Thinning fruit Trees and White Cake

We had a very cool night here, 39° early this morning around daybreak. The day is very pleasant with lots of sunshine. I am staying pretty close to the house; serviceman is expected for the stove and dishwasher check up.

The county road crew is also working out front of the house and creating severe dust. We don't know what they are spreading but it makes DH cough a lot. We have both come inside for the duration.

They are blading out the ditches on both sides of the road very deeply. There goes my mowing the ditch....back to the string trimmer or not....may just leave it.

FRUIT

This year is a first! We have two peach trees and an apricot and a plum tree absolutely loaded with fruit. I know I am supposed to thin relentlessly. Here is a branch before thinning on a peach and after. It is dark because I was "inside" the tree and could only use one hand on the camera.

From Fruit

From Fruit

It hurts to do it, but I know it is for the best. I am leaving 4 to 5 inches on the peaches and a little less on the apricots. I do a little each day on what I can reach from the ground....may break out the ladder later.

FOOD

I promised I would do our favorite white cake and post it on the blog. I did it yesterday. We had two pieces and into the freezer with the rest. I need more people to cook for!

I have been making this cake for a long, long time taken from the back of the cake flour box.


My White Sheet Cake (actually the Softaslik Cake Flour Exquisite Coconut Cake recipe)

2-1/4 cups cake flour (this is important to use instead of regular flour)
1-1/2 cups sugar
3-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup Crisco
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla (I add 1/2 tsp. almond extract also)
4 egg whites.

Heat oven to 350°

Grease and flour pan (I use cookie sheet pan or something at least l inch deep, or 13x9 or
layer cake pans)

Measure flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, shortening, 2/3 cup of the milk and the vanilla
into the large mixer bowl. Beat 2 minutes on high speed, scraping the bowl several times.
Add remaining milk and egg whites. Beat 2 minutes more, scraping the bowl
occasionally.

Pour into pans, bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick comes out clean from center. 20 minutes or so for the sheet cake, be sure and check so it doesn't brown much at all.

Cool and ice.

I like a baker’s white icing.

about 1/2 cup crisco
some milk, start with 1/4 cup.
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp .. vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract.( maybe a little less)

and as much powdered sugar to taste grainy, not greasy (I used 4 cups sifted yesterday)
Whip it until light and fluffy.

Note: I always sift powdered sugar to prevent tiny little white flicks in icing

From Food

Usually we leave it in flat single pieces but I stacked these for storage in the freezer.