Lucy looks so very wary of this whole “Christmas” thing.
Mom made Italian Rainbow Cake: 3-layer cake filled with raspberry & apricot jam and covered with chocolate ganache. (Recipe after the jump!)
Dad; Mom; wine.
I am SO. GOOD. at puzzles.
See? That is some serious focus.
(Mom says looking at the box is cheating. I think she lies.)
All the puzzle-ing bored the kids.
Pretty/delicious.
ITALIAN RAINBOW CAKE (Recipe from Always Order Dessert):
What you need:
3 sticks butter, softened
1.5 cups granulated white sugar
6 large eggs
12 ounces of almond paste, grated with a box grater
1 tablespoon pure almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
3 teaspoons baking powder
red food coloring
green food coloring
yellow food coloring
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/4 cup apricot preserves
For the ganache:
1 cup heavy cream
12 oz semisweet chocolate
Special equipment:
Three 9″ round pans, buttered and floured, with a circle of parchment paper on the bottom
What you do:
1. In the base of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. About 5 minutes. Add the eggs and continue to beat for 3 more minutes. Add the grated almond paste and almond extract and beat until well combined.
2. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder then slowly add to the almond paste batter and mix until combined.
3. Separate the mixture evenly into three bowls. Dye each bowl a different shade (one green, one yellow, one red).
4. Pour each color of the mixture into individual pans making sure to smooth out the top. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack. Remove the parchment paper and let cool completely.
5. While the cake is cooling, prepare the ganache by heating 1 cup of heavy cream in a small saucepan just until bubbles start to form around the edge. Turn off the heat and pour over the chocolate in a large bowl. Stir continuously until melted completely and smooth. Let cool to room temperature.
Assembling the cake:
6. Start with the pink layer of the cake and spread with the raspberry jam until it nearly reaches the edges of the cake. Top with the yellow cake. Spread this with the apricot preserves. Top with the final green layer.
7. Use a spoon to pour the ganache over the cake, using an offset spatula to even the sides and make sure the cake is completely covered. Use as much ganache as you need. Let sit at room temperature in a cool spot for 1-2 hours until completely set. Decorate the cake as desired (optional).
