Sauerkraut Cake with Mocha Whipped Cream Frosting

As I have mentioned before, Mom often did not inform us kids of the actual name of the dish or of certain ingredients in the recipe. She knew that we would not even try something if we thought it was weird. It could only take one of us to reject a dish before the rest of us might not even try it. I don't blame Mom; sometimes ignorance is bliss. While celebrating a lovely Mother's Day recently, we all enjoyed the delicious Portillo's chocolate cake.  As we were talking about how good the cake was, someone mentioned that the secret ingredient that made it so moist was mayonnaise. A quick google search will confirm that everyone talks about how good the Portillo's cake is and that the secret is mayonnaise. Then, Mom mentioned that she used to make a chocolate cake with sauerkraut. Everyone was shocked, but I had seen the recipe in Mom's recipe box, so I knew of the recipe. I didn't realize, however, that I had eaten it.

When Memorial Day came around, I told Mom that I would make the sauerkraut cake, but that we shouldn't tell anyone what was in it. So we just said that it was chocolate cake with mocha whipped cream frosting (which is specifically called for on Mom's recipe card). Some folks remembered the conversation from Mother's Day and were able to guess what was in it. But everyone who tried the cake liked it. This Memorial Day, Kal joined our family get-together and, as you can see, he enjoyed the cake. The sauerkraut adds texture and moisture to the cake. But, you would never guess that the secret ingredient was sauerkraut.

Sauerkraut Cake

• 2/3 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup water
• 2/3 thoroughly rinsed sauerkraut

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time until well-blended. Add vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture alternately with water into the egg mixture and blend well. After rinsing the sauerkraut, finely chop it, then add it into the cake mix and blend well.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until cake tests done. Allow to cool before frosting.

Mocha Whipped Cream Frosting

• 1 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 3 Tbsp. powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp. instant coffee
• 2 tsp. cocoa
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Whip the cream until starting to stiffen. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until soft peaks form. Frost the cake. Enjoy!

Joe's Lamb

When we were kids, we were picky eaters. Mom would often change the names of dishes so we would eat the food rather than merely reject it outright based on the name and unusual ingredients. I do not remember Mom making lamb, but maybe she had just changed the name.

Now that we have grown, my siblings and I have expanded our palates. And, some of my siblings have even become good cooks. In my memory, Joe was the pickiest eater of my siblings when we were kids. So it is surprising that Joe may be the best cook of my brothers. Joe makes this lamb recipe for family parties that he and Holly host. Joe's version is delicious because he makes this lamb on his backyard grill. Because I do not have a grill, I just used my oven. So you will see two versions below. If you have a grill, I recommend following Joe's method.

Joe's Lamb

• Rack of Lamb
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat the grill to medium to medium-high heat. Put aluminum foil around the end of the bones to prevent them from burning. Baste the meat with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill for 20 minutes per pound, turning halfway. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for about 10 minutes. Cut between the bones. Enjoy!

Alternative method if you do note have a grill: After basting and seasoning the meat, place in a shallow roasting pan. Place in an oven heated to 400 degrees for 7 minutes. Lower the heat to 325 degrees and cook for about 20 for rare or for 30 minutes for medium. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for about 10 minutes. Cut between the bones. Enjoy!

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pudding

This pudding is somewhat closer to a cake, in the tradition of English dessert puddings. And this pudding is way better than an instant pudding made from a box. The hardest part about making it is waiting for it to cool before eating it because it comes out of the oven smelling wonderful.

Mom made this pudding when we were young. It is very easy to make and even easier to eat. The pudding is not too sweet, but has a very nice chocolate flavor to it. While the pudding has an overall cake consistency, it has its own sauce baked into it. I highly recommend serving it with vanilla ice cream.

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pudding

• 1 cup flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 6 tbsp. cocoa
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 tbsp. melted shortening
• 1 3/4 cup hot water

Sift together flour, baking powder, sugar and 2 tablespoons of cocoa. In another bowl, stir together milk, vanilla, and melted shortening, then add to dry ingredients. Pour batter into a greased 8-inch pan. Sprinkle the remaining cocoa over the top of the batter. Pour hot water over the batter. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Allow to cool. Enjoy!