Vanilla Buttermilk Cake with Instant Fudge Frosting

I am a nervous wreck today. You see, for the last couple of weeks we (Katie and I) have been preparing to start a new blog. Just what the blogging community needs …one more blog. Right?

Katie and I enjoy baking, especially recipes that push us out of our baking comfort zone. We wanted to create a blog where we could all “meet” and have fun baking together. And to have a special place where bakers can bake as a group. Large enough to have fun & share tips, but small enough that we can “get to know each other”.

And with the help of my fabulous friend Katie (you may know her from Apple and Spice) we have created The Cake Slice. The Cake Slice is more than just cake. A big part of it includes books.

How many of you buy baking books? Only to bake a couple of recipes and then forget about it or move onto a new book? Well, here at The Cake Slice we’ll be baking from the same book for one year. Every year we’ll select a new book (by voting: most recommendations wins) and then bake from it for a whole year. The book can be on any baking subject. Whether it’s cakes, cookies, or bread. The point is to bake, have fun, and learn.
Still interested? For the first year of The Cake Slice we will be baking from Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne. Every month we’ll choose one recipe, bake the cake, and all post on the same day. The bakers are listed at www.thecakeslicebakers.blogspot.com .

Are you still …interested? Great! You can send me (Gigi: gigicakes@gmail.com) or Katie (appleandspice@hotmail.co.uk)an e-mail that you would like to join us (please note on subject line : the cake slice). We’ll then show you how to log on to the site and view it. Our first official posting will be October 20th, 2008. I hope to hear from you soon! In the mean time enjoy a sneak preview ...Vanilla Buttermilk Cake with Instant Fudge Frosting.

Sky High Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes
By Alsia Huntsman and Peter Wynne
For the cake:
4 whole large eggs
2 egg yolks
2 tsp of vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup of buttermilk
3 cups of cake flour
2 cups of sugar
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
8 ounces of butter at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of three 8-inch cake pans. Line with parchment paper and grease the paper.

Place the eggs and the yolks in a medium bowl. Add the vanilla and 1/4 cup of buttermilk and whisk all the ingredients well. Set Aside.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a mixer; whisk to blend. Add the remaining buttermilk and butter to the dry ingredients and with the mixer on low speed, blend together. Raise the mixer to medium speed and beat until light fluffy; 2minutes.

Add the egg mixture in three additions, scrapping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Divide the batter among all the pans.

Bake the cake layers for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake layers cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn out the cakes onto a wire rack and remove the paper from the bottoms. Cool completely.

Fudge Frosting:
6 ounces of unsweetened chocolate melted and cooled
4 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar
12 ounces of unsalted butter at room temperature
6 tablespoons of half and half
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse to blend together. Then pulse until the frosting is smooth.