Patricia Polacco's Thunder Cake

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1 cup cold water
• 1/3 cup tomato puree
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350°f.
• 2 grease and flour two 8 1/2 inch cake pans.
• 3 cream together the shortening and sugar.
• 4 beat in the vanilla and egg yolks.
• 5 mix in the cold water and pureed tomatoes.
• 6 beat the egg whites until they are stiff and fold into egg/tomato mixture.
• 7 sift the cake flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
• 8 mix dry mixture into wet.
• 9 pour batter evenly into cake pans.
• 10 bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
• 11 let cakes cool on wire racks before frosting with chocolate buttercream icing.
• 12 optional: top with fresh strawberries.