Roti n Rice is ONE year old today and what a ride it has been! Exactly 365 days ago today, I sat down to inaugurate this blog as a journal of my culinary efforts. In my mind’s eye I had visualized leisurely evenings recounting my latest food endeavor to a receptive community of my peers. I am happy to report the that the latter part did come true but I was way off the mark on the notion of it being “leisurely”.
Talk about being naive. I had no idea about site design, copyright, links, advertising, and the grand daddy of a successful food blog…Photography! In a course of one year I went through three cameras starting with my little point-and-shoot Nikon to my intermediate level Panasonic FZ-35, and now using a Canon EOS Rebel-XT with multiple lenses, tripods, and studio lights. I spend as much time struggling with the photography as I do planning and cooking the dish. Ro-Ri San says I rail more against the camera than I do against the pot. 🙁
Some of you may recall my first post which is also the Namesake of my Blog. What a picture of simplicity! Little did I realize that from this little beginning, I have made many good friends and shared many wonderful food experiences. I could not have done it without your support and participation. THANK YOU so much for your encouragement and for cheering me on.
As a token of my appreciation, I have chosen a cookbook by Shelley N.C. Holl and B.J. Carpenter as my 1st Blog Anniversary Giveaway. This wonderful cookbook entitled The Minnesota Table was first published in May, 2010. Both authors are currently travelling around Minnesota signing their book. I was fortunate to have two copies of the book, one for myself and the other as a giveaway, signed by B.J. Carpenter. It was fun to meet her and to hear first hand about when the book was conceived.
The Minnesota Table is more than just a cookbook. It is a culinary adventure of two good friends traversing the state finding local sources of key ingredients. Shelly recounts about the farms they visited and the people they met. At the end of each chapter are recipes by B.J. using some of those ingredients they encountered on their travels. The book is organized by months and there is a chapter for each month accompanied by photographs and beautiful watercolor illustrations by Shelley.
This book is a good read and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. This giveaway is open to ALL my readers including international readers. Please leave a comment on this post to be considered in the giveaway which will be opened until 9:00pm Central time, Wednesday, January 12, 2011. I will randomly pick a winner and make the announcement on Friday, January 14, 2011.
And now for today’s recipe. This White Anniversary Cake was adapted from The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion. This is a very white and fine grain cake. I used a simple whipped cream frosting to ice the cake.
- 1 stick (½ cup/8oz/115g) butter
- ½ cup (8oz/115g) vegetable shortening
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ¾ cup (165g) granulated sugar
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 3 large egg whites
- 2¾ cups (415g) cake flour, sifted
- 1 cup (240ml) milk
- 2 cups (480ml) heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup (35g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Grease and flour two 9-inch (23cm) diameter round cake pans. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening, baking powder, sugar, salt, and extracts until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg whites and beat until combined. Beat in half the flour and milk. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add remaining flour and milk. Beat till combined.
- Pour batter into pans and bake for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and allow cakes to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Chill bowl and wire whisk for at least 30 minutes. Combine cream, sugar, and vanilla extract in chilled bowl. Beat mixture till stiff peaks form.
- Spread about ½ cup frosting on the first layer of cake. Place second cake top side up onto frosted layer. Spread frosting on the side and top of cake. Leave cake to chill in the fridge until being served.
Disclaimer: I did not receive any monetary compensation nor free products for this write up. The two copies obtained as mentioned in this post were purchased entirely with my own funds. What was written are my personal thoughts and views. For full disclaimer, please click here.
Thank you all for visiting and for your kind wishes this holiday season. Sorry I have not been visiting but will do so soon. Wishing you all a HAPPY, HEALTHY NEW YEAR! 😎
Congratulations on your 1st Blog anniversary. The cookbook looks wonderful and so does your cake.
Happy Anniversary 🙂 Do you feel like a grownup? 🙂
The cake looks delicious and a great giveaway along with it…
I know I have already said this, but…
Have a very lovely New Years to both you and your wonderful family.
