[recipe] The Parsons Easter Tradition: 2012 episode

I made this cake for the Parsons Easter celebration today. It is an applesauce cake (I got the recipe from a friend in 1st grade!!) with green cream cheese frosting. The bunnies on top are having an egg hunt. I am pretty pleased with my first attempt at food colouring and making a themed cake. Usually I just throw the frosting on and call it a day...but thanks to Pinterest I knew I had to do something extra.

It has been so nice to marry into a family where they are so accommodating and willing to schedule holidays on the off day...this has come in especially handy since the diagnosis of my mom and now the importance of including my dad in celebrations.
Per the Parsons Easter tradition we had "Noodles". These are home made noodles in a chicken broth made of stewer (spelling?) chickens with the meat to eat. You serve these on boiled potatoes with some salt and pepper and of course some sort of bread or roll. These are surprisingly good noodles. I was nervous the first time I tried them 6 years ago but they have grown on me and I look forward to them.

In addition to our traditional noodle fest we also have an egg hunt. Well TWO to be exact. One for the little(s) [there is technically only one walking right now to participate in this event] and then one for us Big Kids (I love being a Big Kid!). It is so much fun searching the yard for the eggs...we have 4 that have our name on it, there are 3 golden eggs (one for each couple) and then a variety of extras!! I go for the extras first since no one can take mine and we are guaranteed a golden egg...yes I have a strategy and I LIKE it!

For the Cake: (My mom gave me a copy of this recipe in her handwriting...I am never losing this!!)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c Flour
1 1/2 c Sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Cloves (ground)
1/2 tsp Nutmeg (ground)
1/2 tsp Allspice
1/2 c Shortening
1 # Applesauce (I guess that is around 2 cups)
1 Egg
*Optional 1 cup raisins and 1 cup nuts (I don't use these because a) I don't like raisins and b) I don't like crap in my cake - I like it smooth)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350. Grease baking pan of choice ...two 9 inch rounds or a 9 1/2 x 12 inch rectangle.

2. Sift together the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Then add the shortening and applesauce. Mix for 2 minutes on med-low. Add egg and mix for another 2 minutes on high.

3. If using optional nuts and raisins now would be the time to fold them in.

4. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake. Rounds about 35 minutes and rectangle goes for about 50 minutes. Let cool and frost.

Cream Cheese frosting found in Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook just added a toothpick of green gel food colouring.


I hope that you all enjoy this cake. I know I have since I was 6! BTW this was the first time I have seen this cake round...we usually make it in the rectangle.

Do you have any Easter Traditions? Tell me about them in the comments section below. I would love to hear from you!

♥ Ashley

Linked to: Tasty Tuesdays

PS. I still have to figure out how to upload my pictures from my new camera...I think I just have to insert a CD that came with it that has the editing program...we shall see - soon hopefully. So the pictures are still from my trusty little 2004 Casio friend.