When I was a teen, my mom found a new recipe. It was called Angel Food Cake Delight. Consisting of angel food cake, three layers of moussey chocolate filling, frosted with whipped cream and sprinkled with crushed Heath bars, this decadent dessert became my birthday favorite, which my mom would make for me year after year. To this day, the tradition continues, and the confection has become the most requested birthday cake in my own home. In recent years I have affectionately dubbed it, "The Best Birthday Cake in the Whole Wide World."
This year, I offered to make my own cake to follow the birthday dinner that we would enjoy at my parents' home. I had decided that I'd take some pictures of the process and pass on the recipe, since I can't personally make enough for all my friends. So I hope you will consider this my gift to you. Seems that all the family and friends to whom I've ever served this have completely enjoyed it.....so I hope you will too.
The Best Birthday Cake in the Whole Wide World
aka Angel Food Cake Delight
Mixing an angel food cake.
1. Start with angel food cake.
I use a Betty Crocker mix, because it's an easy one-step method. Of course, you could buy one ready-made (but I don't think they're quite as good) or you could make one from scratch if you're feeling really ambitious.
It needs to cool upside down.
Ready for the oven in a tube pan.
Why do I cool my
cake upside down on a bottle? I just asked myself that question and
realized.....because it's tradition! My mom always did it that way
(but I don't think it's actually necessary!) :-)
2. Cut cake into four layers.
I just leave the cake on the inner form while I cut the layers. First cut it in half all the way around, and then cut each half in half. (Note: my mom always rubs off the toasty brown top layer, but this time I decided to just leave it. I don't think it really matters unless the top gets too dark.)
Loosen from pan.
Cut into 4 layers. The top becomes the bottom.
3. Filling:
*Melt chocolate chips. I do this in the microwave because it's so easy. (Takes 2 minutes in my old microwave, yours may heat faster.) When the chocolate chips look shiny, stir them up. Better to under-cook than over-cook. Set aside.
*Combine powdered sugar, butter, salt and vanilla; beat together 5-7
minutes. It will get very creamy and fluffy. (For this lengthy part of the process, I am grateful for my old hand-me-down mixer.....from garage sale, to grandma, to my mom, to me!)
*Then add the eggs, one at
a time. It will start to look curdled, like something is wrong, but
it's not. This is normal. Lastly, add in the melted chocolate chips and blend. (Note: The eggs will not get cooked, but its never presented a problem.)
Creamy and smooth.
Combining the filling ingredients.
Looks like it's curdled.....but have no fear.....it's OK.
Frostingthe layers:
Flip over one layer at a time onto cake plate. Divide the filling evenly and spread between the layers of cake. (Finally......lick the bowl and spatula clean. Mmmm.....my favorite part of this cake!)
Ready to flip the last layer onto the top.
A little messy? Who cares!
Whipped cream and crushed Heath - Oh my!
Topping:
Spread with whipped cream. (Here again, you could make your own whipped cream, but by this point in the process, I am always happy to take the easy route.)
Finally "sprinkle" on crushed Health bars. The truth is, that on the sides of the cake, it gets a little messy. I actually kind of toss and pat the Heath onto the sides. (For a less messy and easier alternative: Fold the crushed Heath bars into the whipped cream, reserving some to sprinkle on top, and then spread.)
The most important ingredients:
What really makes this cake "The Best Birthday Cake in the Whole Wide World?" It's knowing that it's homemade with love, memories and tradition.This year my mom surprised me with "Birthday Girl" candles, and also made me feel 50 years young with the butterfly plates.....toocute.....I love you, Mom!
I'm ready!
My mom and I.
The Best Birthday Cake
in the Whole Wide World
1 angel food cake
1
cup chocolate chips
1
cup powdered sugar
3/4
cup butter
1/8
teaspoon salt
1/8
teaspoon salt
2
teaspoons vanilla
3
eggs
8 oz. carton Cool Whip
about
6 oz. crushed Health Bars
Bake
cake.Cool and cut into 4 layers.