Love and hugs,
Alish
Happy one year anniversary to you and your wonderful blog, Biren! I think every food blogger goes through the “cameras” stage…teehee.
what a perfect cake to make for this occasion. it looks delicious. this is such a great giveaway! thank you for this opportunity. wishing you and your lovely family a happy new year filled with prosperity, good health, and many great foodie adventures. Have a Happy New Year!
Congratulations on your 1st Blogversary!
Happy New Year to you and your family!
Angie
Happy 1st Blogoversary to RotinRice!!! 😀
Keep rocking dear…wish U a Very Happy New Year too! 😀
Hi
Congratulations ! Happy 1st Anniversary to You = )
Wishing you & your family a very Happy New Year and May 2011 be a year filled with your heart’s desire..
Thank you for the giveaway too =)
Blessings
Christine
Best wishes for 2011, Biren! The cake slice with the candle look cute.
Happy 1st Anniversary to Roti n Rice! Yay, indeed!! I am a fan of your blog, Biren. You’re an inspiration to small bloggers like me 😉 Way to go….!!
I love your creative cookings and your “grand daddy”….photographs!! So crisp and stylish.
I take this opportunity to wish you and your family good health, wealth and prosperity for 2011. Happy grand New Year! 😀
Biren, your beautiful Roti n Rice is now one year old…. Happy Blogoversary! Doesn’t time just fly when you’re having fun? This has only been your first year and look at how much you’ve accomplished. I know there will be exciting things to come in 2011! Have a fabulous New Year, my dear!
Congratz on 1 year of blogging! The recipe looks fantastic, too 😀
Happy blog anniversary. I would love to have this book.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com
Happy anniversary! Cheers to a great 2011!
Happy bloggiversary Biren! It has been so much fun getting to know you through you’re blog. Here’s to another excellent year!
This cake looks fantastic. THe perfect celebration cake!
Happy Blogoversary my friend! I love your blog and look forward to many more delicious recipes and stories from you. Now pass me a piece of that delicious cake and sign me up for that fabulous cookbook! 🙂
Hey Biren,
Gorgeous cake dear…Happy new year to you!!:)
Dr.Sameena@
http://www.myeasytocookrecipes.blogspot.com/
Congratulations! You are so right about all the extra things one needs to learn when going a blog. Who knew?! You’ve done an amzing job and seem to have had fun along the way!
Hello Biren, Congratulations on your Blog 1st Anniversary 🙂
The white cake looks unique and thanks for the giveaway. Hope I am the lucky one.
Wishing you and your family a very Happy New Year and all the best in 2011.
Happy anniversary, Biren! I agree that successful blogging is a lot more work than you first realize, haha. You’ve done a wonderful job here and I always love reading your posts! Happy New Year to you and your family as well. Here’s to an amazing 2011 😀
Happy Blogiversary! Would love to win this book!
Happy first blog anniversary Biren:D and also wishing you and your family a very happy new year 2011:D
Happy Blogoversary my friend!
I can’t wait for the many more delicious recipes and stories from you.
Any chance you can drop a price of that yummy cake in the mail to me? lol
Here’s wishing you a glorious New Year, Biren 🙂
Chow, Devaki @ weavethousandflavors
Congratulations! I can surely relate to the learning experience food blogging has been. It’s truly a labor of love, or we wouldn’t do it. Only other food bloggers understand the time involved. 🙂
Happy New Year, and I look forward to seeing what your cooking up next this coming year!
Kristi
Wish you and family a happy and prosperous new year. This looks awesome:)
congratulations happy blog anniversary
lovely giveaway Biren
happy new year to you and family
Conrats on yoru first blogaversary! How sweet it is. Yor anniversary cake just sings of celebration. I wish you the happiest of New Years and may all good things come to you in 2011.
That would be “congrats on your” – sigh – my keyboarding skills on the small laptop leave a lot to be desired!
