Let Them Eat Cake

I learned at an early age that baking is an art. Baking also says a lot about a person. Ma-ma loved to bake and we loved it when she baked.

Ma-ma was the ultimate homemaker. She kept a perfect house, had dinner on the table each night when gramps came home, had control over a sewing machine like nobodies business, made homemade Christmas decorations and never had a hair out of place or smudge on her clothes while doing it.

Ma-ma was a domestic goddess.

As much as she was a master around the house, the thing I took from her was the love of baking. She always had cookies, cobblers, or cakes fresh out of the oven when you would stop by.

When birthdays would roll around, she would have a special cake designed just for the occasion.

Christmas brought an assortment of cookies and candies and treats to rival the finest confectioner. Most any occasion would warrant some sort of sweet.

I learned this appreciation for baking from ma-ma, in my mind something baked with love is one of the greatest gifts a person can give. There is something comforting about a fresh baked cake or pie.

I am not as good as ma-ma was in the baking department, but I can hold my own and like to give baked goods for friends on their birthdays or in times of need.

This past week, my neighbor Gayle lost her mom. Granny had lived with Gayle for a couple of years and was a sweet lady. She always sat out in the driveway to smoke and we would speak to each other whenever I would see her. Last Saturday, Granny fell and hit her head, she died a few hours later.

I didn't know about Granny passing until Monday, when Gayle came over to tell me. It all happened quickly and she didn't suffer, I am glad for that.

Gayle and her family had a memorial service this morning and I knew there would be a crowd at her house after the service, so I decided to bake a cake.

One of my favorite cakes ma-ma used to make is a Pound Cake.

Pound Cakes are a traditional delicacy that are about as basic as you can get, but not as easily made as you would think.

I loved ma-ma's basic pound cake, but several years before she died she began making Cream Cheese Pound Cake which I like even more.

Today, while I was baking a cream cheese pound cake for Gayle and her family, I thought back to all the hundreds of cakes ma-ma had made for our family and hope that the simple gift of a pound cake will bring Gayle and her family some relief during their time of grief.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake:

3 Sticks of Butter

3 Cups of Sugar

3 Cups of Sifted Flour (I just use self-rising, some people say you shouldn't but I say it is easier, so I use it.)

1 (8 oz.) Package of Cream Cheese

6 Large Eggs

Dash of Salt

1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla

Directions:

Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add vanilla and a dash of salt. Add flour. Pour in a bundt pan. Put in a cold oven. Bake at 325 for 1 hour, 25 minutes.

Today I added a raspberry glaze over the finished cake. It isn't the pretties cake in the world, but it is one of the best!