Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Cinema Sentinel: Pacific Rim

Uh...totally awesome fun! Great monsters and fight sequences. I actually felt like I was a little kid again watching my favorite saturday shows. It was great growing up in Asia and getting the opportunity to watch Japanese anime.

Here are two YouTube videos of this movie. If you haven't seen it yet and you like action sci-fi, fun action films, check it out at your local theater or wait for it on Redbox.


Monday, July 15, 2013

Two-egg Lemon Bundt Cake


I haven't baked in a while but when I do, I go old school. I pulled out some old cookbooks and tried a recipe from one of my go-to Better Homes & Gardens Dessert Recipe book. Every time I try a recipe from this book, I feel as if I'm getting to experience baking history first hand. I'm baking something that would be made when my grandmother was young woman, just like me.

Today's cake is adapted from the recipe, Best Two-egg Cake, but I added food coloring (yellow), lemon extract and used a bundt pan because I felt like it.

For cakes to come out clean from a bundt pan, line the bottom with parchment paper. Measure the bottom and cut a hole in the middle for a ring shaped liner. Spray pan with baking spray, this time I used Baker's Joy.

The recipe calls for using two round pans at 375 degrees. I know my oven, so I baked the cake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and reduced to 325 degrees and baked for another 10-15. As you can tell, I'm quite experimental and I hate burning cakes, such a waste of a party.

In the end, the cake turned out quite delightful, very dense with a touch of lemon flavor. I would say, a nice thin slice of this cake would be fantastic with fresh cut strawberries or raspberries and whip cream, garnished with some mint leaves. Enjoy!

Two-egg Lemon Bundt Cake
Recipe adapted from Better Homes & Gardens (1965) Best Two-egg Cake
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons of bourbon vanilla
2 eggs (room temperature)
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
--------------------------------------
2 teaspoons of lemon extract
4 drops of yellow food coloring

  • Preheat oven 350 degrees.
  • Beat shortening until softened. 
  • Gradually add sugar and beat thoroughly.
  • Add vanilla, beat and then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. 
  • Sift flour with baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternating with milk, beating well after each. 
  • Separate about two cups or desired amount, add lemon extract and food coloring. 
  • In prepared bundt pan, spoon in vanilla cake batter and alternate with lemon cake batter. I layered my batter. 
  • Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Depending on your oven. Remove from oven and allow to cool before removing the bundt cake.