A Strange Day!

I hope all of you have been enjoying the first couple of weeks in the New Year!

Thursday was a bit strange in our neck of the woods. Our power went out due to a car accident. I believe someone hit a pole or something.

I've been working remotely since the beginning of Covid.

Since I need internet access for my day job, I drove to my workplace - just as I pulled up to my workplace, my son texted me. He told me the power was back on!

So, I ended up returning home. My workplace is only five miles from my house, so, it wasn't that big of a deal.

But, later, that same day, we lost our internet connection. The lost connection is only affecting our household - our neighbors still have their connection. We can't watch TV or connect to the internet. What a drag!

We called our provider and was told that something short-circuited and that the earliest they could come out was Sunday.

We've been using a hot spot to connect.

It's funny how you don't appreciate the simple day-to-day pleasures that are taken for granted, until they are broken or gone.

Working Late & Butterscotch Bliss

My day job continues to be hectic. Yes, it's great that I'm finally done with my Master's Degree, but work continues to take up a lot of my free time. I've been working 12-hour days and I'm ready for a break!

Some of you have asked what ever happened to Butterscotch Bliss, the free story that I was working on that will only be available to newsletter subscribers. I plan on getting that done later this year. I will keep you posted.

Stress Eating!

Since things have been so hectic lately, I've been doing some stress eating. Since I was sick over the holidays, I didn't get a chance to do any baking.

I made THE BEST CAKE! The cake is so buttery. The recipe calls for 4 sticks of butter - 2 for the cake - 2 for the frosting.

I wish the icing looked smoother. I might take a cake decorating class, when I have time, to learn simple decorating techniques. I googled some methods to smooth the icing - but I was too tired to try! I made this cake on a weekday!

I'm sharing the recipe. If you try it, let me know if you like it! I gobbled 4 pieces of cake in one day! I'm not kidding! This cake was so addictive!

Yellow Butter Cake:

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans or line them with parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder until well combined.
3. Add the softened butter to the dry ingredients and beat on medium speed with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next one. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
5. Pour in the milk and vanilla extract, then beat the batter on medium speed for about 2 minutes until smooth and well combined.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
8. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Frosting:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4-6 tablespoons heavy cream or milk

Instructions:

1. In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy.
2. Gradually add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt to the butter, mixing on low speed until combined.
3. Add the vanilla extract and 4 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until smooth and fluffy. Add more cream or milk if needed to achieve the desired consistency.

Assembly:

Once the cakes have cooled completely, place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread a layer of chocolate frosting evenly over the top. Place the second cake layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining chocolate frosting.

Decorate as desired and enjoy your delicious moist buttery yellow cake with chocolate frosting!

Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend

I hope all of you enjoy your 3-day weekend. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday is so special. Take some time to relax, think and reflect on this special day.

If you have a craving for a book, keep The Candy Beach Series in mind. So many nice reviews have been posted on Amazon for this series. All of them are available in both paperback and e-book. Treat yourself, and if you've already read them, then purchase copies for your friends!

5-star Amazon review for Bittersweet Dreams - book 3 in the series:

This book was so good I had to read it to the end before I could stop. I even read while eating lunch and supper. This author knows how to write a fantastic story. Great job!!

Have a blessed week! Let me know if you try the cake recipe! If you've read The Candy Beach Series, I'd love to know which novel was your favorite! I love hearing from all of you!

Select titles are available as autographed paperbacks!