Eaton Mess Cake

I fell in love with the name of this cake and it's so pretty on a plate!  That's all it took for me to pick this for our Valentine dessert!  Light, easy to make and we'll call it a "healthy" choice due to all the berries!

This recipe gives you two options...the traditional scratch baker option or the hack option!  I am the latter!  I don't have time or the patience to sift flour and bake meringues for an hour and a half!  I took the cheaters way with this and I have NO complaints on how it turned out.  You do as you wish!

You'll need:

• 3 cups Berries, fresh (your choice of berries)
  2 Egg yolks
  6 Eggs, whole
  1/4 cup Pasteurized egg whites
  2 tsp Lemon juice
  1/2 tsp Baking powder
  1/2 tsp Baking soda
  1 1/4 cup Cake flour
  1/4 tsp Cream of tartar
  1 1/4 cup Granulated sugar
  1/4 tsp Salt
  1/2 cup Sugar
  1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
  1 tsp Vanilla extract, pure
  3/4 cup Canola or vegetable oil
  2 cups Heavy cream

• For the cakes:

• Preheat oven to 350F degrees.  Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans and set aside.
  Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.
  In the bowl on an electric mixer, combine the whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla. Using the whisk attachment, beat on high for about 5 minutes or until the batter resembles pale ribbons. Stop the mixing and remove the mixing bowl form the stand.  Sift the dry ingredients over the top of the batter.  Whisk by hand until just barely combined.
  Pour in the lemon juice and oil and whisk by hand until combined (taking care to not deflate the batter as much as possible).

• Evenly distribute the batter between the two pans and bake for about 35 to 38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Let cool on a wire rack before removing the cakes from their pans

• For the meringues:

• Preheat to oven to 215 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

• 
  In the bowl of an electric mixer, place the egg whites and cream of tartar.  Using the whisk attachment, begin whipping the whites on medium-low.
  Once the egg whites begin to foam, slowly add in the sugar and gradually increase the speed to medium-high.  Continue to whip egg whites until stiff, glossy peaks.  Add in the vanilla and mix for an additional 30 seconds until combined.

• 
  Spoon about 2/3 of the meringue onto the parchment paper into disks (about 3 inches in diameter – these will be broken up, so no need for them to be perfect).  Fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip with the remaining meringue.  Pipe meringue “kisses” on the parchment (use two baking sheets if necessary).  Bake the meringue for about 45 to 75 minutes, or until crisp on the outside and meringue can easily peel off the parchment.
  
  

• For the whipped cream:

• In the bowl on an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the cream on medium-high until it begins to thicken slightly.

• Gradually add in the sugar and vanilla and bump mixer up to high.  Continue to whip the cream until medium-soft peaks.  

• Assembly:

• Once the cakes have cooled, carefully slice them in half (horizontally) using a long serrated knife.

• Break up the meringue disks and set aside.

• Place a bottom layer of cake on a cake plate or serving dish. Spread on 1/4 of the whipped cream.  Top the cream with mixed berried and a generous amount of meringue pieces. Top with the next layer of cake and repeat until all cake layers are used.
  On the very top of the cake, spread on the remaining whipped cream. Top with berries and meringues kisses.

• Hints:

Meringues can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container for four to five days at room temperature. If they become sticky or chewy, bake again for 10 minutes at 200 degrees to restore crispness.

Whipped cream can be stabilized to hold consistency for up to 24 hours by adding 1 tablespoon Insta Clear Jel to the sugar.

Whipped cream can also be stabilized by sprinkling 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin over the cream before beating.

For the Hackers that have little patience but a good heart!

2 boxes of pound cake mix - I like White Lilly

3 cups berries

4 eggs

3 sticks of butter

2 tsp vanilla

3 tsp lemon juice

white vanilla melting discs

1 large tub of Cool Whip

For the cake:

Bake two boxed cake mixes of your choosing.  I did White Lily Pound Cake as directed and added one extra egg (total of 4 eggs) to the mix along with 2tsp vanilla and 2 tsp lemon juice.  Divide batter into 4 round cake pans.  Bake at 350* for 20 minutes.

For the meringues (or not):

Meringues are not my thing.  I don't pipe well and found white vanilla melt chips in the cake aisle and I chopped them fine for the middle layers.  I added some whole discs on the top for color contrast.  Tasty with a little texture is a win-win in my book.

For the whipped cream:

Cool Whip - she's never failed me and I have full faith in this southern staple.  If you're feeling decadent, get the extra creamy or if you're trying to skinny this up, get the non-fat.  Either way, is fine.

Assembly:

Exactly the same as the traditional recipe.  Let your cakes cool completely then assemble with whipping cream and berries, sprinkle with chopped candy discs and repeat.

Hints:

There is a glaze mix in the box of pound cake.  I added 1 tsp lemon juice and 1 tsp water and glazed the very top on my cake!  After tasting this, I'd glaze every layer going forward.

I would also recommend deconstructing this a little and layering it into a trifle or into jelly jars for individual servings!  For jars, add a plastic spoon attached with ribbon and you have the perfect teacher treat or something for your coworkers to have.  You could even reduce the cost and layer it in clear plastic cups.  If you serve it with love and a cute napkin, you can't possibly go wrong!

Ya'll enjoy!

Italian Tortellini Soup

 

Happy New Year and I hope that you and your loved ones are huddled in for a few months of winter. It's the comfort of winter that makes Spring so wonderful!  This is an easy on the budget and easy on the clock dinner that is hearty and delicious!  Just add a good baguette or garlic bread with salad and in half an hour, you're serving dinner!

You'll need:

• 1 lb. ground Italian Sausage
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 pinches red pepper flakes
• 2 cups beef broth


• 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes
• 4 cups vegetable broth or low sodium chicken broth
• 10 ounces refrigerated tortellini
• 3 cups arugula  (or spinach)
• Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Fresh thyme (optional)
• Fresh basil (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Brown the Italian Sausage in a Dutch Oven or stockpot over medium heat.  When it is almost entirely browned, add the onion and cook until the sausage is done browning and the onion has softened.  Turn the heat to low and add the garlic, basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, and red pepper flakes; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the tomato paste with about 1/2 cup of beef broth. Add the vegetable broth, remaining beef broth, fire-roasted tomatoes, and thinned-out tomato paste. Increase the heat to medium and bring it to a low boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer. 
3. Add the cheese tortellini and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the tortellini are cooked to your desired tenderness.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the arugula.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle each bowl with 1-2 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. If desired, garnish with fresh thyme or fresh basil. 

This is a super easy 30 minute meal that will satisfy the heartiest of appetites!  Add bread and a salad and your family is all set for a warm and wonderful bowl of goodness!