I should have been around eight years old when my mother’s best friend Carmen Mangrich returned to live in Puerto Rico. I remember that the house was filled with boxes and barrels of china and stemware. To my surprise, I noticed that under a beaming ray of light in a corner of the room, still wearing its original box… not tainted… never used… and in mint condition, was an Easy Bake Oven. Carmen’s daughter Patty was the proprietor and sole owner of this Top Chef, State of the Art cooking master device. I said to myself… WOW!, I like cake; I can bake one anytime my little heart desires….I need to have one of those….. On the other hand Patty really did not care about the gastronomic world, cooking or about this fascinating baking Master Piece; she just cared about looking cool at the tennis court! “Voila” (now with a French/German accent) I will be the proprietor of that fine machine, ha, ha, ha, ha. (End scene).
I guess I stared at the box for so long, that at the time we had to leave, Carmen placed it in our car and said...”Take that stuff; it has been hanging around for too long and Patty will never use it, have fun with it! The GODS were listening and answered my prayers!
Later that year, my sister Zonia and I decided to bake a birthday cake for my father’s birthday. We started to bake little cakes in our fabulous Easy Bake Oven… but it did not work! We had to go to the corner store to buy little pound cakes; we stacked them and frosted them with a fabulous home made icing. By the way we were out of sugar and obviously we substituted the sugar for maple syrup. By the time dad arrived home from work the cake had absorbed all of the icing and it just looked like a mound of wet cake. Dad said it was the best cake he had ever had and that his 44th birthday was the best ever!
……… During my student orientation for Junior High at the “Escuela Libre the Musica” one of the professors (Mr. Seda) addressed the group with two instruments in his hands. On the right hand he had a Trombone and on the left hand he had a Flute. He asked, “Which is a boy’s instrument and which is a girl’s instrument?” Rapidly the crowd answered; the flute is for the girls and the trombone is for the boys! To our surprise He emphatically said NO! An instrument does hot have a sex and it was not created for a particular gender. The purpose of an instrument is to inspire, motivate, create and permit your soul to soar! You will be able reach new levels and you needed to so pick the instrument that inspires you!
No matter what is your muse or talent in life; cooking, painting, dancing, decorating, auto mechanics, or spots you need to approach it with inspiration and give it your all. Since Mr. Seda’s inspiring talk, I have applied his same philosophy to every thing I do in life.
Much better than Dads Birthday cake try it!
Hummingbird Cake
The cake is very moist and when combined with the White Chocolate frosting it is fantastic!
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sunflower oil
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 8oz can crushed pineapple, un-drained
1 cup chopped pecans
1 3/4 cups bananas
Cream cheese frosting
Fresh pineapple
Mile High White Chocolate Humming Bird Cake Alternate recipe. For the days you want a short cut!
1 8 oz can crushed pineapple and juice
2 boxes White Cake Mix (dunkin hines)
3.4 vanilla instant Pudding mix
6 large eggs
2 ½ milk divided
2 cup canola oil
4 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon Almond
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 4 onz chopped White Chocolate Baking Bar Ghirardelli
2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup White sweet coconut flakes
2 cups bananas 3 medium
Cream cheese frosting
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Step 1
Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 4 or 9-inch round cake pans.
Step 2
Mash ripe bananas in a bowl with a fork [or puree in a blender] and coarsely chop pecans. Set aside.
Step 3
Add flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon to a large bowl. Add the eggs and oil until dry ingredients are just moistened. Stir in the vanilla, pineapple, pecans and bananas.
Step 4
Pour batter evenly into 4 prepared round cake pans.
Step 5
Bake at 350 degrees for 34 - 36 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes, remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack lined with wax or parchment paper. Let stand for 1 hour. Tort the cakes in to 8 rounds.
Step 6
Spread cream cheese frosting [recipe in step 8] between layers and on top and sides of cake. Optional: Decorate with dried pineapple flowers. [Directions in step 9]
Step 7
Store in refrigerator.
Step 8
White chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting: 9 cups
3 cups White chocolate morsels
* 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
* 3 - 8oz cream cheese, room temperature
* 7 ½ cups powdered sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1/2 cup chopped pecans (sprinkle between cake layers)
Set Chocolate in a double bowl with hot water until they melt.
Beat butter and cream cheese and chocolate at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Beat at high speed until smooth; stir in vanilla.
Step 9
You can stop at this point and sprinkle chopped pecans on top or around the sides OR if you are real adventuresome you can make the optional pineapple flowers. I have included the directions below-
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