Lady locks rods can be bought or made

Editor's note: In Butler, look for the rods at Mary's Cake & Candy, 180 Bon Aire Shopping Center, (724) 285-4102. Also, check your local Yellow Pages under "Cake & Candy Decorating Equipment & Supplies," "Candy & Confectionery — Retail" and "Craft Supplies."

Professional rods also can be purchased at reasonable prices from the Internet. Here are some sites:

Thanks to all readers who responded to this request.

For Wendy West Hickey, Pittsburgh. From Linda Rose Dupree, via e-mail. "For years, I searched for a recipe to duplicate the carrot cake that was my husband's favorite cake as a child. Some came close, but this recipe makes a delicious cake that is identical to the one that his mother used to make. I found the recipe in a booklet published by Nestle in 1995, 'Easy Elegance: A Celebration of Desserts and Holiday Entertaining.' I make this recipe in a 9- by 13-inch glass baking pan. Several times, I have tried doubling it and using a larger rectangular glass baking pan, but I've had difficulty getting the center to bake before the edges are too well done. In order to double the recipe, I've found it best to bake it in two 9- by 13-inch glass pans.

"My mother-in-law used to make her recipe into a layer cake, but this is an extremely rich cake, and for me it is easier to cut small enough pieces for a serving by making it in the rectangular pan. Because it is so dense and full of nut and pineapple pieces, I don't try to remove it from the pan before frosting it because it would be difficult to turn it out in one piece. I also make certain that the cake has cooled completely before frosting it, and I leave the sticky surface of the cake exposed to the air while it is cooling so that it will dry just enough to make frosting the cake easier. After frosting, I decorate the cake with walnut halves — it looks very elegant. This cake should be refrigerated."

Dupree says she uses regular corn oil to coat the pan. If she were going to turn the cake out of the pan, she recommends greasing it with vegetable shortening, such as Crisco.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup (8-ounce can) crushed pineapple in juice
• 2 cups carrots, coarsely shredded
• 1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
• Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, mayonnaise and pineapple with juice until well- blended. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Stir in the carrots and walnuts. Coat a 9- by 13-inch baking pan or two 9-inch round baking pans with vegetable cooking spray; dust with flour. Spoon in the batter.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes for the rectangular pan, 30 to 35 minutes for the layers or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

• 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 to 2 teaspoons milk, if needed

In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter. Gradually beat the confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy, adding milk, if needed, to thin to the desired consistency for spreading.

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