National Cake Day

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By Diane Forrest,

My cousin got married this weekend.  It wasn't a big wedding, he and his bride have both been married before, so they had a small ceremony in his home, and their children were the only guests.  So I asked all the important questions, such as what are you wearing?  How are you decorating, and tell me about the cake!  A wedding cake is the centerpiece of a wedding reception.  It can be large or small, fancy or plain, layered with different flavors, or tradition white.   It is a tradition for the bride and groom to cut the cake together and feed each other a piece, and then freeze the top layer to share on their first anniversary.  I don't know who came up with that one, but one year old frozen cake is not very good!

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Cakes are used to celebrate all types of events.  Birthdays, parties, baby or wedding showers, holidays, and even just a family dinner at home.  My grandmother always made sure she had cake ready in case company dropped by.  She made the best pound cake!

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When my husband was first hurt, he found himself at home with nothing to do.  So, he took up baking.  While it was good for him...it was bad for me.  He made my favorite cake, Italian Cream, and when one was finished, he would make another right away.  I soon had to find him another hobby since my clothes were starting to shrink.

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Today is National Cake day, you can choose any cake you want, but celebrate with a piece...you may even have some left over from Thanksgiving.  Below is my recipe for my grandmother's pound cake.  Here is a hint, don’t mix the Crisco too long, or the cake will not turn out right.  Enjoy!

Granny's Pound Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups plain flour
• 2 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup Crisco
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 6 eggs
• Pinch salt
• 1/4 tsp soda
• 2 tsp butter flavor
• 2 tsp vanilla flavor
• 2 tsp lemon flavor

Directions:

1. Have all ingredients at room temp, oven at 300 degrees. 
2. Cream sugar and Crisco.  Then add eggs one at a time.  Beat well.  Then add flour and buttermilk a little at a time. 
3. Dissolve salt and flavoring.  Dissolve soda in a tablespoon of water, and add last.  Pour in a greased and floured Bundt pan. 
4. Cook at 300 degrees for 1 hour or more until done.  It always takes more.