Contributor: Kristen Mittler When I was a little girl, my mother would put elvis presley christmas in the cassette player and we would sing along as we decorated our tree. So much love and joy would fill our home. Nostalgia at its finest. I remember sitting on a stool in the kitchen and watching my mom bake cookies with my aunts. My job was to icing the sugar cookies and I would sneak licks from my spoon. They would talk and laugh so much and I would look at them, thinking, nothing is greater than this. Nowadays, I find find myself doing the very same things my mother did during this time of year. Singing along to holiday music and making sugary messes in the kitchen … keeping rufus close to me in my wrap and letting my older kiddos lick the frosting off of my spatula after im all done baking… I loved christmas time as a child, but I love it even more as a mommy.
Peppermint Cloud Cake For the Cake: 2 ¼ cups cake flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cup milk, room temperature 4 large egg whites, room temperature 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 tsp vanilla bean paste 1 teaspoon peppermint extract for the frosting 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature 1 bag powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste 4-6 tablespoons of milk Cake directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Grease two, nine inch round cake pans with vegetable shortening, line with parchment and flour pans. 3. Sift together dry ingredients and set aside. 4. Whisk milk and egg whites. Really whisk it! You want lots of air to get in there. It will make for a fluffy cake. Set aside. 5. Beat on medium speed the sugar, butter and vanilla bean paste. Beat for quite some time (about three minutes) until you can tell it has become light and sort of fluff like. Add peppermint extract and then mix again for a few seconds. 6. Now slowly add your dry ingredients to the sugar mixture. Alternate milk mixture and dry ingredients. Be sure to scrape sides every now and again. I ended with the milk mixture. 7. Once everything is blended thoroughly, give it one last mix on medium speed. 8. Pour batter into cake pans and bake until a tooth pick is pulled out clean. About twenty minutes. Careful not to bake too long! Check often because this cake will burn easily. 9. Allow to cool on rack. Make sure completely cooled before applying frosting. Frosting directions: 1. Blend all ingredients except the milk, hold off because you may not need it. Just wait and see if you think it is too thick. 2. Apply icing to cooled cakes, between layers and on the outside. 3. In a large bowl, break several candy canes into small pieces. Using the bottom of a glass jar, press down and crush the candy canes into smaller pieces. Using your hands, gently press them into the sides of your cake. Enjoy!
