A Milestone Birthday

I’ve just had a milestone birthday. I would have been happy not to notice it but after being feted and fussed over, it’s not such a bad thing. It’s absolutely amazing how quickly the years pass, every year seems shorter than the year before.

My birthday greetings came in many forms: in person, handmade, whimsical, sentimental, comical, and via snail mail, Internet, email, and Facebook. Last Sunday I was delighted to be one of the honorees of a joint birthday dinner. My daughter Laura and grandson David both have birthdays a few days before mine. Extra special birthday gifts for me those years.

Mid-week I arrived at my daughter-in-law Susan’s for our occasional game of Bridge to find friends waiting with a tiara crowned with cards, a scrumptious cake, and a cake made of flowers that Mary Pritchard had created. It was stunning.

Cake at 9AM may seem inappropriate but it was very healthy. Nuts and fruit and egg whites, lots of protein and vitamins. There was of course the whipped cream that topped it but that shouldn’t count for too much. I’m sure a nutritionist would agree.

CELEBRATION CAKE
Meringue
2 cups nuts, almonds are good, any kind will work
8 egg whites
Pinch of salt
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

1. Butter two 9 inch springform pans (regular cake pans are not deep enough) and line the bottoms with parchment paper cut to fit. Butter the papers and dust them with flour.
2. Set the oven to 325 degrees.
3. Grind the nuts in a food processor.
4. Beat the egg whites and salt with an electric mixer until they hold stiff peaks. Add the sugar 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and vinegar, then remove the beaters from the bowl.
5. Fold in the ground nuts. Divide the mixture between the prepared pans, smoothing the tops. Bake the cakes for 40 minutes. Carefully remove the sides of the pans and continue baking for another 10 minutes until they are crisp on the outside. (The centers will be soft because of the addition of vinegar to the meringue.)
6. Transfer the cake pans to racks to cool. Slide the cakes off the bottoms of the pans, lift off the parchment papers, and leave the cakes to cool completely.

Filling
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups sliced bananas
Whip 2 cups heavy cream, lightly sweeten (2 tablespoons sugar is enough). Spread one layer with a thin coat of whipped cream, slice bananas over the cream, and cover with another layer of cream. Place the other layer on top and spread with remaining whipped cream.