A Blogiversary Special: Inn Cuisine Turns 1 (Celebrating with Pig and Whistle Cake (Recipe Included) and Blog Posts from Around the Web)

I treasure anniversaries: not only do they represent a passage of time, but of hard work and effort. Few come easy and most require patience, love and care.

Twelve months ago, I wrote the official ribbon-cutting post for Inn Cuisine. I’ve learned volumes about blogging in the months since, even more about food photography and to some degree, a little about myself as well. I’m more tenacious than I realized, more adaptable and far more capable of learning new tricks the technical aspects of running a blog than I ever thought possible.

To celebrate, I was inspired to make a retro recipe (an oldie but goodie from 1963) and decided upon this very special Pig and Whistle Cake. Moist, dense, flavorful, entirely homemade and oh-so-very-delicious, Pig and Whistle Cake may well be my favorite cake. Not only is it easy to put together, but the next 4 words sum up everything: caramely, butterscotchy, walnuty topping. For this there are no words, only taste. If you make no other cake recipe from Inn Cuisine again, let this be the one. I can’t imagine anyone not loving it.

Before we get to the Pig and Whistle Cake recipe (not to be confused with a whistle pig (a.k.a. groundhog) or any of the Pig and Whistle restaurants), I couldn’t imagine celebrating Inn Cuisine’s blogiversary without first celebrating a few of my favorite posts from bloggers around the web. The blogging world is full of energetic, capable, creative and consistent people. There is so much talent, beauty and humor to behold, if only you take the time to surf.

While not a complete volume, the following blog posts encapsulate a bit of what I love best about blogs. Sometimes it’s a blogger’s voice, other times their photos, their sense of humor or their unique view of the world. Still other times, it’s a combination of all these reasons and more.

I’ve heard it said it takes 10 friends to create the perfect friend we’re all looking for (Hugh Prather). If that’s true, then perhaps it takes as many blogs to create the ideal as well. In no particular order:

• I Love You Anyway – from Tara of Seven Spoons
• Are You Being Watched…By Your Neighbors? – from Cathy of Noble Pig
• Peach-Pecan Cobbler: A Love Story with Mush - from Marilyn of Simmer Till Done
• The Jumpers Are Back - from Theresa of What I Saw on My Walk Today
• White Vinegar and Volcanoes (Recipe: Pineapple-Cucumber Salad) – from Lydia of The Perfect Pantry
• Crawfish Boil at Acadiana – from Mary of The Arugula Files
• The Return of Alpha Mom vs Slacker Mom – from Kristen of Dine & Dish
• Carousel Cake for a Little One – from Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella
• Kataifi – from Peter of Kalofagas
• Who Knew? – from Lauren at Mental P Mama

Thanks to each of you for capturing my attention, bringing a smile to my face or fabulous inspiration into my kitchen. And thank you to the countless other bloggers I adore and have failed to mention. You inspire me. Never underestimate the value or importance of what you put out into the blogosphere because someone, somewhere, is reading it.

Now, who wants to join me in some scrumptious Pig and Whistle Cake?

Appearances can be deceiving. This cake tastes BETTER than it looks (and it looks pretty darn good)!

Pig and Whistle Cake

(from Inn Cuisine, adapted from Favorite Recipes of Home Economics Teachers, Dessert Edition, 1963)

Serves 6-8

for the cake

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup half & half
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F for baking. Spray an 8×11x2″ or 9×9x2″ baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine butter and half & half; heat until butter is melted and mixture is warmed through. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat eggs until light yellow; add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. To eggs and sugar add warmed butter and half & half mixture; beat until thoroughly combined; add vanilla and mix again. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; blend ingredients. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients; blend well. Pour batter into a prepared 8×11x2″ or 9×9x2″ baking dish. Bake cake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and cake springs back when touched in the center. Remove cake from oven and prepare topping.

for the topping

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons half & half
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Set oven to broil.

Mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined; pour (spread) onto hot cake and broil (in oven) until bubbly and browned (a few minutes will do). Watch cake closely; when mixture becomes bubbly throughout, remove cake from oven and allow to cool (set baking dish on wire rack). As cake cools, the topping will set. Slice and serve cake barely warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Thank you for visiting! Be sure to subscribe to Inn Cuisine's free RSS feed, now available via email, so you never miss a recipe!

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Tagged as: blog posts from around the web, cake, cake recipe, cake topping recipes, crunchy gooey cake topping recipes, Inn Cuisine's 1 year blogiversary, pig and whistle cake, pig and whistle cake recipe, retro cake recipes, retro recipes