Filling:Melt chocolate chips;set aside.Combine powdered sugar, butter, salt and vanilla;beat together 5-7 minutes.Then add chocolate chips.Divide evenly and spread between layers of
cake.
Topping:Spread whipped cream on top and outside of cake, then top with crushed Heath bars. (Or fold crushed Heath bars into whipped cream and then spread.)
Yesterday was her birthday. I read it on Facebook. She had posted that we were birthday buddies. I hadn't remembered. We are not friends who see each other much, or talk much, or get together to do stuff. But she is my friend.....a lovely, gregarious, godly, Christian woman.....and such an encourager. And so came the desire to encourage her on her birthday.....on our birthday.
My friend Karen
What could I do for her? I went out to the yard, picked all the alstroemeria I could find that was either blooming or about to bloom, and came in to make a simple arrangement in a recycled jar. To finish it off, I found a lovely, sheer, yellow ribbon that reminded me of my friend. It brought to mind her sunny disposition and the warmth that I would always feel coming from her eyes and her smile whenever she would greet me. Her love is like a nice warm hug.
The yellow ribbon prompted me to add a bit more to my simple display. I found the soft foliage of dwarf heavenly bamboo which added bits of yellow, salmon and green. I added to that, red Pentas with their starry clusters and also the round fuzzy blossoms of Sea Pink. To set it off, I added a stem of two bright yellow Day Lilies. These blooms would last only a day, but they packed a pretty punch.
My bouquet was ready to deliver.....and it was beautiful, sunny and full of joy.....like my friend. And then, as I looked out to my backyard, the lemon tree caught my attention. More bright yellow cheeriness. What if I brought my friend some lemons? Would that be silly on her birthday? I reasoned that most everyone likes lemons, so I went out to pick a few.
"When life give you lemons, make lemonade," ran through my head as I walked out to my tree. Seemed like an odd message for a birthday girl, or so I thought. I asked God if he might take my silly gift of lemons and somehow use it to reach my friend's heart. With simple thoughts, I asked the LORD to use the promptings of my heart in ways beyond which I could orchestrate.
Birthday Buddies!
At the end of the school day, I went with gifts in hand to surprise my friend in her classroom. Through her eyes, her smile, and her arms, I received the sunny warm hug that I have come to expect. But I received so much more. My friend then shared that my gift meant so very much.....much more than I could imagine. She shared with me that her birthday had started on a sour note.
Because her heart was breaking, she didn't want to go to work. She had wanted to get alone with God and cry. But faithfully she went.....with the LORD by her side. Through inner dialogue, she conversed with the Lover of her soul, the One who gives us worth, the One who walks through the valleys by our side. And He was there. With her. He met her. In big and small ways He comforted her, because he can, because our Savior experienced the sweet and sour of life too.....for us.
My friend and I spent the good part of an hour sharing our hearts, telling our stories and praising the LORD for the things he had done....for us. We reminded one another that in the sweet and the sour experiences of life, our God is always making something good.....in us, and through us, and for us!
Thank you Abba Father for blessings
that come to us in packages both sweet and sour!
It was with a wee bit of fear and trepidation, that one year ago, I set forward on a new journey into uncharted waters. My step of faith was beginning this blog. It was January 21, Martin Luther King Day, and my birthday, so it was a good day for dreaming.....and a good day for making a wish come true.
Today, a year later, I feel like an over-comer. I feel successful and excited about all that I have accomplished and learned on this blogging journey. This has been a labor of love.....a creative outlet for writing and posting photos which has taken significant time, thought, reflection, and study. I don't measure success as big or small, significant or insignificant.....I believe that each step forward in faith is important. Each step of faith is an act of obedience.....and obedience the LORD can use to bring us closer to himself. This blog has been a tool that the LORD has used to grow me closer to him, and my hope has been, and continues to be, that it will be a blessing for you in your walk of faith as well.
