Thunder Cake
Lisa Hummel
March 26, 2009
The second graders recently read the story "Thunder Cake". It is a story by Patricia Polacco based on her memories of life on her grandmother's farm. The main character in the story is afraid of thunder storms and learns to overcome her fear by helping her grandmother gather ingredients to make a Thunder Cake.
That's just what the second graders did. They also discovered (like in the story) the secret ingredient made the cake very moist.
Thunder Cake
Cream together, one at a time: Sift together:
1 cup shortening 2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup dry cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3 eggs, separated 1 teaspoon salt
(Blend yolks in. Beat whites until they are stiff, then fold in.)
1 cup cold water
1/3 cup pureed tomatoes
Mix dry mixture into creamy mixture. Bake in two greased and floured 8 1/2 inch round pans at 350' for 35 to 40 minutes. Frost with chocolate butter frosting. Top with strawberries.










