Bonus Chef Recipe #1

There are more than 120 recipes in my book. And they're all quite fabulous, if I say so myself. (In fact, I CAN say so myself since none of them are MY recipes! But then again, you knew that...)

However, did you also know there are a fair number of recipes that never made it in my book? True story. And for a variety of reasons.

Either the chef changed his/her mind as to what they wanted to submit.

Or my recipe testers found the recipe to be too complicated or too hard for the average home cook to prepare.

Or the recipe took much longer to prepare than the 1-hour time limit set for each chef's meal.

Or the recipe was for far more than 4 servings (the default number of servings for each recipe in my book) and could not be reduced.

For whatever reason, I now have a stack of recipes that are simply fantastic but unfortunately didn't make the final cut.

So, I think to myself, "What a shame this treasure trove of recipes is just sitting here and can't be enjoyed by anyone. What should I do with them all?"

Then a light bulb went off in my head. My blog! That's it! Why not post an occasional feature on these recipes and share them, one at a time.

Therefore, dear reader, I am pleased to introduce to you the first in an installation of several bonus recipes, brought to you by the fine chefs in my book. Enjoy them all, on me!

"SAUCE BETTY" CAKE

Recipe courtesy of Brandt Evans, chef/owner of Pura Vida and Blue Canyon

3 c. flour
2 c. sugar
2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
3/4 c. vegetable oil
2 T. white vinegar
2 t. pure vanilla extract
2 c. water
2 c. heavy whipping cream
1/2 c. powdered sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spray a 9x13 pan with a non-stick cooking spray (Pam). Sprinkle a little flour on the bottom of the pan and tilt slightly from side to side to distribute the flour to cover the bottom of the pan.

3. In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add sugar and mix together well.

4.  Stir in the oil, water, vinegar, and vanilla. Stir until completely combined.

5. Pour batter into the greased pan.

6. Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out dry/clean. Let cool for at least 20 minutes.

 

7. Serve with whipped cream. (To make whipped cream, whip together the heavy cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.)