YOU GUYS. YOU. GUYS. GUESS WHAT TODAY IS?
IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!
Every year, I am so thankful for the opportunity to celebrate the day of my birth. You see, I feel a birthday isn't a right, it's a privilege. It's not about the cards or gifts, not about the parties or insane amounts of cake I feel I'm entitled to, it's all about the love and lessons. One may think one's birthday is all about getting older, but it's not.
It's so much more than that.
You see, every high and every low the past year has brought me to where I'm supposed to be. It gives my life definition; meaning. Every happy event and every tearful experience led me to this exact moment. The day of my birth almost sets a precedence for the year, if you will. New Year's Day? Psshya. My birthday starts the year. It gives me confirmation that God chose to give me one more year of life to fulfill His purpose. Gifting me another year is His way of letting me know my work isn't done.
That doesn't mean everything is going to be sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows all the time. In other words, some moments suck a lot more than others. Some days, one will get delicious, refreshing lemonade and some days those same lemons will be chucked at you full force - sometimes right in the face.
Jerks.
However, out of those crappy experiences, really super fantastic ones emerge and sparkle like that of a thousand diamonds. And you survived all of them. There's always a lesson to be learned, although we may not know what or why right away. Am I getting too profound on you? I am, aren't I? Shut up, it's my birthday. I'm allowed to. I love you.
All I'm trying to say is that no matter what's thrown one's way, it's all how one perceives and receives it. Try to take it and learn from it.
Now, let's celebrate by eating this cake - I mean, let's celebrate while I shove this cake in my face. Since you can't have any, how about a gift for you instead? I know. I'm so generous - and on my birthday nonetheless.
How about a Stirling Creamery Butter Giveaway? Yes. Butter. I mean, who doesn't love butter? Butter is beautiful. And I'm giving away TEN POUNDS of these gorgeous, golden bars to one lucky reader.
I KNOW, RIGHT?!
You wanna win? Follow the Rafflecopter prompts and enter for your chance to win.
Good luck!
Xo
No purchase necessary to enter.
Giveaway will run from Wednesday February 11, 2015 to Friday, February 20, 2015. Winner will be contacted via email and displayed on Rafflecopter widget.
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BLACKOUT CAKE
For the cake:
1¼ cup quality unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ cups boiling water
2½ cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
¾ cup Stirling Creamery Churn 84 Unsalted Butter, melted
½ cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer:
Click here for the recipe.
For the chocolate buttercream frosting:
NOTE: This recipe will need to be doubled if making cake exactly as I have.
1¼ cups Stirling Creamery Churn 84 Unsalted Butter
1 cup quality unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup heavy cream (35% fat)*
5 cups icing sugar*
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon coffee granules or espresso powder
*More if texture isn't at desired level
To make the cake:
In a medium mixing bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk cocoa powder and boiling water until smooth; set aside.
2 cups sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
¾ cup Stirling Creamery Churn 84 Unsalted Butter, melted
½ cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer:
Click here for the recipe.
For the chocolate buttercream frosting:
NOTE: This recipe will need to be doubled if making cake exactly as I have.
1¼ cups Stirling Creamery Churn 84 Unsalted Butter
1 cup quality unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup heavy cream (35% fat)*
5 cups icing sugar*
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon coffee granules or espresso powder
*More if texture isn't at desired level
To make the cake:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prepare three 9-inch round baking tins by coating with non-stick cooking spray and lining the bottom with parchment paper.
In a medium mixing bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk cocoa powder and boiling water until smooth; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together until combined.
In another mixing bowl, beat eggs, melted butter, buttermilk, and vanilla together and beat with a mixer until smooth and fully incorporated. Add in cocoa mixture and beat well.
Pour dry ingredients into wet and mix only until incorporated.
Divide the batter between prepared pans. Be sure to tap pans several times to help release any air bubbles.
To make chocolate chip cookie cake:
Once cookie dough has been made and chilled for 30 minutes, divide in half. Press one half of cookie dough in the same cake tins used for the cake - or will be using for the cake (this is to ensure you have the same size for layering) and bake for 12 minutes. You don't want the dough to be fully baked. This will ensure the end product isn't tough to cut through.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for a couple minutes. Carefully overturn onto a wire rack. Cool completely. Note: If not using right away, wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
To make frosting:
Using a mixer, beat butter for a minute. Add in cocoa powder and beat for another two. Lower speed and slowly add in icing sugar, alternating with heavy cream. Once both ingredients are fully incorporated, mix in vanilla extract as well as coffee granules or espresso powder, if using. If mixture is too dry, add in heavy cream one tablespoon at a time. If it's too wet, add in more icing sugar.
To assemble:
Starting with the cake as a base, using an offset spatial spread a generous amount of frosting over the top. Don't worry about the sides as it will be coated when outer frosting is put on. Layer a cookie cake on top and apply frosting. Layer a cake on top of the cookie, frost. Do this until all layers have been places and frosting is in between each.
Apply a small amount of frosting to the top layer and create a crumb coat. This will ensure no crumbs are created on final coat of frosting.
Apply a generous amount of frosting to the top and begin sweeping down the sides until completely covered. Pipe on top of cake or around base - whatever you desire. Embellish as you wish.
Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by Stirling Creamery Butter. Any and all comments and/or opinions are completely my own.
Divide the batter between prepared pans. Be sure to tap pans several times to help release any air bubbles.
Place cakes in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow cake to cool for 10 minutes, then remove cake from pans. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Remove parchment paper.
