b lurves h

2010 is the year and wedding bells are chiming all over my news feed on facebook. created for a bridal shower, i combined several recipes i found online to get the yum-o pictured below. happy tasting!

modified from: mary todd, yum sugar, and wilton's
makes and frosts: 2 9" round cakes.

vanilla almond cake:
- 1-1/2c granulated sugar
- 1 c butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-3/4 c sifted cake flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1-1/3 c milk
- 1 c almonds, finely chopped
- 6 egg whites, stiffly beaten

1. preheat oven to 375. generously grease 2 9" round pans. in a large bowl, combine sugar, butter, and vanilla. in a separate bowl, sift together flour and baking powder.

2. combine flour mixture to the sugar mixture, alternating with milk.

3. stir in almonds.

4. fold in egg whites.

5. bake for 28 - 30 min or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. let cool for 10 min before removing from pan. allow cake to cool completely before filling and frosting.


dulce de leche filling:
- 1 quart whole milk
- 1 c sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped [reserve seeds]
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 T water

1. in a large heavy saucepan, combine milk, sugar, vanilla beans, and seeds. bring to a simmer over med heat.

2. in a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in water and add to pot. warning: pot will froth!

3. reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. remove bean. continue cooking, skimming top occasionally, until reduced to 1 cup; tan, thick, and creamy. depending on how hot your stove is, this will take 1-1/2 to 3 hours.

4. strain into a clean bowl and allow to cool. dulce de leche will thicken as it cools. cover and refrigerate until ready to use or store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.


icing:
- 2c crisco
- 1c butter
- 2 tsp clear vanilla extract
- 2 tsp butter flavoring
- 1/2c milk
- pinch of salt
- 2tsp meringue powder
- 4lbs powdered sugar

1. in a bowl, combine crisco, butter, vanilla, flavoring, and milk. turn mixer off and add salt, merginue powder, and powdered sugar.

2. on the lowest speed, combine. once ingredients are thoroughly mixed, raise speed to medium and blend until smooth.

tip: i found that the measurements made the perfect crusting buttercream icing. however, if yours is too stiff, add milk 1tbsp at a time until desired consistency; if yours is too runny, add more powdered sugar 1 tbsp at a time until desired consistency.