Curious Lemon Cake
added 03/07/08
Sneaky Veggies: Curious Lemon
Cake
Serves 16
Flavor as fresh as
a spring breeze. This beautiful layered cake is truly easy; using a cake
mix makes it a snap!
16 oz. fresh spinach,
washed
2 1/2 tsp. butter,
divided
3 Tbs. brown sugar,
divided
Dash of salt
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
Cooking spray
18.25 oz. lemon cake
mix
1 1/3 cups water
2 eggs
Tart Lemon Frosting
(recipe follows)
In a large non-stick
skillet, steam spinach for about 5 minutes. Plunge spinach into cold water
and drain. Melt 2 teaspoons butter in the skillet and sauté spinach
until quite dry. Add 2 tablespoons brown sugar and a dash of salt and
sauté until sugar is partially caramelized. Place spinach in a
food processor bowl and chop the greens finely.
In same skillet melt
remaining ½ teaspoon butter. Add nuts and sauté briefly.
Stir in 1 tablespoon brown sugar and continue stirring until nuts are
coated. Place on paper towel to cool.
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and set aside. In
a large mixing bowl combine cake mix, water, and eggs. Beat 3 minutes
at high speed with an electric mixer until well blended, scraping beaters
and sides of bowl often. Pour one-third of the batter into each pan, reserving
one-third for final step.
Fold walnuts and greens
together. Divide mixture in half and drop by tablespoonfuls into each
cake pan. With knife or spatula pull greens through batter. Top with remaining
cake batter and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in
center comes out clean. Cool and frost with Tart Lemon Frosting.
Tart Lemon Frosting
3 Tbs. butter 1/2
tsp. lemon extract
2 cups sifted powdered
sugar Dash salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Yellow food coloring (optional)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
Cream together margarine and powdered sugar. Add vanilla extract, lemon
juice, lemon extract, salt, and food coloring (if using.) Beat until smooth
and creamy. Put frosting between layers and then frost top and sides of
cake.
-Vegetable Desserts,
by Elisabeth Schafer and Jeanette L. Miller, R.D.
- flagged
