A Lack Of Self Control. . .

So I have been testing out recipes, looking for the very best cakes, cookies and squares to serve at my upcoming  Garden Parties .

Last week I made a delicious applesauce cake.

I used applesauce made with apples from my own tree, cinnamon brought back from the markets in  Vietnam by my sister Tamara, who brought it for my sister Lisa, who was sweet enough to share with me. The eggs are from free run chickens (as long as the coyotes are behaving themselves!) that I get from a lovely lady in our church and the nutmeg freshly grated. I could grind grain for fresh whole wheat flour the way I do for my bread but. . .  somehow. . .  my European baker's heritage (both my dad and his dad were bakers) makes that seem wrong somehow.

At least. . .that's what I like to tell myself.

The truth is I really just love baked things made with white flour. Somehow a cake made with flour that's good for you just doesn't have the same appeal!

I make this cake in a spring-form pan rather than a 9x13 because I think it looks prettier when it's iced. And pretty is very important to me. I think pretty things taste better.

A pretty cake stand helps too.

Any one who has ever baked a cake knows that the cake has to cool completely before you frost it or the warmth of the cake will melt the icing.

A turntable makes frosting a cake a breeze.

I have baked many a cake. .  . but, sometimes. . . I just can't wait!

When this cake is warm  you can sneakily cut a piece and dust it with a sprinkling of icing sugar.  Then you can cool it and frost the rest of it with icing!

Sigh. . .


I have such a lack of self control sometimes.