My friends are cute.

Stephanie and I took on another baking experiment. She wrapped up her new Kitchenaide and brought it over last Saturday to get a tutorial on using her brand new machine. I always get excited when I hear someone has a new Kitchenaide mixer. It's better than a new car because it requires no maintenance, but will continue to surprise you with its many talents and effortless adaptability. You can put veggie slicers, cheese graters, and meat grinders on this machine! On a daily basis! Or pasta makers. DOUGH HOOKS. They're just amazing, versatile machines. So glad I got to help Stephanie learn how to use hers.



I grew up in a house that has many things I now think "every" home needs: stairs, south facing windows, walk in closets, giant lazy susans, a cloak room, and a front porch with a large storage areas for basketballs, rags, cleaning supplies, and about 14 throw rugs. Not to sugar coat it---the house also lacked locks on the main bathroom door(s). Also, growing up in a small town, there weren't many class dividers. There were just people who went to church, and people that didn't go to church (it didn't matter which one). I don't remember anyone driving a fancy car or trying to appear wealthier than others. Now, looking back, I realize that my parents really knew where to put their money---music lessons and a Kitchenaide mixer. Oh yeah, and land. Did I mention we had our own gas tanks? That a truck would come out and fill for us? Man, our farm is AWESOME.

Back to baking. Stephanie and I are continuing our baking lessons together, and last Saturday Friend Kaye joined us to try out a Lemon Layer Cake recipe from Smitten Kitchen.



Things we loved about this recipe: cake and curd. Scrumptious, simple, and really, really delicious. Also, Smitten Kitchen recommends placing a small amount of the curd on the bottom of your cake stand before you put your first layer on. I kind of doubted the need for this, but the visual effect on individual pieces of cake was really pretty once it chilled.

Things we didn't like about this recipe: the need for a candy thermometer. Don't have one of those. So instead, we made a last minute decision to substitute another white, glossy frosting recipe from Amy Sedaris's Lady Baltimore cake. All glossy white frosting recipes are the same, right?



Err...wrong. The frosting recipe we used ended up using twice the sugar as the recipe recommended by Smitten Kitchen. When we all tried a piece after watching the first half of Precious (we needed a break), the cake was still warm and somehow made the white frosting seem overwhelming. BUT, after chilling in the fridge for a few days and allowing a couple layers of white icing to slide off, the cake was awesome. Lesson learned---check the sugar content on your frosting. Also, both Kaye AND Stephanie refused to take cake home with them. I'm calling foul on this, because it's been my job to slowly eat this cake, piece by piece. This is how friends treat each other. They make them eat cake.