The Completed Cake

Rebekah, a pastry chef, started my birthday cake on the day before my birthday.

She baked a chocolate cake with ganache and strawberries dipped in dark chocolate with white chocolate drizzles, which I posted on social media.

All of this was homemade, put together on her work break and after she had clocked out for the day.

I had finally signed off the computer and wandered downstairs and into the kitchen to look for food and found the strawberries, just chilling in the refrigerator.

Now, I only had two candles on the cake, a six and a zero, because Rebekah was afraid that lighting sixty individual candles on the cake would melt the ganache.

Hey, two candles were easier on an old person's asthmatic lungs, too.

Yes, I did blow them out. Both of them.

And then just four of us ate the entire cake in under three days.

Rebekah did all of this in stages: first the strawberries and then the cake and ganache.

It set up in the refrigerator overnight. On my birthday (July 15, in case anyone wants to send me a gift next year), she placed the strawberries on top; we sang "Happy Birthday" and we ate it all in two days.

Chocolate Potato Cake with “Irish Potato Candy” Frosting

Last weekend, Rebekah baked a 19th-century style Irish chocolate cake that featured an ingredient not often found in chocolate cake: riced potatoes!

The result was a very soft cake (even though she hadn't used cake flour) with a nice, dense crumb.

Here is a picture she took and the recipe if you'd like to try it - which includes a very brief history of Irish Potato Candy (which contains no potatoes) and it's very vintage American history.

Enjoy!

Sue's Diner: Best Ever Chocolate Cake By Janet Cooney

In Bryony, while Melissa peruses the library for vampire information, Brian is at home with Steve making his first chocolate cake. The recipe was a tradition in Steve’s family and probably every bit as good as this cake.

This was especially true for Brian, who had heaped his plate high with the many dishes., including the one below. Simple to make and sooooo good. 

Find the recipe HERE.

From "Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles From 'Bryony'"

All proceeds benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties. www.bbbswillgrundy.org.

Order the cookbook at www.bryonyseries.com.