Chloê's 6th Birthday

Thats right! Can you believe it, our little Chloê is all grown up now and going to school. sniff, sniff... the kids are all growing up so fast. But I love the stage Chloê and Ainsley are in right now. They're able to do fun stuff like play games with us, learn clapping games, learn how to jump rope, skate boarding and riding a bike! It's so cool to watch them start to learn how to play like big kids.

I went to Chloê's school and we handed out happy face pencils to her classmates (they don't allow birthday treats to be served these days) and I read a great book, There's an Alligator Under My Bed, By Mercer Mayer. The kids in her class loved the book, and requested I read it again or leave the book with Mrs. Hart. I had to tell them that I had to leave... but Chloê would bring the book again later in the year, I promised. I guess after I left, Chloê got a birthday crown and the kids sung happy birthday to her and she got a birthday award certificate. Pretty special day at school.

I made a Chocolate Cake with Buttercream frosting from scratch.

Hershey's Chocolate Cake

2 cups granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting (recipe follows)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes.
3. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
5. Frost with "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

---I doubled the recipe used the pampered chef lg bar pans and made a double layer sheet cake.

Basic French Buttercream Frosting

1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons corn syrup
1/2 cup water
3 eggs
1 pinch salt
1 pound butter

Directions:

Put sugar, corn syrup and water in a saucepan over high heat.

Meanwhile, beat eggs and salt until fluffy, use a heat resistant bowl.

When all of the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is boiling, pour over beating eggs (this basically cooks the egg mixture, be sure to have a hot pad under your bowl). Cut butter into cubes. When the eggs-sugar bowl is lukewarm to the touch, slowly add butter while continuing to beat until fluffy and smooth. Flavor as desired.

This recipe for Basic French Buttercream serves/makes 1 batch.

---I forgot to flavor this the first time through and I thought it didn't turn out right so I added 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted and a Tablespoon of vanilla flavoring. It probably didn't need the powdered sugar but it was fantastic so I left it and repeated it for the second batch.

I got lots of compliments on the frosting, not too sweet but flavorfull and creamy. The cake was wonderfull tasting and light and fluffy, though it was too moist and rich to eat very much.




The party was nice. Grandma Wells and Grandma/Grandpa Schmidt came and Grandpa Ken and Grandma Lori came and Aunt Kathy and Cierra came. We all enjoyed talking and cake and ice cream and presents!

Grandma Lori had a special suprise of a new bike for Chloê.