I'm baaaack! And I brought Chocolate Angel Food Cake!

Have you missed me?
Its been a crazy month - lots of traveling, lots of work, I chopped my hair off, and got a horrid sunburn. Things are starting to slow down now, so I should be much better.
This weekend I made Chocolate Angel Food Cake with Chocolate Whipped Cream frosting. My oh my was it good. I don't have a picture to prove it - only the recipe. Someone broke into our frig and took the last piece before I could get a picture. Imagine that.
This is one of Jims favorite cakes. It is one of his family's recipes, and it is AMAZING! I really only married him for this recipe.

Chocolate Angel Food Cake
The cake is done in two parts:
1 - Sift together 3 times (just do it people):
3/4 C cake flour
7/8 C Sugar (3/4C plus 2 T)
1/4 C cocoa
Place in bowl and set aside

2 - Measure into a large mixing bowl (if you have a stand mixer, use that bowl)
1 1/2 C egg whites (you can buy them in a carton)
1 1/2 t cream of tartar
1/4 t salt
1 1/2 t vanilla
Beat until foamy, then SLOWLY add:
3/4 C sugar

Continue beating until very stiff. You can tell if a peak is formed and doesn't fall. Use a spatula or spoon to test it. This is very stiff:
Now that your batter is stiff, sift the dry mixture over the meringue about 3T at a time. After each addition, fold gently with rubber spatula about 15 strokes until all the dry mixture is mixed in.

Push the mixture into and ungreased tube pan making sure batter touches the walls of pan. Run a butter knife or spreader through the batter to remove air pockets.

Bake at 350* for 35-45 minutes.
DO NOT invert the pan during the cooling period. Frost with the whipped cream. I slice my cake in half and make it like a layer cake, but its up to you.

Variation -
If you would like white angel food cake, sub 1/4 C white flour for the cocoa and bake at 375*

Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting

3 C Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 C cocoa
1 C sugar

Put all ingredients in mixing bowl and stir to moisten cocoa. Place in refrigerator for several hours before beating.
Beat until thick and spread on cake and in between layers.

Enjoy! Thanks to Jims mom for this yummy recipe.

A cake basket

I know - it sounds really odd. Its not really a basket, it just looks a little bit like one.
This is the final cake for Course 2 of Wilton Cake Decorating. I am really looking forward to Course 3 and then the Fondant Course. I have a lot of fun doing this. The flowers are made of Royal Icing, and were made over three classes.
Off to Disney this weekend for our 6th anniversary! I am excited, but it does mean no baking, although I may be able to squeeze in a cookie from the Easy Peasy Cookie Cookbook Sunday night when we get home.



By the way - The crockpot has had quite a bit of use lately. Two new recipes to report this weekend. French Dip Sandwiches and Chicken Paprikash! Yum!

Yucky Day - Yummy Dinner

Today was a crappy day. Sorry Grandma - I'll make sure I deposit my quarter in the swear jar next time I see you. It was though. It has actually been one of those weeks.
So, aside from Sarahs cake, I havent baked. I have cooked though. Todays dinner was quite tasty. Thanks to the crockpot lady.

Korean Ribs

• One package beef short ribs (I used a package that was about two pounds, and contained about 9 short ribs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 5-10 jalepeno peppers, whole (I used 7) - the dish isn't spicy.

Place the ribs in your crockpot. Pour the brown sugar, water, and soy sauce over the ribs. Place whole jalepenos on top. Do not cut the jalapenos.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours. I cooked mine on high for one hour, and then low for seven.

For those that don't like spicy, don't worry about the peppers. I used seven and this dish was NOT spicy. The peppers just add a smokiness to the dish.

I served this with jasmine rice. It was delish. Jim and I both loved it.

After dinner, I cut out the fabric for my sewing project. My first REAL sewing project. Its a totebag. I went to iron the pieces before I started to sew, and realized the movers broke the ironing board. If you are scratching your head thinking "they moved a year ago", its Ok. Ironing is NOT on my domestic diva resume. I iron by misting my clothes with water and throwing them in the dryer. Jims dress shirts go to the dry cleaners to get washed and pressed. I am not even sure why I have an ironing board. Thats just how I roll. So, yes, its the first time in a year that I have needed to iron.

Not that that issue is fixed, I can relax, watch The Office, and hope tomorrow is a little better.

This weekend - I WILL bake.