To make chocolate chip cookie cake:
Once cookie dough has been made and chilled for 30 minutes, divide in half. Press one half of cookie dough in the same cake tins used for the cake - or will be using for the cake (this is to ensure you have the same size for layering) and bake for 12 minutes. You don't want the dough to be fully baked. This will ensure the end product isn't tough to cut through.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for a couple minutes. Carefully overturn onto a wire rack. Cool completely. Note: If not using right away, wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
To make frosting:
Using a mixer, beat butter for a minute. Add in cocoa powder and beat for another two. Lower speed and slowly add in icing sugar, alternating with heavy cream. Once both ingredients are fully incorporated, mix in vanilla extract as well as coffee granules or espresso powder, if using. If mixture is too dry, add in heavy cream one tablespoon at a time. If it's too wet, add in more icing sugar.
To assemble:
Starting with the cake as a base, using an offset spatial spread a generous amount of frosting over the top. Don't worry about the sides as it will be coated when outer frosting is put on. Layer a cookie cake on top and apply frosting. Layer a cake on top of the cookie, frost. Do this until all layers have been places and frosting is in between each.
Apply a small amount of frosting to the top layer and create a crumb coat. This will ensure no crumbs are created on final coat of frosting.
Apply a generous amount of frosting to the top and begin sweeping down the sides until completely covered. Pipe on top of cake or around base - whatever you desire. Embellish as you wish.
Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by Stirling Creamery Butter. Any and all comments and/or opinions are completely my own.
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Happy Birthday!!! Have a fabulous day!! Gorgeous cake! rosekrizmanic@yahoo.ca
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday! wow, ten lbs of delicious butter is the best thing ever
ReplyDeleteHAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! this cake is epic. Like...so decadent and out of this world amazing (like youuuu :D)
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, and you just made ME way more excited about birthdays! This cake is stunning. And the butter - yes please! I would make lots and lots of buttery whipped shortbread :)
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday! Cake, defintely cake!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! I love your thoughtful approach to each new year.
ReplyDeleteHAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I love my birthday too. It's my favorite day of the year, TBH. I hope yours is so fantastic!!! <3 Laura
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! I use it for glorious caramel corn!!!!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday!
ReplyDeleteI would use it to attempt making croissants.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! That cake... I want it... SO MUCH! And ten pounds of creamery butter giveaway?! You know us foodies so well, don't you?
ReplyDeletein my birthday excitment, forgot to say I would use that 10 pounds of butter making homemade candy, buttery pasta sauces, cruller donuts... getting hungry!
DeleteHappy Birthday Jenny!! I love the new look of your blog! I hope you have an awesome day :D Oh, and I would make lots of cookies with that butter. Like, mountains of chocolate chip cookies... mmm....
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday😀 I would practice our recipes from school
ReplyDeleteHave the best bday. You know I would have no problems using this up
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! I would use this butter to make some beautifully rich tart dough.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! I have a Princess themed #DisneySide party coming up and with 10 lbs of butter I can whip up a storm.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! Gorgeous cake!
ReplyDeleteThe pretzels on top of the cake are so delightful!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday !! We would use the Stirling Creamery Butter on our waffles. I love to use butter in my waffle batter and all melty on top.
ReplyDelete...you mean besides rubbing it all over my body?ill probably slather it all over new baby potatoes as they pop up in the garden soon and thwap it in my stand mixer to make various kinds of cakes. oooooooh make cookies. yep. I gots some plans for that butter load. (instead of mother load - get it?) aye. I need coffee. with butter.
ReplyDeleteps. I'm glad you were born and came here. xoxo
I will marathon bake happily with that delicious buttee
ReplyDeleteIf I win the butter...croissants. that is all.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday! I bet that cake didn't last long :)
ReplyDeleteostanziani@cogeco.ca HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIRL!!!! Hope you had a great day...Best Cake Ever! Everything taste better with Butter.. I can't wait to make some of your delicious recipes with lots of Butter. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!
ReplyDeleteWhat wouldn't I use butter for is the real question! My daughter eats toast and butter for breakfast almost every morning, of course there's baking and frying and all that yummy stuff. We are a butter household! No margarine here!
Happy Birthday! I would bake up a storm starting with home made phyllo pastry.
ReplyDeleteIf I win, a lot of the butter will go into baking experiments! Hooray! And the rest will be devoured on toast, waffles, pancakes, corn on the cob, carrots, potatoes... Mmmm... butter...
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday LOVE!! So great to see you last night! If I won that much butter I would be tempted to make a butter carving... but in the end I think I would make some of your FAMOUS chocolate chip cookies!!! Thanks for the chance to win! :)
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, fabulous Jenny! Dang girl, you're way too generous - 10 pounds of butter?! I'm already clearing room in my fridge and freezer for it ;) I see a lot of cookies in my future (fingers crossed). This cake is ridiculously amazing - my mouth dropped open in awe when I saw the photos. It's incredible!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, lady! May this year be even more fabulous and chocolate-filled than the last.
ReplyDelete(Oh, and if I won this much butter? I'd probably make the most ridiculous batch of croissants my kitchen has ever seen. Because you may as well bust out the good stuff if you're going to go through the trouble of baking croissants, amirite?
I'm obsessed with this idea of chocolate chip cookies in layers... so delicious! Happy birthday :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! This cake is pretty amazing! If I win this butter, I'm going to make my sister's wedding cake for her. I'll still make it regardless, but it will definitely help with the cost.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that you are giving away 10 pounds of butter means my love for you officially knows no bounds. Happy birthday m'lady!!! xo.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! Is there a better way to celebrate than 10 lbs of butter? If there is, I can't think of it.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to you (even though I'm late)! Oh man, I'd spread butter on EVERYTHING.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! Oh the delicious things I could make with 10 glorious lbs of butter! :)
ReplyDelete