five years

Holy cow. I can’t even believe that I’ve been here at MN365 for five whole years. A highlight or two or thirteen from the past five years:

-I finished massage school.
-I moved to a new little house in Durham, with my wifeys.
-I fell in love with Parker & Otis.
-I moved to Indiana to go to grad school.
-I didn’t go to grad school.
-The Nephew was born.
-I decided to try my hand at nursing...as if one just "tries out" nursing. Bahahahaha.
-Hank moved to Kansas and discovered his love of the prairie. [I’m still holding on to the dream that he’s alive and hunting bugs among the waving wheat.]
-I moved to the big city to start classes.
-Pitch Perfect came into my life. #cantstopwontstop
-The Niece was born.
-I got into my program and cried tears of joy. [Now I sometimes cry tears of non-joy.]
-I moved again!

I hope you’re up for a full week of posts. 

And giveaways because I want to buy your love. Obvi. 

I made a cake to celebrate this momentous occasion, then I lit a candle and sang it a song. No, not "Happy Blogiversary." I sang "Seasons of Love" from RENT because that's what was on my television. 

It's a Very Vanilla Marvelously Minty Cake. I’ve been thinking about the combination of mint and vanilla ever since I got a tube of C.O. Bigelow Vanillamint lip gloss from Bath & Body Works years ago. I like to purchase lip gloss more than I like to actually wear it, but this is some tasty stuff. 

I couldn’t stop thinking about how the strong vanilla flavor with just the tiniest touch of mint worked so well together. This cake had to happen. A vanilla cake is topped with a sweet, ever so slightly minty vanilla buttercream. 

As with many baked goods, it starts with dry ingredients sifted together. 

Then wet. 

Combine, put in your pan [I’m using a 4” springform pan I picked up at Michael’s] and bake. 

This is the adult version of an Easy-bake Oven. 

…and I will need more practice to figure it out. 

Let the cake cool and make the frosting. 

Here’s the dealio, yo. You want this to be a vanilla buttercream with the teeniest-tiniest [tiniest!] essence of mint. Just a couple of drops, OK? You’ll add enough cream to reach the desired consistency--remember it’s easier to start with a stiff frosting and add more liquid. [sidenote: someone needs to find her whisks in storage]

After you’ve frosted your cake, decorate it as you see fit. Sprinkles welcome. 

Very Vanilla Marvelously Minty Mini Cake
cake recipe reduced and adapted from Cupcake Project

The Cake

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp AP Flour

1 Tbsp Corn Starch

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 cup Sugar

1 Tbsp Butter, room temperature

1 Egg

2 Tbsp Plain Yogurt 

1 Tbsp Oil [Coconut or Vegetable]

1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste*

1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

1/4 tsp Almond Extract

2 Tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream

Prepare your pans! Grease and line those babies with some parchment. Preheat the oven to 350. Sift together flour, corn starch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the sugar to the flour mixture. After combining all the dry ingredients, mix the butter until the mixture has come together and is ever so slightly crumbly. In another bowl [I like to use a measuring cup] whisk together the egg, yogurt, oil, vanilla[s!], almond extract, and heavy whipping cream. Add the two mixtures together until just combined. Divide between two 2 1/2” pans and bake for 15 minutes. Let cool completely. 

*if you don’t have Vanilla Bean Paste you could use half a vanilla bean and scrape the goodies out of it OR you could use more vanilla extract, get the pure stuff please. please. please. 

The Buttercream

4 Tbsp Butter, room temperature

1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste* 

1/8-ish tsp Mint Extract

1-2 Tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream

2ish cup Powdered Sugar, sifted

Whip the butter and add in the vanilla and mint [you just want the tiniest amount of mint, I used my 1/4 tsp and only put a few drops in before adding it]. Add the sifted powdered sugar and the cream until you reach the desired consistency for your frosting. Frost your cake! This frosting, y’all. Oooh. 

In honor of my love for baking I’ve got a Vera Bradley apron [totes cute], Vanilla Bean Paste [my FAVE], and a little cupcake key-topper [how could I resist?] for one of you! HOLLA AT ME. 

For the record: I put on a dress and heels for the irony of it all in the picture. I have never baked in heels. 

random.org chose #6 which is Ama as the winner! I'll be in touch!  

Leave me a comment telling me what are some flavors that have you dreaming about cake combinations. Are you a chocolate-peanut butter fanatic? A strawberries and cream lover? An espresso and caramel dreamer? A vanilla-vanilla K.I.S.S. person? If you’re not thinking about cake [how are we friends?]...you can just say hi. (-: 

Commenting will be open until Wednesday (6/4) at 9:00am and random.org will select the winner. 

**All items are purchased and sent [or hand delivered with hugs] by me.**