Regardless of the future, the dessert I chose to make for the team was perfect for summer! I had bought blueberries a little while back from the farmer's market in Boston and froze them to have on hand for times like these. The nectarines I bought that week in the food store... and that begun a search for desserts that involved both of these juicy fruits. This particular recipe I pulled out of the "Home Tested Binder" (a binder collection filled with recipes I collect from the Internet). This recipe was adapted from http://www.myrecipes.com/.
Cake Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large nectarines, coarsely chopped
2 cups fresh blueberries
Garnishes: sliced nectarines, fresh blueberries, lemon rind
This is what the cake batter looked like before I put them in the oven:
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until the yolk disappears. Add vanilla, beating just until blended.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture; beat batter at low speed just until blended. Gently fold in nectarines and blueberries. Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 8-inch round cake pans.
Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.
Spread 1/2 cup Cream Cheese Frosting evenly on top of one cake layer; top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining Cream Cheese Frosting over top and sides of cake. Garnish, if desired.
These are the cakes when they came out of the oven:
I think the star of the cake was the homemade frosting though, it was TO-DIE-FOR!
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
1/2 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar (I may have used about 6 cups, hard to say HAHA)
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind (I excluded this because I did not have a fresh lemon)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, alternately with milk, beginning and ending with powdered sugar. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in grated lemon rind and vanilla.
Tutti Mangia! That is my new ending for each blog post - what are your thoughts? It means "everybody eat!" in italian. I thought it was fitting.
4 comments:
I thought I commented this last week but clearly I was unsuccessful. This cake was easily one of my favorite cakes to date, of ALL the cakes I've ever had in my life..and trust me, that's alot of cakes ;)
This looks gorgeous my dear! I am so proud of you. You'll have to make this for me next time I see you! Tee hee says the baker..
This looks truly fabulous. I would love it gracing my table, even more, I would love to have had a slice of it.
Soooo....I just spent a substantial amount of time on "Random acts of Food" and I came across this recipe, with reminded me of how much I miss you and your cooking!! Come visit me at work and bring treats? I'll buy lunch :)
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