After the last post, my dear star-gazing husband and I took off on a long awaited trip to French Polynesia to witness an astronomical event and enjoy a fabulous vacation. Following that, we spent about a week in Austin tending to business and closing up the apartment for the summer, so it turned out to be a very late start to our time in Santa Fe. But we are here now and enjoying the cool summer days and the rain that comes with that.
But meanwhile, back in the kitchen...efforts to adapt one of our favorite cakes is proceeding with all diligent speed. The first attempt at my Mandarin Orange Cake was a total failure. Flattest cake you probably have ever seen. On the good side, the flavor was great and if you cover it with enough whipped cream, it almost looked OK.
Round two was better, but still not perfect. It had a better rise, still fell, and is still too dense.
Round three saw me adding more flour, yougurt, and orange juice. Not so flat. Too chewy.
Round four involved halving the recipe, adding flour, FORGETTING to cut the baking soda, and cooking at a slightly higher temperature. It might have worked if I had remembered to cut the baking soda in half.
At this point, I think I must admit defeat for now and move on to another recipe. But I still have one can of mandarin oranges left if I ever decide to try it on a "smarter" day.
Now I am pondering what recipe I want to tackle next. Any ideas???
