Happy Valentine's Day - Happy 84th Birthday Dad!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone but especially my Dad, Murray Neidorf, who officially turns 84 today! Because tonight is a crazy night in restaurants and it is also a school night our family congregated at my parents' house last night to celebrate and toast my amazing father. Can you tell that I still have a bit of the "Daddy's Girl" of my my youth in me?!

As you might remember last year my dad requested my Grandma Rose's (his mother's) Nut Sponge Cake for his birthday which turned out to be a HUGE hit. This year when I asked him what kind of cake he wanted (fully expecting that he would want my grandma's sponge cake again), at first he demurred but then he confessed that he wanted the Chocolate Coffee Cake with Coffee Buttercream Frosting and Chocolate Ganache that I had made over the holidays. 

My dad loves, loves, loves all things flavored mocha or coffee (except a cup of coffee itself) and this cake was no exception. He had called me a couple of days after tasting it just raving about how wonderfully delicious it was. Of course, that made me so very happy to know that I had another winner on my hands.

Stunningly beautiful, don't you think?!

I set out to make the cake on Saturday because while it is not a difficult recipe, it is one with several steps and is quite time consuming...but well worth every bit of effort (see photo above). I thought that I would make it in stages over two days but I ended up being enchanted with it and made it all in one day...3pm-10pm...OH LA LA!

Well, let me tell you the anticipation of cutting into that cake and watching my father taste it was almost more than I could bare. When the moment did arrive it was magical. After singing a rousing and very off key Happy Birthday (in my family we are known for a lot of things though singing talent is not one of them) my dad began cutting slices. This is a three layer, butter laden beauty so he and I shared a piece...it was heaven...my mother at the other end of the table was swooning in delight as was everyone else.

Me & my Dad years ago before I went "naturally blonde"!

However, the piece de resistance was really later on after everyone, except Joshua and I, had left. Now it was time to wrap up all the remaining slices for my dad's special drawer in the freezer where he squirrels away all his treats to methodically eat one at a time when the mood strikes him, which is quite often as he has a highly trained sweet tooth (a trait I have so obviously inherited). We stood side by side as if we were well trained assembly line workers. He finished cutting up the rest of the cake in neat slices, I wrapped each one separately and tightly in plastic wrap, then handed them to him to lay ever so delicately in the freezer drawer. My mother couldn't stop laughing...quite the comedy routine. Job well done I drove home quite content indeed.

It may be too late to bake this extraordinary cake tonight for your sweetheart (or just someone you love)  but do try it some time...you are sure to win his/her heart forever...

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY...may your every day be filled with love and all that makes you happy...

xoxo Nanci