Last week's Cake Day was extra special because I had an extra special guest: my mom! She came down all the way from Cleveland, OH for the week to clean my apartment, do my laundry, buy groceries, cook some good meals, and just generally take care of me to give me a little break from the frustrations of being on crutches. And she did all this while working from my apartment (note to self: get a job that allows me to work from home). It was excellent. Pretty sure I have the best mom ever!
In honor of her coming, we of course had to celebrate Cake Day. The timing of her visit couldn't have been any more perfect, because this cake was invented with her in mind: almond semolina cake--full of almond flavor, not too sweet, almost like a coffee cake. More on that later, though. First, further proof of the awesomeness of my mom.
For this cake I needed a springform pan, yet another item this unwed baker doesn't own. (I might want to get married just to have a registry...) I was searching online trying to figure out how I could use a regular pan, but mom either had less faith in my MacGyver skills or was just impatient for cake, so she insisted we go to Target to get one. All I wanted was a springform pan. And we came out with a springform pan, a new high-tech cookie sheet, a cake carrier, and this AMAZING cupcake contraption that is both a pan and a carrier. (I need to makes some cupcakes soon because I'm dying to use it!) Excellent. Completely unnecessary, but super generous, and made my day. Soon I'll be almost like a real baker!
The cake itself wasn't too tricky (aside from separating the eggs, which my mom did, because I'm no good at it), but there was some guess work, since there were a few important directions left out of the recipe (a first edition issue, no doubt). But my guessing must have been right, because the cake turned out beautifully! My apartment smelled delicious while it was baking, and the cake was lovely--we actually had a cake photo shoot, partially because the cake was so pretty, and partly to show off my new cake toys. While it cooled, we had champagne to celebrate my paper, cheese, and black olive and onion focaccia bread, and then made a fancy, fabulous dinner of swordfish, asparagus, and fried green tomatoes. Then we helped ourselves to cake, paired with more champagne, which we enjoyed in the lovely weather outside on my porch. Quite a tasty evening.
This cake would be great for breakfast or with brunch. (My mom noted the next morning that it's excellent with coffee, although it was pretty darn good with champagne too.) The brown sugar and almond topping was delicious, and the cake itself had a unique texture, probably due to the semolina flour. Definitely a winner. It's a cake you can take places and be impressive.
It was a perfect Cake Day, and my mom and I enjoyed the cake throughout the rest of her stay. I was really sad to see her leave, but happy I got to spend some time with her and so, so grateful for everything she did for me while she was here.
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