Between Halloween and the election, I've been going cake-crazy. Tonight I'll be baking my fourth cake since Oct. 30th...
when I baked and decorated the above as my entry to our company Halloween party's"Deadly and Delicious Dessert Contest."
An homage to the classic Hitchcock film,
The Birds, it was a red velvet cake (from
The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread) with Swiss Meringue Buttercream tinted what I called "Technicolor
® Pink."
Though it failed to nab a prize from corporate (maybe the bird cutout pecking at the cake highlighted by extra red food coloring was too much for them?), I did manage to snag the coveted, much-better-than-any-other-prize...
a Peoples Choice Award! (Thank you must be given to my wonderful co-workers for their unending support, good looks, and smarts. Love to Evan and our cat. This is for you, Mom!)
But onto the more exciting event of the past nine days...
The election and the outcome that has given me a feeling of excitement and possibility for the future of this country that I have not felt, well, since Clinton—and I was too young and broke to be excited about much more than a 20 cent raise. Seriously.
We had some friends over that night to watch the results come in. Along with snacks and bottles of bubbly waiting patiently in the fridge to come out and accompany cheering or crying, there was a cake.
An Election Cake, to be specific.
This tasty, yeast-risen cake is estimated to date back to Hartford, Connecticut in the early 1700's where, though specifics vary, it was eaten on election days. There are numerous recipes out there, but the one I ended up going with is from a November 2006
Washington Post piece.
The resulting cake was tender with an anticipated bready texture and a taste similar to a cinnamon roll or, according to one friend, a cinnamon raisin bagel.
It goes very well with Prosecco and loud, happy cheering.
