Hey you all,
I have noticed lately that when I go to a food blog for a recipe I am interested in, I don't read the blog, and I don't stop at all the photos. I like to see the finished product, but I already know what it looks like to beat an egg or oil a pan, so I skip right to the recipe, or I just hit copy me that and avoid the blog altogether. I know great advertisement to get you to read my blog, but I am hoping you read mine anyways.
I haven't done what's or dinner in a long while, and I have been aching to get back at it. So lets get back at it.
Whats for dinner, well if you know me ,this will not be a surprise. Dessert, that's what's for dinner. I was barely able to keep myself from cutting into the cake before I had dinner made. Somehow I refrained and had dinner before the cake. I ate the first piece and then I ate the last piece ( it was no small piece either) and hubby was none too pleased with me, he had plans of his own for that piece of cake, and my eating it wasn't a part of them.
The recipe is called Crazy Cake, also known by a few other names including Depression Cake. The recipe I found is what I believe to be a slightly modified recipe of an old recipe from the Depression era. Modified to work with products we have on hand now as opposed to what was on hand during the Depression. Like olive oil instead of shortening , simple things like that, butter to grease the pan over bacon fat, you get the idea. There is no egg, or milk in this cake so with a few more adjustments this would make the perfect vegan cake.
I followed the recipe exactly, and this will be my go to cake recipe from now on. It was moist, full of flavor and just plain melt in your mouth wonderful . I could not believe how easy this cake was to make, from mixing, to baking , right up to and including the clean up. The perfect cake for a novice baker.
Since I topped the cake with a frosting I found on line you are going to get 2 recipes for the price of one. I followed this recipe exactly as well,( well almost) and I got a light airy incredible tasty peanut butter frosting that paired perfectly with the chocolate cake. Now this recipe has milk and butter so that would end the vegan option, but you can just leave the frosting off, or choice another.
1/2 c butter, softened
1 c creamy peanut butter
3 Tbsp milk, or more as needed
2 c confectioners' sugar
Cream the butter and peanut butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar mixing everything together, add the milk a little at a time to get the texture and thickness you desire. Beat for 3 more minutes to make the frosting light and fluffy. Spread on a completely cooled cake.
Note #1, that made enough frosting for 2 cakes, also I like a heavier peanut butter taste so at the end I added more peanut butter to the mix.
Note #2 I found this recipe on the Just A Pinch web site, shared by a cook named Bunny.
I am not a big frosting fan, but I am of this one. I swear it was as good as the cake. It was hard to decide what I liked more the cake or the frosting. I still haven't decided .
As always October is the month we take a little time for ourselves and we get away, even if only for a few days. This year we took a long weekend and went up into the Poconos in PA. We stayed in Tannersville, in a resort at the base of Camel Back. A beautiful mountain with a ski resort sprawled across the top and sides.
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| Camel Back Ski resort with zip lines |
I hiked a little, and relaxed a lot. The view out our hotel widow or door was breath taking and the weather it couldn't have been better
I was absolutely fascinated with the swans living in the pond outside our room. I took hundreds of photos, ( don't worry I won't share them all) and had the nerve to be upset when people stopped along the road to feed them or admire them and take them out of my camera view. No worries I got over it quick enough.
We went to Bushkills Falls, where I did a little hiking and saw 1 and a 1/2 of the many falls there. The climb up and down to get to the falls is no joke so I chose to enjoy the ones less high up.
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| The falling leaves were so much fun to watch |
And you know I had to go to the top of Camel Back and hike around there. I cheated a little and was driven to the top, where I could wander to my hearts content without so much climbing. The view was spectacular, with so much color as far as the eye could see, and the trails were rugged and rustic making it even more fun.
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| our hotel |
Some of the sights were less about nature and more about people enjoying the same sights as me.
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| Me |
And I can't go anywhere that I don't find at least on railroad track.
BowD and Bill enjoyed themselves too. Their favorite spot being our little porch over looking the walking path and pond.
Thanks for stopping by I hope you enjoyed your visit, and I hope you enjoy the cake even more.
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| Morning Moon |
