Yep, we’re in Colorado

View from Doug & Drue’s deck.  This fox has the perfect place to catch the warm sun.

One more clue

Where is Linda?

Great birthday, sorry about the cake

Adam, in the middle, is a happy, easy to please young man.  If he was disappointed in the sorry cake, he didn’t let on.    We sang, had ice cream and cake and opened presents.  He was happy.

First, the actual cake was fine.  I made the scratch ice water cake and it turned out well, although I do have a thought about it that I will write about another time.

My Mom’s cooked icing definitely was a failure.  Well, that and the fact I did not have birthday candles.  Cooking the frosting to 238 on the candy thermometer should have been a piece of cake but the trick is to find the candy thermometer before starting the cooking process.  Since I could not find it, I had to rely on the cold water, drop method.  First bad sign. 

No stirring until it cools down, then  stir vigorously.  When it gets silky, you frantically start spreading.  I obviously had cooked too long and the frosting turned into a lump.  I spread it as well as I could, and put on some bad tasting red stuff out of a can to dress it up.  Then couldn’t find candles, so had to resort to tea lites. 

Like I said, Adam is a good natured guy.

Looking for a parking place

 

We’ll see how long this lasts

The changes to my blog format, that is.

It just all seems so cold.  On the other hand, it’s appropriate.  The snow picture on the header was taken almost exactly a year ago.   Good to remember, but we’ll pass.

So far, it’s been mostly sunny and clear with beautiful sunrises.  Hopefully, it won’t be nice like this now and around March when I want to put this up on the header of the blog

along will come the snow.

Winner Chocolate Birthday Cake

Adam’s birthday is coming up Friday.   I decided to bake a winner scratch cake for him since he loves chocolate so much.

When I say “winner” I mean it in the truest sense of the word.  This cake has won many prizes at county fairs.  As I recall, I took it to the State fair years ago and I’m thinking one of the kids also did in the 1980’s. 
The cake is so good, it calls for extra yummy cooked chocolate frosting that actually tastes like fudge.  Kim makes it well and I might let her do it. I don’t have her recipe.   It’s been years since I’ve made my Mom’s recipe so I might give it a whirl.   Here are both of the recipes:

Ice Water Fudge Cake


2/3 cup butter or oleo
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teas. vanilla
2 1/2 one oz sq chocolate, melted
2 1/2 cup cake flour
1 1/4 t. soda
1/2 t. salt
1 1/4 cup ice water

Cream butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla until fluffy (at least 5 minutes at high spped)  Blend cooled chocolate.  Sift flour, soda and salt.  Add to creamed mixture alternately with ice water.  Bake in two 9 inch round pans. 350 30 to 35 minutes.

Old Fashioned Cooked Chocolate Frosting


2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup whole milk
3 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine ingredients in a medium sized heavy-bottom saucepan.  Cook until mixture forms a soft ball in cold water (238 F on a candy thermometer).  Remove from heat & allow to cool until lukewarm.

Important!  Do not stir after it comes to a rolling boil until lukewarm.

Beat until spreading consistency.