October started with Spencer's birthday! I can't believe we are getting so old. It's a love/hate relationship. I love how we've grown in maturity and all the new things we get to experience after High School. There is a new sense of freedom we have when we are living on our own. Then you get married to your best friend and it's like a fun sleep over every night! Not to mention you just committed to having the best travel buddy ever! Marriage is awesome in every sense. The things I don't enjoy about getting old are the physical aspects. Don't get me wrong, I'm only 24 and close to my prime, but I've definitely noticed a few things that hurt after working out that typically wouldn't have hurt just a year or so ago. (I blame most of this from sitting at a desk all day staring at a computer screen.) BUT I've decided I wouldn't trade ANY OF IT to go back to High School even just for a day. I'm sure most of us can agree on that one! ; ) o.k. I'm done rambling....
Breakfast and present opening on the morning of Spencer's birthday:
This was Spencer's birthday cake--Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Layered Cake--Can you say ridiculous??! It was so moist and rich you could only eat a little slice of this thing! I'm not going to lie though, it's probably one of the best cakes I've made!!
Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Layered Cake:
For the cake:
I did the usual Chocolate Mousse Cake recipe that I get from my mother in law. Instead of using 1 box of Duncan Hines Devil Food, I used Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix.
1 box Duncan Hines DCF cake mix
1 large box instant chocolate pudding
1 cup oil
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup warm water
4 eggs
1 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips
Mix first 6 ingredients, stirring well. Stir in mini chocolate chips and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
For the filling:
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp.
1/2 cup shortening
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 pounds confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup caramel topping
1/4 teaspoon salt
1. Cream the butter and shortening in the bowl with an electric mixer. Add the vanilla extract, salt and caramel syrup and combine well.
2. Begin adding in the sugar and mixing thoroughly after each addition. After all of the sugar has been added you can try the icing and see if you want to add more caramel syrup. For a thicker filling you can add more sugar. I added a little more whipping cream and caramel which thinned up the consistency a bit since I was going to be using it as a filling instead of frosting.
For the frosting:
I made a dark chocolate butter cream frosting.
2 2/3 cup of confectioner's sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
6 tbsp butter
5-6 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
Combine confectioners' sugar and cocoa in a bowl. Cream butter with a 1/2 cup cocoa mixture in another bowl. Alternatively add remaining cocoa mixture and milk. Beat to spreading consistency. Stir in vanilla. For glazed frosting stir in 1 tbsp of corn syrup (I did not do this step.).
After Conference we went over to the Sevy's for dinner and cake joined by my family also.
One of Spencer's birthday presents was a Switchfoot concert towards the end of October. They have been one of Spencer's favorite bands since the band first got together. It was an awesome concert! They showed a movie to promote their newest album coming out in January. I think this is their 9th album!! It was so cool to see a band that focuses all of their energy on making music that's inspire and uplift and not the junk that most people sing about today! They even started the concert with a prayer--pretty awesome!
All hot and sweaty after the concert:
We were even lucky enough to catch a little mini concert back behind the building by their tour bus. AWESOME. Just Jon Foreman and his guitar.
Thanks for following!!
~Nat
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