Today is my birthday!
I’m not telling you how old I am but I will give you a hint – next year is a very BIG birthday for me!!!
Here I am on my first birthday – aren’t I a cutie!
One thing I learned, years ago, to assure a happy birthday is to just ask for what you want. Don’t let people guess! So what do I want for my birthday? Like all good bloggers I love comments and blog subscribers. In fact, two of my goals for 2009 are to increase comments on my blog and to increase my subscriber count.
So as a birthday gift to me I’d love for you to forward the link to my blog to a couple of your friends and encourage them to subscribe or add me to their rss reader! Also, if you have never left me a comment I’d love to hear from you. It’s really not hard. Just click through to the actual blog if you are reading this in an email update and scroll on down to the end of the post – click where it says comments and say hi! I promise it’s not hard and I’d love to hear from you.
So what is a birthday without a cake? I am not a big cake fan, in fact I’d prefer pie to cake, but when it comes to birthdays I am a firm believer in cake!
My cake of choice growing up was always an angel food cake, usually with either pink or purple frosting.
I have gotten a little bit more sophisticated since then although I still love angel food cake. The past few years I have enjoyed a poppy seed cake with lemon cream cheese filling and frosting from the local Beaverton Bakery – yum!
This year I decided to take things into my own hands and make my own cake. Now if my husband still wants to buy me my favorite cake from Beaverton Bakery I won’t refuse!
Lately I have had a thing going for caramel cake and I’ve been experimenting with different recipes. The caramel cake I made for my birthday is one I found over at Smitten Kitchen.
The cake is made from scratch and is light and moist. I find some cakes that are made from scratch too heavy and dense but this one is not. Be sure and use cake flour.
The frosting is really a soft caramel – it is so good!!! One of the reasons I eat cake is for the frosting and this one doesn’t disappoint if you like caramel.
I wish I could share a piece with all of you but since I can’t I’ll just have to eat your piece too!
The recipe makes a 8 x 8 cake which is a perfect size for my reduced size family!
I’m off to “Eat Cake” and enjoy some girlfriend time for lunch, a massage and dinner out with Jim and Tessa.
Caramel Cake
For cake
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring)
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 C sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature 30 minutes
1 C well-shaken buttermilk
For caramel glaze
1 C heavy cream
1/2 C packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Equipment: a candy thermometer
Make cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter an 8-inch square cake pan and line with a square of parchment paper, then butter parchment
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed, beat in buttermilk until just combined (mixture may look curdled). Add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing until each addition is just incorporated.
Spread batter evenly in cake pan, then rap pan on counter several times to eliminate air bubbles. Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a knife around edge of pan. Invert onto rack and discard parchment, then cool completely, about 1 hour.
Make glaze:
Bring cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Boil until glaze registers 210 to 212°F on thermometer, 12 to 14 minutes, then stir in vanilla.
Put rack with cake in a shallow baking pan and pour hot glaze over top of cake, allowing it to run down sides. Cool until glaze is set, about 30 minutes.
Note: Cake (before glazing) can be made 1 day ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
Happy Birthday! I hope you have a wonderful day!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! HOPE YOU HAVE A FABULOUS DAY FILLED WITH TONS OF MEMORIES!
THIS CAKE LOOKS AMAZING. IM GONNA HAVE TO TRY IT, ACTUALLY ALL YOUR RECIPIES ON YOUR BLOG ARE GREAT! I LOOK FORWARD TO TRYING MORE.
BY THE WAY I TRIED THE WHITE CHOCOLATE POPCORN AND ITS SO YUMMY!
Happy birthday. I hope its a fun day celebrating YOU!
Happy Birthday, I read your blog daily and I LOVE it!
Happy Birthday, Leigh Anne! I hope it’s a wonderful day! That cake looks awesome and I’ll have to give it a try sometime this year.
