Patriotic Ruffled Bunting Cake

To celebrate the Fourth of July with style,

you can make this Patriotic Ruffled Bunting Cake.
It's the cake version of red, white & blue bunting!

The ruffles are made with buttercream frosting...no fondant here!

I happen to be a cake decorator who despises fondant.

I'm an anomaly, I know!

Let me introduce you to my new favorite decorating tip...
the 050 frill border tip. It makes buttercream ruffles so easy!
You can get one here and here.

You hold this tip with the long slit on the bottom.
I put my cake on my rotating cake stand (best invention EVER!)
and piped with one hand while turning the cake with my other hand.

Helpful Hints:

• I used 6 inch pans to make this cake. If you use 9 inch pans, I recommend making three rows of each color ruffle instead of two.
• To color my frosting, I used Americolor "Super Red" gel paste, Wilton "Royal Blue" icing color and Wilton "White-White" icing color.
• The topper is a cherry sour candy.

Happy Independence Day!

I share my recipes and tutorials at these fun link parties.

More patriotic cake creations...

4th of July Fireworks Cake

Patriotic Mini Star Cakes

This post was featured!

♥ Chicken and Dumplings

Of all the recipes my Mom taught me to make when I was young, my favorite is Chicken and Dumplings. It is the ultimate comfort food with the tender, moist chicken and fluffly biscuit-like drop dumplings that melt in your mouth. Of course my... Mom make her own handmade dough for the dumplings and I take a short cut and use Bisquick to get the same exact flavors in less time.  

Chicken and Dumplings

1 boiler chicken cut up
2 cups Bisquick baking mix (or make your own...see below)
2/3 cup whole milk
salt and pepper to taste

In Dutch oven or large wide pot, over medium heat, add chicken and cover with water. Heat to boiling and then reduce heat and cook for about 90 minutes until chicken is fork tender. Remove chicken from broth and set aside to cool.

Mix 1/4 cup milk and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, to broth bring to slow boil. Meanwhile remove skin and bones from chicken and shred or cut into bite sized pieces. Add to soup mixture. Stir to combine and cover.

Mix the 2 cups of Bisquick and 2/3 cups of milk together to form a soft dough. Then drop spoonfuls of dough into the broth and bring it down to a simmer. Reduce heat to simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes and then cover and steam for 10-15 minutes or until dumplings are done in the middle. Season with salt and lots of pepper and sprinkle with a little parsley.

HOME MADE BISQUICK

5 Cups All Purpose Flour (I used unbleached)
3 Tablespoons Baking Powder
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Cup Shortening (or cold butter cut into pieces)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Cut in the shortening. You can use a pastry blender, however, I find it easier to just use my hands to get it mixed in really well.
Store in an airtight container. Use the same as you would use Bisquick in a recipe. If you use cold butter in the recipe, you will need to keep this in the refrigerator. If you use shortening you can store it in your pantry.

Photo and recipe ©Welcome Home

Richard's Garlic-Free Tzatziki Sauce Recipe

Tzatziki sauce is a sauce that is traditionally made with yogurt, cucumber, and garlic that pairs very well with lamb, grilled meats, falafel, and on gyros.  I can't eat garlic, so we don't eat Greek food very often.  Luckily, Richard came up with a tzatziki sauce recipe that uses fresh mint to flavor the sauce in lieu of garlic (thank you!).  This tzatziki sauce is fabulous with my Lamb Burgers Recipe or Minted Lamb Morsels.  Pictured above is a lamb burger gyro with grilled flatbread, lamb burger, tomato, lettuce, and Richard's Garlic-Free Tzatziki Sauce.  So good!

Garlic-Free Tzatziki Sauce Recipe

2 - 6 oz. containers of plain Greek yogurt
1 medium cucumber
2 tbsp minced fresh mint leaves (about 15 leaves)
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Add the yogurt to a medium-sized mixing bowl.  Peel, de-seed, and dice up the cucumber into small cubes.  Mince about 15 fresh mint leaves.  Add the cucumber and mint to the bowl.  Next, add the juice of 1/2 a lemon (no seeds), the sea salt, and the pepper and use a small whisk to mix it all together until the yogurt is smooth.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 2 hours before serving.  Makes about 2 cups of tzatziki sauce.  Serve the sauce with lamb, grilled meat, gyros, falafel, grilled pita, fresh tomatoes, rice, or anything else you want a fresh-tasting cucumber sauce to accompany.  The sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week.

