My brother is the type of person that knows how to commit. We're talking 110%. It doesn't matter how big or small the task. If he's invested, you're going to get the optimal results. This puritan work ethic is reflected in his academic and business achievements. There is no middle road- he gets sh*t done- end of discussion.
Which is why, you can imagine, when he announced his plan to get a masters in Computer Science, none of us batted an eye. Of course he would get it. This is Joey we're talking about. What CAN'T he do? Aside from cutting himself some slack but that's a story for another day. He put his brain into clutch and devoured vocabulary flash cards and practice tests. And what do you know... his GRE scores come out stellar. Ivy league status quite frankly.
Shortly there after, he called excited to tell the good news with the opening line, "Guess what!" My immediate response was a flat-toned, "you got into the university." Apparently my lack of surprise was noted but seriously... what was there to be surprised about? I tested him on words that I didn't even know existed in the English language! He had worked hard, as usual, and earned his admission.
In an effort to show love and appreciation for all his hard work, we had a surprise lunch party and I made this humble cake. This cake is no stranger to this blog- it's actually the hazelnut cake I made for my birthday/proposal weekend. It's a delectable confection with thin layer of nutella in the middle. I am ga-ga for this cake's moist, airy texture.
What I really wanted to do was show case the frosting. This is no radical idea but when I saw it online, I was totally smitten. Pastel frosting with a solid white detail. How flipping cute is that? It's your standard issue buttercream with some hazelnut extract for subtle flavor and a few drops of green food coloring. The original recipe uses a Swiss Vanilla Meringue buttercream but as Mike will tell you... something about me and meringue frosting do not get along. There will be a round 2 my pretty.
At the end of the day, it was a darling cake that was happily demolished! Mad love to you my dear brother and your persistence. Now all I ask is you learn to bask in your achievements and actually ENJOY the fruits of your labor.
For the cake recipe, check out my earlier post for Heavenly Hazelnut Cake! Use the buttercream of your choice. In retrospect, I would have liked to use this one by I am Baker. It's great for decorating.
