshmallows are smooth with no lumps. (stir between each microwave session)

*then gradually add powdered sugar. once it is workable (not super sticky, pour it onto the remaining powdered sugar. (you may want to grease your counter top & hands with crisco to prevent sticking.) knead it until it is the consistency you want. you'll end up using most of, but not all of the powdered sugar. :)

This recipe was enough for a lot more than I used for this cake. I could have halved it.

Swedish Tarta

This is one of my Mom's recipes. She served a mission in Stockholm, Sweden. I remember my brother Brian having this for his birthday cake every year. It is a yummy cake for a special occasion.

Sponge Cake
4 T. butter
2 eggs
1 C. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 C. milk
1 1/2 C. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
Beat the eggs and sugar until pale and thick. Melt the butter and stir into the batter. Add vanilla, flour, baking powder and milk. Pour into a buttered cake pan (8x8) that has been sprinkled lightly with flour. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

1 can mandarin oranges
1 jar raspberry jam
bananas
1 pint whipped cream- whipped with 1/4 C. brown sugar added
Let cake totally cool. Remove cake from pan and cut into 3 layers. Take juice from mandarin oranges and spoon onto first layer. Then spread on raspberry jam and cover with banana slices. Spread whipped cream over bananas and add next cake layer. Repeat for second layer. Spread top with whipping cream using mandarin oranges to decorate top. Double the recipe for 9x13 pan.