Monday, March 23, 2009

Happy Birthday Will !!!!!

Oh my...ANOTHER birthday at our house this past weekend! Yesterday was my stepbrother WILL's birthday!
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Mommy and Daddy gave him this card with this goofy pug on it! I am SO glad I look NOTHING like this and am CLEARLY much more refined and sophisticated!


Will turned FIFTEEN and he got lots of cool presents! I even got to help him unwrap them!
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This was a charging station for his PS3 controllers. COOL!


Mom made him a vanilla bean buttermilk cake with cream cheese frosting! Will requested something "vanilla and not too sweet" and mom thought this would be perfect.
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That is a giant sugar cookie on top that is supposed to look like the masked guy from a video game Will loves called "Killzone 3"


Since it WASN'T CHOCOLATE I got to have a tiny taste!
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MMMMM...vanilla!


For the entertainment portion of the party, I did my Elvis impersonation!
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"Bring me a PB Nanner sammich!"


I gave my Will lots of birthday kisses too!
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Happy birthday buddy!!!!!


*****Vanilla Bean Buttermilk Cake Recipe*******
This takes some work...but it's worth it....the little flecks of vanilla beans are so pretty!

3 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 whole vanilla beans, split and scraped (it may help to soak them in water first)
1/2 cup room temp. butter
1/2 cup canola oil
1.5 cups sugar
5 large eggs
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Start by creaming the butter and sugar together, add eggs, oil, vanilla bean scrapings and then alternate between dry ingredients and buttermilk until combined.

Bake at 350 and depending on what size pans you use, you'll want to bake 40-45 min for a 9x13 pan, maybe 25-30 for 9 inch rounds, 15-20 for cupcakes (this is just a guideline...every oven is different...my advice it keep checking it and pull it when it's "done")

I decided to use a cream cheese frosting and cut the powdered sugar back because the birthday boy prefers it that way......

1 8 oz package cream cheese (yeah, you can use reduced fat if you want, but DO NOT use fat free...it's just wrong on so many levels)

1 stick soft butter (use real butter)

dash of vanilla

Beat together either using a stand or hand mixer and then add
3 C powdered sugar.

Taste it and if you need/want it sweeter....keep adding powdered sugar. You can thin out with a tiny dribble of milk if you like it softer.

GOOD LUCK!

12 comments:

Pug Posse said...

Your family is so awesome! We wish OUR Mommy would make something sweet that she could share with US, but everything she makes has chocolate in it!
Happy birthday to Will!
Pug hugs and kisses!
The Pug Posse
P.S. Great Elvis impersonation :-)

Kelly said...

Umm... I almost fainted at the name of that cake. YES, PLEASE!

LOVE the Elvis look! You ain't nothin' but a Hound Dog, Salinger.

HEHEHE I'm a nerd.

Pugsley and Lola said...

WOW, your house is party central:)
You have a GREAT family!!

Happy Birthday to Will!!

XOXOXO
Pugsley

Unknown said...

your mom is a cake-makin' fool!!

Sandra y Coco Pug said...

Happy birthday to Will! My stepsister is 15, too. My other stepsister turned 14 recently. I will ask mom to bake a vanilla cake (or doggy cake, better) to celebrate her belated birthday. yummy!
Coco

Tweedles -- that's me said...

Happy birthday Will!
Bring in the balloons- another celebration- what a happy time,
Love the Elvis look and love that cake- makes me drool some!
xoxoxox
tweedles

Libby's Library said...

Love that Elvis impersonation!
Sounds like you all have a party every week at your house.

Apollo said...

Yummy looking cake! Salinger, you're so lucky to be a part of so many festivities. Happy Birthday, Will. Loved the Elvis impersonation. Good luck on that peanut butter sandwich.

Archie and Melissa said...

oh what a fabulous party and recipe!

thank you so much for sharing them!

you have the greatest family ever!

xoxoxo
melissa and emmitt

Anonymous said...

OMG i'm drooling! I will have to keep that in mind next time I want cake! :)

Happy Birthday Will!

The Devil Dog said...

Happy Birthday Will. The cake looks delish!

Roxy & Lucky

Becky said...

Love that curled lip! The cake sounds yummy! Party on!!