Happy, Happy Birthday Day, to you, to you! Hope you have a great day!!! Enjoy your yummy cake:)
Happy Birthday! I read and enjoy your blog daily. Your BYU degree blesses so, so many. Who would have imagined the internet and blogs but look how many lives you touch. Have a great day!
Happy Birthday to you. It’s my birthday too! Thanks for sharing the wonderful recipes on your blog, I have used many of them.
Leigh Anne,
Happy Birthday! I’m right behind you with that big birthday in 2010. Isn’t it nice that it’s easy to remember how old we are because of the “0″ in the year we were born??
Have a great day, the caramel cake looks wonderful.
Happy Birthday! I love reading your blog. I agree that I’m not a big fan of cake either, but I love caramel. My mom normally makes a spice cake with caramel icing for my birthday, but I will have to ask for your cake this year.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEIGH ANNE! I check your blog daily and love that you share your love of food and family.
Enjoy your day!
Happy Birthday Leigh Anne! I hope that you have a wonderful day and make lots of memories
.
Happy Birthday Again, and thank you, thank you, for the caramel cake recipe. We are HUGE fans but always buy the mix (and make my own frosting)…the only state that currently sells it however, that I am aware of, is WI. It is a bother having family send you 10 boxes of cake mix!
Happy Birthday Leigh Anne! That cake looks delicious! I’m adding it to my “to try” list. I just love your blog.
You still look the same as you did when you were one! Well, give or take a little. But I can totally tell that it’s you, even at one. Happy happy birthday Leigh Anne dear, happy days will come to you all year…you know the rest of the song.
Have a great day!
First off, Happy Birthday!
It is finally nice to find someone who enjoys pies more than cake as I do. I have even requested pie instead of cake on my birthday. Cherry preferably. : )
Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday! I really do enjoy reading your blog each day (I am a subscriber), but I will try to comment more!
)
Have a wonderful day!
~Tanya
Happy Birthday! I love reading your blog and love your recipes. That caramel cake looks fabulous!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!! “Leigh Anne is the birthday girl, the birthday girl, the birthday girl is she, OH, LEIGH ANNE IS THE BIRTHDAY GIRL, THE BIRTHDAY GIRL, THE BIRTHDAY GIRL IS SHE!” <— That’s the song that gets sung every year to us by my MIL on our birthdays, so thought I’d pass on that to you!
Hope you have a great day!!
Happy Birthday Leigh Anne. You and I are only one month apart in age. Can you believe how fast life flew? I was enjoying your little birthday party picture and remembering the days when little girls wore dresses everywhere. How fun. Fun memories.
Your Caramel Cake is on my list of “want to try” recipes.
Yum.
Happy Birthday!
I love your blog and you know that I’m a huge FAN of the LOVE on your blog.
Enjoy your special day.
You inspire so many women all over the world.
I will put the word out about your special day so, don’t get nervous when you get hits from random folks. You’ll get what you asked for
Happy Birthday Leigh Anne!!!!
Hi Leigh Anne and Happy Birthday! I found your blog through another friend’s and have been reading it faithfully for the past couple months. I recently had a baby-in Oct., hence the reason our own family blog isn’t updated! Anyway, I have to say I’ve tried quite a few of your recipes over the holiday and am absolutely in love! Thanks for taking so much time to create such a wonderful blog and making it so user friendly. Anyway, I have been contemplating buying some new cookware. Do you have any suggestions or favorites? At the current time I don’t have anything super fancy, but since cooking has become a passion over the last several years, I’d like to invest in some good cookware. Thanks again and I’ll email you again soon! BTW, I did start subscribing through email today.
Your Las Vegas cyber friend,
Jura
Have a great day! And thanks for all your wonderful info! I love checking your blog!
Happy Birthday! Sending wishes that each and every passing year brings you wisdom, peace and cheer!
Happy Birthday!!!!
Andrea =)
(Tanyetta’s friend)
Happy Birthday Leigh Anne!!
Great blog and what a fun birthday wish. I hope you have a truly fabulous birthday. Here’s to next year!!
