I don't entertain very much.
It's a funny thing.  I write a food blog.  I enjoy cooking... a lot.  I love baking... a lot.  But I don't love entertaining.  Luisa said something about it here in this post.  She was able to articulate something that I have felt for a long time.  When I put a lot of effort into something, in the case of entertaining it is food, I don't want to indulge in it myself after the fact.  I can put a lot of time into putting together the main course, making the dessert and then when we all get down to the meal I would really be just as happy eating a salad and a pita (whole wheat of course).
I don't know why... even after Luisa's most articulate post I can't put finger on why exactly I have this reaction.  Maybe it's the strain, the doing and doing, the working to impress the guests with food and drink that cause them to leave your home feeling refreshed and filled.  Either way, I usually just eat because I feel like I have to and it tastes like chew and swallow fare to me.


Well, you all will be happy to know that I've found the answer... make sure that you are eating so late that you (and of course your guests as well) are totally starving.  I now know this from experience.
Last night I had a little reunion of sorts with two friends from McGill.  The festivities started around 6:30 or so.  We were waiting for D to arrive home from a gig to begin to eat (Just for the record, we were serving Sweet and Sour meatballs, Mashed Potato and Celeriac, cauliflower and broccoli stir fried in sesame and tamari).  D thought that the very short gig would end around 7pm.
When 7:45 arrived and D still hadn't arrived home I texted him to see when he would be arriving.  Needless to say we finally all got to tuck into some food around 8:30 or so.  Let me tell you, I was hungry!  Not hungry enough to go nuts 'cause this is a dinner party that I've cooked for but at least I ate a plate and didn't feel ambivalent about it.  As for everyone else, let's just say that there were no leftovers.


Now onto the cake.  Maple syrup being the order of the day here after our sugar bush experience I settled on this layer cake from the Magnolia Cookbook.  The cake is light but substantial and the maple flavour is present in just the right kind of way.  I went with a cream cheese icing with just a hint of maple to that the whole thing wouldn't be too over powering.
I know what you all are wondering.... YES, I did eat the cake!


Maple Layer Cake (adapted from 'The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook')
makes 1 layer cake!

3 3/4 cup self raising flour
1/2 tsp ginger
3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
3 lg eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 cups maple syrup
3/4 (ish) cup hot water

Prepare two round cake tins by greasing and flouring them (you could use parchment or something if you wanted to as well).
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Sift together the flour and the ginger and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add in the eggs one at a time, beating until light and fluffy (I love those two words) after each addition.  Add in the maple syrup and mix well.
Add the flour alternately with the hot water (make it about thirds or so - beginning and ending with the flour).  Mix until there are no lumps.
Divide the batter between the two prepared baking tins.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until the cakes are spongy on top and a cake tester comes out clean.
Cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the tins.  Finish cooling the cakes on cooling racks.


Maple Cream Cheese Icing

1 pkg. cream cheese
3 - 3 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp maple syrup

Cream together the cream cheese and the butter in a bowl.  Sift in the icing sugar in 1 cup increments.  Blend in the icing sugar after each addition.  As the icing begins to thicken add in the maple syrup and blend together.  Add as much icing sugar as you need to thicken the icing to the desired consistency.
Add a little less than half the icing to the top of the first layer of the cake.  Place the other cake layer on top and add the rest of the icing.