Journal of a
Living Lady #244
Nancy White
Kelly
Baking has never been my forte.
Occasionally I make an effort to use the oven for something other than hasty
storage of unwashed pans when guests drop in.
Last week, while reading an antique
column on the internet, I came across a recipe for a Kentucky Wonder Cake. It
sounded easy and I had all the necessary ingredients on hand.
I followed the directions and did
everything as directed except sift the flour. I am a short-cut cook. IMHO,
sifting doesn’t provide enough pay-off for the extra effort. Besides, who would
know whether I sifted or didn’t sift? My hairdresser doesn’t care. My
brother-in-law, a retired chef, is the only culinary connoisseur in this family
and he doesn’t live here. I have always secretly doubted whether he sifted
either.
The cake turned out of the bundt pan
easily and looked pretty good in spite of the fact I have never met Betty
Crocker or Martha Stewart. As soon as the cake cooled enough to cut, I helped
myself to a piece of the cake with a glass of milk. The cake’s texture
resembled that of a heavy donut with a subtle hint of nutmeg and cinnamon. It
wasn’t especially sweet, but it was filling.
I decided the recipe was okay, but not
so great that I would bake it again. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I tossed
the recipe into the trash.
When Buddy came in from running errands,
the aroma of the freshly baked cake enticed him to ask for a slice. Reluctantly
I cut a slab, knowing that it wasn’t as good as it smelled.
To my astonishment, Buddy swore it was
the best cake that I had ever baked or he had ever eaten. I knew he wasn’t
putting me on because he quickly helped himself to a second slice. Before
bedtime, he had consumed nearly half the cake all by himself.
Just as beauty is in the eye of the
beholder, taste is unique to an individual. If Buddy rates it right up there
with banana pudding, there must be something my taste buds are missing.
Chemotherapy can alter the sense of taste, but somehow I don’t think that was
the case here. It was simply a matter of glossal
interpretation.
The Kentucky Wonder cake made me wonder.
What would you readers think? In case
you are curious and want to try it yourself, I am including the recipe which I
just dug out of the trash. Email me. Tell me whether to save the recipe for my
grandchildren or to toss the recipe back into the trash.
KENTUCKY WONDER CAKE
2 1/2 c. flour, sifted
2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. Crisco oil
2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
4 egg yolks
1 sm. can crushed pineapple
2 tsp. hot water
1 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. chopped nuts
4 egg whites, beaten
Mix flour, sugar, oil, cinnamon, egg yolks, pineapple, water and nutmeg.
Fold in nuts and beaten egg whites. Pour mixture into an increased tube
pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Suitable for freezing (or
tossing).
You decide.
