for ROSE’S heavenly CAKES: Spice Cake with Peanut Buttercream (page 35), as well as most other butter cakes using the 2-step mixing method, it is imperative to have the butter at the correct temperature, so the cake batter becomes beautiful. 70 oF is ideal.
using a pocket infrared thermometer:
and while you wait for the butter to get there, have a cup of coffee!
this is what the cake batter should look like:
ok, i know you love photos, so here some miscellaneous photos of what i’ve been doing this week:
1- cup(s) by Suzanne Wolfe.
2- my favorite burr grinder and coffee tray mat in action: 
3- with some great coffee:
4- while listening to life music:
