Retro-Style: Lawn Fête Carrot Cake (Traditional and Gluten-Free Versions)

by Linda
Photos by Michelle

"Life, people learned, was not easy. Life was not cake. Life was not carrot cake." — Tao Lin

   Carrot cake had been around quite awhile now—long enough for we sisters to consider it retro. Still, it is the favorite cake of many. It remains a perennial best-seller in any restaurant, café or market that I have worked in during the last, let's say almost 40 years. Case in point, my brother-in-law, Jay requested this cake for his recent birthday celebration this past June, and it is always in the cake case at the Whole Foods Market® where I work.

My brother-in-law, Jay, blows out the candles on his carrot birthday cake.

   When I started searching the Internet looking for the actual history of carrot cake, I found that its origins can be traced back to Medieval times, and I happily stumbled upon a quirky and adorable blog post packed with information and cheeky illustrations that made me smile. The blog is Cakespy—check out the intriguing history of carrot cake by clicking here.
   My very favorite recipe for carrot cake comes from a somewhat unlikely source. Anti-feminist, Marabel Morgan, and her now very dated The Total Woman Cookbook has surprisingly produced some of our family's best-loved sweet treats, including her simply scrumptious Creamy Rice Pudding that is one of my very favorite desserts.
   Her delicious carrot cake recipe has served me well over the years. I used this cake recipe for my standard carrot cake offering in the hotels and restaurants where I worked as a pastry chef, baker, caterer and private chef in the Santa Ynez Valley. I remember when I was working as the pastry chef at the Los Olivos Grand Hotel, that Cooks Illustrated came out with a carrot cake recipe that they touted as having tweaked until it was the best their chefs had ever tasted. I remember trying it out, but it simply wasn't as good as Marabel's.

Michelle and Jay celebrated Maddie's first birthday with a carrot cake.

   Over the years the legion of carrot cakes that I have made have been the stars of many a wedding, birthday party and special event. One time I made a huge three layer carrot sheet cake toward the end of my baking career from this recipe for cowboy queen, Dale Evans, when she visited the Santa Ynez Valley circa 1991. Dale was the wife of Roy Rogers—King of the Cowboys, and Dale was was fondly referred to as Queen of the West. She wrote the popular song, "Happy Trails to You" and the tune became the famous couple's theme song evermore. My carrot cake for Dale's party was frosted with the traditional cream cheese frosting and had "Happy Trails to You" emblazoned over the surface in chocolate icing. Additionally, I decorated the cake with beautiful fresh flowers and lots of colorful ribbons, and it took two of us to carry it out to the delivery van. Alas, I had a photo of it at one time, but has now been misplace somewhere in my archives or lost in my travels. It was reported back to me, though, that Dale had loved the cake and so did the crowd that attended the event—its massiveness reduced to a few remaining crumbs.
   Every family that I know has their own cherished recipe for carrot cake, but if you are just beginning to bake, or you are looking for a change, give this recipe a try. It really is a winner.

A short eighteen years later, it is now Maddie who is baking her dad a 
carrot cake for his recent birthday.

Lawn Fête Carrot Cake (Traditional and Gluten-Free Versions)

Salvation Sisters' Best Desserts 2010—2014 and Why We Blog

The Memory Keepers by Linda
Photos by Michelle and Linda

"Ohana means family, and family means that no one gets left behind or forgotten." 
                                                ~ from the movie Lilo and Stitch

From left to right and top to bottom—click on the title to link to the recipe: 
Cowtown Chocolate Cake with Ganache Icing, Banana Cream Pie, Steamed Persimmon Pudding, The World's Best Coffee Cake, Maraschino Party Cake, Rose-Scented Raspberry Tea Cake, Ooiest Gooiest Chocolatiest Fudgiest Brownies, Linda's Favorite Cheesecake, Fruit-Filled Italian Rum Cake

      It's hard to believe that we sisters have been blogging for nearly five years now. Originally we had the goal of publishing one post per week, and we have certainly fallen short of that ambition—but that's what goals are for, right? No one's life or livelihood was at stake here, we simply wanted to compile a collection of our best-loved family dishes and tell the story of our lives and family. We felt that others could relate, because let's face it, everyone is slogging through the same sh*t in their own everyday lives. Additionally, our intention was for our blog to be the family resource for the generations to come when they wanted to know about the food and the history of our family, and we hoped that others would relate to our stories and recipes and be inspired to cook and bake.

