Eat Like a Rabbit

Last night was our first baby shower. Paul couldn't attend because he was sick. The girls at my office did an amazing job of decorating and supplying me with some baby necessities. I'm so spoiled.

I specifically wanted to highlight the cake. My nuc techs appeared disappointed because Publix had messed up the cake with the color of the icing (being too bright) and the saying on the banner (was supposed to say Baby Martin or something). I didn't care. I thought it was lovely. Probably if I had been the hostess, I would have been upset, too. But it was my cake for me. The girls had gone to a lot of trouble for me, and I thought it was great.

I also wanted to highlight the diaper cake that was displayed behind the sheet cake. Some people have never seen diaper cakes before. So, let's educate you now. These are not edible! Although some people may find it amusing to make a cake in the shape of a diaper with colored filling and cake to resemble what can be found in a diaper, this is not the case with a diaper cake! A very talented girl at the office puts these real diapers togeth and stacks them to resemble a beautifully designed cake. She actually makes hair bows out of the ribbon, eliminating waste, and making the whole creation useful.

This cake was such a hit, people have been nagging me for the recipe. Therefore, I've skipped my desired schedule of posting and bumped this one up in the list.

My dilemma for this cake was the fact that it was for a bridal shower at which the guest of honor, the bride, is allergic to a certain aspect of dairy. The Duncan Hines Cake Mix fits into her diet. Also, there are some icings that are acceptable, but instead of taking my chances, I chose a dairy-free cake option.

Those who are familiar with us know that our wedding was built around our incredible wedding cake made by That Special Touch in Pearl, Mississippi. We actually "imported" 10 jars of Publix Creamy Natural Peanut Butter from Florida for the filling, splattered cream cheese icing around the layers, and topped it with dripping fresh raspberries. It was beautiful, photographed well, but most importantly tasted amazing. I chose to duplicate that cake in this setting eliminating the cream cheese icing, and opting for a raspberry glaze as fresh berries are out of season.

Recipe for Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Glaze

For the cake, cook according to package directions and pour batter evenly into two 8- or 9-inch cake plans for baking. Once completely cool, put one cake on the serving platter. Spread 1/4 jar of creamy peanut butter onto cake (We only use natural with nothing but peanuts and salt.) with a miniature spatula. Top with the second cake. Cover tightly with saran wrap to refrigerate. I actually made the cake a night in advance and let it warm to room temp about 1 hour before serving.

Raspberry Glaze

• 8-10 oz. frozen raspberries, pulsed slightly in food processor
• 1 Tablespoon and 1 teaspoon corn starch
• 1/3-1/2 cup brown sugar

Pour berries into small saucepan over medium heat and stir until berries defrost. Mix sugar and corn starch in the measuring cup and pour over berries. Stir fairly consistently until the glaze thickens and is clearer in color. Cool glaze and remove to glass storage if not topping cake immediately. Pour glaze over cake just before serving.

I just got Gourmet Mag's June issue in the mail two evenings ago and have only been able to glance through it for about 10 minutes while also talking on the phone at the same time. (I know all about what happens when you multi-task. That is why I'm not promising I read everything properly.) This issue seems to have interesting information about tofu and a number of fabulous summer recipes that would appeal to meat-eaters and vegetarians alike. I have attached links to topics that are available on Gourmet.com. Otherwise, I recommend making a trip to your local library and check it out--although you'll be surprised with all the vegetarian recipes considering the large slab of steak(?) on the front.

Homemade buns and condiments to go with vegetarian barbeque

Grilled Avocado, Fresh Corn, Romaine and Chipotle-Caesar Salad Dressing

Raspberry Buttermilk Cake