Doggy Birthday Cake: Do or Don't?

Okay, our Jenny is turning one in April and I'm seriously considering to bake her a birthday doggy cake. Am I mad?! Last week, a friend of mine, sent me this link to Erin's recipe saying that I should totally do this for Jenny and I secretly agree with her!

The thing about me is that I show love with baked goods. So if I like you, I will probably show up at your doorstep with a box of homemade cookies or my go-to French lemon cake. If I don't, you know...

So despite knowing that baking a birthday cake for a pet might seem totally bonkers for some, I'm pretty sold on the idea, actually...

What do you think? Do or don't?

P.S: This one and that one sounds good too.
P.P.S: Plus, don't miss our beautiful earrings GIVEAWAY this week!

(Photos by The Almond Eater)

Yay! It's Wednesday Cake!

We all know Pillsbury's Funfetti cake mix, don't we? As last Wednesday our niece turned 6, I was on a mission to recreate an old favourite for the occasion, so I went with this (from scratch) rainbow sprinkle cake and I am chuffed about it!

I made it into a small but pretty tall cake that I thought would be just the perfect size for a little girl's birthday party. The cake was girly, beautiful, deliciously moist, light and something Balazs and I hope to enjoy again over a cup of tea.

So if you have a birthday of a kiddo you know coming up, make this cake and never look back! Here is the recipe.

Rainbow Sprinkle Cake
(By Julia Moskin via NYTimes Cooking section)

Ingredients:

For the cake:
- ½ cup/110 grams unsalted butter, slightly softened, more for pans
- 1 ½ cups/190 grams all-purpose flour, more for pans
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
-  ⅔ cup/158 milliliters whole milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup/200 grams sugar
- 1 whole egg plus 2 egg whites
- ⅓ cup rainbow sprinkles (not pastel, or naturally colored)

For the frosting:
- 8 ounces/225 grams cream cheese, slightly softened
- ½ cup/110 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), slightly softened
- ⅛ teaspoon fine salt, more to taste
- 3 cups/300 grams confectioners' sugar, sifted, more to taste
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup rainbow sprinkles

Make the cake: 
Heat your oven to 325 degrees and place a rack in the center. Butter and line the bottoms of two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Butter the parchment. Flour the pans, coating the bottom and sides, then tap out any excess flour.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, stir together the milk and vanilla.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and, with mixer running, slowly add egg and whites and beat until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl. Add half the flour mixture, then the milk mixture, then the remaining flour mixture, beating to blend after each addition. Scrape down the bowl and blend once more. Remove the bowl and use a spatula or spoon to mix in sprinkles by hand.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake until the tops are just dry to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Rotate the pans halfway through baking.

Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let them cool completely, at least 4 hours, before turning out.

Make the frosting:
In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter and salt together at medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and, with mixer running, slowly add sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in vanilla just until incorporated. Taste the frosting; you should be able to taste the cream cheese and a little bit of saltiness, as well as the sweetness. If desired, add more salt or sugar. Keep refrigerated.

Turn the cooled cakes out of the pans. Using a bread knife, cut off any domed or uneven parts of each cake to make flat surfaces. Place one of the cakes on a platter or a cake stand, cut side up. Using an offset spatula, frost the top. Stack the other layer on top, cut side down. Place the remaining frosting on top of the cake and, working from the center outward, frost the top and sides of the cake.

Place a baking sheet under the platter or cake stand, to catch any fallen sprinkles. Sprinkle the top with a layer of sprinkles. Toss the remaining sprinkles at the sides of the cake, or press handfuls of sprinkles gently up the sides to make a thicker coating. Gather fallen sprinkles and repeat until coated to your liking.

Refrigerate your cake 30 minutes or longer to set. Serve cool. Ta-dah!

P.S: Tons more Wednesday cake goodness, this way...
P.P.S: I'll bake me a cake!

(Photos by exPress-o)

Yay! It's Wednesday Cake! (On Thursday)

I know, I know Wednesday was yesterday but since I was off celebrating Balazs' birthday, I figured this cake can't possibly wait six more days to be shared with the world...Oh no, it's way too delicious and way too special to keep it locked away for even the shortest amount of time...

