Sinful and Decadent is Best!

Happiness is knowing there is a cake in the oven.

Emma’s Strawberry Cake. Robin Mutz inherited the recipe from generations of great cooks in her family. A special “thank you” to Robin for this delightful, decadent, and simply delicious dessert.

Never underestimate the power of a sinfully decadent dessert.

Julia Child once proclaimed, “A party without a cake is just a meeting.”

Some of my most loved Southern cakes are older than the heirloom china upon which the slices are served.

I have mother’s original wooden recipe box with recipes dog-eared, splattered, and yellowed with age. They are cherished keepsakes that link me to her, my grandmother, and dear family friends, and relatives. Aunt Margaret’s cole slaw and Uncle John’s barbecue recall favorite moments of gatherings at their home down by the Yadkin River. Memories of standing on a kitchen chair by my mother’s side with flour flying in the air as she sifted, measured, and stirred are a big part of our family’s rich history. The aroma of her freshly baked sourdough bread and favorite Hummingbird cake will linger in my memory forever.

Thinking about the people I grew up with and our way of life, I now realize how much the bond that held us together has to do with food. Celebrations, birthdays, graduations, picnics, and cookouts nourished both body and soul as they brought our loved ones together.

Now the simple act of tying on an apron connects us to the generations of
Southern women who have gone before us. Long before we had cell phones and computers, we had front porches, family suppers, and conversations. After dinner, we gathered on the porch and talked to neighbors passing by. Sometimes we had a tall glass of ice-cold sweet tea and a plate of Mama’s lemon pound cake.

Her wooden recipe box was filled with recipes she wrote on the back of church bulletins, grocery store receipts, and bank deposit slips, but, mostly 3 x 5 cards written in her flowery script. Now tattered and yellow with age, small clippings were taped to the back of these little cards. And oh my, the secrets they held are priceless. Special secrets are what I love sharing best!

See recipe below.

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Artist Angela Trotta Thomas, Charleston, South Carolina

Easter is coming!

Now that strawberries are ripe in the fields across our land, a decadent Strawberry Cake is the perfect choice.

This Easter presentation is the work of designer Beth Blalock of Sea Pines.

Table by designer Beth Blalock of Sea Pines, Hilton Head Island, SC

Emma’s Strawberry Pecan Cake

From the Mutz Family of Beaufort, SC. Thank you.

Makes three 8-inch layers

This is an old Southern classic made from a mix infused with gelatin. Coconut and toasted pecans elevate it to a new level. Before you begin mixing, be sure to bring all ingredients to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1 box white cake mix (Duncan Hines)

1 (3 ounces) box strawberry jello (mix into the cake mix)

1 cup Wesson oil

½ cup whole milk

4 room temperature eggs (one at a time)

1 cup frozen strawberries, thawed

1 cup coconut

1 cup pecans, broken

Icing

1 stick butter

1 box confectioners sugar, 3 1/2 cups)

½ cup drained strawberries

½ cup pecans, chopped fine

½ cup unsweetened coconut

Cream butter and sugar. Add other ingredients and spread on the cake layers.

Before you begin.

For the pecans: No matter how you pronounce pecan, it’s a Southern staple. They’ll keep up to 2 years in the freezer in a sealed bag and can be thawed and refrozen repeatedly. The flavor is greatly intensified when toasted. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line a baking pan with parchment, spread the pecans on a baking sheet, and toast for about 5 minutes until you can smell the aroma. Store extra pecans in a ziplock bag in the freezer.

Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Classic White cake mix is recommended. To make it into a layer cake, use two 9-inch round cake pans or three 8-inch pans. Spray the pans generously with Bakers Secret.

Here’s a hint about how to make your cake layers more even. Use a measuring cup to divide the cake batter evenly among the pans. Level the batter by lifting the pans off the counter a few inches and tapping them gently on the work surface to deflate any large bubbles. Do this several times, and the batter will spread out and bring air bubbles to the surface, which will help to make your cake layers bake more evenly.

Directions

For the cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the white cake mix and the 3-ounce box of strawberry jello. Gradually add the Wesson oil and the room-temperature whole milk. Add the eggs one at a time just until thoroughly combined.

Add the thawed frozen strawberries, unsweetened coconut, and chopped pecans.

Mix until just combined and bake in prepared pans.

Icing

Cream together the butter and confectioner sugar. Add drained strawberries, finely chopped pecans, unsweetened coconut and mix thoroughly. Spread evenly over the cake layers.

Celebrate healthy living and authentic connections!