Ascension Cake

Our diocese is one that has moved the Solemnity of the Ascension to Sunday -- today, so today we celebrated Ascension Sunday and Mother's Day. 

My mother happens to love my deep dark chocolate cake frosted with whipped cream rather than buttercream frosting, and whipped cream just makes such heavenly looking clouds of yum, that I was reminded of the Ascension of Jesus. 

"When they had gathered together they asked him, 'Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel? ' He answered them, 'It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority.But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.' When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight." Acts 1:6-9

GAROFALO
Ascension of Christ

I created some edible Sacred Hearts of Jesus with strawberries, some melted chocolate chips in an icing bag (or ziploc bag) and some whipped cream tinted orange for some flames. It didn't turn out quite exactly what I had in mind, but the ratio of result to work was pretty high (ie very little work) and the taste was delicious, so I'll not complain. Believe me, if you've never decorated a cake, you can handle this one.

You could technically hide any cake under the whipped cream, but my mom loves the contrast of the dark chocolate cake with the whipped cream, and it was Mother's Day, so dark chocolate it was. This cake is from scratch, but don't let that fool you -- it couldn't be easier. And frosting with whipped cream is so foolproof, you can have this cake finished in no time. 

Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

2 cups sugar
1 ¾ cups flour
¾ cup cocoa
1 ½ t. baking soda
1 ½ t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
½ cups oil
2 t. vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour two round 9” pans.
In a large mixing bowl combine dry ingredients.
Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla.
Beat on medium speed for two minutes.
Stir in boiling water (by hand). (Batter will be thin.)
Pour into prepared pans.
Bake for 30-35 minutes
(inserted toothpick will have moist crumbs, but nothing "wet").
Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans.
Cool completely before frosting.


Whipped Cream Frosting

3 c. whipping cream
4 T. instant vanilla pudding mix
4 T. powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl, begin whipping cream on medium.
Add pudding mix and powdered sugar and turn up to high.
Whip until cream is very fluffy and holds its peaks
(just don't go to far and make butter).
After cake is completely cool, frost in between layers, sides and top of cake.
Decorate if desired.

For Sacred Heart strawberries:

Wash and pat dry two large strawberries (cut them so that you get 
two heart-shaped halves from each).

Cut the leaves out by cutting out the hull and creating a heart shape at the cut end. 

Place 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips in an icing bag. Microwave for 30-60 seconds until melted. Cut tip off bag and pipe chocolate onto the strawberry in the shape of a crown of thorns (it might help to refer to an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus). Let chocolate set and then place them in the center of the cake (if you have smaller strawberries than I did, you might need to use three -- for six halves). Tint a little bit of whipped cream yellow or orange and place in icing (or ziploc bag). Pipe flames coming from the tops of the "hearts".

Refrigerate cake before serving and refrigerate leftovers.

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Ascension Picnic

In Cooking for Christ, Florence Berger writes about the tradition in some areas of picnicking on hilltops to celebrate the Feast of the Ascension. You can pack the picnic basket with some symbolic Ascension themed foods to enjoy including chicken or chicken salad sandwiches to represent birds, fruit or fruit salad for the “first fruits of the Holy Spirit,” cream puffs representing the clouds, and a bubbly carbonated beverage for the “rising” bubbles!

Catholic Cuisine Contributor Mary Machado first posted about this tradition here at Catholic Cuisine back in 2008 and our family has enjoyed Ascension Picnics ever since. As we prepare to celebrate this year's feast of the Ascension I thought I would share a couple pictures from last year's picnic.

.: Our Ascension Picnic Menu :.

Curried Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Chinese Chicken Salad

(It is traditional to eat some sort of bird since Jesus "flew" to heaven.)

Strawberries

(The fruit represents Christ, the first fruit of all men.)

Cream Puffs

(Symbolizing the clouds that were in the sky.)

Sparkling Grape Juice

(Chosen for the "rising" bubbles.)

I'll also be serving Ascension Pancakes once again (originally shared by Jamie and found in the archives here) for breakfast .  You can find additional ideas for the Feast of the Ascension in the archives.

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Heavenly Assumption Parfaits

The Solemnity of the Assumption, which is a Holy Day of Obligation, is coming up on August 15th!  These Assumption Parfaits, adapted from Yummy Finds, would make a simple and fun treat to celebrate the feast! 

To make these all you need is a box of Berry Blue Jello, Cool Whip, and Glasses. 