From left to right and top to bottom—click on the title to link to the recipe:
Chocolate-Prune Cake with Chocolate Ganache and Salted Caramel Sauce, Overnight Cinnamon Rolls, Plum Tart, Root Beer Marble Ice Cream, Amaretto Mousse with Raspberry Sauce, Pumpkin-Apple Spice Cake with Dulce de Leche Glaze, Apple Crostata, "The Total Woman" Creamy Rice Pudding, GF Angel Food Cake

   Eating is one of the most fundamental things we do as humans other than breathing. We are compelled to nourish ourselves and others whether we want to or not. One must feed oneself—it is a fact that I often wonder about. Personally, I believe in a supreme power or energy, and I wonder why we are designed physically in such a way that we must feed ourselves or die. It seems so very extreme to me.

   When Michelle suggested creating a blog in early 2010 (I really didn't know much about the blogoshere at that time), I was taken aback. It was just a few months after a devastating family tragedy, and I could not conceive of what would happen in the ensuing years. In fact at that time, I could hardly fathom getting out of bed in the morning and living through the following week, much less imagining myself five years down the road. And yet here we are—about to begin our sixth year of blogging.

Banana Cream Pie, Homemade Vanilla Bean Marshmallows, Linda's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Fun making Linda's The Best All American Apple Pie updated with
Michelle's Absolutely Delicious All-Butter Pie Crust which is gluten-free and gum-free.

   This blog started as an experiment at the urging of Michelle—and Juliette and I went along for the ride. I was numb, just trying to figure out one day to the next after the death of my son, Joshua, who died in Afghanistan in January of 2009. A few months later, Michelle and her daughter Maddie came to California to live with me on a mission of mercy. I look back now almost six years later, and know without a doubt that their combined presence pushed me back into the land of the living. Grief is like that—it can take you down for the count. Luckily, the love of my family pulled me through that very dark time with much sacrifice on their part—but that's what true love is all about.

From left to right and top to bottom—click on the title to link to the recipe: 
Homemade Vanilla Bean Marshmallows, Nana's Homemade Fudge, Kahlua Spiked Tofu Chocolate Mousse, Our Family's Sugar Cookies, Triple Chocolate Meringue Cookies, Delectable Lemon Cake, Vanilla and Chocolate Pudding, Pecan Tassies, Chocolate Silk French Pie

   So please enjoy this compendium of our desserts up to now. While I personally am trying my darndest to leave refined sugar behind, I also recognize that desserts are the traditional way we as a culture celebrate special occasions and mark holidays. I had no idea in 2010 that I would choose to go gluten-free and Paleo two years later, but I have discovered that I feel much better following those diets. My journey along the way is recorded for posterity. I also try and recognize that there is room for almost everything in moderation, and I refuse to be the family killjoy. For example, the recipe for our family's Maraschino Party Cake has been baked by our family for at least the past seventy years. In the spirit of these changing times, for our recipes beginning in 2012, there is a gluten-free version for everything. This year I plan to start experimenting with Paleo desserts, so you will be seeing more contributions from me using no refined sugar.
   Whatever your personal dietary choices are, we wish you time spent with your loved ones in the kitchen cooking, and then sharing your creations together to celebrate the mundane as well as special occasions, because we know this for a fact—the memories carry over from one generation to another. Sharing your love with good food lives on.

From left to right and top to bottom—click on the title to link to the recipe:
Fresh Peach Ice Cream with Amaretto Affogato, Wilkins Family Lemon Ice Cream and
Really Excellent Vanilla and Chocolate Ice Cream

Very Moist Blueberry Cake Muffins (Gluten-Free and Traditional)

by Michelle

A bird which eats berries can be caught, but not a bird that eats wood.

~Maori Proverb

   The muffin or the muffin cup, which came first? For this particular post the answer is the muffin cup. I found adorable "Spring Cupcake Papers" at a local kitchen shop and became insistently inspired to bake sweet treats. My moment of inspiration led to a longer period of contemplation when I had to choose between making cupcakes or muffins and what flavor. Ultimately I decided to riff upon a recent success story: Rose-Scented Raspberry Teacake.
   I particularly like this batter because it works equally well when made in a traditional preparation with all-purpose flour or when the ingredients are exchanged to create a gluten-free recipe. The almond flour adds weight to the batter and thwarts a high, puffed dome. Make no mistake though, these cake-style muffins are moist and delicious and are perfectly happy on the breakfast table, tucked into a lunch box, or enjoyed with afternoon tea. Try them and I think you'll agree.

My daughter Maddie captures me sprinkling on the streusel.

