My One Year Blogging Anniversary and Birthday!!

I started my food blog exactly one year ago today and cannot believe how much I enjoy this and look forward to baking (and cooking) new recipes. I discovered that I have a real of love of baking, probably because I love cake and cookies more than any other food. I still have many more (countless) recipes to try and definitely need to challenge myself more. Still have my fear of yeast and of making a 7 minute frosting (Katy I chickened out at the last minute!). But I know that if I push myself I can do it! I want to thank everyone for leaving all your positive and encouraging comments. I love when you all stop by and have a blast reading the comments. Thank you all so much. I want to also give a special thanks to my husband, Danny. He is my biggest supporter and gives me tons of encouragement, especially when I think I can't cook or bake!!! He always tells me how good a cook and baker I am. That means a lot to me.

Today is also my birthday and let's just say I am older than dirt. They say that age is a state of mind....well if that is the case I am 18 but when I look in the mirror....I am old!!!! Because it's my birthday, I have made my favorite cake....a chocolate layer cake with white frosting. I tasted a small sliver of the cake last night before I frosted it and it is good. This will be the chocolate cake I will make from now on. It's a rich devil's food cake. The frosting tastes like a marshmallow frosting which I love!!! It's cooked first mixing milk and flour. I think this is the way frostings were made years back but I'm not sure. I love cooked frostings like this. They are soooo good. Next time I want to make the popular 7 minute frosting. It just has me a bit nervous since you beat it on top of a double boiler. I don't know why I worry about that....maybe it's my nature. Anyhow I found this on Recipezaar and it is out of this world good!!!!!

THE ONLY CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE YOU'LL EVER NEED! (DEVIL'S FOOD) recipe #26370

CAKE
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup hot coffee
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

FROSTING
1 cup milk
5 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar (I used powdered sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 F
In a large mixing bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Add oil, coffee and milk and mix at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat 2 more minutes. Expect batter to be thin.
Pour into a 9 x 13 greased and floured pan or 2 9" round pans. Bake 9 x 13 pan for about 45 minutes or 9" pans for about 30 minutes. Cool in pans for about 15 minutes and then cool completely on racks.

While cake is cooling make the icing: Combine the milk and flour in a saucepan and cook over low heat until thick, whisking constantly. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
In a medium bowl, beat butter, shortening, sugar and vanilla until creamy. Add chilled milk and flour mixture and beat for 10 minutes. Frost cooled cake and enjoy!!!!