Starting up with Strawberry Shortcake

We believe that delicious food doesn't have to cost a fortune, and it shouldn't cause a stress headache either! We are two friends who love to cook and entertain...all within a budget. We are young wives with different perspectives: Catherine is a coupon savvy accountant, while Jennifer is a stay at home mom and part-time teacher. We hope that our blog may be a resource to those who love easy, affordable meals!

Both of us grew up learning cooking and baking skills from our moms. We often swap ideas from each other that originally came from childhood memories in the kitchen or our own experiences along the way.

For our first post we thought it would be fitting to write about a favorite recipe of both of ours that originally came from Catherine's mom, Janet, "Hot Milk Spongecake." Well in all honesty it actually came from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook but has been a favorite in Catherine's family for years.

Both Jenn and I were raised in a family where our moms did a lot of cooking from scratch. This sponge cake is a perfect example of how sometimes cooking from scratch can be even easier than hopping in your car to get a store made item.

Hot milk sponge cake is a great alternative to the often dry tasting shortcake cups that can be found at any supermarket. It is the perfect mix between a light angel food cake and a rich spongecake, and as a bonus it is a low fat recipe.

I have made this spongecake many times for Jenn and Matt when they come over for dinner and dessert and have passed along the recipe. The beautiful picture is Jenn's very first Hot Milk Sponge Cake that she put together for a great dessert while company was over.

With so many recipes that we love to try out and pass between each other, we thought it would be great to share our tips, successful recipes, and probably some kitchen fails to others who are just looking for some great recipes that have already been given the Jenn and Cat thumbs up. Now without further ado, our first blog recipe:

Hot Milk Sponge Cake
(from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, pg 181)

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tbsp butter

Let eggs sit at room temp for 30 minutes. Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan. Preheat oven to 350F.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder.

In a medium bowl, beat eggs on high speed for 4 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Gradually add sugar, beating on medium speed for another 4 minutes or until light and fluffy.

Add flour to egg mixture and beat just until combined.

In a small saucepan, combine milk and butter, heating and stirring until the butter melts. Add to the batter and beat until coombined.

Pour batter into the pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan on a cooling rack.