Oooh, This Cake.

Pretty impressive.
Pretty. Impressive.
Pretty and impressive.
(Tired of this yet?)
(Sorry-been a lo-o-ong day)

I need to disclose a little something about me at this point,
so you'll understand when I tell you what my significant other
thinks of this cake.

I am the Queen.

I rule in JaneWorld.

The other inhabitants of JaneWorld (those who live there voluntarily and
those who are involuntary like my family) are often the beneficiaries
of my baked largesse.
My sons are usually more than happy (nods to George Carlin)
to be my lab rats. Their friends, too, seem to enjoy being around when
I go on a baking bender. They always give me very positive feedback,
but then they may be a little afraid of me. I've been known to shriek
obscenities when I discover the Seat left up in the bathroom.

Anyhoo, my husband cemented his place in my queenly favor by
making sure I overheard him telling my daughter, "It's really good cake, like
something you'd get in a restaurant!"
To him, this is high praise indeed.

So for now anyway, he is my significant other.
When he gives a more nonchalant review without giving helpful
details, he quickly becomes my Insignificant Other.

But on to the recipe! Give this one a try---your prince consort (or perhaps
court jester?!) will love you for it.

Hot Pink Raspberry Cake
(gleaned from The Kitchn, via Apartment Therapy)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening*
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 cups milk
1 red raspberry Jello packet, regular 3 oz. size
1/2 10-oz. pkg. frozen red raspberries, slightly thawed

Method:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Grease two 9 inch cake pans with butter or baking spray.

Mix the ingredients together in the order they're listed - creaming the softened shortening and sugars first, then adding the eggs, flour, salt, baking powder, and finally the milk, gelatin, and raspberries. Using an electric beater, beat everything together on low for 30 seconds, then on high for 3 minutes.
Immediate pour into the prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until
the tops spring back slightly when pressed***

Let cool on wire racks for at least 15 minutes, then flip each pan over onto the rack and tap gently all over. Lift the pan slightly. If the cake doesn't feel like it's falling out smoothly, lay a slightly damp kitchen towel over the pan and tap again. If necessary, let the cakes cool more. If they have been baked thoroughly, however, they should fall right out of the pans once they've cooled a little and the sides of the cake have shrunk back from the pan.***

Cool completely before frosting, otherwise the frosting will melt everywhere.



Hot Pink Raspberry Icing

1 pound confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick)butter, softened
1/2 10-oz. package frozen raspberries, slightly thawed

Combine the softened butter, confectioner's sugar, and reserved half of the raspberries, thawed. Mix together with electric mixer. Spread on cooled cake.


*I used butter-flavored Crisco in stick form---greatest invention since (insert whatever high-tech modern wonder you favor here).

***The baking time on this recipe may be faulty. I baked it for exactly the time printed, but the layers were far from done. I kept checking in five minute increments until it toothpick-tested done.


One last note: I ended up using Blackberry Fusion Jello, a new flavor I noticed at the store. It made the cake a little darker than the raspberry would, I guess, but tasted great.