Easter tree admiration

Today is my glorious and well-deserved, if I say so myself, day off from clinical training. It's been a grand one, too. I slept in till 8:50, (so late for us these days) and even Koda-Bear was nice enough to oblige. He is usually a stickler for routines, so at about 6 a.m every morning, he's sniffing my hair and crying to go out. Perhaps he sensed, the primitive need for deep sleep. Maybe he needed some himself. Either way, it was marvelous. 

Once we were up, it was on to a lovely breakfast a la the Breakfast King, my husband. Omelette and coffee, hits the spot every time. Then I left to my parents home, to bake and crochet. Sounds like my kind of day, no? 

Here is what I baked. The cake itself is called a täytekakku. It's a spongy type cake made by beating eggs with sugar, then adding potato flour. It's great for those with gluten issues like my dad. The filling is a banana-vanilla cream type deal and I decorated with whipped cream and canned mandarins. At the end of the post, I'll add my recipe (so keep reading/scrolling) :)

 Then it was on to crocheting. I love this pattern from Attic 24. I have used it before and it's just so easy and pretty. I made some of these for the Easter tree while we watched a movie.

 And here is our Easter tree. Birch branches that my mother cut and in three days, leaves appeared! They are the most vibrant shocking green, especially with the sunlight coming through them. It's great to remind me just exactly why I am so excited about spring...the leaves on the trees! Ah, I can't wait! Most trees at the moment are still at that phase where they don't know if they should bud yet...

Manta being ever so photogenic...

Rainbow of ends from my flowers. I love love the colors! 

 Beautiful and green, adorning the green branches...

And some gorgeous orchids, they were decorations at my wedding and they're still blooming just as beautifully. My mom has the real green thumb when it comes to orchids.

And as promised, the recipe for my cake. I loosely followed this Finnish recipe linked HERE

4 eggs

2 dl sugar (about 3/4 cup)

1/4 tsp salt 

2 dl potato flour/starch (about 3/4 cup)

2 tbs unsweetened cocoa

1 ½ tsp baking powder

Beat the eggs and sugar together until white-ish, thick and fluffy. Mix in a separate bowl the dry ingredients. Sift (I personally never do, but it's the "proper" way for this recipe) the dry ingredients into the egg-sugar mixture, folding carefully. DO NOT OVER MIX! (It'll end up being flat!). You could pour this into a cake tin, but I wanted a flat and rectangular cake so I placed it on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and baked at 225C for about 8 min. Once slightly cooled I cut it in half. 

The filling is made with "rahka", which is a kind of creme fraiche-yogurt type dairy product here in Finland. I suppose if you don't have that in your home country you could use creme fraiche or a similar product and add sugar to taste. 

2 dl rahka (I used vanilla flavored) or substitute (be creative!)

1-2 bananas mashed

about ½-1 dl of whipped cream (flavored with a bit of sugar and vanilla?)

So your cake should be sticking rather tightly to the parchment paper. Just peel off the paper and place one half on your serving dish of choice. Plop the filling on and place the other cake half on top. Then cover with the rest of the whipped cream and arrange canned mandarins on top. Easy-peasy.

I'm off to get ready for some culture tonight. Well, my husband's friend is in a metal band and they have a show tonight. So if that counts as culture, in my book it does, that is what I'll be up to. :) 

Thanks for reading and in advance to share the spirit, a token from our Easter tree!