My Baby(and)Cakes

It felt like Thanksgiving all over again. Hours of preparation and it's over, just like that. It was past midnight by the time we finished baking the tortas de fiambre y de choclo (homemade dough, filled with ham and cheese, and corn), sarpicon (chicken salad with potatoes and vegetables, usually peas, and sometimes carrots), and of course, the prized postre (dessert), the birthday cakes: 2 - 14" round mounds of deliciousness. We went to bed anxiously awaiting the activities for the day (though not anxiously awaiting the rapidly arriving 7 am wake up call), and were hoping the weatherman was wrong like usual, and that the weather would cooperate, instead of producing "scattered thunderstorms" like he predicted. 6.5 hours later, I woke up and immediately got started decorating the cake,m while Dario loaded up the truck with all the necessary supplies that would ensure a day of fun for our daughter, Giovanna: Mickey Mouse and Friends designed bags for the party favors, Minnie Mouse plates and napkins, Mickey Mouse toothpicks, hot dogs, utensils, balloons, etc. Meanwhile, Blanca, my mother-in-law, aka Yaya, was getting the birthday girl dressed and ready. She wore a beautiful, hot pink, eyelet dress that would match her Minnie ears perfectly.








The festivities were held at our local park. It's a small, shady park, with a sand area for the kids where the usual suspects of swings, see-saws, and horsies were situated. Among the scattered picnic tables and grills were 2 covered shelters, under which one, we set up shop. Tia Rossana and Tio Javier rented a jumpy castle for Giovanna and her friends. The balloons were hung, the tablecloths draped, cookies and chips displayed.






It turned out to be a beautiful day. We played Pin the Bow on Minnie, and when I say "we", the adults even got in on the action; Anything for a chance to win Barbie stickers or a Spider Man frisbee - - or to just act like a kid again. I watched as Giovanna ran to and fro, happy as could be, celebrating the day with friends and family. As the time came closer to the ritual of singing "Happy Birthday" and presenting the cake, I started to get nervous about the reception I would receive regarding the dessert. As previously mentioned, since the majority of our guests were Uruguayan and not used to, rather, unwilling to embrace anything non-Uruguayan, I was nervous they would just all immediately spit out their first bite and ask, "quien rayo hizo esta torta?"



When it was finally placed in the middle of the picnic table, it seemed things would go well. There was positive feedback on my Minnie design. We sang, blew out the candles, and when I cut that first piece, I was so anxious to actually offer it to my guests! What if it was too dry? What if it's too sweet? It would be rude, however, to take a piece for myself first before handing it out to everyone beforehand. I felt like a little kid, vulnerable and desperate for reassurance and compliments after repeated attempts to tie one's shoelaces all by themselves and finally succeeding. I had baked almost a dozen trials cakes dammit, I was proud of myself! I scanned the faces of the party guests, trying to decipher every one's reaction to my cake-baking endeavor. Finally, the last piece was delivered and I could finally try it out for myself.



In my mind, I envisioned myself doing cartwheels and 1 1/2 back layouts (and probably would've done them for real if I knew how). Triumph! Victory! It was wooooonderfuuuul!!! Sweet and moist, fluffy and fresh! It was the best result of all the cakes I'd made! I don't know if it was because I wrapped the cakes in saran wrap to cool, or if it was the milk wash, or the applesauce, or what, but together, it made magic (see recipe below). That's when I heard Lorena say, in Spanish, "I'm changing bakers. Next birthday, I'm calling you to make the cake." I was apologizing to her mom, who was sitting next to her, for having replaced her after such a longstanding position as her daughter's cake-lady, when someone else said, "Wow! You made this yourself? It's so good!" Sigh. Recognition.





The day of fun was coming to a close and the guests started heading home. I love that Giovanna's birthday is in May because there's always good weather - not yet victim of the intolerable, sweltering, Southern summer months, yet past the ever-changing, unpredictable North Carolina spring weather. Plus, we get to incorporate the element of water, which, let's face it, who can resist the absolute delight of water balloon fights and water guns?



