Miami, Miami, Oh MY!

Cape Coop will soon be stuffed to the roof with boxes, paintings, books, art, art supplies and MORE art- all the minutiae of an artist's life, including a 17 year old red head named Kietzsche( the vet just informed us of her REAL age, but we'll never let her know!). We're on a trip right now, packing up my partner's estate in Miami Florida, to stuff into an 18 foot truck and drive back home to Cape Coop. We have NO idea how this will all work out, send us good thoughts!

In the meantime Lent has come, and we are visiting with a church going family- I donated this lovely and VERY easy Iced Anana Cake (a triple batch in an immense, well used foil pan) to their church for the Lenten after service. At least it wasn't chocolate! The cake was a big hit, so I'll share my recipe with you here- it's pretty much the classic version, I think.

The Ingredients

14 oz can of crushed pineapple, reserve 1/3 cup of juice for icing

1 cup milk

2 1/3 cup flour

3 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2/3 cup butter

1 2/3 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

The Directions

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

Add the remaining juice with 1 cup of milk or enough to give 1 1/4 cup liquid.

Cream the butter and beat in the sugar.

Beat in each egg and the vanilla until light and fluffy. DON'T SKIMP ON THE BEATING!

Add alternately the liquid and dry ingredients by cupfuls, mixing each addition in thoroughly before going to the next, until all are completely mixed in.

Fold in the drained crushed pineapple.

Pour into 9 x 13 baking dish (or 2 8" circular pans).

Bake in 350 degree F oven for 35 - 50 minutes(yes, that's what I said!) or until knife inserted comes out clean.

Leave cake in pan to cool.

The Icing

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup pineapple juice plus 1 Tablespoon

2/3 cup granulated sugar

3-4 cups confectioners' sugar

*optional* a few Tablespoons of crushed pineapple

Heat the butter, pineapple juice and granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved.

Remove the pot from the heat and gradually beat in 3 - 4 cups sifted powdered/confectioners' sugar. Add enough to give good spreading consistency.

*Optionally, you may add some crushed pineapple to the icing at this time, it gives a lovely look to the icing!

This may seem thin but it will thicken and become a glossy and delicious topping on the cake. Simply spread this with a spatula, over the top of the cooled cake.

(Recipe can be tripled for a large sheet cake, you will also need to triple the icing.)

Oh, and here is the newest member of our little family- say hello to Kietzsche!