Monday, March 29, 2010

The Birthday Cake

So my mom turned 63 today. They brought my grandma over last Saturday, since she's been staying with them for a few weeks. And Grammie was super excited to see where I live. She likes to picture where people are when she talks to them, and I was so pumped to see her. I talk to her all the time - knowing that each interchange might be our last, but for heaven's sake, she is vibrant and ALL THERE in the head, which I am supremely grateful for.

In the meantime, I wanted to make a birthday cake for my mom. I originally thought of Boston Cream Pie cupcakes, but couldn't find a recipe that didn't say in the comments that it turned out "dry," so I went for springy lemon! The recipe I had started with a lemon cake mix. You added a couple tablespoons of lemon zest and 1/4 cup substitution of lemon juice for the water the mix recommended. Done and done.
Then onto the frosting. This had a ton of ingredients in it. Powdered sugar and cream cheese. Then you fold in some cool whip.
Then you make instant lemon pudding to go along with it. But I followed the directions on the box and not the directions from the recipe. One called for 2 cups of milk. The other called for one. Sigh.
I knew it was a disaster when I stirred it all together. It just wouldn't get thick. I added another WHOLE bag of powdered sugar when I re-read the recipe and noticed that I'd added a whole cup of liquid that it didn't call for and I was out of powdered sugar. But I was on the phone with my dad at the time and he said, "Just freeze it! Maybe it will make ice cream." Which I did, because seriously? There were lots of ingredients in there and it seemed a shame to toss it out.
So I layered the cakes with Cool Whip.
And went to the store the next morning for a tub of lemon frosting.
But lo- and behold! The lemon "cream" ice cream was a hit! Mistakes happen, but this was one of the better mistakes I've made. It went perfectly with the cake. Whee!

4 comments:

carrster said...

Doesn't sound like too much of a "disaster" after all!

I OFTEN have springtime baking disasters...often. Because I feel the need to get fancy in the spring (for Easter?) or something. This year I'm sticking to a tried & true basic cheesecake recipe...hopefully I will not screw it up. It's likely though since my brain is full of baby these days. (*sigh*)

The Good Cook said...

Good cooks know how to make lemonade out of lemons.. great job on going with the flow!

BrianAlt said...

When life hands you lemons...

Anonymous said...

springy and tasty and lovely sounding :)

todd