Birthday Cakes
Karen WeHunt Harden, Contributing Writer | wharden1950@gmail.com
Our Grandmother, La La, made her birthday cake to serve on Christmas Eve. She loved coconut cake. Her husband cracked a fresh coconut, and La La peeled and grated the flesh. She baked her cake, soaked it with coconut milk, frosted it, and added more coconut. It was very moist and had to be refrigerated. She made boiled custard and put some coconut cake in her glass. La La added a few drops of “spikening” and it could have been moonshine.
Daddy loved everything Mother baked and was not picky for his birthday in September. Mother usually made a plain pound cake for his birthday, and in August, she made one for hers. Brother Doug was not picky either. Mother baked pound cakes for his birthday, as well, and gave him a sliver of cake while it was still hot. She said it was a taste test. Once it cooled, she pressed it back together and then iced the whole cake.
Mother’s grandchildren preferred Red Velvet with Ermine Frosting. The cooked frosting contained flour, sugar, and milk. Once cooled, the mixture was beaten into soft butter and combined with vanilla extract. The frosting was light and fluffy.
My birthday was on Halloween, and Mother made a German Chocolate Cake for me. I was totally in love with the pecan coconut frosting; she had to make two batches to have enough to frost my cake.
What is your favorite flavor for your birthday? Does your Mother make it for you or do you bake it yourself? Are there stories of flops and grand successes? Enter The Woodruff Times Recipe Challenge and tell your story.
The Woodruff Times Recipe Challenge: Year of Flavor
Author: Tracy Sanders
