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Saturday, May 16, 2020

Big Mom's Pound Cake by @JoanReeves #SmartGirlsReadRomance

Fond Memories
This afternoon  I was making a cake and suddenly realized I had not written my post for today.

Yikes! I finished the cake and grabbed the lap top.

What to write? Why the cake recipe I made, of course.

Big Mom was Minnie Margaret, my grandmother by lucky happenstance, I guess you'd say.

She was a lovely lady who was very tall and sweet-natured. She'd been a registered nurse back in the 1920's and after having children she "retired" as most women did back then.

Retirement meant raising a son and two daughters, taking care of her home with all of the restrictions brought by World War II, going to church every Sunday, volunteering when needed, tending the kitchen garden, canning vegetables and making jellies and jams, planting and caring for flowers in the yard, and cooking three meals a day every day of the year.

Actually, that wasn't unusual for women back then. She excelled at everything, but when it came to cooking and baking, she was exxtraordinary. In fact, she was so good at cooking, she and her husband, Big Dad, started a restaurant in Leesville, Louisiana, near the Army's Ft. Polk.

Luckily, I was given several of her recipes and have cherished them, making them often through the years.

Today, I'll share her pound cake recipe. She made one every week. If you stopped by her house, you'd find a covered cake plate with a buttery pound cake inside.

Bundt Pan with Handles
Big Mom's Pound Cake

Ingredients
  • 1 cup of butter at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup of sugar
  • 5 eggs
  • 2 cups self-rising flour
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla or lemon extract
Directions
  • Prepare a bundt pan by greasing with a small amount of shortening or vegetable oil the sifting a small amount of flour into the pan to coat all surfaces.
  • Set oven to 325 degrees F.
  • Sift 2 cups of flour into a medium-sized bowl then measure the 2 cups, leveling the cup measure off each time.
  • Cream softened butter well.
  • Add sugar to butter and cream until smooth and soft.
  • Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg.
  • Slowly add flour mixture to the egg and butter mixture, beating well on medium speed after each addition.
  • Pour batter into the prepared baking pan.
  • Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto a rack or a plate.
  • Serve plain or dust it with powdered sugard or drizzle glaze over it. Delicious every way.
  • Store covered in a cool place.
Loving Memory

Every time I bake Big Mom's Pound Cake, I think of her with gratitude and love. I learned a lot from her in so many areas of life. I hope she's up in heaven smiling at this tribute.


Visit me online. — Joan Reeves



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10 comments:

  1. Great post! I compiled a family cookbook about 30 years ago and still love and use the recipes today. My Mom was just as you described your Grandmother- hardest working woman I ever knew.

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    1. Thanks, Sherri! I have a binder full of family recipes. I hope I live long enough to put them all into a cookbook. *LOL*

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  2. My grandmother's white cake with chocolate icing made with Swans Down Cake Flour was so good. My mom made wonderful pies and cakes. Her favorite was a lemon pound cake. Life has changed so much over the years. I remember when everyone had a dessert ready to serve in case someone dropped by.

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    1. I still make a cake at least once a month. I've done it more often since COVID reared its ugly head. My mom used to make a dark chocolate cake with white cooked frosting and chocolate curls on top. It was 3 layers high and probably one of the best elegant cakes I've ever tasted. (Hardly anyone knows what cooked white frosting is in today's world, but it's still my favorite.)

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  3. This looks delicious. I have to try it. Thanks.

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  4. I have to try this recipe. I love the ones that come down through families and friends; it's as if the love is cooked right into them.

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    Replies
    1. I love that description because it's so true...the love is cooked right into them.

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  5. Now that looks delicious. I'm glad you remembered to post, Joan. Enjoy your cake. I enjoyed the history of your family.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Laurean. The last piece of cake disappeared today when someone came visiting.

      Delete

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