Three Cakes with Unusual Names that are Easy to Make and will Delight the Family (Chris Rawstern)

Three different cakes came into my life through various avenues. The Wacky Cake was introduced to our family by my aunt, and it was a hit ever after. At the time, the marvel of the Wacky Cake was that it worked. It actually made a really good chocolate cake, using minimal ingredients. It uses no eggs or dairy. The fun part was the making three wells in the dry ingredients. Two of my sisters and I were allowed to pour in the liquid ingredients and Mom would combine them to bake.

The other two cakes are the Mayonnaise Cake, also chocolate, and the Tomato Soup Cake, which is a spice cake. That the Mayonnaise Cake works is no great surprise. Mayonnaise is made from oil and eggs, two ingredients often used in making a cake. The Tomato Soup Cake is a spice cake. Considering that tomatoes really are a fruit, along with the addition of quite a bit of spices, nuts and raisins, this cake is also delicious.

Following are the three recipes. I hope you will make memories with your family as my mom made for my sisters and I. When kids get involved in the making of something, they become curious to see what it tastes like. The fact that vinegar or mayonnaise or tomato soup is an ingredient in a dessert will be overlooked once the results are tasted. Their young lives will ever after be changed in wonderful ways.

Wacky Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8 inch square baking pan. Sift together the first 5 ingredients directly into the greased pan. Make three wells in the dry ingredients. Make one well larger, one medium and one small. Have your kids pour the oil into the large well, the vinegar in the medium well and vanilla into the small well. Pour the cup of water over all and combine until just mixed. Bake for about 30 minutes. Cool completely, then frost with your favorite frosting.

Tomato Soup Cake or Mystery Cake

2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 can tomato soup, 10.5 ounces
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease two 8 inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment. Sift together the first 6 ingredients and set aside. Cream the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the soup, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat well after each addition. Fold in the nuts and raisins. Pour into prepared pans and bake for about 30 minutes. Cool the cakes for 10 minutes before removing from pans. Cool completely and frost with an icing of your choice.

Mayonnaise Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 cup water
1 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 or 9 inch square cake pan. In a bowl, whisk together the first 5 ingredients. Add in the next three ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool completely before spreading with your favorite frosting.

Make some memories today by making one of these delightfully different cakes.
Thank you for taking the time to read my article. I hope it was informative and helped you along your own culinary journey. You will find many more recipes and helpful tips on my web site. I am on Facebook at A Harmony of Flavors and share a recipe or tip each day to the fans that have liked my site. I hope to see you there soon.

My name is Chris Rawstern, I have been on a cooking and baking journey for 42 years. Many people have asked what A Harmony of Flavors means. Have you ever had a meal where the visual presentation was stunning, the smells were incredible the taste was so remarkable that you ate slowly savoring every bite, wishing the experience would never end? Then you have experienced what a truly harmonious meal can be like.
I began my cooking career in Guatemala, in 1970. I moved there as a naive 20-year-old, and set out to learned about cooking in a foreign land. I will pass along special recipes that I have been making for 42 years, and new ones. I will also pass on tips or notes with things to watch for and what just plain works better. I have amassed huge quantities of recipes over the years, and recently have begun giving classes.
My passion is to teach people how to create a Harmony of Flavors with their cooking, and help pass along my love and joy of food simple and exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, trying new things. I would love to hear from you, to help me continue my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own.
Visit my Web site http://www.aharmonyofflavors.com my Blog my Marketplace at http://www.a-harmony-of-flavors-marketplace.com or on Facebook page at A Harmony of Flavors. I share a recipe or tip each day to the fans that have liked my site.I hope to see you there soon

Three different cakes came into my life through various avenues. The Wacky Cake was introduced to our family by my aunt, and it was a hit ever after. At the time, the marvel of the Wacky Cake was that it worked. It actually made a really good chocolate cake, using minimal ingredients. It uses no eggs or dairy. The fun part was the making three wells in the dry ingredients. Two of my sisters and I were allowed to pour in the liquid ingredients and Mom would combine them to bake.

The other two cakes are the Mayonnaise Cake, also chocolate, and the Tomato Soup Cake, which is a spice cake. That the Mayonnaise Cake works is no great surprise. Mayonnaise is made from oil and eggs, two ingredients often used in making a cake. The Tomato Soup Cake is a spice cake. Considering that tomatoes really are a fruit, along with the addition of quite a bit of spices, nuts and raisins, this cake is also delicious.

Following are the three recipes. I hope you will make memories with your family as my mom made for my sisters and I. When kids get involved in the making of something, they become curious to see what it tastes like. The fact that vinegar or mayonnaise or tomato soup is an ingredient in a dessert will be overlooked once the results are tasted. Their young lives will ever after be changed in wonderful ways.

Wacky Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8 inch square baking pan. Sift together the first 5 ingredients directly into the greased pan. Make three wells in the dry ingredients. Make one well larger, one medium and one small. Have your kids pour the oil into the large well, the vinegar in the medium well and vanilla into the small well. Pour the cup of water over all and combine until just mixed. Bake for about 30 minutes. Cool completely, then frost with your favorite frosting.

Tomato Soup Cake or Mystery Cake

2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 can tomato soup, 10.5 ounces
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease two 8 inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment. Sift together the first 6 ingredients and set aside. Cream the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the soup, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat well after each addition. Fold in the nuts and raisins. Pour into prepared pans and bake for about 30 minutes. Cool the cakes for 10 minutes before removing from pans. Cool completely and frost with an icing of your choice.

Mayonnaise Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 cup water
1 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 or 9 inch square cake pan. In a bowl, whisk together the first 5 ingredients. Add in the next three ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool completely before spreading with your favorite frosting.

Make some memories today by making one of these delightfully different cakes.
Thank you for taking the time to read my article. I hope it was informative and helped you along your own culinary journey. You will find many more recipes and helpful tips on my web site. I am on Facebook at A Harmony of Flavors and share a recipe or tip each day to the fans that have liked my site. I hope to see you there soon.

My name is Chris Rawstern, I have been on a cooking and baking journey for 42 years. Many people have asked what A Harmony of Flavors means. Have you ever had a meal where the visual presentation was stunning, the smells were incredible the taste was so remarkable that you ate slowly savoring every bite, wishing the experience would never end? Then you have experienced what a truly harmonious meal can be like.
I began my cooking career in Guatemala, in 1970. I moved there as a naive 20-year-old, and set out to learned about cooking in a foreign land. I will pass along special recipes that I have been making for 42 years, and new ones. I will also pass on tips or notes with things to watch for and what just plain works better. I have amassed huge quantities of recipes over the years, and recently have begun giving classes.
My passion is to teach people how to create a Harmony of Flavors with their cooking, and help pass along my love and joy of food simple and exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, trying new things. I would love to hear from you, to help me continue my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own.
Visit my Web site http://www.aharmonyofflavors.com my Blog my Marketplace at http://www.a-harmony-of-flavors-marketplace.com or on Facebook page at A Harmony of Flavors. I share a recipe or tip each day to the fans that have liked my site.I hope to see you there soon