Nods of respect and admiration to you, and congratulations for the One Year Anniversary! You’ve put in a lot of work and it shows. Thank you for sharing. Great pick for a giveaway, by the way… What a fascinating-sounding book; I love the idea of local eats!
What a great book! I would love to copy what they did, since MN is my home state!
Happy Blog anniversary and May the New Year bring you all you desire!
Happy Anniversary! Your blog is so amazing considering it is just one year! You have the talent. 🙂 My blog is donkey-years old and still looks like a beginner blog 🙁 …
Happy New Year to you and your family.
Hey Biren, Happy Blogversary! Your blog has come a long way, since I first found it. So pretty and professional it is these days-it was always cute though;)
By the way, this white cake looks so soft and delicious. Very nice…
I feel like I’ve said this to everyone by now, but Happy New Year, Biren!
Biren, Happy New Year to you & yours! And also Happy Blogaversary to you. What a fantastic year 2010, right! Wishing you many more to come. Btw, the book is such a wonderful giveaway. Thank you so much for everything & god bless you all.
Best wishes,
Kristy
That is a great way to remember your blog anniversary, I think I missed mine. I thought the same way you did when I started, but I’m still on my point and soot camera. Your photos are stunning! I hope to get to know you better with more years to come!
Wishing you a wonderful new year!
Congratulations on your first year of blogging Biren! It is an accomplishment to be proud of. I thought you had been blogging much longer – you are gifted. The cake is so pretty – I love King Arthur’s recipes. Thank you for responding so quickly and visiting my new site! Have a blessed and Happy New Year!
Happy one year anniversary! That cake looks delicious. I just made the whipped cream frosting for another cake, but I plan to try your King Arthur recipe next week. Thanks for the giveaway.
Your cake looks so tasty! Safe & happy new year!
Hi Biren 🙂
I think many of us had no idea what we were really getting into, when we decided to start a blog LOL
I also think as many of us can say that it’s been so much more than we expected and that the biggest payoff has been the friends that we ‘met’ along the way. I know I am glad I met you and now call you friend.
Happy First Blogoversary and may you have many more to come 🙂
Thanks for sharing the white cake recipe – I’ve always preferred white to yellow, though of course chocolate is King 😉
That is a lovely cookbook and I know whoever wins it will love it!
PS – HAPPY NEW YEAR Dear, Sweet Biren!!
Congrats! You have a lovely blog and keep spreading your wealth of cooking
Happy Bloggiversary! Wishing you many more!
Happy Blog Anniversary and 2011 Biren.
What a thoughtful giveaway – many thanks.
Biren! The cake looks to die for and congrats on your 1 yr anniversary! Your right it is funny we both started our blogs just 1 year ago! I wish you all the best and that cookbook sounds great!
Jessica
Congratulations on your first blog anniversary!! That is one amazing anniversary cake! Looks so delicious.
That’s a brilliant giveaway. Fancy meeting the author of the cookbook and getting their autograph! Really generous of you to give this away.
Hope you have a most fantastic and wonderful New Year!
Happy Anniversary, Biren. You’ve been a wonderful addition to our blogging community and it’s great to see you pass that first milestone. I also love the cake you’ve shared with us today. It looks delectable. I hope you have had a wonderful holiday and that the new year brings all good things your way. Have a great day. Blessings…Mary
To paraphrase the Beatles: “They say it’s your blogiversary…it’s my blogiversary, too, yeah!” I naively started my blog on December 31, 2009, too! What a learning experience!
Happy 1st Blog Anniversary to you!
Having mostly grown up in Minnesota, I’d love to win The Minnesota Table! Thanks for the chance with your giveaway, and happy New Year!
Very cool! And being that I live in Minnesota, even cooler!
Congratulations!! Best wishes for a wonderful New Year!
awesome!
Biren, Happy Anniversary and Happy New Year also. Looking forward to another year of your awesome recipes!
happy birthday to your blog, your such a great cook and really enjoy your posts can I have a slice of cake please?
hugs Rebecca
Happy Anniversary! This white cake looks light and moist, a perfect combination,the layers look perfect!
happy anniversary and i hope you have many more!