Very Moist Blueberry Cake Muffins (Gluten-Free and Traditional)

Springtime in Paris and Rose-Scented Raspberry Tea Cake ~ Traditional and Gluten-Free

by Michelle

“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” 
                                                                                                                  ~ Ernest Hemingway

   When I dream a little dream, I dream of a spring vacation to Paris. My idle mind wanders across the Atlantic to a rue in Paris that I once visited. One of the things that has caught my attention while perusing cookbooks on French cuisine is the popularity of rose flavored desserts. I've read with interest about rose scented macarons, meringues and tea cakes. I faintly recall trying a rose petal jam when I was a child. I liked the delicate flavor while also marveling at the strangeness of eating the petals of a flower. While rose flavored desserts might be all the rage in France, I have yet to encounter a rose flavored dessert in the USA. That's the beauty of research and intellectual curiosity, I can browse cookbooks and experiment in the kitchen, letting my cooking and baking take me on a journey of discovery until I can once again embark upon a Parisian vacation.

For this recipe you'll need both Rose Syrup and Rose Water.

   As I have said before (most recently in my post about my attempts to make gorgeous Ottolengi-inspired meringues) the third time is a charm. I baked this cake three times in a row in order to get it right. The first attempt failed because the recipe should have called for tossing the fresh raspberries in flour to prevent the berries, all sitting in meticulously formed rows, from all sinking to a jumble at the bottom of the loaf. As you can imagine, that made me really happy. Does sarcasm translate to the page?
   The second bake entailed doubling the recipe to make a Bundt cake and testing the use of frozen berries. Unfortunately, I forgot to spray the silicon mold with coconut oil and woe was me when half the cake stayed firmly lodged in the Bundt pan. Fortunately, I was able to laugh at that disaster. It also helped that when my daughter was digging bites out of the pan with a spoon, she said, "This cake is really good, Mom."
   For the third bake, I was determined to have the cake turn out perfectly. I premeasured all my ingredients (always a  best practice), I thoroughly sprayed the damn mold, and to ensure that I unmolded a pièce de résistance, I added a new twist: almond streusel. A generous slice of cake accompanied my latte this morning, and I have to say, it was a lovely way to start a Sunday morning. If I can't go to France this spring, I'll bring Paris to me.

Maddie offered to model with my cake slice without the customary cajoling—nice!

Rose-Scented Raspberry Tea Cake

Fruit-Filled Italian Rum Cake, aka Zuppa Inglese (Traditional and Gluten-Free Versions)

by Michelle

“When you celebrate, there is sure to be cake"
~ Florence Ditlow in The Bakery Girls

  Visiting Phoenix recently took me on a trip down memory lane. Every once in awhile I reflect upon the rum cakes my family enjoyed on special occasions while living in the greater Phoenix area in the late eighties and early nineties. Back in those days, Cathy Bua was famous for her rum-flavored layer cakes that were filled with fresh fruit and frosted with fluffy whipped cream. Cathy's most frequently ordered cake was the strawberry-filled, which was also my family's favorite.
   After fondly remembering the rum cake, this time around I googled Cathy's Rum Cake and was sad to discover that the once blazingly popular cake bakery and catering business shuttered its doors in late 2011. After nearly thirty years in business, Cathy could not outlast the recession, but her legend lives on after the fall.
   According to an article that I found on-line, Cathy grew up in Hollywood, California. For special occasions her family purchased Italian-style fruit-filled cream cakes from a local bakery. When Cathy moved from California to Arizona, she carried a torch for the Italian cake and it wasn't long before she began experimenting, attempting to recreate her favorite cake in her home kitchen.
   Practice makes perfect. It wasn't long before Cathy's rum cake became so popular with family and friends that people began requesting to buy the cakes to celebrate their special occasions. Cathy's business was born in an ideal way from pure demand. Cathy ramped production in a commercial kitchen and produced approximately 300 cakes a week. From there the business grew beyond cakes and into catering featuring delicious gourmet foods.

Don't hesitate to try this decorating technique! The roses are incredibly 
easy to make using a Wilton 1M tip.

   My rum cake curiosity piqued once again, I began researching Italian cakes and quickly discovered Zuppa Inglese. Modernized versions of the cake resemble Tiramisu with the use of Ladyfingers, whereas traditional recipes are made with rum soaked sponge cake. This development excited me because sponge cakes, which are made with a lot of eggs, convert nicely to gluten-free adaptions. I can have my cake and eat it, too!
   Keep in mind that cakes filled with pastry cream and adorned with whipped cream frosting must be kept refrigerated until close to serving time. I took a page out of Linda's pastry chef/catering tricks, and I decided to take the extra step of stabilizing the whipped cream with gelatin which will keep the frosting from weeping. This is a cake you want to make in the morning and let it set-up in the refrigerator for several hours before cutting and serving so the cake will slice beautifully.
   I have read multiple recipes where the authors have separated the pastry cream equally into three bowls and flavored each bowl individually with orange zest, lemon zest or liqueurs, such as Grand Marnier or with chocolate shavings. I like to lighten the cold pastry cream with a heaping spoonful or two of prepared whipped cream frosting, Using a light hand, fold in the frosting until the streaks of cream disappear. The recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart Living, although this version includes adjustments based upon my happy remembrances of Cathy's Rum Cakes.

