Baumkuchen

Baumkuchen - is German for  "tree cake"

A baumkuchen is traditionally broiled on a spit-like contraption while the batter is poured on and layers are slowly built up. When cut off the spit, the cake is ring shaped and resembles a tree stump. 

I've read that baumkuchen cakes are popular in Japanese weddings because of that ring shape. 

Inspired by Yumarama's baumkuchen:

http://yumarama.com/5478/baumkuchen-multi-layered-tree-cake/

I decided to make one for a friend's party. 

The tricky part of making a baumkuchen at home is to avoid burning the layers. I had to start over 3 times because I based the baking off of time.  Don't. Base it off sight. 

If you are going to make this cake, be sure that there won't be anything distracting you for at least an hour. Don't walk away, wash a dish, or even blink. Burning happens so quickly. Remember, you're broiling, not baking. 

I set my timer for 2 minutes, each layer, then watched through the oven glass for 10 - 20 seconds after for that perfect moment of "golden toasted" brown. If you wait a second longer, it is going to burn. Trust me on this. 

In the end, the cake came out beautifully and the ganache was divine.  Here is my cake, all ready for the party!

I ended up with 15 layers instead of 20+ because of the batter I used/burned in the first 2 starts. 

Delicious and freezes like a dream!

O Tannenbaum

New house! New traditions! 

We will have TWO Christmas trees this year! That's right my friends, one tree for the kiddos to decorate, and one "do not touch!" tree that I get to decorate ,)

This is the first time that I have ever been able to put up a tree solely dedicated to all the hand blown glass ornaments I have and I am beyond giddy about it!

I know it may seem (to most) too early in the season to decorate for the holidays, but based off our already full calendar, this weekend was the only free day we had to put up Christmas decorations. 

Six foot tall silver tinsel tree? Rotating christmas tree base? Huge box of vintage Christmas ornaments?

Check, check, and check!

Video of tree rotating: http://youtu.be/cCrXWn_GD54 

Over half the decorations on the tree are my husband's great-grandmother's. Yeah...I know, wowzers! A few still have their paper "Germany" tags on them, dating them to at least pre-1940. 

Others I've looked up online and I haven't really been able to find any info on. If you are reading this and have any knowledge of some of these, please feel free to share. 

There were lots of solid colored bulbs, bells, birds, horns, ballerinas, grape bunches, acorns, walnuts, and pinecones (some cracked and in need of repair too) but these are the ornaments that caught my breath and made my knees buckle when I unwrapped them. 

This fella! This gorgeous octopus is hands-down my favorite. I love that he looks a bit devious too, like he may be up to no good. 

Old fashioned water pump

Seahorse

Ballerina and an alien...? Why not! 

Storks at a water fountain

Harlequin with a very determined expression

Helicopter

Green glass Christmas tree and a silver deer with very delicate antlers above it. 

Pink swordfish 

Gnome in a mushroom

Gorgeous 20" icicle (there are two of those!) and another ballerina

Toadstool, pig, ballerina, and teapot

Dapper penguin

 

Ballerina, alien, mouse or rabbit (I can't tell) and a flocked ball

Creepy (as only vintage can be sometimes) accordion player

And all the gorgeous bulbs!

It takes 2 minutes exactly for the tree to slowly rotate a complete circle. I took a short 1 minute video of it if you'd like to check it out: http://youtu.be/cCrXWn_GD54

Hope this gets you into the holiday spirit! 

Cheers!

~ JenX