Elegant and Easy Berry Torte

In a fluke wave of culinary inspiration I came up with an easy yet elegant dessert.

This is a fancy way to use a white cake mix.  The topping is made of cream cheese, sour cream and a little whipping cream--all sweetened with some powdered sugar and vanilla.

Topping with frozen (or fresh) berries and drizzling with chocolate gives this quick and easy desert that gourmet appearance.  This is one you can make ahead and freeze.

I'll be making 26 of these for a women's conference in a few weeks!  

Wish me luck!

Janene’s Elegant and Easy Berry Torte

Cake

1 white cake mix

3 eggs

1 cup oil

1/4 cup water

Bake cake as directed on package, in two 9 inch round cake pans that are greased and floured.

Cool cakes 20 minutes and turn out on rack to cool completely.  Place on serving plates.

Cream Topping

8 oz. cream cheese softened

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Mix softened cream cheese, vanilla and powdered sugar until smooth.  Add in the sour cream and whipping cream.   Then beat mixture on high speed for several minutes until thick and peaks form.  Divide mixture in half placing one half on each of the layer cakes.  Cover just the tops and using a spatula “square up” the sides to form a 1/2”-3/4” high layer of cream topping.  Top with 2 cups frozen triple berries or fresh berries on each.  Melt 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips with 1 T. canola oil in microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir until liquid.  Drizzled on top of berries of each cake.  

Freeze cake until 30-60 min. before serving or refrigerate  the cake with just the cream topping and garnish with berries and chocolate just before serving.  

If berries are frozen let them thaw on cake for about 30 minutes before serving.  Cut each cake into 8 wedges. 

Makes two 9 inch round desserts.  Serves 16.

Nature Girl

I don't know how she does it.  This was the second day in a row that Lucy caught a butterfly with her bare hands.  No net needed.  This girl has such a knack for nature.

Bibs for Baby

 With my younger brother and his wife expecting their third any day, I put together some bibs to send them.  

I used a pattern (my first time using a pattern to make a bib) and I can see the appeal.  

They turned out really well  Imagine that!

thirty-three

I feel like I've been celebrating my birthday for a month.  Turning 33 has meant a very spoiled me.

Starting in L.A. last month with shopping and food galore.

Delightful packages from Germany and Hot Springs full of goodies.

A surprise GNO with some of my Hot Springs peeps.

Breakfast in bed, lovely Amazon Wish List fulfillment from Billy, and lots of homemade trinkets from my little ones. 

Family Sunday weenie-roast celebration.

An evening "off" in Little Rock where I celebrated my with some 

fabulous friends, which happened to be the only time I brought out my camera.

 Teriney, Maud and I shopped new fabric here.  I got some of this; which I've been waiting forever:

photo from DSQuilts.com

Then, we had some good eats at Big Orange.

Thai Steak Salad and Truffle Oil French Fries.

So delicious.

 Holly made it in time for the check.  Then, we headed over to my favorite stay-cation spot.

 After saying adios to T and M, Holly and I headed for book group.

 These ladies deserve a special post all their own.  I have been discussing literature, and pretty much everything else, with some of these dears for almost eight years.

I love my book group.

Love. Love. Love.

All in all, a very nice way to get one year older.  

I think I've partied enough to last until next year.

12 Squared: March Square

Kristin's pick for March.  She chose a Granny Square, which I think is very cool and challenging, in a good way.

 This pattern has inspired me to make a sampler of all the squares the bee is doing this year.  I'm really excited about it, almost more excited about doing a small sampler than my own block.