To be very honest, opening my heart for anyone to read does sometimes fill me with a bit of fear. I know that sometimes I will make mistakes, sometimes my words will be misconstrued, and some will misread my motives or my attitudes. In sharing my Messianic journey to the Hebrew roots of my Christian faith, I realize that there are some who will be offended, some who will think I'm crazy or heretical, and some who may mock me even as I'm sharing my most heartfelt and sincere thoughts. All those things would hurt me.....but they do not stop me. Like you, I am on a journey, and I am giving myself grace to change and grow and make mistakes.....where I am today is not where I'm going to be in the future.
This year I feel unintimidated about my dreams. This year I feel bold. This is Martin Luther King Day, the day before my 50th birthday, and again, I am dreaming. Being half a century is quite a milestone when I think of it in terms of lifespan. Statistically, it means that about two-thirds of my life is over, and I've got about 25, and maybe even a good many more, if I live to a ripe old age. That doesn't sound like too much, knowing how time flies and knowing how health issues that come with age can creep in and get in the way. So what am I going to do with the rest of my life? What am I going to do in this next year..... this 50th year of my life?
I've been thinking about goals, big and small, accomplishments that are important or practical, things I'd like to try just for the fun of it, ways to love others more, especially my husband, sons, family and friends, and about what I can do to serve those in need. Most importantly I've been asking the LORD to show me, "How do I seek God's glory and his kingdom above all?"
These are some of the goals on my checklist (in no particular order) for this next year:
50 Wishes for my 50th Year
Go paddle-boarding - sounds like fun and good exercise.
Another year of blogging - my goal is to write at least once a month.
Create a book of my blogs from 2013 - got it done already through Blog2Print!
Visit the LA shopping districts - never been.
Try 4 new foods. (One down: I was treated to Lebanese food for my birthday and tried "karnabeet" - fried cauliflower with tahini sauce - I liked it!)
Paint my toes and fingernails 12 times - because it's a girly thing I don't usually make time for.
Take a field trip with the hubby to Big Daddy's Antiques in LA - because it's a cool company my son used to work for.
Learn the Hebrew alphabet.
Do a collage series on the Hebrew alphabet.
Take a dog sled ride in Colorado with my husband - I'm scared but I'm gonna do it because my son's a musher and we have two free tickets!
Finish hand-writing the first five books of the Bible by mid-October and make a Torah scroll with my writings.
Pray for a 1/2 hour on my knees each week for 50 weeks.
Pray about a God-sized dream I have for 50 weeks.
Enjoy 4 coffee-house experiences - because I read this article.
Try 4 new beverages - I'm thinking about the seasonal coffee drinks, but who knows?
Prepare 4 new recipes.
Get a new camera so I can take better photos.
Photograph 50 flowers from my yard - don't know if I have that many, but I might.
Compile a book with the flower photos I take - because I love flowers, and because I appreciate the beauty that only God can create!
Get a massage - I have a gift certificate that's been waiting for me!
Purge at least 50 items from my home.
Re-organize the garage - need to do some purging there!
Finish my big tree painting.
Finish my painting/collage series.
Do some emergency prepping.
Walk on the beach or at the estuary 4 times.
Take 12 bubble baths......but first.....
Replace the bathtub stopper mechanism - so the tub will hold water.
Re-caulk the shower door.
Replace a bit of grout in the kitchen.
Give my husband 50 massages.
Create some products from my art.
Try to sell some art.
Read in bed regularly.
Get more sleep - to get rid of "the yawns."
Serve a meal or dessert to 50 guests in our home - but not all at once!
Make a habit of celebrating a candlelit Sabbath dinner.
Make a photo book of 50 hearts that I have painted or crafted.
Keep my desk free from a paper pile.
Habitually deal with paperwork and manage it better.
Purge files.
Write out a 50 point love list to bless my heavenly Beloved.
Write out a 50 point love list to bless my man.
Write out a 50 point love list to bless son #1.
Write out a 50 point love list to bless son #2.
Write out a 50 point love list to bless son #3.
Help my husband with the bills.
Organize my photos on the computer.
Organize my photos in the cupboard.
Work on the family photo albums - I'm quite overwhelmed with this!
*Now for a disclaimer: I hold these goals loosely, knowing that I am not ultimately in control of my life, my health or my circumstances. Today I can dream. Today these are possibilities. Tomorrow could change everything.