The wax paper strips are removed once the cake is completely frosted.

Fruit-Filled Italian Rum Cake, aka Zuppa Inglese
(Traditional and Gluten-Free Versions)

Sistercation in Bisbee, Arizona and Chocolate-Prune Cake with Chocolate Ganache, Salted Caramel Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream (all Gluten-Free)

My Traveling Tales by Linda

“Because there is one thing stronger than magic: Sisterhood."
~Robin Benway, The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May and June    
                                                                         

The Salvation Sisters: Michelle, Juliette and Linda (left to right) in Bisbee, Arizona. 

   We sisters gathered this past September in Arizona for our annual Sistercation. Last fall, Juliette and Michelle traveled to see me in Sonoma county, so this year it was my turn to hop on a plane since not only are my sisters there, but my mother, nephew and nieces as well. Admittedly, September is not the ideal time to visit the desert because it is still pretty hot (especially for this non-acclimated NorCal girl), but it seemed the only suitable time given that we all have work commitments that are just not that flexible. Thus I prepared to brave the heat, and I hoped for the best.

   Michelle who lives in Tucson with her family, picked Mark and I up at the airport with her husband Jay. We went directly (after a long day of hanging around the airport waiting for the mechanical trouble of our airplane to be repaired) to have a "Muy Grande" margarita and Mexican food at Mosaic, a small restaurant that Michelle and her family frequent. I am ashamed to admit that I neglected to get a photo of a woman flipping the largest flour tortillas that I have ever seen on a hot comal. It looked to us like she was tossing blankets in the air they were so big. I was mesmerized and kept insisting that Michelle turn around to look at her, at which point Michelle finally became exasperated and told me to shut up, relax and allow her to drink her margarita. Sistercation had begun.

   Friday was spent with our Mom while Michelle finished up a day of work. Mom treated Mark and I to lunch at Tohono Chul Park, one of our favorite spots to eat and to check out the beautiful gardens. It was great to have a leisurely lunch in the shade. The nearby fountain burbled, and I was able to watch butterflies and birds cavort in all of the lush plantings that surround the courtyard. We chose salads for our lunch entreés, and Mark's prickly pear lemonade inspired me to purchase locally made prickly pear syrup in the gift shop. To see Michelle's stunning photos of Tohono Chul and the once per year night-bloom of the famous Night Queen that grows there click here.

Mark and Mom patiently wait for me to snap a few photos on the patio of 
Tohono Chul's Garden Bistro.

Our lovely mother Dianne... aka Dede.

Our salads were delicious and we all loved the Prickly Pear Lemonade.

   On Sunday morning with the back of Michelle's Toyota 4Runner stuffed with luggage we set out to join up with Juliette in the historic town of Bisbee. Having lived in Bisbee myself in the late 90s, I was excited about visiting again since it had been about eight years since my last visit.

The vista from the High Road overlooking Bisbee at sunset with the moon just beginning to rise.

   Juliette owns the Guadalupe Baking Company in Bisbee where she produces artisan sourdough for her community in which she has lived for over 20 years. Juliette arranged for us to stay at the Gym Club Suites which is an historic landmark and just a few steps from her bread kitchen. Michelle and I started making our own sourdough breads from Juliette's starter a year ago, and we were both looking forward to seeing the pro in action, since we both have had enough bread baking experience on our own at this juncture, that seeing bread made by the master would be of great benefit. Michelle has become an accomplished bread baker in her own right, and won a blue ribbon for her Guava-Coconut-Orange Sourdough baguette at the Pima County Fair this past year. One of our days in Bisbee would be spent joining Juliette in the kitchen at dawn to do a double bake of her bread which is gaining new fans on a daily basis.

Our apartment at the Gym Club Suites had an enormous deck that we put to good use.

   We loved our spacious apartment at the Gym Club Suites. This apartment has the use of an amazing deck that overlooks "B" Mountain, the old Presbyterian church and the Copper Queen Hotel. It also has long views into Brewery Gulch and vistas toward the highway and out into the valley. We spent several warm desert evenings drinking margaritas, talking and laughing out on the enormous deck.

