Cake- for Anniversaries and Birthdays-Chocolate Raspberry Ganache

Wow!  This looks good enough to eat!

Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Cake

I wanted to make a special cake to celebrate my brother and his wife's second anniversary.

Of course, it had to be chocolate cake, covered with ganache.

I made them a chocolate cake covered with ganache for their wedding.

But the first cake was garnished with strawberries.

The second cake is filled with fresh raspberries and red raspberry jam.

Either way, you can't go wrong with chocolate ganache covering the top and dripping down the

sides of chocolate cake.

I baked a layer cake according to the package directions.

The next step is to make a raspberry mousse to sandwich the layers together.

Beat 8 oz. of softened cream cheese.

Add 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and mix until creamy.

Add 1/2 cup of Seedless Red  Raspberry Jam.

Beat until thoroughly mixed together.

Fold in a 12-oz. carton of Cool Whip non dairy topping.

Spread a thin layer of the raspberry jam over first cake layer.

Fold into the mousse a 6 oz. carton of fresh red raspberries, leaving 5 for garnish.

Spoon half of the mixture onto the top of the first layer.

Refrigerate the remaining mousse for a second cake.

Add the top cake layer.

Again, spread a layer of  the Seedless Red Raspberry Jam on top.

Now for the Ganache.

Here is a link to another one of my blogs for ganache.

Ganache

This just happens to be my ganache recipe for Gail & Yatzi's wedding cake.

Their second anniversary cake is covered in a delicious layer of creamy, silky ganache.

I think I have a theme going on when I bake cakes for them!

Ganache.

To make ganache, the ingredients are weighed, not measured,

Use 8 oz. of good chocolate chips like Ghiradelli.

Place in a glass bowl.

Pour over 8 oz. of heavy whipping cream that has been heated to just simmering.

Do not stir.

Cover to trap the heat and let sit undisturbed (no mixing or peaking) for 4 minutes.

Gently stir the mixture starting in the center and working outward until smooth.

The ganache will turn creamy and change to a deep chocolate color before your eyes.

Let sit uncovered at room temperature for 15 minutes.

There is enough ganache for two cakes.

Then pour it over the cake and let it run down the sides.

Let the ganache set.

I refrigerated half of the ganache until I baked another layer cake.

Top with the fresh red raspberries  that were set aside for garnish.

Here is our anniversary couple,

Gail & Yatzi.

Happy Second Anniversary!

These are our dinner guests,

Ethyl, Keith,Doug.

Gail, Yatzi, Aiden, Camden.

The creamy mousse and chocolate ganache melt in your mouth.

This cake is not only delicious, but very pretty.

Happy Birthday!

There was enough raspberry mousse filling and ganache to make two cakes.

There was a birthday just a couple of days after I made the first cake.

I had the ingredients, and all I had to do was to bake another layer cake.

A lady I know turned 90 years old.

 I made a mental note to bake her a cake for her milestone birthday.

I took this cake over to her on her special day.

The big smile on her face and look of surprise will be remembered by me for 

a long time.

Easter Brunch with Doug-Peach Croissant Breakfast Casserole

Just before Easter I received an email from Doug.
It was simple.
"This looks good."
And he sent me the link to the recipe.
Yes, it did look good.
Too good to pass up.

As a result this was our Easter brunch dish.

Peach Croissant Breakfast Casserole

It is called,

 Wife Saver Breakfast.

Go to:

Wife Saver Breakfast-Simply Stacie

I am more than happy to share this sight with anyone who reads this.

It was delicious and a recipe I want to share and keep for myself

when we have company and when we want to treat ourselves.

It reminds me a little of French Toast but made with croissants.

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:
⦁ 6 croissants 
⦁ 3 eggs 
⦁ 1 cup milk 
⦁ 2 tsp vanilla 
⦁ 1/8 tsp salt 
⦁ 1/8 tsp nutmeg 
⦁ 1 big can of unsweetened sliced peaches, drained (I think the one I used was around 700 ml) 
⦁ ¼ cup brown sugar 
⦁ ¼ tsp cinnamon 
⦁ maple syrup, to taste

Directions:
1. Grease a 9×13 pan. Break croissants into bite sized pieces and spread on the bottom of the pan.
2. In a medium size bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, salt and nutmeg. Pour over top of croissants.
3. Layer the peaches on top. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.
4. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
5. In the morning, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.

6. Serve with maple syrup

This recipe is great when you have company.  You can prepare it the night before and bake it in the morning.

Easy, Delicious!

Mini-Cinni Easter Bunny Rolls

Graham loves to try out new kid friendly recipes with me when I visit.

For Easter we made a very simple bunny from cinnamon refrigerator rolls.

Easy and delicious for a quick treat.

Ceci is Graham's sous chef.

The hardest part of this recipe is getting the biscuits out of the tube.

You have to smack the container on the edge of the table

for it to pop open.

Our inspiration for an Easter treat is

The Easter Bunny.

It is simple to transform cinnamon roll refrigerator dough into a bunny.

The head is one cinnamon roll.

Use 6 of the cinnamon rolls for the head.
Use the remainder for the ears.

Unroll the remaining rolls and cut them until you have 12 ears.

Grandma is helping Ceci cut her bunny ears.

Fold the strips of dough and press them into the top of the roll
to look like ears.


Bake them according to package directions,
350 degrees for about 20 minutes.


They will be golden brown.


After they are cool,
spread the icing onto each one.


Enjoy!

Graham has many talents.

One of them is photography.

He took several of these pictures that I am posting.

BTW Mom and Dad, he wants a camera for his birthday! 

 Graham loves to draw,

and spends a lot of his free time with his sketch pad and pen.

Happy Easter, Graham!

A Princess & A Troll

Here are the birthday girls!
Happy birthday to you.



Birthdays are exciting when you turn 2 and 3.

I have two very sweet granddaughters who have birthdays in the same month just 2 days apart.

That makes for double trouble!

I am combining their posts with mostly just photos to remember the two celebrations.

The first party took place at Madi's home.

She is certainly a Princess.

Just look.

Two years old.
And no, it is not the terrible two's.
It is the terrific two's.

Pink Princess Cupcakes.

Cousins playing.

You are never too old for a trampoline.

Party treats.

There is nothing like a cotton candy machine at your party

for unlimited fun (and sugar)!

Two cakes and five candles.

Make a wish.

And we also celebrated cousin Caitlyn becoming a teenager!

A Troll Birthday Party.

This is Ceci's birthday party celebration at her home.

Evie made the perfect cake.
It took several steps, but was well worth the effort.

Building the layers of color.

 Kevin used his construction skills to help with the crumb coat
a.k.a. "spackle coat'.

Ceci is ready to take her baby doll for a ride
on her new birthday wheels.
Sweet!

 Putting on the finishing touches.

Yes, it tasted as good as it looks.


Make a wish.

This is a rainbow cake,

perfect for the Troll movie theme.

Best friends.

Brothers and my cousin.

Grandma's birthday girl.

Ceci and Mom.

Happy Birthday to my sweet granddaughters!

More celebration with Grandpa Doug.


Lunch at Joseph Decuis.