Let me start from the beginning, about a week ago, I asked Balazs what kind of cake he would like for his birthday this year. Next day, he sent me a link to Mairéad's Irish (butter-less) sponge cake recipe saying: 'this is it'. So yesterday morning, before Balazs and Jenny woke up, I made it as a surprise birthday treat, and we ate it while sipping on our breakfast coffee - because birthdays are meant for breaking all healthy eating rules :)

Let me tell you something about this cake, oh boy, with the first bite, we both looked at each-other and knew, this is the one. Yes, the IT cake we will be making for years to come. The one we will create memories with and the only one that picky people who are not into cakes will actually eat and like.

The sponge is fluffy, indulging, cake-y and exactly how it should be. It's actually pretty crazy to think it has no butter, because it tastes like a very hearty yet super light Victoria sponge. The maple, vanilla Mascarpone filling + Balazs' favourite peach jam made the cake special for us, but you can personalize it to your liking. I'm thinking...whipped cream with homemade rhubarb sauce during spring festivities or meringue with roasted honey peaches for late summer celebrations - ah, the possibilities are endless depending on seasons and desires.

So, here it is...Make it on a random Friday, eat it with breakfast coffee, share it with people you like and celebrate over it even the smallest of achievements. And to my Balazs - happy happy happy birthday and many more cakes to come, you wonderful human being:)

Irish Sponge Cake with Maple-Vanilla Mascarpone and Peach Jam Filling
(Recipe by Mairéad - Irish American Mom and slightly adapted by me)

Ingredients:
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar
- 3/4 cups cake flour (plus two tablespoons)
- 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup (or as much as you like) of your favouirte jam ( I used peach)
- 1 cup Mascarpone cheese
- 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- a bit of vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease two 9-inch round baking pans (or one standard rectangle cake pan) with butter.

Add the eggs and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar for 6 to 8 minutes until the mixture has increased in volume and thickened to a consistency of whipped heavy cream.

In a separate bowl sift the flour and baking powder together. Spoon half the flour into the egg mixture and gently fold it in using a spatula. Repeat with the second half of the flour, folding gently to fully incorporate the flour. Add a bit of vanilla essence with the flour.

Pour half of the cake mixture into each of the prepared baking pans (or the whole thing into one bigger cake pan) Bake for 20-25 minutes or unitl the sponge(s) are golden brown.

Remove the sponge(s) from the oven and cool on a wire tray. If you're using a single baking pan, now it's the time to half your sponge (horizontally) into two parts.

Whip the mascarpone, the maple syrup and the confectioners' sugar together using an electric beater until thick.

Spread jam on the inner surface of each sponge. Place one layer on a plate, spreading the cream over the jam. Sandwich the cream with the upper sponge layer.

Lastly, decorate by sifting a fine layer of confectioners' sugar on top. Slice and serve or place it in the fridge for an hour if you want the layers to set properly before eating. Ta-dah!

P.S: Fancy more?
P.P.S: Apple pie toast, anyone?

(Photos by exPress-o)

Weekend Jollies

Cheers to the weekend and my 35th birthday tomorrow! Balazs and I are taking some time off to mark a super busy summer so far. So, I'm signing off a day earlier and treating myself to a week-long staycation! We're planning to sleep in, rumble around local cafés, people-watch, read books on the balcony till very late, eat breakfast for dinner and just be. So while I'll be doing that, feel free to browse through exPress-o (and the links below) maybe you’ll discover a post or two that you missed previously. See you on the 21st! (Miss you already).

Why making friends as a grown-up is scary - and how to do it anyway.

Have you been to Stockholm?

Press play.

Have smartphones destroyed a generation?

Your body is already a bikini body, and here is why...

The Japanese art of repair.

Which one trickles your fancy?

Yum!

One reason you should wash your kitchen linens separately.

This list...

Why can't we be this happy at work all year?

How to wear your white t-shirt.

Tea-towel goodness...

A few nifty ways to improve indoor air quality.

Why I stopped counting calories...

Motherhood isn't sacrifice, it’s selfishness.

The totally free super cleaner you're not using.

'Why I'm saying goodbye to toxic friendships.'

Yup!

And fancy a blast from the past?
- Seven years ago today.
- Six years ago today.
- Five years ago today.
- Three years ago tomorrow.
- Two years ago today.
- One year ago today.

P.S: How about a bit of chit-chat? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and even Pinterest.
P.P.S: Sign up for your daily dose of exPress-o in your mailbox! (In the right side column).

