Happy One Year!

This last one year flew over my head.

I tried catching most of it but it was way too fast.

We traveled between three cities, welcomed a new member in our family, started full time job again and fought over time with my watch. Yet loved every second of it.

I started this blog exactly an year back and never thought I would make it this far considering writing was never my strongest point. Give me raw video footage to edit and you'd see the new side of me.

Forever a shy person, I'm here putting my kitchen adventures and stories behind them for everyone to read and overtime it has become a part of me. It works as an amazing stress buster after a long week in office.

So for everyone who gives my numerous hits throughout the day {I keep counting all day long}

Thank you all for helping me get this far.

Recipe follows:

For the Cake:

3 Cup All Purpose Flour
2 Tbsp Baking Powder
1 1/2 Stick Unsalted Butter
1 Tsp Salt
4 Large Egg
2 Egg Yolk
1 Cup Granulated White Sugar
2 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Milk

Strawberry Meringue Buttercream 

3 Egg Whites
2 Sticks Unsalted Butter
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Tsp Vanilla
A pinch Salt
1/4 Cup Strawberry Puree

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 Degree F (180 degree C). Grease and line 9 - inch cake pan.

In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl beat Butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add Sugar and beat for another 2 minutes until incorporated.
Then add Eggs one by one. Scrape down the sides, add yolk and vanilla beating for few more minutes.

Putting speed on low add half of the dry ingredients to the batter. Scraping down the sides add milk and then the rest of the dry ingredients until well incorporated.  

Spread the batter evenly into prepared pan and Bake for about 25 - 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool at the room temperature.

For the butter cream, put egg whites and sugar in a mixing bowl over a pot of simmering water. With an electric hand mixer, beat constantly until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot. Remove from heat.

Continue whipping the mixture until thick, glossy and cool. While mixing on medium speed, keep adding softened butter chunks until incorporated and mix till it has reached a smooth texture. If curdles, keep mixing and it will come back to smooth. Add Vanilla and Salt.

Before frosting the cake, add strawberry puree in the butter cream and beat for around 10 seconds. Reserve 1 cup of butter cream for piping on top.

For assembling: Place one cake layer on the serving plate and spread about 1/2 a cup of frosting on the layer. Repeat this process with the second layer too. Smear the rest of the frosting on the sides of the cake.  

Cover and refrigerate the cake. Leave out in room temperature for a while before serving.