Cream Cake for Birthdays and Bridge Games

This is a recipe that can serve you on many levels and for many events.  Within the space of a few days, my daughter celebrated a birthday, a mid-week bridge group (of which I'm a new member) was meeting at a friend's house, and I have a husband who appreciates baked goods.  Three perfect gatherings for a perfect cake to make an appearance.

Recently, our daughter was moving into a new apartment (on her birthday!).  With family assistance, her belongings were loaded into a U-Haul, taken to the new place, and then unloaded.  After hours of hoisting, maneuvering, and figuring out how to move heavy and large belongings up long and narrow stairways, we were pretty well spent at the end of the afternoon.  Sitting ourselves on the floor of her new living room, we enjoyed pizza and beverages while she opened gifts.  And then came these Cream Cupcakes!

Into the next week, I was invited to play bridge with some friends.  I had subbed for someone who was traveling to India for a few months.  Now I have been asked to become a regular around the table.  And you know what I do when I am invited anywhere, right?  Bring something sweet!  And then came these Confetti Cream Mini-Loaf slices!

End of story?  Well, you know that bakers keep a stash of what they make for dessert at home.  Suffice it to say that my husband and I have indulged in quite a bit of cream cake lately.  Is this a problem?  

Make this recipe.  Tasting like poundcake, the batter works well as cupcakes, mini-loaves, or any standard round or square shape.  Thus, you get to choose the look you want :)  If well-wrapped the cake keeps for 4-5 days.  Though I had no need to freeze (um...cuz... the stash is gone), I'm guessing that would work well too.

So what took me to this mentor recipe?  I had one cup of heavy cream that had reached its sale date in the refrigerator.  I needed an outlet for this liquid loveliness, and this is what I happened upon, and I'm so very glad I did.  It's a keeper.

Notes

1.  Now that you know the recipe calls for a cup of heavy cream, know that there is no additional butter or shortening.  So you will not need to remember to take butter out of the refrigerator to soften.

2.  For the mini-loaf, I added just shy of 1/4 cup of sprinkles (not the spherical type, but the log type).  What do you think?  It adds a level of pizzazz, right?

3.  The yield for the Birthday cupcakes was 13.  I baked them for around 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted near the center of one or two came out clean.  Remember the stash?  A couple never made it out of my kitchen!

4.  For my Bridge game, I made 6 cupcakes and 1 mini-loaf.  I baked the mini-loaf for 30-35 minutes, again checking for done-ness at around the 30 minute mark.  Added to the stash...ssshhhh....

Cream Cake for Birthdays and Bridge Games

(Yield: 13 cupcakes, or 6 cupcakes and 1 mini-loaf, 2 mini-loaves, or an 9"x 9" square pan, etc.)

2 eggs

3/4 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt ( I did not use salt)

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Log sprinkles (use about 1/2 cup)

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Grease whatever pan you are using (e.g., square pan, mini-loaf pan) or place cupcake liners into cupcake tins (remember this recipe makes 13 cupcakes).

2.  Place the eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until thickened.  Add the sugar and vanilla, beating well.

3.  In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt (if using) to combine.

4.  Add the flour mixture into the egg mixture in three parts, alternating with the whipping cream, mixing until well-combined.

5.  Pour the batter into your prepared pan, or in the case of cupcakes, use a soup ladle to fill the paper liners approximately 2/3 full.

6.  Bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  See Notes for approximate times.

7.  Ice the cupcakes (or not) with your favorite flavor.  I used a vanilla buttercream, but I think a chocolate ganache would have been yummy too!

Breakfast in Madrid (con El Oso y El Madroño)

Recently, I spent some time in Madrid with my husband.  I accompanied him (ahead of business he had the following week) so that we could enjoy this lovely city before I headed home.  We were treated to a week of incredibly beautiful weather (70s in the daytime, 50s at night), and so we did what we always do when we travel: Walk our feet off!  For long hours each day, we explored neighborhoods, enjoyed tapas, wine, and beer, geocached, ambled through botanical gardens, public gardens, museums, and tried to speak Español whenever we could :) Late afternoons we would return to our hotel to put our feet up, take a siesta, and plan where we would have dinner.  That pretty much sums up our itinerary... it was exhaustive, but looking back, I think we have a very positive feel for 'la ciudad que nunca duerme.'

On our first morning there, we headed out to La Puerta Del Sol, the heart of Madrid's historic center, for breakfast.  As the most important meal of the day (in my opinion), Madrid fell short for me.  Could it be that when Madrileños awaken, it's already lunchtime?  One thing that softened the blow, however, was the fabulous coffee con leche that could be had almost anywhere at anytime. Beautiful!

But back to that first breakfast... In the center of the square stood a 20-ton bronze statue of el oso y

el madroño (the bear and strawberry tree).  There are a few theories as to the significance of this sculpture to the city of Madrid, and judging by the number selfies being snapped with el oso in the background, it is a miracle that I was able to reach in and grab a photo without some human appendage joining the shot :)

Nearby, we found a tavern open for breakfast, featuring coffee with either a churro, tostada (toast), or pan (bread). We both chose coffee with the tostada.  Taking a seat outside on a gloriously sunny day, here is what came to our table:

Expecting butter and jam to accompany the toast, I was a bit surprised.  But not for long.  The combination of tomato pulp, olive oil, and salt on toast was fabulous!  Though humble, this breakfast combination is the most widely eaten Spanish tapa (I am assuming tapa is the singular form of tapas).  We enjoyed it again on the morning I was flying home, but this time the bread was rustic, dark, and not toasted.  Equally awesome-tasting.

Though I have yet to make this recipe since leaving Spain, Serious Eats has done a fine job describing the process, particularly the idea of extracting and using the tomato pulp and discarding the skins.  This recipe also makes use of a clove of garlic in its preparation.

Buen provecho!