Everything in life should be celebrated with cake.

welcome to the first official blog post of blue bird berry!

vanilla bean cake w/ whipped cream frosting + fresh berries.

my name is ash and i have a real problem when it comes to food.  i am obsessed with cooking, baking, watching cooking shows, reading cookbooks and cooking magazines, looking at pictures of food porn, trying new restaurants, grocery shopping, and of course eating! 

i can't fight it. i could talk about food all day long, but I try not to, because not everyone shares in my profound love of food.

a little bit about the recipes you will find in this blog:  in my life i have been an omnivore, a vegetarian, and a vegan. i finally found the best diet to fit me is incorporating only poultry, seafood, and eggs as the meat portion of my diet (no red meat), i also eat dairy. i try to eat organic and whole foods whenever possible, and i still love playing around with different vegan and vegetarian meals, too.

i am a bit of a renaissance woman when it comes to my interests and hobbies so you will see more than just recipes. i love summer time, crafting, thrifting + antiquing, all things british + french, yoga + pilates,  home improvement projects, interior design, art, music (especially led zeppelin), knitting + crocheting, reading, photography, diy all natural products, my sweet + hilarious husband, my dog, and my cat.

friday is my husband, b's, birthday. i couldn't wait until friday to make his cake, because the plans i had in my head for this thing were just too insane and delicious, so i made the cake... and it was unreal.

see recipe below.

vanilla bean cake w/ whipped cream frosting + fresh berries.

vanilla bean cake + whipped cream frosting + fresh berries

you will need:

cake
1 box trader joe's vanilla bean cake + baking mix (if you use a different cake mix, or your own cake recipe, follow the directions as they are listed on the
1 cup milk
1 stick melted butter + more butter to grease pan
2 eggs

frosting
1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar

topping
2-3 tbsp powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 1/2 - 2 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup whole blackberries

prepare cake following directions on the box. preheat oven to 350°F (for dark / nonstick pans 325°F).  beat melted butter, eggs, and milk with a whisk until combined, once combined add in the cake mix and whisk until lump free. grease a 10" springform pan (you can use other smaller sizes, but it will add to your cooking times). pour mix into cake pan and bake for 35 minutes until a fork / toothpick comes out of the cake clean. allow cake to cool about 15 minutes. i am inpatient and waited only waited 5 minutes.

pour heavy whipping cream and confectioners sugar together, in a bowl. i strongly recommend using an electric hand mixer, because if you don't your arm may fall of from the exhaustion of manually whisking, but if you are strong and bold, go for it. on high-speed mix the cream and sugar together until it begins to stiffen and form peaks. your goal is to have something that resembles the whip cream that comes out of a spray can.

spread whipped cream mixture liberally on top of cake. sprinkle strawberries and blackberries randomly on top of cake. lightly sprinkle both the confectioner's sugar and cocoa powder on top of cake, really you just want a gesture of the sugar and cocoa on top, more so for looks than for taste.

serve right away or refrigerate.

enjoy!