Hey friends❣️

Happy Sunday!

We had a family birthday this week and the birthday girl requested salmon sushi bowls for dinner. It’s not a difficult recipe, but somehow it took most of my day to pull together ~ probably because I was trying to make all the elements birthday-worthy.

Thank goodness for the rice cooker I bought on a whim last year. Not having to worry about the rice was a help.

I’m probably best known for my cakes around here, so when birthdays roll around I have plenty to choose from. But this time I made the cake I grew up with, the one my mom made for just about every birthday in our family:

Duncan Hines Devil’s Food Cake + my mom’s vanilla buttercream frosting.

When you don’t have time for a homemade cake, do this. Nobody will complain. The cake is almost as delicious and fluffy as Ina Garten’s Chocolate Cake. The frosting does have to be homemade, though, that's non-negotiable.

It did the trick ~ on the first bite my daughter said "Ina's chocolate cake?" Meanwhile my grandaughter just asked for a small cup of sprinkles and downed them like a pro.

Tip: When a box recipe for chocolate cake calls for water, substitute cooled coffee for super depth of flavor.

recipe sneak peek

I've been meaning to post my mom's frosting recipe forever. It’s an old-fashioned American buttercream that sets up with a delicate crust ~ no refrigeration needed, which I love. I tweak it a bit, and you can really do it without a recipe. Start with a stick of soft butter and go from there, adding powdered sugar and milk, cream, or half and half to get the consistency you like. The vanilla bean paste makes a huge difference.

Mom's Vanilla Buttercream

• 1/2 cup salted butter, soft (that's one stick)
• 5 cups confectioners' sugar (my mom used one box, and I don't know how she stretched it to frost a layer cake.)
• Up to 1/2 cup half-and-half (mom used whole milk)
• 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste (originally extract)

Makes enough to frost a 2-layer cake or about 24 cupcakes.

Tips:

1. I don't sift my sugar but if it's lumpy I put it in the bowl and beat it with my electric beaters until smooth. Then add the soft butter, the vanilla, and enough half-and-half to get to a spreadable consistency.
2. If you want to pipe your buttercream add a bit more liquid to loosen it. In this case it will be less 'crusty' and more creamy in texture.

The emails and new recipes you might have missed this week

​🥕 The Case for Turning Carrot Cake Into Bars​

​🍓 Spring Millet Salad & Strawberry Cake​

​🍋 Lemon Pi and Lemony Chicken​

​🍋🫐 Blueberry Lemon ~ Sweet Spring Favorites​

See you in the kitchen! ~Sue

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The View from Great Island, Madison, WI 53719
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