Cake, cake, everywhere!

Image from www.disgruntledhousewife.com

Browsing through www.disgruntledhousewife.com, I came across this very lovely recipe devoted to the wonder we know and (gleefully) shun: the Pink Cake. I've yet to make this, but oh! I will! The DH author suggests that even if you don't normally like Pink Cake, this one is a force to be reckoned with! Although you might have to force the maraschino cherry-haters to try this one.

2 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
3 egg whites, unbeaten
18 maraschino cherries, drained and diced very finely

Save the juice for the frosting!

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into mixing bowl. Add shortening, milk, and extracts and beat 2 minutes, scraping bowl often. Add the egg whites and beat 3 minutes. Add cherries and blend. Pour into two greased and flowered baking pans and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Test it with a toothpick to check for doneness; if any sticks, throw it back in the oven real quick.

Frost with Cherry Fluff Frosting (as follows):

Cherry Fluff Frosting
2 egg whites, beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 tablespoons cold maraschino cherry juice
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 marshmallows, cut into eighths
1 tsp light corn syrup (or 1/4 tsp cream of tartar)

Put egg whites, sugar, cherry juice, corn syrup, and salt in the top of a double boiler and mix thoroughly. Place over rapidly boiling water and beat constantly with electric beater until mixture will hold a peak. Remove from hot water, add extracts and marshmallows and beat until cool and thick enough to spread.

Author also suggests mixing cherry juice with cream chesse as an alternate frosting, if the above gets too complicated!

Originally published in Cakes Men Like (out-of-print unfortunately)

Holy anchovies!

It's been a while! It's not that I haven't been cooking... or eating! I guess things get a bit crazy in the fall/winter. We get more days off in the summer, which allows for more time to think about menus and prepare!

Father's Day was this past Sunday. BF -or FI now- and I went to my parents' place for a bbq. There's been a lot of wonderful, spectacular recipes coming out in the summer issues of Cooking Light, Bon Appetit & Cdn. Living that I've been itching to try! Bought some organic cherries at the store on the weekend and decided to use them in a fabulous upside-down cake from CLs latest issue. I sweet-talked BF into pitting 3 lbs. of them - after that it was a breeze! And what fantastic results! A decadent-looking, just-sweet-enough dessert after a somewhat big meal of grilled meat.

I also made a faulously delish orzo mediteranean salad that included sun-dried tomato, kalamata, artichoke hearts and feta. Lovely. Everything fit perfectly!

Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Feta Vinaigrette
Total time: 45 mins.

1 cup uncooked orzo (about 8 oz)
2 cups bagged, prewashed baby spinach, chopped
1/2 cup chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomoato halves
3 Tbsp chopped red onion
3 Tbsp chopped pitted kalamata olives
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 (6 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts, undrained
3/4 cup (3 oz) feta, crumbled & divided

1. Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; rinse with cold water. Combine orzo, spinach, and next 5 ingredients (to salt) in a large bowl.

2. Drain artichokes, reserving marinade. Coarsely chop artichokes, and add artichokes, reserved marinade, and feta to orzo mixture, tossing gently to coat.

Yield: 4 servings

From Cooking Light, June/05