Looking Glass

I was eyeing up this pretty glass cover you'll see below, thinking it could be a great way to show off seasonal decor, trinkets, small and tall cakes, and piles of other baked goods perfectly. 

But, I didn't actually need it.

I thought about it for two weeks, deliberated, then found an excuse. 

Teresa's Birthday!

Remember the Valentine's Cake? 

Since then we've sworn off butter (ahhhemmm cake just became healthier!) 

however it's been a chore to find an oil based vanilla cake. 

I tried a few recipes, with modifications, and other ideas, 

and finally here we have a delicious, moist basic cake. 

I'm glad because Teresa should have no less! 

Here it's sort of naked... 

stuffed with whipped cream (from our girls: Dee, Dolly, Daisy and Latte) and berries. 

I should have used stabilizer, and/or perhaps better separating techniques 

for taking cream from milk, but the taste and texture was marvellous.

Albeit quite messy when cutting to serve.

Should you want to give it a whirl here's the recipe, which can be halved:

"That's How Vanilla Cake Should Taste"

(or Cupcakes)

1 1/2 cups Sugar

1 cup Oil

3 tsp Vanilla 

3 Eggs, room temperature

whip the first three ingredients, then whip in one egg at a time

2 3/4 cups Flour, cake flour preferable for tenderness, or sift it

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 Baking Soda

1 tsp Salt

whisk together the dry ingredients and mix in in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk

1 1/2 cups Buttermilk, room temperature 

bake at 325 degrees F, for 35 minute or until set - either in two 8" or two 9" spring-form pans

I'm yet to form a fir opinion on which size I like best... 

allow to cool ten minutes on rack before unclipping and removing from pans

let cool and then ice, or wrap up for future decoration

Soon I hope to share a further modification and hopefully transformation of this basic vanilla cake!