Apparently, we’re baking like there is no tomorrow. And someone is hoarding all the yeast! How many Netflix, Hulu or Amazon prime series can you really watch and stay sane? Cooking as always been a creative outlet for me. Focusing on creating lovely meals is a good way to reflect on something other than the crazy covid-ness.

A home made from scratch cake is a great way to show appreciation to someone you care about. Whatever your age it is important that you master at least one cake in your repertoire. Why do you need this recipe and what is a naked cake?

What is a naked cake?

Naked cakes have no or minimal icing which allow you to see the texture of the cake. Clearly I am a big fan of this type of cake. If you have ever read the ingredients on icing for a cake, you understand why I have created this recipe.

As a lover of almost all really good foods, I have to find new ways to reduce. Besides wanting to cook and bake, I want to eat cake. Life is not fun without dessert or happy endings. This recipe reduces the size of the cake layers and uses a filling in lieu of traditional icing.

Au Revoir Covid, Berry Me Naked Cake recipe has a huge calorie reduction when you dump the icing and bake thinner cake layers. Truly I am not saying that this is diet food but it does have less sugar, flour, butter and eggs.

Why do I need Au Revoir Covid, Berry Me Naked Cake recipe?

Summer berries scream to be added to a cake. The fresh bite of berry is just enough to add sweet without too much. In creating this cake, I wanted to reduce sugar, size of the layers and calories without sacrificing the cake. A triple layer cake looks pretty but I wanted the finished cake to be smaller.

There are literally billions of cake recipes on the internet. If you combine that with cookbooks you could never try all of the recipes. So, why am I creating another one? Over time as I cook an item, I start to experiment in my lab called kitchen. As an exercise I review the good, bad and what would make it better.

Not to mention, I have Grill Man who cannot help himself when it comes to providing unlimited data on anything that I cook. It is almost like having a professional FCIR, (food critic in residence). Yes of course I appreciate his candor.

Yet, I don’t always want to hear it. Sometimes I just want to savor the moment and enjoy. Trail and error with additional discussions does help me to try and improve a recipe. Everything does not come out as I intend or perfect. In our kitchen, I am famous for burning bread. Success and failure is just part of the cooking and creating process.

Is Berry Me Naked Cake hard to make?

As in any skill your cooking experience should improve over time. The more you do it, the better you will become. If you can read and follow instructions, then you too may cook. If you have secured your own Grill Man or taco master, it is great to have extra hands in the kitchen.

When is the last time you made a homemade cake for your love? Au Revoir Covid, Berry Me Naked Cake is an easy cake for anyone. This recipe would certainly look great on any table. The blueberry and strawberry pattern on top would be fitting for any celebration.

Shout out to Alexa for Def Leppards, Pour Some Sugar On Me.

With Love from,
Mimi’s Kitchen

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Chocolate, strawberries and cream, could there be a better winning combination? Hmmmmm? It is possible but at the moment I am only able to focus on my chocolate, strawberries and cream. I love chocolate in all of its forms milk, dark, bitter or white.  The strawberries and fresh cream partner well on their own.  The dark side of chocolate stands up well next to the fresh innocence of the cream.

On my drive back from Louisiana past the ancient Cypress trees, I passed several roadside markets and drove past all of them. Really? I stopped at the first market, in case it was the only one. The market was loaded with fresh produce, preserved foods, Cajun jerky in various protein options and an assortment of seafood.

I purchased various items to cook with that drew me in. The item that I could not resist was the fresh strawberries from Ponchatoula. I don’t recall ever visiting Ponchatoula but I had certainly tasted my share of its strawberries. The Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival is the second largest festival in Louisiana. The largest party being Mardi Gras, of course.

The Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival certainly looks festive and this year will be the 46th Festival. They have all the required items for a party food, shopping, games, parade and even a Ball with a Strawberry Queen. The Festival schedule covers an entire weekend.

The vendors for the festival are non-profits or service organizations. This puts a unique spin on the shopping aspect. A reason to shop if you happen to need a reason. Shopping with a purpose in addition to the “instant  happy” that you may feel when buying.

I was “instantly happy” with my small flat of strawberries. At least until miles later, I realized that it may have not been the best idea to place them in the passenger seat next to me. The flat of berries had my car smelling like fresh berries.

At this point, I had to ponder the risk of eating strawberries that I had not washed. I really did not want to stop again because I had a drive ahead of me. I did not want to carry my pint into a gas station rest room and wash. EEwwww!  I had only been on the road less than 30 minutes and could not make it past even one roadside market. This did not bode well for a quick trip. Grill Man was not with me to suggest that maybe we should keep driving.

I finally figured out a system that I could tolerate. While driving with my left hand, I managed to pour my bottle of water into a cup. I  grabbed a fresh, red, fat and juicy strawberry. Then I vigorously dunked my prize  into the water. I popped the berry into my mouth. It tasted as delicious as the aroma that had filled my car.

This is probably where I should insert the disclaimer. Do not try this alone in your car. I am happy to report that I did not eat all the strawberries. I had a 3 hour drive ahead of me so it was in the realm of possibility. I did manage to dunk a pint of berries, though. I enjoyed every berry.

With the remaining berries, I knew a dessert would find its way into my brain. After working yesterday, I popped in leftovers for Grill Man and I. Then I started pulling ingredients and decided to introduce my prize to chocolate and cream.  I hope that you enjoy this version of Ponchatoula’s best with chocolate and cream.

Shout out to Alexa for light Jazz.

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