Birthday Cake Pancakes with Adults-Only Vanilla Cake Glaze

 My birthday was a week ago.

There was no cake.
Which was totally my own fault - my layer cake pans were in storage and I totally ran out of time to make myself a cake anyway.
And don't get me wrong, my birthday was incredible!

That morning, I had to wake up super early to drive half an hour to a class I was assisting with.  Before I woke up, Jon had left the apartment, and he came back with my favorite pancakes as a surprise.  When I got back from work that night, a dinner of pan-seared salmon with pesto and parmesan-crusted baked zucchini was almost ready - I'm blessed with a husband who can cook really well!  And then, before the night was over, he took me downtown to The Chocolate Bar for drinks and dessert.  The day was not extravagant or big or blown-up, but because I got to spend so much time with my new husband, it was perfect.

BUT.
Birthday with no cake?  Weird!
So this weekend, I made up for it.

I present to you: Birthday Cake Pancakes.
Also known as the best pancakes EVER.

It's Funfetti in pancake form!
Could anything BE more perfect??

Um, yes.

Birthday Cake Pancakes with a boozy Vanilla Cake Glaze.
SWOON.

Cake mix.  Vanilla.  Sprinkles.  Topped with powdered sugar, more vanilla, half and half, and CAKE VODKA.

Please, for the love of all that is good, invite some girlfriends over and chow down on these suckers.
And depending on how much glaze you use, you might wanna pick a chick flick and stay put for a while ;)

Birthday Cake Pancakes
Source: barely adapted from My Life as a Mrs. via Rachel Cooks' pancake party
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
1 cup cake flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cake mix
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp butter or coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles
Butter, for the griddle
Adults-Only Vanilla Cake Glaze, for serving (recipe below)

Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, cake mix, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In a medium bowl, beat together the eggs, milks, butter or coconut oil, and vanilla.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix together until combined.  Fold in the sprinkles.
Heat a skillet or griddle over medium-low to medium heat.  Preheat the oven to its lowest temperature setting and have an oven-safe plate ready.  Add a bit of butter, allow it to melt, and spread it out.  Using a 1/4-cup measure, add the batter in rounds and allow them to cook until the edges are set and the tops are covered in popped bubbles.  Flip and continue to cook until the pancakes spring back when pressed with a spatula.  Remove pancakes to the plate and place in the preheated oven while you cook the remaining batches of pancakes, adding a little bit more butter to the pan or griddle before each batch.  Serve with syrup or glaze and ENJOY!

Adults-Only Vanilla Cake Glaze

Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 to 2 tbsp cake flavored vodka
1-2 tbsp half and half

Directions:
Using a spoon, stir together the ingredients, starting with the lowest recommended amount of liquid and adding more if necessary, until a smooth and slightly thick glaze is formed.  Spoon liberally over Birthday Cake pancakes and enjoy!

Vanilla Glazed Sugar Cookie Bars

Sometimes, life just needs sprinkles.

This was one of those times.  I had exactly one cup of butter left in my entire apartment, I had leftover glaze in my fridge from the Bundt cake I made a couple weeks earlier, and I just wanted to make something simple and sprinkle-y to share with the dancers before we went into tech for the concert.  I found this recipe and declared it a winner.

The original recipe calls for a frosting, which I ordinarily would've made without batting an eyelash...duh.  Of course, ordinarily I would've made cupcakes instead of cookies...I guess it wasn't an ordinary day.  Anyway, considering the complete lack of butter and the presence of tasty glaze, I gave up on the frosting.  And the glaze was perfect!  It added just enough sweetness to the bars to make them thoroughly addictive without being cloying.

Plus, glaze = perfect sprinkle adhesive.  Truth.

These sugar cookie bars came together so quickly, made my kitchen smell incredible...and I may or may not have had three of them while I was making a plate for the dancers.
Hey - I cut them small!  Three is...a totally justifiable number...

I'll just...give you the recipe now...

