Today is S's 3?th birthday, so I honored his request and baked him a Coca-Cola cake yesterday. And let me tell you, that is some goooooooooooood icing! I felt guilty licking the bowl all alone, but, alas, the birthday boy was at work. I can't wait 'til he cuts into it tonight!
I brought you the recipe yesterday, so today I'll proceed with the string of stories of the Coke cake woven through our lives.
The most interesting one goes back to our courting days, back when S and I were still learning all the strange and strangely wonderful things that we have in common.
Story #1
On the first birthday that we were together, S and I were at his parents' house. His dear mother had taken ill from some stomach bug about halfway through the preparation of his birthday cake. So she asked me to step in and finish the process:
Mother-in-law: Have you ever heard of a Coca-Cola cake?
Me (on the inside): Heard of a Coke cake?? Heck, I'm famous for it among the Yankees!!
Me (on the outside): Yes, ma'am, I've made several in my lifetime, and my friends, students and colleagues in Massachusetts really enjoy that Southern delicacy.
Mother-in-law: Well, I'm halfway through making one. You know it's S's favorite cake he always wants for his birthday.
Me (on the inside): Ohmigosh! Yet another neat little thing we share--our love of Co'cola cake!
Me (on the outside): How 'bout that?
Mother-in-law: Well, I'm feeling kinda po'ly. Would you mind finishing this for him?
Me (on the inside): Stand back, woman!
Me (on the outside): I'd be glad to help out.
Story #2
Not to brag or anything, but yes, it's true that up here in Yankeeland I am really famous for my Coke cake. I've only run across 2 or 3 Yankees (and these have typically been transplants to the region) who've ever even heard of such a thing.
When I first arrived at the school where I teach, I would take this cake as the treat during the final exam time. Word spread across campus, so that when I was featured in the school's alumni and friends magazine, the Coke cake got a nod in the write-up.
One summer I drove up to Vermont with a former student to visit another former student's home, and I took a Coke cake to my hostess. It was a hit with the whole family, from her mom to her teenage brothers, and everyone feasted on Coke cake for breakfast, afternoon snack, and dessert!
Story #3
But the Vermont road trip is not the most extreme place I've taken the Co'cola cake. I've had to go to great lengths with and for the Coke cake. The best is when another friend, the incomparable Fred Rose, and I were en route to a reunion of old college friends about two hours from my hometown.
I, of course, was transporting a Coca-Cola cake to share with everyone. Which sounds reasonable enough, right?
Well, turns out it was a bit harder than we thought. The first complication was that this was a blazing hot mid-summer afternoon in the South. The second complication was that we wanted to see a movie before arriving at our friend's home later on.
Always charming and persuasive, and never anything less than determined, Pumita Princesita convinced the highschooler manning the ticket booth at the multi-plex to waive their policy barring introduction of outside food into the theater and grant us --and the precious Coke cake-- admission to the matinee.
So, Fred and I took turns throughout the feature flick babysitting the Coke cake in our laps because (1) everyone knows that movie seats don't sit flat, and (2) nobody would dare set food planned for later consumption on a movie theater floor!
The day (and, more importantly, the chompy cake!!!) was saved for enjoyment with our friends that weekend! Hooray!
Story #4
This morning at our informal birthday party, I found out why S prefers his Coke cake without nuts...it involves getting a piece of pecan from the cake stuck in his throat overnight on his 29th birthday. A very convincing reason not to go nutty, don't you think?
Well, there you have it, ladies and gentleman, just a few of the reasons that the Coca-Cola cake is so near and dear to our hearts.
Again, Happy Birthday, S, and hurry home! I'm ready for you to cut the cake!
I brought you the recipe yesterday, so today I'll proceed with the string of stories of the Coke cake woven through our lives.
The most interesting one goes back to our courting days, back when S and I were still learning all the strange and strangely wonderful things that we have in common.
Story #1
On the first birthday that we were together, S and I were at his parents' house. His dear mother had taken ill from some stomach bug about halfway through the preparation of his birthday cake. So she asked me to step in and finish the process:
Mother-in-law: Have you ever heard of a Coca-Cola cake?
Me (on the inside): Heard of a Coke cake?? Heck, I'm famous for it among the Yankees!!
Me (on the outside): Yes, ma'am, I've made several in my lifetime, and my friends, students and colleagues in Massachusetts really enjoy that Southern delicacy.
Mother-in-law: Well, I'm halfway through making one. You know it's S's favorite cake he always wants for his birthday.
Me (on the inside): Ohmigosh! Yet another neat little thing we share--our love of Co'cola cake!
Me (on the outside): How 'bout that?
Mother-in-law: Well, I'm feeling kinda po'ly. Would you mind finishing this for him?
Me (on the inside): Stand back, woman!
Me (on the outside): I'd be glad to help out.
Story #2
Not to brag or anything, but yes, it's true that up here in Yankeeland I am really famous for my Coke cake. I've only run across 2 or 3 Yankees (and these have typically been transplants to the region) who've ever even heard of such a thing.
When I first arrived at the school where I teach, I would take this cake as the treat during the final exam time. Word spread across campus, so that when I was featured in the school's alumni and friends magazine, the Coke cake got a nod in the write-up.
One summer I drove up to Vermont with a former student to visit another former student's home, and I took a Coke cake to my hostess. It was a hit with the whole family, from her mom to her teenage brothers, and everyone feasted on Coke cake for breakfast, afternoon snack, and dessert!
Story #3
But the Vermont road trip is not the most extreme place I've taken the Co'cola cake. I've had to go to great lengths with and for the Coke cake. The best is when another friend, the incomparable Fred Rose, and I were en route to a reunion of old college friends about two hours from my hometown.
I, of course, was transporting a Coca-Cola cake to share with everyone. Which sounds reasonable enough, right?
Well, turns out it was a bit harder than we thought. The first complication was that this was a blazing hot mid-summer afternoon in the South. The second complication was that we wanted to see a movie before arriving at our friend's home later on.
Always charming and persuasive, and never anything less than determined, Pumita Princesita convinced the highschooler manning the ticket booth at the multi-plex to waive their policy barring introduction of outside food into the theater and grant us --and the precious Coke cake-- admission to the matinee.
So, Fred and I took turns throughout the feature flick babysitting the Coke cake in our laps because (1) everyone knows that movie seats don't sit flat, and (2) nobody would dare set food planned for later consumption on a movie theater floor!
The day (and, more importantly, the chompy cake!!!) was saved for enjoyment with our friends that weekend! Hooray!
Story #4
This morning at our informal birthday party, I found out why S prefers his Coke cake without nuts...it involves getting a piece of pecan from the cake stuck in his throat overnight on his 29th birthday. A very convincing reason not to go nutty, don't you think?
Well, there you have it, ladies and gentleman, just a few of the reasons that the Coca-Cola cake is so near and dear to our hearts.
Again, Happy Birthday, S, and hurry home! I'm ready for you to cut the cake!
1 comment:
Oh, the cake sounds yummy!
If you pass that laundry soap recipe on, tell your SIL to use 1/2 cup of the soap for each wash, I forgot to say that in the post!
Post a Comment