Prepare the Berry Blue Jello according to the directions on the package. 

 Layer spoonfuls of Berry Blue Jello and Cool Whip in narrow glasses to create the sky and clouds!

Be sure to alternate where you place the cool whip “clouds” so that you get a nice staggered effect.

Enjoy! 

You can see the rest of the pictures from our celebration here. 

"We pronounce, declare and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory." ~ Pope Pius XII 

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Heavenly Ascension Lunch

~Ascension of the Lord~

"Let our hearts ascend with Christ"~St. Augustine~

Have a Heavenly Lunch or Meal for the Ascension!

Here are some fun ideas:

*Decorate your table in white...Maybe use some fluffy white netting*

"As the disciples were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight."(cf. Acts 1:9)

~Create some heavenly thrones~

Have a white meal, using heavenly symbols:

Crowns of Heaven sandwiches...

~We used buttermilk bread, white turkey meat and white swiss cheese~

Crown shaped cookie cutters were used to cut the shapes!

Gates of Heaven Crackers with Dip

These are made using Wasa Flatbread Crackers

spread with Greek-style Cucumber and Yogurt dip and topped with crunchy Shoestring Potatoes.

(I bought my dip at the deli section of a local grocery store)

Heavenly Fruit Salad

We carved out a honeydew melon and used all white fruit to fill it back up!

White Nectarines

White Peaches

Pears

Bananas (optional)

Top things off with a Heavenly Ascension Pie

This was very simple!

It's a Vanilla Jell-O pie (just add milk)

 with Nilla Wafer pie crust, 

topped with mini marshmallows (symbolizing heavenly clouds).

An Ascension Sundae on Ascension Sunday would also be a nice dessert!

~It's always fun to add something white and bubbly to drink:  Sprite or Flavored Bubble Water are a couple of ideas~

"Loving Father, thanks to the Ascension of your Son our human nature  is now at home with you in heaven.  May this truth be our lasting encouragement and hope.  We ask this through Christ our Lord."  Amen.

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Ascension Sundaes

The following recipe was submitted by Tiffany, from Family at the Foot of the Cross, for publication here at Catholic Cuisine.  It is such a great idea, especially for those dioceses that celebrated the feast of the Ascension today.   I apologize for taking so long to add the post, but at least it will be in the archives for next year.  I hope you all had a very blessed feast of the Ascension!

Ascension Sundaes

Vanilla Ice Cream = Mt. of Olives

Chocolate Syrup = The trails from the mountain

Whipped Cream & Mini Marshmallows = The Clouds on top of the Mountain

The topper = Jesus Ascending to Heaven

You can click over to Tiffany's blog to see additional pictures, including pictures of their "cloud pizza!"  Thank you Tiffany! Pin It

Curried Chicken Salad

A couple years ago Mary shared about the tradition in some areas of picnicking on hilltops on the Feast of the Ascension.  Our family really enjoyed our picnic last year, and we are looking forward to having another one later this afternoon.  I will be following Mary's suggestions (for the most part) and thought I would take a second to share my new favorite chicken salad recipe with you all.  My friend Carrie shared the recipe with me, after bringing them to my baby shower last year, and it is delicious!

Curried Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups cubed, cooked chicken
1 medium unpeeled red apple, chopped
¾ cup dried cranberries
½ cup thinly sliced celery
¼ cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
¾ cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
2 teaspoons lime juice
½ teaspoon curry powder
12 slices bread
Lettuce Leaves

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Combine mayonnaise, lime juice and curry powder; add to chicken mixture and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Assemble sandwiches with lettuce and chicken salad.

Happy Ascension Thursday!

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Heavenly Delight

This recipe for Heavenly Delight, to celebrate the upcoming feast of the Ascension, was submitted by Emily, from God's Canvas. Thank you Emily!

Since I was very small, my mom made this recipe, usually for guests, and I got the spoon.. now as a mommy.. I have Snowbabies, ages 13-3 all around me when I make this asking for the spoon… and why not taste a little bit of heaven?

For the Feast of the Ascension, we will celebrate with a taste of Heavenly Delight.

Heavenly Delight

What you’ll need:

Angel Food Cake… Make it yourself and you’ll love how light and fluffy (like clouds) it feels.
1 bag of Semi-sweet Chocolate chips
4 egg yolks
4 egg whites
1/4 c sugar
1 large tub Cool whip
1/2 c chopped walnuts

Cool and tear your angel food cake into pieces in a large bowl.