Congratulations on your first year! What a gorgeous cookbook for a giveaway 🙂
Congratulations! – and nice giveaway!
A huge congrats on your 1 year blog anniversary, Biren! That is quite an accomplishment…a year sure goes by fast, doesn’t it? I’m glad I found your beautiful blog and I’m excited to see what the future brings. Wishing you and yours a very happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!
CONGRATS
LOOKING FORWARD FOR MORE POSTS FROM YOU.
Happy blogoversary! I so love that you made your blog a cake in celebration. Beautiful photo by the way. Congrats!
Happy 1st Annivery to your blog & A happy 2011 to you 🙂
I’m not good at words & can’t really express well how great your blog is.. Nevertheless, i still wish i cld be the lucky winner for this give away, or maybe it’s just my fat hope? Oh…^^
Oh Biren, it’s had to believe you’ve only been doing this one year! Congratulations on the start of something great. You cake is gorgeous!
I fully understand the struggle with photography. The food has got to look as good as it does in personal if you expect your readers to want to make it! I just finished my first photography class–it actually may have made my pictures worse to begin with but should help in the long run!
Happy 2011!
Congratulations …. Hope you will continue to find joy blogging.
Congrats on your 1st year anniversary! That delicious looking cake is a perfect way to celebrate!
Congrats on your first year! I just passed my first week of blogging and yes, it’s more tiring and complicated than I thought it would be!
The book giveaway sounds great – my blog was started because of a culinary adventure that I started with my bestie so I hope I can continue blogging my adventures in the kitchen 🙂
hi (: is a pleasure to read your blog. hopefully im one of the lucky winner for this awesome giveaway (: nonetheless, i look forward to more of your nice treats (: (:
from one food blogger to another, happy anniversary!
Congrats, Biren! Glad to have met u. You’re a wonderful blogger & thanks so much for supporting Luxury Indulgence.
Kudos to u for maintaining such an informative blog!
Happy Blogoversary to you and your blog Biren! The book you will be giving away sounds like Tessa Kiros’s book, Twelve. It is also all about Tuscan cooking and arranged by months, depending on what is in season and at its best. Am already loving the sound of the book!
I saw your site at Anncoo’s site. I thought I would stop by to check out your blog and say Happy Anniversary. Sounds like a great book you are giving away.
My gosh – Congratulations! Only ONe? Three cameras – and thousands of comments. “I know how hard you are workin’ baby!” I have seen your name on many many of the sites I read, so thought I would stop by, and what a timely moment I chose to do so. So interesting to hear how caught up you have been in photography. And, you are right. It is SO important to a great site. I am actually headed to DSL bootcamp next month. I have the same camera as you. But, still have no idea how to get the most of it. And I have the tri-pod. It always gets in the way. I want the camera on it – no, off it – no on it… the camera is covered with flour, or dough – or who knows what. I keep trying to make the food and the cooking the focus. How can we be “all that”. The photographer, the cook, the stylist, the writer, the reader, the commenter, the computer technician. But, we are.
Great read. Lovely to meet you!
🙂
Valerie
Happy first blogging anniversary, Biren! You have done a great job on both recipes and photography. I have thoroughly enjoyed making meals from your recipes and letting my daughter drooled over those gorgeous food pictures with a promise to her that one day I will try them…. Keep up the good work and I look forward to learning more from you. Thank you for sharing. Is this white cake a variation from the famous american red velvet cake? Your cake looks so delicious.
Happy 1st Blog Anniversary, Biren! Happy New Year and here’s to another great blogging year ahead! Cheers!
Congrats! Pretty photos of your cake 🙂
happy anniversary to u! trying my luck here:)
I baked your anniversary cake for my wife. I surprised her with a romantic candle light dinner. Your cake was the dessert. She loved it.
What a lovely comment! Thanks for coming back and letting me know. I am so glad to hear your wife loved the cake. 🙂