I was recently reminded again about how foods can, with one bite, bring back such wonderful memories that may no longer live except within that food itself. Each time a special food is prepared, it gives you a pass to go back in time as each bite brings back the family members, friends, visions, smells and sounds from the past.
My friend from college, 'Tom', was telling me about his daughter's upcoming 15th birthday and how he was, with the help of his daughter, making this special birthday cake for her that his mother had always made for him. As he described this cake (which he claimed tasted like a delicious Oreo cookie), he painted the setting of his past family gatherings surrounding birthdays at his house as a boy.
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| Julie and her uncle share the cake...a much fancier version, but the same cake. |
Tom was the youngest of four brothers and one sister and his mother made a different 'favorite' cake for each of them on their birthdays. Celebrations were always designated on the Sunday closest to the birthday In order for the whole family to gather. The chocolate cake was the favorite of Tom and his father, and although i don't think he mentioned all the specific faves of the others, he did share that two brothers really liked some sort of a sweet yellow cake (resembling cornbread) that was served warm with a hot fudge topping. Tom could never bring himself to try this yellow cake.... mostly because they reduced their pieces to a mashy mush (true boys!) and it would look like a brown kind of glop...so the end result didn't look so very appetizing. (He did finally break down and try it in his later years, but claimed that it was definitely not even in the same class as the chocolate cake which was his!)
The interesting thing is that i asked Tom to tell me about a special birthday..maybe one in which he got a favorite gift. After thinking for a few minutes, he replied that he really couldn't remember any gifts that made an impact...but only the cake, year after year. That was the ultimate gift that his mom gave him...not the material things but the traditional cake that he loved so much which was made for him with love. I wish kids today (and even adults) could understand this simple lesson.
Now, i don't know exactly when his mother stopped making this cake...perhaps she made it when he would visit back home after he was grown and married. And i am told that his wife did attempt to make it for him (at his request) on his birthdays from time to time...but somehow she was just not able to manage the cake without 'incidents' and stress. Without further detail here...we will just say that each of her attempts were definitely NOT his mom's cake and eventually he took over the job of making his own birthday cake periodically. After a while (probably because it is no fun to make your own cake!), i think the recipe just got shoved to the back of the drawer.
Next, I asked how long he and his daughter had been making the cake and was surprised to hear that the cake had 'come back to life' at his house only in the last couple of years. The funny thing is that his daughter took a cake decorating class for a short period of time and Tom actually went to a couple of the lessons too. Well, when they found out just exactly what the ingredients were in the store bought cakes (lard, Crisco shortening, etc), THAT is when the recipe came out again! I have to agree, that it is hard to imagine eating ingredients like that...no wonder our society has so many problems with heart disease, etc!
I think that as adults, we get so busy in life that we forget these wonderful memories...full of family, childhood hopes and dreams...sitting around a table with all of your siblings or fighting in the car when you would travel anywhere (which meant over 30 minutes). We simply don't think and remember because we are so busy trying to be successful, getting married, raising our own kids...living the rat race. These memories are the 'constants' in our lives: the special meals and acts of love, and even dear friends and family members. We knew they would always be there year after year and we could count on them....but the reality is that we don't stay young forever and things change. The lesson here is that these are the presents that mean the most in the very end. The recipes of our lives often get shoved to the back of the drawer for a period of time. But eventually, when we get them out and blow off the dust...it all comes flowing back. The taste, sounds, laughter, happiness and sadness of how we grew up and loved. I think it is wonderful to be able to pass on a special traditional recipe with our children and let them know the ingredients that make us US....which in turn, makes them who they are also. True...they may not see the meaning behind it all now or appreciate it as much as we would like... and the recipe may be shoved to the back of the drawer again. But just know that when it finally comes into the light again there will be a new appreciation and more stories will be added to the old. This is about so much more than a chocolate cake with butter cream frosting...it is a delicious family memory that will never die if it is nurtured and passed on from one generation to the next.
Now, being the true 'foodie' that i am...i simply had to have the recipe so that i could make it and try it for myself. The recipe is very easy, using all natural ingredients....and very, VERY good. It gets 5 stars in my book! This is a very dense chocolaty cake with dreamy, creamy buttery icing and will melt in your mouth. You just have to try it to understand and appreciate.
Many thanks to my friend, 'Tom' for sharing this wonderful recipe with me....and wishing him a very Happy Birthday on March 1! (Wonder what he will have to celebrate?)
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Betty's Chocolate Cake with Butter Cream Frosting
For a single 9x9 pan: (Double recipe if you want a two layer cake)
Mix together:
1/4 Cup butter, softened at room temp
1 Cup sugar
1 egg
2- 1 ounce squares of unsweetened chocolate, melted
Sift together:
1-1/3 Cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
Add to mixed ingredients.
Slowly add:
1 Cup boiling water
1 tsp. pure vanilla
Mix until smooth, texture may seem thin.
Bake for 23-30 minutes in a greased, floured pan. Done when toothpick comes out clean.
ICING: (This makes plenty to ice a single layer in the pan)
1 stick of butter, softened at room temperature
2 Cups of powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla
A very small amount of milk if needed
Cream together with a spoon or mixer..Add a slight bit of milk to obtain the proper texture. Make sure the cake is cool before frosting it!
