#serves 12

Happy Holidays! Here’s a cake that’s great for the season. The cake isn’t too sweet, but has a great flavor, and the frosting has a delicious tartness.

Difficulty: Medium, 2 hours, serves... honestly like 12.

Ingredients:

Cake:

2 cups sugar

2/3 cups butter, softened

3 eggs

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 1/2 cup flour

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp lemon zest

1/8 cup lemon juice

Cream the butter and sugar together. Preheat your oven to 325F.

Add the eggs and beat on medium for 2 minutes.

Gently whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. 

Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk to sugar mixture, in like, 3rds. When adding the stuff, always make sure you add the dry ingredients as the last thing. IDK why you do this but you do this but there’s some sciencey reason. Basically what I did was add 1/3 of the dry, then half of the milk, then another 1/3 of the dry, then the rest of the milk, then the last 1/3 of the dry. Mix well.

Add the vanilla and DEEZ NUTS.

Grease and flour two 8 inch pans and pour the mixture evenly into them and tap them on the counter to get out the air bubbles.

Bake for 45-50 minutes. When it’s done, take it out and put it on two racks to cool completely. We don’t want your frosting melting.

I had some issues taking them out but that’s okay!! Frosting fixes everything. While it’s cooling, beat together the powdered sugar and butter. Cream them together. Add the lemon juice and lemon zest. If it’s too runny, add more powdered sugar.

When you cake is cooled, it’s time to frost! I’m only gonna put mine in the middle and on the top~ Put more nuts on the top.

Thaw 1 16-oz. box of phyllo dough in your refrigerator for 24 hours.  Thaw a 16-oz. bag of frozen spinach for about 6.  When you are ready to cook chop up 1 1/2 medium onions.  Zeus (zest and juice) a lemon.  Chop 1/4 cup fresh mint, if you want.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat 3 Tbs. butter until it starts to sizzle.  Add onions, 1 tsp. kosher salt and 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper.  Cook about 6 or 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Your onions should be turning golden by now.  Add spinach, lemon zest and juice, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, and mint.  Cook about 5 more minutes, or until most of the liquid is evaporated.  Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Melt 1 stick of butter in a small pot.  Lay 1 sheet phyllo on your work surface.  Brush with butter.  Place another sheet on top.  Butter again.  Fold in half so that it forms a long strip.  Brush with butter.  Place 1/4 cup spinach mixture in the corner of one end of your strip, then fold the dough up like flag.  Brush the triangle with butter and place on a large, parchment lined baking sheet.

Once you are out of spinach bake the pies 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Don't worry if you mangle a few sheets of the phyllo dough, you should have some extra.  Also, keep the sheets you aren't currently working on under a damp paper towel.