Cajun Cake w/ Peanut Butter Icing + A Baby Shower + Zydeco Zip

Here is a decadent Cajun dessert that I was introduced to, recently, at a baby shower. It is sinfully delicious and will melt in your mouth, and is a perfect dessert for your Father's Day celebration! Worth the effort and the calories, cher! Cest bon! I will be posting some great Father's Day recipes very soon, so stay tuned!

 

 Cake

2 cups flour
1 tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. almond extract

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add half of the flour mixture, and half of the buttermilk. Stir in the almond extract and mix until blended. Add other half of of flour mixture and milk and beat until smooth and thick. Spread batter in two prepared 8 inch round cake pans. (I use Baker's Joy)

Filling

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 squares semisweet chocolate
1 tsp. almond extract
2 tsp.'s cornstarch, plus a little water to desired consistency

Combine water, sugar, almond extract, and chocolate, in double boiler. Stir in 2 tsp.'s cornstarch mixed with a little water. Cool until thick, and spread between layers of cake.

Icing
 

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
4 cups confectioners sugar
1/3 cup half and half

Beat butter and peanut butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in 2 cups of the sugar and 1/2 of the half and half. Beat in remaining sugar. Add a little more half and half, until smooth or desired consistency is reached. Frost cooled cake and serve.

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A Lovely Baby Shower

My daughter's, best friend is expecting a sweet baby girl in mid August, and we are all very excited! Friends and family recently gathered for a baby shower at The Filling Station Restaurant, in downtown Lafayette. It seems like just yesterday, that they were in high school! Thought I would share a few pics with ya'll.

This is her first baby and second shower, so that baby girl will not want for anything!

Quite a wonderful spread and everything was cest bon, cher!

I loaded up on the fruits and veggies, so I could go heavy on the desserts.

This Strawberry Shortcake was divine, as well as the Peanut Butter Cake!

And this heavenly punch was just perfect to wash everything down with!

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Zydeco Zip

And last but not least, I've had a request for some more Zydeco. Here is a clip that I took of Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas, rev-ing up the crowd at this year's Festival International, in April. Just goes to show you, that you're never too old to shake a leg! Enjoy and let the good times roll, cher!