This is a storm. A rain storm, even though is ugly out it's really pretty to listen to. Soft taping on the glass, familiar streaks falling, wind throwing gusts through the trees and over the walls. Tonight deserves a cup of steaming tea and a book. Speaking of which, any recommendations?

Due to a surplus of vanilla genoise from this delicious desert, I decided to make a cake. Blackberry layer cake to be exact. It was wonderful. A stark contrast to the weather outdoors and sound confirmation that I miss summer.

A summer like I used to spend picking delicious wild blackberries from behind our little house. Picking only as many as we could eat before retiring to the house with nothing to show for our efforts.

This recipe I pulled together with a little homemade blackberry-strawberry jam and a little buttercream frosting. It's the richest frosting I have ever tasted and its melt in your mouth texture means you need only a very little piece.

Happy puddle jumping!