Lemon Meringue Slab Cake

Finally we are back on the theme of slab cake. This one today is perfect for a Spring day. It is light and fluffy and just the right treat. We are making a lemon meringue slab cake. All of the slab cakes that we have tried out have taken on many similar ingredients and steps with just a few differences so it has been easy after making the first one. Take a look and make this light dessert for the long weekend ahead.

For the cake you will need…

½ cup of butter, melted

1 2/3 cups of flour

2 tsp. of baking powder

1 tsp. of salt

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 tsp. lemon zest (roughly from two lemons)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup of sour cream

For the meringue topping you will need...

1 1/3 cups of sugar

1/4 tsp. of cream of tartar

4 large egg whites

How to…

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Butter a 9x13 inch pan and line with a parchment paper sling.

Whisk the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt).

Combine the eggs and sugar and beat on high until thick, about 4 minutes.

Add the flour to this mixture and beat just to combine it.

Next add the melted butter in along with the lemon zest and vanilla.

Lastly, add the sour cream and beat until combined.

Scrape the batter into the pan and bake for about 35 minutes.

Cool in pan and then after about 10 minutes remove by the sling and cool further on a wire rack.

You can make this cake the day or two before assembling and eating but you will need to store it in an airtight container in the fridge.

When you are ready to top your cake, place 1 cup of the sugar, 5 tbsp. of water, and cream of tartar in a pan over medium heat.

Boil and cook for 4 minutes.

While this is cooking, beat the egg whites on high until soft peaks form. Then gradually add in the last 1/3 cup of sugar beating until the sugar has dissolved.

With your mixer running, pour in the hot syrup along the side of the bowl. Beat until the metal bowl is cool to the touch. It should be very fluffy.

                                                          

Spread over your cake and use a torch to brown the top.

Slice and enjoy! 

Oscar Dress Card Part Two

Welcome to Oscar dress card tutorial day. Last week we counted down our favourite Oscar outfits and we picked Vanessa Kirby’s light pink elegant gown as our #1 choice. Today we will unveil our card inspired by this gown and the steps to make it. Take a look…

First of all I went through all of the pink cardstock and picked out a couple lighter shades.

I used a darker shade as the base/card measuring 4 ¾ x 6 ¾ inches.

Next I cut a larger layer 4 ½ x 6 ½ inches to go onto the card front. It was the lightest shade of pink almost similar to the colour of the actual gown.

Then I chose a pink shade in-between the two and I cut two 1 ¼ inch wide strips the length of the sheet of cardstock.

I glued those strips down onto the light layer from diagonal corner to diagonal corner forming almost an X or what reminded me of the deep V neck on the dress. I then trimmed the strips to fit onto the card.

Then I glued this layer onto the card front.

Now I cut two more layers. One is a sparkly silver layer (2 ½ x 2 ¾  inches) representing the simple necklace that complimented the gown and then a smaller white layer (2 ½ x 2 inches) for stamping.

I stamped the white layer with a simple word “Happy” and I did this in red ink and embossed it. I wanted to really tie the entire Oscar look into the card so I incorporated her red lips and nails by stamping in red.

Then I glued the white layer off center onto the silver layer.

I put a foam piece on the back and then attached that to the center of the card covering where the two strips of pink come together in the middle.

And there you have our 2021 Oscar dress card!

Oscar Dress Card 2021 Part 1

 

Alright, it’s finally Oscar dress card time. The Oscars were defiantly a lower key type of situation this year and they should be due to COVID, but those who attended still had some gorgeous outfits that inspired us to create a beautiful and vibrant 2021 Oscar card. This year we are doing things kind of different. We’ll be doing our top 10 countdown today but you’ll have to stay tuned for next week’s Oscar card tutorial and reveal! Here are our top 10 outfits (in no particular order except for our number one choice). 

Zendaya – Yellow and bright colours seem to be big this year. After a very dull and sad year, it was nice to see all this brightness and happiness. It’s not just yellow, it’s neon yellow so there was no way to not notice it.

Regina King- This dress may not be for everyone but for some reason I was drawn to it. The silk and the sparkly stripes worked together. The shoulders and sleeves may seem a bit too much for some, but overall it was a very pretty dress.

Margot Robbie- Print...this dress reminded me of the 90s. I may have even had a dress similar to this. The version that Margot Robbie wore was elevated. It had a simpleness to it but it also seemed very glamourous and sophisticated.

Amanda Seyfried – Red and poofy! This gown was something else. Not everyone can pull off such a big gown but it was perfect for Amanda Seyfried and it just caught your eye. The deep V and all of the rouching took it to the next level.

Colman Domingo- Pink and sparkly, this suit is so cheerful and bright. It really stood out and not in a bad way. It has just the right amount of glamour and pizzazz and I loved it.

Leslie Odom Jr.- Anything that includes gold stands out to me and this was no exception. The suit had more of a muted matte gold look so it wasn’t too much.

Halle Berry-This gown was very pretty. I think that is the best word to describe it. It was a shade of pink that you don’t see too often; it was soft and calming. It had so many little outstanding elements like the bow on the front, the layering, the soft sweet color, and the beautiful bodice.

Viola Davis- The white gown that Viola Davis had on was gorgeous. The cutout design at the top complimented the flowy simple bottom. Very elegant.

Carey Mulligan – Ok, so I was torn between this gown and the one I chose as number for the top pick and Oscar card; both are very different from each other. I loved this colour. It was more of a metallic yellow than gold. It’s not one that everyone can pull off, I couldn’t, but again it just exudes this happiness and cheerfulness because of its brightness. I also loved the cutout and the wide poof of the skirt.

Vanessa Kirby- As my number one choice I picked Vanessa Kirby’s gown. It is very simple, but I found it so elegant and the soft blush colour makes for a classic. The small cutout on the bodice, backless element, and the train worked to further the elegance. It reminds me of something that Audrey Hepburn would wear.

There you have our top 10 Oscar outfits. See you next week with our card inspired by Vanessa Kirby's 2021 Oscar gown.

Slab Cakes - Chocolate Chip

 

Long time no blog! Haha. Time flies and stands still when you’re in the middle of a pandemic. And for some reason there is so much to do. I have been on a bit of a break from work and am trying out a ton of slab cake recipes that I found. The first one is a chocolate one and boy was it delicious and so moist and fluffy!

Ingredients for the Cake…

1/2 cup of margarine, melted and cooled

1 1/3 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup sour cream

Ingredients for the Chocolate Icing…

1 cup of margarine, softened

2 cups icing sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup milk

2 tbsp. or more of mini chocolate chips or sprinkles for topping 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch pan. Line with parchment, leaving a 2 inch overhang on long sides. Grease parchment.

                                                        

Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.

Combine eggs and granulated sugar in the bowl and beat on high speed until thick and pale, about 4 minutes.

Add flour mixture; beat just to combine.

Add butter and vanilla; beat to combine.

Add sour cream; beat until smooth.

Scrape batter into prepared pan.

Bake until top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick comes out clean and batter free about 30 to 35 minutes.

Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes.

Using parchment overhangs, lift out of pan and let cool completely on rack.

For the frosting…

Beat together margarine, icing sugar, cocoa, and milk on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Spread over top of cake.

Decorate with chocolate sprinkles or I used mini chocolate chips which were so delicious.