How to Bake Thunder Cake

Thunder Cake is a delicious chocolate cake that is made with a unique twist - it contains an ingredient that you might not expect in a cake: tomatoes! The recipe for Thunder Cake was first introduced in a children's book by the same name, written by Patricia Polacco. Here's how to bake Thunder Cake:

Ingredients: - 1 cup of pureed tomatoes (you can use canned tomatoes or puree fresh tomatoes in a blender) - 1 and 3/4 cups of sugar - 2 sticks (1 cup) of unsalted butter, at room temperature - 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract - 3 eggs - 2 and 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour - 1/2 cup of cocoa powder - 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder - 1 teaspoon of baking soda - 1/2 teaspoon of salt - 1 cup of water

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.

3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.

4. Add in the vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

5. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

6. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, alternating with the pureed tomatoes, mixing well after each addition.

7. Gradually stir in the water until the batter is smooth.

8. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans.

9. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

10. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove them from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

11. Frost the cake with your favorite frosting, or use the frosting recipe from the Thunder Cake book: Beat together 1/2 cup of softened butter, 4 ounces of softened cream cheese, 2 cups of powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.

12. Enjoy your delicious Thunder Cake!