Vanilla Glazed Sugar Cookie Bars
Source: lightly adapted from Annie's Eats ; original recipe from The Repressed Pastry Chef

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 recipe vanilla glaze, found here
Multicolored sprinkles (optional but highly encouraged) 

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350˚F with a rack placed at the center position.  Grease a 13x18" rimmed baking sheet and set aside. [Side note: I used the medium baking sheet from my set of three - I eyeballed it and it looked right.]
Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl.  Set aside.
In a large bowl with a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed till pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add the seeds and extract to the butter mixture, beating until well incorporated.  Switch to low speed and add the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
Transfer the cookie dough to the prepared baking sheet and press it into an even layer.  Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until light golden brown in color and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool to room temperature in the pan on a rack.
Once the bars are at room temperature, poke holes all over the surface with the tines of a fork or a toothpick.  Pour the vanilla glaze over the bars and spread as evenly as possible.  If using sprinkles (which you should!) add them to the top of the bars now so they set with the glaze.   Allow the glaze to set and harden before slicing into 1.5-2" square bars and serving.  Enjoy!

Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake

One show down, two to go!
My first show of the semester - the university company's dance concert - ran this weekend, and it was truly a fantastic run.  I'm so grateful to be in a company with the talented dancers I share the stage with.  And getting to do a CRAZY duet with my best friend was even better!  I am pretty glad the show's over, though - now that I'm in heavy rehearsals for the musical and I've started the choreographic process for the student showcase, it's nice to have one less thing on my mind!

As a general rule, during show season, I try to cut back on desserts.  Teeny tiny costumes don't mix well with food babies or love handles, so generally dessert is the first thing to go.

That effort was completely unsuccessful.
Completely.

This particular cake was one of many downfalls.  I took this to a potluck, hoping that I wouldn't come home with much leftover...and then had to bring a third of the cake back and set it alongside the rest of the batches of giant chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin scones.

I think I gained 3 pounds that weekend.  And I would not have gained said three pounds had every single recipe not been delicious.

This is the kind of cake that lends itself to very easy snacking.  It's a sturdy cake that you can hold in your hand while taking bite after delicious bite until it's all gone...and you feel the urge to grab another piece.  It's chock full of moisture, thanks to the yogurt, and every bite bursts with sweet vanilla.  And the glaze?  Oh, the glaze...it was the perfect saccharine compliment to the mildly sweet cake, adding little sparks of sugary goodness here and there.  I could not get enough of that glaze.

Neither could Jon, cause he kept taking huge bites with all the glaze on them when we split a piece.  Which led to splitting another piece.

Approach this cake with caution, folks.  It's almost too delicious.

Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake with Vanilla Glaze
Source: adapted from Epicurious and The Pioneer Woman via Sweetapolita

Ingredients:
For the cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour (preferably unbleached)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2-1/4 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 tbsp high-quality vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup milk

For the glaze:
1/2 cup milk (use what you have on hand, but whole would be better)
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
Approximately 1 cup powdered sugar, more as needed

Directions:
Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350˚F.  Grease and flour a 10-15 cup Bundt pan and set aside.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, and salt.  Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with a mixer at medium speed until pale, creamy, and fluffy.  And beautiful.  Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add them, along with the vanilla extract, to the butter mixture, beating until well incorporated.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
Mix the yogurt and milk together, then add alternately with the flour to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.  Only mix until just combined. 
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.  Gently tap it on the counter to get rid of air bubbles.  Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour, until a toothpick or thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool in the pan on a rack for an hour, then invert the cake onto the cooling rack and cool to room temperature.
To make the glaze, mix together the milk and the vanilla extract.  Measure out the powdered sugar and gradually add the vanilla milk until the desired consistency is reached - it should feel too thick at first, but still be pourable.  Pour over the top of the cooled cake and allow to set.  Don't be stingy - use as much glaze as you want!  It'll make you happy.  Enjoy!

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

If you begin to notice that a week or more has passed between posts, that's because my senior year of college has begun...and has brought with it both awesome opportunities and a crazy schedule.  This semester, I'm involved in three shows.  Three.  I'm never seeing daylight again.  But I am excited :)  So apologies in advance for sporadic and intermittent posting - I promise I still love you and want to give you tasty things to make!

And on that note:
I really do love baking for friends.

In exchange for paying my share of a small cab fare on a night out, one of my girlfriends asked me to bake cupcakes to bring to the party she and her roommates were hosting the next weekend.  So, when the next Friday rolled around, I gathered up the ingredients to make an incredible-looking cake recipe from Foodie with Family into cupcakes.

