About This Project

My Aunt Carol (Giampa) was a life long cook and the holder of my family's culinary traditions. When she passed, her recipe collection came to me. Having learned many of my cooking skills from her and forging traditions of my own, I am honored and challenged to explore the many recipes of her mother and aunts that never made it into my repertoire. Many of these recipes are desserts. This project is an attempt to both memorialize Aunt Carol (or Jumpy as she was known to most others) and explore/test/review these old family recipes. Join me?

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Applesauce Cake




Ah well, another recipe another lesson learned.

The recipe called for a "tube pan" and not having my aunt to call and ask what the hell that is and arriving at no general consensus among those I DID ask, I used a loaf pan and a half round (half a tube?) When I pulled them out of the oven they looked good but I think I rushed getting them out of the pans. The loaf just completely fell apart. Then I did a stupid thing and tried to even the bottom of the half round since it was all funky. Should have waited for it to cool if I was going to do that... I think they both should have cooled completely in their pans before trying to tip them out. Whoops. So that one came out all funky and flopped about a bit before I just folded it in half (now a full round!) and stuck it in the freezer. I think when I'm ready to deal with it I'll put a whipped frosted in between for a sort of pumpkin roll/whoopie pie action. The "loaf" we ate up in handfuls.

The cake itself was super tasty, very moist and easy to press into cakeballs for consumption. I imagine if it had been allowed to cool it would have sliced up with no trouble. It was tasty enough I would try it again and find out.

As much as I hate too-specific instructions in general recipes, the lack of specifics for baking is maddening. And funny. :D

Next up: Harvey and the cake he'll make! I have the Galliano and I have tasted the cocktail, now we will have cake. Dude help me, I think this one wants a bundt pan. Shortening and flour for decent removal? Any other suggestions to avoid pile o crumbs?

2 comments:

  1. You can always ask Auntie Google:

    http://www.google.com/search?aq=f&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=tube+pan

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  2. True! She's not much of a conversationalist though.

    It occurred to me that it was an angel food cake type pan, but I don't have one so would have improvised anyway. Mostly I was afraid to use my silicone bundt pan but I'm going to have to today.

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