Andrea turns 9

We let Andrea turn one year older.  I can't believe it.. she is 9 years old. I have tried to make sure she stayed only 8 years older.. but darn it another birthday came again.. What is amazing is that next  year she will be the..duh duh duh.. (music was played here)... double digits.. 10 years old..

This blog isn't about my fear of her turning another year.. rather.. about the sweet tooth we have. I decided to make her a "pool" cake as she became a little fish this summer. She lived in the pool all summer long and cried when it rained or if we didn't have time. A "pool" cake was the most appropriate.

This is a yellow cake with butter cream frosting and a chocolate ganache filling. We had 12 swimmers in our pool and they were honey flavored teddy grahams wearing bathing suits and sunglasses. I forgot to add the diving board (made of graham crackers)

Chris said it was the best filling he ever had. My mom too! She said it was just enough to make the cake better than what it was. I took one Ghiradelli semi sweet chocolate bar and cut it into pieces and then ran it through the food processor to make sure it was small enough chunks. Then I put one cup of heavy cream on the stove and waited until it came to a soft boil and poured it over the chocolate. I let it sit for 15 minutes and then covered and put it in the fridge. It needs to be super cold. It is best to leave it over night but at least 6 hours will do.  After refrigeration, beat with a hand mixer until creamy.  This is only good for a filling and not good for frosting.

Over all, Andrea loved her birthday party with the family and loved her cake.. 9th birthday.. SUCCESS