Melt chocolate chips in saucepan or double boiler (to avoid cooking the yolk) stirring in the yolks carefully until smooth. remove immediately from heat.

In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until fluffy adding in the sugar and cool whip.

Fold in the chocolate and add the nuts.

For the Ascension, reserve half of the Angel Food cake.

In a large dish spread out the remaining angel food cake and Spoon Chocolate mixture on top until completely covered. Chill for a few hours for best texture.

When ready to serve, fill each glass with angel food cake pieces and top with heavenly delight!

Enjoy a taste of heaven and end with a prayer for thanksgiving for the Ascension of our Lord into Heaven.

You can find more ideas for celebrating the feast of the Ascension in the archives!

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Ascension Pancakes!

My 8 year old son, after seeing this, asked "what do I have to eat to get that?" I explained this is our lunch! It's kind of a dessert pancake, for lunch! We made these today after Mass. In our diocese, the Feast day was moved to Sunday, so we get to celebrate the Ascension twice! We are planning on having Mathilda's Ascension Cloud dessert for supper tonight!

Paula told me she was planning on making Ascension Pancakes on Sunday, so I googled it and this is what I found:

Pancake = the earth Jesus walked on.
Fresh strawberries= blood Jesus shed.
Chocolate syrup= roads Jesus traveled.
Whipped topping= clouds our Lord ascended into.
Sprinkles= the sweetness of life in Heaven.

We also put regular syrup on these.
My pancake recipe: (I always double this though)
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1-2 Tbsp sugar
1 cup flour
2-4 Tbsp oil
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 Tbsp cinnamon (optional)

Beat egg until foamy. Mix rest of ingredients until smooth. Fry.

*It is such an honor to be a part of this wonderful Catholic Cuisine blog!! I was afraid Jessica would kick me out if I did not put something on pretty soon! I hope someday we can all sit down and have some Catholic Cuisine food together and meet in real life! Pin It

A Fluffy Cloud Dessert

... for the Feast of the Ascension.

I found this recipe in a BH&G magazine while waiting for the girls to finish piano lessons and thought it would be fun to serve for the Feast of the Ascension (which technically has been moved in our diocese, but not everywhere). I made a few changes to the recipe. First, I doubled the Oreos and the butter to make a good thick "crust". I also eliminated the strawberries on top to make the whole thing look more cloud-like and chopped the berries on the inside instead of mashing them so that the inner fluff would stay white instead of turning pink. It is chilling in the freezer right now.

Update with pictures......
Here's a peak inside!

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Feast of the Ascension

There is a tradition in some areas of picnicking on hilltops on the Feast of the Ascension. Both The Easter Book by Fr. F.X. Weiser, and Florence Berger's Cooking for Christ share this traditional activity to commemorate the feast. We have incorporated this tradition for our family in the last couple of years.

With Easter so much earlier this year, the end of the Easter season feasts are early as well. The weather in your area may not be conducive to a spring outing, but if it is, a spring hilltop picnic might be something to consider in your plans for this week. Even if you don't have a real hilltop nearby, just find the highest elevation around. It was suggested by a member on the 4 Real forums that a ride in a glass elevator on this day would be helpful to illustrate ascending as well. You could picnic on the top floor. It could be on Thursday which is the traditional 40 days after Easter when the Ascension feast was celebrated or over the weekend, specifically on Sunday when we celebrate liturgically the Feast of the Ascension.



What would the menu for an Ascension picnic include? There is not a set menu, but it is traditional to eat a bird of some sort (pigeon, pheasant, duck) since Jesus "flew" to heaven. In our culture chicken or turkey might be more common and available even though they are not know for their flight abilities.

Also any fruits as they represent Christ, the first fruit of all men. The Italians specifically brought beans and grapes to church on the feast of the Ascension. The grapes and beans were supposed to be used as a feast for the dead in heaven. These were blessed after the Memento of the Dead with the words,

Bless, O Lord, these new fruits of the vine which Thou hast brought to maturity by the dew of heaven, by plentiful rains and by tranquil and favorable weather. Thou hast given us this fruit for our use that we may receive it with thanks in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Possible Ascension Picnic Menu:
-Chicken or chicken salad sandwiches representing the birds
-Grapes for the first fruits
-Cream puffs for the "cloudy" cream filling
-Bubbly/carbonated drink (sparkling water, soda, sparkling cider) for the "rising" bubbles Pin It