My Dazzling Dessert

Thanks to Holly for hosting this blogable feast!

I'm not a designer like most of the other bloggers who are participating, but I love fabric and I love quilting. Thank you to those of you who are a fabric designer, pattern designer, and quilt shop owner who help me to make beautiful quilts to decorate my home, keep my family warm, and help to keep my creative mind busy!

My dessert recipe comes from the December 1999 issue of Southern Living Magazine. My favorite quilt shop, The Village Mercantile, is a quilt shop downstairs, and an adorable tea room upstairs. My favorite dessert there is the Italian Cream Cake. It is truly a 3-layer delight! When I was this recipe in the magazine, I just had to try it! Sure enough, it tastes just as good as the tearoom's! I make it when I invite my quilting friends over for my annual Christmas Fat Quarter Exchange. A Christmas Fat Quarter Exchange??? I'll blog about that in another post, soon so you can host one for you and your friends.

Quick Italian Cream Cake

Taken from "Southern Living Magazine", December 1999.

The article is "Holiday Cakes in Less Time".

1 (8.5 ounce) package white cake mix (Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe)

3 large eggs

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 (3 1/2) ounce flaked coconut

3 Tablespoons rum (optional)

2/3 cup pecans,toasted

Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Stir in coconut and pecans. Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean. Cool pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Sprinkle layers evenly with rum, if desired; let stand 10 minutes. Spread frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Chill 2 hours before slicing. This makes 1 (3 layer) cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 (16 ounce) package powdered sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Stir in pecans and vanilla. This makes 4 cups.

My project that I am currently working on is a fall leaf quilt, Turning Leaves, from the 2002 issue of Quiltmaker Magazine. I love the Fall season, but I don't have a lot of Fall quilts. I saw this, and thought it would be perfect with my collection of batik fabrics. If you love the pattern you can buy it here.

In choosing fabrics you must have a lot of contrast between the lights and darks or your leaves will fade away. It's easier if you coordinate your lights and darks first. For example, each dark fabric needs a light fabric that looks good with it and contrasts.

After I fuse and cut my leaves, I then applique the light one to the dark contrasting fabric, and the dark one to the light contrasting fabric.




Since I am working with so many fall colors, I decided to choose a variegated fall themed thread to use for my button hole applique.



After I applique them, I cut them apart and sew the dark half to the light half.

Here are some of the combinations of lights and darks that I chose. I have already cut them apart and sewn them back together again, but I guess I forgot to shoot their picture! Oh well! The top will be finished, soon.

Until then, I hope you enjoy this quilt that I made to celebrate both of my daughter's birthdays. I hang it up during the week of their birthday. The pattern is called " Shopping's Done! Gift's Wrapped!" by Piece of my Heart pattern company.




Each present is wrapped with luxurious fabric from Holly that I bought at Tammy Tadd's booth when I first discovered her at booth at the AQS quilt show in Nashville a few years ago.

Thanks for visiting my blog!