Yesterday I made a Waldorf-Astoria cake for dessert. According to the legend, this cake was served at the luxurious hotel years ago. You can see a lovely shot of this premier hotel here ——->
Sometimes people also refer to it as red cake because the cake itself was a sort of blood-red color. Usually four layers of cake filled and topped with a thickened butter-cream frosting.
In any regard, I have my Mom’s old recipe for this cake – and I wanted to make it just as she used to.
Waldorf-Astoria Battle Royale: Red Cake = 3; Rev. Mr. Chris = nada
Against the insightful comments of my wife, I refused to line the pans with parchment paper. I said to myself, “it said grease and flour, so that’s exactly what I’m going to do, nothing more and nothing less.”
- Red Cake goal numero uno – One layer stuck to the pan, and broke as I tried to extricate it
I made the frosting, but waited too long before incorporating the thickening paste (it said to let it cool, grrrr) to the butter base.
- Red Cake scores again – Frosting separated and would not bind properly
As I was preparing the thickening paste for frosting batch #2, I got distracted with something to do with the salad for dinner.
- Red Cake scores a third time – thickening paste has become solid glue
Finally, on batch 2 1/2, the frosting came out correctly. I slathered it between the layers and on the top and threw the dang thing in the fridge to set up.
This is not how I remember it working out for Mom
I ate a piece tonight rather triumphantly, but I wasn’t very pleased about it. The cake itself is a sort of pinkish red, not blood red (even with two full thingies of red food coloring that wasn’t enough).
I noticed that the Waldorf-Astoria (a Hilton property) no longer serves the blasted cake – I wonder why?
Deacon Chris 
Monotreme Extraordinaire!
The word monotreme means “one-holed,” which describes the cloaca that this odd group exhibits. That just means that they have a single hole that serves the urinary tract, anus and reproductive tract.
I say, yada, yada, yada . . . Who cares about all that business – I think monotremes are just plain cool.
And no monotreme is cooler than the Ornithorhynchus anatinus, better known as the Duck-Billed Platypus.
And today I salute these beautiful creatures that serve as a testament to the hand of God, and especially to his sense of humor.
These half-beaver, half-duck, half-bird, half-mammal critters are just incredibly fascinating. They remind me of a Mr. Potato Head – slap a beak on the front, beaver tail on the back, etc.
But in fact, they glorify Almighty God in the simplest and most profound way – just by being who they are!
Learn more about these fascinating animals here.
And thank God in your prayers today for such wonders.