An Unintentional Birthday Cake

Perrin and I have an ideal symbiotic relationship: I cook, while she chops, advises, tastes, helps me plan menus, and does the dishes.

However, our dynamic may be shifting. It turns out...she can bake.

White Chocolate Almond Pound Cake
Original recipe here.

1 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup finely chopped sliced almonds
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 tsp lemon zest

Topping:
1/3 cup (75 mL) white chocolate chips, melted
1/4 cup (50 mL) slivered almonds, toasted

In bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, chopped almonds, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture alternately with milk, making 3 additions of flour mixture and 2 of milk. Stir in lemon zest and chocolate chips. Scrape into buttered 9 x 13" pan.

Bake in centre of 325°F (160°C) oven until golden and cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, about 1-1/2 hours. Let cake cool in pan on rack; turn out onto plate and let cool. Cut in half lengthwise; spread lemon curd (recipe follows) on one half; top with second half; spread melted chocolate chips over top and sprinkle with toasted almonds.

Lemon Curd
Taken directly from the beautiful yet utilitarian Joy of Baking web site, but cut in 1/3. Read more here

1 large egg
Juice of one large lemon
1 tsp finely shredded lemon zest
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
4 teaspoons unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into small pieces

In a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice until blended. Cook, stirring constantly (to prevent from curdling), until the mixture becomes thick: this will take about 10 minutes. Whisk butter into the mixture until melted.

An aside: Perrin's email conversation with her culinarily superior sister --

[Perrin to Ariel]
a few developments--
i have aquired a half a gallon of raw milk!
i am in the process of baking a cake. to be more specific, a white chocolate chip almond cake with lemon curd/zest.

***
[Ariel to Perrin]
i doubt that you are making the cake; a more likely development is you observing courtney or some other unsuspecting puppet to prepare the cake, whilst you scream out disencouraging, unproductive mythologies.

***
[Cmoore to Ariel]
Astounding but true. I saw it, unbelievingly, with my own eyes. Granted, I found the recipes, read them aloud to her, and offered useful tips like, "Now you stir it." But still, she made a (beautiful, exquisite, delightful, and delectable) cake. No puppets were harmed in the production of this dessert.