Cake of the Month 'Training Camp'

This months cake theme was training camp. With winter all around us in Canada we end up thinking about the nice sunny swimming, biking and running that we could be doing down south. Keeping with the hot theme, Rachel and I put together a Smoked Paprika and Chocolate Cake.

Recipe:
Ingredients For the Cake:

• 3 eggs
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup dark cocoa
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 3/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp Urfa chilies
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/4  cups strong brewed coffee

Baking Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees
2. Line two 8 inch pans with oil
3.  Combine all ingredients except for flour and coffee into a mixer bowl.  Using the whisk attachment put on speed 2 and mix until the batter is shiny and everything is incorporated.  Alternately add flour and coffee a cup at a time starting with the flour. When everything has been added, scrape down sides of bowl and mix on speed 3 for one minute.
4. Pour contents into prepared pans and bake for 55 minutes.  Remove from pan and let cool.

Ingredients For the Icing:

• 1 lbs butter (room temp)
• 2 lbs powdered sugar
• 1/2 Table spoon milk
• 1/2 table spoon vanilla
• 1/4 tsp  each: sweet paprika, salt, black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cocoa

 To make the icing:  Whip butter on high for 5 minutes.  Scrape sides and repeat.  Add powdered sugar a cup at a time with mixer on speed 1.  Add milk, vanilla, and spices.  Whip on speed 3 to incorporate everything is smooth.


The changes that I would make if we made this cake again would be to add more smoked paprika and sweet paprika to both the cake and icing. Just a little to subtle taste for me. I also would add in a little cinnamon to the icing in stead of cocoa.

Rachel and I then sculpted the cake and fondant figures to resemble Tuscan training camp. (Also where we met)

California

Went down to Poway California for ten day to get some good warm weather training in before school starts again. On the first day through down a 3 hour ride in 4c temp, so warmer than Canada but not a huge change. It got a lot warmer as the day went on.

On the second day was doing an easy run and found the biggest puddle. I processed to face plant into that puddle making a muddy mess of myself but all was fine and finished up the run dirty but uninjured.
By the third day had settled into and was ready for some good training. Here is how the week looked.

Monday:
-am hard bike 6x4min hard up hill @330watts
-noon swim 4500m some good meters
-pm run 1 hour cruise

Tuesday:
-am bike 90min cruise
-noon swim 4500m tec work
-pm running hills 8x30sec hard

Wednesday:
-am bike 90min cruise
-noon swim 5000m 4x(6x200yards @2:30)
-pm run 1 hour cruise

Thursday:
-am hard bike 6x4min hard up hill @340-50watts
-noon swim 4200m tec work
-pm run 1 hour cruise

Friday:
-am run workout 5xmile @6min descend starting at 5:15
-noon swim 4500m some good meters
-pm run 1 hour cruise

Saturday:
-am 4 hour bike cruise
-open water swim

Sunday:
-am run1 hour cruise
-non bike 90 min cruise
-pm run 50min cruise

That was a basic training week at a glance that I have been working up to with Paulo. Much more to come and can not wait to get back down to California. Had some very cool runs on the last few days with low clouds.

All I had in my Pockets for the 4 hour Ride

 The 4 hour ride started cold but got hot very quickly so I had to put some cloths in my empty water bottle to hold it all in my pockets.

sunny pool