Hello! I’m back, sunburnt, over-tired, and ready to start the (super-fun!) process of looking at my vacation photos. So, this post will be short—one to tide you over until I write up my vacation, boring you silly with the details (you’re excited, right? right?) I’m really only writing because:
Yes, you heard me, I completed the Daring Bakers challenge even though the deadline coincided with the first day back from my vacation. See, this month, I was a good DB. I knew I wouldn’t be able to procrastinate until the absolute-last-minute before deadline and I made this cake ahead of time. I know, I’m just that good.
The challenge was Dorie Greenspan’s Party Cake and we were encourage to play around as much as we liked. I used orange marmalade as my filling. It doesn’t make for a pretty cake—one where every layer is cut with a beautiful red stripe of raspberry jam—but it was the only homemade jam I had on hand and the tanginess of the orange and lemon in the marmalade was great with the buttermilk cake and buttermilk whipped cream topping.
The challenge was hosted by Morven and you can find the recipe on her page (sorry, I’m being lazy). To make my version, substitute orange marmalade for the lemon curd, take out the coconut, and use buttermilk whipped cream instead of the icing (1/3 cup buttermilk to 2/3 cup whipping cream, with 2 tablespoons of sugar—whipped to your liking.)
I would give you some details about how it tasted, but I’m tired, so go look at all the other wonderful DB posts and drool over their much-prettier-than-mine cakes! I’m going to go take a nap.
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March 30, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Do you deliver?? ;-) That looks awesome!
March 30, 2008 at 2:57 pm
The lemons are fantastic! I made my cake early,too! If I had waited there would be no post from me either. Great job!
March 30, 2008 at 4:09 pm
haha talk about being a trooper! I hope you enjoyed your vacation, lord knows I’m dying for one. This cake is really delightful but the layers were a little too light and tender. When I cut into the cake I was scared that it would be a little lopsided. But alls well that ends well :) welcome back
March 30, 2008 at 4:10 pm
Beautiful cake! I love the lemons on top.
March 30, 2008 at 6:28 pm
I love the lemons on top…beautiful cake. Unfortunately my dog ate mine (I got pics before) so I will have to make it again just to be able to eat it!
Hope your vacation was amazing and can’t wait to hear all about it (living vicariously through others right now!).
March 30, 2008 at 7:01 pm
this cake looks so light and fresh in flavours.
March 30, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Looks great!! I love the lemons on top!
March 30, 2008 at 7:49 pm
The citrus on top is absolutely gorgeous–and so creative too! Way to go!
March 30, 2008 at 9:20 pm
love love love the idea of marmalade!! genius!
March 30, 2008 at 9:37 pm
I think it looks lovely!!
March 30, 2008 at 10:31 pm
love it! I’ve never even heard of buttermilk whipped cream, that sounds really good!
March 30, 2008 at 11:40 pm
Welcome back from your vacation! The wonderful thing with DB is how you can leave things in drafts after the challengs is complete. One need only remember the day it’s due. Great job!
March 30, 2008 at 11:56 pm
Don’t doubt yourself, this looks and sounds amazing!
- The Peanut Butter Boy
March 31, 2008 at 12:56 am
my guess is that it tasted AMAZING
LOVE the marmalade
i want a slice sooooo much!
March 31, 2008 at 5:21 am
A great idea! Your cake looks wonderful! Very well done!
Cheers,
Rosa
March 31, 2008 at 7:36 am
Love the clean yellow and white look of the cake!
March 31, 2008 at 11:22 am
That cake looks good!
March 31, 2008 at 1:09 pm
buttermilk whipped cream topping, that sound delicious. your cake looks mouthwatering to me !
March 31, 2008 at 1:37 pm
There is nothing that beats good planning….the cake looks lovely and i can taste the tartness….
March 31, 2008 at 2:25 pm
This looks fantastic altogether!!! YUM
March 31, 2008 at 2:57 pm
that’s dedication! and a happy looking cake.
March 31, 2008 at 3:27 pm
I love the big slices of lemon on the top of your cake, and using lemon curd as filling was a good idea. The buttercream on the outside of mine tasted fine the day it was made, but once it sits in the fridge for a while it gets hard and I just can’t make myself eat it (I feel like I’m eating straight butter). Next time I will use whipped cream all over I think, or try it your way! :)
April 1, 2008 at 4:14 am
That is one GREAT looking cake, Wow!
It must have tasted wonderful.
April 1, 2008 at 10:11 am
I thought the caked looked beautiful and refreshing, great job!!!
April 1, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Don’t sell yourself short – I love the subtle stripes the marmalade makes, and the color combo is perfect for spring!
April 1, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Luna- Hey now, that could be a money-maker! LoL
Amanda- Oh yes, we enjoyed every minute of it… and now that I’m back at work, I need another vacation!
Cait- The buttermilk whipped cream was really fabulous, I think it was my favorite part of the cake!
Thank you to everyone who commented!! I love that we DBer’s can find new sites every month scrolling through the DB blogroll!!!
April 1, 2008 at 6:51 pm
welcome back robin!
I admire you for being a part of the DB. I can barely make a batch of cookies. ;)
April 1, 2008 at 8:42 pm
I admire your ability to bake! Just thinking about making a cake from scratch makes me sleepy *yawn* though I would gladly eat it if someone else made it!
April 2, 2008 at 5:44 am
such an amazing cake!
April 2, 2008 at 11:17 am
I love orange marmalade! But unfortunately, I am again alone in this at my house :( I would have loved an orange cake.
Your cake looks delicious with all the fluffy frosting and golden insides.
April 2, 2008 at 11:40 am
When are the Daring Bakers gonna assign this girl some goddamn chocolate? I mean, this cake was good; it really was — you see the pictures. It was light and moist, not too sweet, and had pleasant lingering orange tang. But goddamn it, man! She’s been in this club for like a half a year, and I have yet to a taste a molten chocolate cake, which is obviously the most daring dessert of all. C’mon — it’s fucking molten!
April 3, 2008 at 8:48 pm
I -love- that first picture. What a wonderfully fabulous looking cake!