(I’m one of Tanyetta’s random folks!)
Happy Birthday! Hope you have a great day and the caramel cake looks delish! Have fun!!! Darling photos btw!
I hope you have a Happy, happy birthday! You are an inspiration to me and i enjoy reading your blog daily and trying your recipes. Your chocolate chip cookies are my family and friends new obsession! Thanks!
Have a great birthday! You deserve it.
Jessica
Jura Leak »
I am still using the same cookware we bought when we first got married. Not sure they even make it anymore! It was a lot of money for us at the time but it has lasted 27 years so I guess it was worth it. Sorry I am not much help. Let me know what you end up with. Thanks!
Happy Birthday, Leigh Ann! Angel food cake has always been my number one choice for a birthday cake, usually with strawberries & whip cream – so good! The caramel cake looks delish, as usual. You always do a terrific job with the pictures. Your day sounds completely lovely, especially spending time with your girlfriends over lunch. I hope you have a terrific & memorable day!
Happy Happy Birthday Leigh Anne!
I had my “big one” last year…don’t sweat it, it really wasn’t that bad. In fact I’m embracing my birthdays now. I’m proud of who I’ve become.
Happy Birthday, Leigh Anne!! Your cake looks wonderful – I hope you have a wonderful day. Relax and let everyone serve you!
A comment? Seriously? You are so easily satisfied! I would hold out for something more…. luckily I still have the receipt for your gift….
Oh, and ever since I was a little girl, I have ALWAYS had Angel Food cake. It is my official birthday cake. But I have never had it with frosting. Just whipped cream and strawberries.
Mmmm…
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
) My favorite cake is chocolate with chocolate frosting… preferrably in cupcake form so that I can eat leftovers for breakfast and they look KIND OF like muffins, right? ;o) The caramel one look sgood, too, though. I’ll have to try it.
My favorite bithday cake growing up (and still is) is a Rice Krispie Treat Cake. It’s the best ever!! Happy birthday!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU my friend!! I love birthdays and I am celebrating with you. Angel foodcake is my favorite but I certainly wouldn’t turn my nose up at the caramel cake, wowsers!
Have a blessed day
Laura
Wishing you a happy, happy, birthday!!!! And what a nice gift to us your followers, Caramel Cake! Yumm! I will be adding that to my collection and I am sure it will the Sunday evening treat this week too! Thanks!
Happy birthday! I saw on Facebook that it was your day, so I had to come on over here to extend my well wishes. Hope your kids and hubby treat you like a queen today.
Have a memorable, relaxing, fun day! I love all of your delicious recipes and ideas! I have made a notebook with just your recipes in it!! YUMMMMMMMY!
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday Leigh Anne. My son Ryan had a birthday in Dec. and he is not a cake fan at all, so he asked for cinnamon rolls for his “birthday cake.” It was by far his favorite so far. Enjoy your day!
Happy Birthday! That cake looks delcious.
Happy Birthday! I have tried many of your recipes and and loved them all! This is a great blog!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday Leigh Anne! I had my birthday this week too and had lemon meringue pie – yumm, but this cake looks like one I will have to try. For my b-day we also had your tortellini soup and oatmeal pan bread and it was delicious.
Thanks for sharing all of your wonderful recipes, ideas and insights, they are a real inspiration!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! The cake looks delicious! Hope you enjoy your day and your cake!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Hope you have a great time at dinner and enjoy that cake. I think I’m going to have to make that this weekend..it looks AMAZING!
Happy Birthday, Leigh Ann. We’ve just consumed the last of the creamy caramels we made for Christmas giving (well, we have to keep some for ourselves – just testing!), and caramel glaze on a cake sounds like the perfect thing to keep us from having withdrawal. Thanks for all your good recipes. Have a great day!
Happy Birthday!!!
Enjoy your day!
Thanks for all the fabulous recipes, decorating ideas, inspiration, and … You’re wonderful!