By Andy Bedwell
Let’s eat some cake!
When we talk about the sleepovers that we used to have back in the early 1950s, a fond memory that my neighborhood friends still recall concerns my mother and her cooking.
My mother made a great four-layer, freshly grated coconut cake with seven-minute frosting and freshly grated coconut on top. When I was growing up, a neighborhood was like a family and, strangely enough, all of us kids knew what each family loved to eat. I can remember Gertrude Hutcheson’s fabulous chocolate brownies, Pearl Richard’s homemade biscuits, Dot Holman’s vegetable pizza, Mary Katherine Heaton’s homemade oatmeal cookies, Sarah Jacob’s dessert that was always under a beautiful glass dome, and I loved to stand in Virginia McBride’s kitchen and watch her fry homemade French fries. My heart is so full of wonderful memories!
Queen Anne’s Lace Cake
1 box of Swiss
chocolate cake mix
1 small box of vanilla instant pudding
1 cup Crisco oil
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
Icing:
1 (8-ounce) package
cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup regular sugar
1 cup finely chopped pecans
5 plain milk
chocolate bars, shaved
(or a seven-ounce bar)
1 (12-ounce) container
Cool Whip
Sift cake mix and pudding mix together. In another bowl, beat oil, eggs and milk. Add to dry mixture and beat well. Pour into three greased nine-inch cake pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
For icing, beat together cream cheese and sugars until very creamy. Fold pecans and chocolate bar pieces into cream cheese mixture. Fold in Cool Whip. Ice layers and top of cake.
Andy’s Note: This recipe is a hit wherever you take it. I am always asked for the recipe; it is such a moist and light cake with the fluffy marshmallow-like icing. This is also pretty to break the cake and layer with icing in a trifle bowl. I love to bake and serve this when the weather is warm. But, you must keep it refrigerated until ready to serve. This cake freezes well. You must try it!
Fresh Peach Pound Cake
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup Crisco oil
3 cups all-purpose flour
(I use cake flour)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon
baking powder
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups sliced fresh peaches
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
powdered sugar
Beat eggs and add sugar and oil, mixing well. Combine flour, salt and baking powder. Add to egg mixture with orange juice alternately. Add vanilla. Toss peaches with cinnamon and sugar. Pour a third of the batter into a greased and floured tube pan. Layer half of the peach mixture over it. Cover with another third of the batter and the remaining peach mixture. Spread remaining batter over all. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Andy’s Note: I have written “great” by this recipe. After I slice my peaches, I like to sprinkle some Fruit Fresh over them, and I guess it is just a habit. After I published my cookbook, one of the ladies that worked for G&R Publishing called to tell me that she made this cake for her church picnic and everyone loved it. I love for people to enjoy my recipes!
Football season is here! Make you a pot of homemade Sloppy Joe’s, potato salad, baked beans, deviled eggs, tons of chocolate brownies and good ole sweet Southern tea! Roll Tide and War Eagle!
Happy Football Cooking,
Andy Bedwell
“Southern Cooking with Andy Bedwell” can be purchased at Alabama Gift Company in downtown Gadsden and The Messenger on Rainbow Drive.
