Let’s Celebrate!

11 years ago, on June 10^th, I was a 38 weeks pregnant lady, going about my day, running errands while my husband was at a local water-ski tournament. I was pulling my Volvo S80 into the driveway of my first home as a married couple and SOMETHING HAPPENED.  I felt a cramp come on.  I ignored it.  I parked the car in the garage and another happened!  Holy moly. Is this what I think it is?  As I brought my groceries in, the pains continued.  Oh boy! (Or girl!) J  I called my husband and of COURSE, he DOESN’T PICK UP!  That darn lake is in the middle of a cell void zone!!! NOOOOOOO!!!!  Luckily, not but 20 minutes later he called.  “Hey!  I saw I missed your call.  Sorry, you know how shoddy the cell service is out here.”  He was on his way home and was EXCITED to hear I was having contractions.  Really? REALLY??!!!  OF COURSE he’s excited.  He doesn’t have to push a baby out of is privates! (Sorry, my conservative friends if I made you blush!  I’ll reign it back in.)

I kept timing the contractions (because, when you don’t have another little one to look after, and all you are doing is waiting to have a baby, of COURSE you have time to sit around timing contractions!).  When my husband returned home, we decided to go out to eat. As we were driving to dinner, I could time the contractions to 3-5 minutes apart.  So….as we drove, I called my parents to give them the heads up.  Mind you, they live in California, and I in Portland.  I told them, “Just check to see when the last flight out might be.”  In their eyes, they had two choices: 1. they could jump in their Jeep Grand Cherokee and get to our house in 11 hours; or 2. check into a 1 hour 45 minute flight from the bay area to PDX.   And by the time we ordered our food to go, they were already at the airport!  That is how fast you move when your first grandchild is going to be born into this world!!!!  Lightning speed, y’all!

As a first-time laborer, I was having major regrets and worries that these contractions I was having were not REAL contractions, but Braxton Hicks!!!!  I mean, could you imagine, my parents race up here for me to just have a “false alarm”?!!!  Oiy yoi yoi!  Luckily, they were the real deal and by the next day, June 11^th at 12:05pm, my little girl was brought into this world.  And, just by chance, it happens to be her father’s birthday too.  So amazing.  My husband’s response, “It’s the best birthday present I could ever get! And…I guess I’ll be having pink princess parties from here on out!” 🙂

Traditionally for birthdays, we LOVE to make our family’s Red Velvet Waldorf Astoria Cake.  When my parents first got married, my mom went to a cooking class.  Isn’t that SOOO 47 years ago?!!!!  Going to a cooking class to learn how to cook for your new husband?!  I love it!!!  Well, this Waldorf Astoria cake was one of the things she learned to make.  It has 3 layers, and a very unique frosting that I LOOOVE even more than the cream cheese frosting of today’s red velvet cakes.  It’s kind of time-consuming, involves a double boiler, but it is oh so delish!

This year, we thought we would break tradition (just this once) and I let my daughter choose something new.  Where do you go for new ideas?  Well…we turn to Pinterest!!!  Oh my, I have a lot of recipes pinned and just not enough days or celebrations to try them all.  What a perfect reason to try something new but a double birthday for my girl and my husband!  Through our search, she/we came across what is now being called “A keeper!”.  And I am here to share it with you!

Lemon Blueberry Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 Tbsp lemon zest
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tsp lemon extract
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp milk
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp sour cream
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, at room temperature, rinsed and drained well

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 12 oz cream cheese, softened (1 1/2 pkgs)
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp lemon extract
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• Blueberries and lemon slices, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 3, 9-inch round baking pans and line the bottom of each with a round of parchment paper. Butter parchment paper and lightly dust pan with flour, shaking out excess.
2. Sift cake flour into a mixing bowl. Add all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk for 30 seconds, set aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment. Whip together butter, granulated sugar and lemon zest until mixture is pale and fluffy. In a 2 cup liquid measuring cup, measure out milk then stir in sour cream and lemon juice, let rest 3 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, mix eggs into butter mixture one a time, then stir in lemon extract and vanilla extract. Toss blueberries with 3 Tbsp of the flour mixture. Working in three separate batches, beginning and ending with remaining flour mixture, add 1/3 of the flour mixture (to the butter/egg mixture) alternating with 1/2 of the milk mixture and mixing just until combined after each addition. Gently fold in blueberries. Divide mixture evenly among prepared baking pans. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 24 – 27 minutes. Cool in baking pans about 20 – 30 minute then invert onto wire racks to cool completely. Once cool, frost with cream cheese frosting and decorate with blueberries and lemon slices if desired. Store in an airtight container.
4. Cream Cheese Frosting:
5. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitter with the paddle attachment, whip butter until pale and fluffy. Add cream cheese and mix until smooth and fluffy. Add vanilla and lemon extract and powdered sugar and blend several minutes longer until smooth and fluffy (if frosting seems slightly runny, you can chill it for a bit before frosting cake).
6. Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

Printable:

Do try it!  I guarantee, you will LOOOVE IT!

WARNING: it weighs about 10+ pounds when it is all frosted and gussied up!  Oh yes.  I look at this as a bonus: do about 20 “lift-ups” of the cake and you’ve burned off the calories before you’ve even sliced your piece!  (Thumbs up, LOL, strong arm emojis) :)!

Happy baking, y’all!

Melissa