Adventures in Eating: Lover’s Cake with Chocolate Frosting

I am such a sucker for holidays, particularly Valentine’s Day. Val­entine’s Day is the perfect opportu­nity to tell the people who mean the most to you that you love them. Even the most unsentimental will fall prey to this day of love. Singer James Taylor says, “Show­er the people you love with love. Show them the way that you feel.” The old standbys of flowers and candy are nice, but it’s fun to be creative. Surprise your loved-one with something extra-special. Plan a magnificent dinner at home. Start with a wonderful bottle of wine and finish with this “Lover’s Cake”. The cake is a recipe of George Geary, pastry chef at Dis­neyland. The frosting is my own.

Lover’s Cake

2 cups cake flower

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup buttermilk

3 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour two nine inch round bak­ing pans. In a medium bowl stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat sugar, butter and vanilla for two minutes. Alternately with the dry ingredients, blend buttermilk into the sugar/butter mixture, beating well after each addition, until the batter is smooth. Add the egg whites, beating on medium speed for three minutes. Spread into the two pre­pared pans. Bake for 30 – 35 min­utes or until a wooden pick insert­ed into the center comes out clean. Cool for ten minutes in the pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Fill the layers and frost with choc­olate frosting.

Chocolate Frosting

3/4 cup sweet butter, at room temperature

1 box confectioner’s sugar (4 cups)

6 tablespoons cream

1 tablespoon vanilla

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate (melted and cooled)

With an electric mixer at high speed, cream the butter until fluf­fy. Reduce speed and add the con­fectioner’s sugar, one cup at a time. Add cream, vanilla and cooled chocolate. Beat on medium-high until frosting is light and spreadable.