Cake adjustment

It is cold here, very cold.  Ok fine I do live in NC (an almost proper southern state), so my opinion of cold is a little off, but I am not a total wuss I grew up in PA (a rather cold northeastern state).  Anyway my feet are ice cubes inside of lined slippers, with two pairs of socks underneath.  I am wearing two pairs of PJ pants, and a jacket liner over my sweatshirt.  I contemplated gloves, but didn't think I would be able to work the mouse and keyboard properly (and I cannot be without my computer!  even comfort isn't worth losing the internet!)  Plus I have some rather bouncy French music I am tapping my foot too.  Fidgeting is a great way to burn calories and maybe warm up a smidgen.  (not that I ever learn any French that way-but it has the best bouncy kids music on youtube)

So last night while cooking dinner, that was depressingly only using the top of the stove, I decided to bake a cake just for the sake of turning the oven on.

It worked my house was much warmer for about an hour, and we had a delicious hearty cake for bedtime snack..

Now if you have read a few recipes on here, you know I couldn't just pull out a recipe book and cook something, nope it was off to the internet to google something.  Not to follow it mind you just to have a basis for fudging.

After reading quite a few I came upon this very simple Vanilla Cake recipe.  I like simple, less for me to have to guess what it is important for what, and what all can be changed.


First I went with the
Oven on at 350

in kitchen aid
4 eggs, beat them with
1 cup brown sugar (never white here)
then I added in the
2 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (never white here)
and 2 and a smidgen tsp baking powder (I don't have measuring spoons, so a regular teaspoon and a good eye)

mixed briefly then add in
1 cup honey
1 cup milk
3/4 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla (pure, never fake)
1 tsp lemon  (pure extract) (I was in the mood for lemon)

mix lightly, transfer to a greased 8*13 pan (it is what I had handy)
bake at 350 for around 30 minutes (it will smell wonderful, and the baby will just be done nursing after dinner)

The result is hearty, thick, a cake worth eating with a fork, not some fluffy summery concoction.  Nothing against fluffy cakes, just when you are cold something yummy to stick to your ribs is well worth the extra dishes.

I am already contemplating how to memorize the recipe for future use.... 5 scoops of flour (a scoop in this house is always 1/2 a cup) 4 eggs, and a lot of 1s...plus the 2 and smidge of BKpowder and 3/4 cup oil......hmm

The sad part is with an 8*13 pan I wont get to test variations for a few days....maybe I should cut it in half...less sugar prolly.  Flavor doesn't hold.  Is that because of using oil or just weak lemon/vanilla?