something sweet

The other night, I was craving something sweet. Yet the idea of staying upstairs, while my family was relaxing downstairs, did not appeal to me. I wanted something simple, easy and quick.

Enter: Buttermilk Cake with Caramel Icing

If you've been reading here for a while, you may remember this cake from my son's 6th birthday. I made it then due to a LACK of ingredients for just about anything else. This tells us that this cake is simple. No fancy-shmancy ingredients, I usually have everything I need.

It's also easy. It's basic baking ingredients, with no fancy-shmancy processes. Just cream up the wet stuff, slowly add in the dry stuff. Pour into pan, there ya go. It's the bunt pan that makes it look a bit more fancier than normal.

And quick. Well, it takes 45-50 minutes to bake, but while it's doing that, I can be with my family, not running up and down the stairs every ten minutes (not that I don't NEED to run up and down the stairs - but I'm talking about make CAKE, for goodness sake).

Lastly, the icing is also easy and very tasty (hello? caramel!). You can drizzle the cake while it is still warm - no waiting hours on end for the cake to cool before icing. Warm cake....mmmmmmmmm.......

So I highly recommend you give this cake a try. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
2-1/3 cups sugar
3 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
ICING:
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

Combine flour and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition (batter will be thick).
Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan.

Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

For icing, in a small saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar and cream.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat; cool for 5-10 minutes. Whisk in confectioners' sugar.
Drizzle over cake.
Yield: 12-16 servings.



p.s. the above is not my cake, but honestly, it's so easy to make - mine looks JUST LIKE THAT! Really.
And I know my siggy isn't working properly - I don't know why. I'm hoping it's the main Live Signature site. I'll give it a day or so and then try to figure out a solution.