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♥ Strawberry Short Cake Croissants

I whipped up this easy dessert at the last minute and wanted to share it with you. It is heavenly. I buy my croissants at Costco because they are so rich and buttery and they made this even better than I imagined. 

 Strawberry Short Cake Croissants

4 large croissants
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons honey

Fresh strawberry Syrup

1 quart fresh strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange juice

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, and let stand 30 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Cook over very low heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until warm.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix together honey and butter and brush on tops of croissants. Warm croissants in oven for 5 minutes or until warm. Remove from oven and set aside.

Sweetened Whipped Cream

1/2 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Beat cream at medium speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.

Split warm Croissants in half lengthwise. Spread strawberry syrup on each half. Arrange strawberries on bottom half of croissant. Top with fresh whipped cream (I filled a plastic storage bag with whipped cream and snipped off the corner and piped mine in for a prettier presentation). Cover with top half of croissant. You can top with more whipped cream and fresh strawberry syrup if desired. Enjoy!

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home

Instant Hot Cocoa Mix Recipe

Sam is sensitive to corn and I haven't been able to find an instant hot cocoa mix without corn syrup in the ingredients in my local grocery store.  So I decided to make my own.  It took a lot of attempts to combine the perfect mix, but it was well worth the effort.  This cocoa is really, really good.  The two kinds of cocoa powder and the two kinds of sugar work very well together.  It's great to have a jar of instant cocoa mix on hand because you can tailor the amount of cocoa mix in the cup depending on the size mug and how much water you are using.  We really love this hot cocoa! 

Instant Hot Cocoa Mix Recipe

2 cups instant dry nonfat milk powder
1/2 cup Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup Sugar in the Raw
1/4 tsp salt

Mix all of the ingredients together and store it in an airtight container (I use a large peanut butter jar).  For best results, before storing in a jar, sift the mixture through a fine mesh collander (this will eliminate any dry milk lumps).  Makes over 3-1/2 cups of cocoa mix.  Shake the jar and/or stir the contents with a spoon before each use to make sure everything is well combined.  Use 3 or more heaping tbsp of instant cocoa mix per cup of boiling water.  

MY MOTHER' GARDEN

"MY MOTHER'S GARDEN"

Her heart is like her garden,
Old fashioned, quaint and sweet,
A wealth of beautiful blossoms,
And there a quiet retreat.

Sweet violets are in hiding,
We know as we pass by,
And lilies, pure as angel thoughts,
Are opening somewhere nigh.

Forget-me-nots there linger,
To full perfection brought,
And a bloom of purple pansies
In many a tender thought.

And in that quiet garden -
The garden of her heart -
Songbirds are always singing
Their songs of cheer apart.

And from it floats forever,
overcoming grief and strife,
Sweet as the breath of roses blown,
the fragrance of her life.

~ Alice E. Allen

Watermelon Granita

Granitas are the perfect summertime treat.  They’re usually made from fruit juices, but this one is made with the whole fruit.  Watermelon is 96% water content, so it works perfectly in this treat.

Watermelon Granita 

Equipment: Blender, 13 x 9 inch Baking Pan, Fork

·      3 cups organic watermelon chunks (fresh or frozen)

·      1 cup filtered water

·      ¼ cup raw honey (I use local creamed clover)

·      Juice of half an organic lemon

1.    Wash watermelon.  Cut in half, chunk and remove seeds (if you have a seeded watermelon). 

2.   Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.*  [Note: If you don’t have a high speed blender, I don’t, it will not blend as fast, you will have to pulse several times before everything incorporates.]

 

Note: I used frozen watermelon, so it's more slushy here.

3.   Pour mixture into a 13 x 9 inch baking pan, cover and place into freezer.

4.   Every 20 minutes or so, take the pan out of the freezer and scrape the mixture with a fork (this breaks up the liquid and eventually turns to slushy/”snowcone” ice texture).  Put back into the freezer and repeat until all the liquid is frozen (this will take several hours).

