As you know, our company publishes Bake from Scratch, a magazine and book series for people who are passionate about baking. I mean … passionate! I have rediscovered my desire to bake more and learn new techniques. It is a far cry from the way I baked growing up.
But I have to tell you that cooks like me love to bake anything—especially something easy that really impresses people. My mom always had a great cake in the kitchen, and we loved it when she baked one on Sunday afternoon. That meant that hot from the oven, we would be enjoying something special. The aroma permeated our home, and it was heavenly.
Mom did a smart thing—she let us bake! Back then, that meant buying a cake mix. When I was a little girl, I would shop the cake mix section of the store while mom did the rest of her grocery shopping. My favorite was a pink lemonade cake. Can you imagine? And the plain white cake was also a favorite of mine.
When we got home, we would get out the mixer, mixing cups, and the spatula. I would add all the ingredients and mix to perfection. Mom showed me how to grease and flour a pan so the batter would not stick. When the cake was cooked, I let it cool and then removed it from the pan.
Icing was not something she bought. Buttercream was made fresh every time we baked a cake. It was so much fun! I just loved it.
One Christmas I asked for cake pans that were graduated in size so that I could produce cakes that looked like wedding cakes. Oh, my goodness, do you know how many cake mixes it takes to fill three graduated cake pans? Too many to be eaten by one family! But in allowing me to play with cakes, I developed my love of baking and icing cakes.
Our company just published a great special issue called 13 x 9 Cakes! I rejoiced when the magazine came back from the printer. For these recipes, you don’t have to stack layers and pray for a level outcome—you just serve right out of the pan! On page 89 there it was—Chocolate Cola Cake! I remember a cake like that from my childhood, and I almost squealed. That cooked icing with those pecans sets up to a light crunchy texture. I was hooked.
It is funny how my memories are triggered these days by a cake or cookies that I loved from my childhood. In the South, our special times seem to be around a great meal or dessert. I began thinking about that today, and I hope that we all are making those wonderful memories for those we love.
Bake a cake and celebrate life! Tell me, what is your favorite cake and cake memory?
Comments 9
Can’t wait to pick up your new baking publication! I love baking in the kitchen too, just because of the smell…and now it is just hubby to spoil so a baking for 2 publication would be so much fun. I even make the small round two layer tin cakes, they come out so cute and festive. I always feel presentation is so important along with any yummy flavor. Can’t think of any kind of cake we both don’t absolutely love. Thanks for always re-fueling my memories of my dear Mom in the kitchen baking up a 9×13 inch spice cake with maple frosting sprinkled with walnuts for all of us kids, always a sign fall was coming.
Thanks Phyllis, you are a very special lady doing what you love!
God Bless,
California Carmel
This is not a book, but a special edition magazine. So it will go anywhere you want to go and be a great addition to your library.
Yes, Sorry, I do know it is a special issue magazine.
I have many of your special issues. I recently bought your Best of French Cottage 2019 issue, Lovely.
I will be buying this issue, I love all your recipes. Several months ago I baked the Birthday Cake from an issue of “Bake from Scratch”. Everyone loved it.
I can’t wait to get that magazine and try some recipes. That will be great for church functions.
Thanks, Carolyn
Phyllis,
I too, love baking all kinds of cakes, cookies and muffins. I am going to have to check out your new book. It sounds like oneI need to add to my collection.
I made my first cake probably when seven or eight. Mama called it her Jelly cake.
I baked it in her oblong biscuit pan and cut it in half to make two layers.
While warm I used her homemade Mayhaw jelly for the frosting and icing.
I think it would be fun to make one and use layer pans.
I loved creating baking memories with grandchildren and hope to do the same with my great grandchildren.
I love your blog.
II
For my birthday every year, I always asked my mom to bake a chocolate cake with fluffy 7 minute frosting. My favorite!
Since it is just my husband & me now, I cut cake recipes in half and that is just enough for 2.
Looking forward to reading 13 x 9- your recipe books are the best! Would you consider publishing a Cooking for 2 issue?
I never had pink lemonade cake, but I do love to drink pretty pink lemonade!
Xo
My mother only baked from scratch. Most often, she didn’t even put icing on the cake though sometimes we’d have spice cake with cooked lemon pudding on the side. My favorite cakes were carrot cake or zucchini cake. The carrot cake was the rare cake which was iced with homemade cream cheese frosting. So delicious!
My grandmother lived with us as I was growing up. From the age of 11 I became the cake and cookie baker. Mostly from scratch but some from cake mixes. Every Saturday I make a cake BECAUSE you never knew who would drop by on Sunday afternoon. Now it bothers me if I am lucky enough for someone to just drop by, that I don’t have cake or cookies to serve.
Dear Phyllis,
I promised myself to NOT buy anymore cookbooks but……
13 X 9 is such a nice size to take somewhere and also it can be storied well at home because all of us have that size pan with cover.
I have stopped baking bundt cakes because the amount of cake is too much for my husband and I since as we age, we just want a small piece of cake. My go to size now is a single layer cake with a frosting. My recipes are for two, so I freeze one of them without icing and ice the other with made from scratch frosting. I still bake only from scratch.
I feel that baking ingredients should be words that we can spell; like butter, flour, sugar, cream or milk, eggs, vanilla, almond. You get the idea!
Thank you for my many favorite restful moments looking at Victoria and Bake from Scratch.