The original layer cake was a towering four-layer cinnamon-vanilla butter cake slathered with a silky-smooth brown sugar-cinnamon buttercream frosting.  The thick batter bakes up into a not-too-sweet, moist, tender cupcake with just the right amount of spice from the cinnamon. 
I figured it would be a good amount of batter for a party-sized batch of cupcakes, and was I ever right - this recipe made 32 cupcakes!  My carrier only holds 24, so I had some "quality control" cupcake samples left at home ;)

And the buttercream...ohhhh the buttercream.  I halved the recipe, as is reflected below.  And 32 cupcakes later, I still had over a cup of frosting left.  This frosting is intense, y'all - spicy, sweet, smooth, and rich as could be.  I can't wait to figure out what to do with the leftovers!

And why do I love baking for friends so much?
Because of the look on their faces after they take their first bite.
The reactions were priceless - I wish I'd had my camera! - but the general consensus was that these cupcakes were to die for.  Everyone who tasted one melted as soon as the first taste hit their tongue.  One of my friends consumed four of them at one shot!  (Granted he was...welll...intoxicated...but hey, they were good!)

I highly suggest you give these a try the next time you're getting together with a bunch of friends!  Everyone will be happy you did :)

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
Source: lightly adapted from Foodie with Family
Yield: approximately 32 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 sticks butter, softened to room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk, warmed to room temperature (I used vanilla almond milk)

For the buttercream
2-1/4 sticks butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4-5 cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup heavy cream, plus more if needed

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 325˚F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Set aside.
In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition to combine.
Mix together the vanilla extract and milk.  Beat 1/3 of the flour mixture into the batter in the mixer bowl, then 1/3 of the milk mixture.  Continue alternating until all of both mixtures have been added and fully incorporated into a smooth batter.
Spoon 1/4 cup of batter into each cupcake liner.  There will be leftover batter - save it to bake into more cupcakes after the first batch have come out of the oven, or place into a third lined pan if you have one.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time.  Cool in the pans on cooling racks for 5 minutes before removing from the pans.  Cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon with a mixer until pale and fluffy.  Add three cups of the confectioners sugar and beat, starting at low speed and increasing to high, until it is fully incorporated.  Scrape down the bowl, add the cream, and beat to incorporate.  Add the remaining cup of powdered sugar and beat low-to-high speed until fully combined.  If the frosting's too thick for your liking, add more cream 1 tablespoon at a time until it's right.  If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar.

Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired, with either an offset spatula or a piping bag and tip.  Serve and enjoy!

Shirley Temple Cupcakes

So first of all, I officially miss all the excitement in Northern VA - there was an earthquake along the East Coast today that hit a 5.8 on the Richter scale.  Its epicenter was very close to Culpeper, VA, which is where my aunt and uncle live.  Any and all prayers will be greatly appreciated - this is definitely a new experience for my whole family, and everyone in the area.

Now, to lighten the mood, tasty treats:
I'm not a soda kind of girl.  I grew up on water, lowfat milk, and the occasional lemonade or orange juice.  But, when I reached my teenage years and went out to dinner with the girls from my dance studio, I was introduced to Shirley Temples.
And I fell in love.

Now, this is especially odd, because A) I'm not a fan of carbonation and B) I've never been a lover of cherry.  But for some reason, the combination of lemon-lime soda and grenadine over ice is just...magical!  Jon thinks so too, so we happily enable each others' addictions ;)

And if the drink is magical, these cupcakes are straight-up miraculous.
Thanks to Shanon over at The Curvy Carrot, this lovely little creation showed up on my radar a couple months back, and I instantly bookmarked the page.  I figured Jon and I would both enjoy them.

I was right!  They're lightly cherry-flavored, with a nice balance of sweet from the maraschino cherry juice and tart from the soda used in the batter.  The buttercream frosting is light, fluffy, and it's not overly sweet with just a hint of cherry peeking out.  Plus, it's pink!  Instant attraction right there.  And, thanks to the layer of color and extra flavor at the bottom of each cupcake, they truly look and taste like the beloved beverage!  These are easily the cutest cupcakes I've ever made, and some of the tastiest.  If you need more incentive, my wonderful fiancé is not a cupcake guy...and he could not stop eating these!