5.    Serve when frozen.  Enjoy!

Yield: About 6-8 servings

* I used frozen watermelon (when I get a huge watermelon, I freeze the flesh so it stays fresh longer).  This will speed up the process of freezing, but it’s not necessary. 

Tip: Ever buy a mushy/mealy, not very sweet watermelon?  Don’t throw that watermelon away!  This is the perfect recipe to use up that watermelon.  Just chunk and deseed the watermelon and add to freezer bags or freezer containers and save for later.  

OTHER WAYS TO ENJOY WATERMELON

Watermelon Cucumber Juice

Watermelon Ice Cream

Watermelon Lemonade - Blended

Watermelon-Carrot Juice

Summer Sangria w/ Watermelon Juice

This post is part of Melt in Your Mouth Monday @ Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, Homestead Barn Hop @ The Prairie Homestead, Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager, Hearth and Soul Hop @ Premeditated Leftovers, Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Allergy Free Wednesdays @ The Tasty Alternative, Healthy 2day Wednesdays @ day2day joys, Simple Lives Thursday @ My Humble Kitchen, Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet, and Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage.

♥ Baked Lemon Chicken

Baked Lemon Chicken

4 large bone-in, skin on chicken breasts, about 3 pounds
2 large lemons, zested, plus the juice of 2 whole lemons (or use 1 whole orange for zest and juice)
2 limes, 1 zested, both juiced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
Freshly cracked black pepper

Put the chicken in a large non-metalic bowl. Put the lemon (or orange) and lime zests in a small bowl and add the juices. Whisk in the olive oil, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and a generous grind of black pepper. Pour the marinade over the chicken and toss until well coated. Marinate for 20 to 30 minutes but no longer than 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put a rack on a rimmed baking sheet. With tongs, remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and arrange them on the rack leaving space between each piece. Drizzle a small spoonful of the marinade over the top of each chicken piece; season well with salt and pepper, to taste. Roast until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear when meat is pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Cool slightly before serving or let stand until room temperature before refrigerating for later use.

Photo and recipe ©Welcome Home
Photography by Ramela Jimenez

♥ Simple French Toast

Simple French Toast

4 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
8 thick slices of bread, better if slightly stale
1 tablesoon butter for frying
Real maple syrup, warmed

Whisk eggs, milk, and vanilla together until well blended. Pour into a shallow bowl. Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture, allowing bread to soak up some of the mixture. Melt some butter in a large skillet or flat griddle on medium high heat. Add as many slices of bread onto the skillet as will fit at a time. Sprinkle with cinnamon and fry until brown on both sides, flipping the bread when necessary. Serve hot with butter and maple syrup.

Photo/recipe ©Welcome Home

STORY OF TWO DOGS

There is a story they tell of two dogs. Both dogs, at separate times, walk into the same room. One dog comes out wagging his tail while the other comes out growling.

A woman watching this goes into the room to see what could possibly ma...ke one dog so happy and the other dog so mad. To her surprise she finds a room full of mirrors. The happy dog found a thousand happy dogs looking back at him. The angry dog saw only angry growling dogs looking back at him. Meaning: What you see in the world around you is a reflection of who you are.

My Mom used to tell me, "Always show the world your happiness and not your pain... because people gather in sunshine and hide from the rain." 

  "People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway." ~Mother Teresa

For as far back as I can remember, my Mom taught me to "Live in such a way that those who know you but don't know God, will come to know God because they know you." I intend to do just that.

♥ Old Fashioned Banana Cream Pie

Old Fashioned Banana Cream Pie

9 inches pie shells, baked
3 cups whole milk
3/4 cupwhite sugar
1/3 cupall-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoonsalt
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 tablespoonsbutter
1 teaspoonvanilla
3 bananas

Have baked 9-inch pie shell ready. In a large saucepan, scald the milk. In another saucepan, combine the sugar, flour and salt; gradually stir in the scalded milk. Over medium heat, stirring constantly, cook until thickened. Cover and, stirring occasionally, cook for two minutes longer.

In a small bowl, have the 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten, ready; stir a small amount of the hot mixture into beaten yolks; when thoroughly combined, stir yolks into hot mixture. Cook for one minute longer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and blend in the butter and vanilla. Let sit until lukewarm. When ready to pour, slice bananas and scatter in pie shell; pour warm mixture over bananas.

