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!
