Therefore today I am going for comfort...in food form. Saturday night I went to a gathering where I knew there would be someone in attendance who cannot eat chocolate. Since I was responsible for dessert I figured I should haul out a recipe that person could enjoy too. Lacking genuine post inspiration I thought I'd share the recipe with you lovely folks. In the process I will demonstrate that not every confection I prepare is dripping with chocolate.
Today's recipe is Bellybutton Cake. It is made from the collected navels of a rare breed of....no, never mind. No bellybuttons were harmed during the production of this cake. It's a recipe my mom made when I was bit a wee lime. Just follow along and you'll understand the name shortly.
First the ingredients.
Batter
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 egg
1 egg sized blob of shortening (Yes, that's the measurement given on the recipe. You can manage. I have faith in you.)
1 cup of milk
2 1/2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
Topping
butter
cinnamon
brown sugar
-Mix up the batter ingredients, you know...cream up the sugar, egg and shortening, blah blah blah, then add in the milk and flour/baking powder alternately...standard procedure here.
-Pour the batter in a greased and floured cake pan and dot the top of it with little chunks of butter like so...
I realize there are those of you who need to know how much butter and how big the chunks should be. I don't measure. I grab a stick of butter and start cutting off bits of it until I am happy with the amount on the top of the cake. Ok, ok, ok already....I probably used about a half a stick of butter and the chunks were a little bigger than fingernail sized. Let's get one thing straight....NO MARGARINE. Butter only here. I take no responsibility for the failure of your bellybutton cake if you choose to disregard this.
Next you'll sprinkle the cinnamon and brown sugar on top. How much? Whatever floats yer boat. Make yourself happy. A generous dusting of cinnamon and about two handfuls of brown sugar makes me happy. You may be easier or more difficult to please. It's your business as to what you do with your cinnamon and brown sugar. No one from the Department of Homeland Baked Goods will come harass you over the amount you choose to use. The Federal Butter Agency is watching though so heed my earlier warning...
Finally, slide that thing into a 375F oven for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Voila! Belly Button Cake! Now, do you see where the name comes from? All those chunks of butter melt into the batter and make innies that are all full of buttery, cinnamony, sugary happiness. I apologize if your significant other does not have an equally appealing innie. If that's the case I really don't need to hear about it. Even if they do have a particularly delectable navel, I really don't need to hear about it. Just eat the cake and have fun ok?
I will also tell you that a few years ago when a video of Veggie Tales Silly Songs came out with a song lauding the love of bellybuttons we planned a special Navel Night with friends. The menu consisted of Tortellini (since the shape of that pasta is said to be shaped after the Venus De Milo's navel), navel oranges, and belly button cake. We sang the belly button song and took pictures of each other's belly buttons. Yes, we are strange people. No I will not be sharing the picture of my navel. Just eat the cake, ok?
