You don't know Angelina yet.
I hope you love her. I know I do.
Angelina is the heroine in my first Waterbrook Press cowboy book that releases next spring. She is one of those tough-girl heroines, think Kate Beckett from "Castle" only Latina...
Detective Mary Angela Castiglione is now living on the sprawling cattle ranch owned by beef tycoon Sam Stafford and his three sons...
But on the ranch, she's not known as Mary... Or "detective"... She's Angelina, the strong-willed, capable, pious house manager who isn't afraid to pull a gun or wield a rolling pin as needed. And of course there are REASONS she's using a different take on her name, and why she's making pies and scrubbing bathrooms instead of fighting crime in Seattle...
But you have to read the book next spring to find that out! What we do know is that Ange makes a killer cherry cake, one of those things that makes cowboys weep... :)
Everyone on the ranch loves it, so this is our first attempt (and a mighty good one!) to come up with Angelina's popular cake!
It's EASY.
1 White Cake Mix
1 1/4 cups maraschino cherry juice
6 eggs, separated (a temporary separation! We'll get them back together for the happy ending soon!)
1 tablespoon almond flavoring
24 maraschino cherries, chopped (more or less is fine)
Whip egg whites. Set aside.
Line 2 9" cake pans with parchment paper OR line a 13 x 9" pan with parchment paper (this keeps the crust sponge-cake soft, so good!)
Mix cake mix, cherry juice and the six egg yolks together. Blend until smooth. Add in about two-dozen chopped maraschino cherries.
Fold in egg whites until incorporated. (mixed in, but don't overbeat, we want those air holes the egg whites will make!)
Pour into pan or pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-35 minutes, depending on your oven and the pan choice.
Toothpick inserted in center will come out clean.
Cool cakes, remove from pan and peel off paper.
Whipped cream frosting:
Whip 3 cups heavy cream with 2/3 cup sugar until stiff peaks form (Yup. That's it. I told you it was easy!!!)
Put first cake on plate, top with thick layer of whipped cream. Repeat. Top can be garnished with maraschino cherries or almonds and cherries or shaved white chocolate...
We didn't try to get too fancy this time because it was "TAKE ONE!" But it's so good, we might not need tweaking!
Happy children eating cake for breakfast!!! Shh... Don't tell Mom and Dad!
Contemplative Finn: In the window seat, watching bird-birds:
And our beautiful Taylor is 14 now! I've taken care of Taylor since she was a tiny baby... (can I hear an "awwww......????) And she's just such a cool kid. I love her. She came to visit because she's too old and cool to need me now, and she sang some of her show numbers for upcoming auditions... Amazing kid!
Here's a picture of her from last year:
I love that they're growing up.
I hate letting them go.
Oh my gosh, I know some Castigliones! They came from Northern Italy and have seven children, and all those kids are grown up and have families now. There are lots of Castigliones now. Good, strong, Italian family. I'll have to buy your book for my friend Alicia Castiglione when it comes out.
ReplyDeleteI do, too! And it's a name that crosses lines from Italy to Central America, from castles to cartels. And doesn't it just roll off the tongue?
ReplyDeleteI love names and history of names. I'm also weird that I love facial planes, looking at people and figuring out their heritage through combinations of features. I know that's a strange pasttime, but it's something I've always done. I suppose I should warn people before I meet them and they think they've got gravy on their chin or something!
I'm glad I'm not the only one who loves trying to figure out someone's heritage by their beautiful face! Back when people didn't travel far, their DNA didn't either, so people from different parts of the world look unique. It's fascinating.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, the cake looks fabulous, darling! Perfect for a summer birthday!
And I can't wait for that book to come out! Ruthy and cowboys - a match made in heaven :)
I love the book and the cake! Something about a fruity cake and whipped cream frosting is a wonderful combo!
DeleteJan, you too??? I thought I was a singular freak, but I find faces and structure fascinating. And then to throw personality and quirks into the mix is so fun!!!
What an unusual recipe. Sounds yummy!!
ReplyDeleteMissy, it's so stinkin' good!!!!
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