If you love Shirley Temples, you will adore these cupcakes.  Make them, admire their adorableness, and then enjoy them immensely :)

Shirley Temple Cupcakes
Source: adapted from The Curvy Carrot, originally from Simply Gluten Free
Yield: 24 cupcakes
 
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes - 
3 cups + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
scant 1 tsp sea or kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup lemon-lime soda
1 tsp vanilla extract (I used Tahitian - it works well with fruity flavors)
2 tbsp maraschino cherry juice, divided
2-1/2 tsp grenadine
Red food coloring

For the Buttercream - 
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Pinch of salt
5 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp maraschino cherry juice
24 maraschino cherries with stems, patted dry with paper towels

Directions:

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350˚F and prepare two 12-cup cupcake tins with paper liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together the 3 cups of flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, then the egg whites, beating well after each addition.
Reduce the mixer speed to low.  Combine the soda with one tablespoon of the maraschino cherry juice.  Then, alternately add half the flour mixture and half the soda mixture, mixing well and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Repeat until all of the flour mixture and soda have been added completely to the batter.  Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine.  As a warning, this batter will splash, so if you have bowl guards I would advise using them.
Pour about half of the batter into a large bowl.  Add the remaining flour and maraschino cherry juice, the grenadine, and red food coloring to your desired hue.  Spoon the red batter evenly into the bottom of each cupcake liner, then top with the remaining white batter.
Bake the cupcakes for 15-20 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the middle of each cupcake comes out clean.  Allow to cool completely in the pans before frosting.

To make the buttercream, cream the butter in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or paddle scraper!) until it's pale, light, and fluffy - about 2-3 minutes.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the salt, then gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all combined.  Thoroughly mix in the vanilla, lemon juice, and cherry juice.  Dollop or pipe onto cooled cupcakes as desired and garnish with the stemmed maraschino cherries.  Enjoy!

Vanilla Bean Scones and the Best Birthday Ever

I am exhausted.

Between the crazy heat that's hit the NoVA area, the loud energetic kids I'm working with, and the whirlwind of a birthday weekend I had, I am just plain wiped!

But ohhh was it ever worth it...

Quick backstory: my birthday is smack-dab in the middle of July, a.k.a. Vacation Season.  Growing up, most of my friends were naturally on vacation on my birthday, and when they weren't away I had something going on out of town that kept me from having an actual birthday celebration.  The vast majority of my birthdays have been spent with my parents and have involved minimal hoopla.

This year was different :)

Jon flew down from Buffalo Saturday morning, so I got to see my fiancé for the first time in two months, which was nothing short of amazing.  Then, my family - complete with the "extended family" of my best friend Jenni and her mom - drove down to Staunton, VA for a weekend at a bed and breakfast.  After a lovely Italian dinner (and free tiramisu, complete with birthday candle), Jenni and Jon and I went out on the town so I could get my first drink at midnight.  Spending the night out with the two of them was everything I wanted!
The next day, after a delicious breakfast, a walk around the gorgeous little town, and gelato for lunch (I LOVE how anything goes on your birthday!), we went to the Blackfriars Theater, home of the American Shakespeare Center, to see The Importance of Being Earnest.  Earnest is my favorite play, and the production definitely did not disappoint - I laughed hysterically the whole time!  Then came dinner at a delicious farm-to-table restaurant, followed by the 2.5-hour drive home...through most of which I slept.  It was definitely the best birthday I've ever had, and overall an amazing, if exhausting, weekend.

Since being back at home, I haven't had much energy to get back in the kitchen, and being totally out of it, I forgot to take pictures of the zucchini fries I made (I'll try to make them again soon - they were fantastic!).  But before we left for Staunton on Saturday, I made these Vanilla Bean Scones as a treat for Jon to enjoy after his flight.

This makes three recipes I've posted from Alice's Tea Cup.  Since June.  Yeah.  I just can't get over how good everything from that cookbook is!  (And they have countless more amazing recipes that they didn't share, so you really have to drop by one of their locations next time you're in Manhattan.)
These scones are the perfect sweet treat to justify having for breakfast.  They're buttery, tender, chock full of gorgeous vanilla flavor, and perfectly sweet.  Serve them alongside some eggs and a fruit salad and you'll be oh so happy :)

Vanilla Bean Scones
Source: Alice's Tea Cup by Haley and Lauren Fox

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
2-1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1-1/4 cups cold buttermilk (I used low-fat)
2 or 3 vanilla beans, seeds scraped out and pods reserved
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup heavy cream (for brushing)
1/4 cup sugar (for sprinkling)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425˚F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  With clean hands or a pastry blender (or both, if you're me and your butter was still frozen!), cut the butter into the dry mixture until the butter is fully incorporated and the mixture has the consistency of fine breadcrumbs.  Combine the buttermilk, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds in the cup in which you measured the buttermilk.  Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and pour the buttermilk mixture into the well.  Combine the ingredients until the entire dry mixture is wet - but don't knead!
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.  Gather the dough together and lightly pat it out to a rectangle about 1-1/2 inches thick.  Using a dough cutter or a sharp knife, cut the dough into wedges measuring about 3-1/2 x 4 inches and lay them on a nonstick baking sheet.  If there is any remaining dough, lightly gather it together to cut out more scones - try not to knead too much!  Brush the tops of the scones liberally with cream and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake the scones for 12-18 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Cool just until they can be handled.  Enjoy!