(Photo by Susan Tuttle)

Psst: the comments are switched off during our staycation. But if you want to drop me a little hello, you can always reach me via email - diana.mieczan@hotmail.com :)

Super Clever Cheese Candles!

Holy moly, I have a birthday game-changer for you right here!

If, by any change, you are one of those people who happily turns down a birthday cake in favour of a cheese plate (or know someone who does), then you are in luck! Instead of torturing yourself (or others) with cake, get their favourite stinky cheese and make it into a birthday cheese candle.

Yes, that is totally true, Victoria tried it and swears by it! The only things you need are wax ended chunks of cheese, a wick and a needle.

Now, I race you to the cheese shop, ready? (Here is the full how-to)

P.S: Also, a fresh cherry candle for those who indeed prefer cake:) And, my favourite lemon candles that you can make yourself.
P.P.S: Don't miss our stunning Karin A Clothing GIVEAWAY this week!

(Photos by/via Erin Holland for Subtle Revelry)

I'll Bake Me a Cake

A few days ago, Geraldine asked the kitchn’s readers to share all the little things that make them happy and they delivered. There was one particular comment that stuck with me because it was all about a birthday cake.

The person who left it said that she bakes a cake every single year for her own birthday and shares it with anyone who happens to come by. As much as it doesn’t sound like a treat to most, somehow in her own eyes, seeing the smiles on her friends' faces when they taste her creation makes for the perfect birthday treat.

So since my birthday is little over a week away, I’ve been thinking about cakes and I really like the idea of transforming my last year's plan into a tradition of treating myself and all my loved ones to a home-baked cake...

What do you think? Do you bake a birthday cake for your own birthday or do you prefer to receive a cake instead? Do tell!

P.S: Drake on cake still makes me giggle - every single time:)
P.P.S: Did you know that there is a scientific way to cut a cake? It's SO cool!

(Photo/gif by La Pêche Fraîche)

Naked Cake Glory

And speaking of food, have you noticed that naked cakes are one of those trends that are totally unstoppable and incredibly irresistible?

Just last week I found out that two of our friends are planning a naked wedding cake and we recently went on a birthday party where we were served the most delicious fruity nude slice ever!

So in the spirit of summer celebrations, here are 10 un-frosted cakes that are not only perfect for a wedding, but also a birthday celebration or your everyday sweet tooth indulgence – starting with the above, brown butter pumpkin cake with whipped cream cheese and honey...

Southern strawberry cake...

Spiced clementine and ricotta cake...

Citrus chiffon cake...

Hummingbird-ish cake...

Milk bar cake...

Red velvet cake with crème fraîche frosting...

Mess cake...

Carrot cake...

Matcha layer cake with black sesame cream cheese...

Which one tickles your fancy?

P.S: Drake on cake :)
P.P.S: Plus, the scientific way to cut a cake.

(Photos by Adventures in Cooking, Donal Skehan, Nothing But Delicious, From The Kitchen, Hummingbird High, Bea's Cookbook, Iron Chef Shellie, Broma Bakery, Simmer and Boyle and Lucky Peach)

Computerless Summers.

In 2012, a Polish photographer Izabela Urbaniak realized that with all the computer games and the constant need to be plugged in, her two sons might miss out on enjoying their life because they are glued to their gadgets. So, in hopes to show them how awesome summers can be and to relive her own childhood memories, she came out with the idea of creating a one month summer vacation that is totally computer and internet free. For the last couple of years she takes her sons and their cousins to the countryside where they spend their days playing outdoors, dipping their toes in a lake, running around and getting to all sorts of shenanigans. Pretty wonderful, isn’t it?

P.S: Breathtaking Polish fall foliage.
P.P.S: Midsummer night in Poland.

(via deMilked)

B'Day Cakes?

My 33rd birthday is little over 2 weeks away! As much as I like to keep my birthdays very low key with a relaxing day off and a dinner at my favourite Greek place, this year I’m thinking about making a cake the night before to kick off the celebration. It’s funny because I’m not a cake person at all, but a few days ago while speaking to my dad, he reminded me that as a child I loved yellow cake with chocolate frosting. It stuck with me so much that I’ve been looking around for a delicious cake recipe. This one seems pretty perfect but those three look equally irresistible too.

