When we were kids, going to our grandparents’ house was the Thanksgiving tradition that we loved. It was always fun to catch up on the latest boyfriends, school news, and plans for the future. We had three boy cousins and seven girl cousins. The guys would get away from us as quickly as possible to toss the football or talk cars.
However, the girls used this time together to share girl moments. After, we would fix our Thanksgiving plates and re-group on grandmother’s porch to eat, if the weather was mild. It was so much fun! The aunts would fix their favorite dishes. We absolutely loved the delicious desserts. My Aunt Ruth would always make two cakes: her labor-intensive coconut cake and a chocolate cake with marshmallow topping. We tried for years to get the recipe for the chocolate cake but she just kept it as her specialty, which made it even more delicious. You had to be there to enjoy it!
We’re planning a traditional Thanksgiving menu for this year. My favorite dish has always been the dressing that my mom makes. I just love it! I asked her the other day why we only have dressing at Thanksgiving—why not cook it all the time? We both shook our heads and had no idea.
For your Thanksgiving baking menu this year, I’ve found my Aunt Ruth’s cake recipe. I called my cousin who had it in her stash! Get ready to slave away in the kitchen for the big feast next week!
- ½ cup margarine
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 (16-ounce) can chocolate syrup
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Topping (see recipe below)
- Combine all ingredients and beat well. Pour in 9x13-inch baking pan. Bake about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
- 1 (10.5-ounce) package small marshmallows
- 1 cup chopped nuts (My aunt always used pecans.)
- ⅓ cup margarine
- ½ (4-ounce) bar baking chocolate
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1½ cups confectioner’s sugar
- Place marshmallows and nuts on top of hot cake.
- Melt margarine and chocolate. Cool slightly and add egg and confectioner’s sugar to chocolate mixture.
- Using a double boiler, beat well and heat until runny.
- Pour and spread chocolate mixture on top of marshmallows and nuts.
Find more Thanksgiving recipes in Southern Cast Iron magazine’s Nov/Dec 2017 issue!
Comments 15
I so look forward to “the Ribbon” and everyone’s comments, I enjoy the sense of “family” it engenders !
We are a small gathering for my favorite Holiday, my Mom, Auntie & myself. Of course, I do all except the napkins (Mom always does something fancy from her days as a waitress!) I guess we should now call it ‘dressing’ as we don’t have a ‘bird’ with a cavity for doing so, Auntie brings the pies & some vegetables. My children live far away, my brother is with his lady’s family and I admit, I miss the days another Aunt would have us while Mom had to work those many years and years ago..
Let us all remember to be filled with thankfulness during this special time and NOT put “the jump” on Christmas and give short shrift to Thanksgiving!
I know how it is to get a treasured family recipe from an older family member, I have done that over the years and finally was able to get a few after much begging and pleading. Now I treasure them as well, but I will pass them along to my grandchildren so they too can enjoy them. I love to share recipes, but I know some people like to keep them to themselves. Thank you for sharing this one with us, hope you don’t get into too much trouble for doing it. I too love Thanksgiving and have hosted it at my house since my parents and inlaws both have passed away. I have favorite recipes the family loves that I do every year. Never get tired of my Mom’s dressing recipe, and a favorite family friend’s sweet potato casserole, which is more like a dessert than a side dish. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and thanks for sharing with us. Peggy
My cousin Nancy got the recipe for me, so she will be the one in trouble!!! Not really. I do have happy memories of the wonderful food the aunts and my grandmother would make for us. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Awh, Thanksgiving in the South and thankful that we still call it dressing not stuffing. I have my favorites too but, this year I’m going to give your Aunt Ruth’s cake a try why? Because I had an Aunt Ruth as well and it sounds totally holiday awesome. Women sharing recipes does it get any better than this? Happy Thanksgiving and know you made mine brighter.
I’m sure mom would get mad at you Nancy, so you’ll probably tell her I shared it! Lol
Thank you Phyllis for this wonderful memory, the food, fun & talking on the porch! My favorite is our pictures on the propane tank! Remember how excited we were when we could climb on it & the silver paint on us when we got off?
The girls & their families are all coming to our farm for Thanksgiving this year! I can’t wait to get a picture of my grands on our propane tank! Love & miss y’all!
Happy Thanksgiving, I’ll be talking about y’all!
Thank you Janet. I hope you and yours have a wonderful time together. We have so much for which to be thankful! Love to all!
Happy Thanksgiving to one and all! It is probably my favorite day of the year also. As I have probably mentioned before, I have hosted the day almost every year since our Mom passed away 11/03/79. Being the oldest girl it just seemed natural and no one else “fought” me for the opportunity to do so!! My late husband used to ask me when I was going to delegate it to some one else, but I just can’t give it up. It gives me great pleasure to know my three sisters, spouses, and their grown children and the few grandchildren all enjoy it so much and look forward to being here every year. Of course, they help out with bringing side dishes. I roast the turkey, bake a ham, make dressing (stuffing), mashed potatoes and gravy, pumpkin and pecan pies (some years other varieties too) and depend on them to fill in the rest. We lost our older brother and his wife two years ago in October and they are greatly missed. Our sister-in-law always furnished the delicious homemade yeast rolls. None of us can top those. Phyllis, thanks for the unusual cake recipe. It sounds moist and yummy! I will definitely make one.
Phyllis,
Thanksgiving is my most favorite holiday. It’s about all the right things: family, fun, food, football,fellowship, and especially, gratitude. No commercialism, just what we make of it with our own traditions.
May you and your precious family be blessed as you have blessed us and so many others.
Now we need the recipe for the dressing too!
Let me check with Mom and see if it is written down anywhere. My belief is she just knows it and doesnt have it written. Let me check. P
We always make the stuffing that my maternal grandmother used. It is similar to the stuffing that is depicted in “An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving” by Louisa May Alcott. Phyllis, wishing you and yours a Blessed Thanksgiving.
Joan,Marion and Marilyn
Thank you Marilyn!!! Happy Thanksgiving to you all. Wishing you great happiness and blessings.
I can’t believe you finally got the recipe!!!!!
I know why mom would not share this recipe, so call me and I will tell you the story. I think if mom knew I had shared the recipe, she would be mad at me. LOL
Wow, I love the picture of us. We were missing only Tommy and Greg.