My grandmother has made this cake since I was a little girl. For our birthdays, she would always make us the cake of our choice. This was ALWAYS my choice. I surprised her one year and made her one, and she was so excited! Mine was as good as hers, if not better. Shhh!! Yes, that is her in the background. She wouldn’t get out of the kitchen, even on her birthday.
-I have several recipe where I will use neufchatel cheese in place of much of the other fats in a recipe. It never fails, and adds a nice touch to the baked goods too.
-James, that is why I asked. If you do not like hydrogenated foods, you also my not like the more solidified fats, even natural ones like butter. So it would follow you may not use any in your frostings.
-James, that is why I suggested you find the new organic, natural ‘shortenings’ that are not hydrogenated and will get softer upon standing at room temp, but are not like Crisco which you prefer not to use.
-do you come from a large Italian family? I have seen versions of this recipe. But although I have made coconut pecan cakes before, I have not made in particular the Italian wedding cake as I have seen it named. I also wanted to know is there a version that has cherries in it or cherries and little bits of pineapple?
I’m not familiar with the true version of the cake and it’s history.
It looks and sounds truly delicious, and I wanted to pinch this, and give it a try!
-if it helps, they have new shortenings out that are not nearly the tragedy of fat that you find Crisco to be. I have found them at Whole Foods and other like minded stores. And using small amounts with the least hydrogenated fat possible, occasionally, is not going to be a major negative impact on the health of the body, in the long term. It is our overall habits of eating, and moving with exercise, and other healthful behaviors that contribute to a healthy and happy lifestyle. You can substitute oil, but it will soften, and change the texture of the cake.
At 12 servings or more for this recipe, you would be getting between one and 2 teaspoons, which would be 5 to 10 g of fat per serving. So this is a special occasion recipe, and I’m sure it is absolutely delicious. I would look forward to having a piece at someone’s birthday, which only comes once a year. And then the next day eat in a very healthy manner, decreasing the normal fat intake for a day or two, keeping the fats low to balance out the overall diet.
I see you have not shared any recipes on JAP. What are your favorite recipes? And why don’t you share some of your recipes you like with us?
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