Pound Cake with Balsamic Strawberries and Chantilly Cream
It's my {me + husband} two-year anniversary tomorrow.
In light of this super special occasion, I planned. It was a top-secret surprise anniversary weekend.
Friday night was special, classy, swanky, and awesome.
I put on my best red lipstick, my little black dress, my blue suede heels, and pinned up my hair.
The first {of many} surprises, was dinner at Canlis. total class. Canlis has a guy who pours wine. That's all he does. There's also a guy who takes your coat. That's it. Just takes your coat. Everywhere you turn, waiters, servers, hostess's, wine guys, coat guys. totally weird.
I ate, and drank, a lot. Like you should, when you're wearing red lipstick and your cutest black dress.
One glass of wine turned into two, turned into three, turned into a bottle, turned into me, asleep on my desk wearing my cutest black dress with the keys of my computer stuck into my face. hot. I know.
Day 2 - we drove/took a ferry, to the San Juan Islands. The San Juan Islands are dreamy. for sure.
We ate lavender strawberry rhubarb pie. lavender ice cream. Drank lavender coffee. and
we
I picked some lavender, hoping to bake it into something good.
Later that day we checked into the Lakedale Resort. We slept in a canvas cabin. It was magical. Imagine this; a large canvas tent, with a queen size bed, a couch, a table, 4 chairs, a view of the lake, a toasty fire. totally cool, I know.
This weekend was all about class. and swank. It's important to do it up right.
Today I woke up to a full buffet right outside my canvas tent. With fresh fruit, and coffee, and a pancake machine. Where can I get one of those? for real.
After a morning of eating, and classing. We took a drive. The sights were beautiful. I wanted to stop and take a picture. I looked out at the ocean. I thought {weird, why's that scuba diver poking his head out of the water}. No wait. A whale. What, 6 whales. and a baby. oh my!
Seven orca whales, 10 feet from the shore. It was so beautiful I cried. Lame. I know. True story.
On our way home, I saw a huge sign that said {Fresh Berries}. You must always stop if there's a sign that says fresh berries. It's the rule. I bought strawberries, and blueberries, and raspberries.
I ate the raspberries. I ate the blueberries. I boiled the strawberries with sugar and balsamic vinegar, just for you.
I also made a pound cake. It just seemed right.
A pound cake is made with one pound flour, one pound eggs, one pound sugar, and one pound butter. no joke.
I took some sugar and butter and beat it until it was light, fluffy, and white. Exactly like the picture above.
I then added eggs. and flour. and vanilla.
I mixed it all up. It was easy. 10 minutes. tops.
If your feeling extra fancy, you can do it up right. Make some whipped cream. Add some vanilla and sugar, and we can call it Chantilly. Fancy, right?
[Print Recipe]
Pound Cake with Balsamic Strawberries and Chantilly Cream Recipe
Cake Ingredients
2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups of flour, sifted
Strawberry Ingredients
2 cups of strawberries, chopped
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Chantilly Cream Ingredients
1 cup of heavy cream
2 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
2. Butter/grease/oil/spray a 5 x 9 inch loaf pan.
3. In a large bowl, with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed, until white and fluffy {roughly 8 minutes}.
4. Turn the mixer to low, and mix in the vanilla.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs slightly.
6. Mix the eggs into the butter mixture, slowly {1/4 at a time}. Beat on medium speed {5 minutes}.
7. Turn the blender to low and beat in the flour {1/4 at a time}. Do not over mix.
8. Scoop the mixture into a loaf pan and bake for 60 minutes.
9. While the cake is baking, combine washed, hulled, and chopped strawberries, sugar, and balsamic vinegar in a medium saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.
10. Just before the cake is done, beat the cream, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl on medium speed, until cream becomes stiff. Should take 3- 5 minutes. Your cream should hold its shape on a spoon.