**NOTE: In my experience, the scones often take several minutes more than 12 to finish baking at 425˚.  I plan to experiment in the future with bumping the temperature up another 25 degrees to see if they puff up and brown better.  If you try it, let me know how they turn out!

Father's Day Brownie Torte

As a starving student - not quite an accurate term, but I'm definitely on a budget - and a lover of all things kitchen-y, baked things are my typical gift to family members and close friends for special occasions.  Since Sunday was Fathers' Day, I had an excuse to bake!  Love those.

My dad's pretty flexible with the sort of thing he'll eat - as in anything - but he did mention a brownie cake as something he'd really enjoy.  As soon as I heard that, my brain popped straight over to the most insane brownie confection I'd ever seen.  The recipe was by The Pastry Queen and had started to make the rounds in the blogosphere, where everyone who'd ever made it raved about it.  Thus, natural choice.

Then I looked at the ingredient list.
Oh my.
My healthy eating habits took one look at the recipe and knew they didn't stand a chance.
But they'd die happy.
You'll see when you get to the recipe portion.

The original recipe called for instant espresso powder in the filling and frosting, but alas, my mother is so anti-coffee that espresso ceased to be an option, and thus the original toffee bits called for didn't seem to fit either.  However, we did have some gorgeous Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans and extract in the pantry, so the torte got a huge kick in the butt of vanilla.  And I'm certainly not complaining about that - the sweet mildness of the vanilla kept the insanely fudgey brownie layers from feeling too rich.  It turned out absolutely delicious!  Dad and I are still enjoying it.

My waistline, however, is not - thank God for Exercise TV!  Does anyone want to help me eat this??

Annie of Annie's Eats - the blog that can do no wrong from my point of view - has the original recipe posted on her page.  I've posted my vanilla version below, including a garnish that I ran out of time for but think would be gorgeous and tasty.  Enjoy!

Vanilla Fudge Brownie Torte


Yield: about 20 servings
Ingredients:

For the brownies:
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter
16 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 cups sugar
8 large eggs
2 tbsp. vanilla extract
2½ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt

For the frosting:
3 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract (I used Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla from Nielsen Massey)
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped


For the filling:
16 oz. mascarpone cheese
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1½ tbsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 cup reserved frosting (above)

For garnish:
1½-2 cups white chocolate shavings
Sliced fresh strawberries


Directions:
To make the brownie layers, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Grease and flour the edges of three 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.  Combine the butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over a few inches of simmering water.  Continue heating until the butter and chocolate are melted and smooth, stirring occasionally with a spatula.  Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside.  Transfer the chocolate mixture to a large mixing bowl.  (If your heatproof bowl is very large, transfer to a new bowl is not necessary.)  Whisk in the sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and glossy, about 1 minute.  Stir in the flour and salt, and mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared baking pans.  Gently smooth the batter in the pans.  Bake 20-25 minutes, until the brownies are just firm to the touch.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pans 30 minutes.  Then run a knife around the edge of each pan and invert the brownies onto the rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting, add the chilled heavy cream to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Whip on medium-high speed until medium-soft peaks form.  Blend in the sugar, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds, whipping just until combine.  Continue to whip until stiff peaks form.  Reserve and refrigerate 1 cup of the frosting for use in the filling.  Set aside the rest of the frosting.
To make the filling, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the mascarpone, sugar, vanilla and salt.  Beat on medium speed until well blended and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Gently fold in the reserved 1 cup of frosting with a spatula.
To assemble the torte, lay 1 of the brownie rounds to a large serving platter.  Spread half of the filling mixture evenly over the top.  Layer with another brownie round, and the remainder of the filling.  Top with the final brownie layer.  Cover the top and sides of the cake with the frosting.  Garnish with the white chocolate shavings to cover the top and sides of the cake.  Use any remaining frosting to pipe decorative swirls around the top edge of the cake and decorate with fresh strawberry slices, if desired.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Source: adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather