Travel + Baking

I  traveled this week to visit our two oldest kids who live in Utah in the western USA.  No doubt, it's always a great time for seeing our people. 

While staying with our daughter Marie (her blog), I baked three cakes to share with friends.  It was just a couple cakes that I've baked and blogged about before, but baking can sometimes be a real surprise when using in a foreign kitchen!

Recreating the Almond Joy Cake, blogged here, would have been better if I'd remembered to include the almonds between the layers!  I guess it was a good thing I remembered to garnish heavily with chopped almonds on the top.

My friends with whom I shared this cake really seemed to enjoy it.  Of course, I'm not sure it was big enough...triple-layer, 10" chocolate disappeared in no time!

Because one cake wasn't enough...I baked a second.  The Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake, blogged here, was better the second time around.  The results were quite lovely and for sure I was happy with the cheesecake layer.  I opted to go with a pink ruffled ombré design.  I'm still working on how to produce the right shades of pink in a really balanced way.  I hit a few bumps with this cake, but that's ok.  Nothing is perfect.

Again, my friends really did take to this cake, with one friend commenting, "I wish I could have a bowl filled with the cheese cake center."

I was happy to bake with my daughter.  I was happy to share with my dear friends.  I am happy to be sober.

On a third occasion, I baked the Banana Split Cake, blogged here, to take to a dinner party.  It was so much fun to watch their young boys take in the sight of this wonderment!

I mostly grateful for my life partner who made this trip possible.