101-Articulations; 101-Salivations

I just realised that the previous post is post #101! Now this is a milestone for any new blogger. Over a hundred things i've said about food (and animals), over a hundred things i've baked and over a hundred things i've eaten! Wow, the mere thought of the latter has just increased my waistline by a few inches. I'm so glad to say that although I've eaten my way through a massive number of cakes, cookies and pastries and laid waste to some of Sydney's best bakeries and market places, I am gratefully not the size of a house, I have no apparent need of starting a Weight Watchers program and I haven't had to change which notch I use on my belt. The mere fact that my jeans still fit perfectly are a testament to the adage that you can have your cake and eat it to. What better way to celebrate than with more cake!

And who said blogging wasn't good excercise? Carrying groceries, whisking egg whites by hand and kneading dough is all strenuous work and should really count towards your daily excercise regimen. Okay, so perhaps i'm just trying to find an excuse to pass off shopping everyday for daily excercise. But it's not an easy feat traipsing up and down busy market thoroughfares shoving and elbowing to get better photographic angles and dodging granny trolleys and the occasional over-excited dog just to get to a punnet of strawberries. Carrying those hoardes of groceries and produce from the markets is quite a workout, my biceps have never looked better. Overall, I would highly recomend food blogging as an effective means of excercise.

Not only is it great excercise but is also a formidable outlet for meaningless banter which most of my family and friends would otherwise not have a bar of. But most importantly I have been able to encounter some truly wonderful people. A sincere thank you to all of you who read the chatter on this blog and especially to all the Sydney bloggers that have made me feel welcome to the community. I experienced no cruel initiation, no harsh whackings with a wooden paddle while blind-folded, just a lot of virtual smiles, handshakes and good cheer. I've said it before and I'll say it again but I think food bloggers are some of the most amicable bunch of people.

Anyway, here are some pictures of food since this is a food blog after all. This is the cake I am celebrating with- Buttermilk Mini Cakes with Lemon Frosting. And despite all of my endorsing eating all the cake and pastries you want, I do really advocate healthy eating and a balanced diet. I really would be the size of a house, if I didn't employ some amount of wisdom in my eating habits. So kids, make sure you eat your vegetables; replace your chocolate cake with a much healthier slice of carrot cake. Enjoy!

Buttermilk Cake
adapted from Bill's Food

125g (4½ oz) unsalted butter, softened
250g (1 cup) raw caster sugar
2 eggs
250ml (1 cup) buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g (2 cups) plain all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
lemon frosting (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 180°C. Prepare a rectangular or square tin with parchment paper.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a dry bowl.
In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Then beat in buttermilk and vanilla until combined.
Sift in the flour mixture in two batches, mixing after each addition.
Pour the batter into lined baking tins and smooth the top with a spatula.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Allow to cool in the time for 10 minutes, then remove and transfer to a wire rack.
When completely cool and rested, cut the cake into even squares.
Drizzle with Lemon Frosting and top with some sugar rocks.

Lemon Frosting

½ cup raw icing/confectioner’s sugar
2-4 tsp milk
1 tsp lemon juice
sugar rocks

Combine sugar, milk and lemon juice in a small bowl and mix until of a smooth drizzling consistency.
Drizzle evenly over mini cakes and top with sugar rocks and stars.

NOTE: All the sugars used are raw, which explains the brown colour of the cake and icing. You may substitute the raw sugar with conventional one.