36th Birthday Lemon Poppyseed Cake and a Christmas Tree Fire!

Ever since I went to Mark and Jill's Brown County State Park wedding in 1986, I've loved lemon poppyseed cake the most. They were dad's graduate school friends and my siblings and I were thrilled at the thought of a wedding where we could camp. So exciting! I honestly just used the Betty Crocker mix for years, but this time, I modified a Bon Appétit recipe for Lemon Buttermilk Bundt Cake. I went with two round cake pans because I wanted a schmear of lemony cream cheese in the middle to break up the sweetness (I have a non-scientific idea that this lowers the glycemic index and I'll live in denial because baking is so infrequent in hour house). I added poppy seeds and I used a cream cheese/lemon/maple syrup icing. Just in time for my birthday, mom sent this amazing cake tin from home that I've been oohing and ahhing over for ages. Not only is the handle an acorn, but there is an oak leaf pattern around the perimeter. Adorable and we love oak trees in this house. 
We had a few friends over for the tree burning and then we made them sing to me and fed them some of  this cake. Very festive!

Time consuming cake or meditative lemon peel grating? You be the judge. Eight lemons, sunshine aroma, and an improved mood!

No room temperature butter? Put it on your wood burning stove! 

The recipe has you massage the sugar and grated lemon together. 

No mixer?  Put on your favorite dancehall reggae and hand mix and get a workout in! Don't worry, I am soon going to devote a youtube channel to these workouts!

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Fold in the poppy seeds! Full of folate and niacin, iron, calcium and zinc and remember: "Poppies will put them to sleep....sleep"- The Wicked Witch of The West, Wizard of Oz

Brush on even more lemon juice and a touch of maple syrup. 

Thank you, Mom! Oak love to the max. 

Venison back strap, nectar of the gods. Thank you, Vanya!

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Have you ever burned a Christmas tree in February? They blew up! The flames must have climbed 35 feet. It was nearly like being on the sun. These were, by far, the BEST birthday candles I've experienced in a while! Thanks everyone!

Now, back to being the antler holder for a couple of months. 

My little brother Jon and I at the Brown County wedding in 1985 loving cake.