A Childhood Favorite: Thunder Cake

When I was little I was deathly afraid of thunderstorms.

From a young age, I would look to the sky and watch for darkening clouds. When I knew a storm was inevitable, I would grab a duffel bag or suitcase and pack up my valuables (books, my favorite stuffed animal, photos, etc.) just in case a tornado were to come and destroy my house. I did this for every single storm.

When I was 10, I was at Hilton Head Island in South Carolina during Hurricane Bertha. We evacuated just before the storm hit, but the thunderstorms that preceded the hurricane (and the squall I watched come off the water at the beach one day) convinced me I wouldn't leave the closet of the condo until my family packed everything into the van and set off for home.

To try and help me get over my fears, my mother bought me a book called Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco. The book is about a young girl who, like me, was very afraid of thunderstorms. One day, while staying with her grandmother, a thunderstorm begins to roll in. The girl panics, but her grandmother gets her to face her fear by gathering ingredients around their farm to make "thunder cake." As the storm inches closer, the girl and her grandma enjoy the fruits of their labor - a wonderful chocolate cake. Being out in the storm and facing her fear, the girl is no longer afraid of storms.

My mother and I began to make this cake when storms would roll in, and the distraction from the baking and the reading of the story slowly helped me realize there wasn't much to fear from storms.

Now that I am older (and no longer scared of storms) I like to share this recipe with others who have kids going through what I went through. You can find the book at most book stores and online at Polacco's site www.patriciapolacco.com.

To make this cake, you'll need the following ingredients:

• 1 c. shortening
• 1 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 eggs, separated (blend yolks into wet ingredients, beat whites until they are stiff in a separate bowl, then fold into the wet ingredients)
• 1 c. cold water
• 1/3 c. pureed tomatoes
• 2 1/2 c. cake flour
• 1/2 c. dry cocoa
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt

Cream together, one at a time, the shortening, sugar, vanilla, eggs yolks, water and tomatoes. Next, fold in the beaten egg whites.

In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Once sifted together, slowly add to the wet ingredients and mix together.

Once well blended, pour into a greased and floured 9x13 cake pan or two smaller 8-inch rounds. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool completely. Once cooled, frost with your favorite chocolate frosting and top with strawberries.

For step-by-step instructions on how to make this recipe, scroll through the gallery above.