Kathy's Cake

I took a dancing lesson from my sister today, with some counseling yesterday from my mother. It was a cake walk.

Following their instructions, see http://steinermp.wordpress.com/?s=cake+roll, I baked a cake for a friend who's turning 50 today -- not an ordinary cake, but a cake roll, the kind of birthday treat we always requested when we were kids.

While the large flat rectangle baked in our upper oven (20 minutes on the nose, you were right, sis), I dropped powdered sugar onto a dish towel, see above.  I let the cake cool while I ate a carrot (she suggested "a few minutes"), then flipped it (cake, not carrot, smarty) upside down onto the towel.

Right away I rolled it up -- "like a jelly roll" she said.  I never much cared for jelly rolls and have never made one.  I think I figured it out.

Unroll, she said.  Monkey say, monkey do.

Now for the funnest step of all.  Yes, I'd remembered to let the ice cream soften up a tad, just as she prescribed, even though I doubted that I should get it out of the freezer while the cake was still baking.

"I was watching as you rolled up the ice cream," says Virginia.  "I couldn't believe you washed your hands after every time you licked your fingers. Congratulations!"

Piece of cake.  All you have to do is follow the fine recipe. Oh, don't forget to put it in the freezer.