Thursday, May 27, 2010

Get ready to STRIKE!

So my kiddos were reading about different kinds of African animals.  One was the crocodile.  Isaac was impressed with the (rather graphic) explanation of how a crocodile eats a zebra.  When he mentioned zebra, I suddenly remembered a recipe I had seen on Baker's Banter, the blog from baker's at King Arthur Flour.

Zebra Cake!

(ok, so I realize this doesn't *quite* look like a "zebra" cake - but it was yummy nonetheless!)

I was intrigued by the idea of the recipe and this fit in nicely with our reading, so why not?!?  It's just a cake, right?

Why, oh why, do I do these things to myself?


Really though, it was cool, just a bit more labor & time intensive then I was anticipating.  After I finally had the cakes (yes, I doubled it.  In this house, it just doesn't make sense to make a single recipe.) done, cooled, leveled and in the freezer (it makes it easier to frost them)....I realized that I didn't have enough powdered sugar for frosting.  Great.  So online I went to find a recipe that didn't require powdered sugar.

(look at her RIP into it - crackin' me up!)

I found plenty, but they all looked quite difficult AND time consuming.  I managed to find one at my *favorite* recipe site, RecipeZaar.com.  It was called Baker's Frosting, and it called for only 1 c. of powdered sugar.  *That* I had.


Once it was cut and on the table, Isaac made sure to explain to all his siblings about how the crocodile STRIKES the zebra, then drags it back into the water, then spins around & around, *ripping* off the zebras flesh....um, ya, gross.  Thanks Isaac.  Yet I took pictures of my own lil' crocs, *ripping* into the zebra cake ~ cuties!
(ok, sorry, he's just gross - dirt, snot & frosting - yum!)

So overall, great experience.  The kids loved it!  It looked GREAT straight out of the oven - cool design on top!  My frosting recipe didn't make quite enough frosting, but I was too tired to make any more (can you see the clock on my oven behind the cake photo up there?  Yes, it says 9:19PM....yes, all five kiddos were still up at this point....yes, I'm tired - but happy!)


And we are *SO* hitting the Toledo Zoo SAFARI! exhibit this summer.  Isaac can't wait to meet Twiggy, the newest addition to the elephant exhibit ~ that boy loves him some elephants!

2 comments:

LLJ said...

that is quite the cake!
It would be fun to go to the zoo!

: )
Leanne

Unknown said...

On that same website there was a recipe for frosting using egg whites and granulated sugar. Which you could make it A LOT more healthier and used rapadura or succanut.

Just something to try next time.