If desired, make a meringue (you'll have 3 leftover egg whites) to top the pie, or just let the pie cool until serving.

http://www.food.com/recipe/old-fashioned-banana-cream-pie-14979

♥ Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

I love this recipe and have been making it for years. I experiment with all kinds of cheeses depending on what I'm in the mood for. I like this combo best....

Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8... inch
1/2 lb Bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 tablespoons butter
1 small yellow onion, minced
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup of Monterey Jack Cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the potatoes, cream, milk, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cover and keep simmering for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are almost tender.

Remove and discard bay leaves. Transfer 1/3 of potato mixture to 3-quart gratin dish and sprinkle with 1/3 of all three cheeses and the bacon. Add another 1/3 layer of both and then the rest. End up sprinkling the top with a light layer of parmesan cheese.

Bake until the cream has thickened and is bubbling around the sides and the top is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
 

Recipe and Photo ©Welcome Home
Photography Ramela Jimenez
 

♥ TERIYAKI CHICKEN KABOBS

 TERIYAKI CHICKEN KABOBS

2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

3 tablespoon Soy Sauce (I used Kikoman)

2 tablespoon Brown Sugar

1 T Canola oil

1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Few drops of hot sauce, optional (I used Tabasco)
Red and green bell peppers, sliced
Onion, sliced
Sweet Baby Ray’s Hickory and Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce

Soak 4 barbecue sticks in water for about 1 hour. Line baking pan with aluminum foil, pour 1 cup of water over on top and put a cooling rack over it. Cut chicken breasts into about 2 x 2 inch pieces and marinate in soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, powdered ginger, garlic powder, ground black pepper, liquid smoke and sesame oil, hot sauce for at least 2 hrs. Cut bell peppers and onion the same size as chicken. Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Thread chicken in between with peppers and onion on barbecue sticks.

Bake chicken for 15 minutes, brush with barbecue sauce and turn and bake for another 15 minutes. Put oven to broil and cook chicken 3-5 minutes longer. Brush chicken with more barbecue sauce as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Copyright ©Welcome Home
Photography by Ramela Jimenez

♥ ORANGE BROWNIES

Here's a wonderful treat for you! A big glass of cold milk and a couple of these will bring sweet dreams! Yum!

ORANGE BROWNIES

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
... 1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 eggs, room temperature
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons pure orange extract
1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 x 9 inch pan.
Stir together flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add butter, eggs, vanilla, orange extract and orange zest. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until light golden brown and set. Remove from oven. Spread the Orange Cream Cheese Frosting over completely cooled brownies. Cut into squares

Creamsicle Cream Cheese Icing

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
4 Tablespoons softened butter
3 cups confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons orange zest
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
½ tsp. orange extract

In a large bowl, blend cream cheese with butter until smooth with a hand-held electric mixer. Add in 3 cups confectioners sugar 1 cup at a time, orange zest, orange juice and orange extract whip until well blended.

copyright ©Welcome Home.

Sometimes we need to go where we can hear that screen door slam, and bring back memories of Mom calling us at supper time. Sometimes we need to wish on a falling star and lay in the grass and make shapes out of clouds. Sometimes we need to ...climb a tall tree, and skip rocks across a pond and catch fireflies in a jar. Sometimes we need to remember when life was simple and innocent. Sometimes we just need to be a kid again.

~Marty

Painting by Jim Daly
http://www.jimdalyart.com/Artist.asp?ArtistID=25909&Akey=X5J4XX7L

♥ Jumbo Stuffed Shells in Meat Sauce

Who doesn't love Italian Food? Especially stuffed shells. They are so easy to make and so full of flavor. You can make your own homemade meat sauce with this recipe or use a store bought sauce. I thought I would never use a store bought sau...ce until I started using Ragu Chunky Tomato Garlic and Onion about 2 years ago. I have never gone back to making homemade since. I love the texture...with chunks of sweet Roma tomatoes and sweet onions and lots of garlic. Good enough for me!

 Jumbo Stuffed Shells in Meat Sauce

1 box large Pasta shells
1 lb. ground round
1 small onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 (26 ounce) Ragu Chunky Tomato Garlic and Onion Sauce (or make your own)
15 oz. whole milk Ricotta cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten
5 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained by squeezing on paper towels
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Boil Pasta Shells as per directions on box and cook to al dente. Drain and let it cool until easy to handle.