My baby girl is 4. It's hard to translate into words the feeling of going from parent of a newborn, to parent of a toddler preparing for her first year of preschool. I can remember 4 years ago, driving home from the hospital, going 25 mph in a 65 mph zone, cursing simultaneously, all the road warriors as "locos" for driving entirely too fast, and not realizing we had a brand new baby in tow, and myself, for not purchasing the "baby on board" bumper sticker beforehand. I reminisce about the days when I would lay, her chest pressed to mine, she, barely occupying the distance from my chest to my navel, content to listen to the beat of my heart, while I, content to smell the crest of her head and hug her close to me. I can remember her first steps, and when her stick straight hair started to curl and locks stood out from behind either side of her ears, resembling miniature wings. My baby was an angel, and she had wings. And those wings have continued to grow. With each passing day, she learns to fly higher and farther, no longer in need of the sound of my heartbeat, save for when she falls down and scrapes her knee, or during intense negotiations to wrangle another popsicle to eat, and she knows that my heart will melt, and my firmness subsides when she crawls onto my chest, hers pressed to mine, her feet dangling past my knees, just like she used to, what seems like just inches ago. My baby girl is 4, and she's funnier, more independent and smarter every day I play my role as her mother, and let her fly, even when I'd prefer to hug her close to me and never let her go.









OK...so Colie's not the only theatrical one in the family...that was pretty dramatic! She is only 4 after all. What am I going to do when she's 10? Or 16? I can't bear the thought.



Happy Birthday Giovanna!



Hola Aloha Y'all later.

Yellow Butter Birthday Cake
inspired by Moist Yellow Cake and Buttercream Icing recipes from Bakerella.blogspot.com

2 sticks butter, and a couple tbsp more, room temperature
1 overflowing c sugar
1 and a tad more tsp vanilla
4 eggs, room temperature
3 c sifted White Lily Self-Rising Flour
1 1/2 c milk
A couple dollops sour cream
Approximately 2 tbsp applesauce
sweetened condensed milk
evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour bottom of baking pan (either 1 - 14" round and you'll have some leftovers, or 3 - 8" rounds). Cream butter (about 2 min). Add sugar and continue to cream (5-7 min more). Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one is introduced. Add flour and 1 c (save other 1/2 cup for milk wash) milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour (I broke it up into 3 portions of flour, 2 of milk). With the first addition of milk, add 1 dollop of sour cream and a tbsp of applesauce, and then again with the second addition of milk. To avoid over-mixing, make sure to beat on low and just until blended. Add vanilla and mix on low just until blended. Scrape sides and beat on low 30 sec. more. Drop batter into pan and set aside bowl to lick later. Carefully drop pan onto countertop a couple of times to level and eliminate air bubbles. Bake 25-35 min on rack right in the middle of the oven, or until, when sticking with a fork in the center of the cake, a few crumbs stick to the fork, but not the liquidy batter. Cool in pan(s) for 5-10 min. Remove cake and wrap in plastic wrap to seal in moisture and let cool on wire racks. Once the cake has cooled, prepare the milk wash mixture. The mixture should make a total of around 2 c, although you only need approximately 1 to 1 and 1/2 c total. The consistency should be like that of heavy cream. It works out to be about 4 oz sweetened condensed milk, 1/2 c milk, and 1 cup evaporated milk. Apply with baking/pastry brush, or a spoon. Cover the entire cake until well absorbed, but not too much because the cake will become too mushy. Refrigerate. Decorate as desired.

Easy as Cake Buttercream Icing

Some recipes call for 2 sticks of butter and 1 lb of powdered sugar, but I found it to make too little. For a double-tiered 14" round cake, I doubled up on the measurements as follows:

4 sticks butter, room temperature
2 lbs confectioner's sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2-3 tbsp cold milk

Cream butter and vanilla. Gradually add the sugar, in three parts, to allow the butter and sugar to cream together before adding more. Once all the sugar is added, add 1 tbsp milk at a time. This way, you can gauge the consistency you like. Add more milk if you want it a little creamier. Tint to your desire.

Super Easy Sarpicon - Chicken Salad with Potatoes and Veggies

3-4 large skinless, boneless chicken breast
4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
3/4 c mayonnaise
1 can peas (or 1/2 bag frozen)
(Optional) 1 can sliced carrots (or 1/2 bag frozen)
A drizzle of vinegar (about 1 + 1/4 tsp)
Salt and pepper to taste
Pimenton (paprika) and parsley flakes for garnish

Boil chicken in salted water until soft enough to shred apart with a fork. Cool. Boil potatoes in salted water. Drain and run cold water over them to cool. Once chicken and potatoes are completely cooled, combine all ingredients in a serving bowl and mix. You may modify the amount of mayo and vinegar to your liking. Add salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle pimenton (paprika) and parsley flakes for garnish. Can play a lead or supporting role, be a soloist or part of an ensemble, eaten alone, on bread as a sandwich, or as a side dish. Buen Provecho!