Hajar Is 4!

Notice the figure candle...it was supposed to be no 4, and i was in a haste yesterday that I bought a no 2 candle instead...yikes!

....so it was Hajar's birthday yesterday, and it was also the last night of Syawal. Hubs decided that we throw a small party aka makan-makan only to 4 families! My inlaws, my new neighbours whom I have not met (hubs went to their tahlil housewarming party before Ramadhan...I was busy with my household chores, that I missed the event!), Shila SW and family and BadLiza and their family of three going to be four kids soon (hubs actually asked if we want to have a new addition when he learnt that Liza is 8 weeks preggers, yikes...where am I going to shove my stilettos...nah!

I didn't have time to cook, I was busy baking till the night before...hubs wanted a Pink Rainbow Cake and a mini macarons' tower...so, we decided to tapau from Saba some Chicken and Lamb Kabsya, with side dishes and some Lebanese bread, ordered pizzas from Dominos (yeay from the kids!), SW brought KFC's fried chicken (and another yeay from the kids!), some grapes, cotton candies (well devoured by everyone including the orang tuas!) and some fruit juices!

It was great, stress free and everyone ate and chatted....and the whole thing was a pink theme! Hajar was delighted when she saw me made the pink cake and tying pink ribbons for her macaron tower! So...here goes.....

pink balloons...

always finger licking good!

You can see the kakak and the abang are more excited!

A glimpse of the tower...more of a bunga and ribbon tower, I just made extra macarons to do this...and I made only 3 layers of the rainbow cake...I was so sleepy that I didnt think to make 5 layers, it was close to 12 am when I made the cake...another yikes!

Kids' shots...I like....

...some more kids shots and Yusof and Sara....

....and if you want to give a hand at baking the cake...

Dorie Greenspan's Best Party Cake...indeed it is!

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk, made buttermilk using lemon juice
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar, I used 1 cup only
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 stick (8 tbsp or about 113g) unsalted butter, I used salted Tatura
1/2 tsp lemon extract, I used lemon juice! I added 1/2 tsp vanilla....just loved vanilla!
I used Americolor's fuschia gel colour

Method
Prepare cake tins, I used 4, 5 inches cake rings. This batter will make a nice pair of 8 inches cakes.Preheat oven at 170C.
Sift together cake flour, baking powder, salt. In another bowl whisk together egg white and buttermilk.
Cream butter, sugar, zest, vanilla until light and fluffy.
Beat in half the eggwhite buttermilk mixture, add the flour mixture. Repeat this with the remaining eggwhite buttermilk mixture and flour mixture. Give a final 2 minutes blitz to ensure all are incorporated.
Divide the batter amongst the cake tins. Bake for about 30 minutes.

I topped with Swiss Meringue Buttercream and layered the cakes with Maman's Strawberry jam...full of fruits and so not sweet...lovely lovely finish to the whole cake!

Okay...enjoy, and please bake this cake!....more bake stories later tra!