Jessica’s Circus Birthday – Part 4: Food

My first thoughts of circus food are popcorn, pretzels and hot dogs. However, I didn’t want to deal with manning a grill for Jessica’s birthday party, so we ordered pizza from Cici’s instead. Along with the pizza, I had fresh popcorn popped in my new popcorn machine (bought partly for the party and partly for the popcorn fiend inside me), pretzels, peanut-butter filled pretzel nuggets, peanuts in the shell (that may not have even been touched), fruit salad, cherry punch, iced tea and cupcakes. I also had ice cream, but I forgot to get it out of the freezer.

Cherry Punch

This punch was super delicious and I intend to make it again sometime. I doubled the recipe for the party and served it in beverage dispenser. I would not serve this punch again in this kind of serving ware as the pineapple clogged the spigot and unclogging it made for a mess.

Source: Reiman publication insert

Ingredients:

• 1 6-oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 1 6-oz. can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
• 1 20-oz. can pineapple chunks, undrained
• 2 cups water
• 2 liters cherry soda, chilled (I used Cherry Crush)
• 2 liters ginger ale, chilled
• lemon and lime slices, optional

Directions:

In a blender, combine the lemonade and limeade concentrates and pineapple; cover and blend until smooth. Pour into a gallon-size container; stir in water. Store in the refrigerator.

To serve, pour the mixture into a punch bowl; add cherry soda and ginger ale. Garnish with lemon and lime slices if desired.

Yield: about 6 quarts

I made 3 batches of cupcakes: 1 double of the moist chocolate, 1 of the orange applesauce made using a vegan butter substitute and the frosting tinted blue, and 1 double of the orange applesauce omitting the pecans. I made these all the day/evening before the party. Our nephew Dawson helped add the sprinkles on the applesauce cupcakes. I liked both recipes. I preferred the taste of the non-lactose-free version of orange applesauce cupcakes and am extremely thankful I’m not lactose intolerant. I also think the orange applesauce tasted better the day of the party than they did a few days later.

Jessica’s cake was a 4-in. diameter two-layer affair. The bottom layer was the moist chocolate and the top layer was the orange applesauce and it was all frosted with the orange applesauce frosting and covered with colored sprinkles.

Moist Chocolate Cake

Source: The Taste of Home Baking Book

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons baking cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup cold water
• confectioner’s sugar

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Using a spoon, make three wells in the dry ingredients. Pour oil into one, vinegar into another and vanilla into the third. Slowly pour water over all. Beat on low speed until thoroughly combined (batter will be thin).

Pour into a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with confectioner’s sugar. I did dust with confectioner’s sugar, but the next day for the party, the confectioner’s sugar had been absorbed by the cupcakes.

Yield: 9 servings

Orange Applesauce Cupcakes

Source: The Taste of Home Baking Book

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel (I omitted since I had used all my orange peel in the cupcakes)
• 2 to 4 teaspoons orange juice

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat well. Beat in the applesauce, vanilla and orange peel. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; add to creamed mixture. Stir in pecans.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

For frosting, in a small mixing bowl, beat butter and confectioner’s sugar. Add orange peel and enough orange juice to achieve spreading consistency. Frost cupcakes.

Yield: 1 dozen

Thanks for checking out all the details of Jessica’s Circus 1st Birthday. I hope you may find some of these details useful or inspiring for your next party. Previous posts: Part 1: Decorations, Part 2: The Party and Part 3: Favors and Thank Yous.