Classic VanilLAW Cake with Raspberry Filling and Milk Chocolate Frosting

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY OF LAW SCHOOL. Insane. Three years come to an end today. I don't know what to do with myself...

So, I baked a cake. This cake is celebrating two things -- Meagan's Birthday and the end of our law school lives. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEAGS!

The cake is on the denser side. It's good, but it almost resembles pound cake. The real money is the FROSTING. Honestly, this might be the best frosting to have ever touched my lips. I ate spoonfuls of it when I was done frosting the cake...I never do that.

What you'll need for...

The Cake:
- 4 cups flour
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 2 cup milk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 4 eggs

The Filling: 
- 1-2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)

The Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla

How you make...

The Cake:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8-inch pans (I used Pam spray).

Then mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add in the butter, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Using a hand mixer, beat everything together until well incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans, trying to make them as equal as possible. Place them in the oven and bake for 30-33 minutes. They cakes should be a light golden brown and a toothpick should come out cleanly. Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 15 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack (or a plate.

The Frosting:

Using either a hand mixer or a Kitchen Aid, cream the butter on medium for 4 minutes. Add in the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, then mix on low for a minutes. Next, add in the milk and vanilla extract. Again, mix on medium until mostly incorporated. Then, turn up the mixer on high and let it mix for 4-5 minutes until the frosting is fluffy and has a lighter chocolate color.

The Assembly:

Alright, this is the fun (messy/scary) part. Trim your cake tops so that they are flat and will lay nicely on top of on another. Place you first layer down. I like to place the "bottom" of the individual cakes face up (this provides you a smoother top surface). Spread about 1/3 of the frosting across the top of the bottom layer. Then, sprinkle the raspberries over the frosting. Place the next cake layer on top of that (again, "bottom" up) and put the remainder of the frosting on the top and sides of the cake.

AND YOU'RE DONE! Let the cake sit for 1-1.5 hours before serving. YUMMMM

It looked so good, I couldn't wait for the birthday party -- I made mini cake sandwiches from the cake trimmings. SO GOOD! YUMMMMM

Pis-STATUTE-io and Cranberry Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Law school classes end in 8 days. Then only a few papers stand in my way of graduation. How did this happen? It feels like just a few months ago, I met my friends for the first time during our ID photos (week 1 superstars); just last week, I was working in San Francisco; and just yesterday, I was having fish-filet taste-tests. It has been a crazy three years. I'm not sure how I survived it without serious mental scarring. Seriously.

Thank you blog for giving me a excuse to "taste-test" cookies whenever I am stressed.

I really want to get into a "look back" post, but I'll save that for my next entry. Right now, I'm on the final stretch and it's time to full out sprint. ALMOST THERE!

What you'll need:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup toasted pistachios, shucked and chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
- juice of half a lemon
- lemon zest from one lemon
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 3/4 suger


How you make it:

Don't turn on the oven. Lately, I am obsessed with freezing my cookie dough before baking. It really does result in a better cookie -- they're softer (yet crispy), they're thicker, and they're so much better looking.

Start by mixing the butter, sugar, and zest until white and fluffy. Then mix in the juice. Slowly add in the flour at low speed until dough forms. Fold in the cranberries and pistachios.

Then, in wax paper, roll the dough into a 2 inch thick log. Once you have a neat roll, place it in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. (I left it in overnight)

When you're ready to bake, preheat your over to 350 degrees. Let the cookie dough log sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. Then, roll the cookie dough log in white sugar. I decided to get a little fancy and rolled the log in turbinado sugar, which adds a "glittery" look.  (but that is completely unnecessary and regular sugar is both easier and just as nice.)

Now slice the roll into 1/2-inch rounds. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 12-18 minutes, rotating at the 9 minute mark. When the cookies are lightly brown, they're done! DO NOT TRY TO REMOVE THE COOKIES RIGHT AWAY! Let them cool for at least 10 minutes, or else they will stick and crumble.

Ta-da! You have delicious cookies now. ENJOY!