B’s birthday fell on a Sunday this year, the perfect opportunity for Sunday brunch to start the day! Banana pecan pancakes, freshly squeezed orange juice, coffee and fresh berries were all enjoyed upstairs around our coffee table.
Banana Pecan Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 T sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/2 egg
1/4 t salt
1 1/2 T butter, melted
2 bananas, sliced
2 handfuls pecans, coursely chopped
Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl
In a 2 cup measuring cup, beat buttermilk, egg and melted butter
Pour the milk mixture into the four mixture and whisk gently until combined. The batter should be lumpy but shouldn’t have huge pockets of dry flour mixure.
Pour about 1/4 cup of batter over a skillet set around 350 degrees and cook for about a minute.
Add sliced banana and pecans before flipping to the other side
Serve with warmed maple syrup
After a leisurely morning, we went to UTC to watch our first movie in almost a year. I had made reservations to see “Les Miserables” at the ArcLight…beautiful movie and great experience at the theater! B was even brought to tears watching it!
Then after the movie, dinner at Chin’s was enjoyed before I brought out the cake I had made for this special day:
Red Velvet Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake:
Ingredients:
1 box red velvet cake, prepared per insructions and baked in 2 cake rounds
Vanilla cake:
5 egg whites
1 cup milk
2 1/4 tsp vanilla
3 cups cake flour, sifted
4 tsp baking powder
1 3/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks butter at room temperature, cubed
Stir egg whites, 1/4 cup milk and vanilla. Set Aside
Combine dry ingredients in to mixer bowl on low speed with paddle attachment
Add butter and remaining milk until combined in mixer. Increase to medium speed and mix for a minute.
Add egg mixture in 3 batches, mixing for about 20 seconds after each addition
Divide batter into 2 cake rounds (prepare rounds with butter all around and parchment paper on the bottom
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Do not overbake!
Strawberry Whipped Cream Frosting (to put in between cake layers
1 tub cool whip defrosted
1 stick butter, room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, softened
powdered sugar to taste (about 1/2 cup-2/3 cup)
strawberry puree (about 1/2 cup)
pinch salt
Beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla, powdered sugar and salt until well combined. Fold in strawberry puree and enough Cool Whip for desired consistency. It should be pretty fluffy but somewhat hold it’s shape.
Other ingredients:
Fresh strawberries (1 pint), chopped
1 tub Cool Whip (in addition to the one used to make the frosting)
Cake assembly:
Place first layer of cake down
Frost with strawberry frosting, then sprinkle with strawberries. Repeat with the three remaining layers, alternating between the vanilla cake and red velvet cake. Do not frost the top layer with the strawberry frosting.
Frost the top and sides with Cool Whip
THis is a very tall and impressive cake! Plan accordingly 🙂
Nesting On A Hill 