Wine country

Spring is here in all it's bloomin', blossomin' beauty, and all I want to do is take a day trip to Napa Valley, soak up some sunshine, pluck a few grapes fresh off the vine, and taste away at various wineries. And that's where the downside to being imaginary kicks in--I can't! Bummer... Guess I'll have to leave the fun to my assistant on a sunny weekend in wine country.

What got me thinking about Napa Valley in the first place was an order for Robin's birthday. She wanted a Moscato Staccato--the very first layer cake ever showcased on this blog--featuring sweet muscat wine. I was really excited to do a Moscato Staccato v.2, especially because Robin wanted a cherry twist on the original. Nice choice.

And voila!
The strawberry on top is deceptive because this cake is actually jam-packed with moscato-soaked Morello cherries between two layers of moscato-infused and lightly nutmegged butter cake. Covered in a rich, dark chocolate ganache and topped with crumbled chocolate cream wafers and a single plump strawberry, this cake begs to be served with a glass of dessert wine for an sweet finish to a relaxing evening. Add some classical musical in the background, and you've got the ultimate Moscato Staccato experience. Yum!
I hope you enjoyed the cake, Robin, and that you had a very happy birthday. Cheers!