Angel Food Birthday Cake

My birthday cake comes out of a box!  Sounds like the title of a horror film, and worst of all, it’s true.

The  first birthday cakes I remember were ordinary yellow or white cakes with white frosting and candles.  Mom made them from scratch with our own eggs and all-purpose flour out of the big flour bin under the kitchen counter.  Dad would usually bring home a quart of ice cream which made for a pretty good birthday treat.

But when I was twelve or thirteen, Mom made me a new birthday cake that is still my favorite after more than fifty-six years.  It is an angel food cake with layers of lemon pie filling and frosting made of lemon pie filling and whipped cream.  And except for the cream, it comes out of two boxes.

Jerri has been making this cake for my birthday for over forty years.  It is still my favorite birthday cake and, unfortunately, it’s also popular with guests.  But by restricting the guest list, it is still possible to have a leftover piece out of the refrigerator for breakfast the next morning.  Try it sometime.

INGREDIENTS:

1 angel food cake mix

1 box lemon pie filling mix

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 T sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

PROCEDURE:

Make the cake according to directions on the box.  Cool thoroughly.  While the cake is baking, make the pie filling according to directions on the box and allow it to cool to room temperature.  Chill the pie filling in the refrigerator while the cake is cooling.

After it has cooled, slice the cake horizontally into three layers.  Spread a thin layer of pie filling on top of the lower layer, top with the next layer, spread more pie filling and top with the final layer.  Since the filling is set, distribute spoonfuls of filling on each layer and use a knife or spatula to smooth it evenly on the cake.  You should have about half of the pie filling left to beat into the cream.

Make sure the cream is cold.  Chill a medium mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for ten to fifteen minutes,  Pour the cream into the bowl and beat on medium speed until the cream starts to thicken.  Add the sugar and beat until soft peaks begin to form.  Then beat in the vanilla and the remaining lemon pie filling until you have a pastel lemon cream.  Be careful not to beat the cream too long or it will turn into butter.

Frost the cake generously with the cream.  Give any leftover lemon cream to the birthday boy or girl.

Sarah’s Salmon Sauce

My best friend and his wife at the University of Virginia had a baby daughter who has grown up to be a talented writer and the patient wife of a diplomat who travels the world, as well as a devoted mother and good cook.

Like my wife, Sarah believes in the “make do” school of cooking.  Here is what she wrote when I asked for more guidance on making her salmon sauce.  “I’m a great fan of experimentation….Sadly, some of the quantities are terribly lacking and I threw this together as “a little bit of this, a little bit of that, hmmm, how much of something do we have in the fridge?…”

Her explanation really describes how all recipes came to be.  Some overworked woman getting supper in the cave said to herself, “There’s not enough meat to go around, so I’ll just throw some of these leaves and roots in the pot” and the next thing you know, people were eating vegetable mammoth soup.

“Sarah’s Salmon Sauce” actually was named “Sarah’s Divine White Saurce” by her husband who first had it when they were living on St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands.  With her permission I have renamed it “Sarah’s Salmon Sauce” because when I make it, it is salmon colored and has salmon in it.  Maybe I put too much tomato pesto in it, but it is a delicious way to serve salmon.

INGREDIENTS:

2 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 bunch (8 or 10) green onions
1 medium or 2 small Zucchini
3/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 can cream of asparagus soup
Fresh ground black lypepper
1 T sour cream
1 T tomato pesto
Two shakes hot sauce
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1 lb. salmon fillet
Spice rub for fish
1 to 2 tsp. capers

PROCEDURE:

Rub the fillets with your choice of spice rub and grill or sauté them until done,  Remove from heat.  Wash and finely chop the parsley, discarding the large stems.  Mince 3 large cloves of garlic and clean and chop the onions. Clean and chop the zucchini into bite-sized pieces.

Heat a tablespoon of  oil in a 3 ot 4 quart pan and sauté the garlic and onion for about two minutes.  Add the zucchini and sauté for another minute.  Add the soup, half and half, sour cream, pesto, capers and about 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.  Drain the water chestnuts and add them to the sauce.  With a fork break the fish into bite-sized flakes and add them to the sauce.  Stir in about a quarter teaspoon hot sauce and the parsley.  Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Serve over rice or pasta with bread and a green salad.