The simple act of Cake means celebration to me. And indeed, there's a lot to celebrate right now: May Day, the full-blown coming of spring and the imminent arrival of summer, my friend Kashy's birthday (happy birthday, Kashy!), the OBL news-- the list goes on. So much happiness to celebrate at the beginning of May!
Here's my celebratory cake: a celebration hummingbird cake, with sweet, incredibly moist layers packed full of banana, pineapple, and coconut, with the nutty crunch of pecans and the slightly sour and salty finish of cream cheese frosting. Usually, I'm not a big fan of a million and one healthy ingredients invading my cake space, but for some reason, a hummingbird cake, dressed up with the addition of coconut, just seemed perfect for the season. There's something about the changing weather, the noticeably longer days, and the softer light in the evenings that just makes me really want to eat fruit and nuts and vegetables more than I did during the winter. And berry and stone fruit seasons are right around the corner!
Okay, now, before you get your slice of cake, there's one last BIG piece of news to share--one last HUGE point of celebration. desserts for breakfast has been chosen as a finalist in Saveur magazine's 2011 Best Food Blog Awards for Best Baking and Desserts Blog.
You guys, words cannot express how hugely flattered and honored I am to be nominated by you all and to be chosen as a finalist by the editors at Saveur. I'm in such incredible company that I just can't really believe it. Thank you thank you thank you. Now, I have one more request, if I may: please, head on over to Saveur and VOTE for desserts for breakfast for Best Baking and Desserts Blog! The ultimate decision is up to popular vote, so go vote and tell all of your friends and family and family friends and postmen and barbers and everyone to go and vote, too! (You have to register, which is a wee bit annoying, but ye shall be rewarded with celebration cake and much gratitude from me. ;-))
So here's wishing everyone a happy upcoming May packed full of celebration and cake! If you have something to celebrate, share it with me below!
Read on for recipe....
. The key here balancing the light sweet scent of the rose in the cream cheese frosting with the robust dark chocolate espresso pound cake underneath--my friend who tried the cake called it the perfect "breakfast cupcake," given how dense and buttery but not-too-sweet the cake is. Oh, and why are these called "double chocolate"? Because they also have a healthy handful of bittersweet chocolate chips thrown in to the mix. Despite what Hallmark says, really Valentine's Day is about celebrating chocolate. (Though I don't doubt for a second that there's a Hallmark card out there that says just that!)
