Earlier this week, Greg and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary. And, being the thoughtful gift-giver that my husband is, he always presents me with a little something inspired by the traditional anniversary year gifts – paper, leather, wood, silk, carnelian, and for year #18, its porcelain.
With that in mind, one of my gifts was a beautiful white porcelain cake stand. While it was a gift presented to me, I am positive that Greg knew that he would be the beneficiary of this gift. Of course, the kids were able to figure out that they, too, would enjoy one of Mom’s homemade cakes.
The next morning, as I made my way down to the kitchen to make coffee, there the cake stand stood – beautiful and stately, yet lonely and empty on the counter. Not sure if it was guilt, for letting it sit there unadorned, or my own ‘itch’ to start baking, but I felt obligated to add a bit of love to this beautiful stand.
Immediately, I knew just which cake it had to be.
It’s a cake that I first baked for Greg when we were dating – so, I suppose it would be appropriate to bake it to adorn this anniversary gift.
At the time, Greg lived in LA and I in Miami. I was headed out west to visit Greg for his birthday weekend, so I did what I usually do for someone’s birthday, I baked a cake. It had to be a simple-to-make, easy-to-transport cake because I was getting on a plane. And, it needed to be tasty enough to be eaten without much adornment – no frosting to get smudged on the cross-country flight.
I knew just what to bake . . . Julia Child’s Vanilla Pound Cake.
It has been my go-to cake for so many everyday occasions, as well as special occasions when I don’t have time for a buttercream frosting and added decorations. This recipe is so delicious and moist, all it needs is a bit of powdered sugar. I frequently use a decorative Nordic Ware pan, but this time around I opted for a tube pan, and something other than powdered sugar to adorn it.
A homemade cake is often at the centerpiece of so many of our celebrations. Not only for birthdays, but dinner parties, and even everyday. A homemade cake is a small gesture that certainly make us happy. Everyone’s face lights up when you announce, “cake.” It’s a dessert that brings us all together. Cakes are traditional, special, and communal.
That evening, everyone jockeyed for position to get their fair share. And, as for leftovers, well, the crumbs on the counter this morning, reveals that my son was up chomping on this long after everyone else was in bed. There was only one small bite left. I ate it.
And, if you are looking for something different that a traditional buttercream, or my usual powdered sugar adornment, try this irresistible marshmallow topping — Fluffy White Frosting.
Add a bit of happiness into your day – go ahead, bake a cake. And, thank you to my beautiful new cake stand for the mid-week cake baking inspiration.
Here’s Julia’s recipe.