Saute onion and garlic until tender. Add beef and saute until brown. Add salt and pepper and oregano. Pour in Ragu sauce then cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until heated through.

In a big bowl, mix the Ricotta cheese with the egg, mozzarella, parmesan, salt and pepper. Squeeze out all moisture from thawed spinach by wrapping in a paper towel or clean dish towel. Add to ricotta mixture and stir until blended. Stuff cooked shells with ricotta combination and lay flat with open side facing up.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour about 2 cups of the meat sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Add stuffed shells on top of sauce, still with open side facing upwards. set Spoon the rest of the meat sauce on top.

Completely cover top with mozzarella cheese and parmesan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, remove cover and bake for another 10 minutes.

Recipe and Photo ©Welcome Home
Photography Ramela Jimenez

♥ 5 Minute Fudge

Forgive me....but 5 of the 6 voices in my head are saying, "eat the chocolate!" The best fudge I have ever made was from a recipe I picked up on the cooking channel. I thought something so easy and so quick to make can't be all that good.......WRONG! This is delish!

5 Minute Fudge

1 and 2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (6 ounce) package of milk chocolate chips
16 large marshmallows
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts

Combine sugar, milk, butter and salt in a medium sized saucepan. Bring to a boil, cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add in chocolate chips; cook until melted. Remove from heat; stir in marshmallows, vanilla and nuts. Mix well. Pour into a 8-inch pan. Cool cut into squares.

Yep...that simple!

♥ Southern Chocolate Cake

So I have been looking at this recipe of my Mom's Southern Chocolate Cake for a long time and wondering if I had the nerve to tackle such a beauty. Her instructions on the card were pretty straight forward so I decided, why not. I can remem...ber her adding a big spoon or two of mayonnaise to it and some buttermilk and how incredibly moist this cake was. Today I decided to go for it. Here is the result...just as good as my Mom used to make! Only one question...Who's got Milk?

 

Southern Chocolate Cake

For the Cake

6 oz. (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened; more for the pans
8 oz. (1-3/4 cups) all-purpose flour; more for the pans
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2-1/4 oz. (3/4 cup) unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1-1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1-1/2 cups buttermilk, preferably low fat, at room temperature
1/4 cup mayonnaise

Frosting

1 lb. semisweet chocolate (preferably 58% cacao), finely chopped
2 cups heavy cream
1 oz. (2 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened

Make the Frosting first. Put the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour the hot cream directly over the chocolate and let it sit without stirring for 5 minutes. Using a whisk, stir in the center of the mixture in a small, tight circular motion until fully combined. Add the butter and stir until it is fully incorporated. Put a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the chocolate mixture and set aside at room temperature for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Make the Cake

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8 x 2-inch round cake pans and line each with a parchment paper round. Butter the parchment paper and dust with flour. Tap out any excess.

With a mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until lighter in color and slightly increased in volume, 3 to 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium and add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder onto a piece of parchment paper. Add the salt to the dry ingredients after sifting. Using the parchment as a chute, add one-quarter of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix on low speed until incorporated. Add about 1/2 cup of the buttermilk and mix on low speed until incorporated. Continue to alternate dry ingredients and buttermilk, mixing until incorporated after each addition and stopping to scrape the bowl and beater as necessary. Using a whisk, fold the mayonnaise into the batter.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean and the sides of the cake have begun to pull away from the pan slightly, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the rack and remove the pans and parchment. Cool the cakes completely.

With a serrated knife, cut each cake in half horizontally. Put one of the base layers on a cake plate and tuck strips of waxed paper under the cake to keep the plate clean while icing the cake.
Top the cake with about 1/3 cup of the chocolate frosting, spreading it evenly over the top. Add another cake layer, top with frosting, and repeat until the last layer is in place.

Spread a thin layer of frosting over the top and sides of the cake and refrigerate for 15 minutes to seal in any crumbs. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides. Remove the waxed paper. I patted some shaved chocolate curls all around the sides of the cake for garnish.

Recipe and photo ©Welcome Home