So, I’d love to ask if you have a favourite cake recipe that you’d like to recommend. Thanks!

P.S: Half-birthday?
P.P.S: 2 ingredients + 30 minutes = Nutella cake and this adorable tin can cake.

(Photos by Oh, Lady-cakes)

French Markets

Holy Moly! A few days ago Tania wrote about how her family always visits the local French framers' market and it made me daydream about a whimsical French countryside holiday. Just imagine spending your days getting lost in the little alleys, taking a breather in one of those family-run little cafes with the freshest croissant, and waking up early to join the whole town for a weekend market day. I remember when we were in Paris, I spend so much time exploring the markets, they are just so amazing!

Wishing everyone a dreamy start to the week!

P.S: Also, this one and that one.
P.P.S: Feeling peachy?

(Photos by Joy Felicity Jane)

Tokyo Through a Looking Glass

Swoon! Meet Takashi Kitajima, a brilliant photographer who captures the same Tokyo scenes in two different ways and juxtaposes them in one gorgeous composition. His photo series features a blurry view of the city full of dazzling colours, lights, and shapes and a sharp view of the same spot shown through a magnifying glass. The idea behind this project is to bring things in to a tight focus and present a miniaturized version of what’s before us.

I love how this makes me think of life in general. Sometimes we need a magnifying glass to see the beauty that is literally in front of us. Thought-provoking, don’t you think?

P.S: Remember the amazing Shinto-style bride in Tokyo?
P.P.S: Plus, this whimsical tunnel of lights.

(via My Modern Met)

Newspaper Wrapped Flowers

For my birthday last month Balazs surprised me with a bunch of sunflowers wrapped in a French newspaper he hunted down a few weeks before. That made me realize how thoughtful a simple newspaper wrapping can be and how much it can mean. So, last week while going over to a friend's house for dinner, we got a bunch of mixed blooms and wrapped it in a vintage The New York Times' sports section, since it's Gabe's favourite read. I love when something so simple can become so meaningful. Would you do it? xo

P.S: The meaning of cacti.
P.P.S: Yowza, you can even go crazy and get the original New York Times from 1850's!

(Photos by/via Paper & Stitch, Wit & Delight, Jacqueline Jaszka, Umla, Una Bella Vita)

The Scientific Way to Cut a Cake

The other week Balazs' mom sent me this awesome video explaining how to correctly cut a cake and my mind was blown! So if you love cake, (a bit of) mathematics and you are a dash nerdy (like me), you will adore this.


According to Sir Francis Galton, a British mathematician who came up with this trick 100 years ago, the ordinary method of cutting out a wedge at a time from a cake is very faulty since it only makes the leftover part dry. So, Alex (with his dapper British accent) decided to test Galton's alternative (and scientific) technique to prove us that Galton's way is indeed the right one. It involves taking long, thin pieces from the cake's centre while preventing the rest of the cake from getting dry and uneatable! Genius, check it out for yourself!

My wedge-cake-cutting days are over! What do you think? Brilliant, isn't it? xo

P.S: Half birthday?
P.P.S: And tricks and tips to the perfect dinner party!

(Thanks Kati. Cake photo by Paper & Stitch and the drawing by Daily Mail)

60 Years of Memories.

Genius! For her dad’s big 6-0 birthday Holly wanted to do something special. She came up with an idea to create a blast from the past type of gift that would be very memorable and oh she delivered. 

About a month before her dad’s birthday she sent out an email to tons of family members, her dad’s friends, colleagues and anyone she could find, asking to write a little memory of her dad on a piece of paper and send it back to her. The response was totally overwhelming and as Holly said herself she was totally flabbergasted how many people wanted to share the love. There were old high school buddies, an ex-girlfriend, tons of friends from 60s and 70s, his sister, family members and even his first boss who found out about the project by accident. On the day of his birthday after cutting the cake and all the wishes she handed him 60 envelopes full of priceless memories. And as expected, they spent the rest of the afternoon going through all the 60 letters, laughing, sharing a few tears and feeling totally and utterly loved.

What a sweet idea and what a fantastic way to spend a birthday, don't you think? Since I got teary just looking at the photos, can you imagine how he must have felt reading those letters? Special! xo

P.S: Six decades of love:)
P.P.S: A sassy GIVEAWAY Wednesday is coming up!

(Photos by Holly Burns)