Celebration Cakes

An Apple Cake to Celebrate….Something! Anything!

~ Teresa Blackburn ~ 11 Comments

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Here is what I think…or one of the millions of things I think….find something to celebrate. It can be a little thing or a big thing or nothing real at all, but some creative thing going on inside your head. Take some time to celebrate something. It can only be a good thing, right?

This apple cake is of my own invention to celebrate no one thing, but just the season, the beautiful apples I had, a few lovely soft orange rose hips,  some antique pieces recently acquired for props, the light coming in through the window on this particular day while I played with this still life. More than plenty to celebrate I think don’t you?

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I made a wee cake and a larger cake..one to give away and one to enjoy.

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A dusting of powdered sugar always seems celebratory to me.

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An Apple Cake to Celebrate

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Ingredients:

  • 6 crisp, tart apples or whatever is your favorite, peeled, cored & thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup raw sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups Spelt flour, sifted
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup chopped blanched almonds
  • powdered sugar for dusting over top of finished cake

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. line the bottom of a 9 or 10 inch springform pan with parchment paper and then spray sides and bottom with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. Toss together in a bowl the apple slices & 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar. Set aside.
  3. Using a stand, or hand mixer, blend together the remaining granulated sugar, raw sugar, spelt flour, baking powder, apple pie spice, vanilla extract, eggs and butter.
  4. Fold in half the sugar-coated apples and spoon into the prepared springform pan. Top with remaining apple slices & chopped almonds.
  5. Bake for about 1 hour or until cooked throughout when tested with a skewer. Let cool in the tin for about 10 minutes then remove the sides and cool cake on a wire rack.
  6. Right before serving add a generous, celebratory, dusting of powdered sugar.

Note: Is delicious with a bit of whipped cream as well. If you decide to make a wee and larger cake like I did use a smaller 8 inch pan and an even smaller 6 inch pan. Worked great.

Teresa Blackburn   http://www.teresablackburnfoodstyling.com     http://www.foodofifth.com

Easy Five-Layer Mini Celebration Cake and Happy 6th Birthday Food on Fifth…Enjoy Your Day!

~ Teresa Blackburn ~ 39 Comments

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Six years ago today I posted my very first Food on Fifth blog post. It was short, the photos not very good and I got “1” comment. I don’t remember but it was probably from a relative! So here, today, is my blog’s birthday with a wee celebration cake that is easy to make, festive and delicious! And now we are “6”.

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I have often been asked why I started blogging. One day while poking around in an antique store I purchased the first of my collection of old recipe boxes with handwritten recipes. I had not inherited any such thing from my Mother or Grandmother so I decided then and there to start a blog so my daughters would have a “modern-style recipe box”, and would, through my blog, learn more about me as a person, about my travels and my creative side via Food on Fifth. That’s all. No intentions other than creating a modern-style recipe box to leave for my girls chock full of memories.

Six years later I am still at it and I have learned a lot about taking photos of food and about how much I love that part. I have learned much about food failures (I don’t blog about all those!) and how to really embrace the beauty of imperfection.

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It’s easy to turn a sheet cake into a quick festive cake that serves 4 people using a large round cookie cutter, lemon and lime  curds and raspberry jam.

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Stacked with a smear of flavors in between.

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Fresh berries on top and a dusting of powdered sugar.

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Voilà ! A Happy Birthday Cake for Food on Fifth. Enjoy.

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Easy Five Layer Mini Celebration Cake

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: very easy
  • Print

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Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 5 Tbsp softened butter
  • 2/4 cup sugar
  • the zest of one lemon
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup lemon curd
  • 1/4 cup lime curd
  • 1/2 cup raspberry jam
  • fresh blackberries and blueberries
  • powdered sugar

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9 x 13 inch sheet pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper and spray paper. Dust paper with flour, shaking off excess and set aside.
  2. Whisk together all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt.
  3. Beat together softened butter and sugar in a mixer until fluffy. Add lemon zest, almond and vanilla extracts mixing well.
  4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed and alternately beat in flour mixture and milk until blended.
  5. Spread cake batter into sheet pan. Bake for about 15 minutes or until center is set. Remove from oven to cool on a wire rack.
  6. When cake has completely cooled, use a 4 inch round cookie or biscuit cutter to make 5 cake rounds.
  7. Place one round on a serving plate or cake stand and smear first layer with half the lemon curd; top with second layer adding half the raspberry jam; top with third cake layer and spread with all the lime curd; top with fourth layer and  smear with remaining raspberry jam; top with fifth layer and spread with remaining lemon curd.
  8. Add a ring of blackberries around the top of the cake and fill with blueberries. Chill cake for about 1 hour, dust with powdered sugar and serve cut into small wedges. A scoop of ice cream would be nice.

Note: I used jarred citrus curds that I found at World Market, you could make your own if you like…but these were very good and make the cake “easy”.

Teresa Blackburn   http://www.teresablackburnfoodstyling.com   http://www.foodonfifth.com