The Birthday Cake

It's been a month since Eleni's first birthday-and I still haven't posted about it! The reason? Ok I have to be honest-I took a lot of pictures and I am a little intimidated to go through them all and pick my favorites to put up! But I shouldn't be so picky and should just post about it already:) But because I am still a little indecisive, I decided to show you her birthday cake. I've always wanted to make a ruffle cake, I think they are one of the cutest things ever;) And since I think my little girl is one of the cutest things ever I thought it would be perfect for her own little personal cake she could dive right into. This cake was not only cute, it was delicious too. Bellow are directions for making the ruffles, or you could check out this lovely video, it explains how to do the ruffles really well:)

O-and my ubber talented sis in law Kori is responsible for that darling "E" on top of the cake, sooo cute!!!

Tender Lemon Cake

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter room temperature, plus more for pans
• 2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• Zest of 1 lemon

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-by-2-inch round cake pan. Line with parchment; butter; dust with flour.

2. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. With electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 4 minutes. Add sugar; beat well. Reduce speed to medium; add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Reduce speed to low; alternately add flour and buttermilk, starting and ending with flour. Stir in zest.

3. Pour batter into pan; bake, rotating halfway through, until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Remove; let cool completely right side up on rack.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Ingredients

• 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 6 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Beat butter with electric mixer until fluffy and pale. Transfer to small bowl.

2. In double boiler over simmering water, whisk sugar and egg whites until warm and sugar is dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to clean bowl of electric mixer; beat on high with whisk attachment until fluffy and cooled, about 10 minutes.

3. Reduce mixer to medium-low; add butter a scant 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.

4. Switch to paddle attachment; beat on lowest speed 3 to 5 minutes. Leave at room temperature if using same day. Or store airtight in refrigerator up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature; beat until smooth.

Directions

1. Trim bottom layers; stack on cake round, with 3/4 cup buttercream spread over top of each. Add top layer; spread 1 cup buttercream over entire cake. Refrigerate 40 minutes until firm. Tint half remaining buttercream pink.

2. Place cake on rotating stand. Lay flat a 12-inch pastry bag with #103 tip. Fill half of bag from tip to top with pink buttercream, other half with white. Hold bag vertically, slot of tip perpendicular to cake; use swift back-and-forth motion 1 inch wide to make ruffle, pulling tip up side.

3. Turn cake stand slowly, piping circular ruffle over top.