It's As If I Died and Went to Heaven Cake....

Well taking Liberty with The Barefoot Contessa from her Yellow Book...that I just LOVE...
No worries...I use my blog to remind me of what the recipe tells you to do ...then I use what I have in the kitchen... But in this case what we have in VK's Kitchen...and at the new Christopher's Grocery Store in ShadySide, MD.

Got to Love it...and when I remember the words I though I would never forget from Mekenna ...I will UPDATE the blog!!!

Copied right from and giving credit to my FAV cook.the Barefoot Contessa


Print Recipe
Chocolate Buttercream Cake (Serves 8 to 10)
Photo: Melanie Acevedo
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour1 cup good cocoa powder1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda1/4 teaspoon salt3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature2/3 cup granulated sugar2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed2 extra-large eggs at room temperature2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract1 cup buttermilk at room temperature1/2 cup sour cream at room temperature2 tablespoons brewed coffeeChocolate Buttercream (recipe follows)
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with wax paper, butter the paper, and dust the pans with flour, knocking out any excess. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars on high speed until light, approximately 5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Combine the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. On low speed, add the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture alternately in thirds, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix the batter only until blended. Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a spatula. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes on a rack, remove from the pans, and allow to finish cooling. Place one cake on a serving plate, flat side up. Frost the top of that layer with buttercream. Place the second layer on top, also flat side up, and frost the top and sides.
Chocolate Buttercream10 ounces bittersweet chocolate8 ounces semisweet chocolate1/2 cup egg whites (3 extra-large eggs) at room temperature1 cup granulated sugarPinch cream of tartar1/2 teaspoon salt1 pound unsalted butter at room temperature2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract2 teaspoons instant espresso powder, dissolved in 1 teaspoon water2 tablespoons dark rum, optional Chop the chocolates and melt in a bowl over simmering water until smooth. Allow to cool. Mix the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk. Heat the egg whites in the bowl over simmering water until they are warm to the touch, about 5 minutes. Whisk on high speed for 5 minutes, or until the meringue is cool and holds a stiff peak. Add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, while beating on medium speed. Scrape down the bowl, add the chocolate, vanilla, espresso, and rum, if using, and mix for 1 minute or until the chocolate is completely blended in. If the buttercream seems very soft, allow it to cool, and beat it again.

What is a Tasteful Cheesecake?

Of Course a cheesecake that tastefully conforms to good taste!

The tasteful cheesecake can be spotted with out even well taking a taste! Yes a tasteful cheesecake would be any cheesecake that has a respect for propriety and refinement...

What do I mean by that? Simple...as I have mentioned over and over (mostly to myself I confess), "Keep the candy out of the cream cheese please!"

You Can Tang but don't tangle the Cheesecake...


Tang the top of the cheesecake with a drizzle of raspberry and or a shot of whipped cream if you want a penetrating taste experience . Fresh fruit to adorn the top of the cheese cake great; however, a box of store bought cookies enmeshed for crust or filler...well that in my humble opinion just sounds like a confused tangled mess, not to mention a complete lack of decorum.

You want them to say, "I NEED A CHEESECAKE!"

by: Anita Cheesecake

My First Movie...I Did Not Know My Camera Would Make a Video...

I took a few pictures of my uncooked Cheese Cake and discovered I had made a video. The sound must be the Olympics as I was flying out the door to see "SWING TIDE" play at my favourite Ristorante.

April's No Crust Cheese Cake

To know April, is to love her she has a heart of gold and loves to share it!

Banana Bread

Banana Bread

The larger amounts are for 2 loafs the smaller amount is for only 1 loaf of Banana Bread.

2loves 1 loaf
3.5 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 ½ 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
1 1/3 2/3 cup(s)sugar
1.2 1/3 cup butter ...(1stick 2 tbs)
4 2 tablespoons milk
2 1 cup mashed ripe banana(s)

4 2 Eggs

Butter 1 or 2 loaf pans

350 degrees oven 60 minutes , test with toothpick! Cool and pop out of pan and continue to cool all the way down then store. (If storing in plastic leave open slightly for 1/2 day than seal. Keeps till the bread is gone...3 to 4 days depending with out refrigeration.

*Between Thanksgiving I add fresh cranberries...rinse and slice in half and some in thirds!

A Nita Cheese Cake

I mean, … I Need-A-Cheese Cake!!!

From the very first, cheesecake was my favorite of all cakes. My mother “Anita” shared with me her love of cream cheese. We found many wonderful ways to enjoy cream cheese, but my one great love was her big beautiful CHEESECAKE.

On rare occasions she would make her giant Cheesecake, thank goodness the big cake was large enough to enjoy for the whole week. The test I use for how good the Cheesecake turned out is … if I am thinking about another piece of the Big Cheesecake the next day and the day after that, than the said Cheesecake hit the mark.

Everybody has a Cheesecake…go into any restaurant, every restaurant has it’s own Cheesecake. Restaurants offer Cheesecake with chocolate, Cheesecake with candy bars, Cheesecake with cherries. Frankly the most memorable slice I had was at an outdoor café at the Rockefeller Center in New York City. The price of that slice of Cheesecake was huge…so I skipped lunch and went straight for the CHEESECAKE. It was truly New York Cheesecake. The cost in 1972 was something like Nine Dollars for one slice…but hay that is New York!

I have a theory about Cheesecake. Let the Cheesecake be Cheesecake. The rest of the world can try to persuade the Non-Cheesecake lovers to eat Cheesecake by putting everything from almonds to berries to coconuts to cherries into the cream cheese.

I, on the other hand love to make, and love to eat “A nita’s Cheesecake”, New York style.

Oh you can decorate the top, but keep the candy out of the cream cheese please!


Enjoy, Oh...the recipe, I will get to that...

No This is Not a Cheesecake....But it Looks Good

This Beautiful Italian cake was served at breakfast along with 5 or 6 other kinds of ricotta pies, that were defenceless against the knives and forks that came their way just as soon as they were served.