Sugar Nugget brought home a recipe for Grandma's Thunder Cake about 3 weeks ago and has been wanting to make it ever since. I like to bake....but don't ask me to bake a cake from scratch. It's just not my thing. I've been known to make cookies or banana bread from scratch, but not cake. There's just nothing better than a box of Funfetti. Moist. Delicious. Why mess with perfection?
But, when she wrote this on the white board, I knew it was time to put aside my own fears and bake the darn cake.
Off to the store we went with our list in hand.
"Pureed tomatoes" was an ingredient. Odd, don't you think?
With all our ingredients and baking stuff ready to go, we begin...
With all our ingredients and baking stuff ready to go, we begin...
You wanna see something really gross??
The first batch of wet ingredients ended up looking like this.
That's shortening all chunked up in pureed tomatoes, sugar, etc.
Need I remind you of the reason I avoid baking from scratch?
I re-read the directions and it said to blend each ingredient individually.
Ohhh.
Ohhh.
Well, I didn't and it looked like up-chuck. No lie.
Cream together, one at a time:
1 cup shortening
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs, separated (blend yolks in)
Beat whites until they are stiff, then fold in.
1 cup cold water
1/3 cup pureed tomatoes
(I used canned cut tomatoes and pureed them in the magic bullet)
Sift together:
2 1/2 cups cake flour (I used all purpose)
1/2 cup dry cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Mix dry mix into creamy mixture.
Bake in two greased and floured 8 1/2" round pans at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
Frost with chocolate butter cream frosting.
Top with strawberries.
Cream together, one at a time:
1 cup shortening
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs, separated (blend yolks in)
Beat whites until they are stiff, then fold in.
1 cup cold water
1/3 cup pureed tomatoes
(I used canned cut tomatoes and pureed them in the magic bullet)
Sift together:
2 1/2 cups cake flour (I used all purpose)
1/2 cup dry cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Mix dry mix into creamy mixture.
Bake in two greased and floured 8 1/2" round pans at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
Frost with chocolate butter cream frosting.
Top with strawberries.
The second batch was much better.
No wonder there are instructions.
My life would be much simpler if I read them once in a while.
Thunder cake with some vanilla ice cream = good!
Dude... that did look like a pile o' hurl but oh my... that last shot. Holy photographer. That is rad and I am making it for sure. Thanks for joining in on the party. I can always count on yoU!:)
ReplyDeleteTomato in chocolate cake? Yikes! But, sometimes the recipes that seem weird are the best ones...
ReplyDeleteyou are so funny! i have to try this now to find out what the tomatoes taste like with chocolate.
ReplyDeleteYummo! Isn't it funny when something like that can turn out looking so good! Tomatoes, how weird!
ReplyDeleteOh I have heard of this madness!! but never tried it... it is like the Deceptively Delicious methods by Jessica Seinfeld!! I modify her recipes all the time ~ but I love slipping veggies into yummy food! make me feel less guilty (ha ha) about sugary foods... =) will have to add it to my must try list! =)
ReplyDelete