Aunt Grace’s Cake – Photo: L. Weikel
Aunt Grace’s Cake
As I predicted almost seven months ago, I’m finally writing about the cake that was the ‘official’ birthday cake in my home when I was growing up.
First of all, let me just state for the record that I find it absolutely astounding that it’s been almost seven months (just five days shy, so close enough in my book) since I first wrote about Aunt Grace’s Cake. I first brought it up in the post I wrote about Carol’s Chocolate Cake – the cake I traditionally baked as the ‘go to’ birthday cake while my sons were growing up.
As mentioned in that post, my son prefers Carol’s Chocolate Cake because he’s a traditionalist, and that’s the one he grew up on.
But my daughter-in-law just goes for the gold. And if you recall, she’d lobbied for my son to ask for ‘the walnut cake’ when I asked him which cake he wanted me to bake him for his birthday back in in the spring.
Tiffany’s Birthday
Today is Tiffany’s birthday. Yea!
Needless to say, I had no question which cake she was hoping I’d make for her birthday. I didn’t even need to ask.
It’s interesting, though, to observe how Aunt Grace’s Cake is making a resurgence into the lead as birthday cake of choice in our household. I guess a walnut torte is more of a refined taste than a totally decadent chocolate cake. But honestly? I really don’t think it’s a case of walnuts vs. chocolate.
The biggest reason I don’t think so is because the icing of the walnut torte (aka Aunt Grace’s Cake) is made with three bars of melted chocolate, half a pound of butter, a pound of confectioner’s sugar, three eggs and three tablespoons of a secret ingredient.
Bottom line? It’s a nearly orgasmic chocolate buttercream icing. Until you’ve tasted it, you haven’t really lived.
And the walnut torte itself is, well, the perfect complement.
I may not offer a vast repertoire of birthday menu selections. But even I have to admit: the couple of options I do offer have stood the test of time. These confections also make it exceedingly difficult to write a blog post after ingesting a generous piece of either, for a sugar coma lurks dangerously close by as a result, especially this late at night.
I have to say: baking either of these cakes is a wonderfully satisfying way to express my love for my family. I hope they feel it and know it with each luscious bite.
Birthday Girl with Cake – Photo: L. Weikel
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