Front Porch: The perfect spring cake

Hello Beautiful!

Did you know that April is World Autism Month, aka Autism Awareness Month?

This month is very special to me because I have an “adopted” niece Daneyl H who is on the Autism Spectrum. She has Asperger’s Syndrome

Isn’t she a beauty? I’m so proud of her.

She calls me Auntie Kim and she wants to eventually model for me. Her family was told that she wouldn’t be able to talk when she was younger but God had a different plan.  

She’s now 24, she’s a 3.74 GPA college student at Musicians Institute for Vocal Performance, and she is singing and performing all around the Greater Los Angeles area.

Do you have a special someone with Autism in your life?  Post a pic of you and them on Instagram and make sure you tag me and use the Hashtag #LWYA

Xoxo

www.lwya.com

This is one of Daneyl’s favorite desserts, baked with love from her mom. Enjoy!

1-1/2 cups butter, softened
3 cups sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup 7UP soda

Glaze:
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
1 to 2 tablespoons 7UP soda
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon or lime zest, optional
2 slices of lemon, sugared, optional
10-14 white chocolate chips, optional

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 10-in. fluted or plain tube pan.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 7- 10 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon juice and vanilla. 

3. Add flour alternately with 7UP, beating well after each addition.

4. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 65-75 minutes. Cool in pan 20 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. For glaze, in a small bowl, mix confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and enough 7UP to reach desired consistency. If desired, stir in zest. Drizzle over cake. If desired, top with white chocolate chips, more zest, and/or sugared lemon slices.

I just love this Infinity Cross Necklace. It’s a daily celebration of the infinity of Him and His sacrifice love just for me. 

This Signature cross pendant hangs from a classic cable chain, features open curvatures, and is adorned with white lab sapphire pavé accents.

Learn more.

I just did the mother of all pranks on my sister Allisyn. 

This is the funniest and most expensive podcast episode we’ve ever made and it was 100% worth it because I’ve never laughed so hard in my life 

If there's one thing I know, it's pranks. And this time, I took it to a whole new level with a month-long prank on my sister using her Cameo account. 

You’re not going to believe the ridiculous videos I got Allisyn to record on Cameo. This is truly a can’t miss episode. Get ready to laugh until you pee because you’re in for a wild ride on The Kim Gravel Show. 

Listen here.

Y’all, have you seen our Overcoming Adversity series? It’s part of the Love Who You Are movement and we post them EVERYWHERE.

And we’d love to feature YOUR Overcoming Adversity story! Submit a video following the instructions here and if we decide to use your video, you’ll receive a $50 gift card to either our LWYA store or an Amex gift card.

Learn more.