The mister is not a jokester, he's not funny by nature and certainly would never be accused of being a comedian - at least not by me. So when he called me the other morning to tell me he had received a FRAUD alert on our bank account, I was all ears! He spoke in his normal monotone voice while he read the email, and said, "Someone apparently got into our bank account and there is money missing!" I was immediately sick to my stomach and couldn't believe someone would do such a thing to our little, tiny, hardly-worth-keeping-open bank account! He went on to say the bank was working on catching the perpetrator - I asked how they knew, what information did they have and the mister said there was money taken at an "out of town location where we don't shop." I quickly thought about all the places I had been recently...all local...except for the meat market in Silvana, Washington but surely THAT wouldn't set off a FRAUD alert! My stomach was about to turn cartwheels and I could feel the last bit of air being sucked from my lungs - I was truly sickened at the thought of someone stealing our cash...and then...when he KNEW HE HAD ME he said, in a very uncharacteristic jocular voice, "SOMEONE MADE A LARGE PURCHASE AT A MEAT SHOP IN SILVANA WASHINGTON!!" He laughed. And then he laughed harder. I hung up the phone.
If you live in the Seattle area and would like to save $$$ on meats, then head north to the little burg(er) of Silvana and visit the butcher - their meats are great and so are their prices. Notice that friendly July sky in the pic? Well, there's STILL no sun in sight - but this Key Lime Cake will bring the sun into your life - it's fresh and light and it will make you think of summer no matter what time of year you eat it!
This recipe is from Trisha Yearwood's new cookbook, Home Cooking With Trisha Yearwood. I saw her on TV promoting her book and she said this cake was made for her dad's 70th birthday party and everyone loved it. And then I saw the recipe in the April issue of Redbook Magazine and again it said this cake was loved by everyone. Here's the thing, when someone RAVES about how good something is, well, you've just got to sit up and take notice...and so I did. And Trisha was right - it's good...dang, dang, dang, dang, dang good! 5 dangs on the old meter my friends, it's definitely coma worthy! Don't wait for someone to turn 70 before you make this cake - it will work for ANY birthday!
(I served this at Venna's Birthday Party and it was a HIT! There were just a few slices left over and the mister said it was, BY FAR, the best cake he's had...I know, that means nothing but I thought I'd tell you anyway.)
Key Lime Cake - Adapted From Home Cooking With Trisha Yearwood, Redbook Magazine, April 2010
1 (3 oz.) package lime-flavored gelatin
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
5 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Key Lime Glaze:
1/2 cup Key lime juice (about 25 small Key limes or 5 large regular limes)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Cream Cheese Icing:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature
1 (1 lb.) bag or box or powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans. In a large mixing bowl, mix the gelatin, sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir to mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, oil, orange juice, lemon juice and vanilla and whisk together until well blended. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and mix well. Divide the batter evenly among the three pans and bake for 22 to 25 minutes. (Original recipe said to bake for 35 to 40 minutes but my cakes were done after 23 minutes!!!) Test for doneness by lightly touching the tops of the layers or inserting a toothpick. Also, the cakes should pull away from the side of the pans just slightly. Cool the layers in the pans for five minutes and then turn them out onto racks.
While the layers are still hot, mix the lime juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Poke holes in the tops of the cake layers with a fork or a skewer. Spoon the glaze over the tops of the layers, letting it soak in. Allow the cake layers to cool completely before icing.
To make the icing: Cream the butter and cream cheese. Beat in the powdered sugar until the mixture is smooth and easy to spread. Spread the icing between the layers and on the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate the cake until serving time. When ready to serve, allow to sit for about 30 minutes before cutting. Refrigerate any uneaten cake, covered in plastic wrap.
(I forgot to take a picture of the cake after it had been cut, this picture is from the Redbook Magazine article...now doesn't that look good?!?)
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"A friend is someone you don't have to talk to anymore once the food is on the table." ~ Sabrina Matthews