A Traveler's Tip: We prepared Margaritas in advance and used the empty 
tequila bottle to transport them.

I enjoy Margarita time in the warm desert air. Check out our recipe by clicking here.

   We all had a welcome visit with Juliette's son Paul who I had not seen in many years. Paul is now a dad and was accompanied by his girlfriend Ericka and his two sons Devin and Parker that I had yet to meet. It was Parker's birthday weekend, and to celebrate the event Juliette whipped up not one, but two cakes. Juliette's favorite party cake is a rich Chocolate Guinness Cake that she often makes for special occasions. Her catering clients love it. However, with both Michelle and I being gluten-free, she made a truly delicious Chocolate-Prune Cake that she served with vanilla ice cream and then drizzled with a salted caramel sauce. It was heaven! Parker was over the moon with homemade pizza and multiple chocolate cakes made by his grandma "Juju".

Parker's daddy lights the birthday candles.

Older brother Devin gives Parker his big brother coaching and support.

   We will be returning with tales of our Tucson/Bisbee adventure. There is so much good food that we would like to share in the upcoming months. Michelle cooked for weeks in advance making things like her rich demi-glacé with which she made us an updated but classic presentation of Steak Diane and a Beef Bourguignon that would have made Julia Child proud. Pasta Bolognese was also on the Sistercation menu, and I also enjoyed tasting my first Sonoran hot dog which was wrapped and grilled with Hatch chiles and bacon. To complete the deliciousness, the dog was served on a homemade bun and topped with all the Southwestern fixings, including Michelle's Pinto Bean Chili con Carne. While in Bisbee, Juliette made her famous pizza , her rich Sopa de Albondigas, and homemade refried beans served with creamy chicken enchiladas. But for this week's post, we will end by sharing Juliette's delectable Chocolate-Prune Cake that she topped with rich ganache, vanilla ice cream and a buttery salted caramel sauce. Your guests will swoon over the delicious decadence of it all, and will never guess that it is gluten-free unless you choose to tell them.

A popular bumper sticker in Acacia where Juliette sells vintage clothes and collectibles.

Here's where the "Mayberry on Acid" part comes in...

We love the giant fly sculpture over the Sam Poe Gallery 
entrance... well, at least Michelle appears to.

Tombstone Canyon Road in downtown Bisbee as the sun begins to 
rise over the back of "B" Mountain.

A shop window with reflection of the downtown shops behind me.

I was so enamored of the vintage cake plate and cover with the acorn motif, 
that Juliette made me a gift of it. She found it during one of her thrifting excursions for three dollars.

Gluten-Free Chocolate-Prune Cake with Chocolate Ganache, Vanilla Ice Cream and Salted Caramel Sauce

Chocolate-Prune Cake

The World's Best Coffee Cake (Traditional and Gluten-Free Versions)

by Michelle



To quote Austin Powers, "Yeah, baby, yeah!"

   This cake is not limited to breakfast or as an accompaniment to afternoon coffee. It is so good that my daughter requested it as the crowning glory to celebrate her thirteenth birthday when we lived in Guerneville with Linda for a year. In fact, the gluten-free version is so delicious that if you don't disclose to people it is gluten-free, I don't think they will ever guess without being tipped off. Do not hesitate to serve the gluten-free version to a mixed crowd. The gluten eaters will be none the wiser, I assure you.

"I am so happy, it's my birthday and I love my new hat and scarf and mittens! 
Can't wait to eat my cake..."

"Yes, my wish is coming true! I blew every candle out..."

"Seriously Mom and Auntie Linda... trick candles are just not as funny 
as you both seem to think they are!"

   Sometimes I am tempted to drizzle the baked cake with a rum or amaretto glaze for a more dramatic presentation, but this "humble" coffee cake is always a thing of beauty whether plain or gussied up. For Father's Day brunch my husband seems to alternate between choosing coffee cake or Linda's famous cinnamon rolls. Honestly, you can't go wrong with either choice.
   Back in my Silicon Valley days, Hobee's was (and probably still is) the industry's breakfast spot of choice. The restaurant's pièce de résistance was Cinnamon-Streusel-Topped Blueberry Coffee Cake, made in a sheet pan and cut into perfect high-domed squares with a big ball of butter melting on each serving. Should you not have a Bundt pan handy, you can always use a couple of square cake pans to get the job done. Knowing me, because I always seem to be picking up specialty equipment along the way, if I were to go the sheet pan route, I would buy a rectangular springform cake pan for easier slicing and serving.

The World's Best Coffee Cake
(Traditional and Gluten-Free Versions)