"My Cake" & Hot Napoleon!

Hi All,

We haven't been posting enough, so I figured I'd post "my cake" recipe and a link to this hysterical website I found with audio clips from the movie "Napoleon Dynamite ." For those that don't know, I am a total movie snob but for some reason I get the biggest kick out of that movie even though it is super cheesy. It is really lame but sooooo "freakin" hilarious. If you put the cursor on some of the cheesy sayings from the movie you can actually hear Napolean talk. I love it!! I told Kyle that I want him to buy me this movie for my b-day and I am not the type to buy movies.

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/ndsound.php

OK, on to the cake! It is super delicious. The frosting has lemon rind in it which makes it so tasty. I also read that you can use raspberries instead of blueberries. OK, Joie or Tami... I think you two have a lot more baking experience than me, so I want to know if you really need to buy "cake flour" as opposed to regular "flour?"

Blueberry-Lemon Cake With Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

2 cups plus 6 tablespoons cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups fresh blueberries (about three 4.4-ounce packages)
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
Lemon peel strips (optional) ( I recommend b/c it makes it look so pretty)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper; butter paper. Dust pans with flour. Sift cake flour, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Transfer 1 tablespoon flour mixture to large bowl. Add fresh blueberries and toss to coat. Set remaining flour mixture and blueberries aside.Stir whole milk, vanilla extract, and grated lemon peel in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in another large bowl until light and creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in flour mixture alternately with milk mixture in 3 additions each, just until blended. Fold in blueberries. Divide batter equally among pans.Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Run knife around pan sides to loosen. Turn cakes out onto racks to cool completely. Peel off parchment paper.Transfer 1 cake layer to platter. Spread 3/4 cup frosting over cake layer. Top with another cake layer; spread with 3/4 cup frosting. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. (Cake can be prepared up to 1 day ahead of time. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature before continuing.) Garnish cake with lemon peel strips, if desired, and serve. Makes 12 servings.Bon

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Beat in lemon peel and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until just firm enough to spread, about 30 minutes. Makes about 4 1/2 cups.

Appétit August 2001

Have a great weekend!!! Kyle is getting a haircut and we are having a sleepover. Lots of cleaning to do around the condo too :) That is about it.