Sunflowers Cake (Yellow Cake with Chocolate Ganache)

Yes, sometimes I make cakes.

I have been known to plan them in great detail.  Usually while exercising.

I've found a good way to plan an original cake is to think one or two weeks ahead of where you're at, seasonally.  24th of July?  Think late August.

Late August?  Boom.  Sunflowers.

A yellow cake with a chocolate ganache - yellow like the day, chocolate like the night.  The equinox is coming, you know.

Is it a little brown around the edges?  Yes.

Don't think I'm not grumpy about it.

But the thick, chocolate ganache was perfect.

The flowers were fun - I was going for Van Gogh.

I like some texture on a cake, you know?

Summertime.  The livin' is still easy.

BUT FOR HOW MUCH LONGER?

Sunflowers Cake (Yellow Cake with Chocolate Ganache)
(yellow cake recipe based on Joy the Baker)

For the cake:
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 cups milk

Butter and flour a 13x9 cake pan.  Preheat oven to 350F.

Sift together flour, baking powder, soda and salt.  Set aside.  Measure out milk, add vanilla extract.  Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar together, about 3 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time, beating for about a minute between additions.

Add flour mixture, alternating with milk mixture, in 3 additions (so 2 additions of milk).  Stop beaters and finish combining with large wooden spoon.

Pour batter into prepared cake pan, smooth with spatula.  Bake at 350F for about 45 minutes.  Test with toothpick in center for doneness.

Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then dump onto cake board.  Finish cooling.

Slice down the middle, as evenly as possible.

For ganache:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream

Bring cream to a simmer on stove.  Place chocolate in heatproof bowl.  Pour simmering cream over chocolate and stir until combined.  Will be runny - let sit until desired consistency is reached (process can be speeded by putting in refrigerator, but keep a careful eye on it...it can stiffen up quickly).

For frosting:
4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter*
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 tablespoons milk

Combine powdered sugar and butter and beat for 2 minutes.  Add vanilla and milk and beat for a minute more.  Color as desired.

*for a stiffer, less melty frosting (easier to decorate with), replace 1/2 cup butter with 1/2 cup shortening

King Estate Winery

The summer is upon me.

I cannot cook.  I can only travel to places and have others cook for me.

Behold!  The King Estate Winery.

Nestled in the Oregon hills, overlooking miles of quiet farmland.  The only thing we could hear looking out was the swish of the wind.

Lavender to attract bees.  Bees to make grapes.  Grapes to make...well, you get it.

Bzz bzz.  Lean in for the lovely smell but don't snuff up a bee!

The sky was perfectly cloudless.  The sun was bright, fine and hot.

Bushy grapevines growing little bebe fruits.

Smell of hay and green things and lavender.

You can only play soccer at wineries.  Other sports are BANNED.

There's something romantic here...

The bloom is off the rose and on my baby's head.

Oak casks from France.  I guess French oak makes the best casks.

Rooms for chilling, swirling, and fermenting.

A large cooling tank - did you know wine heats up as it ferments?  I didn't.

Now the best part - lunch!  Truffle fries.

The menu changes frequently, we ordered a house-cured charcuterie plate.

Gorgonzola, dry salami, with crudites, crackers and mustard.

This was my favorite combination - gorgonzola and candied apricot on a seeded cracker.

Goodbye, beautiful sun-kissed winery!  I'll see you in my dreams!

Strawberry Maple Floats

OMG strawberries!

I love eating seasonally because I love how nature is like nope, nope, nope, YEP!  And then floods you with something delicious.  And you gorge and gorge and gorge on it because once it's gone you won't see it again for a whole year.

Like everything does, it starts on the farm.

Little baby berries peeking through green leaves.

Fields and flowers and a cloudless sky.

That barn was full of bunnies.  Baby likes bunnies.

My kid are enthusiastic strawberry pickers, but inevitably derailed by the 'eat all you want in the fields' rule.  They contributed about 2 cups of berries.

So I bought a flat to supplement.

Now...what to make with 24 cups of strawberries?

Like I even had to wonder!  Jam, shortcake and hand pies for starters.

But first, something to take the heat off after a day in the fields.

Strawberry maple floats!

It's easy.  It's foamy.  And it tastes like the sweetest part of the most fragrant strawberry you've ever had.

It's even healthy!  Sweetened with maple, the ice cream is homemade with coconut cream in place of whipped (of course you could 100% use normal).

To strawberry season!

Strawberry Maple Floats
Makes 2 cups

2 cups water
2 cups fresh strawberries (frozen will also do in a pinch)
Juice of half a lemon
Handful fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup maple syrup
Soda water
Vanilla ice cream

First, make the syrup.  Bring the water, strawberries, mint, maple and lemon to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Strain out mint leaves, lemon (I squeezed it out then just threw the whole thing in there), and strawberry pulp.  Mush the strawberry pulp through the strainer to get as much berry goodness as possible.

Return syrup to a boil, reduce to a simmer and leave for 20 minutes or until reduced by half.  You should have about 2 cups of syrup.

To assemble floats:
Put desired amount of ice cream in glass.  Pour about a thumb's depth of syrup on top.  Add soda water until foamy and luscious.  Glug glug glug.