11. Once the cake is done, let cool for 30 minutes {in the pan}.
12. Serve with strawberries and a dollop of Chantilly cream.
In light of this super special occasion, I planned. It was a top-secret surprise anniversary weekend.
Friday night was special, classy, swanky, and awesome.
I put on my best red lipstick, my little black dress, my blue suede heels, and pinned up my hair.
The first {of many} surprises, was dinner at Canlis. total class. Canlis has a guy who pours wine. That's all he does. There's also a guy who takes your coat. That's it. Just takes your coat. Everywhere you turn, waiters, servers, hostess's, wine guys, coat guys. totally weird.
I ate, and drank, a lot. Like you should, when you're wearing red lipstick and your cutest black dress.
One glass of wine turned into two, turned into three, turned into a bottle, turned into me, asleep on my desk wearing my cutest black dress with the keys of my computer stuck into my face. hot. I know.
We ate lavender strawberry rhubarb pie. lavender ice cream. Drank lavender coffee. and
Later that day we checked into the Lakedale Resort. We slept in a canvas cabin. It was magical. Imagine this; a large canvas tent, with a queen size bed, a couch, a table, 4 chairs, a view of the lake, a toasty fire. totally cool, I know.
This weekend was all about class. and swank. It's important to do it up right.
Today I woke up to a full buffet right outside my canvas tent. With fresh fruit, and coffee, and a pancake machine. Where can I get one of those? for real.
After a morning of eating, and classing. We took a drive. The sights were beautiful. I wanted to stop and take a picture. I looked out at the ocean. I thought {weird, why's that scuba diver poking his head out of the water}. No wait. A whale. What, 6 whales. and a baby. oh my!
Seven orca whales, 10 feet from the shore. It was so beautiful I cried. Lame. I know. True story.
On our way home, I saw a huge sign that said {Fresh Berries}. You must always stop if there's a sign that says fresh berries. It's the rule. I bought strawberries, and blueberries, and raspberries.
I ate the raspberries. I ate the blueberries. I boiled the strawberries with sugar and balsamic vinegar, just for you.
A pound cake is made with one pound flour, one pound eggs, one pound sugar, and one pound butter. no joke.
I took some sugar and butter and beat it until it was light, fluffy, and white. Exactly like the picture above.
I mixed it all up. It was easy. 10 minutes. tops.
If your feeling extra fancy, you can do it up right. Make some whipped cream. Add some vanilla and sugar, and we can call it Chantilly. Fancy, right?
The strawberries are sweet and amazing. The balsamic vinegar is not too overpowering. It's like it was just meant to be.
The cake is light, and moist, and delicious. Eggs, and flour, and butter, and sugar. totally.
Tie it all together with some Chantilly cream, and you've got something good. A classic.
Pound Cake with Balsamic Strawberries and Chantilly Cream Recipe
Cake Ingredients
2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups of flour, sifted
Strawberry Ingredients
2 cups of strawberries, chopped
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Chantilly Cream Ingredients
1 cup of heavy cream
2 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
2. Butter/grease/oil/spray a 5 x 9 inch loaf pan.
3. In a large bowl, with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed, until white and fluffy {roughly 8 minutes}.
4. Turn the mixer to low, and mix in the vanilla.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs slightly.
6. Mix the eggs into the butter mixture, slowly {1/4 at a time}. Beat on medium speed {5 minutes}.
7. Turn the blender to low and beat in the flour {1/4 at a time}. Do not over mix.
8. Scoop the mixture into a loaf pan and bake for 60 minutes.
9. While the cake is baking, combine washed, hulled, and chopped strawberries, sugar, and balsamic vinegar in a medium saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.
10. Just before the cake is done, beat the cream, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl on medium speed, until cream becomes stiff. Should take 3- 5 minutes. Your cream should hold its shape on a spoon.
11. Once the cake is done, let cool for 30 minutes {in the pan}.
12. Serve with strawberries and a dollop of Chantilly cream.